We have so much to be thankful for! October in Canada is when we make time for thanks. This year GES sponsored our regular dinner at the golf course after taking a year off because of Covid. All of us were so grateful to be able to come together, enjoy each other and break bread in community. Please refer to our “Event Reviews” for more information.
We at GES strive for that personal engagement in many different ways. Whether we are walking in Pilgrimage or engaging in chanting or prayer, discussing books in group format or listening to sound productions, we find ways to engage in spiritual exploration.
It’s so easy to say we’re grateful for…. whatever! Many of us have been talking about the idea of daily thankfulness. Realizing… actually realizing that what we have is not that simple. Everything has complexity. Much of the food we eat has many levels of production. Many of the clothes we wear would not be available without farmers who plant and harvest the cotton. Or those who orchestrate the weaving of silk and managing the work of the silkworms.
It’s not hard to say we’re grateful for something. In doing so many of us are talking about the idea of daily thankfulness. Possibly that means looking a little deeper at some of the complexities of our lives. Sometimes it’s necessary to stop doing, creating, thinking, planning and organizing, and settle down to just simply “Be”. There, in that place of being, we are freer and more apt to deeply access that place of gratitude. Fast-paced living and constant engagement sometimes leaves less space for reflection and appreciation.
In creating programming events with GES we attempt to offer events that encourage inward reflection, self-awareness and spiritual growth. Providing a time to stop and focus is our goal.
Since we are all different and in pursuit of various outlets, with our programming offerings we hope to explore a wide range of spiritual expression. This includes sharing music, poetry, dance, religious rituals, literature, meditations and cultural practices, wherever spirit might lead us.
Check out the events being planned for the near future. Our world is opening up and the possibilities are unlimited. Come and be with us, in shared vision and common goals. We think there’s something for everyone. We are grateful to be in community. Thank you. Below is a copy of the prayer read by Shelagh Huston before our meal:
We join with the earth and with each other.
To bring new life to the land.
To restore the waters.
To refresh the air.
We join with the earth and with each other.
To renew the forest.
To care for the plants
To protect the creatures
We join with the earth and with each other.
To celebrate the seas
To rejoice in the sunlight
To sing the song of the stars
We join with the earth and with each other.
To recreate the human community
To promote justice and peace
To remember the children of the earth.
We join with the earth and with each other.
We join together as many and diverse expressions of one loving mystery:
For the healing of the earth and the renewal of all life.