Unitarian "Water Communion"

On Wednesday, September 19, Unitarian Universalist students at the seminary led a "water communion" chapel. In Unitarian churches, water communion is a welcome service that invites members of the congregation to bring water from the places they have been. The water is offered into a common vessel as a sign of the many gifts brought together by the congregation.

Watch a short video excerpt from our service and post a comment.



Video by Patricia Santiago and Kyle Carnes
Editing by Rich Montone

The Compassionate Mandala

Throughout the week of September 18-22, James Chapel has hosted the Compassionate Mandala tour. Of all the artistic traditions of Tibetan Buddhism the ritual of painting with sand is one of the most unique and exquisite. During the week, people were able to witness the slow unfolding of the mandala.

The monks also led the meditation class of Professor Hyun Kyung Chung, a singing class in Tibetan chant, and a workshop in sand painting. The week culminated in a concert Friday night and the Saturday dissolution ceremony (a reminder of the profound Buddhist concept of impermanence). The concert featured the traditional Tibetan chanting of the world-renowned Namgyal monks from His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s private monastery in Dharamsala, India and Tenzin Choegyal, who draws on his traditional Tibetan roots to create music which expresses his thoroughly modern life.

Below is a short video of the dissolution ceremony and our walk to the Hudson River where we poured out the blessed sand used in the mandala. Please make a comment and follow other events of the tour at the related link posted here.



Video and editing by Troy Messenger

Poverty Initiative Chapel

The Poverty Initiative at Union led daily chapel on Wednesday, September 12. The group grounds their commitment to economic justice in the message of the Gospel.

In this chapel, two members of the Poverty Initiative reflect on texts from Matthew. The prayers of the day are based on the Beatitudes from Matthew 5. At the invitation, "Blessed are the poor...", the congregation adds the names of those who are poor, sick, mourning, and persecuted for righteousness sake. The service ends with an altar call that is a twist on one sometimes practiced in churches that preach a "prosperity gospel." Instead of bringing dollars to the altar to be blessed with more money, the congregation on this day brings forth statistics of economic injustice as a sign of their commitment to be alt(e)red by the demands of the gospel. We go out singing the justice song, "Ain't gonna let nobody turn me 'round."



We invite you to watch the video and make a comment.

Video by Kyle Carnes and Patricia Santiago
Editing by Rich Montone
Photo by Patricia Santiago

Convocation 2007: The Dream of God

Convocation at Union Seminary ritually constitutes the seminary for the academic year. Coming ten minutes after the close of registration, Convocation officially marks the beginning of the semester.

In this year's service on Wednesday evening, September 5, a festive procession of incoming students and the faculty enter to a congregation singing "We Are the Ones, We've Been Waiting For." The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori addresses the assembly with a charge to step forth and help realize the "dream of God." Finally, the service culminates in a Rite of Matriculation in which incoming members of the community and then returning members pledge to help Union carry out its mission in our time. A dancer and solo jazz saxophone weave a prayer of blessing around the spoken prayer.

We invite you to watch the video clip and tell us, "What is the dream of God?" and "How does this worship service picture that dream?"


Video by Patricia Santiago and Rich Montone
Editing by Rich Montone