NCR staff at the solar eclipse party Aug. 21. (NCR photo)
Editor’s Note: Kansas City, Missouri, where NCR headquarters are located, was very near the path of totality for the solar eclipse Aug. 21. To mark this historic (and really cool) event, we had a staff party with pizzas, moon pies, sun chips and Tang. Tomorrow we eat healthy, we promise. We then repaired to the parking lot with our special sun glasses for the viewing. We had heavy rain showers with thunder and lightning early in the day, but by 11:30 a.m., the sky had cleared enough for viewing.
Before we got the jollyment underway, we did pause for some spiritual reflection. Charity Sr. Anne Loendorf, who volunteers in our development office, wrote a reflection for us for the day. She followed that with a prayer for grace before meals that we prayed before beginning our celebration. Below is Sr. Annie’s reflection and her prayer.
Welcome to this sacred time in our history
Grand moment of MYSTERY -- AWE -- WONDER! This time of ECLIPSE!
This time of pausing ... of being aware
Being deeply attentive...mindful of being an active participant
In God's Evolutionary journey
Beginning 13.8 billion yrs ago when this God of EVOLUTION
Spoke so simply into the darkness & chaos ... LET THERE BE LIGHT! LIGHT ... most magnificent creation ... source of Fire
ILLUMINATING PRESENCE of the HOLY Of whom the Buddha says ... MAKE OF YOUR LIFE AND ENDURING LIGHT!
LIGHT of which our Jewish and Quaker brothers & sisters call a GOD SPARK LIGHT inhabiting our souls
And the story continues with the words of the ancient mystic Hafiz:
EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME
THE SUN NEVER SAYS TO THE EARTH
'YOU OWE ME'
Look what happens with a LOVE like that -- IT LIGHTS THE WHOLE WORLD!!
You and I have been living within this LOVE story all of our lives. ILIA DELIO calls it A QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT!
Today we are uniquely entangled in this cosmic experience.
This blazing love force ... our SUN radiating 1 million times greater than the moon ... is already now beginning to know this moon's intimate touch ... her shadow moving in over our earth ... creating dark places appearing in the sun until ALL LIGHT DISAPPEARS
BE STILL....LISTEN TO THE DARKNESS..
Prayer before meals
Let us know ourselves to be participating In this most HOLY EVOLUTIONARY story Of being energized
Befriended
Empowered
Affirmed in our call to be LIGHT as this most amazing
Precious FIRST GIFT of creation
SHINES UPON US A-NEW
Advertisement
WE come to our table of COMMUNION on this most amazing day
... a day of nourishment into the depths of our persons, mind-body-spirit
We come with HUGE THANKFUL hearts
For the wonder of creation
For its continual infusion into our everydailyness.
Blessed is the Source of all life
Well-spring of goodness, compassion, kindness
For it is from this creative power that
We derive food from the bounty of our earth
Food that sustains us that we might sustain others.
And so we eat to be strengthened and deepened in our mission ... Always being reminded that all LIFE is HOLY ... SACRED ... to be reverenced ... shown dignity and respect.
Each of us is unique
Offering planet earth the gift no other can offer -- OURSELVES!
We eat and are renewed
We are thankful to all the plants and animals
That have given of their lives that we might be nourished this day. May we merit their sacrifice
Honor their sparks of holiness
Through our acts of loving kindness.
As we gather now to "commune" with one another
we offer our conversation and friendship ... membership in our NCR community
as we break open the bread of our lives with one another as evolutionary companions ... companions on the way
Brothers and sisters of our most amazing planet
Ever becoming whole/holy persons.
