May 14th, 2007 - Hunger Awareness Team Meeting

Our excitement builds around the Summer Film Nights that the team will host starting July 18th. This is in appreciation of the donations, time, and effort that the Creator community has given towards relieving hunger for a year and a half now.

Tonight we worked from a thorough list Mary compiled and handed out at our April meeting. It summarized the plots, listed the running times, and described the pros and cons of nine suggested films to show.

We selected four films from the list; Sullivan's Travels, The Grapes of Wrath, Sparrows and The Southerner.

We discussed plans for the OFB Work Day and starting the sign up process.

Diane brought a book, Earth Prayers. We read a number of inspired prayers from it.

To start the meeting we read Thich Nhat Hanh and his prayers around food:

Blessing the Meal

This food is the gift of the whole universe - the earth, the sky, and much hard work. May we live in a way that makes us worthy to receive it. May we transform our unskillful states of mind, especially our greed. May we take only foods that nourish us and prevent illness. We accept this food so that we may realise the path of practice

First Four Bites

With the first taste, I promise to offer joy. With the second, I promise to help relieve the suffering of others. With the third, I promise to see others' joy as my own. With the fourth, I promise to learn the way of non-attachment and equanimity.

These and the other prayers that were read resonated with us. There were prayers for all parts of a meal from filling plates to washing afterwards.

Diane was also passionate about encouraging the congregation to intentionally buy for OFB donations rather than donating "from the shelf". She will be writing about this for the newsletter.

Once again, what comes from the heart and is offered at our meetings is astounding to me.