About Hidden Brook
Hidden Brook is a contemplative service using prayer, scripture, Taize music, other music, poetry, readings and silence. We meet via Zoom at 6pm on the first Tuesday of each month. We also meet in-person at the church at 6pm on the third Tuesday of each month, with Zoom participation available.
For an invitation to the Zoom Hidden Brook service, contact Steve Steadman at sgsteadman@gmail.com.
This Week at Hidden Brook
We now celebrate Hidden Brook on the first Tuesday of each month via Zoom, and on the third Tuesday of the month in-person with Zoom access. Our next Hidden Brook service will be held in-person (with Zoom access) at 6 pm on January 20. We will discuss and meditate on belovedness, with scripture passages and music: What does this mean to you? And, we will explore "belovedness," as popularized by Martin Luther King, Jr., that refers to his vision of the Beloved Community: a society built on unconditional love (agape), justice, and interconnectedness. Contact Steve Steadman at sgsteadman@gmail.com if you would like an invitation to the Zoom access. The winter Hidden Brook schedule follows. A volunteer is needed to lead the February 17 in-person service.. Contact Jim Donna jdonna7403@aol.com if you would like to lead this service.
January 20 Steve Steadman In-person
February 3 Jim Donna Zoom
February 17 Volunteer needed In-person
March 3 Mary Skinner Zoom
March 17 Beth Zwick In-person
Keep meditating! Keep praying!
Words ABOUT SILENCE
The wise tell us that God abides in silence—
That God speaks in the silent serenity of the heart.
Let us not speak of silence;
rather, let silence speak to us of God,
the God who in silence speaks all languages,
the God who in silence speaks in all creatures,
the God who in silence speaks one word,
the God who speaks of love. Amen.
from a Benedictine prayer of silence
Why Hidden Brook?
Our name "The Hidden Brook" resonates on several levels, both historic and spiritual. Literally, it describes the underground stream that runs down Russell Avenue and irrigated the celery farms that were on this land before the church was built. It was also the name of Good Shepherd's first nursery school. And now, for CGS's Tuesday night community in the 21st century, it evokes the spiritual hidden brooks in all our lives -- sources of peace and refreshment that we can touch more deeply by spending time on our inner journeys -- individually, yet still together.
What is TAIZÉ?
Taizé services are characterized by quiet and candlelight, the repetition of melodious chants sung many times in many languages, a period of silence, and contemplative prayer. Let the songs sing themselves in you. Once you catch the tune, let yourself find the words -- in your heart or as you listen to your brothers and sisters as they sing. Let your spirit move along the path provided by rhythmic repetition, deeper and deeper into the stillness and beauty of God's presence.
AT ANY TIME DURING AN IN-PERSON HIDDEN BROOK SERVICE, FEEL FREE TO
Light a candle,
hold an object from the altar,
or move to any part of the church you prefer.