Every Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m. ten of us women gather for prayer. We come from diverse religious backgrounds and professions. During the eight years we have been together a profound kinship has evolved. I believe that a good portion of this is due to how we have chosen to begin each gathering:
We stand in a circle and greet one another with a "Namasté." The person to the left of the facilitator of prayer and reflection for that morning begins by speaking her name. We all respond by bowing to her, repeating her name and greeting a quality of goodness within her (one that has been chosen by the facilitator). We continue going around the circle until all have been greeted.
For example:
The person to the left of the facilitator: "Kathy."
All: (bowing) "Kathy, I greet the enduring love in you."
Next person: "Mary."
All: (bowing) "Mary, I greet the enduring love in you."
etc.
The quality of goodness we greet in each one depends on the theme for that day’s reflection. Some of these have been:
I greet the compassionate one in you.
I greet the spirit of confidence in you.
I greet the kindness in you.
I greet the spirit of the ancestors in you.
I greet the strength to endure in you.
I greet the gift of laughter in you.
I greet the dancing muse of creativity in you.
The reverence we have for one another has created a magnificent bond of care and non-judgment among our group. I firmly believe this is due to our acknowledgment of each one’s inner "gold" every week. It is my hope that any group gathering around a spiritual practice would begin in a similar manner.
— Joyce Rupp in Email Correspondence