"How I was Introduced to Dances of Universal Peace" by Pat Segner

18 years ago I found just the right combination of sound, movement, meditation and prayer for me in the Dances of Universal Peace which are meditative circle dances introduced in the San Francisco area by Zen scholar and Sufi Master, Samuel Lewis. Sam said, "Eat, pray and dance together." The dances use mantras from all the world faiths. In the beginning, even if a chant was not "my thing," I knew it had meant something significant to a culture for thousands of years. I was introduced to DUP by Ed Malik Dixon who was a gracious, spiritual man with a beautiful voice and love for others. Through my work with Malik, who founded the Park Forest Dance Group with me 15 years ago, I immersed myself in the writings and workshops of Murshid Christe Saddi and Neil Douglas Klotz. Saadi has been my Sufi teacher for the last 10 years. I have deepened my spiritual insight and opened my heart through the dances and my Sufi practices.

The dances are easy to learn and open to all. We join our voices in singing sacred phrases and Divine Names from many spiritual traditions while moving rhythmically to simple circle dances and walking meditations. We use breath to cultivate body awareness, to free the voice and deepen in silence. We invite you to our circle to sing, chant, dance and pray for peace.

Park Forest Dances of Universal Peace are held at:
The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Park Forest
70 Sycamore Drive
Park Forest, IL 60466

We meet on the 3rd Saturday from 2-4pm.

Dates for 2013:
September 21, October 19, November 16, December 21

Dates for 2014:
January 18, February 15, March 15, April 19, May 17, June 21

Directions: Western Ave South to Sycamore Drive, turn left, church is directly to your right.
For more info: Contact the UUCC office at 708-481-5339 or Pat Segner at 708-748-2217

"What 'Community' Means to Me" written by Joyce Semmler

Community can be many things to many people—looking at each other eye-to-eye as we sing Spirit of Life in the closing circle; participating in a work day, sharing food we’ve cooked at a potluck, or sharing ideas and philosophies in a small group.

What community means to me right now is fainting in church and having someone behind you literally cushion your fall with his body, and then  hearing people clap as the paramedics wheel you out (as an NFL fan, I know about this custom). Community means having people sit with you in shifts at the hospital and drop into the emergency room to see how you’re doing. It means still other people driving your car home and making sure it’s safely in the garage.  Community is having people bring you cover-up clothes and magazines to read in the hospital and calling to say, “I’m coming!”

Community is offers to help from people who might not have expected to water your flowers or run your errands or finally, be on tap to pick you up so you could get back home--people who accepted these requests with willingness and a smile.

Community is many phone calls filled with concern and good thoughtful advice and touches of humor.

We may be a small church, but our sense of community is deep and all-encompassing! I know.

Thank you, one and all!