Mindfulness In Action

This custom ceremony was written by Rev. Michelle Rado for the Purpose of symbolic expression of the fact that we are not separate from the Source of Love within us, and the truth of our Oneness with All.

Rev. Rado is available to officiate this ceremony for you at your home or other location within 25 miles from Agoura Hills, Ca which includes Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Calabasas and Malibu areas.  

You may use this form below email her  for more details.

The Ceremony:

Preparation: This ceremony will take part in a Kitchen and in a living room or nearby room.

1)   You will need a recipe for a bread or cake loaf that will take 15 – 20 minutes to bake. There are several boxed gluten free breads such as Carrot or Banana available at Ralphs that require only 3-4 ingredients and take only 15-20 minutes to bake. You can assign tasks required for baking, such as placing in the pan and then placing in the oven for larger groups. You will assign an ingredient or a task to each of the participants.

2)   Each participant will consider their ingredient, as their contribution to the All. The participant assigns a unique meaning to their Ingredient symbolic to them and which they will share with the group upon blending of the ingredients.

3)   All necessary baking tools.

4)   Setup an altar with a single large candle in the center of it, and place chairs in a circle around the Altar.

5)   Gong or Chimes

6)   Meditation Music that will last for at least 15 minutes (baking time). Recommend Meditation #4 from Pathways of Light Meditation CD (19:47 in length)

Setting: With Alter setup, Kitchen Lights are off. The group stands together before the Kitchen, The Gong or Chime is sounded to start.

Introduction: The minister (or facilitator) turns on the kitchen light and shares, “With this light we illumine our minds and open our hearts to our Oneness with All… The purpose of this ceremony is to acknowledge – though seemingly separated individuals, we come together and join for the purpose of awakening… And remembering the truth of our Oneness. We acknowledge that each of us have come here to contribute to the healing of our One Mind, and to extend love to each other and the universe. Salvation for All waits patiently for us to add our unique ingredient, completing the whole, so that we may walk together and rest forever in Peace and Love. “

“While each unique ingredient appears to be different in size, shape, smell, and taste, each is comprised of the very same few elements of life that all things in nature are made of including the stars, galaxies, earth, sun, and all plant and animal life forms including our own bodies. This scientific truth underscores the complex yet simple truth that we are all the same. We are in fact One and the Same, the All Loving One from which the universe arose and of which eternity sings our name for all time, forever and ever. ”

The minister calls each participant up by name:

____________________________(name), please share with us, the gift that you bring to symbolize your unique contribution to our Oneness and in acknowledgement of our growing awareness of our One True Self.

Sharing of Ingredients: Each person steps forward, holds their ingredient before them, in both hands , slightly raised and out stretched towards the group, with head gently bowed, they share their story, the symbol of their unique offering, and they end their sharing with the following words, “ I offer in loving surrender, my unique talents and skills into the loving arms of the Holy Spirit to use as is best suited in service to the All”

They lower their arms and gently blend their ingredient into the bowl with all others, as the group says, “We thank you, _____________________(name) for your loving service, we rejoice in your offering and accept it with Love that we may give it back to you In Love, our Brother/Sister – at Home in Love and in Peace with us, always and forever”

Baking of the Cake/Bread

The minister places the bread in the Oven, and leads the group to the room with the altar, and each takes a seat in the circle.

The Minister asks all to join hands, and lights the Candle at the center of the Alter and says, “This candle represents the one light of love that lives and breathes us, within us all. We are grateful for our growing awareness of our Oneness with Love”

The minister invites them to release their hands, and rest comfortably in the peace of our growing awareness as we meditate,

Meditation:

Minister turns the music on.

Relax and close your eyes … Take a few deep breaths… As you exhale, imagine that you are letting go of the belief that you are alone, an individual, separate from anyone or anything else….Call to mind images of others… Faces of seemingly separate people in your life… they can be people you know or people that you pass on the street…See each face come into your mind… see the color of their hair, the shape of their face, the color of their eyes…what are they doing?…are they smiling…laughing… crying…, do they look sad?…allow extra time…. You now realize that you are not separate from them…You are One with them… You are coming to realize that what you see in them, is within yourself…Allow Extra Time…they are here as a gift for you… a mirror for you to learn how to forgive yourself so that you can find your way back home in peace…they come to help you lovingly…they bring their unique skill and talent into this world so that you may realize your oneness with them and find your way back home… hand in hand with them together…Now Imagine yourself hugging them…and dancing with them… so playful and happy in the understanding that all that they do is perfectly suited to helping you to awaken in spirit…allow time…even the seeming difficult things that they say or do, are there so that you can forgive and release a limiting thought or belief that still holds you back…..these are their gifts to you…the one who plans all events, past present and future, solely for your highest good, has established this truth for you…You accept this now and allow yourself to feel the gratitude that comes with the gift of never-ending peace and love…

As you inhale, imagine yourself drawing from the never-ending source of love and life….you realize now that you are one with this source… You are this source… Love lives within you, within your mind…You are willing to accept your oneness with All… in Acceptance of this truth, you now know that your true purpose has nothing to do with your profession or the tasks that fill your day, rather your true purpose is to share the Love that is within you with All…You now realize that you do this by infusing every task that you do with Love and Gratitude, and that by doing this, your are safely lead back home in Love…You now realize that the peace you feel is your demonstration of your new awareness in your Oneness with All living things…imagine how this Peace feels…let it flow through you… imagine it extending beyond you and to encompass the entire universe…allow time…

Note: The Minister quietly gets up and removes the bread from the oven and places it out to cool, then returns to the circle and completes the meditation.

When you are ready, open your eyes and return to this room… As you open your eyes take a moment to look silently into the eyes of the others, one by one, offering them a silent blessing of love and gratitude for all that they bring to the All.

When all eyes are open, the minister invites everyone to stand and move to the Kitchen.

Partaking of Bread:

The Minister, slices the bread, places the bread on the plates, and hands them out. Saying, “each of you contributed your unique gift, to the All yet this was not enough, we needed another set of hands, the Hand of the Holy Spirit, symbolized by the Oven, has baked the ingredients transmuting them from separate to whole, again. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute and serve in this process, we are grateful to the Holy Spirits loving and gentle touch, guiding us back to our home, One with all”

Now, with each person holding a piece of cake, “As we partake of this bread, we internalize and digest the experiences and insights we have gained, so that they become a part of our Beingness. We thank ourselves for our awareness and awakening to the spirit within, the Love that binds us always has no boundary, no ending forever and ever. As we eat this bread in silence we look into the eyes of each other and offer gratitude and blessings. (All eat the Bread)

Closing:

When everyone is done chewing, stand in a circle and join hands. Use the Gong or Chimes to make a single sound. Upon the completion of the sound the minister provides closing remarks as guided by spirit, and ends with, “ go forth now into this world, with new awareness in your heart, share with all that you see, in thought, word and silent gestures, your love and knowledge that we are not alone, we are not separate, we never have been nor shall we ever be, Peace be with you always”