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Archive Number 4228

Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 00:21:01 -0800
From: Allison Cox
Subject: Dream a new world into being... (long)


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Hello All,
=20
Here are the stories for the concert and Sunday service I took part in =
that were themed =93Dream a new world into being=94 =96 I promised I =
would let you know what stories I told for this event. As soon as we are =
caught up in some projects I will also list all suggestions on a web =
page so I will let you know when that gets posted. Sorry if you get this =
post twice.
=20
The weather was icy so our concert crowd was small but it turned out to =
be more intimate that way and fine with me.
=20
Dreaming a new world into being Concert


On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King stood on the steps at the =
Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. and said, "I have a dream!"



Well, I got to thinking=85

If we could create the world of our dreams, what would that world be?
Would people care for each other as they do themselves?=20

Could we move toward peace and dismantle prejudice - essentially leaving =
no one behind?=20

Would we act as stewards for the wilderness and preserve the wild places =
of the world?
And can we stop the endless racing for achievement and power and slow =
down long enough to touch the eternal in day to day life?=20



"Dreamtime" =96 Australia =96 (the world is shaped by our dreaming) =
(suggested by Jackie Baldwin - who also sent songs)
see http://www.crystalinks.com/australiacreation.html



In between stories, I sang verses of songs...

Last night I had the strangest dream
I'd ever dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war

"War Between the Sandpipers and the Whales" =96 Marshall Islands =
(Environment, War, Gangs)

From Peace Tales by Margaret Read MacDonald

=20

Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper, "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me



"The Peddler's Dream" =96 Ireland =96 (believing in your dreams/"the =
poor simple and old of today are the heroes of tomorrow") from Ruth =
Sawyer's The Way of the Storyteller. (Erica Lang Clark reminded me of =
this)


At intermission, I handed out index cards and asked the audience to =
please write on these "what new world you would like to dream into =
being..."=20
(got this idea from Mary Grace)


Shared the Gypsy proverb (from Meg Gilman)

We are all wanderers on this earth. Our hearts are full of wonder, and =
our=20
souls are deep with dreams. -=20



=93Old Woman and the Giant=94 =96 Philippines (violence against =
women/community pulls together/"sing out in a loud voice") from Fearless =
Grills, Wise Woman & Beloved Sisters by Kathleen Ragan
=20

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

Life is but a dream=85


=93Tackety Boots=94 =96 Scotland (sexual diversity) as told by Hazel =
Lennox in Healing Heart ~ Family
=20
Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own

=94The Woman in the Snow=94=96 USA =96 (bus boycott/ghost story) The =
Dark-Thirty : Southern Tales of the Supernatural (w/verbal permission =
from the author, Patricia McKissack - Thanks again!) Read a poem - "Wage =
Peace" by Judyth Hill


Goodnight Irene, Irene,

Goodnight Irene, Irene,

Goodnight Irene Goodnight Irene,

I=92ll see you in my dreams



And closed with the quote:

=93When we dream together, it is no longer a dream, but the beginning of =
reality."=20

(I think Mel sent this to me)





I spent the night in a lovely B&B one block from the ocean, surrounded =
by cedars.=20

=20



And for the Universalist Unitarian service the next day

There were two Sunday morning sessions held in a lovely adobe and beam =
church.=20

=20

I will skip over some of the service here =85



They call the children to the front for a story before they go off to =
Sunday school so I told the whole congregation =93Why Bat Hangs Upside =
Down=94 (see my web site: =
http://www.dancingleaves.com/allison/stories/why_bat/why_bat_hangs_upside=
_down.html )

And invited the children to participate in describing the party scenes. =
And added at the end that when the bats come home in the morning and go =
to sleep, they dream of a day when everyone will welcome them.

=20

For the reading, I shared the same opening statements from the concert =
about Martin Luther King and =91dreaming a world into being=92 and then =
shared what the audience had written on index cards the night before.

=20

I followed this with a beautiful list of day to day things that people =
can do to make a difference for the world in the hopes that peace =
ripples outward (thanks again for sending this to me off list =96 you =
know who you are!)

=20

This was followed by a minute of silence.

=20

The choir sang an amazing song, =93I Dream of a World=94

=20

And then I told three stories=85

=20

The Kazakhstan story of =93The Magic Garden of the Poor=94 from Earth =
Care; World folktales to talk about by Margaret Read MacDonald

=20

"Bundles=94 =96 Germany (see my story on the HSA site at: =
http://www.healingstory.org/treasure/bundles/bundles_of_troubles.html )

=20

And I shared a true story of generosity and forgiveness - and we closed =
by singing a round of =93Shalom=94.

So nice to have a choir sing before and after stories!

=20

By the time I started the 2 =BD hour drive home =96 I was tired! Luckily =
there was only rain to contend with.=20

=20

Thanks so much to all who contributed to the discussion that helped me =
choose the stories to bring to these events. I could have done this =
twice over with all the good suggestions that were sent. I will let you =
know as soon as we get these posted.

=20

May we all dream a new world into being=85 every morning.

=20

All my best to you,

Allison Cox
www.dancingleaves.com/allison
Story crosses over all boundaries for it speaks the language of the =
heart.

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