Alluvium is the set of spiritual beliefs and ideas that brings us together as a community. We do want to build a community of like-minded individuals who believe that our existence as spiritual beings should be nourished. There are a lot of simple, basic beliefs that are at the core of Alluvium, and although these beliefs are very simple, we also think that they’re very important to spirituality a
nd yet unique among religions.
• Spirituality is an important component of who we are. First, we believe that spirituality is important and we should nourish the spiritual dimensions of our existence. We exercise ourselves physically and even intellectually, but we don’t spend enough time actualizing and fulfilling the spiritual facets of our identity.
• Science, philosophy, and religion have overlapping and even complimentary missions. Second, we believe that science, philosophy, and religion are overlapping and should be considered together so that we can holistically understand our place in the universe. Some of the primary questions considered by religions in the past have been partially answered by the sciences: Where did the universe come from? How did we come into existence? What is the ultimate fate of the cosmos? But there are still philosophical and spiritual implications to the hidden truths that we’re learning about the universe that should be considered. When we talk and meet together and delve into new revelations about the universe, we can start to share valuable spiritual insights and nourish and actualize the spiritual dimensions of our being.
• Morality should include ways to more harmoniously coexist with the world around us. Third, we think that there are gaps in the morality provided by traditional religions. For example, the religions of the world have been largely silent while the world’s fragile ecosystem has suffered due to the expanding consequences of human existence. While the world’s biosphere has been decimated, the moral implications of our behavior has seldomly been addressed. We believe that part of morality is reflecting on recent changes in the world and working to make our existence more harmonious in our relationships with the world and with each other.
• It’s a profound and fundamental need for us to find our voices and express ourselves. We think that it’s a need and also a right to be heard and to be understood when we speak to our spiritual truths. It’s important for us to voice our insights into ourselves and into our spirituality, and for those insights to be heard and understood. We each deserve a safe, open, supportive space to find and develop our voice as a prerequisite to becoming actualized as spiritual beings. How do we approach spiritual actualization? The traditional approach of religious services is that there is a dualistic experience of religious practice, with a pastor and an audience. Knowledge and spiritual insights are usually only experienced from one person addressing the audience, which passively listens to each service. We think that, in order for ideas to be spiritually nourishing, they have to have journeys that are internal and external. Internally, our ideas have to be reflected upon and gradually understood in different ways. Externally, it’s important that we share our ideas, that they are absorbed and digested by others, and then reflected back to us. So our services are often treated as an open forum, with each person being given a chance to share their ideas and spiritual insights. We hold our services in a circle, with every member of the community having a chance to be a speaker as well as a listener. Some of what we’ve talked about so far has been about philosophy, spirituality, religion, and science. Where do art and music fit into our practice and experience of spirituality? In addition to the need to develop our voices, to be heard, and to be understood, the creative arts have a central role in our experience of spirituality. As individuals our perspectives on the spiritual realm can be inherently fractionated and flawed. Artistic expression---including music, painting, poetry, dance---are all ways that we can expand our insights, by having a lens into the emotional and spiritual journeys of others. When are our services? We meet for Deep Discussions at 6 pm every Sunday and at 7 pm as an open forum. You’re welcome to share your poetry, songs, stories, jokes, and insights. We hope you’ll come out ready to listen and ready to share, and we hope you leave a slightly wiser, slightly more spiritually actualized being. We also have numerous other services, including an art night on Tuesdays, a musical open mic on Thursdays, and as we continue to develop as a community, we hope to expand our calendar of events. We sometimes invite special guests to talk and perform. How can you reach out to us? If you have suggestions for ways that we can expand our services and better serve the community, you can email us at [email protected].
