UPCOMING MONTHLY SERVICE DATES ARE 5/23/21, 6/27/21, 7/25/21, 8/22/21
Interfaith. Interspiritual. Interspecies.
order of service
May 23, 2021
4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. eastern time
Guided by:
William Melton
Reverend Sarah Bowen
Victoria Moran
Reverend Erika Allison
Welcome and Words of Inspiration
"What do we mean by interfaith, interspiritual, & interspecies?"
by Reverend Sarah Bowen
The Compassion Consortium Tenets of Agreement
Introduction by William Melton
Read by Rev. Sue Oliver, an ordained minister with Centers for Spiritual Living, who lives on a 40-horse sanctuary in Ramona, CA and Ashwani Garg, a Buddhist and lifestyle medicine physician who lives in the Chicago suburbs with his twin boys and wife.
1. We acknowledge a Divine Force at the heart of the universe, and in all living beings. We may refer to this force as God, but It is known by many names and appears in different forms or as formless.
2. We recognize the common moral principles inherent within all wisdom traditions.
3. We affirm that compassion, reverence for life and nonviolence are fundamental to religious faith and moral philosophy, and are to be extended to all sentient beings.
4. We stand by the principles of inclusion, diversity, and equality, and hold these as essential in our human relations.
5. We hold that nonhuman animals are imbued with the same essence of life and love as are human animals, and that there is moral parity between us.
6. We avow that humans do not own the earth, its resources, or its inhabitants, but instead must be involved in their protection and care.
7. We endeavor to eat and live in a kind and sustainable manner, moving away from animal foods and animal-derived clothing, as well as any activities that cause harm to our fellow beings, human or otherwise.
8. We aim to provide spiritual comfort, fellowship, and food for thought to those practicing or exploring a vegan lifestyle.
9. We offer guidance and peer support for all those seeking a more compassionate and spiritual life.
10. We commit to sharing these principles freely, with humility and respect, in support of nonhuman animals and the earth.
Song of Compassion
Just Like Us by Daniel Redwood
Interspecies Spiritual Practice
Reverend Erika Allison and some of the many beings at Farm Sanctuary lead us in a few minutes of spiritual practice.
Gwenna Hunter in Conversation with Victoria Moran
Gwenna Hunter is the founder of the Facebook group Vegans for Black Lives Matter and the founder of Vegans of LA, a group celebrating urban vegan pop culture. She is also the coordinator of community engagement and events for Greater Los Angeles at Vegan Outreach. She is a lifelong spiritual seeker, working to build a kinder community wherever she goes, and a member of the Compassion Consortium Advisory Board.
Compassion in Action: A Short Story with Rachel Borkowski
A personal sharing and reflection led by Reverend Erika Allison
Rachel is a certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator, and founder and director of the nonprofit, Animal Connection, providing virtual tours of farm animal sanctuaries for students. In her free time, she enjoys singing, dancing, concerts, being in nature, making people laugh, and anything to do with vegan food.
Blessings & Prayers
Water ritual led by Reverend Sarah Bowen
You will be invited to share the names of your
new arrivals and departed companions in the chat box.
Closing Remarks & Invitation to Fellowship
If you would like to support the mission and programming of this community, please consider contributing:
Closing Song
Once A Day by Michael Franti & Spearhead ft. Sonna Rele, Supa Dups
Spiritual Fellowship & Open Discussion
Participants who remain will be randomly sorted into small groups for 10 minutes of Fellowship. We hope you'll join us!
The Compassion Consortium is being organized pursuant to the New York Not-for Profit Corporation Law and Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (pending), and will operate as a not-for-profit spiritual and educational fellowship. Accordingly, we request that political, partisan and lobbying discussions and activities be avoided in the Consortium’s activities, forums and social media platforms. We also request that all discussions, input and contributions be conducted with decorum and in a positive spirit of respect, tolerance, civility and harmony.