I've been doing Zen in one form or another (well, haven't we all?)
for many years, but have never sat in company (and therefore of
course have never done Zen at all), and now I'd like to.  I'm in
Westchester County NY, about an hour North of New York City.  Can
anyone recommend, or just tell funny stories about, a sangha or
zendo anywhere around here that might welcome a rank beginner (and
a pantheist one at that)?  I'll probably go down into the City to
Fire Lotus Temple and/or the Village Zendo for one of their
Introductory Sessions, just for the adventure, but for longer
term practice they're perhaps too far away to be practical.

I'm looking for nice simple shikantaza-flavor practice, just
sitting because one is sitting, and not necessarily courting
the lightning of satori, or the ability to shoot fire from
my fingertips or anything (although that would be way cool, eh?).
Someone to bash me 'cross the shoulders when I start to nod off
might be nice, too; one thing the rock out in the back yard
lacks is an encouraging hand on the kyosaku...

Thanks very,
DC