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What's Coming at Wednesday Evenings This Summer

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Summer at the Center is moving. Two more Wednesdays in June bring us close to the heart of what this season holds, and July opens a theme that will carry us all the way to August. Finishing June On June 17, Lawrence Edwards, RScP, leads us into one of the most honest questions a person can ask: What Do I Do With the Mad That I Feel? Anger is rarely welcomed in spiritual community, yet it asks to be met thoughtfully. Lawrence brings his practitioner's sensibility to a feeling that deserves more than suppression. This is also our special Summer Solstice / Juneteenth Potluck, so come early, bring something to share, and stay for community. On June 24, Rev. Siota Belle offers The Gifts of Grief. Grief does not only arrive with loss. It also arrives with change, with love, with transition. Siota's gift is creating space where the full range of feeling is welcomed. July: How To Be An Instrument for Peace July's series takes its inspiration from a question worth sitting with: what...
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Let's Get Emotional - Emotions as Life's GPS in Tonight's Wednesday Evening Service

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  Emotions are a big part of being human. They're with us before we can even speak. Their power is that they can communicate in ways that often transcend words. There's no ambiguity in the joyful smile of a baby, nor in the tears that often accompany sadness and loss.  This is the idea we are going to explore in June: that when we build a strong, compassionate relationship with all of our emotions, we deepen our experience of life and equip ourselves to walk confidently along life's path. And the best part is that when we learn to love all our emotions, we can learn how to direct them as fuel to accelerate our spiritual practice.  Join me at 7 pm at the Center tonight. We're going to get emotional! -Russ
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Rummaging Through the Attic - Wednesday Evening Service with Rev. Russ

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  When I was a kid I was in love with attics. They were these secret places that held within them such treasures. That may be why I loved going to the antique store with my grandma so much--to me, it was just a big attic where everything was for sale.  I've noticed that my mind can be that way. Sometimes, things get placed in my mind and end up in the attic, often forgotten. Except, in this case, these are thoughts and ideas and beliefs. If I lose track of them, just like I would lose track of things stored in an attic, that can cause me problems. But I've learned there are ways to explore the attic of my mind so I can rediscover the treasures it holds.  Join me for our Wednesday Evening Service tonight where I'll talk all about the attic of the mind, and how we can open it up to go on our own mental antiquing adventure.  See you soon! -Russ
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Exploring Human Nature - April 22 at the Center

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People tend to think of human nature as something fixed and a little suspect, something to overcome or manage. That may be too small a container for everything human nature is and can be. This Wednesday evening, Rev. Russ Legear takes up the question of what we actually are when we are most fully ourselves. It is a topic that opens onto everything: how we relate, how we grow, how we understand the impulse toward something greater that seems to be part of the human package. Wednesday evenings at the Center are an intimate gathering. We sing. We reflect. We share tea, snacks, and bread fresh from the oven. There is no formality here, only good company and the kind of conversation that stays with you. Wednesday, April 22 at 7:00 PM Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa
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Coming, April 15 - The Voice of the Wilderness

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There is something a wilderness voice tends to do that polished presentations rarely manage: it cuts through. It arrives unexpectedly, from the edges, and says something that touches the center of you. This Wednesday evening, Rev. Russ Legear explores what it means to hear that voice and to recognize it as something more than noise. Where does it come from? What does it ask of us? And what shifts when we actually listen? Wednesday evenings at the Center are small and unhurried. We gather, we sing together, we sit with ideas that matter. There is tea, there are snacks, and more often than not there is freshly baked bread. The atmosphere is casual and the conversation is easy. Come as you are. Wednesday, April 15 at 7:00 PM Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa
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A Lifetime of Accomplishments

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  It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by all the problems in our lives. Bills, obligations, emergencies--whether big or small, they can add up and make it seem like we're not getting anywhere. When that happens, it feels like it's all we can do to tread water and stay afloat.  What if there was a way to turn this around, though? We can't erase our obligations, but what if we were able to view them with new eyes so they feel less stressful and more fulfilling?  That's what we are going to explore in our Wednesday Evening Service at 7 pm tonight. It turns out our lifetime is full of accomplishments, and they are the gateway to shifting from treading water to surfing upon the waves of life.  See you soon! -Russ
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Supporting the Body Through the Power of the Mind

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  No life is 100% stress free. Often, I will find myself off center, feeling pulled down by stress. That can make it difficult to keep up with healthy habits. Sometimes that stress makes me stumble and have to start my habit over.  That's what we are going to talk about in our Wednesday Evening Service at 7 pm. This month we are exploring how we can building a spiritual practice that can bring us healing whenever we need it. Our question this evening is this: when our wholeness train gets derailed, how do we get back on track?  Join me tonight to learn practice tools to reconnect with your inherent wholeness. See you soon! -Russ
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