Wednesday Evening Service

Have you wondered about the teachings of Science of Mind and how to apply them in your life? There is a great opportunity to explore these and other questions in the New Year.  In celebration of 100 years of Science of Mind, short free classes are being offered most Wednesday nights of the year. Dr. Kim Kaiser begins with a four-week class on the heart of Science of Mind, based on the first four chapters of the Science of Mind textbook.  The classes meet in the sanctuary from 7 to 8 pm.  Dr. Edward Viljoen follows in February with an 11-week class focused on Ernest Holmes' book It's Up to You.  All are welcome.  There are no prerequisites or fees although love offerings will be gratefully received.  See you in class!

What gives us a feeling of being at home? How do we decide what’s right for us personally? It’s about belonging, but also about integrity. Do we live in alignment with our values? Are we true to who we truly are? This year we have been talking about Values Based Spiritual Living.  At the closing of the year, we have an opportunity to review how well these ideas are working for us. Join Rev. Janet Tobin on December 27 for a look at what it means to be true to your Self. Our Wednesday evening service begins at 7 pm in Waggoner Hall, North Wing.  Room 11 is open as a meditation hall at 6:30 if you would like to sit in stillness before the service.  All are welcome to the service and to the snacks and conversation that follow.

Photo by William Bout on Unsplash There is a place within where heart and mind are one, a wholeness, an alignment that is far more than the sum of the two parts. This is "the heart of integrity" as Rev. Tara describes it. Wednesday she'll talk a bit more about what this means and how we recognize and tap into this place of deep peace, grace and presence. The service begins at 7 pm in Waggoner Hall. There is meditation next door in Room 11 starting at 6:30 pm.  All are welcome.

Nick Scheerbart, www.unsplash.com This month's spiritual value is "Integrity".  Integrity begins within, knowing what matters to us, knowing  the Truth of what we are.  And then, perhaps, we notice where who and what we are is different than our experience in the world.  When and how do we speak truth to error?  Dr. Kim Kaiser explores this topic on Wednesday evening. Our Wednesday evening service begins at 7 pm in Waggoner Hall, North Wing.  Room 11 is open as a meditation hall at 6:30 if you would like to sit in stillness before the service.  All are welcome to the service and to the snacks and conversation that follow.

Photo by  Greg Rakozy  on  Unsplash Who or what is the Self with which we are aligning? Join Practitioner Lawrence Edwards as he looks at alignment as a practice in expressing the Divinity that we are. Our Wednesday evening service begins at 7 pm in Waggoner Hall, North Wing.  There is meditation in Room 11, also in the North Wing, from 6:30 to 6:50 pm. Following the service, plan to stay for light snacks and conversation.

Come chant the traditional sacred mantras and raise up your voice and hearts in remembrance & celebration! Kirtan is the spiritual practice of devotional chanting that has existed for millennia.  All are welcome to this special evening service at the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa.  No experience is necessary.  The service begins at 7 pm. Here is a sample of one of the kirtans: https://jensjarvieandtheheartwideopen.bandcamp.com/track/om-gum-ganapatayei-namah Or watch a short video about Jens' music on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXkiW-VX1U0&feature=share&app=desktop Peace

Photo by  Marc Marchal  on  Unsplash The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we gather in spiritual community to focus on our blessings.  This family-friendly service includes beautiful music by the Thanksgiving Choir, a message from our senior minister Dr. Edward Viljoen, and the opportunity to declare some of our intentions for the coming year.  What we write will be collected and mailed back to us this time next year -- so remember to bring a postage stamp. This special evening service is one of our community's traditions.  All are welcome, including friends and family visiting for the holidays.  The service begins at 7 pm.  

Photo by  Edewaa Foster  on  Unsplash Gratitude has the ability to uplift our present, past, and future. Let’s come together and encourage ourselves to make more use of this transformative tool. Join Rev. Joyce Duffala on Wednesday, November 15, as she explores the ways in which gratitude transforms our experience.  The service begins at 7 pm in Waggoner Hall, North Wing.  All are welcome.

By Aaron Burden, unsplash.com How many of you remember a parent prompting, "What do you say?" when someone gave you something?  "Thank you" can be an automatic response, programmed from when you were young.  This Wednesday, Rev. Tara explores her experience of "thank you".  There are so many possibilities:   It is the fourth step in our form of affirmative prayer.   It is a way of gracefully receiving a compliment.   It is a practice that can reconnect us with a deep sense of grace and peace ... and so much more. The evening service begins at 7 pm in Waggoner Hall in the North Wing.  All are welcome and invited to share conversation and light snacks following the program.

Hosted by Rev. Joyce Duffala and members of the Grief and Loss Support Ministry, we honor those who have made their transition in the past 12 months. You are invited to write their names in the Remembrance Book at the Spiritual Support table near the drinking fountains in the Social Hall through Sunday, October 29. The names will be read at the service. You are welcome to bring flowers, photos, or other mementos to place on the community altar.  The service begins at 7 pm in the sanctuary.  All are welcome.

Photo by Joyce Mellander In times of change, questions arise. How can I help? What’s the best way to do this? How do I know that what I can offer is what’s needed? We often wonder what to do, and how to serve others who are distressed. Reliable guidance and an expectancy of good are parts of the way forward in difficult times. Connecting with Spirit within and the support of loving friends are both sources of strength for us and help us to restore our equilibrium. We are all part of the solution, so we are called to bring our own gifts and talents to the conversations that are happening around recent events in the world. This coming Wednesday, October 25, Rev Janet Tobin will speak about this topic, and explore our reliance on Spirit in her talk entitled “In God I trust.” Join us at the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa at 7 pm, and plan on staying a bit after the service for light snacks and conversations with others in our community.  See you on Wednesday...

Many in our CSLSR community, family, friends, colleagues, have lost their homes.  All of us are stunned by the surreal experience of the firestorms that have come through our neighborhoods.  It's time to do what we do, gather in prayer, to know that beyond the grief, the shock, the devastation, there is renewal.  There is guidance, courage and Love allowing the new to emerge. Please come to join in prayer, connection, heart shares -- that which heals and restores and gives hope.  Rev. Tara leads the service, which begins at 7 pm in the sanctuary.  The meditation hall upstairs will be open from 6:15 to 6:50 for those who want to sit in the stillness.  All are welcome.

Here's what Dr. Kim has to say about his talk on Wednesday: "The original theme of this talk was about how love is being able to be defenseless and open when in the presence of another person. The theme has shifted to making it possible for someone to be defenseless around you." Come learn more on Wednesday evening, starting at 7 pm, in Room 10, North Wing.  Christopher Fritzsche provides his music in support of the service. All are welcome to the service as well as to the light snacks and conversation that follow.

Team CSLSR The Global Vision of Centers for Spiritual Living is a vision of a healthy, loving world, where there is ongoing and generous sharing of heart and resources.  That's why the Center for Spiritual Living Santa Rosa team rode 545 miles this summer in support of HIV/AIDS support organizations.   Come celebrate our team, come enjoy a video of the ride, come hear what team members have to say about participating.   We'll be in the Sanctuary for this program.  The service begins at 7 pm.  Afterwards, there will be light snacks and the opportunity to talk with this powerful group that makes a difference.

Plan to join Celeste Austin at the Wednesday evening service on September 27. Here's what Celeste has to say about the evening: "I am so excited to be talking this month about Service which is one of my core values. I will share how I woke up out of a fog by doing service in our community at the Center and in other parts of the country. This transformation that is still happening in my life is nothing short of a miracle and will include some 12 step recovery principles along with scientific data proving that service is good for ourselves and others. I have invited personal friends from the community to join us on Wednesday, September 27th for an inspiring evening." All are welcome, 7 pm, in Room 10, the North Wing.

How do we show up when the ground beneath us is shifting? How do we respond to challenges that seem to be beyond our ability to find answers?  Join Rev. Tara this Wednesday as she explores how to show up in these times, standing in our truth.  The service begins at 7 pm in Room 10, North Wing.  All are welcome.

Add caption One of the most important elements of service is taking care of ourselves so that we are able to serve others.  This Wednesday, Dr. Kim explores this key aspect of our month's topic, "Community Service". Join him in our new location, Room 10, North Wing, and discover how your care for yourself ripples out into the world.  The service begins at 7 pm, with music by Christopher Fritzsche.

Islam is a religion followed by a quarter of the world’s population yet often misunderstood. Aisha Morgan has studied and practiced Islam for 16 years and is a volunteer speaker to student and adult audiences. She is active with the Interfaith Council of Sonoma County and its Muslim support campaign, Of One Soul.  At this Wednesday's evening service, Aisha will share a little background on the beliefs and practices of Islam and some of the challenges of living as a Muslim in Sonoma County. Aisha is a resident of Rohnert Park and commutes by bike to her work as Data Specialist for Santa Rosa City Schools.  The service begins at 7 pm.  Please note, we are now gathering in the North Wing, Room 10.

Join Bodhi, Rene and Vlad for an evening of Chanting and Sound Healing. Combining these two practices allows us to deepen our experience of both inner and outer sound. A meditative practice to empty our mind, resonate our body and receive a deep, healing rest.  Bodhi Setchko is an international touring musician and the founder of music ensembles Crystal Wind and Rhythm Matrix. He has performed and recorded with many musicians around the globe. René Jenkins is a professional musician, Ceremonial Sound Practitioner, Healing Performance and Recording Artist from Sonoma, California. For more than 25 years, René performs sound healing concerts, blessings and ceremonies for individuals and special groups across the country. Vlad Cardema was born in Israel and raised in the Philippines. After serving in the Israel Defense Force for one year, he came to America and discovered the native flute and the Australian didgeridoo. He builds Native Style Flutes, Didgeridoos and Native Americ...

Sunrise in Death Valley In the Science of Mind teaching, we know that prayer shifts consciousness.  At this Wednesday's evening service, we will share community prayers for peace, in response to the events in Charlottesville and around the world. There is power and healing in sitting in spiritual community, knowing Peace together.   Following the prayer, Rev.  Jane   Beach  will speak to "Letting Love Lead", an important reminder in these times.  The service begins at 7 pm.  

Photo by  Lotte Meijer  on  Unsplash "We come to understand that all is Love and yet all is Law.  Love rules through Law. Love is the Divine Givingness; Love is the Way. Love is spontaneous; Law is impersonal. ... Love points the way and Law makes the way possible."   Science of Mind , 43:1-2 Thoughts, beliefs, group mind -- understanding these concepts and choosing their effects on our life -- this is a central element of the teachings of Science of Mind.  And there is more -- the feeling that impels our prayer and sometimes is a bridge to Spirit in moments of difficulty and challenge. Join Rev. Tara Steele as she explores our teachings of Love and Law at the Wednesday evening service.  All are welcome to this 45-minute mid-week service which encourages folks to stay and get to know each other over light snacks after the program.

This special Wednesday Evening Service includes the induction of our newest practitioners, with Dr, Edward Viljoen and Rev, Joyce Duffala participating.  Dr. Kim Kaiser's keynote talk explores how we are called  into an active love relationship with our world and all who are in it.  This is a call to be what you really are, Spirit's instrument on earth. A reception will follow the service in the Social Hall, and all attendees are invited.

Photo by Vincent Guth, unsplash.com Join Practitioner Melodie Bellagio on Wednesday evening as she explores what it means to see with the eyes of compassion.  There is a depth to appreciating this means to see with the "ayes of heart and mind". The 45-minute mid-week pick-me-up service begins at 7 pm.  All are welcome to stay after service to enjoy light snacks and community conversation. 

Photo by B. Hanson What gets your attention? Who and what are you listening to? Is your focus in alignment with what inspires you? It’s worth noticing, and may help you to find creative solutions to everyday challenges. When we set our sights a little bit higher, we may be surprised by what God has in mind! This coming Wednesday, July 26, 2017, Rev Janet Tobin speaks at the evening service, on the topic “Cooperate, Communicate, Collaborate.” Join us at the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa at 7 pm, and plan on staying a bit after the service for light snacks and conversations with others in our community. See you on Wednesday!

Our focus this month is open communication.  The invitation is to be authentic and present, not hidden behind windows covered with old beliefs, expectations and roles.  Do you show up as who you are, or are you living behind a smudged image of yourself?  Rev. Tara Steele invites you to join her in exploring how clear and present you are, even if you don't usually do windows. This 45-minute mid-week pick-me-up service begins at 7 pm, with light snacks after the service.  And, if you would like, you may participate in a 20-minute meditation upstairs in the Meditation Room before the service, 6:30 - 6:50 pm.

Photo by  Deniz Altindas  on  Unsplash Join Practitioner Lawrence Edwards as he looks at accounting for the good in our lives and acknowledging and appreciating the fruit of our work!  The service begins at 7 pm.  We are also blessed to have Star Tom's voice and musical inspiration for our service. All are welcome.  And meditation is available upstairs in the Meditation Room for 20 minutes, beginning at 6:30 pm.

Photo by Kazuenda, www.unsplash.com Wondering who the speakers are in July?  We have a wonderful variety. July 5 - Rev. Ruth Barnhart, "Who's Talking?" [Corrected from earlier post] July 12 - Lawrence Edwards, RScP, "Balancing Your Accounting" July 19 - Rev. Tara Steele, "How Clean Are Your Windows?" July 26 - Rev. Janet Tobin, "Cooperate, Communicate, Collaborate" As always, the services begin at 7 pm.  And you are welcome to come at 6:30 to join in meditation upstairs in the Meditation Room.

Photo by  Cristina Gottardi  on  Unsplash In this age where we are linked globally, are we really connecting? How is your communication? Are you listening, are you being heard? There is healing power in good conversation. Join Rev. Ruth at the Wednesday evening at 7 pm as she explores this topic. Meditation is available upstairs in the Meditation Room at 6 pm and there will be light snacks after the service.

We can never know the complete effects of our words and actions on others. May be good, may be not.  So let's consider our internal gauge.  Join Rev. Joyce on Wednesday, June 28, as she explores this intriguing question, "Who cares?"  The service begins at 7 pm.  Meditation is available upstairs at 6:30.  And there are light snacks after the service.

Come join Camille Escovedo for an evening centered around the meaning of accountability as being answerable to one's potential GOOD, through embracing responsibility for one's actions. Between trying to dodge God and trying to do God's job, we are given the opportunity to step out of inaction and identify with the voice of integrity within.  The service begins at 7 pm in the Sanctuary.  There is meditation upstairs in the Meditation Room at 6:30.  All are welcome to both as well as to the light snacks following the service.

In our Science of Mind tradition, choice is central.  Choosing a new thought, opening ourselves up to greater possibilities, releasing thoughts that no longer serve us -- each of these strategies points toward the freedom to choose and choose again.  Freedom is found in opening to ever unfolding, unlimited possibilities. This freedom is not freedom from consequences.  It is freedom to choose differently to create a different experience.  For Rev. Tara that process assures we are accountable; we are not bound by karma. Want to learn more?  Come hear what Rev. Tara has to say at the Wednesday evening service which starts at 7 pm.  All are welcome.

Photo by Alice Donovan Rouse, www.unsplash.com We’re not meant to play small, staying in our comfort zones where it’s safe. We’re fully equipped to take risks, stepping out into the light, saying yes to the happiness waiting for us! Plan to attend the  Wednesday  evening service when Rev.  Jane compares the spiritual principles of the Law of Cause and Effect with science’s Quantum Physics.  Christopher Fritzsche adds his beautiful voice in support of the service.  There is meditation in the Meditation Room at  6:30 pm , the service begins at 7.

Acharya Mangalananda with a few students at the Omkareshwar ashram school This Wednesday Acharya Mangalananda brings his traditional kirtan devotional music to the Center for Spiritual Living.  Although an American by birth, through a lifetime of association with Indian culture and twelve years living in a small ashram in central India, he has learned by deep immersion the traditional spiritual music of India.  His kirtan is couched in the mystical ragas of India and is full of the lively ecstatic joy of the Divine Names. You can learn more about  Kirtan with Mangalananda  by following this link.  The service begins at 7 pm.  All are welcome.

Ricardo Gomez Angel, Photographer, at www.unsplash.com The cells in our bodies are creative. The thoughts in our minds are creative.  Let's harness the Power of Spirit to get them to create what we want. Join Rev. Joyce Duffala as she explores our innate urge to create and how to use that gift in support of what we want.  The service begins at 7 pm, with time to enjoy light snacks and conversation in the social hall after the program.  All are welcome.

Got preferences, prejudices, and predispositions? Are they getting in the way of your natural self-expression and ability to find creative solutions to everyday challenges? Let’s explore ways to sidestep these blocks to creativity and open to the inspiration that is all around us. This coming Wednesday, May 17, 2017, Rev Janet Tobin will be speaking at the evening service, on the topic “Finding Inspiration Everywhere!” Join us at the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa at 7 pm, and plan of staying a bit after the service for light snacks and conversations with others in our community. See you on Wednesday!

Wednesday evenings, we gather as spiritual community, to learn, to connect, to share in spiritual practice.  This Wednesday, Rev. Tara invites us to consider what it means for us to "be in the flow", our flow, Spirit's flow, that one amazing Presence in every breath. The service begins at 7 pm, with musical inspiration from Sky Nelson.  All are welcome.

                  Photo by russn_fckr at www.unsplash.com Each of us is a unique expression of the One, the Divine Urge that is in, as and through each person.  This Wednesday, Dr. Kim speaks to the theme "You  Must  Create."  Creativity is an essential quality of our nature.  How is It showing up in our lives, moment to moment to moment?  The Wednesday evening service begins at 7 pm in the sanctuary.  All are welcome to the service as well as the light snacks and conversation afterwards

Whatever beauty you see, there's more We lead our ever-changing lives within a Changeless Reality. What looks to us like evolution is really an increasing awareness and embodying of the Good of our true divine nature. Come let more Good in! Wednesday evening service begins at 7 pm.  All are welcome to the program as well as the opportunity to chat with others while enjoying light snacks after the service.

By Oleg Chursin, www.unsplash.com How do we reconcile our teaching of wholeness and perfection with our human experience? And if it is all perfect, why do we pray?    Join Rev. Ruth Barnhart as she explores navigating our spiritual journeys in human form. The service begins at 7 pm, with meditation in the Meditation Room at 6:30 pm.  All are welcome.

At this Wednesday evening's service, Rev. Kim Kaiser explores the power of waking up and how it transforms who we are and how we experience our lives.  And, we will celebrate and reenact the awarding of Rev. Kim's honorary Doctor of Divinity degree, conferred at the annual convention of the Centers for Spiritual Living.  Wednesday is also an opportunity to recognize our Practitioners Emeritus who have completed many years of service. Yes, there will be cake as well as wisdom, fellowship, and spiritual community.  The service begins at 7 pm, all are welcome.

Since January 30. many of us have had a daily practice of increasing our awareness of nonviolence and expressing it in our lives.  Beginning on the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Season for Nonviolence comes to an end on the death anniversary of Martin Luther King, April 4. At the Center for Spiritual Living, our regular Wednesday evening service on April 5 celebrates this time of heightened awareness of the power and importance of nonviolence.  Young people will share their insights on nonviolent practices and how their lives are transformed by open-hearted experiences. Please plan to join in this celebration and commitment to being a nonviolent presence in the world, responding with love at all times and in all places.  The service begins at 7 pm n Wednesday, April 5, at the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa.  All are welcome. 

Jaya and Ananda were here this past Sunday, bringing a taste of their powerful spiritual practice of kirtan and devotional chanting.  This Wednesday's evening service is a full immersion in the practice. You are welcome to sing along or listen -- the beauty will wash over you. Our service begins at 7 pm, in the Sanctuary at the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa.  All are welcome. You'll find more about Jaya and Ananda  here .

Wednesday Evening Service at Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa “Just who do you think you are?”  Do you know where you belong? When we can answer these questions honestly, everything falls into place!  Knowing our place, knowing where we belong is life affirming and expansive. This coming Wednesday, March 15, Rev Janet Tobin will be speaking at the evening service, and she is exploring the topic “Belonging vs. Fitting In.” Join us at the Center for Spiritual Living at 7 pm, and plan of staying a bit after the service for light snacks and conversations with others in our community. See you on Wednesday!

"I'm grateful, it's a good thing, so why isn't it enough anymore?"  Have you ever found yourself in this place of not feeling the joy and delight you once did, instead there's an underlying "bleh"? What do you do with "divine discontent"?  What it is and what is offers -- that's the focus of Rev. Jane Beach's talk this Wednesday, March 8.  All are welcome to the service which begins at 7 pm, with snacks, fellowship and conversation afterwards.  

"We welcome more of our Divine Nature to be realized within us and revealed through our relationships, decisions, and contributions to the world."   Join Dr. Edward as he explores this month's theme "Education and Improvement" and how we affirm these values in the world.  The Wednesday evening service begins at 7 pm, with light snacks and conversation in the social hall afterwards.  All are welcome.

At this Wednesday's evening service, Practitioner Lawrence Edwards reminds us of the power of Love.  When we live from Love, there is a grace and a power infusing everything and everyone. When we stand in this place, we shall not be moved into anything less than a Divine unfolding. The service begins at 7 pm.  All are welcome.  Plan to attend and talk with others after the service over finger foods in the social hall.

Infinite possibilities, unlimited variety, beyond our wildest imaginings...that's The Thing Itself.  In Its infinite nature, there are no duplicates, each divine expression is unique, perfect, and One -- a bit mind boggling.  This Wednesday, we'll explore ways to experience this Oneness with chant, prayer, contemplation. The evening service begins at 7 pm.  Rev. Tara looks forward to welcoming you.

Mount Shasta, Southgate Meadow This Wednesday evening, Rev. Kim continues our exploration of this month's spiritual values, diversity and inclusivity. Here's a glimpse of what Rev. Kim will have to :  "Looking at the world from the point of view that we are all One being, each person we meet is another opportunity for us to discover what we really are, another opportunity to love the infinite ways our own being expresses Itself." The service begins at 7 pm.  Following the program, there are light snacks and the opportunity to talk with others, including Rev. Kim, about what he had to say.  

In February, our attention turns to the spiritual values of diversity and inclusivity.  A core teaching of the Science of Mind is that we are One, there is no place where God or Good is not.  And, within that One, we are individualized, unique expressions of the Divine. Here are Ernest Holmes' words from " 10 Ideas That Make a Difference ": We all have similar needs, hopes and longings.  This does not mean that we do not have different opinions, for we are all individuals.  Each is a person in his or her own right, but unity does not mean uniformity.  Basically this would indicate that we should get along together in immediate personal family life, as well as in the entire human family. Such an important teaching for these times.  Dr. Edward Viljoen explores what this means and how we do it in his Wednesday evening talk tomorrow, February 1, at 7 pm.  All are welcome, with light snacks and conversation following the service. 

Rev. Jane Beach joins us at this week's Wednesday evening service. Her topic:  "Growing through Challenges".   Here's what Rev. Jane has to say about the subject:  "Life is full of gut wrenching challenges, and somehow we get through them. We can kick and scream, hang every minute of it, or we can become strong in the faith that everything will work out, or even more so, that 'Good will come from this.'  Easy? No. Worth it? Yes!" Join Rev. Jane in this midweek reminder of how Life works.  The service begins at 7 pm with an opportunity to share snacks and fellowship after the service.  All are welcome.