Wednesday Evening Service

Join Us for the In-Person World Peace Meditation on Sunday Morning, December 31st at 4 am. As the year draws to a close, we have a unique opportunity to unite in spirit and intention with people across the globe. The Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Rosa is excited to invite you to our annual World Peace Meditation, a tradition we've cherished since 1986. This year, we're gathering in person for this profoundly meaningful event. Why 4 AM? A Global Moment of Unity Set your alarms for an early start on December 31st, 2023, as we meet at 4 AM PST. This timing is significant — it aligns with noon at Greenwich Mean Time, ensuring that as we meditate and pray, we are doing so in unison with people in all 24 time zones around the world. Imagine the powerful energy created when countless individuals across the planet come together at the same moment for a shared purpose — world peace. A Peace-Filled Gathering of Hearts and Mind   Our World Peace Meditation is more than an...

As the year draws to a close, it's time to reflect and prepare for the changes that a new year brings. This December 27th, at 7 pm, we invite you to join our special Wednesday Evening Service at the Center, focusing on "The Space Between Endings and Beginnings." This service will provide insights and practices to help you navigate the transition into the new year with grace and wisdom. # How to Embrace Change Embracing change is about acknowledging the flow of life and being open to the new possibilities that come with each ending and beginning. Our upcoming service will explore several ways to do this effectively: # Acknowledge Uncertainty It's natural to feel unsure about what the future holds, but learning to accept and even welcome this uncertainty can open the door to unexpected opportunities and growth. # Consider Feng Shui Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art of arranging living spaces, can be a powerful tool in welcoming change. By aligning your envi...

As we approach the final Wednesday Evening Service of 2023, I invite you to join us in a special gathering that promises to be both reflective and inspiring. The transition from one year to the next is a unique period . It's a time when we find ourselves in a delicate space between concluding the old and welcoming the new. This space is not just a temporal gap; it's a moment rich with potential and profound insight. However, navigating this transition can be challenging. Some of us might rush towards new beginnings without fully acknowledging and integrating the lessons of the past year. Others might find themselves clinging to the past, hesitant to step forward into the promising yet unknown future. Our service this Wednesday, led by Dr. Edward Viljoen, aims to explore this intriguing interlude. We'll discuss how to honor our past experiences while courageously embracing what lies ahead. This session is not just about bidding farewell to the old year but also about prepa...

Celebrate the Return of Light: Join Our Pre-Solstice Service This Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at 7 PM As the chill of winter envelopes the city, the community is warmly invited to gather for a special pre-solstice service this Wednesday at 7 PM. This event is more than just a gathering; it's a celebration of light, hope, and renewal as we approach the longest night of the year. Dacha Avelin, in her insightful work "Embracing Your Inner Witch," beautifully captures the essence of this time: "After the longest night, tomorrow we sing up the dawn. There is a rejoicing that, even in the darkest time, the sun is not vanquished. As of tomorrow, the days begin to get longer as the light of day grows." This event is a reminder that even in the darkest times, light and warmth are on the horizon. The winter solstice, as noted by acclaimed author Margaret Atwood in "Shapechangers in Winter," represents a significant threshold: "This is the solstice, the st...

As the winter solstice approaches, marking the longest night of the year, I invite you to join us for a unique pre-solstice service. This event, held in person at 7 pm on Wednesday, December 20th, is more than just a gathering; it's a celebration of light, hope, and renewal. The Roots of Our Celebrations The lavish festivities we associate with Christmas find their origins not in biblical teachings but in the deep-rooted traditions of the Winter Solstice. Long before the establishment of Christmas, these customs formed an integral part of a celebration that focused on the return of light during the darkest time of the year. Our service is more than a nod to these ancient practices; it's a reminder that true change requires a shift deeper than mere outward appearances. Like the Winter Solstice, our celebration is a time to reflect, to let go of the old, and to welcome the new with open hearts and minds. A Ceremony of Release and Renewal We will gather around a community tree, en...

I am thrilled to invite our community to a special midweek service at 7 pm at The Center. It's not just any gathering; it's an opportunity to connect, reflect, and find solace together. We have a soulful evening planned, and as you step into The Center, you'll be greeted with the aroma of freshly baked bread, a symbol of warmth and sustenance. There will also be tea and cookies, and exploring spirituality is always easier when there are cookies. (That's a direct quote from our speaker, Rev. Russ Legear.) Meditation Music Message Music has always been a bridge to the spiritual realm, and tonight, we have arranged for some beautiful melodies to fill the air, setting the tone for meditation and reflection. We'll also have a spiritual message from our very own Rev. Russ Legear. He will delve into the theme of "Spiritual Wholeness and the Gifts of Darkness." As we approach the solstice, Rev. Legear's words will explore the courage that can come from acknowl...

As the calendar pages turn and we approach the year's shortest day, we invite you to join us in celebrating light and renewal. Our Winter Solstice service will be held on Wednesday, December 20, at 7 pm, aligning with our regular weekly Wednesday Evening Service.  A day before the actual solstice, this gathering symbolizes our commitment to coming together, honoring our traditions, and finding warmth in the community. This year's solstice service offers a unique blend of reflection, joy, and anticipation. As the night unfolds, we'll gather around our community tree, a symbol of hope and the returning light. Adorned with handmade ornaments, our community tree reminds us that light, beauty, and warmth are within reach even in dark times. We will light battery-operated votive candles in the season's spirit, casting a gentle glow that mirrors our inner light. This act of illumination is not just about the physical light; it's a symbolic gesture toward igniting the ligh...

  So much of our world is invisible to us, hidden to our senses. The forces that bind us together, that can turn a gentle breeze on one of the Earth into a fierce hurricane on the other, don't always make themselves known. This can be true for our inner world, too.  As Walt Whitman once wrote, "I am large; I contain multitudes." Rev. Siota Belle will lead our exploration tonight of how what we believe can influence what we are able to see in the world. And that by changing our beliefs, we will be able to see more of the natural good that is inherent to our reality. Christopher Fritzsche will be providing lovely music, and, of course, there will be tea, goodies, and freshly baked bread.  We look forward to seeing you at 7pm tonight for our Wednesday Evening Service!

Wednesday evening at 7 pm, we invite you to join us for a special Thanksgiving Eve service at the Center for Spiritual Living Santa Rosa. This service promises to be an enriching experience, filled with music, inspiration, and a unique opportunity to set your intentions for the coming year. We are thrilled to announce that the service will feature the melodious voices of Christopher Fritzsche and the Thanksgiving band. Their uplifting music will surely touch your heart and set the tone for an evening of reflection and gratitude. Dr. Edward Viljoen, our senior minister, will be delivering a message. His insights and wisdom have always been a source of inspiration and guidance for our community, and we are eager to hear his thoughts as we approach this season of thankfulness. A highlight of the evening will be the chance to participate in a meaningful tradition: filling out your 2024 Thanksgiving Intention Card. This is a powerful exercise where you write what you intend to be thankful f...

(Guess which is me?) Tonight’s service message delves deep into the heart of personal conviction and understanding. At the heart of this evening's gathering, we will reflect upon the strength of our convictions and the evidence of those beliefs in our actions and daily lives. We will explore the profound inquiries posed by thinkers like Arthur Schopenhauer and consider the challenge of checking the palpable evidence of our beliefs in how we conduct ourselves through life’s peaks and troughs.  The centerpiece of the message will be the hypothetical scenario of articulating our beliefs in a mere fifteen minutes on national television. This exercise aims to clarify what we hold to be true, allowing us to align our lives more closely with these truths. Rev. Russ Legear has kindly provided meditation music to aid us in our contemplation, while freshly baked bread, tea, and cookies will nourish us as we partake in the comforting embrace of community. The goal is to emerge with a clearer ...

Dear Community, I just love this old photo of me and Music Director Christopher Fritzsche.  And, I love that I get to work with him at the Center. But that's not the point of this message.  :) I invite you to gather with me on Wednesday, November 8th at 7 p.m. for our Evening Service, where I'll talk about my own journey with Science of Mind, which began at a time when the world was less inundated with information. Today, with a deeper understanding of the nuances of human emotion, neurodiversity, social dynamics, and mental health, I find it enriching to revisit and question the ideas that initially drew me in. The concept that our thoughts have creative power prompted me to ask questions and seek out answers that were both invigorating and, at times, challenging. I've come to appreciate an approach that values evidence and personal growth over accepting ideas at face value. Our gathering is open to all, irrespective of individual beliefs about the divine. Instead, we ...

Tonight, we have a special event that replaces our regular Wednesday evening service – our annual Remembrance Service. This heartfelt gathering is a time for us to come together, reflect, and pay tribute to our dearly departed loved ones, who continue to hold a cherished place in our hearts. **Date:** Wednesday, November 1, 2023 **Time:** 7:00 PM **Location:** Sanctuary, hosted by Rev. Siota Belle and members of our Grief and Loss Support Ministry During this meaningful event, we encourage you to bring flowers, photographs, or other cherished mementos that hold a special place in your heart. These items provide a beautiful way to share the memories of those who have deeply impacted our lives. As we unite in remembrance, we find solace in the presence of our community. This service will be a time for introspection, honoring memories, and healing together. Furthermore, we extend an invitation to explore our Center's Remembrance Pages, accessible at https://communityremembrancepages.b...

As autumn leaves fall and the chill in the air signals the approaching winter, Halloween, or Samhain as it was originally known, emerges on the horizon. While this festival is often viewed through the lens of costumes, candies, and children's glee, the occasion also invites a deeper spiritual reflection, resonant with the teachings and philosophies of the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa. The Turn of the Season and the Turn Within Historically, Halloween marked the onset of darker and colder days, signaling a shift from the active, outward energy of summer to the contemplative, inward energy of winter. Just as the earth goes through cycles, so do we as individual expressions of the divine Spirit. This season calls us to be still with ourselves, to delve into our inner realms, and to prepare for the period of introspection that winter naturally brings. Honoring Our Shadows The teachings at the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa, encourage us to face our own shadows to ex...

As the seasons transition and we welcome a time of reflection and renewal, we warmly invite you to join us for enriching events designed to nourish your soul and strengthen our sense of community. Midweek Spiritual Boost with Rev. Siota Belle This Wednesday, October 11, at 7 pm , we are elated to present a special Midweek Spiritual Boost directed by our esteemed speaker, Rev. Siota Belle. [Insert information about Siota Belle here.] Rev. Siota is not only an inspirational speaker but also the facilitator of our Annual Remembrance Service . If you've experienced the loss of a loved one in the past year, this is an excellent opportunity to ask her how you can have them honored at our Remembrance Service, slated for Wednesday, November 1, at 7 pm . Upcoming Seasonal Celebrations We are also thrilled to offer a variety of events that align with this transformative time of the year: Pumpkin Carving Party : Let your creativity shine on Sunday, October 29, at 12 noon . Register Here Thank...