Wednesday Evening Service

  We begin our September theme, "Bringing In the Harvest," by talking about the importance of opening to receive.  Many of us grow up learning that it's not okay to receive. That it means we're selfish, and we should always be giving. But receiving is a key aspect of spiritual circulation, and without it, the flow of life can stall.  Join our Wednesday Evening Service tonight at 7 pm to take a deep dive into the power of receiving, and the ways you can open your heart to let in the flow of life.  Then, for the rest of the month, we'll explore the many insights times of harvest can share.  September 9 - Loving All the Seeds We Plant - Peggy Weber, RScP We are constantly planting seeds with our thoughts and beliefs. Sometimes we plant seeds we don't want. Join Peggy to learn how we can love these seeds, too, so we can find freedom even in the midst of our mess.  September 16 - The Seesaw of Spiritual Circulation - Rev. Siota Belle Balancing giving and receivi...

  There are a number of ways we can find our way home to Spirit, many which we've explored in our Wednesday Evening Services this month.  Hospitality is one of the best ways I've found to feel at home in Spirit. In fact, I consider helping others feel welcome to be its own spiritual practice. And it's a powerful one.  Cultivating a heart of hospitality can make others feel at home no matter where they are. It also has the added benefit of helping the welcomer feel at home, too, because it's a way we share that feeling of home that's already within our heart. This is what we'll explore in our upcoming Wednesday Evening Service, 7 pm at the Center. Join us for music, freshly baked bread and other goodies, and of course, that feeling of coming home to Spirit.  See you at the service! -Russ

Wednesday, August 12 • 7 PM With Rev. Siota Belle What can happen when we meet life with a little more compassion? Maybe we pause and listen before jumping to conclusions. We stop needing to be right all the time. We let someone express themselves without trying to fix them. And hopefully, we extend that same grace to ourselves. It’s easy to be compassionate with people we agree with. But when we’re pushed: with the family member who sees the world completely differently, the colleague who drives us up the wall, or the parts of ourselves we’d rather ignore. That’s when compassion stops being a nice feeling and becomes an active practice. Join Rev. Siota Belle this Wednesday for Compassion: Coming Home to Spirit . We’ll take an honest look at what living with more compassion actually looks like in practice, and what it might open up in your own life. Event Details When: Wednesday, August 12 at 7 PM Where: Center for Spiritual Living Santa Rosa (2075 Occidental Road)

Peace rarely arrives as a single grand event. More my be built from small choices we make in how we listen, how we speak, and how we hold space for one another. This July, five voices from our community offer their own way into that practice, each bringing a different instrument to the symphony. We open the month with Discovering Your Peaceful Voice on July 1, with Dr. Edward Viljoen. Some obstacles to peaceful communication hide in plain sight, disguised as ordinary habits. This talk traces one path toward noticing them, and toward the voice that waits underneath. On July 8, Rev. Siota Belle leads us into Drumming To a Different Beat . There's a rhythm to peace that doesn't always match the pace the world moves at. This gathering explores what it means to find our own tempo, and to trust it even when it differs from the beat around us. July 15 brings Practicing Your Peace with Rev. Russ Legear. Peace as an idea can sound lovely. Peace as a daily practice asks something mo...

Have you ever walked away from a conversation wishing you could have those last five minutes back? Something small happened. A sentence was interrupted. An opinion arrived too quickly. A well-intentioned suggestion given before understanding had a chance to grow. Most of us don't set out to communicate that way. Yet it slips in. Peaceful communication might begin earlier than the words we choose. It might start in the space before we speak. This evening we'll explore a simple shift that has changed the way I listen, respond, and connect with others. It starts with something ordinary, something so familiar it often goes unnoticed. Yet it holds the power to change the quality of conversations at home, at work, and within ourselves. If you've been longing for a little more ease in your relationships, or a quieter way of moving through the world, this evening's gathering may offer something worthwhile. We'll also enjoy fresh baked bread, tea, beautiful music, and the wa...

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...

  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

  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

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

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

  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

  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

  It can sometimes feel like we are dropped into this world without a map. Finding one's way can be challenging, especially because we often grow up with many different influences trying to chart our path in life. And just when we think we have things figured out, life throws us a curveball.  Join Practitioner Lawrence Edwards tonight to explore how we can answer these questions for ourselves in a special Black History Month presentation focusing on how we can discover Spirit's guidance within. This is your chance to discover how to connect with your own inner leader so it might guide you through the trials and tribulations of life.  7 pm, here at the Center. See you soon! -Russ

This Wednesday evening, Rev. Siota Belle offers a contemplative service that invites a return to something quietly essential. Peace is already present within, ready to be remembered and experienced again. Contemplation is the practice at the heart of this evening. It opens a gentle doorway inward, inviting attention to settle and awareness to soften. As the mind grows quieter and the breath becomes a steady companion, a natural sense of ease begins to emerge. When we pause and listen, Spirit meets us there, breathing in and through us. In that shared presence, peace unfolds as a sense of homecoming, familiar and steady. This service is especially welcoming for anyone feeling inwardly busy, stretched thin, or longing for a form of stillness that truly restores. No prior experience with contemplation is needed. A simple willingness to slow down is enough. Come as you are. Leave a little lighter. 7 pm in person at the Center www.cslsr.org  

  It has been said that courage isn't the absence of fear, but rather the ability to act even while feeling it. I believe this to be true, but I know there is more to the conversation than that. For example, I wonder how I can develop this kind of courage? And how can I do this without trying to avoid or suppress my fears?  There is a lot in the world that can trigger fear. I've been triggered myself. That's why it's clear to me that the more courage I am able to cultivate, the more I will have the clarity and motivation to act so that I can work to address the causes of my fears. This Wednesday at 7 pm, we are going to talk about how we can develop courage by looking at fear in a way that that may seem radical--I'm going to share how I've learned to befriend my fears. I invite you to join me in this exploration. We will enjoy music to inspire us, and gentle spiritual practice to open our hearts, with the goal that we find our way to that spiritual source of sta...

  Every new year brings the opportunity to approach life with a fresh mind. That is exactly what we are going to do in this special Wednesday Evening Service--we are going to freshen our minds through the power of journaling. Pen and paper have the unique ability to take our thoughts and give them form. This is how the Creative Process works. We have a thought, it is acted upon by the Law of Mind according to our belief in that thought, and the thought then becomes tangible in our world.  Join us on January 7 at 7 pm as we journal the night away, emptying the mental leftovers from 2025 and creating intentions to guide us through 2026. Best of all, you don't have to bring a journal if you don't have one, we will provide a mini-journal for you. Love, -Russ

The idea that you determine your welfare speaks to the Science of Mind idea that well-being grows from the choices we make in thought, practice, and community.  Using the book "Basic Ideas of Science of Mind" as our guide, our Wednesday evenings have been exploring the use of our mind, emotions, and actions, to contribute to our spiritual welfare. This Wednesday, join Dr. Edward Viljoen and Rev. Russ Legear at a special location to continue the exploration.  Some context:  Each year our community makes space for our neighbors at the local synagogue to gather more fully for the High Holy Days. In addition to being a gesture of hospitality, it carries a deeper reminder that our welfare is shaped by the choices we make together.  We, in turn, hold our Wednesday Evening service in their beautiful synagogue and you're invited to join us. Science of Mind teaches that the Creative Power of Life responds to the quality of our consciousness, and through spiritual practice we ...

  The Science of Mind is a map that can guide you toward a life defined by love and fulfillment. But how does it do that? What ideas are at the core of Ernest Holmes' teaching? Find out tonight and for the next ten weeks as we take a rare opportunity to explore one of Ernest's most concise, yet least known books, Basic Ideas of Science of Mind . In each service we'll explore one chapter and then put it to work for us through spiritual practice.  Tonight we are talking about you and your mind. What is your relationship to your mind? How might you shift it to live with more peace and joy? These are questions we'll answer, 7 pm, at the Center.  See you soon! -Rev. Russ

   The Science of Mind teaches that the power to change our universe lies within. What does it mean to live a life guided by that power? Join us at 7pm tonight as Lawrence Edwards shares how we can tap into our infinite nature to live a fulfilling life.  And then join us next Wednesday, September 3rd for our new series based on the book  Basic Ideas of Science of Mind  by Ernest Holmes. This short book distills all of Ernest's biggest ideas into easily digestible chapters, and we will explore each one for the next ten weeks. If you are wondering what Science of Mind is all about, or looking for an easy refresher, you won't want to miss our upcoming Wednesdays!

Our words carry power. They can breathe life into the wonders of our imagination, or they can cause harm. This is why the first agreement in Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements is to “be impeccable with your word.” At our upcoming Wednesday Evening Service, we’ll explore how to become more aware of the words we release into the world and the impact they have—on ourselves and on others. When we consciously choose our language, we open the door to shifting our circumstances for the better. Join Rev. Russ this Wednesday and discover how the words you speak can transform your life.