What's Evolution Without Love?, with Rev. Jaqueline Edwards, Guest

Context for Today’s Topic: Without love, Evolution is a spiritual path of apathy, complacency, and lethargy. It is easy to talk the talk about love and more challenging to love our neighbor as ourselves. The evolutionary leap of this radical love calls us to reach out and love another. This is the Be-Loved community in action!

Evolutionary Vision = Statement(s) from the CSL Global Vision related to today’s topic:  We envision a world where personal responsibility joins with social conscience in every area of the political, corporate, academic, and social sectors, providing sustainable structures to further the emerging global consciousness.

We envision a world in which we live and grow as One Global Family that respects and honors the interconnectedness of all life; a world where this kinship with all life prospers and connects through the guidance of spiritual wisdom and experience.

Timeless Wisdom = SOM Principles

Oneness, Freedom, and Love

Oneness

There is One Infinite Reality. We call it many names, including but not limited to God, Life, Universal Spirit, Infinite Intelligence, First Cause, or The Thing Itself. The One Infinite Reality is undivided, complete, and whole within Itself. This Oneness creates everything out of itself, and therefore includes both the absolute and relative, tangible, and intangible, physical and metaphysical aspects of reality.

Freedom

Freedom is the birthright of every individual. We are free to choose and create our experience of life.

Love

Love is the self-givingness of Universal Spirit through its desire to express itself in terms of creation. Love is the impulse and Law is the way of creation. 

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Lean Into the Discomfort, with Dr. Edward Viljoen

Context for Today’s Topic:

If humanity is to awaken its Spiritual Magnificence and a World that Works for All, our discomfort must become our guru. Individually and collectively, we must dive deeply into areas we shy away from – Politics? Privilege? Black Lives Matter? Spiritual Activism? Money?

“There is no coming to consciousness without pain.” – Carl Jung

Evolutionary Vision = A statement from the CSL Global Vision related to today’s topic:

“We envision a worldwide culture in which forgiveness (whether for errors, injustices, or debts) is the norm.”

Timeless Wisdom = SOM Principles, Core Concepts, or Values most relevant to today’s topic and Global Vision statement above: Core Concept 8 - Forgiveness - In the Eternal Now, there can be no place for Divine anger, unforgiveness, or punishment. If we perceive a need for forgiveness, this is a human condition. Human forgiveness is the process that frees us to live in the Eternal Now. It is the essential step before real spiritual growth can flourish. Science of Mind teaches that the ultimate goal of life is complete emancipation from all discord of every nature, and that this goal is sure to be attained by all.

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Pushed By Pain, with Dr. Edward Viljoen

Monthly Context: Carl Jung said, “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” The Soul’s call is this deeply intimate, challenging, exponentially powerful, and globally beneficial work we are invited to do daily. [This is] globally beneficial because when any one of us awakens, it affects and evolves the global consciousness.

Context for Today’s Topic: Suppose we didn’t deny or avoid pain, but rather embraced it as an invitation to higher consciousness, deeper love, and the opportunity to be more resolute to faith in action. “I believe everything is as real as it is supposed to be. If a person hurts, he hurts; … there is no use denying it.” (Ernest Holmes)

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Changes to Edward Viljoen's Blog - please re-subscribe :)

Dear friends,

Google has made a change in how blogs are followed by email.  If you have enjoyed receiving these blog posts, and don't want to miss out on future posts 

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Warm regards,

Edward Viljoen

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Boldly Living a New Story, with Dr. Edward Viljoen

Live at the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa, Dr. Edward speaks about the importance of consciousness in changing life's circumstances.  In this hybrid service of both pre-recorded and live elements, President Nancy Reynolds welcomes everyone and reminds us of the joy of being together, both in-person in the room and online from wherever you are watching.

You can watch the service mentioned in this post on our new You Tube channel or by visiting our website where the most recent service is available as well as an archive of previous week's messages.

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Revolutionary Love and Re Opening the Center

Beginning on Sunday, May 23, our Sunday services will be at 9 am and 11 am.

The 9 am service will be live-streamed from the sanctuary to our website and to Facebook. The service will consist of both live and pre-recorded segments, including music, a message (usually live), prayer, and up-to-date information about what’s happening in our community.

A recording of the 9 am service will be broadcast to our website and to Facebook at 11 am.

A limited number of seats are available for those who want to attend the 9 am service in person. Reservations open online at 9 am the previous Monday. Look for the post on the home page of our website to learn about making reservations to attend in person.

Details…
— Doors open at 8:30 am. Please arrive 15 minutes before service (or earlier) to allow plenty of time for check-in.
— Only the main parking lot will be open. The gravel lot will be closed.
— Wear a mask and observe social distancing at all times.
— Our team will greet you, check your temperature, ask some health-related questions, confirm your reservation, and give you a sticker that indicates you have been checked in.
— An usher will guide you to your assigned seat(s) in the sanctuary.
— You will remain seated for the duration of the service.
— After the service, an usher will direct you to exit the sanctuary through the side doors.

For now…
— There is no in-person after-service prayer, youth classes, or beverage service.
— Restrooms have been modified to promote social distancing.
— Drinking fountains are not available.
— The bookstore is closed.

We look forward to seeing you!

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To see this week's video on YouTube, click here:  https://youtu.be/FD8RMWQFRac

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The Adventure Called Life

Rev. Russ Legear, Assistant Minister

I am happy to report that last weekend 10 new members joined our community. In that new member orientation was Rev. Russ Legear.  Some of you will remember him from the workshop, others will remember him from his heartwarming Sunday message.  He became a member of our Center last week because he has accepted our invitation to become our Assistant Minister.

We’ve been on a search for an assistant minister ever Since Rev. Joyce Dufalla announced that she had a plan to retire.  Then the pandemic delayed our search process.  Rev. Joyce isn’t leaving our community, indeed she is quite actively supporting us. We had to wait to inform our Santa Rosa community about Rev. Russ because he had other employment and had to let his previous employer know, which he has done, and now begins the big adventure of packing up and relocating from Chicago to California.

I invite you to embrace him into our CSLSR spiritual family with the same enthusiasm and open-heartedness that he is embracing us.  

I’m thinking about him packing up and relocating from the other side of the country during a pandemic.

What an adventure.

Appropriately Today’s topic is This Adventure Called Life, and the suggested theme for May for our study groups and Centers is:  Wholly Holy Uprising

· Week one - this Adventure called life

· Week two - Revolutionary Love

· Week three - This Too is God?

· Week four - say their names

· Week Five - Boldly Living a New Story

I look forward to a fascinating month of studying Science of Mind with you.  

To view this week's video about this adventure called life on YouTube, click here.

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Stepping Out and Stepping Up

On Thursday, April 22, we held our first practice service with a small, invited test audience.  We were preparing for reentry with a practice audience so that we certain we know how to welcome our general community.

The question on many people's minds is When will be returning to in-person services.  

In May we will continue testing small, invited audiences with the goal to open to a general audience in June.  Of course, this timeline is tentative based on our ability to do everything well and safely. And you can be confident that we will announce our ability to receive you in person…we will keep you informed of our progress.

 
How will it work?

Advance registration is required to attend the service in person. A link to the reservation will be on our website.  Registration opens Monday morning for the following Sunday. Space is limited…so… If you register and find that you are not able to attend, please cancel your reservation to make it available to someone else.

More news coming soon!

To watch this week's video on YouTube, click here

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