Edward Viljoen: Join Dr. Edward for a Celebration of Sacred Audacity: Sunday, June 2 at 9 or 11 AM

Saturday, June 1, 2024

Join Dr. Edward for a Celebration of Sacred Audacity: Sunday, June 2 at 9 or 11 AM

By: Edward Viljoen on Saturday, June 01, 2024

Share it Please

Dear Beloved Community,

I am delighted to invite you to a special Sunday Celebration Service on June 2nd at 9 AM or 11 AM. This Sunday, we will explore a powerful and transformative theme: Sacred Audacity.

What is Sacred Audacity?

Sacred Audacity is the courage to take bold steps in your imagination, to craft a vision of your life where everything is just right. It's about overcoming the brain's natural negativity bias and the overwhelming challenges of society to envision a brighter future. This practice requires effort and a willingness to dream big, even when it feels irresponsible to do so.

During our service, we will explore how Sacred Audacity can empower us to face and transform life's obstacles. We will discuss the importance of bold imagination and visualization in creating a future aligned with our highest ideals.

Personal Insights and Inspirations

I will also share some personal experiences that exemplify Sacred Audacity. From an emotional visit to the 9/11 memorial in New York City to the inspiring performances on Broadway, these moments highlight the importance of facing life's challenges with courage and creativity.

Workshop on the Power of Visualization

If you're inspired by our morning discussion and want to dive deeper, I invite you to join me for a two-hour workshop this afternoon on the power of visualization. We will practice using Sacred Audacity to envision and manifest a better world for everyone. This is an opportunity to take bold steps in imagining a more harmonious and just world.

Special Celebrations in June

June is a month filled with significant celebrations, each embodying boldness and audacity:

Father’s Day: Honoring Sonora Smart Dodd, who tirelessly worked to establish a day celebrating fatherhood.
Juneteenth: Commemorating the emancipation of the last enslaved people in Texas and recognizing the ongoing journey towards true freedom and equality.
Pride Month: Celebrating the courage and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community, inspired by leaders like Bayard Rustin, who stood up for equality and justice despite immense challenges.

Our 70th Anniversary

We also celebrate our 70th anniversary as a spiritual center in Sonoma County this month. Imagine the audacity of a small group of people who gathered weekly in a living room on Clark Street to listen to audio recordings of Sunday messages until they could raise enough money to invite a minister to join them. We are grateful for their bold vision and commitment.

As part of our anniversary celebrations, we are creating a time capsule with messages for our future community, some 70 years from now. Please take a moment to pick up a card and send your thoughts to our future community.

Embrace Sacred Audacity

So, what will you do? How will you embrace Sacred Audacity in your life? Join us this Sunday to find inspiration and support on your journey. Let's unite to celebrate, envision, and take bold steps toward a brighter future.

Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday at 9 or 11 AM!

With love and light,

Edwar Viljoen
Senior Minister

No comments:

Bhagavad-Gita For Beginners

The Bhagavad Gita: The Song of God Retold in Simplified English is the latest title in the Essential Wisdom Library. This unique edition of the timeless epic is designed to be accessible for readers without any prior experience of Hinduism. Not merely a translation of the original, Viljoen has simplified and restated the Gita’s complex ideas, so that a first-time reader can fully appreciate the scope and beauty of this magnificent Indian classic. Written in concise, modern language, the retelling vividly captures the power and depth of the original work.

Reviews

“While goodness, kindness, compassion, and faith might seem like ordinary concepts, when it comes to actually living them in the face of life’s daily challenges, it’s easy to get stuck. Edward Viljoen has given us a gentle, illuminating, compassionate guidebook to living from the goodness that lies at the heart of who we really are.”
—Alan Seale, founder of the Center for Transformational Presence, and author of Create A World That Works and Intuitive Living

“Ordinary Goodness reminds me I can see goodness and kindness every day. Edward reminds all of us, that despite our failings, we really can be both good and kind. Brew a cup of tea and curl up with this insightful and achingly beautiful account of the mystery, paradox, and wonder of your life. You’ll be glad you did!”
—Petra Weldes, author of Joyous Living Journal

“If kindness were a country, Ordinary Goodness would be its travel guide. In this book, Edward Viljoen delves into a perfectly ordinary yet arguably neglected virtue—kindness—and reveals its source, its rewards, and a well-defined approach for integrating kindness into your very bones. Combining his personal history with his decades of experience as a minister, Viljoen is eminently qualified to teach us that the ordinariness of kindness may actually be the most dazzling quality we might possess.”
—Randall Friesen, publisher of Newt List Books

Edward Viljoen was a recent guest to my radio show, "In The Spirit." I had read his book, "Ordinary Goodness" and was happy to talk with him about it. I like the way he inserts stories from his own life to illustrate various points. In this cynical age, this book is a tonic a guide to live a good life by being good to others. We cannot be truly happy until we do. Thank you, Edward for bringing a much needed topic to our attention.

—Gary Goldberg, host of In The Spirit

The Power of Meditation

“Edward Viljoen’s new book, The Power of Meditation, is a gift. It serves as a practical guidebook for those who are new at spiritual practice, as well as a beautiful reminder of simplicity and essence for those who have been engaged in spiritual practice for a lifetime. Edward helps us find the strength we need to be present with whatever life brings. He takes the reader by the hand, dispels the mysteries, and makes this elusive thing called meditation very real and doable.” —Alan Seal, author of Create a World That Works