Sunday Evenings At The Center

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to commune, communicate, connect” Practitioner Maggie Cole “ Faith - How Much Do I Need? ” “No fear can remain where faith holds sway. Faith reunites us with the original, creative Spirit, the Divine Mind, which already exists at the center of our being. This kingdom of heaven, which is the kingdom of wholeness, is within." ~ Ernest Holmes “I desert fear and turn resolutely and joyously to faith, and swiftly into my experience comes the desired good. I give thanks that I am divine and that I know my divinity." ~ Ernest Holmes Most of us are familiar with this quote; “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove”. I don’t feel I have this much faith. Hence, I have some work to do. The question is how much do I need or better yet, do I already have it and am not using it, believing in it, trusting to use it in my life?

Photo by Thomas Chan on Unsplash I'm not enough? Others are better than me? I'll be happy when? Each one of these thoughts blurs our ability to see clearly who we are. The approach of the new year invites us to recognize and celebrate ourselves, just the way we are. . Join Rev. Tara Steele for a time of reflection, prayer, and intention setting to polish our spiritual lenses. Everyone is welcome to this last Sunday evening service of 2019, at 7 pm in Waggoner Hall, North Wing.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Practitioner Elias Owens “Finding Your Own Meaning to Holiday” "If we took a holiday Took some time to celebrate Just one day out of life It would be. . .so nice."  ~ Madonna - from ‘Holiday’ Whenever a Holiday or other special day on the calendar rolls around there are sure to be those who proclaim (and often with cynicism) their lack of observance.The reason may be religious, political, decrying commercialism, or just lack of interest. I love holidays. I love that people take time and energy to make certain times of the year special. We can give whatever meaning we want to these days and observe them in our own fashion. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Rev. Josephine Smith “The Power That Made the Body, Heals the Body” "The spiritual man needs no healing, health is an omnipresent reality, and when the obstructions that hinder healing are removed, it will be found that health was there all the time." ~ Ernest Holmes "The secret of health for both mind and body is...live the present moment wisely and earnestly." ~ Buddha "Healing is the return of the memory of wholeness. Healing, health, whole and holy all mean inclusiveness. Body, mind, spirit, environment, relationships, social interactions are all one wholeness, and you're a part of that one wholeness." ~ Deepak Chopra What comes to mind when you hear this statement that the power that made the body, heals the body? Do you believe it? How do you know you need healing and what does it mean to be healed or cured? Teach your mind to listen

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Practitioner Peggy Weber “The Wholeness of Us - The Celebration of Kwanzaa” "For we come into being, and best express and develop our humanity in relationship. We must raise up the essentiality of rightful relatedness, togetherness, and oneness with each other in the world."  ~ Dr. Maulana Karenga, Founder of Kwanzaa In keeping with The Center’s theme for December, “ Celebrating the Holy Days”, let’s discuss Kwanzaa, A Celebration of First Fruits of the Harvest. It is not a religious holiday. It is a celebration of freedom, renewed life, and a relationship with ancestors, ourselves, and others, making the world a better place for all. Come and experience the Beautiful Kinara and the other symbols of Kwanzaa. All are welcome. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to commune, communicate, connect” Practitioner Maggie Cole “Everything is Holy NOW” “Since the beginning of time, the heart of the New Thought-Ancient Wisdom mystical teaching has revealed that you and I are the sacred site of God"  ~ Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith - 40 Day Mind Fast - Soul Feast “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience." ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Three decades ago, I was introduced to a form of prayer called Spiritual Mind Treatment. It is a 5 step process of prayer, which recognizes the truth of God and the truth of the individual as well. When this takes place, when it is felt and believed, there is a Realization that everything is Holy, everything is One. All is sacred, we are propelled to the present, to the NOW moment. It has the power to lift us up as we bow before the Truth that everything is holy now. Tonig

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Practitioner Elias Owens “Walking Through Life Like Jesus” “"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And, whenever you stand praying, forgive..." ~ Mark 11: vs 24-25 Jesus taught the power of faith, forgiveness, and love. Do we have the faith to "move mountains?" Ernest Holmes calls Jesus "the great example." Let's discuss what it means to follow that example. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS Krista McAtee “Leading From the Heart” “The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others." ~ bell hooks “Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them." ~ Brene Brown Together we will examine aspects of the Heart of a Leader, explore ways in which we exemplify this leadership and identify ways to further our ability to lead from the heart. See you Sunday night. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to commune, communicate, connect” Practitioner Maggie Cole “My GPS: God - Presence - Spirit” “It is time to return to trusting ourselves - to trusting that small inner voice, that sense of true joy and spontaneity. We need to free up our true selves by releasing them from the chains and rules of conduct that were imposed on us. We are trustworthy! We can follow our inner wisdom and it will always support us and guide us." ~ Marie T. Russell “No more words. Hear only the voice within." ~ Rumi Some of us trust this inner voice that Rumi speaks to. Some of us, at times, wonder which voice we are hearing. “is it my ego, is it my mystical intuitive nature”? There are ways in which we have the ability to identify these voices. Tonight we have another opportunity to check in with what is alive in us around our intuitive nature as we engage in a conversation to inspire and expand each other. The convers

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to commune, communicate, connect” Practitioner Maggie Cole “What is Guiding Me?” “We all believe in Divine guidance. But if such a reality exists, it cannot be for a few. It must act as a principle in nature and therefore be accessible to all." ~ Ernest Holmes, Freedom to Live pg. 79 “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth< to evolution." ~ Albert Einstein Along with these powerful words from some great teachers, we will have the opportunity to share where our own guidance comes from. Where do we find inspiration and motivation in our lives? What are we looking for and where do we seek it? Tom McCurry will join us tonight after an extended absence. He brings his beautiful music as he engages us to celebrate with him. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Practitioner Elias Owens “Letting Love Rule” “"Love is gentle as a rose and love can conquer any war It's time to take a stand brothers and sisters join hands We got to let love rule"  ~ Lenny Kravitz - from, “Let Love Rule” We humans just love, love - don't we? So many popular songs attest to this, whether romantic or agape (love for God and humanity). And as this months' theme is cherishing the human family, let's discuss how to be "love activists" in a world that seems to be in such dire need of agape love. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Practitioner Megan Rooney “There is No Place Where God is Absent - Including You” “There is One Life back of everything that lives, there is One Energy back of all that is energized" ~ Ernest Holmes, SOM p. 35.3 What gets in the way of us knowing the Oneness of all of Life? How do we hold ourselves as separate from that Oneness and how might our experience of Life change if we were to drop any idea of being separate? The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS Practitioner Sherry Viera “Healing Our Sense of Separation” “Find me one person who can get their own littleness out of the way and they shall reveal to me the immeasurable magnitude of the universe in which I live." ~ Ernest Holmes How do we get our ideas about our own littleness out of the way so we can experience the truth of Oneness? The magnitude of all things? Tonight we'll talk about allowing the light of Truth to shine in to the idea of our limitation and separation. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to commune, communicate, connect” Practitioner Maggie Cole “Who Are My Family?” “I embrace the universal oneness of all beings and open my heart and mind to love others and myself." ~ Dr. Cheryl Joy Bratman “Too often we under estimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." ~ Leo Buscaglia There may be some of you who have the experience of being brought up in a loving, supportive, free environment in which you felt strong, accepted, loved, supported, encouraged to be who and what you are, that what you wanted to achieve was not only possible but doable and would bless you, your family and the world. I did not have this experience growing up. I found myself in this teaching and then looked to my spiritual family, my family of choice, instead of my blood family to encourage

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Practitioner Elias Owens “Spirit in Nature” “In wilderness is the preservation of the world." ~ Henry David Thoreau I've heard numerous people say that being in nature gives them a sense of deep connection to Spirit. Let's share our experiences of feeling this connection to the Infinite, God, Spirit... in the beauty, serenity, and wonder of the natural world, while exploring ways to bring nature into our everyday lives. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS Krista McAtee “Releasing Fear” Photo by  Patrick Selin  on  Unsplash “We comprehend the Infinite only to the degree that It expresses Itself through us, becoming to us that which we believe It to be." ~ Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind, page 358.4 The Light that we are ALWAYS shines. There is nothing that can destroy or diminish the light of who we are. Just as the sun always shines, our Light is always who we are. The earth rotates in ways that the sun is less visible. Clouds come between the earth and Sun, changing the ways the Sun is experienced on the planet. We do the same. We turn away from that Light or allow things to obscure the brightness and warmth, the fullness of the Spirit that we are. What if our sole purpose was to allow our True selves to shine through? How would we show up if our sole purpose was to allow our True selves to shine through? See you Sunday night. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 1

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS Practitioner Sherry Viera “Getting Un-Stuck” “You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water." ~ Tagore I've heard many people express that they don't know what love is. Tonight we are going to talk about the experience of love, the expression of love and the action of love. Does love compel us to act?  See you Sunday night. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to commune, communicate, connect” Practitioner Maggie Cole “The Souls Capacity to Give” “Life is ever giving of Itself. We must receive, utilize, and extend the gift." ~ Ernest Holmes Ernest Holmes says in this quote that we “must” receive, utilize and extend the gift. The innate gifts that are born in us, the God given qualities of love, peace, joy, wisdom and harmony, to name a few. Are you willing to embrace and consciously embody the truth of who you are, bringing it all to your life and the life of the planet on which we live? You are invited to explore this idea in a conversation facilitated by Maggie Cole in our Sunday Evening Explorations. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

CHANT AND HEART SONGS CONCERT Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda offer a combination of kirtan (call and response singing), bhajan (devotional hymns), and original compositions in English, Sanskrit, and Gurbani. They are known for their powerful blend of modern and ancient soundscapes that touch the heart and invoke a meditative and connected state. Love offerings will be divided equally between the artists and the Center. The August 25 concert begins at 7 pm in the sanctuary.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Practitioner Megan Rooney “Honoring the Face of God in Everyone - No Exceptions” “There is no man outside of God" ~ Ernest Holmes, SOM p. 250.2 Where are we challenged to know that every face is the face of God, is it who we perceive to be our enemy or is it the face we see in the mirror? The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING EXPLORATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Update 8/8/19 Practitioner Elias Owens “Praising, Blessing, and Giving Thanks” “When the time comes that nothing goes forth from you other than that which you would have return, then you will have reached your heaven." ~ Ernest Holmes How might life change if we committed each day to the practices of praising, blessing and giving thanks - rather than criticizing, cursing and complaining? Let’s explore and discuss how to live by this everyday. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Practitioner Maggie Cole and Tom Curry “The Alchemy of Gratitude” “All around us there are these surprises of kindly interference, manifesting the grace of life, the tenderness and mercy of God.Thus our hearts are wooed into thanksgiving and praise for what has been given to us" ~ Howard Thurman Gratitude becomes causation for greater demonstrations of good in your life when you sincerely express thankfulness for your existence as an individualized expression of God. Together we have the opportunity to turn up our gratitude by sharing our individual and collective blessings in our own unique ways. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING CONVERSATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Practitioner Elias Owens “What Are You Thinking - Now?” “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life." ~ Eckhart Tolle Mystics and sages have been telling us since ancient times up to the present day that the "Now" is where it's at. Why does living fully in the moment seem to create such a challenge? How can we live in the present moment rather than incessantly dwelling in the past or future? The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING EXPLORATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Practitioner Megan Rooney “Live Closest to the River in Which Your Life Flows” “We should daily feel a deeper union with Life, a greater sense of that Indwelling God – the God of the seenand the unseen within us."  ~ Ernest Holmes, SOM p.148.3 Living in the flow with Life we are supported by that which supports, manifests and maintains all of Life. When we resist or refute that which Life brings to and as us, we struggle against the current. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING EXPLORATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Practitioner Sherry Viera “Stories, Do We Get Over Them or Move Beyond Them?” “Your freedom and happiness have been restricted by a story you haven't double-checked." ~ Alan Cohen “People suffer because they are caught in their views. As soon as we release those views, we are free and we don't suffer any more." ~ Thich Nhat Hahn Ever have anyone tell you, "OH, get over it"? I promise, you'll hear something much more helpful tonight as we discuss strategies for moving beyond our old stories. The conversation begins at 7 pm in Room 11, North Wing. All are welcome.

SUNDAY EVENING EXPLORATIONS “A place to be seen, heard and valued” Practitioner Maggie Cole and Tom Curry “Free at Last” “The Divine plan is one of freedom. The inherent nature of man is ever seeking to express itself in terms of freedom, because freedom is the birthright of every living soul."  ~ Ernest Holmes “The power and freedom God freely gives us allows us to express greatness, to build magnificent dreams and to call forth the good in our lives, but we must claim that freedom."  ~ Mary Morrissey Thought is energy. The quality of thoughts are reflected through emotions, speech and behavior. The thoughts that pass through  awareness translate themselves into experiences. Ernest Holmes said, “We are all immersed in the atmosphere of our own thinking. This decides what will take place in our lives.” This is an invitation to engage in conversation, bringing forth our own wisdom to share, witness with one another and be blessed by our beloved Tom McC