Practicing Peace and Understanding
Our blessings and our prayers go out to Boston after, yet again, another senseless act of violence perpetrated on innocent people. I ask that each of us take a moment and pray for those afflicted, and once again, I ask that we pray for our world and our advancement into a peaceful unity and mature response to these heinous and destructive acts. It is obvious that the traditional responses that we as a world society have implemented for thousands of years have become, and possibly always were, both ineffective and counter-productive. Violence begets violence! The consciousness of vengeance is contagious. The motivation for much, if not all, of the violence we are experiencing is born from an inane and immature sense of revenge. The perpetrators are seeking revenge for the perceived injustices of their lives and when we react to their actions from a mind-set of vengeance we further feed the act. The common-place violence that we currently are witnessing is a symptom of a much larger cause and the solution has not been found in our traditional way of handling it. It is time that we begin to look for deeper solutions, as opposed to falling back into our traditional response. So, I ask you to remain calm and clear, to practice understanding and love. This does not mean that we condone these inhumane acts, nor does it mean we allow them to go without penalty. Centers for Spiritual Living believes that everything in our world begins with a thought, an attitude and a frame of mind. If we live in a violent society, reflecting the vengeance that initiated the act in the first place will do nothing to stop the violence. It may stop the current perpetrators, but it will not end future violence. It is up to us to be proactive and focus our attention on peace and respect for life. It is unrealistic to expect others to do it if we are not prepared to do it ourselves first. It is time that we face the bigger issue, and that is not just what humans will do to other humans but how tirelessly they will justify it. A prayer for Boston, a prayer for us I banish any and all sense of retribution and vengeance and allow my mind to rest in the grace and understanding of peace and acceptance, knowing that every act and every action unfolds in Divinity for the highest and greatest good. Right here and right now, I invoke Truth to enter my being, knowing that It abolishes fear and replaces it with faith, dissolves all sense of retribution and replaces it with love, dissipates all negative judgment and replaces it with understanding. I know with certainty that goodness comes from this act and I surrender my need to know and understand and stand strong in my faith and optimism. I surrender this back to Spirit, trusting and knowing that all that needs to heal, all that needs to be recognized, all that needs to be known, is done and present now. I allow myself to live in this Truth. What are Spiritual Living Circles?
Invitations to form a Spiritual Living Circle begin in early May. “What is a Spiritual Living Circle?” you ask. It’s a group of friends/acquaintances who gather in a home, office, or public place on a regular and ongoing basis (weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, etc.) to discuss ideas about spiritual living. Each circle member will have the opportunity to receive an introductory online subscription to Science of Mind magazine and a brief weekly email introducing a featured article with suggested questions for group discussion. Through the support of our Publishing Department, we’ve identified over 300 subscribers to Science of Mind Magazine for our first test market. These folks will receive an invitation from me and guidelines for starting their own Spiritual Living Circle. Invitations will be sent to subscribers in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Indianapolis, Indiana; Albany, New York, and Omaha, Nebraska. We’ve chosen these places because none of them currently have Member Communities of Centers for Spiritual Living with whom they can participate. We’re also including a group of individuals who have shown interest in starting their own circle. If you’d like to be included, send your request to Rev. Mark Gilbert mgilbert@csl.org. Circles could begin meeting and receiving support as early as June 1st. Once our process of establishing circles is proven to function well, we’ll begin expanding into other regions of the US and Canada. I’m very excited about the prospects of this program and ask you all to join me in seeing great success as we move forward. All Ministers invited to “Walk the Meadow” at Asilomar Dr. Kenn and Dr. John are inviting all Centers for Spiritual Living ministers who are registered for the Asilomar Retreat to “Walk the Meadow” at Asilomar on Tuesday afternoon, July 30th. This tradition of “walking the meadow” is a celebratory welcoming of ministers into their new community of ministers once they have passed their licensing panels. However, quite a number of ministers in Centers for Spiritual Living have never had the opportunity to partake in this loving ritual. Dr. Kenn and Dr. John will lead this ceremonial walk with colleagues and friends to welcome and acknowledge all Centers for Spiritual Living ministers. Whether or not you have previously "walked the meadow," we invite you to attend our Summer Retreat at Asilomar and participate in this wonderfully expansive ritual of love and celebration. Member Support & Education Update
It has been a great first four months of the year, getting systems up and running to better serve you. We’ve made progress with online licensing for ministers and practitioners and we’re working on online registration for certificated courses. We are also reviewing all the courses in the Education Catalog to determine the best way share our teachings with the world. In addition, we’re very excited to announce that we now have Spanish curricula on the internal Web site. We also have the latest information about the 2013 Summer Camp and you can learn about our new Certified Teen Advisor Program. Click on the links below under Youth Happenings for more details. Love and blessings, |
Click on the headline to read the entire article: Online licensing –Available now for ministers and practitioners Online registration for certificated courses–This is in the works with the goal of making your life easier Education catalog under review–The Education Committee is also looking at the entire set of courses in the Education Catalog in order to continue to move us into the greatest delivery mechanisms for sharing the Science of Mind teaching with the world. Spanish curricula now on the website–The first set of our adult curricula courses have been uploaded to the csl.org internal website. Update on Holmes Institute L.A. campus–Holmes Institute has received proposals from three centers for hosting a campus in the greater Los Angeles area based on the RFP we issued in March. Youth Happenings–Summer camp is right around the corner and there is a great video to share with your teen group. Plus, registration is easier than ever and electronic this year! Also learn about the certified teen advisor program that is launching, and camp advisor training.
We realize that having the proper commercial insurance can be a complicated process and that is why we are delighted to offer an insurance program through home office. The advantages of working with home office for your insurance needs are two-fold. First and foremost, through our partnership with Wave Financial Partners (www.wavefinancialpartners.com), we have access to a wide selection of insurance companies and therefore we hope that through this process we will be able to save your center money on its premiums. Secondly, and more importantly, we want to ensure that all of the member communities have the proper coverage needed for properties, ministers, and staff. Once the majority of centers are properly covered, the long-term plan is to offer personal coverage insurance to practitioners. The Operations department is also working on helping centers create endowments for lasting sustainability, as well as a Disaster Relief Recovery program. Click on the links below for more information on all of these topics. Blessings, New insurance program FAQs–Find out what insurance is being offered by home office and how you can take advantage of this benefit. Building an endowment for your center–The Science of Mind Foundation can help your center create permanency and long-term financial stability through building your endowment. The new Disaster Relief Program – Helping those in need–Home office is developing a centralized disaster relief program.
We are excited to announce that the Spiritual Living app website is live and has a healthy list of over 500 vendors subscribing. If you know anyone in your center with a business that is trying to reach our coveted market of Cultural Creatives, please urge them to subscribe at app.csl.org. World Day of Service is coming on September 14! We urge every center to participate in this international event to show how Centers for Spiritual Living can create a world that works for everyone. Watch for promotional and instructional materials to be coming to centers directly. Our social media presence is expanding. We now have almost 10,000 “likes” on our Centers for Spiritual Living Facebook page, almost 14,000 “likes” on the Science of Mind magazine page, and a NEW Creative Thought magazine page. Please check us out! Also, in an ongoing effort to be in alignment with our trademarked material, we are trying to identify who is operating the Facebook pages with the titles “Science of Mind” and “Ernest Shurtleff Holmes.” We’d like to work with these administrators more closely. If anyone knows who runs these pages, please ask him/her to get in touch with me at jmorley@csl.org. Love & blessings, Convention & Retreat News–Asilomar Keynote Speaker Azim Khamisa will discuss how the act of forgiveness can lead to peace, purpose and prosperity. And make sure to check out our new, lower prices for 2013! Publishing Report– An overview of the Editorial Advisory Committee, what’s new with Creative Thought magazine, and a list of books available in Spanish, Swedish and Portuguese. Home office happenings
In April, home office hosted ordination panels for a wonderful group of ministers. Ordination panels, the final step in becoming a licensed Religious Science minister for life, are for ministers who have gone through the training and have been in the field for at least two years, meeting many requirements and working with a mentor and a sponsor to help them along their path. Pictured left to right are Rev. Edee Charlton, Rev. Marla Mason, Rev. Cindy Hopfensperger, and Rev. Linda Kajiwara, all of whom successfully passed their panels. Thank you to Rev. Paula Belleggie (far right), for her service on the panel. Not pictured, and also passing their panels, were Rev. Rebecca Allen, Rev. Gayle Dillon, Rev. Michael Gott, Rev. Mike Irwin, Rev. M. Louise Mann, Rev. Nicole Merges, Rev. Valerie Reeves, Rev. Elzia Sekou, Rev. Lori Sheets. All of these names will be passed on to the Leadership Council for final approval. In every issue we will be sharing stories of celebration from our centers, ministers, practitioners, and laity. Are you celebrating a special anniversary of 20+ years? Opening a new center? Hit a record number of attendees? Share your successes with your colleagues and friends. Contact Marketing Coordinator Diane Bishop dbishop@csl.org with your story ideas and photos. Let’s stay in touch! Follow us on Facebook:
You’ll find inspiration, links to news articles about our centers and spiritual leader that have appeared in the media, pictures and updates from our business convention and Asilomar retreat, and more!
Featuring daily affirmations, prayers, and highlights from each month’s issue. Science of Mind Archives and Library Foundation The archives contain a magnificent collection of historical New Thought items including radio talks, videos, and class and lecture tapes from Dr. Ernest Holmes. |
By Rev. Dr. Kenn Gordon, Spiritual Leader 
By Rev. Dr. John B. Waterhouse, President 
By Rev. Gregory Toole, Director 
By Steve Burton, Director 
By Dr. Judy Morley, RScP, Director 
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Your Leadership Council developed a vision statement, mission, purpose, and vision early on in our work together. We have it in front of us in our meetings and refer to it while we are working together. It reads: 
The Minister Council is busy reviewing proposed changes on the path to Ordination and making arrangements for the Gathering of Ministers. The proposed changes will be presented at our next convention this coming February in Orlando. As to the Ministers’ Gathering, the Survey Monkey results put the meeting in Napa, and the dates are Oct. 7th – 10th. This will make for a wonderful time as it is in the height of the season, with grape crushing and beautiful weather. We are looking at possible balloon rides, wine tasting, prayers in the vineyards, and more. We will send out information as we finalize hotels and space.
The Laity Council is finally complete and in motion. We welcome Crystal Davis and Sandra Wood to the council as our new members for this term. Not only are we building our new team energy and dynamic internally, we are reaching out and touching the lay community in a variety of ways. 
