Happy Monday, December 14, 2020
Updated: Dec 21, 2020
This week’s message from Dr. Deborah
Greetings all! The weather report from my office window is high overcast, peaks of blue sky, with a skiff of snow that fell overnight. Most of you know that I am so not a fan of snow, but even I have to admit that as I look out at it, it does give my surroundings a very winterish and clean look! The snow is covering all the detritus of our previous year’s foliage and grass, which is now composting to be the nutrition for the coming seasons of growth and greenery.
How about us? Are we using this time of increased dark and quiet as nutrients for our upcoming year?
I don’t need to point out to any of us how unexpectedly challenging 2020 has been… but what if the apparent ‘lack of light’ in many areas for this year is the gift of the Universe creating the opportunity and nutrition for the future? What I know for sure from our teaching, the Science of Mind, is that I have the choice and the power to make that true for me. So I’m choosing to take this time to nurture, slow down and create a beautiful compost for whatever is next.
We have received some sad news this week. Our Centre is mourning the loss of our long-time member, student, friend, volunteer, house musician and very, very wickedly funny and brilliantly witty, Jeff Andrew.
I was so touched by the many memories and reminiscences of this fine man, which were posted on Facebook. I know Jeff will be missed, but there’s something sweet about moving to the ‘other side’ with the love and fond memories of so many people. Godspeed and rest in peace, Jeff.
We also send love and condolences to his family members who also are part of our spiritual family: Debby Andrew and Liz Flowers, along with his son Roy Andrew.
Please take a moment to listen to Logos sing Amazing Grace one year ago during a musicians' gathering celebrating Jeff.
I have noticed that holiday activities have been curtailed from what we’re used to. Many of us are missing doing what we’ve typically engaged in at Christmas – gathering with friends and family for concerts, choirs, and all kinds of performances. I am really missing our 28th annual Celebration of Light service. However, I’m delighted to let you know that there are several festive activities that you can enjoy from the safety of your own home. There are many out there, but these just happen to involve Kenn, myself, our greater CSL family, as well as our Gordon family.
Kenn and I are participating in ELE’s (CSL School of Spiritual Leadership for Spanish speakers) one-day bilingual Christmas at Home Celebration held virtually on Saturday, December 19, 2020. This full-day Zoom program will have live guests, music, workshops, prayer rooms, gala dinner and a disco night! Dr. Kenn will do a keynote around 3 pm PST, and I follow with a meditation-treatment. Register here with your love offering ($8 US or more goes to ELE’s humanitarian work).
My son Mack Gordon’s theatre company’s latest presentation A Christmas Carol … In the Dark is his pay-what-you-can adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens Christmas story. The experience is much like an old-fashioned radio play. Fun!
While our regular Sunday morning meditation is on hiatus until January, our Centre is invited to the annual World Healing Peace Meditation. It’s hosted this year by Centers for Spiritual Living Global Heart of Peace Committee on December 31st at 4 am PST (noon GMT) and you can join by Zoom here. Meditation gatherings begin at the same moment all around the world.
I want to make sure to remind you that this coming Sunday, December 20th will be our Centre’s holiday celebration. We’ll be singing lots of songs, and our Covid-19 rendition of Dr. Kenn’s Gift Box Sunday with the Sunday Six, as well as Rev. Barb Samuel’s gift to us all: “O Holy Night”. Bring your homemade box and we’ll fill it with holiday love!
Last (but not least), visit with us on Zoom this Thursday, December 17th at 10 am for The Drop In: Coffee and Connection with Rev. Barbara Samuel, Rev. Gwen Smith and myself. We’d love to see you there! (Passcode: connection)
I hope you consider doing some or all of these!
Blessings!
Dr. Deborah
PS: If you missed yesterday’s talk by Derek Hinchliffe titled “Happy Xmas, War is Over”, you can watch it on our YouTube channel or listen to it on the podcast.
Practitioner of the Week is Rev. Gwen Smith. If you are looking for one-to-one prayer treatment support for ANYTHING, you can contact Gwen directly via email at gwensmith62@gmail.com.
MIND-FULL MOMENT
“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no death the way we understood it. The body dies, but not the soul.”
— Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
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