This week’s message from Dr. Deborah
If you attended our last two virtual Sunday services, you’ll know that October 17 was the 27th Anniversary of our very first church service. As they say, “we’ve come a long way baby!” If you told me back in 1993 that there’d be a time when all of our services would be online, I wouldn’t have believed you! Heck, in the early days, I wouldn’t even have understood what you meant!
And yet, here we are.
Just for fun, I’m including some photos and memories from back in those early days – so fun! I hope you’ll recognize Kenn and I from our first Easter service in 1994. Oh my goodness, how young we were!
There’s also a photo that someone sent me recently. Yes, that’s me in the middle with the very curly red hair (it was 1993 – what can I say?) along with two of our founding members, Sue Campbell on the left and Margaret Timuss on the right. I’m so grateful for what they must have seen in us as neophyte spiritual leaders (which I’m not even sure Kenn and I saw in ourselves). What we learned very quickly was that no one can teach you or tell you what it takes to start, create and sustain a work until you do it! Nothing has grown me as much!
I’ve also included a copy of our Founding members. Back in the day, our parent organization, Religious Science International as it was known then, required new centres to “prove themselves” by having 75 officially signed-up members. (You may notice we had several families, including ours, honour us with their being willing to sign as members!) How grateful we were then, and how grateful we are now for each of them and for those of you who are still around, for believing in us! (I’m grateful there’s still quite a few of you!)
I remember one of Kenn’s jobs was to take the new program each week down to Dittos copy store and print out 20, then 30, then 40, and eventually up to a couple of hundred copies each week. This particular program was from a week in 1994 when Kenn and I (“Debbie”) were away at a convention.
It’s super fun to see what elements of our service we’ve retained: our welcome, In This Very Room; our moment of silence, We Are One; Treatment, Message and Offertory; and what we’ve lovingly released: The Lord’s Prayer and Let There Be Peace on Earth.
I love that our vision has kept steady through time. Back then, it was “Awakening Humanity to Its Spiritual Magnificence” to which we’ve now also added “to Create a World that Works for Everyone”.
Thanks for walking with me down memory lane. It’s been a joyous, fulfilling and growing opportunity for both Kenn and myself. We wouldn’t have chosen to do anything else. And the adventure continues…
Thank you to everyone who’s ever attended, ever volunteered (there have been so, so, so many of you over time), ever served on our Board of Trustees, or been a Practitioner or have taken classes – I am so thankful, so grateful, Thank YOU! – and stay tuned for what’s next!
Blessings,
Dr. Deborah
PS: If you missed yesterday’s Soul Food Sunday titled “A Clear Conscience of Consciousness”, you can watch it on our YouTube channel.
MIND-FULL MOMENT
“No memory is ever alone; it’s at the end of a trail of memories, a dozen trails that each have their own associations.”
— Louis L’Amour
Copyright © 2020 Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna. All rights reserved.