I’ve noticed lately how much time I spend on my computer! That’s not really atypical for me, especially during these times of 100% home office hours and not meeting in person for Sunday services, classes, or really much of anything at all. However, this past week was extraordinary. Centers for Spiritual Living held their annual Ministers’ Gathering Convention on Zoom which was Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Then I was blessed to be with my ministerial students for their School for Spiritual Leadership class on diversity and inclusion (also on Zoom) Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Can I say “week-long Zoom-butt”? Yes! LOL!
I remember back in the early days of the Centre (mid 1990s) when Kenn starting using his IBM 5250 computer to do his ‘church work’. I clearly recall him saying to me: “Deb, you’ve got to start using a computer. It’s really great and very efficient.” He knows one of my values is efficiency, so he thought I’d be all over it. However, I resisted and said: “Nope – pen and paper for me all the way. I like it, I know it, I’ll stay with it!” Well, you know how that ended up. Certainly over time it became imperative to learn the ins and outs of computerland, and I for sure can’t even imagine trying to navigate in these times without it. And I know that’s not true for everyone. However, if there’s ever a time I feel resistance to a new idea, a new way of doing things, all I have to do is think back to how much I didn’t want to use a computer and didn’t know how important it would be to learn to use one.
During these times when our opportunities to be together in person have been so compromised, what a beautiful gift to humanity ‘electronic life’ has ended up being. I personally can’t imagine going through these times without virtual connections. They’ve allowed us to continue our Sunday services, classes, meditations, fellowship times and conversations together. Would I have preferred those to have remained in person? Yes! Was that possible? No. Am I grateful for technology? You betcha! Do I realize everyone is not comfortable with it? Yes. Do I wish they were? Kind of… (Did I think these times of physical distancing would have been over by now? Absolutely!!)
And so, this is all a preamble to invite each and every one of you to join me, Amanda Pope and our CSLK Board for our Community Town Hall conversation this Sunday, October 3rd at 1pm on — yes, you guessed it — Zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86215414467 Passcode: community
We’re excited to be together to share with you the results of our recent survey, and to feel into the temperature of where we are as a community. We’ll also share about listing the Peace Centre, and about the new role of Executive Director. Most of all, I look forward to being together to share where you are and where we’re all going as a Centre for Spiritual Living. It’ll be casual and organic, and I’d love for YOU (all of our peeps, local and global) to be part of the conversation. I hope you’ll be there!
Also in the hopper is our plan for a hybrid (in person and virtual) service for Thanksgiving Sunday, October 10th at the Innovation Centre, in addition to a once-a-month hybrid service up until the new year. Stay tuned for confirmation of those. Surely soon, things will become more stable and predictable and we’ll have a choice whether to be on our computers or not! (Fingers crossed and treatment work being done!)
Peace and blessings, Dr. Deborah
If you missed yesterday’s Soul Food Sunday talk given by Rev. Barbara Samuel titled Get Ready, Get Going and Rise Up! (with Science Corner by Neal Klassen) you can watch it (and other past services) on the CSLK YouTube channel.
Practitioner of the Week is Dr. Deborah Gordon. If you are looking for one-to-one prayer treatment support for ANYTHING, you can contact this practitioner directly via email at revgord@shaw.ca.
MIND-FULL MOMENT
“This is just the beginning, the beginning of understanding that cyberspace has no limits, no boundaries.”
— Nicholas Negroponte
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