What's Happening This Week at CSL Kelowna
Join us every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at Studio 9, 1180 Houghton Road, Kelowna, BC. Doors open at 10:15 am. Please visit the event page for more details and a map. Everyone is welcome!
Or, WATCH US ON Facebook Live
In this Issue....
HE SAID, "YES!" Rev. John DePalma accepts Senior Minister Position
Sunday, March 24, New… Now… What’s Next, with Rev. Diane Hockey
Tell Me Something Good: Last Sunday’s talk with Rev. Melody Bailey
Meet Tracy Anderson, our new Team Lead
Member Spotlight: Pamela Desjardine
We’re more than halfway through March
Holmes History: Part 2
Inspirational Song of the Week: Gary Lynn Floyd
It’s the news we’ve been waiting for!
He said “Yes!”
Rev. John DePalma let us know he is excited about working with us as our new Spiritual Director.
But it’s not a done deal yet. We must take the next steps in the process.
What’s next:
Our membership will gather to vote on Rev. John DePalma as our next Spiritual Director/Senior Minister following service on Sunday, April 7th.
While the feedback on Rev. John’s talk and workshop on March 3rd was incredibly favorable, the selection of our new Spiritual Director requires a formal vote from our membership.
Membership at CSL Kelowna is required to have a vote.
Please stay tuned for more details regarding this important meeting.
In the meantime, mark your calendars and plan to join us Sunday, April 7th for this important event.
Once membership votes and accepts Rev. John the negotiations begin.
We have already consulted an Immigration Consultant to help us facilitate an easy move to Canada.
We extend huge GRATITUDE to the members of the New Minister Search Committee! The Consciousness, Wisdom, and many, many hours of hard work to see our Sacred Covenant fulfilled has been inspiring and amazing.
Thank you: Tracy Anderson, Angela Bearman, Fred Blunden, Irene Kowalchuk (Committee Chair), Rev. Barb Samuel, Rev. Jeanette Vinek, Pauline Weninger, & Blair Wilson for all you’ve gifted our Beloved Community.
SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2024, 10:30 am - 11:30 am
New… Now… What’s Next
With Rev. Diane Hockey
“I keep the windows of my soul open to new and fresh ways of knowing truth... I let go of the ‘little’ to accept the ‘more.’” ~ Ernest Holmes & Raymond Charles Barker, 365 Days of Richer Living, p. 107
WE’RE AWAKENING in a new way to the Truth that we’re bigger than we thought we were. We’re stepping into our identity as divine-humans - God’s experience and expression of Itself in/through/as us.
Now what are we going to do about it?
As we ground ourselves in the Truth of who we are and our Vision of who we are becoming, we let that knowing inform every thought, word, and action.
We affirm that as we are grounded in Truth, we step forward into ever greater Good.
At the same time, we consciously accept our divine humanness, and joyfully and gratefully stand in our power as we consciously, lovingly, creatively get to work implementing a world that works for all.
Join Rev. Diane Hockey on Sunday, March 24th as she talks about how we become the change we wish to see in the world.
Last Week's Talk
Tell Me Something Good
With Rev. Melody Bailey
What do we do when we don’t know what, when, where or how to do something? Say to ourselves “I don’t know how, but Spirit does!” and then Spirit answers!
Last week, Rev. Melody Bailey told us something good. If you missed her talk, or want to hear it again, click here:
Meet Tracy Anderson, Our New Team Lead For Greeters
With a smile like this, it’s like she was born to welcome people. Meet Tracy Anderson (if you haven’t already) who now leads our Greeting Team. How could anyone resist this happy, friendly face! Thanks, Tracy, for stepping up into this new role.
With many fresh faces joining our team of greeters, we are joyfully able to expand our volunteer services to include a New Comer’s Table starting in April.
Member Spotlight: Pamela Desjardine
Introducing Member Spotlight: a new addition to our blog, featuring a different member of our CSL Kelowna community each week. This will help us get to know each other a little bit better. This week's spotlight is on Pamela Desjardine.
Pamela has been coming to our service regularly for about three years after being introduced to CSL Kelowna by her friend Cassie, another long-time member. Cassie and Pam are friends who live half a block apart (they call themselves the “Witches of Lawrence Ave!”)
Born in Whitehorse, and raised in Salmon Arm, Pam spent many years in Victoria working for the provincial government before moving to Kelowna in 2015 to help her sister care for an aging parent.
Pam is one of our many volunteers. On any given Sunday you might see her greeting, working in the kitchen, or serving up snacks after service.
Thanks, Pam, for all you do.
March Theme: That’s How We’ve Never Done It
Perfect for the arrival of Spring, Inspired evolution and newness is the focus of our March themes, calling us into living our own unique purpose. Each of us is here with our own unique gifts to share as only we can.
Discovering our own perfect opportunities to shine and contribute to life allows us to use our own unique talents and passions for the creation of a world that works for all. What inspiration is calling you forth into new expression?
HARD TO BELIEVE we’re more than halfway through March. The cold winds of Winter are behind us, and Spring is just around the corner.
We’re also more than halfway through Centres for Spiritual Living’s monthly theme: That’s How We’ve Never Done It. So far this month, we have been blessed with talks by Rev. John DePalma, Rev. Corinne Crockett, and Rev. Melody Bailey.
How lucky are we to have so many wise and experienced ministers in our community?
Next up it’s Rev. Diane Hockey this Sunday and following that it’s another Soul Food Sunday with Rev. Barbara Samuel.
Remember, if you can’t make it to our physical service at Studio 9, you can always watch online, and the talks can be found both on Facebook and our website, https://cslkelowna.org. The talks are usually posted to our website on Sunday evening.
Holmes History: Part 2
The life and times of the founder of Science of Mind
In Part 1 we learned that Ernest Holmes came from a poor family and was mostly self-educated, due to his voracious quest for knowledge.
As a teenager, Ernest Holmes was widely known as “the eternal question mark.” He was curious about everything and asked innumerable questions, such as, “What is God? Who am I? Why am I here?”
In search of the answers he sought, Holmes became a voracious reader. His quest for answers was sparked even further through his discovery of the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Following his discovery of Emerson, Ernest’s studies intensified. His quest for the truth led him to literature, art, science, philosophy, and religion. No light reading for him.
From Emerson, Holmes embodied these three ideas.
1. We are our own spiritual authority.
2. There is a Godlike Essence in every person.
3. There is some kind of connection between our thoughts and what happens to us.
Holmes was also influenced by the writings of Troward, Plotinus, William James, P.P. Quimby, Mary Baker Eddy, Emma Curtis Hopkins, Walt Whitman, Meister Eckhart, St. Augustine, St. Teresa, Rufus Jones, Evelyn Underhill, Kipling, Wordsworth, Robert Browning and Sri Aurobindo.
Ernest Holmes did not believe in pink cloud metaphysics. The relative world exists as a factual reality. It is not an illusion. “The answer to life is not to develop a metaphysical system to explain why God is good but to live here and now in the goodness of God.”
Credit: Science of Mind Archives/About Ernest Holmes.
In 1912 he moved to California where he continued his education and began a public speaking career.
In 1926 Holmes published The Science of Mind, which references the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Bible and Buddha. Holmes established the Institute for Religious Science and School of Philosophy, in Los Angeles in 1927. This organization would later become the Church of Religious Science.
Holmes did not originally intend for Science of Mind to be a "church", but rather a teaching institution. In that spirit, many member "churches" have traditionally referred to themselves as "centers".
Holmes saw humans as being "open at the top" - that is, open to the evolutionary improvement of consciousness in all areas of life. He believed that New Thought would continue to evolve, to the point at which religion, philosophy, and science come together as the most effective combination to move the world to greater peace, plenty, health, and harmony.
Holmes received a variety of recognitions for his work. In 1945, he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Andhra University in India.
The California College of Medicine, and the Foundation Academic University of Spiritual Understanding in Venice, Italy, awarded him a Doctor of Letters.
In 1942, he was bestowed with the Cross of the Commander of the Grand Humanitarian Prize of Belgium, and in 1944 he was named an honorary member of the Eugene Field Society.
Inspirational Song of the Week
Love Cover Me
Gary Lynn Floyd
Gary Lynn Floyd is an American singer-songwriter who connects straight to the heart with his soulful style. With his piano, Gary is a catalyst for positive change and raises the collective vibration through his music and his welcoming presence on stage.
MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP
Fill out your membership here, https://www.cslkelowna.org/membership
SPEAKERS IN MARCH
March 24 Rev Diane Hockey: New… Now… What’s Next
March 31 Rev. Barbara Samuel: Don’t Go Back to Sleep
Regular Events at CSLK
See Upcoming Events on our home page. Stay informed of all the latest news from CSLK! Subscribe now to receive notifications of future blog posts.
Sunday Celebrations start at 10:30am PT at Studio 9, 1180 Houghton Road, Kelowna. Please park on the street or at Ben Lee Park (1.5 blocks from the school). You can also watch us live on Facebook or watch the replay later on YouTube.
Our volunteers are immensely valuable to CSLK! If you can help out with making coffee, setting up and/or after-service taking down, please contact Rev. Corinne Crockett at 250-868-9090 or email corinne_crockett@telus.net.
Do you have an idea for CSLK community opportunities you’d like to experience? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Please contact Rev. Corinne Crockett at 250-868-9090 or email corinne_crockett@telus.net.
Practitioner Support
Our ministers and practitioners are in service to all of us. If you need help to see the Truth in a situation; if you are looking for clarity; if you are struggling; our ministers and practitioners are here to support you. You can contact them through the About page on our website, or you can submit a prayer request on the Contact page.
Bring Nature’s Fare Receipts to CSLK!
Nature’s Fare grocery store receipts are worth a pretty penny to us! Bring your shopping receipts to Sunday service and place them into the receipt box on the table in front of the stage in the Studio 9 auditorium. Nature’s Fare will donate 3% of the total of your purchases to CSL Kelowna! Every receipt helps! Thank you!
Your Support Means So Much to Our Community!
We’re grateful for the ways CSL Kelowna is able to accept donations:
Online via the Ways to Donate page of our website (PayPal or credit card).
By Interac e-transfers sent to donate@cslkelowna.org.
Cheques can be mailed to: Suite 131, 101-1865 Dilworth Drive, Kelowna, BC V1Y 9T1.
For more information, please contact Rev. Melody Bailey.
MINDFUL MOMENT
"The best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment"
– Thich Nhat Hanh
Copyright © 2024, Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna. All rights reserved.
Vol. 1, Issue 6
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