What's Happening This Week at CSL Kelowna

• Sunday, June 1: Is Church Still a Little Too… Churchy? with Rev. John DePalma

• Last Sunday: Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, with Rev. Barbara Samuel

• Pride 2025 is This Weekend

• NEW: Online Class with Rev. Cath DePalma

• Are You Ready to SOAR?

• Science Corner: The Chrysalis

• World Religions: The Inspirations Behind The Science of Mind

• Multi-Faith Gathering: The Community of Islam, June 21

• Inspirational Song of the Week: Thank You For This Day, by Karen Drucker

• Connect with Rev. John

  
  

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

Sunday, June 1

Is Church Still a Little Too... Churchy?

(Curious minds want to know!)

A 2-Hour Interactive Workshop for the Brave, the Curious,

and the Slightly Unconventional

With Rev. John DePalma

Weird Church, Beloved Community? Where Holy Misfits Belong!

Tired of trying to fit 21st-century faith into a 19th-century box? Wondering if God might actually show up at a dinner table, coffee shop, or Zoom call instead of a pew? Feeling called to experience something weird but deeply meaningful?

Good news: Being weird is holy. And building a Beloved Community isn’t just for dreamers- it’s for doers like you.

In this workshop, we’ll:

• Celebrate why “weird” might just invigorate a spiritual community

• Explore how radical love beats rigid tradition

• Discover wildly imaginative faith communities (yes, YOUR ideas!)

• Laugh, reflect, and maybe even plot a little holy mischief

  
  

Warning: Side effects may include sudden bursts of creativity, uncontrollable visioning, and a desire to ditch "we've-always-done-it-this-way" thinking.

If you're ready to trade normal for meaningful, and institutional for inspirational, this workshop might be your playground.

Because the future of church? It’s weird. It’s beloved. And it’s waiting for you.

Reserve your spot—because sacred shouldn’t be boring.

Please print this handout and bring it on Sunday.

Join us at Studio 9 (1180 Houghton Rd, Kelowna, BC). Doors open at 10:15 am. Enter the property by the side entrance behind the staff parking lot. Look for our signs to guide you! Please use street parking or park at Ben Lee Park (1.5 blocks away).

Or you can always watch our live stream on Facebook Live via Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna's Facebook page.

Last Sunday

Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

With Rev. Barbara Samuel and Neal Klassen

Last Sunday Rev. Barbara Samuel took us to the Twilight Zone to explain how to eliminate fear at 20,000 feet. Using a classic Twilight Zone episode starring William Shatner and a Gremlin on the wing of an airplane as a metaphor, Rev. Barb reminded us that we have the power to chose faith over fear, and freedom over fiction. Be sure to listen to the end and enjoy Neal’s Science Corner!

If you missed her talk or want to see it again, click here:

If you’ve never seen The Twilight Zone episode referenced in Rev. Barb’s talk, here is an edited six-minute version of Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.

Pride 2025 Is This Weekend!

CSL Kelowna has a booth at this weekend’s Pride Festival at Kelowna City Park. You’re welcome to show up to help, or just to offer support.

To sign up, ask questions, reach out to Tracy Anderson: tbtaylor@shaw.ca

Let’s show up with love. Let’s celebrate every person’s right to be who they are and love who they love. And let’s do it together—with open hearts, open minds, and maybe a few sparkles too.

Learn more about this weekend’s festival:

NEW ONLINE COURSE

Awaken Your Inner Power & Expand Your Creative Potential 

Are you ready to strengthen your spiritual muscles, unlock your creative flow, and cultivate a deeper connection with your inner wisdom?

Join Rev. Cath DePalma for a 7-week transformational journey where you'll explore 7 powerful ways to build spiritual fitness and energize your creative superpowers!

Online, Thursday nights, starting June 12 - July 24 online. 4:30 - 6:00pm. PDT. Love offering.

Here is the link to the class registration page: 

Are You Ready to SOAR?

Centers for Spiritual Living Summer Conference

An Incredible Spiritual Opportunity Right in Our Own Back Yard

A Journey of Revelation, Restoration, and Grace

August 7–10, 2025

Banff, Alberta

SOAR 2025 Summer Retreat A Journey of Revelation, Restoration, and Grace is an opportunity to gather and connect through inspiring speakers, musical performances, experiential workshops, spiritual practices, meditations, and communal meals. 

This year our retreat will head to the heart of Canadian Rockies and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Banff, Alberta.

Speakers include:

• Rev. Dr. Andrea Asebedo

• Rev. Dr. Pat Campbell

• Rev. Dr. Soni Cantrell-Smith

• Rev. Dr. Roger Teel

Musicians include:

• Amy Bishop

• Martin Kerr

• Steph Chapman

This intimate retreat has limited space. Register early to secure your place.

THE INSPIRATION(S) BEHIND THE SCIENCE OF MIND

The Science of Mind was founded by Ernest Holmes in the early 20th century. It is a spiritual philosophy that weaves together threads from many of the world’s religions and philosophies.

Rooted in New Thought, it draws heavily from Christianity, especially the teachings of Jesus as a model of spiritual realization. But unlike traditional Christianity, it emphasizes metaphysical interpretations of scripture, seeing God not as a distant being but as an infinite Presence within all.

It also incorporates Eastern ideas, particularly from Hinduism and Buddhism.

The concept of karma, the illusion of separation (maya), and the power of the mind to shape reality echo throughout Holmes’ teachings. From ancient Greek philosophy, especially Plato and the Stoics, it borrows ideas about ideal forms, divine order, and inner mastery.

The transcendentalists—Emerson and Thoreau—influenced Holmes deeply. Their reverence for nature, self-reliance, and the divine within inspired the Science of Mind’s central belief: that our thoughts, beliefs, and emotions create our experience of reality.

Ultimately, The Science of Mind is not bound by dogma. It’s a synthesis—a spiritual mosaic where faith, reason, and love meet. It invites seekers to look within, recognize their divine essence, and co-create a life of purpose, joy, and connection.

In essence, Holmes sought to distill the core principles of various spiritual paths into a unified system of thought, which he presented in "The Science of Mind".

He believed that by understanding the principles of thought and its impact on reality, individuals could create positive and fulfilling lives.

“In the caterpillar’s chrysalis, there are cells are called “imaginal cells” that hold the image of the butterfly that will emerge. The original cells struggle, trying to stay like the old caterpillar, but eventually, the imaginal cells begin to build the wings of the butterfly.” – Jack Kornfield

Maya stood beneath the jacaranda tree, watching a chrysalis dangle from a low branch, its silken shell trembling with quiet purpose. She had come here every morning, drawn not just by the miracle of nature, but by something deeper—an inner stirring she couldn’t quite name.

She recalled her recent months of isolation and silence, a season of grief and self-questioning. Like the caterpillar dissolving in the chrysalis, she too had surrendered who she thought she was.

In the Science of Mind teachings, she had learned that Spirit is infinite, and that each soul is a unique expression of the One Mind. But only now did she begin to feel it—her breakdown was not an ending, but a sacred becoming.

As the chrysalis cracked, revealing trembling wings bathed in sunlight, Maya smiled. "This is not transformation,” she whispered, “it’s revelation."

She closed her eyes and affirmed: I am whole, I am free, I am reborn in Divine Truth.

In that moment, Maya felt herself unfolding—not into someone new, but into her truest self, the one who had always been held in the mind of God. Like the butterfly, she was finally ready to fly. Not away—but fully into life.

Inspirational Song of the Week

THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY

Karen Drucker

Karen Drucker is a singer, songwriter, retreat leader, speaker, author, comedienne, and a seeker. She writes songs and shares stories to help bring comfort and healing to those going through life challenges. Drucker loves to empower people who temporarily forgot who they are, and bring inspiration to anyone who needs to be uplifted.

Website: https://www.karendrucker.com/

LET’S CONNECT

Rev. John DePalma’s contact information

Contact Rev. John via email: jdepalma@cslkelowna.org

He is also available for one-on-one telephone conversations.  To schedule a connection, visit his online calendar:

Fill out your membership here, https://www.cslkelowna.org/membership

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:

1. Online via the Ways to Donate page of our website (PayPal or credit card).

2. Using the Donation Station (Debit or Credit Card) at our Sunday Service.

3. By Interac e-transfers sent to donate@cslkelowna.org. 

4. 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

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Vol. 2, Issue 20