February 2011 - Spiritual Practice for
Times Like These

February 6 - Special Practitioner Sunday

Celebrating Imbolc, the turning point of winter into Spring, and the Chinese New Year, we will highlight our Practitioners. The Celtic goddess Brigit is celebrated at Imbolc as the personification of fiery inspiration and healing.

In our teachings, like Brigit, the Practitioners serve the community by revealing the divine Presence at the center of our lives. They act as healers using the principles of spiritual treatment for individuals and the community.

This Sunday we will hear from each of our Practitioners as they share their vision of healing with us. We also welcome John J. Mulhall into our community in a ceremony of installation, as our newest Practitioner.

February 13 – Love is All There Is

It has been said that God is love, and that the universe is created out of love, by love and for love.

What does that mean in our lives?

Many of us search for love, to be loved, to be understood, to experience the transformative power of love in our lives. Yet we continue to experience the pain of not finding it. This Sunday we will explore the amazingly simple secret to obtaining love.

February 20 – Maintain Peace of Mind

The Seven Whispers, week 1. This week we introduce our series of Sacred Circles based on the book 'The Seven Whispers: A Spiritual Practice for Times Like These' by Christina Baldwin.

We all have the ability to tune in to that intuitive source within us, though it may be covered over by habits of worry and inattention. Each week a practice called a “whisper” will assist us in finding and hearing that voice.

As Christina Baldwin says in her introductory chapter, “Sometimes I think of the connection to spirit as being like a phone line. The connection is always open: it is our half of the relationship to stay available for incoming calls.”

This first week we explore the spiritual practice of centering breath in our Seven Whispers program. Stilling our racing thoughts and quieting our concerns for 30 minutes daily is a powerful spiritual practice. It requires no special tools or ceremony. It is the beginning of meditation, and brings peace to our busy lives.

As Thich Nhat Han said: “There is no way to peace; peace is the way.”

February 27 – Move at the Pace of Guidance ~ Ann Marie Stuart

The Seven Whispers, week 2. Our talk today from the Seven Whispers program is given by Ann Marie Stuart, a certified Circle facilitator and team leader for our Sacred Circles program.

She will share with us the power of opening to guidance, from that authentic response to spirit, and allowing it to inform our actions. In our Sacred Circles this week we will deepen our practice of listening to guidance and noticing when we are urged to speed ahead of ourselves, or can allow the pace of inner guidance to lead us.