Because our world is hungry for your gift of gratitude. By Dr. Edward Viljoen

When I look back at the past two years, I have a sense of awe and amazement for what has taken place in my personal life, the movement’s community life, our nation, and our world. Not all of it has been wonderful, and not all of it has been easy.  Not all of it has been convenient.  If I had known in advance what some of these experiences would be, I might not have wanted them.  As I was going through some of the events of these past years, I didn't exactly experience gratitude, appreciation, or amazement. I experienced struggle, resistance, and confusion.

Yet, what is also true is that there was something or someone beautiful, helpful, and inspiring at every point along the way, without ever wanting something in return.  Like the air I breathed, the clothing I wore, an encouraging word, or an act of kindness.  

I used to think of gratitude as the feeling I have when I receive something I want or need. And that is a good and appropriate feeling to express. I changed my mind about gratitude after someone gave me something without requiring anything from me.  As a young music student, I couldn't afford $1k for my needed musical instrument.  It was a very stressful time, and I was at risk of being unable to keep up with the other students. A local business heard of my situation and sponsored my tuition and purchase of the instrument.   I went to ask the business owner what I could do in return –  I remember the look on his face - "nothing," is all he said.  I was grateful for the support. More importantly, the generosity gave me a general appreciation and humility, because I couldn't have predicted the gift. And there was nothing asked of me in return.   

I wanted to remember that feeling. And I have. Mainly It has helped me pay attention to the thousand ways life supports me without asking for a thing in return. And it's helped me to be generous without seeking anything in return. It has helped me to live as if I know there is a power for good in the universe flowing through me as it flows through everyone. Not only in the good times – but all along the way.  When I can remember to pause and breathe and look for the good, acknowledge and appreciate the small miracles that are present, the practice helps me keep moving even when I can't see through to the other side.

When I appreciate what good I notice, I'm not ignoring the real difficulties and needs I have, nor the immense tragedies of the world or the hardships people experience.  I'm getting into the habit of being aware of the simplest things that make life the mystery that it is. That habit has developed in me an attitude of thankfulness that I feel even when I don't know what or when the gift is or where it might be coming from.    

Sometimes, I can't get to appreciation right away –  So I start by looking at life just as it is.    Donald Altman, in the Mindfulness Code, gives an exercise:

First, turn your attention to what you have in your life from the very moment you wake in the morning. Appreciate the breath, the blankets that warm you, the shower that refreshes and cleanses you, and even the alarm clock that wakes you up. Next, find a reminder of ordinary goodness you can carry with you throughout the day, such as a picture of a loved one, a stone or other object from a memorable trip, or an inspirational quote. Finally, share your appreciation of ordinary goodness with others.  

When I get to that feeling of appreciation, my heart is softer, my mind is slowed down,  and I have a sense of awe. I have the feeling that I imagine goes with the phrase "Oh my God." I feel love and respect when I see life around me in its delicate, fragile, fantastic mystery. Then I notice the air doesn't want anything in return.   The blanket wants nothing.   The cup is perfectly being a cup. Everything is what it is. Perfectly. I can then try to see myself the same way I look at that cup, blanket, or wall with acceptance, respect, and kindness. If I'm worried, for example- I try to see that worried part of me with kindhearted compassion – without rejecting that part of me.

Then, from this acceptance of life –gentle gratitude for life rises for no particular reason other than I see it for what it is.

To get into that feeling helps to admit that I don't always know how things will work out. It helps to accept that there may be tension and struggle on this journey. It is useful to realize that I get impatient to get to the good part of life. I can relax a bit when I admit I don't know everything and that I'm impatient. When I relax a bit, I can hold things less tightly. When I hold things less tightly, amazing things happen that I can't predict, nor could I have planned. It's as if life is waiting for me to take a breath and open my grateful heart like a window opening in a stuffy room, letting me breathe easily.  

And in that state, when I drop the urge to fight against life, I start to notice more and more what there is in life that I have taken for granted.

One of our spiritual practices in  Centers for Spiritual Living is circulation. Circulation includes simple gratitude exercises that can lead to this kindhearted state of mind. Gratitude exercises help me recover from life's stress (when I remember to do them). Gratitude exercises help me turn my emptiness into gladness when I silently thank everyone and everything. I don't make a big deal out of the exercise, and I don't tell anyone I'm doing it. When my mind is troubled, I start appreciating whatever I can. If I see someone helping a child, I say "Thank you" silently. If I see someone smiling at a friend, I say "Thank you" silently. When I keep going, something changes in me. Nothing huge happens, though it might. Life doesn't suddenly make more sense, though it might. The reasons for poverty, racism, and war don't become clearer. But a slow warmth, like an inner light, begins to glow in me. I call that warmth, gratitude… and it gives me the courage to look for more to be grateful for and generous without strings attached, and it inspires me to do what is mine to do to create a world that works better for all.  

I can get into this feeling by asking myself, and I invite you to ask yourself: In this past year, how has life shown itself to me in its tender beauty through an event, a smile, a person, an unexpected kindness? In this past year, how did I show up well, through some act of kindness, some generosity?   How have I been touched and moved by another person's act of kindness this past year?   How have my eyes been opened this past year to see the mystical oneness of this spiritual life?  

And then try to stay in that feeling of gratitude.

WHY?

Because our world is hungry for your gift of gratitude. Your gratitude is an acknowledgment that life is worth living. Your gratitude feeds your community with hope and makes the impossible possible. Every time you express your gratitude, you give others strength and courage to go on and to believe in themselves…  The simplest and most beautiful way of practicing is by saying what I'm grateful for.

For example, I am grateful for my life. I am grateful for my friends.... who know the Truth about me and still love me. I am grateful for the great women in my life...who have shown me how to be strong and gentle. I am grateful for the great men in my life...who have shown me how to be gentle and strong. I am grateful to the Centers for Spiritual Living staff, who work tirelessly behind the scenes. I'm grateful for medical science and how it has helped us navigate the Pandemic, and for my hand surgery so I can continue working with my hands. I am grateful for this community and all the volunteers in it who let it be normal to make spiritual living a priority. I am grateful for our Prayer Practitioners, who know how to put their stuff aside to be there for others when we need them in prayer.  

Another easy way to practice is by saying thank you as much as possible…not only silently in my head but out loud to people. People may receive it well, and I can't be sure. I can be sure that my heart will open with the practice.

I write thank-you cards to people who contribute significantly to Centers for Spiritual Living. One person contacted me to tell me she did not need the thank-you card. She said very sweetly, "That's not why I give."

Now, I have a friendly relationship with her. I said playfully, "Oh honey, I'm not writing the card for you. I'm saying thank you for me!" Because I never want to slip into heartless receiving. I never want to take people's generosity for granted; I never want to forget all the hands, hearts, and prayers that come our way. We also sometimes send out random thank-you cards.

One year, in my local community in Santa Rosa,  we had a great time – we sent random cards of appreciation to everyone. One member told me that when she received an envelope from our Center with a card, she opened it thinking, "Ok, what do they want now?" But she found no request for donations in it, only a genuine expression of gratitude. She said to me, "It touched me deeply. I've been back to the card several times to look at it." Later she told me that receiving the card inspired her to write to her family members who lived in other states to tell them what she appreciated about them.    

I leave you with this.   Gratitude is contagious, and its warmth is irresistible to others. Gratitude is creative, and it does things that we cannot do by ourselves. Gratitude is attractive and draws us forward to being our best selves in life.

With Sorrow for the Loss of Constitutional Protection

Reproductive rights remain a highly polarized issue, with many differing points of view within each family and spiritual community. Centers for Spiritual Living’s North Star is our Global Vision, our organizational shared values, and our Science of Mind statement of belief, all of which speak directly to liberty, equality, equity, inclusion, human rights, compassion, safety, self-determination, and spiritual living. For that reason, we are unambiguously in support of the lives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; unambiguously in support of gender equity and equality; unambiguously in support of LGBTQi+ lives, and unambiguously in support of women being sole decision-makers about their lives, wellbeing, dignity, and choices.

Overturning constitutional rights may be seen to be the evidence of an organic, flexible self-renewing, democratic social structure, and its power to recreate itself according to the will of its people. Why then, is there a painful smoldering sadness and anger in our nation? Why then are the protesters of the 60s and 70s watching with shock and dismay? Why then are historically marginalized communities experiencing fear and despair?

Perhaps the answers lie in national polls which show that the Supreme Court’s decision is out of sync with the will of the people, Or perhaps the answer lies in the ominous language used by the dissenting Supreme Court Justices who issued a united statement of dissent:

“With sorrow — for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection — we dissent,” they wrote and warned that “no one should be confident that this majority is done with its work.” I take that to heart when members of the highest court in the nation issue a warning to its people – saying don’t be fooled into thinking this is done.

What is contained in the warning from the Supreme Court dissenting Justices?

This: the blow to women’s rights, signals that other previously recognized rights now fall into jeopardy. The warning may stand also as a reminder to us all that it is spiritually appropriate for us to be unequivocally in favor of people’s rights, women’s rights, LBGTQi+ rights, and the rights of people who have been oppressed marginalized, and disenfranchised. The warning evokes the sentiment that we are not to be so spiritually minded, that we are no earthly good, a reminder that we ought not to take refuge in spiritual practice when others on the planet suffer, but instead to let spiritual practice propel us into action.

To quote Trauma & Co, an organization that supports people who live with and work with trauma, "The control and removal of body autonomy is traumatic and/or can activate trauma memory and trauma responses for so many humans." Regardless of what an individual’s stance on reproductive rights may be, in the days and weeks that follow, it is likely that we will encounter in our families and communities the complex emotions that go with grieving a loss. We encourage you to reach out to the World Ministry of Prayer for spiritual support and to offer the resources to others who may be struggling with a traumatic response to the Supreme Court’s ruling.

World Ministry of Prayer - A Ministry of Centers for Spiritual Living (csl.org)

Dr. Edward Viljoen, Spiritual Leader
Rev. Sunday Cote, Field Leader
Centers for Spiritual Living

Juneteenth, Father's Day, and Pride - Celebrate!

There is a lot to celebrate in June. In the United States of America, Father's Day and the federal holiday, Juneteenth, are both on June 19, and June is also the LGBTIQ+ Pride in many countries worldwide[1]. (For a list of Father's Day celebrations around the world, visit When Is Father's Day This Year in Different Countries? (thespruce.com))

The fathers of the United States have Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, to thank for our Father's Day observance. In 1910, Sonora worked very diligently to establish a celebration equal to Mother's Day for dads.   She visited spiritual communities, the YMCA, shopkeepers, and government officials to drum up support for her idea. And she succeeded. Washing State celebrated the nation's first statewide Father's Day on June 19, 1910. Father's Day became a national holiday in 1972.

Thank you, Sonora Dodd, for having a vision and sticking with it until it became a reality.

June 19 is also the United States federal holiday commemorating the freedom of the last enslaved people in Texas. Although it has roots in the 1860s, it only recently became a federal holiday when in 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. 

Juneteenth celebrations sometimes include reading the Emancipation Proclamation made by President Abraham Lincoln, a moderately conservative Republican with a moderately social-liberal political philosophy in terms of social justice, federal power, and equal rights. He proclaimed,

I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested – do order and declare…[skipping to the third paragraph]…That on January 1, in the year of our Lord, 1863, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, [referring to states in rebellion against the United States of America] shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.

It was not until two years later, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that the state's residents learned that slavery had been abolished.

It's noteworthy that a proclamation had to be made to state what is a self-evident spiritual truth. And more remarkable that it would take 157 years before Juneteenth would become a federal holiday acknowledging freedom.

I'm reminded that in spiritual practice, we are to declare the self-evident spiritual truth and keep our eyes on that truth. However, the world may take a moment to catch up. All the while, never waiver from the truth; even when Black, Indigenous, and People of Color continue to suffer discrimination, harmful cultural stereotyping, and systemic racism, we are to keep our eye on the self-evident truth of equality and keep moving toward it. Like Bayard Rustin did.

Bayard was an openly gay African American leader for civil rights who, in 1941, marched on Washington to press for an end to racial discrimination in employment. He organized Freedom Rides to raise awareness that racial discrimination had not yet ended, even though it was proclaimed to be over and done in 1863. So many years later, discrimination had not ended. So Bayard Rustin couldn't rest. He helped organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to support Dr. Martin Luther King and introduced Dr. King to Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent resistance and civil disobedience philosophy.

He didn't give up when the world didn't seem to be catching up to the self-evident truth. He carried on, and later in life, he stood up for equality for LGBTIQ+ people. He was criticized and targeted because of his sexuality. Politicians threatened to tell the press that he and Dr. King were gay lovers, so Bayard usually acted behind the scenes. But he couldn't give up.

Thank you, Bayard Rustin, for having a vision and sticking with it until more of it became a reality, and may we stand for that vision until all of it is real.

I'm celebrating this Father's Day, Juneteenth, and Pride month by remembering to stay the course even though the world may not have caught up yet. I'm remembering to declare the self-evident spiritual truth and to keep moving toward it. I'm remembering to affirm, recognize, and align with the self-evident spiritual truth and to not waiver from it though the world may take a moment, a decade, or a century to catch up with the reality that all people are equal and that love is love, and that equality is not a special right

"The proof that one truly believes is in action."
 – Bayard Rustin

"The real radical is that person who has a vision of equality and is willing to do those things that will bring reality closer to that vision."
– Bayard Rustin

"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it makes no difference whether or not I am afraid."
 – Audre Lorde

---

[1] Pride around the world: Celebrate LGBTQ+ Month with IHG Hotels & Resorts - 2022 - News & Media - Newsroom - InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (ihgplc.com)

Loving Kindness, by Dr. Edward Viljoen

It is not enough that I profess to love people. I must really love people, more dearly than I have ever loved before, because all [people] are my [family]. I do not outline who shall be my friends and companions, for there is no desire to coerce, compel or suggest to anyone.

Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind

By this shall all [people] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Jesus of Nazereth

The Rabbi’s Gift

The story concerns a monastery that had fallen upon hard times. Once a great order, as a result of waves of anti-monastic persecution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the rise of secularism in the nineteenth, all its branch houses were lost and it had become decimated to the extent that there were only five monks left in the decaying mother house: the abbot and four others, all over seventy in age. Clearly, it was a dying order.

In the deep woods surrounding the monastery, there was a little hut that a rabbi from a nearby town occasionally used for a hermitage. Through their many years of prayer and contemplation, the old monks had become a bit psychic, so they could always sense when the rabbi was in his hermitage. "The rabbi is in the woods, the rabbi is in the woods again " they would whisper to each other. As he agonized over the imminent death of his order, it occurred to the abbot at one such time to visit the hermitage and ask the rabbi if by some possible chance he could offer any advice that might save the monastery.

The rabbi welcomed the abbot at his hut. But when the abbot explained the purpose of his visit, the rabbi could only commiserate with him. "I know how it is," he exclaimed. "The spirit has gone out of the people. It is the same in my town. Almost no one comes to the synagogue anymore." So the old abbot and the old rabbi wept together. Then they read parts of the Torah and quietly spoke of deep things. The time came when the abbot had to leave. They embraced each other. "It has been a wonderful thing that we should meet after all these years, "the abbot said, "but I have still failed in my purpose for coming here. Is there nothing you can tell me, no piece of advice you can give me that would help me save my dying order?"

"No, I am sorry," the rabbi responded. "I have no advice to give. The only thing I can tell you is that the Messiah is one of you."

When the abbot returned to the monastery his fellow monks gathered around him to ask, "Well what did the rabbi say?" "He couldn't help," the abbot answered. "We just wept and read the Torah together. The only thing he did say, just as I was leaving --it was something cryptic-- was that the Messiah is one of us. I don't know what he meant."

In the days and weeks and months that followed, the old monks pondered this and wondered whether there was any possible significance to the rabbi's words. The Messiah is one of us? Could he possibly have meant one of us monks here at the monastery? If that's the case, which one? Do you suppose he meant the abbot? Yes, if he meant anyone, he probably meant Father Abbot. He has been our leader for more than a generation. On the other hand, he might have meant Brother Thomas. Certainly Brother Thomas is a holy man. Everyone knows that Thomas is a man of light. Certainly he could not have meant Brother Elred! Elred gets crotchety at times. But come to think of it, even though he is a thorn in people's sides, when you look back on it, Elred is virtually always right. Often very right. Maybe the rabbi did mean Brother Elred. But surely not Brother Phillip. Phillip is so passive, a real nobody. But then, almost mysteriously, he has a gift for somehow always being there when you need him. He just magically appears by your side. Maybe Phillip is the Messiah. Of course the rabbi didn't mean me. He couldn't possibly have meant me. I'm just an ordinary person. Yet supposing he did? Suppose I am the Messiah? O God, not me. I couldn't be that much for You, could I?

As they contemplated in this manner, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that one among them might be the Messiah. And on the off, off chance that each monk himself might be the Messiah, they began to treat themselves with extraordinary respect.

Because the forest in which it was situated was beautiful, it so happened that people still occasionally came to visit the monastery to picnic on its tiny lawn, to wander along some of its paths, even now and then to go into the dilapidated chapel to meditate. As they did so, without even being conscious of it, they sensed the aura of extraordinary respect that now began to surround the five old monks and seemed to radiate out from them and permeate the atmosphere of the place. There was something strangely attractive, even compelling, about it. Hardly knowing why, they began to come back to the monastery more frequently to picnic, to play, to pray. They began to bring their friends to show them this special place. And their friends brought their friends.

Then it happened that some of the younger men who came to visit the monastery started to talk more and more with the old monks. After a while one asked if he could join them. Then another. And another. So within a few years the monastery had once again become a thriving order and, thanks to the rabbi's gift, a vibrant center of light and spirituality in the realm.

*******

This story comes from The Different Drum, by Dr. M. Scott Peck, M.D. I remember it because I’m thinking of the literally dozens of conversations and connections with friends and colleagues I have had over the past several years, on the telephone and via e-mail and my heart is expanded by how attractive loving-kindness is.  Ernest Holmes’ meditation rings in my mind. “I desire to be loved, therefore, I allow myself to love greatly, to feel warmly inclined toward people; to be interested in them and helpful on their behalf. I give as I wish to receive.”

My mantra (affirmation) for this week

Warmly inclined, interested and helpful
Warmly inclined, interested and helpful
Warmly inclined, interested and helpful

What is your mantra (affirmation) for this week?  I sincerely would love to know.  I might want to piggy-back and jump on with it next week because I enjoy the amplification mental clarity when I work in mental parallel with others.

Edward Viljoen

“Repeating an affirmation is leading the mind to that state of consciousness where it accepts that which it wishes to believe.”

Ernest Holmes

The Present Moment, by Dr. Edward Viljoen

A meditation on words from Dr. Ernest Holmes

The eternal Now, the present moment, is where my freedom is. In this present moment, I am not limited by traditions, human-made rules, or societal structures.

I have come from the One Source, the Divine. The Divine made me with free will, a gift I accept and make mindful use of. In this present moment, I drop all loyalty to anything that limits me. I see human-made ideas for what they are, and I open my mind to divinely inspired ideas. I open my heart to the steadfastness of the Divine. I am of the Divine, and it is the pattern of perfections in everything that is.

I am guided correctly. I am lovingly inspired by Love Itself. I drop everything and anything that has prevented me from embracing the divine pattern of perfection. In this present moment, I allow the Divine pattern to motivate me, inspire me to live boldly and accept and express my feelings.

In the present moment, I the divine pattern of perfection for my life, and in doing so, Joy and well-being rise in me.

Nothing can stand in the way of my freedom. I now realize that spiritually speaking, success, abundance, and joy, are available to me, in this present moment. I embrace freedom in my life, my work, my world, and my body. In this present moment, am free to experience divine Love for me and to expand my understanding of the Divine. The Divine within me as me is All-Powerful, All-Good, and All there is.

Edward Viljoen

A Meditation on Physical Wholness

My body, and every part of it, is made of pure Spirit, which cannot deteriorate. Spirit within me, which is constantly flowing through me, takes its form in me as perfect, whole, and complete cells. Every cell of my lungs is strong and healthy, filled with life and vitality, strength and cleanliness.

By way of this practice, I am now made vigorous and hardy. I have the stamina of the Infinite. I am sturdy and robust. I am fortified with Spirit’s presence. I am healthy and well.

Spirit’s life is my life.
Spirit’s strength is my strength.
Spirit’s power is my power.

Every breath I draw fills me with Spirit’s perfection, vitalizes, rebuilds, and renews every cell of my body.

I am born in Spirit and of Spirit, and I am Spirit made manifest this instant. My body, Spirit in form, knows no time, knows no degree; it knows only to express its source, Spirit, fully. Right now.

Adapted from Holmes, Ernest. 365 Science of Mind (p. 241). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Diversity and Inclusivity, by Dr. Edward Viljoen

One of the values of Centers for Spiritual Living is Diversity and Inclusivity. Our national organization’s bylaws state that We value, embrace and celebrate the individual uniqueness and contribution of all people as they express through differences of gender, ethnicity, culture, history, experience, talents and sexual orientation. We include representatives from all our organizational constituencies in leadership, sacred service and decision-making.

How else can we embrace Oneness if not with acceptance, respect, and the understanding that each individual is a unique expression of one creative power? Individual differences include race, sexual orientation, gender, beliefs, politics, and much more. And celebrating diversity means allowing and welcoming it with an affirmative attitude.

Inclusivity is an invitation to consider the Oneness at the root of everything.

Since everything is an individualization of the Universal, every spark is alike in that it is divine. It is made of the same Cosmic stuff, but no two sparks are identical. The process in Nature is the multiplication of an infinite variety of unified identities, no one of which is identical with the other, even though each and all are in the same field.

What role does inclusivity play in your life?

Though We May Be Free in Spirit, Not All People Are Free

Whether it is Easter, Passover, Spring, or just another Sunday celebration for you, people of faith are called this season to open their‌ ‌hearts‌ ‌to‌ ‌those‌ ‌who‌ ‌suffer.  We are encouraged not to forget those who are imprisoned, who are shelterless, those who are marginalized, or who are suffering in ways that we know not of so that we do not forget the many times that somebody else reached out to us in a time of difficulty, made a sacrifice on our behalf, in a way that gave us hope and courage to rise again. 

Maybe it is you who are suffering. 

In Jewish homes, on the first night of the holiday, the Passover Seder dinner is, among other things,  also a recognition, an affirmation that although we are free, not all people are free. The Jewish world, during this holy season, looks forward to a time when all humanity will be saved from suffering of every kind: poverty, violence, climate instability, social inequities, discrimination, corruption, injustice, and other troubles that imprison us. 

In our tradition, it would be similar to affirming and accepting in consciousness that we are free, while at the same time we have work to do. We are free in Spirit, and the journey of embracing freedom for all continues. Let us use our spiritual freedom to pass over and pass through, limiting social constructs that keep people from thriving, and let us not rest until every person is free.

In ancient times, Jews celebrated the holy day by sacrificing a lamb near the Temple in Jerusalem and then eating it during Passover's first night. For Christians, Jesus became a symbol of that sacrificed lamb-- the lamb of God, who takes away the errors of the world.... on condition, the story goes, that we accept in our hearts and believe the spiritual truth of oneness that Jesus represented.

This is why he was known as The Christ, the anointed one, the one who saw no difference between himself and the Power that created him and that created you and me. And from that knowing, he taught us to trust that our lives were part of an eternal and ever-renewing holy journey called life.

However, you believe, may your day be filled with holiness, wholeness, and revelations.

Dr. Edward Viljoen

A Sacred Season for Climate Justice

 

A Sacred Season for Climate Justice We envision a world in which resources are valued and cared for.   “We must resist the easy path of quoting from scripture, mediation, or manifestation on one day and then accepting the destruction of our climate the next. We must act on our values and beliefs together, as people of diverse faiths and spiritualities, for our common home.”    — GreenFaith.org

 

 

Holi. Vaisakhi. Ramadan. Passover. Holy Week and Easter. Vesak. Naw Ruz. Ridvan. Billions of people attend these spiritual observances from March 17 to May 6 each year. Also occurring during this time are Earth Day, World Water Day and Equinox, and Centers for Spiritual Living’s recommended global theme for April 2022 is "Living Everyday Wonder: Creativity." During this season of spiritual observances worldwide, we see the opportunity to join GreenFaith’s multi-faith invitation to connect climate justice and planetary wellness with our spiritual principles, values and CSL's Global Vision. (GreenFaith is a worldwide, multi-faith, climate and environmental movement that encourages spiritual responses to global issues.)   Although climate change causes continue to be debated, it is still a matter that calls for people across cultures and religious traditions to work together to find a solution. Therefore, we invite our communities to respond to this call in three ways that connect our principles, values and Global Vision to action: Acknowledge the imminent danger to life that global warming poses. (See the resources collection from GreenFaith here. By talking to friends, neighbors and family, we help raise the awareness of something important to all of us. There is an inherent discomfort in talking about matters so significant in scope and complex in nature. Still, without the potent creative power of sharing our thoughts, concerns and aspirations for our planet, it is easy to let this critical matter remain unattended. An effective way for members and friends to contribute to a solution is to talk about climate change by expressing their thoughts, not as representative of an organizational perspective, but because each voice has something of value to contribute to our understanding. (From the CSL Global Vision: We envision a world … that respects and honors the interconnectedness of all life.) Encourage political and business leaders to join in a robust and responsible response to global warming. By taking your concern to the people who represent you and who do business with you, you exercise your power of influence for good. Drawing on our core values and in a spirit of compassion, love and justice, we expand the narrative of emphasizing the good to include appropriate action. We can join our Science of Mind voices with those of our multi-faith friends who call for an end to new fossil fuel projects and deforestation and a rapid, just transition to a sustainable future. We can add our messages or sacred rituals for planetary wellness to this holy season. (From the CSL Global Vision: We envision a world where personal responsibility joins with social conscience in every area of the political, corporate, academic and social sectors, providing sustainable structures.)   And, most importantly, engage in focused spiritual practice with a clear sense that all these actions can and do have a positive, beneficial effect on the future of life on our planet. Members and friends of CSL are activated by a vision of a healthy, loving world — one in which there is an emphasis on sound planetary stewardship. A clear sense of this vision can guide the focus of our prayer, and prayer, we hold, is the primary tool for shifting consciousness. Therefore, we invite members and friends of CSL to contemplate the Global Vision, to allow it to shape your prayers and thereby inform you as to which appropriate actions are yours to make. If you and your CSL community plan to host a Sacred Season for Climate Justice event and would like to have it listed on GreenFaith.org, please use this online form to register your details: Organize an Event | GreenFaith   Centers for Spiritual Living Global Vision We envision all people, all beings and all life as expressions of God. We see a world in which each person lives in alignment with their highest spiritual principle, emphasizing unity with God and connection with each other; a world in which individually and collectively we are called to a higher state of consciousness and action. We envision humanity awakening to its spiritual magnificence and discovering the creative power of thought; a world where every person discovers their own personal power and ability to create an individual life that works within a world that works for everyone. We envision a world in which we live and grow as one global family that respects and honors the interconnectedness of all life; a world where this kinship with all life prospers and connects through the guidance of spiritual wisdom and experience. We envision a world where personal responsibility joins with social conscience in every area of the political, corporate, academic and social sectors, providing sustainable structures to further the emerging global consciousness. We envision a world where every person has enough food, a home and a sense of belonging; a world of peace and harmony, enfranchisement and justice. We envision a world in which resources are valued, cared for and grown, and where there is generous and continuous sharing of these resources. We envision a worldwide culture in which forgiveness is the norm. We envision a world which has renewed its emphasis on beauty, nature and love through the resurgence of creativity, art and aesthetics. We envision a world that works for everyone and for all of creation. Dr. Edward Viljoen, Spiritual Leader Centers for Spiritual Living Spiritually Motivated Social Engagement Committee

 

 

Resources Climate Change Is Threatening the Fight to End Extreme Poverty: United Nations (globalcitizen.org) Why Climate Change and Poverty Are Inextricably Linked (globalcitizen.org) How Are We Going to Kickstart Global Climate Action? (globalcitizen.org) Statement_COP21 (actalliance.org) Loss of Biodiversity: The Burgeoning Threat to Human Health - PMC (nih.gov) The Crisis of Planetary Health: Reflections From the World Religions (georgetown.edu)

International Transgender Day of Visibility



The world celebrates Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31. The Centers for Spiritual Living Spiritually Motivated Social Engagement (SMSE) committee invites each member of our centers, study groups and communities to join the celebration to raise awareness of the lives and contributions of transgender people, of the discrimination and violence they continue to face across the world, and to actively participate in transforming our collective consciousness by making the lives of transgender people more visible. Transgender advocate Rachel Crandall Crocker, LMSW, executive director and co-founder of Transgender Michigan, created Transgender Day of Visibility in response to media coverage of transgender people as victims of violence on Transgender Day of Remembrance. The shift in focus from "remembrance" to "visibility" is in part to celebrate the lives and achievements of transgender people while acknowledging that because of discrimination, not every transgender person is safe or visible. In addition, anti-LGBTQ activists are increasingly targeting transgender people1. More than 80 anti-transgender bills are pending in over 25 states2, making transgender people visible only as they are demonized and blamed by politicians. Amnesty International reports that transgender people in Europe also continue to face discrimination and inhumane treatment.3 The media is the primary source of misrepresentation and stigmatization of transgender people and has shaped cultural misunderstandings of who transgender people are. The world's spiritual communities have a moral imperative to be an effective and powerful source of raising awareness and correcting the harmful stereotypes assigned to transgender people. CSL’s teaching of Oneness and the revealing of Wholeness create the moral compass that inspires us to create a welcoming environment that affirms transgender people as exquisitely individualized expressions of Divinity and celebrates their contributions to society. We celebrate and honor these powerful examples in CSL's family: Andi Hamm, Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta: "I love my androgynous look, even though I definitely, naturally, lean much more into my masculine energy." Andie Hock, RScP, Spiritual Living Center of Greater Dayton: "I am a transgender woman who supports her local Center as a licensed practitioner and as chair of her Center’s Leadership Council. I am retired but active in my local community in ways such as being a member of the local Public Health Community Alliance for LGBTQ+ Health Initiatives and as a support facilitator for the local PFLAG chapter. I see my transgender journey as enabling me to be her most authentic expression of the Divine." Christine Rene Monks, RScP, Mile Hi Church: "I transitioned from male to female 5 years ago to live the remainder of my life as my authentic self, a woman. I freely share my courageous journey authentically and vulnerably to promote compassion and understanding between the transgender and cisgender communities. I am enrolled in the Holmes Institute and School of Spiritual Leadership to become a minister." Erica Mitchell, Sacramento: "I began to cross-dress at an early age, envying all the things girls could do that boys weren't supposed to (I was born in 1953). By age 16, I was 6'4" and became convinced that I could never live publicly as the gender I wanted to be because of my size. It wasn't until I retired at age 62 that I finally summoned up the courage to be who I really wanted to be, other's opinions be damned. It was the best decision I ever made, and I am now happier with myself than I've ever been and looking forward to completing my surgical transition in the fall." Emma Moreno, RScP, CSL Comunidad Hispana Internacional (originally from Mexico City): Emma has lived most of her life in the United States. Emma earned her master's degree in Public Health from the University of Washington and has worked in education and community health programs focusing on the Latino community. At the same time, Emma also maintained a real estate business for the last 20 years. She is currently a practitioner at the Center for Spiritual Life in Seattle, Washington, is an avid student of the work of Emma Curtis Hopkins and Rev Kathianne Lewis, and focuses on empowering people to live a prosperous life. Gabrielle Clairborne, Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta: Gabrielle serves as co-chair of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce’s TGX Initiative, as co-chair of the Trans Affairs Committee on the City of Atlanta’s LGBTQ Mayoral Advisory Council, as secretary of the Out Georgia Business Alliance and as chair of their TGX360 Workplace and Entrepreneurship Initiative. In 2020, she published her memoir-meets-self-help book "Embrace Your Truth: A Journey of Authenticity." In 2019, the Atlanta Business Chronicle acknowledged her as their Diversity & Inclusion Outstanding Voice Award recipient, and she delivered a TEDx Talk for Centennial Park Women TEDx. In 2018, Gabrielle received the Georgia Small Business Administration’s LGBT Small Business Champion Award in recognition of her efforts in advancing LGBT business ownership. In 2015, Gabrielle was chosen as Atlanta’s Best Trans Activist, and her work has been featured in Forbes and The Atlanta Business Chronicle. Dr. Juls Gilliam, Center for Spiritual Living Columbia: Dr. Gilliam has 25 years of overall IT experience and 20 years in academic computing, instructional and system environments. Focusing on creating, developing and orchestrating solutions, support and training for the end-user in various capacities has been Dr. Gilliam’s life work. Ze is a non-binary person and catalyst for positive change. To know more, please view the TedxTalk "Finding the Middle in Gender." Maurita Farmer, Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta: "I go by they/them pronouns. I am a proud veteran and parent. When I am not working and parenting, you can find me DIY’ing and serving my community and Center. I love to laugh and be surrounded by friends and family." Stephen Huiting, Sierra Center for Spiritual Living: At almost exactly 19-1/2 years of age, Stephen realized that he no longer needed to [desperately] wish he was a boy — he already was one. Enduring through a chronic disability, he managed to communicate this revelation to his family and now thrives openly as the human he has always been. Part of said thriving includes volunteering at animal shelters, domestic assault crisis centers and LGBTQ+ organizations; training his handicapped dog, cuddling his ball python and writing books, articles and poetry about queer experiences. Kevin Sawyer, CPSW, Everyday Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Fe, NM: "I am 57 years old and began my journey of transitioning about 12 years ago. I am a certified peer support worker and volunteer at The Mountain Center in Santa Fe, NM. I love the support of my community and am happy to have found a home at Everyday CSL." Bette Jean Bishop, Bakersfield CSL: "My spirit is in a female body. I am not my body. Living with six cats and my housemate in California, I could write a book. I give compassion, exhibit gratitude, embrace love and see God in all of Life." Rev. Z. Egloff, OhMyGod Life: Rev. Z Egloff is a gender-rich minister, musician, writer, cartoonist and spoken-word artist. Z and their wife Melissa are the founders of OhMyGod Life, an online and traveling ministry. Z and Melissa's mission is to bring radical joy to the world. Del Phoenix-Wilcox, Sierra Center for Spiritual Living: Del (they/he) is a non-binary/Trans masc person living in Grass Valley, California. They are a social worker in private practice working exclusively with the LGBTQIA+ community providing therapy and gender diversity education. Rev. Rafe Ellis, Sierra Center for Spiritual Living, Grass Valley, CA: "I identify as a female-to-male transgender man using pronounces he, him and his who lived the first 43 years of my life misidentified as a cisgender female. I am eternally grateful for my experiences as a female and as a lesbian because they inform my awareness of intersectionality. I am committed to living a visible expression of Creation AS Me and to being an engaged participant in educating anyone who chooses to learn by sharing my journey authentically, honestly and compassionately." DJ Star, CSL Kauai: DJ is a 40-year activist for sexual rights for all, especially to destigmatize and decriminalize sex workers. Decriminalization has proven to reduce abuse and human trafficking. Jay Botinelly, Mile Hi Church: "I came out in 2015 because I couldn't be something I wasn't anymore. I had lost myself, and it was quite the journey to find myself. Thanks to the incredible love of Mile High Church, I am thriving in life." Rev. Kent Barnard: "I was trained at CSL Ft. Lauderdale with Dr. Jim Lockard and Dr. Arleen Bump, and I became a licensed as a minister in 2004. I was ordained at CSL in 2011. I am currently the spiritual director at Center for Universal Spiritual Principles (CUSP), which is part of ANTN." Mitch Austin, Center for Spiritual Awareness: "I’m a transman and grateful licensed Religious Science practitioner of more than 10 years. I have served as a youth advisor for teen camp. I currently speak and teach spiritual principles at various centers." Rev. Ryan Pulley, Soul Evolution Collaborative: Rev. Ryan Pulley is a graduate of Holmes Institute and the School of Spiritual Leadership and co-founder/co-director of Soul Evolution Collaborative. Holding an undergraduate degree in Religion and Philosophy with a minor in Ethics, as well as a master’s degree and clinical license in Social Work, Ryan brings both a spiritual and psychological understanding to ministry and program development. Their passion for the Science of Mind teaching informs both their clinical practice and ministry with the intention of individual transformation and communal evolution. We also celebrate the amazing contributions of the transgender community worldwide: numerous elections to positions of power and influence4, education about the contributions of famous transgender people in history5 and support for the work of transgender artists, past and present.6 For example: Aya Kamikawa, Tokyo Municipal Official, Japan Anna Grodzka, MP, Poland Geraldine Roman, House of Representatives, Philippines Georgina Beyer, MP, New Zealand Admiral Rachel L. Levine, United States Assistant Secretary for Health Senator Sarah McBride, United States State Representative Stephanie Byers, United States Shabnam Mausi, Madhya Pradesh State Legislative Assembly, India Luisa Revilla Urcia, Council Member, Province of Trujillo, Peru Michelle Suarez, Uruguayan Legislator Nikki Sinclaire, United Kingdom Parliamentarian Andreja Pejic, model Elliot Page, "The Umbrella Academy" Caroline Cossey, "For Your Eyes Only" Jake Zyrus, singer Janet Mock, writer and activist Kye Allums, NCAA athlete Laverne Cox, "Orange Is the New Black" Marsha P. Johnson, community advocate Yance Ford, filmmaker Therefore, in alignment with realizing CSL's vision of a world that works for all, we celebrate transgender people and recognize their value in society7. To transgender people everywhere, may you experience this proclamation of our hearts in Centers for Spiritual Living: We see you, we welcome you, we love you and we celebrate you. Edward Viljoen, Spiritual Leader Centers for Spiritual Living CSL Spiritually Motivated Social Engagement Committee RESOURCES: To learn more about International Transgender Day of Visibility: Transgender Day of Visibility | GLAAD International Transgender Day of Visibility - Wikipedia Transgender Day of Visibility | GLSEN To learn more about speaking and writing about transgender people, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation: HRC’s Brief Guide to Getting Transgender Coverage Right - Human Rights Campaign To learn more from Amnesty International about discrimination faced by transgender people in Europe: Europe: Transgender people face discrimination and inhuman treatment - Amnesty International Footnotes: 1  Netflix documentary: "Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen" 2  Legislative Tracker: Anti-Transgender Legislation - Freedom for All Americans 3  https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/02/europe-transgender-people-face-discrimination-and-inhuman-and-degrading-treatment/ 4  12 History-Making Transgender Politicians From Around The World | HuffPost 5  List of Transgender Celebrities (ranker.com) 6  P&G_AdvertisingResearch.pdf (glaad.org) 7  https://csl.org/spiritual-community/our-global-vision/   Centers for Spiritual Living  573 Park Point Drive   |  Golden, Colorado, 80401 Phone: 720-496-1370  |  Fax: 303-526-0913 © 2013 Centers for Spiritual Living Privacy Policy