Click the link below to read the minutes from this meeting.
(To learn more about the Member Board of Trustees, click here.)
Reflections from Sangha is the New Guru Retreat
Reflections from Sangha is the New Guru Retreat was facilitated by Joe Schmitz on Sunday, June 9th, 2024
It has been said that more than 50% of the members of an effective sangha are likely to awaken. The Sanskrit word, “sangha,” literally means community. Specifically, it refers to a community that is dedicated to spiritual awakening.
Retreat participants had the opportunity to share how this retreat helped them learn how the sangha is its own teacher. They also shared on how they learned to genuinely support awakening for themselves and each other.
06-09-24 Weekly Gathering, “Recognizing the Resistance to Life” with Rev. Michele Hojnacki
Title: “Recognizing the Resistance to Life”
Description: In a recent experience, Michele recognized how she has resisted Life by being “lost in the mind”. She saw that she missed what the present moment had to offer by being consumed in thought.
Drawing on the teachings of NTI Luke, we discover the difference between our thoughts and Spirits thoughts. NTI teaches we only ever choose between two things, willingness and resistance. But what is resistance? We need to recognize resistance before we can let it go and hear the Voice of Spirit. NTI Luke teaches us how to recognize what resistance is so we can let it go.
Reading: Suzanne Ditsler read from The Holy Spirits Interpretation of the New Testament, Luke Chapters 10 – 11 & Revelations Chapter 20, v. 1-3 & v. 4-6.
or
Rev. Shawna Summers ~ Sacred Inquiry ~ 06-09-2024
Rev. Shawna demonstrates the art of Sacred Inquiry in real-time. She follows Guidance, questioning each layer that the thinking mind offers as it attempts to hide the blocks to the Wisdom inherent in us all. She listens, going deeper into beginners’ Mind, with humble and honest curiosity. This is an evolving process, as she feels for the vibrational level of each thought, exposing the source. She is slowly reading Angelo DiLullo’s book ‘Awake, Your Turn’ and sharing real-time contemplations of the material and what he shares in his videos.
Add This Program to Your Calendar
Live in the Sanctuary Weekly on Sundays from 1-1:30 pm ET
*To add this program to your calendar click the three dots in the upper right-hand corner, then Copy, and then click Save.
Join Us for Sounds of Awakening on Sunday, June 9th, 2024, 5pm EST
Join us Sunday, June 9th, 2024, from 5-6 pm ET/3-4 pm MT for the next installment of Awakening Together’s musical program, Sounds of Awakening hosted by Rev. Yolanda Mapes where she will interview The Kennedy Family Band.
The Kennedy Family Band, Cameron and Ellie Kennedy, based out of Madison Wisconsin, are a rare breed of sweetness. Battling cancer and Lyme disease respectively, they are overcoming huge obstacles to demonstrate good, and put kindness into the world through their work with “A Course in Miracles International,” The International Peace Orchestra and The Kindness Academy.
Cam Kennedy is a world-traveling Australian Psychotherapist, Public Speaker, Documentarian, Author, and Musician. Ellie is also a world traveler, musical theater actress, concert pianist choir director, and musician who has a huge heart and a beautiful tone. Many have fallen in love with her voice and powerful presence. Currently, Ellie is profoundly disabled by Lyme disease, but still has her voice and indomitable spirit. Their original songs are about struggle and redemption, historical heroes and mavericks, inner dialogues seeking the light, and finding reason in a crazy world.
You can find The Kennedy Family Band music here: www.ckband.wordpress.com
Rev. Yolanda is a trans femme gender queer singer/songwriter/performance artist & interfaith minister, originally from Muscle Shoals, Alabama- The Hit Recording Capital of the World. Rev. Yolanda has been making music/theater/TV/film/performance art for well over 40 years, winning the NYC MAC Award twice and inducted into both the NY Blues Hall of Fame and The GLBT Hall of Fame. Rev. Yolanda is so very happy to be a part of and be of service to the Awakening-Together Community on The Member Board of Trustees, as well as with her weekly program The Mighty Companions-The Voice that Likes You.
You can find Rev. Yolanda’s music here: www.Yolanda.net/audio
Introducing this Month’s Movie: “Past Lives”
Join us for our next Movie Watcher’s Group which will be facilitated by Rev. Kelly Barber on Sunday, June 23rd, 2024, at 8 pm ET/6 pm MT.
Our June movie comes from the Spiritually Literate Movies of 2023 list from Spirituality and Practice Website.
Past Lives follows two childhood friends over the course of 24 years, exploring the ebb and flow found in the learning opportunity that is relationship. The themes of romantic love, friendship, vulnerability, self honesty and letting go of the past can be explored. Nominated for a Golden Globe, this movie should prove to be an enjoyable experience
Past Lives can be watched with a subscription on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, YouTube, Fandango at Home, Google Play Movies & Hulu.
Trailer for Past Lives
*Playsheet Coming Soon!
Registration Closing Soon! An Online Retreat ~ Awakening at Home, June 24-28
Awakening at Home
An Online Retreat
with Cindy Krupp
June 24-28
Over the centuries, scores of people have flocked to ashrams and monasteries making them their home in order to pursue spiritual awakening. However, the average westerner today doesn’t seem to have that option. We have families, jobs, and other commitments, which keep us living as “householders” in a modern world.
At this retreat, you will learn skills that will help you to awaken right where you are—at home! Sharpen meditation, contemplation, inquiry, journaling and mind-watching skills in this ‘less talk, more practice’ retreat facilitated by Cyndi Krupp.
Retreat Schedule
The retreat will begin at 10am ET (8am MT) and end at 5pm ET (3pm MT) each day. A 2-hour lunch period will be provided beginning around 1pm ET (11am MT).
Retreat Fee is $300
$50 non-refundable deposit is required
REGISTRATION CLOSED
Registration closes on June 21st at 5pm ET
Scholarship Opportunities
New Program: Group Led Contemplation ~ Sangha
Please join us as we continue to contemplate Out of the Stillness & The Seven Steps to Awakening. This new program will be on Wednesdays, 3pm ET / 1pm MT (except for the first Wednesday of the month).
Regina Dawn Akers has shared a retreat called “The Sangha is the New Guru.” The retreat is described this way:
“It has been said that more than 50% of the members of an effective sangha are likely to awaken. The Sanskrit word, ‘sangha,’ literally means community. Specifically, it refers to a community that is dedicated to spiritual awakening. The primary qualities of sangha are:
- Members genuinely live the spiritual teachings they study.
- They speak and teach from their own authentic experience.
- They support one another on the spiritual path.
Awakening Together was designed by inner guidance to be a sangha rather than a guru-centered collective.”
As we step into the vision of “The Sangha is the New Guru” we are learning how the sangha is its own teacher, and honing the skills that are important for each member of a highly effective sangha. We are teaching ourselves how to genuinely support awakening, for each of us and for the community.
During this program we are currently contemplating Out of the Stillness and The Seven Steps to Awakening as Regina had been contemplating during this time.
Each week, we will share from Regina Dawn Akers’ published journal, Out of the Stillness. It was written as a personal journal over 8½ years as she contemplated quotes from spiritual masters and practiced the insight she realized through contemplation. The quotes Regina contemplated were collected by Michael Langford and published in The Seven Steps to Awakening. Both books are used in this program.
A new facilitator will also be assigned each week. The facilitator will be the one to facilitate the program during the following week. The facilitator will lead by reading the quotes, calling on participants who wish to share their contemplations and may also be the one to share contemplations. To be a facilitator you will need both books.
Any questions posed will be posed to the group and inner wisdom will be brought forth from the sangha in response. We invite anyone who feels called to join us as we step into the vision of a highly effective sangha.
This program begins Wednesday, June 12, 2024. We hope you will join us!
Program Schedule:
Wednesdays at 3 pm ET/1 pm MT,
except for the first Wednesday of the month
Contemplate “The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi”: REGISTRATION OPEN
Ramana Maharshi was born on December 30, 1879 in a village in Tamil, India. His father died when he was twelve, and he went to live with his uncle. At age 16, he experienced a sudden and extreme fear of death to which he responded by immediately seeking the truth of the Self and became Self-realized. Six weeks later he followed an inner calling and ran away to India’s holy hill, Arunachala, where he remained for the rest of his life. For years he was a silent ascetic. He spent many hours each day deep in samadhi. Years later he emerged from silence to share the wisdom of the True Self with those who came seeking it. Before the end of his life in 1950, thousands of people had come to him from all over the world. Ramana Maharshi became known as one of the greatest saints to have ever graced this planet with Presence.
Join us as we contemplate the teachings of this great sage. We will also read stories about about him told by the people who knew him best.
In this course you will:
- Consider the legend, the living example and the teachings of a great sage and determine what is most helpful to one’s own spiritual process.
- Practice self-inquiry in order to distinguish between what is and is not the Self.
- Practice removing attention from the non-Self and placing it with the Self using a spiritual practice that is most suited for you now.
Purpose:The purpose of this course is to introduce the participant to the spiritual teaching of one of the great sages of the twentieth century, Ramana Maharshi.
Course Duration: 6 weeks
Course Starting Dates: July 15, 2024
Homework Begins: July 15, 2024
Last Day of Course: August 25, 2024
Facilitators: Revs. Kate Brennan OR Cyndi Krupp
Individual Homework Time Commitment: One hour per day five days per week plus 15 minutes per day two days per week. An instructional video will also be posted after each week’s homework is completed.
Structure of Course: Forum
Textbook needed: The textbook needed is The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi.
Registration closes: July 10, 2024 @ 5 p.m. ET
Registration Fee: $180
For more information on this class, click here.
Register Here
This Sunday in the Sanctuary ~ June 9, 2024
All Times are Eastern Standard Time – See links below to join us in the Sanctuary
Join us at 9:30 am ET/ 7:30 am MT for a Morning Meditation Video
Morning meditation lays a foundation of calmness and balance for the day ahead. It helps open the door to the love and clarity found within.
We hope you will join us as we come together in meditation to start off the day.
Join us at 10:15 am ET/ 8:15 am MT
for Our Weekly Gathering with
Rev. Michele Hojnacki
Topic: “Recognizing the Resistance to Life”
Description: In a recent experience, Michele recognized how she has resisted Life by being “lost in the mind”. She saw that she missed what the present moment had to offer by being consumed in thought.
Drawing on the teachings of NTI Luke, we discover the difference between our thoughts and Spirits thoughts. NTI teaches we only ever choose between two things, willingness and resistance. But what is resistance? We need to recognize resistance before we can let it go and hear the Voice of Spirit. NTI Luke teaches us how to recognize what resistance is so we can let it go.
Reading: Suzanne Ditsler will read from The Holy Spirits Interpretation of the New Testament, Luke Chapters 10 – 12 & Revelations Chapter 20, v. 1-3 & v. 4-6.
*Weekly gathering is held every Sunday morning at 10:15 am ET/8:15 am MT in the Awakening Together Sanctuary. Join us after the Gathering for our Fellowship Time, hosted by Joy Bedford.
Join us at 12:00 pm ET/ 10:00 am MT for Just Being Here Now with Anja Janssen
Join us at 12:00 pm ET/ 10:00 am MT for Just Being Here Now with Anja Janssen Everything is already here now, so all we have to ‘do’ is be. In this program, Anja will look deeply into the now, the present moment, to explore how truth presents itself. She will be using everyday experiences and events to practice being present with what is. She will also share a variety of teachings about the now, the illusion of time, and resting in beingness. Some of the teachers and texts she will draw from are Eckhart Tolle, Lao Tzu, Angelo Dilullo, A Course in Miracles & NTI. Join Anja in using our everyday experiences to embrace the present moment and be.
Join us at 1:30 pm ET/ 11:30 am MT for Reflections from Sangha is the New Guru Retreat facilitated by Joe Schmitz
We hope you can join us for Reflections from Sangha is the New Guru Retreat. During this gathering, retreat participants will have the opportunity to share how this retreat helped them learn how the sangha is its own teacher. They will also share on how they learned to genuinely support awakening for themselves and each other.
All are welcome to join!
Join us at 5:00 pm ET/ 3:00 pm MT for Sounds of Awakening with Rev. Yolanda Mapes
Join us for the next installment of Awakening Together’s musical program, Sounds of Awakening hosted by Rev. Yolanda Mapes where she will interview The Kennedy Family Band.
The Kennedy Family Band, Cameron and Ellie Kennedy, based out of Madison Wisconsin, are a rare breed of sweetness. Battling cancer and Lyme disease respectively, they are overcoming huge obstacles to demonstrate good, and put kindness into the world through their work with “A Course in Miracles International,” The International Peace Orchestra and The Kindness Academy.
Cam Kennedy is a world-traveling Australian Psychotherapist, Public Speaker, Documentarian, Author, and Musician. Ellie is also a world traveler, musical theater actress, concert pianist choir director, and musician who has a huge heart and a beautiful tone. Many have fallen in love with her voice and powerful presence. Currently, Ellie is profoundly disabled by Lyme disease, but still has her voice and indomitable spirit. Their original songs are about struggle and redemption, historical heroes and mavericks, inner dialogues seeking the light, and finding reason in a crazy world.
You can find the Kennedy Family Band music here: www.ckband.wordpress.com
Rev. Yolanda is a trans femme gender queer singer/songwriter/performance artist & interfaith minister, originally from Muscle Shoals, Alabama- The Hit Recording Capital of the World. Rev. Yolanda has been making music/theater/TV/film/performance art for well over 40 years, winning the NYC MAC Award twice and inducted into both the NY Blues Hall of Fame and The GLBT Hall of Fame. Rev. Yolanda is so very happy to be a part of and be of service to the Awakening-Together Community on The Member Board of Trustees, as well as with her weekly program The Mighty Companions-The Voice that Likes You.
You can find Rev. Yolanda’s music here: www.Yolanda.net/audio
Join us at 6:00 pm ET/ 4:00 pm MT for Enlightened Leadership: Building the Foundation with Revs. Rhoda Makled & David Hemphill
Join us at 6:00 pm ET/ 4:00 pm MT for Enlightened Leadership: Building the Foundation with Revs. Rhoda Makled & David HemphillThe Tao Te Ching (The Way), written by Lao-Tzu (Old Teacher), is a guide to enlightened leadership. While most people believe effective leadership lies in knowledge and power, the Tao teaches it lies in emptiness, stillness, and presence.
Awakening Together’s President-Minister, Rev. Rhoda Makled, and Rev. David Hemphill share from the Tao as they contemplate its principles in order to fully embody them. In addition to the 2 versions already being read from the Tao, the pair will also read Regina Dawn Aker’s translation of the Tao Te Ching.
Join us at 7:00 pm ET/ 5:00 pm MT for Deepening Into Clarifying the Teachings Together with Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert
During this program, we will listen to a portion of each previously recorded “Clarifying the Teachings” program. Afterward, we will spend time contemplating and teaching ourselves what is most alive for us at the moment. We may also spend time practicing what Regina is teaching. And…we will start at the very beginning.
Bring your journals, openness, and curiosity as we explore what is most alive in us and ready to be seen. We hope you feel inspired to join.
Enter the Sanctuary or see the complete listing of speakers.
All Times are Eastern Standard Time – See helpful links below.
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