Title: “Flowing With the Tao: Embracing Effortless Action”

Description: In her homily, Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert will explore the Taoist principle of Wu Wei, or Effortless Action. As she works on updating the Ministerial Preparation Program’s Tao Te Ching course with the new translation by Rev. Regina Dawn Akers, she has found that some tasks flow effortlessly while others require more effort. Through these experiences, she has begun to grasp the deeper meaning of this central teaching of the Tao. In her homily, Rev. Jacquelyn will share her emerging insights and how embracing Wu Wei can transform our approach to work and life.

Reading: Connie Poole read from Chapters 43, 63, & 64 of Tao Te Ching: An Interpretive Translation to Live By.

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Title: Exploring Acceptance

Description: This Sunday we will focus on exploring acceptance. ACIM, Lesson 135, paragraph 18 states: “What could you not accept if you but knew that everything that happens, all events, past, present and to come, are gently planned by One whose only purpose is your good?”. Join me as I delve into the profound wisdom of acceptance, guided by this lesson.

Reading: Judy Flassing read excerpts from ACIM Lesson 135.

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Title: “Annihilation of ‘The You'”

Description: Rev. Billy will take pointers from Nisargadatta, Mooji and Adyashanti to expose the thought systems “I Am a dream that can wake me up.”, and/or “I Am a dream that cannot wake me up.”, by exposing ,”the you” in the seeker is the sought and bringing to light the mind’s concept of bondage and liberation because of its loyalty to personal Identity.

Reading: Joseph Schmitz read compiled contemplation excerpts of Nisargadatta Maharaj’s I Am That and Pointers From Nisargadatta Maharaj.

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Title: “Norming the Natural: Fear Is A Part of Life”

Description: When we embark on the spiritual path, often the motivation is to end suffering. For most people, the presence of fear equates to the presence of suffering. Since we want to eliminate suffering, we often try to do so by denying, avoiding, or eliminating fear. But what if fear is not actually coming at us but instead coming for us, coming as a wake-up call, as a helpful reminder that we may be sleeping and that there is something present which is asking for our attention?  In short, what if fear lies not as an impediment to spiritual progress but is actually pointing  the way to the highest lesson we could be living and learning right now?

Join Anne Blanchard as she shares her journey of going from avoiding fear at any cost, to tolerating fear as a part of life that must be white-knuckled through, to the present day where getting real with fear is not only practiced but genuinely welcomed as a portal back to Reality.

Reading: Sheila Wright read ACIM, Text 2.VI.9, “Fear and Conflict”.

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Title: “Discipline: Is it Practice or Punishment?”

Description: Some words are just plain loaded. The word “discipline” is such a word for me. Join me as I explore my relationship with discipline, both it’s right and wrong minded interpretations.

Reading: Laura Joy Bedford read “The Love of Discipline” from The Teachings of Inner Ramana.

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Title: “The Rhythm of Grace”

Description: Sometimes we find ourselves in a dark place and we can fear we have fallen from grace. Melody recently had this experience and found that grace itself was here in this place, too. Melody will share practices that were helpful, and how she was led by grace through a process that deepened her insight and devotion.

Reading: John Wetzel read from NTI, 1 John, ch. 4.

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Title: “The Goal We Have Been Given by God”

Description: Can it be that the map to Self Realization is available to all of us, all the time? Is it possible that it can be found easily, when we follow the directions given? During this gathering Rev. Cyndi Krupp is going to shine a light on this contemplation through teachings found in ACIM.

Reading: Rona Marren read ACIM excerpts from“Entering the Ark” & “Final Lessons, Introduction”.

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Title: “Permission Slip”

Description: Long ago when I was learning to “Dare Greatly” with Brene Brown, she shared the concept of a permission slip. The point was to feel “less guilty” about doing things wrong with the premise that eventually “I” would get it “right.” Now this has a whole new fundamental shift which changes everything. What if I only watched rejection, especially when it is happening? What if I only watched as judgment of right, wrong, true or false is happening? What if I forget that I’m only watching and just let that be too? This is the permission slip that I choose to give myself because this is the permission slip of living.

Reading: Mary Dugan read “The Freedom To Be As You Are: No Way To Get It Wrong” by Joan Tollifson. For the blog post, click here

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Title: “What is Presence?”

Description: I will discuss how reading about the “now moment”, the field and the flow in preparation for the recent golf retreat led me to be curious about the experience of Presence. I realized I had many concepts that purport to tell me what presence is. Still, the question, “What is presence?”, is not adequately answered by pointing to what it is supposed to be, imagined to be, or reportedly experienced by others. It occurs that much of the spiritual “work” that has been done has been largely conceptual. The real-time quest to discover what presence actually is, is one practice that might land one in direct experience of spiritual truth.

Reading: Melissa Sternhill read an article from Joan Tollifsons’s blog, Right Now, Just As It Is entitled, “It’s Right Here, Right Now. This is it!”

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Title: “Spiritual Hijack: The Ego’s Final Frontier”

Description: This topic has been floating around for me for a while now. I recently heard a talk that helped clarify some items for me and was very helpful. I will share that talk with you and the insights I gained.

Reading: Joe Schmitz read a transcription from the talk that inspired Kelly. Here is a link to the transcription.

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