A universal assembly for true discernment
All Times are Eastern Standard Time
“It’s best to call Sufism a way of experiencing reality as love itself.” ~ Neil Douglas-Klotz
“Islam and Sufism are one. Teaching that to understand Islam one must be a lover, how can one understand Islam when the heart is empty of love?” ~ Zarina Bibi
“Sufism is about connecting with the intuitive parts of ourselves so that we can attune to the highest vibration in the universe, which is pure love. It’s about joining together in the mystical heart.” ~ Charlotte Karl
“Sufism is experience, and hence not to be defined …” ~ Idries Shah
What is this mystical Islamic religion, which has produced great seers such as Rumi and Hafiz? What do Sufis believe about God? What does it mean to totally empty yourself? Join us for “Introduction to Sufi Thought” and discover the heart of the Sufi by experiencing it directly, within yourself.
The primary objectives of this class are:
1. The participant will become familiar with the mystical path of Islam known as Sufism.
2. The participant will practice inner devotion and observe its effects.
Specific Information:
This class is 5 weeks long.
This class is offered on:
Wednesday, Nov 9 – Dec 14 (skipping Nov 23 because of Thanksgiving)
From 9:30-11:30pm Eastern Time, 6:30-8:30pm Pacific.
Homework begins November 3.
Facilitator: Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert
Cost is $100.
Textbook needed is The Sufi Book of Life: 99 Pathways of the Heart for the Modern Dervish, by Neil Douglas-Klotz.
Class is offered in PalTalk. Familiarity with PalTalk is helpful.
Registration closes on November 1.
For more information on this class, click here.
I would like to take this opportunity to say Thank You to Lyn Johnson for 3+ years of service with Awakening Together as our Sanctuary Director.
Lyn began working with Awakening Together in February 2013 as a Founding Trustee. She was one of the original core team members that helped us form our Church Constitution and Policies & Procedures. When she first started working as our Sanctuary Director, she volunteered without pay. We were able to add Lyn to the payroll in August 2013, but because Awakening Together was just starting out and donations were low, we paid her very, very little. However, as your donations increased, we increased Lyn’s salary. Thanks to your donations, Lyn’s final salary was double her original starting salary.
Throughout Lyn’s time with Awakening Together, she worked tirelessly as Sanctuary Director for about 80 hours per week nearly every week. Lyn very seldom took any time off in over three years of service. This was because she loved serving you. Her passion was making sure there was something spiritually enriching for you to listen to in the Sanctuary and on the internet broadcast 24 hours per day. This was never a requirement of the job. From the very beginning, I told Lyn that we did not need to be open 24 hours a day. This service came from her heart. It was her gift to you.
Lyn was an innovator in the job of Sanctuary Director. She started many new processes including the Awakening Together Sanctuary Family Facebook Group, Awakening Together – The Greater Joining, and those lovely posts that you receive through the Daily Update each weekend, which preview the special events coming up in the Sanctuary on Sunday.
Lyn’s last day as Sanctuary Director was on Friday, September 30. However, Lyn will still be around. She has decided to remain with Awakening Together as the Musical Director for our Weekly Gathering. She is also a regular Sanctuary Speaker on Tuesdays at 7pm ET. Lyn’s replacement in the role of Sanctuary Director is Rev. Ken Gibson. He will be in the Sanctuary as ATSanctuary.
Thank you, Lyn, for all of the gifts you have given us over the years. Also, thank you for staying with us as you continue to give from your heart. We are forever in love with you.
Sincerely,
Rev. Regina Dawn Akers
Join us for Movie Watcher’s Group on Sunday, October 30 at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT. (Note this is the 5th Sunday rather than our regular meeting date of the 4th Sunday due to our Fall Retreat). This month’s movie is “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” starring Jim Carey and Kate Winslet. This movie has some very exciting awakening themes. In this movie, when their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a procedure to have each other erased from their memories. But it is only through the process of loss that they discover what they had to begin with.
The movie is available on most provider sites including Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, etc. Watch the movie with Spirit, then come and share your insights with the group. Guided movie watching allows us to experience our world and practice forgiveness without leaving our living room! It is recommended you join with Spirit in meditation or prayer prior to viewing the movie and then journal after. Watch for common themes, for characters you like or don’t like, for situations that seem to cause discomfort or joy. Contemplate what your reactions to the movie tell you about your beliefs about yourself and the world you live in. Bring what you learn back to the group and learn from others’ movie watching experience as well. Enjoy the movie and don’t forget to watch your mind!
Join us in the online Awakening Together Sanctuary this Sunday Evening at 9pm ET/6pm Pacific for Common Ground, our Guest Teacher Mini-Series. Our newest Mini-Series presenter is Nirmala. Nirmala will be here, September 25, October 2, 9 and 16. Please join us!!
Awakening is simply a sudden expansion or increase in awareness. When this expansion is especially large, profound, and transformative, we call that a spiritual awakening. While there is nothing we can do directly to cause a pronounced awakening, all spiritual practices and teachings are designed to make us more available for when Grace touches us and opens our awareness profoundly.
A very direct way to be more available for a sudden expansion or awakening is to become intensely curious about the awareness or awakeness that is always already here. Just as a single drop of water is still liquid, transparent and wet, the awakeness that is present in this and every moment has all of the fundamental qualities of our true nature. Awakeness is always spacious, alive, discriminating, loving–and aware. In this mini-series, we will explore these fundamental qualities of awakeness and discover how they operate in our lives before, during and after any spiritual awakening we may experience.
By paying attention to the mysterious and miraculous awakeness that is always here, we can start to notice the many openings and expansions of awareness that occur in our daily experience. Then if a large opening happens, we will be available and present for it. As one of my teachers put it, “You never know when Grace will come for a visit, but it’s a good idea to be home when she does!”
Visit Nirmala at: http://endless-satsang.com
His free ebooks can be found at: http://www.freespiritualebooks.com
Donations Made Now Support this Mini-Series
If you are inspired by the current mini-series, please support the guest teacher with a donation. 100% of the donations made from this page go directly to the current guest teacher (minus the PayPal fee). Suggested donation is $2-$10 per week. Donations are tax deductible for US citizens under IRS code 501(c)(3).
Nirmala’s mini-series is offered on Sundays from September 25 – October 16 at 9pm ET. Since Nirmala is offering a 4-week mini-series, the total one-time suggested donation is $8-$40. Thank you for your generosity.
Options for listening to Nirmala
The Awakening Together Online Sanctuary can be accessed using information from this page. You can listen in the Paltalk room, from our online listening link, or via recordings on our website.
Rev. Amy’s program, Everyday Spiritual Solutions, is prerecorded and broadcast from the Awakening Together Sanctuary every Monday at 7pm ET. During her program, Rev. Amy discusses New Thought Teaching and it’s Practical Application along with interviewing special guests. Amy is a Science of Mind minister.
Join us at our new time on the first and third WEDNESDAYS of the month from 9-10 PM eastern time. Joining Jay McCormick will be Regina Dawn Akers co-presenting at each meeting. We are currently studying the material presented in the book “How To Live A Life That Knows Only Love”. Upcoming meeting dates are:
Wed, Sept 21st, 9-10 pm eastern – ch. 7
Wed, Oct 5th, 9-10 pm eastern – ch. 8
Wed, Oct 19th, 9-10 pm eastern – ch. 9 the “Loving All” Method
Hope to see you there!
Love and Blessings,
Jay McCormick
If you are interested in this position, please read the full job description.
After reading the job description, email regina.awakeningtogether@gmail.com to request more information about applying. Be sure to include your legal name, email address and telephone number.
