Join us this coming Sunday July 23, 2023, at 8 pm ET/6 pm MT for our Movie Watcher’s Group, which will be facilitated by Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert.
Here is a playsheet designed to facilitate contemplative movie watching: Somewhere in Queens Playsheet.
The movie for the month of July will be Somewhere in Queens. The main characters, Leo (Ray Romano) and Angela (Laurie Metcalf) Russo live a simple, blue-collar life in Queens, surrounded by the big personalities of their overbearing Italian-American family. When their lanky, soft-spoken son ‘Sticks’ finds success on his high-school basketball team and a chance at a life beyond what tradition expects because of a basketball scholarship, Leo risks everything when the scholarship becomes jeopardized, including ties with his overbearing Italian-American family, to give his son a shot at a different life.
Somewhere in Queens was also written and directed by Ray Romano.
This movie was chosen because it explores family relationships, the desire to manipulate life in order to achieve desired outcomes, and the often missed invitation to confront fear head-on and, thus, to heal and grow from life itself.
We hope you join us for movie group and discover for yourself how the movie speaks to you on your spiritual journey.
You can rent this movie on Vudu and Amazon Prime.
Have you ever wanted to see inside someone else’s mind and heart as they journeyed toward spiritual awakening? Have you ever wondered what obstacles they faced, what inquiries they used, or what insights they experienced? If so, this program is perfect for you. Each week, Regina Dawn Akers shares from her published journal, 
Anne Blanchard shares her experience of purification and awakening, unfiltered and as it happens. Raw, reflective, brave, and infused with clarity, Anne’s open honesty inspires us all to dive deep into the spiritual journey instead of simply skimming the surface. She continues to share deeply from various non-dual teachings and teachers.
Join Marisol as she dives deeper into self-acceptance. She shares her journey toward compassion and love within the human condition. This is an ongoing practice of forgiveness, love, and trust as we all welcome the Light within together.
During our time together, we will explore what it takes to live from an open, undefended heart. Naturally, any true exploration of living from the heart necessarily entails taking a deep and sustained look at what prevents us from keeping our hearts open. Grounded in the knowledge that the essence of us, our true nature, is the very lovingness within us all, we will explore how to recognize and release egoic energies by cultivating open-hearted awareness practices which support us in directly experiencing our true Self. By leaning into willingness, steeped in self-honesty, and with a consistent dash of courage, we endeavor to open to whatever life brings, as it brings it, that is, on life’s terms. In so doing, we trust that everything – absolutely everything – is here for us to use for healing, for purification, and for learning to live from the heart. We look forward to supporting each other in our individual explorations of how we truly embrace the entirety of this show we call life.
Rev. Michele Hojnacki guides a group of committed students through year 1 of Gentle Healing who want to make consistent, gentle progress toward genuine peace, joy, and love. This group meets weekly on Mondays at 5-7 pm ET/3-5 pm MT and all members are committed to specific assignments and practices between group meetings.
