All times listed are Eastern Standard Time – See links below to join us in the Sanctuary
8:00 am – Centering Prayer – Sami Ross
Sami Ross leads us in Centering Prayer on the weekends! This method is designed to seek the true Self by deepening into the intention to recognize and promptly empty ourselves of what is not true. In turn, we abide more and more fully in the heart as a symbol of the Truth of What We Are.
During the 20-minute silent practice period, we relax and allow everything to be as it is. When we notice attention has gone to a thought/image/feeling/perception, we ever-so-gently return to a sacred word of our choosing. We do not resist thought but we also do not follow it either. We let thoughts go by without thinking ABOUT them. We let them be by softly saying our sacred word inwardly as a symbol of our intention to consent to the Presence of God within and God’s action within.
Devotional music or words will be offered prior to the start of the 20-minute silent practice period and for a couple minutes directly following the practice period to allow a transition time back to our ordinary awareness.
This program is a daily, year-long devotional practice that focuses on contemplating the Thoughts of Awakening. This group will meet every morning at 8:30 am ET for 30 minutes to share our insights from the previous day’s contemplation with our inner teacher. The facilitators are Rev. Michele Hojnacki and Sami Ross.
The Thoughts of Awakening were given to Regina Dawn Akers in response to her prayer for help. In her book, Thoughts of Awakening, Regina wrote, “I found the contrast between profound spiritual devotion and her typical day-to-day state of mind unbearable”. The Thoughts of Awakening were given to help her from “falling back into the old state of mind after my morning devotional practice”. She says of the Thoughts of Awakening, “They are the thoughts that led from suffering with a split mind to the experience of a highly consistent, happy way of being. Each of the 365 thoughts is intended for a full day’s contemplation. They are to be read and contemplated repeatedly throughout the day. If you read and contemplate each thought deeply for a full day, you’ll experience shifts towards true perception this year.”
The group’s aim is to support one another in a daily practice of inner listening using the Thoughts of Awakening. This group could benefit those new to inner contemplation or anyone wishing to enhance their practice.
We will contemplate a single Thought of Awakening daily with our inner teacher.
Following Regina’s recommendation, we’ll write it down and carry it with us for reflection throughout the day, as well as reflecting on and putting into practice the guidance received from our own inner teacher.
The book ‘Thoughts of Awakening’ by Regina Dawn Akers is available to purchase on Amazon: https://a.co/d/2ag15vy
Our invitation to join extends to all, even if attending the daily sessions is not possible.
9:30 am – Prayer Circle hosted by Revs. Jane Sobel and Melody Brauninger
Jane and/or Melody will share a reading about prayer from different non-dual points of view or personal insight. Time will be given for participants to offer their prayer verbally to the group; a time for those wishing to offer their prayer in silence; and then time for everyone to be with all prayers as we sit in a virtual prayer circle.
Every other Sunday, 9:30-10:00am ET / 7:30-8:00am MT
10:15 am – Weekly Gathering – Rev. Anne Blanchard
Topic: Projection Makes Perception
Description: Dr Hawkins writes, “[t]he rationalizing mind prefers to keep the true causes of emotion out of awareness and utilizes the mechanism of projection to do this.” Join Rev Anne Blanchard as she shares how she is learning to observe this mechanism, is more consistently not falling for it, and is able instead to discover the true causes of emotion.
Reading: Andrea Putnam will read from Dr David Hawkins’ book, Letting Go, an excerpt entitled, “Life Events And Emotions”.
11:30 am – Weekly Fellowship Time – Hosted by Rev. George Maddox
This is the time when Awakening Together joins together in fellowship as a community. We share what is on our hearts and minds from the recent homily or anything else that is truly inspiring us.
12:00 pm – Transcending the Addiction to Mind – Rev. David Hemphill
Join us in exploring the belief in separation through the lens of addiction to the mind! On this journey we will explore many topics such as:
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What does it really mean to have spiritual awakening as part of my path?
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What is my unique path?
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Why do parts of my path feel uncomfortable?
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How do I navigate the uncomfortable parts?
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Where is the inherent bliss and joy on my path that spiritual awakening says is there? How do I access it now?
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Why does my bliss come and go? Why do the bad parts always come back?
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How do I get “unstuck” if I’ve been on this path many years and yet still have the same issues I’ve always had?
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What is “Self-will” and why do I need to pay attention to it in order to get unstuck?
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What is the nature of “desire” and “aversion,” and how are they related to stuckness?
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Once I understand everything, or if I already understand everything, how do I actually make the realization happen?
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What are paradoxes and how should I react when I find one?
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What specifically is it that will permanently lead to spiritual awakening? How do I cultivate this?
If any of these seem interesting, then I hope to see you there!
1:00 pm – Sacred Inquiry – Rev. Shawna Summers
Rev. Shawna demonstrates the art of Sacred Inquiry in real-time. Join her as she asks to see with Clarity, questioning each layer of the thinking mind, to see what beliefs are hidden in the sub-conscious. She opens deeper into beginners’ mind with humble curiosity. This is an evolving process, as she discerns for the vibrational level of each thought, exposing the source. She invites all listening to join her in their own Inquiry to experience the strength of this powerful and often surprising spiritual practice.
1:30 pm – Retreat Reflections Program from the Freedom from the Judge Online Retreat – Hosted by Fran Hamilton
This retreat reflections program gives participants of this Online Retreat a chance to share their insights, challenges and anything else they feel drawn to share. It also gives those interested in Freedom from the Judge retreat an opportunity to ask questions. This retreat was facilitated by Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert during the weekend of April 11, 12 & 13th. In the retreat participants learned to recognize that the voice of the judge is not your voice and how hearing this voice as “other” is helpful in discovering you are not your thoughts.
2:30 – Live Satsang with Unmani interviewed by Anja Janssen
Please join us for our April Satsang with Unmani, who will be interviewed by Anja Janssen. This LIVE interview will take place from 2:30 to 4:00 pm ET in the Sanctuary. Then at 7:30 pm ET, the recording will be played for those who couldn’t attend the Live interview.
Here is some information about Unmani:
Meeting with Unmani is meeting with yourself in the most real and alive way. Unmani is originally from the UK, but has lived in many countries around the world. Since she was a child, Unmani didn’t identify with being a separate individual, but assumed there was something wrong with her, until she came across the expression of Satsang and nonduality. Truth has always been her passion. Unmani had teachers including Osho, Dolano, Nathan Gill, Tony Parsons, Gangaji and several other amazing people who are not considered ‘teachers’. This interview was 65 minutes.
For more information about Unmani’s work go to: www.die-to-love.com.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Unmani
Join us in the Morning at 11: am ET for a reflections program!
3:30 pm – Sanctuary Closed
Rev. Yolanda Mapes, who is an interfaith minister, shares a delightful, funny, and inspiring hour of A Course in Miracles. Come join in on the fun, the laughs, and the music while unlearning the ego through the lessons and chapters of ACIM.
You can discover more about the Mighty Companions on this website: www.themightycompanions.com. Also, Rev. Yolanda has a site where you can purchase her beautiful, spiritually uplifting music: www.Yolanda.net/audio If you feel to contribute to her ministry, you can do so here: www.patreon.com/RevYolanda
When our Founding Minister, Regina Dawn Akers, announced that the “Clarifying the Teachings” program had come to its natural end, Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert felt guided to re-listen to these transformative teachings with us. 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 in the moment. We may also spend time practicing what Regina is teaching. 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 us!7:00 pm – Resting In Our Immaculate Nature – with Rev. Laura Joy Bedford and Jill Grace
Join Jill and Joy to gently rest and invite our immaculate nature into awareness. As we rest into our natural state, we relax beyond fear (i.e., energy, beliefs and egoic-desire frequencies of suffering); beyond what may arise that feels different than our natural resonant peaceful immaculateness. Together, as a sangha, we strengthen our awareness of our True nature so that the energy invested in beliefs about ourselves returns to its natural state as Pure Divine Light. Gathering as a sangha heightens our ability to detect obstacles — blocks to our immaculate nature…dense, lower frequency Light — so that these aspects of our being that we made up are welcomed into awareness, hastening their return to the original state as Pure Divine Light. As a sangha, we will use practical examples from our lives. Notably, resting in our True, immaculate nature supports noticing how the false identity that isn’t really what we are, enjoys, even wants!… to believe limiting beliefs (the false/unreal) until we realize what we actually are, immaculate, unaffected Divine Spirit. Join us as we put obstacles on the altar of Truth and free light that has been blocking our palpable awareness of Divine Love. The pointings are from The Way of Mastery, ACIM, NTI and more will be used.
7:30 pm ET – Satsang Recording with Unmani will be played.
Change: The interview was 65 minutes. The Live interview was recorded at 2:30 pm ET. The recording will be played for those who couldn’t attend earlier today.
8:30 pm ET – The Sanctuary is Closed
All Times are Eastern Standard Time – See helpful links below.
Enter the Sanctuary or see the complete listing of speakers.
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