All times listed are Eastern Standard Time – See links below to join us in the Sanctuary
8:00 am – Centering Prayer – Sami Ross and/or Jai Segal
Sami Ross and /or Jai Segal will lead 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 – Devotional Attention to Stillness – Hosted by Rev. Abigail Edwards
An opportunity is offered to meditate in community with others sharing the core values of ‘Awakening Together. Join Rev Abigail Edwards in the restful practice of sitting in the stillness of heart connected Being. Letting go of mental chatter and embracing the Divine, our natural state, while remembering the Reality of Self.
This meditative process will draw on the Truth writings of Dr. David R. Hawkins, Inner Ramana, Nisargadatta, NTI and other teachers encountered on this spiritual path.
Every other Sunday, 9:30-10:00am ET / 7:30-8:00am MT
10:15 am – Weekly Gathering – Rev. Melody Brauninger
Topic: Staying Open
Description: In order to give and receive the Divine Love that we are, we must learn to keep our Hearts open to the flow of Life. This is a challenge for as long as we experience ourselves as vulnerable, separate ones. Melody will discuss her recent experience with 3 bridges to staying open as awareness: Happiness, gratitude, and forgiveness/innocence.
Reading: Marlyna Los will read NTI Luke, Chapters 12 and 17.
11:30 am – Weekly Fellowship Time – Hosted Rona Marren
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 – ORDINATION Ceremony – Hosted by President Minister Rhoda Makled
Please join us for our Ministerial candidates ordination ceremony on Sunday, April 27th at 1:30 pm ET/11:30 am MT, live in the Sanctuary. President-Minister Rhoda Makled will host the ordination & Board Chair Rev. Joanne Schneider will be the guest speaker.
The Ministerial candidates who will be ordained are:
Mary Dugan
Fran Hamilton
Rona Marren
Elaine Wilson
We look forward to honoring their commitment and completion of the Ministerial Preparation Program (MPP) in their ordination ceremony. Join us and be a part of this momentous occasion!
2:30 – 5:00 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.
8:00 pm – Movie Discussion Group – hosted by Rev. Laura Bedford
‘Free Guy’ is a 2021 action film with [he ever delightful Ryan Reynolds, playing Guy (“Blue Shirt Guy”). Guy is an ‘NPC’ a non-playable character in a video game, who realizes and lives his True Nature as Love. It would be wonderful to have you with us for our movie watchers discussion group. Here’s how it works: Watch the film on your own, then tune in on the last Sunday in April to share your insights and hear the insights of others on the film Free Guy.
Witness Guy opening beyond his programming and becoming increasingly curious, filling up with a sense of love and wonder and a niggling sense of something more. He begins exercising the ability to choose something different than his programming… expanding…stepping outside the box…and, along the way, affecting not only himself, but everyone around him.
Themes such as the ages-old identity question, “What exactly am I?” “What is awareness?” “What is the phenomenal world?” and “What is possible?” are explored.
As Guy fearlessly embarks on being his True Self (Love) and naturally extending love, he returns over and over to his programmed conditioning, yet still remembering something so powerful.
The film includes many more themes than mentioned here. It addresses what can happen when the creative impulse is transmuted through the egoic filter. Witness the innocent, yet painful, egoic-hunger for validation due to not remembering what we are already…which is already and always unimaginably whole, perfect, complete and inherently valuable.
Observe a being who longs to be seen and validated by the “bigger ego,” believing that this mixed-up kind of validation is where happiness “is.” The film is also a beautiful example of an innocent, yet ego-identified being becoming vicious when its personal kingdom feels threatened, which is a call for Love by a soul in who cherishes the egoic wish and is not yet interested in awakening to Oneness, our Divine nature. Witness how the ego listening being responds to life and how Love responds to life.
Guy symbolizes the ever-potent realization that there must be another way to live. If you’re feeling called to attend, you’re invited to don a blue shirt (optional, of course 😊)!
YouTube trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2m-08cOAbc
Free Guy can be streamed on Amazon Prime, Apple TV. Fubo, Disney, Google Play, FXNOW.
Free Guy Playsheet https://drive.google.com/file/d/1slju08Jf-BaGVBd0f4NsklANgyqzC6u9/view?usp=sharing
9:00 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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