2014

Sunday Services in December …….

Theme: CELEBRATE!

This is the season to celebrate in community with the sharing of food, ceremony and music. A meaningful event, steeped in cultural history and spiritual affirmation is generally the core of it. Resonance can be found with private introspection and alignment that brings joy/love/peace to the beholder, the
community, the world.

Dare we say Christmas, Hanukkah, Festival of Lights, Winter
solstice, New Year’s Eve?

Certain celebrations are deeply tied into the rhythms and cycles of nature and the cosmos. They include the changing of the seasons, the coming of a comet, and the earth and stars in their rotation. These are times of festivity – donning your raiment, taking up your instruments and candles, lighting up your spaces.
Now we are called together, or we take personal time to meditate and pray…giving thanks to all life, each other, the love of family and friends, the Soul, God…and God’s creation.

Take the time to be still, share a poem, a word or deed of gratitude …and Celebrate.

An excerpt from Rumi:
“We are the night ocean filled
with glints of light. We are the space
between the fish and the moon,
while we sit here together.”
Submitted by Peggy Muncaster, SDC

December 7 Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men
Today we look through the eyes of a Muslim woman for an Ismaili perspective on celebrating this season and bringing peace to the world.

Coordinator: Peggy Muncaster
Moderator: Moneca Gabriel
Meditation: Stephen Graves
Speaker: Karima Ramji
Greeter: Elsie Mary Poliquin

December 14 Light
Don will speak on the Jewish holiday/celebration of Chanukah and its deeper meaning for all people.

Co-ordinator: Don Morris
Moderator: Bob Winkenhower
Meditation: Susan Blackwood
Speaker: Don Morris
Greeter: Peggy Muncaster

December 21 Winter Solstice

Co-ordinator: Troi Leonard
Speaker: Troi Leonard
Moderator: Brian Martin
Meditator: Laura Lane
Greeter: Paul Monfette

December 28 Community Service: A New Thought Burning Ceremony Letting Go of the Past; Celebrating the Future

Coordinator: Moneca Gabriel
Service Leader: Jennifer Tenant
Meditation: Norm Smookler
Greeter: Linda Chan

Sunday Services in November …….

Theme: Achieving the Impossible—A Daunting Task

As we face uncertainty, how does one begin..???

I look down and see the heading on the newest Common Ground,

“Who’s gonna Stand Up for the Earth..?”

It dawns on me that we are here to do JUST THAT –

To Stand Up for the Earth.

She is our Mother, our Home,

Our Fields and Streams, our lakes and oceans….

Our very existence and livelihood…

A voice from within whispers:

Has it not always been so?…

At the time of greatest crisis we find the answers we seek.

The Human Spirit and Soul awaken and in their stirring’

cause disturbances within the field.

The body, physical and energetic/magnetic/electric:

This is the vehicle within which we theorize

and fantasize

a world living in Peace and Harmony.…

Here we can create a peace that begins in oneself and ends in One.

As we meet each other in our living patterns…

And realize that we are not alone -…

that we are able to move forward…

One step at a time.

As we begin to do what makes us tic,

What makes our Hearts do a Dippedy Do Da -…

As we feel the sunshine of a smile of another…

Or the pain of a being in need.

Celebrate your giftedness by sharing it!…

Sing “The Impossible Dream.”

Achieving The Impossible…

Is a daunting task – but not Impossible.

Submitted by Troi Leonard SDC

Nov. 2 Aspiration: Desiring to Achieve

Coordinator: Laura Lane
Moderator: Brian Martin
Meditator: Pauline Karch
Speaker: Jack Hyatt
Greeter: Marie Logan

Nov. 9 Preparation: Gearing Up

Co-ordinator: Peggy Muncaster
Moderator: Patti Huot
Meditation: Katherine Muncaster
Speaker: Carole Glenn
Greeter: Junie Swadron

Nov. 16 Battle: The Struggle to Achieve

Co-ordinator: Don Morris
Moderator: Deborah Hawkey
Meditation: Catherine Denison
Speaker: Leonard M. Thornton, PhD
Greeter: Jennifer Sagar

Nov.23 Triumph

Coordinator: Moneca Gabriel
Moderator: Dennis Pierson
Meditation: Sanjara Ominiyi
Music: Jennifer Sagar
Speaker: William Geimer
Greeter: Ella Brown

Nov. 30 Community Service The Phoenix Rising… Giving All Achieves All

Coordinator: Colin Lee
Moderator: Paul Monfette
Meditation: Elsie Marie Poliquin
Greeter: Pauline Karch

Sunday Services in October …….

Theme: Dynamic Balance

Our monthly theme contains two very powerful processes…the intrinsic action necessary to maintain a constant state of balance. Balance doesn’t just happen…the ebb and flow of Life’s pulse resides in everything, and the effort it takes appears to be one of the most challenging of dilemmas.

With the sign of Libra…the Goddess of Justice and Truth, we are deeply stirred to assess our life’s purpose and present state of being…everything is weighed on the scale of the Soul’s indifferent and compassionate knowing…our very Lives, thoughts, emotional and physical expression, are now ‘revealed’ by the angel of Karma…Cause and Effect…and we are asked to make a ‘Choice’….

So let us reflect…and in ‘due course’…make that choice…

Submitted by Troi Leonard, SDC

October 5 Evaluating My Life

Coordinator: Troi Leonard
Moderator: Chris Bullock
Meditation: Troi Leonard
Speakers: Ari Lade, Bob Winkenhower & Sanjara Ominiyi
Greeter: Linda Chan

October 12 Embracing Chaos: Finishing Old Cycles

Coordinator: Laura Lane
Moderator: Laura Lane
Meditator: Marie Logan
Speaker: Esther Hart
Greeter: Linda Chan

October 19 Harvest Time

Coordinator: Moneca Gabriel
Moderator: Moneca Gabriel
Meditation: Pauline Karch
Speaker: Junie Swadron
Greeter: Colin Lee

October 26 Community Service: The Beauty of Balance

Coordinator: Colin Lee
Moderator: Hendrik De Pagter
Meditation: Arie Lade
Greeter: Shari Adamson

Sunday Services in September …….

Theme: Preparation

September’s theme directs us into the depth of our being to create a sacred inner space, a vessel for a wonderful “holy birth/rebirth” of our higher spiritual Self. Though our higher Self desires this, our ego doesn’t, for it is afraid of the “void”. One of the best things we can do is to practice greater self-observation as well as ‘amping’ up our positive, can-do, can-be, all that we can-be nature. Be assured all our good work will lead us ever more deeply into a life of “living love” and exemplary service.

The process of preparation is similar to cleansing a house for a new tenant. Clutter and tired energies need to be removed allowing for freshness and lightness. It’s about making an inviting womb/home/space.

Self-defeating patterns need to be “rooted out” so beautiful “virtues” of our soul may enter, take root and grow healthfully!

Cleanliness, order and organization have their appropriate places yet to be fully prepared we need to “get on” with the work of self-nurturing. Try experimenting with “returning to simplicity,” and finding a safe, special place to practice deepening of stillness in!

Difficulties arise when we become overwrought with worry over existential concerns and start acting bossy and controlling to satisfy our wanton need to have everything “just right.” Yet, no worries… for we already possess the right amount of love and inner fire to be “perfectly gentle” with ourselves and others. We can, yes we can… let go of the need to justify/defend our actions and find the lovely, harmoniousinner rhythm which keeps us calm and peaceful.

So let’s “get into” preparing for this coming holy birth/rebirth of Self by being a little bit more gentle with ourselves and commit to strengthening our meditation, self-observation and prayer life! In doing so we’ll GET that our “beautiful, caring Mother of All” is always at our side!

My gratitude to Troi for his guidance in helping me compose this message.

Submitted by Don Morris SDC

September 7 Letting Go of Perfection ~ Judgments

Co-ordinator: Troi Leonard
Speaker: Brian Martin
Moderator: Troi Leonard
Meditation: Stephen Graves
Greeter: Marvelous Trudeau

September 14 Accepting Our Innocence

Coordinator: Laura Lane
Moderator: Sanjara Omoniyi
Meditation: Laura Lane
Speaker: Gale Gray
Greeter: Paul Monfette

September 21 Stepping Into the Light

Coordinator: Moneca Gabriel
Moderator: Pat Miller
Meditation: Michael Heaney & Moneca Gabriel
Speaker: Jennifer Tenant
Greeter: James Bennett

September 28 Community Service – Dissolution of Reality – The Birth of Oneness

Coordinator: Don Morris
Moderator: Dancing Wolf
Greeter: Elizabeth Morris

Sunday Services in August …….

Theme: Light the Fire Within

The fire of August is focused in the Heart of our Solar System, the Sun…the source of Life, Energy ~ Electric and Magnetic, and directly related to the fire at the core of every cell and atom in everything.

Through Leo the Lion, pouring its spiritual ‘Qualities,’ such as courage and leadership, into our lives, offering us opportunities to ‘ Light the Fire Within,’ providing us with the stimulus to surge ahead into our aligned goals, demonstrating leadership in action, into freedom of expression.

Take a moment of time gazing at a candle flame or a crackling fire, allowing the magic of the Soul and power of the Spirit to enter in.

On August 3, Susan Blackwood will integrate her own personal understanding of ritual and ceremony with universal symbolism to create a meaningful event. She will be assisting us to connect with our fire energy within…to feel it…build it and expand ourselves to help catalyze that which our hearts seek.

Susan is a long-time member of our Church and has been providing ceremonies of every kind for many years now. She is a Certified Life Cycle Celebrant with education in Eastern and Western Spiritual Theory, and has a Bachelor’s degree in Metaphysics from the University of Sedona. You can read more about her on her website at www.ceremoniesbydesign.com.

On August 10, the question might be asked…What is the mystery of Passion? How does it appear and remain in a person or a project?

One answer may lie in the mysterious force lying at the root of our spine ~ known as the ‘Kundalini Mother,’ its purpose in the energy of the body, consciousness, and evolution.

In the end, the answers lie within ourselves, to be quested and found in the experience of the fiery path of the ‘burning ground.’…and knowing yourself to be the truth and the way.

What gives you joy without end, exuberant playfulness, and exquisite taste of the exotic? Many find a reawakening of passion in the midst and aftermath of an unexpected crisis. May you find your PASSION.

Alanda Carver is a passionate, compassionate, caring and dedicated teacher. Certified as a Kundalini Yoga Teacher, and Reiki Master, she teaches yoga, and hosts workshops, retreats and special events throughout Southern Vancouver Island. Partially paralyzed in a car accident in 1990, she has spent years learning yoga and healing techniques to regain the functional use of her body. All the tools she discovers are shared enthusiastically to empower her students. Her spiritual name is Siri Amir, infinite spirit – her zest for living is infectious and her biggest passion is to see her student’s thrive.

On August 17, Don Morris reflects on Moses, the Burning Bush & Inner Fire. Moses encountered a thorny, burning bush in the Sinai that never ignited! Come hear more about that fire and ponder your relationship to the flame!

On August 24, Dr. Lisa Gunderson will speak on identifying the passionate energy from within and how to maintain the passion in our lives both professionally and personally. Understand how to maintain our passion as we transition into different phases of life (e.g., from work to retirement).

She is a Counsellor and a psychologist who focuses on multicultural issues, and an award winning university educator for 17 years. She is a member of the African Heritage Association of Vancouver Island and the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. Dr. Gunderson is currently writing a book for educators, including a chapter on “Passion Please” Currently, she is an equity and educational consultant and will begin to take appointments for her private practice which opens in Victoria this September. She lives in Victoria with her husband and two sons and loves to travel, read, watch movies, and bake. She loves life and walks in faith.

August 31, in this Community Service we will gather in small groups to discuss some of the gut-level issues that are perhaps triggered in Stephen Graves’ poem “The Burning Ground”.

What needs to burn away to clear the way forward? What brings you hope? What lights you up from within such that inspiration, spirit, and grace guide your path?

Submitted by Troi Leonard & Peggy Muncaster, SDC

August 3 Ceremony of Fire

Coordinator: Laura Lane
Moderator: Brian Martin
Meditation: Norm Smookler
Speaker: Susan Blackwood
Greeter: Laura Lane

August 10 The Passionate Fire Within

Coordinator: Troi Leonard
Speaker: Alanda Carver (Siri Amir)
Moderator: Junie Swadron
Meditation: Alanda Carver
Greeter: Paul Monfette

August 17 Moses, the Burning Bush & Inner Fire

Coordinator: Don Morris
Moderator: D. Joan
Meditation: Marvelous Trudeau
Speaker: Don Morris
Greeter: Marek Osinski

Special Musical Performance by Felina Gossmann on cello and Sarah Renner on violin

August 24 Fanning the Flame

Coordinator: Moneca Gabriel
Moderator : Patricia Miller
Speaker: Dr. Lisa Gunderson
Meditation: Pauline Karch
Greeter: Patricia Huot

August 31 A Pilgrim’s Journey

From the fires of desires to the unfed flame of eternal love

Co-ordinator: Peggy Muncaster
Moderator: Peggy Muncaster
Meditation: Stephen Graves
Greeter: Jack Hyatt

Sunday Services in July …….

Theme: Tides Of The Soul

In all natural rhythms and cycles, there is a consistency of change, and as with all change, we are gently reminded or forcefully propelled to acknowledge this movement as a natural and inevitable process of living and life.

It has been said that the personality is disposed to follow the path of least resistance. The Souls goal, however, is to find its way home. What does that look like? Sometimes it means facing our most difficult challenges, and other times, living life with awareness, joy and compassion. We find the path of enlightened consciousness.

The choices we make within the tides of the Soul cannot be ignored, for they have the power to change our lives. We learn to listen to our inner wisdom.

Join us on July 6^th, for JOY RISING. In the warm balmy days of July our spirit soars, our beingness percolates joy! Joy makes us sing and praise! Today’s service brings different perspectives and life experiences together inspiring us to be ourselves, the joy we are! Special “channeled” musical performance by Joseph Martin.

On July 13, we look at CELEBRATING LIFE. There are many forms and ways in which to celebrate life, music and dance standing foremost in providing both an increased level of vitality and health, as well as stimulating our inner passions to become a much needed energy boost towards our creative expression. We are hoping to activate your spontaneous joy button as the men’s group lead us into the ‘Groove.’ Please feel open to bring an instrument of your choice and participate.

Submitted by Peggy Muncaster, SDC

July 6 Joy Rising

Co-ordinator: Don Morris
Moderator: Lynn Gordon
Meditation: Sanjara Omoniyi
Speaker: Joyanna Wilkinson
Greeter: Peggy Muncaster

Special musical performance – Joseph Martin

July 13 Celebrating Life

Co-ordinator: Troi Leonard
Moderator: Stephen Graves
Meditator: Men’s Group
Speaker: Men’s Group
Greeters: Men’s Group

July 20 Healing Humanity

Coordinator: Moneca Gabriel
Moderator: Hendrik de Pagter
Meditation: Jennifer Sagar
Speaker: Moneca Gabriel
Greeter: Sanjara Omoniyi

July 27 COMMUNITY SERVICE

“YOUR drop in the bucket makes all the difference!”

Coordinators: Colin Lee & Laura Lane
Moderator: Paul Monfette
Meditator: Renata Shaw
Greeter: Jim Bennett

Renata Shaw is a singer-songwriter and will be presenting her own composition.

Community service question to ponder:

What can I do to enhance my ability to sense and feel the heart of others?

Sunday Services in June …….

Theme: COMMUNICATION in COMMUNE-I-TY

The key to a successful and creative life lies in our ability to communicate clearly and concisely, our ideas, intentions, and goals. Every aspect of communication carries a message in itself, whether it be in the form of a design, words spoken or written, a color, number or symbol, a song, movement touch or glance. Even our energy emission (aura) is sensed by animals and sensitive, intuitive people, picked up as a scent or feeling, determining safety or threat.

Without communication to create and recreate the world we live in, we simply would not exist, forming the bonds that define us as individuals, family, and humanity.

Without a doubt, one of the most important means of gathering knowledge and understanding of our selves and each other is determined by the relationship we have with our bodies. It is said that the body doesn’t lie and that the ‘truth’ will emerge one way or another. In honoring the body both as a vehicle and as a temple, and through the ‘art of listening’, we find that the answers we seek in the heavens and the stars are not as pertinent and revealing as the mysteries incorporating the Spirit, Soul, and Body….the greatest of which is LOVE.

All of us have had experiences with “grating” or difficult conversations. While some people embrace these conversations with ease, many more of us shy away from them. Avoidance can bring instant relief, but over time it damages both ourselves and our relation-ships. On June 22, Sheahan, speaking from her experience will share ideas about the “dos” and “do nots” when having challenging conversations, and how to set the groundwork for deeply transformative conversations that shift the experience from hurtful to heart-ful.

Everything we do, and all that we are, has an effect in the world, be it ever so subtle. Like a stone thrown in a pond, we create ripples that go outward. Our “Affect” or way of presenting our-self has “Effect”, or operative influence, in creation. Hmmm. What are miracles and how do they aid communication? This and other questions will form the basis of our discussions at our Community Service on June 29.

By Troi Leonard, SDC

June 1 Body and Soul

Coordinator: Troi Leonard
Speaker: Lisa Gunderson
Moderator: Marvelous Trudeau
Meditator: Lisa Gunderson
Greeter: Patti Huot

June 8 Great or Grating Conversations

Coordinator: Don Morris
Speaker: Sheahan Letondre
Moderator: Daniel Ouimet
Meditator: Ella Brown
Greeter: Paul Monfette

June 15 Sacred Economics

Coordinator: Moneca Gabriel
Speaker: Lisa Helps
Moderator: Bob Winkenhower
Meditator: Pauline Karch
Greeter: Joanne Wilkinson

June 22 Ripple Affect: Looking Beyond the Physical

Coordinator: Peggy Muncaster
Speaker: Gale Gray
Moderator: Jennifer Sagar
Meditator: Gale Gray
Greeter: Elsie Mary Palaquin

June 29 Miracles: Community Service

Coordinator: Colin Lee
Moderator: Patti Huot
Meditator: Pat Miller
Greeter: Gisele Bechard

What are miracles and how do they aid communication?

This and other questions will form the basis of our discussions.

Sunday Services in May …….

Theme: Emerge and See

As we enter into a profusion of flowers and blooms, we are opening to ever increasing LIGHT…the light that ignites Life and Renewal, the Light that helps us SEE more clearly the path ahead, the Light that reveals our inner state of Being. That we are One with the Light. That we are Light.

The Light reveals to us the Emergency-see of a world in need, a world and people in many states of distress and suffering, and we are called upon to express our Love. To extend our hands, offer our care, and respond to the call of the Soul…to Love…It is in this, that we are born again….in Service to the Heart of All.

With all new beginnings comes the need for a strong foundation, a fundamental need to know oneself, and an honest assessment of our strengths and weaknesses.

Our foundation has its roots in our past, revealing our life’s journey, our joys and sorrows. With all change and renewal comes a time of reconnecting to our Source, our wellspring of Life, and from therein rebuild our self and life. How may we best serve ourselves and each other, providing a common ground, a healthy foundation upon which we may move forward together into the greater Light? What are some of the essential needs of a healthy state of being, spiritually, mentally, and physically?

On May 18, Leona and Cyril (who will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary this summer) will share how they spent three years in Tanzania, Africa volunteering with a development project and experiencing community life in many ways. They lived with others who were also volunteering their time, both lay and religious folk, and worked with and “partied” with people who were native Tanzanians. Their experiences in these “communities” were at times vastly different and led to a wide range of feeling responses: isolation and frustration to belonging and deep appreciation. They will share stories from their time in Africa with us, as they share what values in action brought them into community and a sense of purposeful life.

From Leona’s book, “In a Sun scorched Land: An African Experience”, Leona writes “We’ve developed good relationships with our staff and it is hard to leave them. They held a short ceremony of goodbye in one of the classrooms. A note of sadness hung over all of us. Laurenti and Kimome spoke on behalf of everyone, thanking us for what we had done for them. They smiled as they presented us with gifts of carvings and cloth, but their smiles did not reach their eyes. Cyril responded by referring to them as our African family and told them that they had taught us much more than we had taught them. “We will never forget you,” he said….(Tamaeli) was silent for a few moments and then said in Swahili, ”You are going away and I am grieving.” There was no greater accolade that we could receive. “Yes, Tamaeli.” we replied, “we are grieving too.”

Submissions by Troi Leonard and Laura Lane SDC

May 4 Foundation

Coordinator: Troi Leonard
Moderator: Laurence Bell
Meditation: Laura Lane
Speaker: Lynn Gordon
Greeter: Ella Brown

May 11 Eye of Illumination

Coordinator: Moneca Gabriel
Moderator: Moneca Gabriel
Meditation: Pauline Karch
Speaker: Jennifer Tennant
Greeter: Sanjara Omoniyi

Jennifer Tennant– Moved to Victoria in 2003 to begin a new life on a spiritual path; and was

Ordained in 2010 by the International Alliance of Churches of Truth. She is committed to divine service to inspire and empower fellow congregants; and seeks to unite all people in one divine Consciousness of Love, Peace, Harmony and Grace. She is on the Board of Trustees at Unity.

Her talk is entitled Epiphany to Coherence.

May 18 Sharing the Treasure – What values in action bring you community?

Coordinator: Laura Lane
Moderator: Lorna Rennie
Meditation: Junie Swadron
Speakers: Leona and Cyril Lane
Greeter: Colin Lee

May 25 Community Service: Walking the Beauty Path

Coordinator: Don Morris
Moderator: Laurel Circle
Meditation: Don Morris

Question: How can I add beauty to my walk in life?

Come enter into a rich, meaningful discussion about living with beauty.

“The perception of Beauty is nutrition for the Soul; the creation of Beauty

is exercise for the Soul; the living of Beauty is fulfillment for the Soul

and the source of Beauty is the Beloved of the Soul ~ author unknown.

Sunday Services in April …….

Theme: Nuturing our Nature

This is a special month for The Church of Truth, Community of Conscious Living, as we are celebrating its 30th anniversary. The opening line on the home page of the church’s website (http://cotvictoria.ca/) states; “We are a spiritual community supporting each other in exploring our personal journeys, regardless of beliefs or spiritual paths.”

Our theme for the month of April is “nurturing our nature” and it seems an appropriate topic for what the church has brought to its members and outside visitors/users. Over the years we have had an abundance of mainstream and alternative speakers, presenters and events that have helped define us as a community. We have found a way to nurture ourselves while exploring the world around us.

One of the many models of nurturing ourselves as individuals looks at the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual aspects of humanness. As a conscious community, we collectively know and recognize that we are made up of a community of unique individuals. We do not follow a specific dogma; we view the world from many different perspectives. For many of us we strongly live mainly through one of the four aspects, the physical, emotional intellectual or spiritual. As a community we instinctively know this and create avenues of exploration that honor each of those outlooks.

I was curious what the community has facilitated over the past 30 years. I looked at past church newsletters, talked to older members and asked current members what were their favorite services. The following are not a complete list but a mini snapshot of what we have hosted. The first list is a smattering of the offerings that outside individuals and groups who have used the church space. The second list is collected from the Sunday services that have been presented over the years. I apologize in advance if I have missed one of your favorites. There were so many choices.

Community Use: Sound, crystal bowls, toning, chanting, choir practice, concerts, dancing which includes free form to circle dancing, dreaming, silent meditation, chi gong, kirtan – call and response chanting, wellness fairs, funerals, celebrations of life, weddings, drumming circles, despacho, solstice celebrations, death cafes, chakra dance, walking the labyrinth, satsang, meditation workshops, book launches, healer training courses, writing workshops, breathwork, yoga, birthday celebrations, movie night and oneness Wednesdays.

Church Service Topics, Speakers and Themes:

The love project, heart meditations, gardening, Buddhist teachers, oneness teachers, poetry, dance, yoga, earth day celebrations, chanting, singing, aboriginal speakers and ceremonialists, death and dying, astrology, photography, community discussion, walk the talk, writing, Maître project, choirs, speakers from different spiritual practices such as Baha’i Buddhist, eckinkar, Wicca, and Quaker, and a wealth of topics too numerous to name that have been presented by our own members.

Wow! It is abundantly clear we have found a way to nurture our nature while honoring and respecting our fellow human travelers. We are amazing and very fortunate to have a safe place to discover our true nature.

This April is a very special month, an Anniversary month, with it ending with a Celebration of the Church’s 30 years so far in Victoria. Over the years the Church has moved from a Minister led Congregation to a Community led one. Only a Conscious Community could pull this off, and we have, and very well, in my opinion. There has been a distinct opportunity within those hallowed walls we call the Church of Truth to dissolve much of what we were taught by dogmatic doctrines and societal mechanisms and become more conscious individually and collectively. I cannot say that the collective interests me more than the personal as I question the very nature of evolution but I can say, for me, they both matter and greatly. Being conscious in community offers me a better or a more whole opportunity to accept who you are and who I am, while walking in service not far from my ancestors, yet within the penetrating perception of our children.

Submitted by Susan Blackwood, SDC

April 6 Conscious Community

Co-ordinator: Dancing Wolf
Moderator: Troi Leonard
Meditation: Natashya Ranson
Speaker: Colin Lee
Greeter: Daniel Ouimet

Good Vibes: The Congregation

April 13 Nestling in with our Inner Child

Co-ordinator: Peggy Muncaster
Moderator: Peggy Muncaster
Meditation: Troi Leonard
Speaker: Deborah Hawkey
Greeter: Elsie Mary Paliquin

“Beloved” is a term we all have the right to inhabit.

Every child born, every inner child in an adult body,

We all are worthy of love – even by ourselves.

Finding a sense of community with others and making this a home space, too, by allowing some sweetness of interaction and common ground,

We inhabit our inner and outer space and make peace with our inner child and do what it takes to be at home. We nestle.

April 20 Theme: Egg Static

Coordinator: Stephen Graves
Moderator: Brian Martin
Meditation: Stephen Graves
Speaker: Blair Little
Greeter: Pat Miller

Blair Little is the Founder and President of the Society for the enhancement of Quality of Life (SEQL), an all-volunteer charitable organization which since 1998 has provided educational programs to help people Live Soul, Act Group, Reveal Oneness. Blair is the author of “Freeing The Light of Soul”. He seeks to uncover the mysteries of life and communicate them in non-mysterious ways.

April 27 Special Community Service

Dedicated to ‘Nurturing Our Nature’ and celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Church of Truth, Community of Conscious Living.

The planning committee has designed a fun-filled program of songs, rituals, history, and open mic for your reminiscences and contemplation.

Co-ordinator: Planning Committee
Moderator: Brian Martin

Service Time: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm

(Doors 10:30 am – Light brunch provided)

Sunday Services in March …….

Theme: Spring Forth

As the daffodils and dandelions avail themselves to the warming atmosphere, so too, in a myriad of ways, do we open ourselves to the wonders of Spring.

We are so blessed to have something in our lives so perennial, that never breaks its promise, never fails us. The Wheel of Life, the Turning of the Seasons is right up there with Love as two of the total stalwarts of the world. As the Spring sun warms the ground, so much life below and above tingles with excitement. So to do we when we Spring Forth into our lives after the stillness, darkness and depth of Winter.

So much to be planted in the gardens of Creation, our own, our community’s and our planet’s. This month at the Community of Conscious Living we will look at some of the definitive aspects of Spring through our topics.

In Like a Lamb, Seeds of Change, Budding Promise, Equinox, Out Like a Lion.

Please join us as we delve into the mystery, magic and common sense elements of Spring.

March 2 In Like A Lamb

Coordinator: Peggy Muncaster
Moderator: Jack Hyatt
Meditation: Laura Lane
Speaker: Robert Douglas
Greeter: Diana Kuch

March 9 Seeds of Change

Coordinator: Susan Blackwood
Moderator: Marvelous Trudeau
Meditation: Troi Leonard
Speakers: Moneca Gabriel, Paul Monfette
Greeter: Gisele Bechard

March 16 Budding Promise

Coordinator: Colin Lee
Moderator: Bernadine Sperling
Meditation: Sally Ross
Speaker: Sally Ross
Greeter: Elsie Mary Poliquin

March 23 Equinox

Coordinator: Stephen Graves
Moderator: Dennis Pierson
Meditation: Andréa Lougheed
Speaker: Andréa Lougheed
Greeter: Bernadine Sperling

Andréa Lougheed

Her knowledge of ceremony and connection to our Earth Mother a joy to witness.

A Medicine Woman, Ceremonialist, Energy Healing and Spiritual Coach, Andréa

brings a sense of the Sacred into our daily lives.

If I were to describe myself deeply, I would say I am in my quiet solitude a mystic, a deeply contemplative person. In my outward expressions of service, I am in my

natural habitat walking the path of medicine woman. My spirit is a dancer, ever seeking the rhythms and melodies of interconnected harmonies within such immense diversity.

March 30 Out Like A Lion – Community Service

Coordinator: Dancing Wolf
Moderator: Brian Martin
Meditation: Pierre Morais
Greeter: Janet Taylor

Sunday Services in February …….

Theme: Passion

The month of February is ornamented with the first blossoming of Spring, the shy crocus and snowdrops, and appropriately contains Valentines’ Day in it. The mind and heart turns to the topic of passion, which is our theme this month.

The Sufi poet Rumi in a succinct quatrain hints at a world of passion:

The sun is love. The lover,

A speck circling the sun.

A Spring wind moves to dance

Any branch that isn’t dead.

Please join us on February 2 for an exploration of “Passions of the Heart”. If the burning bush which Moses encountered after his wilderness experience is seen as a symbol of the passion with which we need to address our search for enlightenment, be prepared for a view of a ‘Passion of the Heart’. For this service, Don will take us along the path of his lifelong passion: Judaism

The topic on February 9 addresses “Cupid’s arrows – Aiming at Fulfillment or Folly”. How does spirituality connect and interact with romantic love and how much do we allow Eros to enter our intimate relationships?

On February 16, the monthly theme of passion is explored through creative expression – “Heart Expressing”. How do we express our passion for life, how do we tune into our hearts and listen to love expressing. For our three speakers it is poetry, humour and music.

February 23, the last Sunday of this short month, is a community service. Its topic is “Abiding in Passion”. We can explore the quote “I used to be an intellectual analyzing my world to death. But whilst dying was reborn to the feelings, to the Wisdom of my Heart and that is when life began to live. I realized I was abiding in the Great Presence that I am and the passion of Creation was the source of my Love. Forever I shall be the Vagabond Poet”

February 2 Passions of the Heart

Coordinator: Colin Lee
Moderator: Pierre Morais
Meditation: Don Morris
Speaker: Don Morris
Greeter: Monica Gabriel

In addition to being a licensed Psychotherapist with 17 years of experience, Pierre Morais is also a Sundancer and Pipe Carrier. He has worked closely with 3 different Medicine Men; learning the ways, teachings and traditions of many Native cultures but predominantly the Lakota tradition.

Don Morris has a Master’s degree in Social Work. He is a regular guy with unusual interests. In addition to supporting those who are seriously ill and dying, his many interests include Death, Dying, Green Burial and their connection to love, to spirit, and wholeness.

February 9 Cupid’s Arrows – Aiming at Fulfillment or Folly

Coordinator: Dancing Wolf
Moderator: Bob Winkenhower
Meditation: Jennifer Sagar
Speaker: Hendrik dePagter
Greeter: Sharon Schroeder

Feb 16 Heart Expressing

Coordinator: Susan Blackwood
Moderator: Ella Brown
Meditation: Lynn Gordon
Speakers –Panel: Dancing Wolf, Marvellous & Pauline Karch
Greeter: Pat Chapman

Feb 23 Abiding in Passion; Community Service

Coordinator: Stephen Graves
Moderator: Lorna Rennie
Meditation: Stephen Graves
Greeter: Giselle Bechard

Sunday Services in January …….

Theme: Revolution to ReSolution

It seems that every year end we ardently review our lives and make resolutions to do better in the New Year. This practice is so common place that it is cliché to talk about ‘New Year Resolution’. However cliché it might be, the opportunity provided by this major change in Physical environment (time and space) may also be seen as a chance to do a ‘spiritual inventory’ which could lead to a ‘spiritual revolution’ en route to the ‘wholeness ‘ which is the ‘resolution’ we all seek.

January 5 Occupy Love

On January 5, Award Winning Film Maker and Media Activist, Ian Mackenzie, speaks on what it means to Occupy Love.

A quote from the movie, Occupy Love, which Ian Co-Produced.

“The economy of love is – the more you have the more I have. If I can make you feel happy or hopeful or beautiful I might feel more that way myself…. If I want a society that works, then I need you to be powerful, I need you to be responsible, I need you to be fully engaged, and maybe I need you to be joyous. The more I can give you the better my society is, because we are actually in this together” – Rebecca Solnit

Coordinator: Dancing Wolf
Moderator: Hendrik dePagter
Meditation: Rachelle Lamb
Speaker: Ian MacKenzie
Greeter: Bernadine Sperling

January 12 Spiritual Revolution

On January 12^th it is hoped that through the sharing of our personal ‘spiritual revolution(s), we can come to an understanding of the value of the traumas and upheavals that we experience in our lives as just tools of the revolution that is necessary as we begin to live more fully in the ‘now’.

Coordinator: Colin Lee
Moderator: Dwight Whitson
Meditation: Sharon Shroeder
Speaker: Troi Leonard
Greeter: Elsie Mary Poliquin

January 19 ReSolution

On January 19^th we reach into the quantum field and find that everything is connected to everything else and all things are possible. How then do we integrate our lives with our beliefs, walk our talk, and live a life of Beauty and connectedness? Stay tuned.

Coordinator: Peggy Muncaster
Moderator: Esther Hart
Meditation: Peggy Muncaster
Speaker: Katherine Muncaster
Greeter: Giselle Bechard

January 26 Evolution of Spirituality – Community Service

Join us on January 26^th for our community service where we discuss the Evolution of Spirituality.

Coordinator: Susan Blackwood
Moderator: Ella Brown
Meditation: Brian Martin
Greeter: Kelly Sky

2014 Services