Grace Can Lead Us Home
Sunday, November 17, 2024
Rev. Diana Johnson, IM, RScM, with Chris Johnson, RScP.
Video Chapter Index
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| 23:38 | Guided Meditation | |
| 47:00 | Conscious Conversation |
Taizé
Invitation of the Bell – 3 Bells
Chris N. – Opening Prayer
Rev. Diana – Welcome…if you’re new with us here this morning… my name is Rev. Diana Johnson, and I am the Pastor and Spiritual Director of Mystical Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Independent Interfaith Community. We teach Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality. And this morning we center our reflections on the idea that Grace Can Lead Us Home…may you come to know this Community and choose it as your Spiritual Home. And may you Be Led Home to the Guidance and Wisdom of your own Mystic Heart.
We begin our meditative journey this morning by joining our voices, deepening our intimate Connection in Spirit.
Rev. Diana & Chris J. – Taizé Chants
- Welcome Home to Your Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- Thank You, God, written by Eddie Watkins, Jr.
Rev. Diana – Moving more deeply into our meditation, we make a Conscious Connection with the Global Community, gently allowing the eyes to close, and taking a couple of deep breaths…as you continue to ground yourself, imagine the breath dissolving any distracting thoughts…moving the energy of the mind down into the heart…you may want to place your hands on your heart and breathe, connecting with your heartbeat…Imagine that your heart is beating with the pulsing energy of the One Life, beating in tandem with the Heart of the Mother…with the Heart of the Father…with the Infinite Intelligence back of everything…and now imagine that your heart is beating with the hearts of all beings…human, other-than-human…and that all of creation is pulsing with this same Life…acknowledging the global web of consciousness that is created as we feel ourselves united by the pulse of Life Itself…sensing the Radiant Light of Spirit that shimmers through all of it.
We are not alone…we are never alone. We feel and know our oneness with All That Is…and we acknowledge our responsibility to one another as human family, and as caretakers of this beautiful and life-giving planet. With every breath, and in every moment, we turn once again to Grace…to the recognition that we are always in the Presence of Grace…that Grace carries us through every moment, with every breath…and that Grace Can Lead Us Home.
What do we mean by Home? What are the qualities of Home? Ideally, Home is a place of safety… comfort…belonging…peace…a place where we are loved and respected…where we can be fully and authentically ourselves…where we can replenish our energy and prepare ourselves to interact with the world. As important as our human home is to us, this is only the surface level of Home as I am using it here.
This Transformational Journey of Life invites us to go deeper…to find a more profound and eternal sense of Home. Each one of us, as we walk this path, is required to make room for the full range of human experiences…to create space for opposites and for paradox…to sometimes let go of our attachment to everything we think we know…to embrace the unknown…and to be willing in every moment to begin again. It invites us to open ourselves to exploration, trusting that as we traverse new circumstances, our True Home lives inside of us…we are never far from Home.
Ultimately, we all long for Home. The archetypal story, The Wizard of Oz reminded us that the power to go home is always with us. In Truth, we require nothing and no one else to take us there…nowhere we need to go to be at Home. We are at Home when we remember Who and Whose we are. What would it be like to move through the world, through your life, and no matter where you found yourself, to recognize yourself as fully at Home? It would be living a life of Grace.
What do I mean by Grace? I am speaking of the Goodness that is always available…the very Nature of Spirit or God Itself. (Pause) We experience Grace to the degree that we place our faith in that Goodness as the Guiding Principle of our lives. When we choose to live in the flow of Grace, we feel our connection with the one Living Universal Presence…one Essence, one Substance, one Process, that expresses as all of creation…and when we align our thoughts, words, and actions with that Presence, it is like going Home. We find Peace and Comfort…we know Love and Belonging…because our Spiritual Nature is our Native State. And the Divine Impulse at the heart of all things will not rest until we have returned.
In the words of St. Augustine: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
And yet this journey of transformation that leads us back to the Truth of Who and Whose we are is not for the faint of heart. The poet Rumi says that it is not for “brittle, easily broken, glass-bottle people.” This path is for those who are courageous enough to re-write their stories…to face the untruths they have been living, and living with, in service of discovering the deepest kind of Truth.
We are heading into the winter season…a time for being still, for rooting ourselves in contemplation and reflection, for becoming better acquainted with ourselves and finding nourishment for body, mind and soul. In the words of Tagore, “Now it is time to sit quiet alone with You and to Sing a re-dedication of my life in this Silent and overflowing joy.”
These words call us to sit in silence in the Presence of God, the Source, and the ground of Love, and to re-dedicate ourselves to the spiritual path… to rediscover what we already know most deeply within ourselves. In so doing, Grace Can Lead Us Home.
Musical Meditation – Always Home, by Steven Walters
What beautiful poetry…and deep Truth.
Maybe we have wandered into this labyrinth of illusion so that we can end all doubt and erase any confusion…and find within our minds what our hearts have always known…that there’s always, always Home.
Wandering, falling, dreaming, waking…it’s so worth the Coming Home. Each face reflecting one Truth, each voice needed for the song, (sing along). There’s always home, there’s always Home.
For every soul, the road has wandered, through so many lives it winds; till slowly we begin to see the dance we do in time. In a moment of Grace we wake and find that Truth was always known…and there’s always Home, there’s always Home.
Chris J – Guided Meditation
Home may be defined as a place where someone or something flourishes, is most typically found, or from which it originates[i]… Few of us these days live where we were born… but all of us instinctively make our dwelling into a home… a place where we flourish… where we thrive… a place where we belong…
Centuries ago, Pliny the Elder said, “Home is where the heart is…” An anonymous poet added, “A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams…” Home is more than just a building… more than the people who live there… it is a shared vision of mutual love, support, belonging and deep connection…
Spiritually, our home is our sense of Oneness with our Creator… In the Bible’s second creation myth, humans are given a home in Eden… They don’t like the rules, so they run away from home… and the rest of the Bible describes humankind’s quest to reconnect with Spirit… to experience Oneness… to find our way home…
The Christian Bible ends with the Revelation of a new heaven and a new Earth… a vision of a new garden… a new Paradise, where all beings live as One… connected to God… to one another… and to the beautiful planet we are part of… It is a vision of a family reunited… the prodigal species returns home…
In our three minutes of shared, silent meditation this morning, I invite you to contemplate your relationship with Spirit through the metaphor of home… a place where you are loved beyond measure… supported unconditionally… encouraged to be just who you are… just the way you are… a place where you can thrive… unafraid to fully express your true self… where it is safe to make mistakes… to fall down… and get back up again… your spiritual home… where you bask in Divine Love…
Silence – 3:00
Abwoon… Divine Mother and Father of all that lives… thank you for this grace-filled time of communion with You, and with these Beloved Saints in my spiritual family… Thank you for inviting us back home… to your Holy Dwelling Place… within our own hearts… May we never forget who and Whose we are…
Maya Angelou said, “I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself…” Each of us is the Tabernacle of the Living Spirit… each of our hearts is the Holy of Holies… the inner chamber where God is home… and the door is always open…
As Taizé continues this morning, we receive Rev. Diana’s wisdom gratefully… we open our hearts, minds, and souls… with greater awareness that as we follow the Divine Guidance that flows from within us, Grace Can Lead Us Home…
Rev. Diana – As we walk more and more closely with Spirit’s Wisdom, allowing Her Truth to guide our lives, we begin to see Life as a gift…a blessing…freely given, for our growth, our joy and delight. It is as if we are being invited… “Drink freely of the life you have been given.” Don’t hold back…receive all that is being offered. Don’t allow the pain in the world, or in your own life, to hold you back from fully receiving the gifts of Spirit…don’t allow the voices of criticism and judgment to keep you from the deep calling of your heart. When you do, you are rejecting the generous Love of God.
Instead, experience your feelings fully, knowing them for what they are…transient human experiences…let them come and let them go. They are here for your Good. Remember that the depth of your pain, the depth of your sorrow over life’s happenings are simply the measure of how deeply you have loved.
From author Christine Valters Paintner:
Drink freely of the life you have been given…meaning the one, brilliant, beautiful, and unique experience of being me in this moment of time.
She bids us
savor the inner landscape of our lives…recognize that we are here to experience the fullness of ourselves in ache and in joy. We are to welcome in the entirety of our person…
Body, mind, emotional body, spirit…perhaps beyond this lifetime…the soul’s journey – past, present, and future. This is beyond merely accepting it all…it is trusting that your journey is perfect in all of its imperfection, it is uniquely yours and it is a gift. Welcome in all of it…This is what life is for…This is what Coming Home is all about.
Rev. Diana – Taizé Closing Prayer
We close our meditation this morning with a prayer of gratitude from Don Miguel Ruiz of the Toltec tradition:
Today, Creator of the Universe, my heart is filled with gratitude for the gift of life you have given me. Thank you for the opportunity to experience this beautiful body and this wonderful mind. Today, Lord, I want to express my gratitude for everything I have received from you.
I know the way to say thank you for life is by fully enjoying every moment of my life. And the only way to enjoy every moment is to love. Today I will express all the love and happiness that exist in my heart. I will love your creations, I will love myself, and I will love the people who live with me. I know that life is too short to waste in misery and drama with the people I love. I will enjoy the presence of the people I love, respecting their choices in life as I respect my own.
Today, I will graciously receive your gifts by enjoying your gifts, by enjoying the beauty of all your creation. Help me to be as generous as you are, to share what I have with generosity, just as you share your gifts so generously with me. Help me to become a master of gratitude, generosity, and love so that I can enjoy all of your creations.
Today, Lord, help me to manifest my creation as you manifest the Universe, to express the beauty of my spirit in the supreme art of the human: the art of dreaming my life. Today, Lord, I give you all of my gratitude and love because you have given me life. And so it is! Amen!
Coming back into this space, we open our eyes, our hearts, and our minds. Take a look at who is here celebrating with you this morning. This is your Spiritual Family…one of your support systems. These are some of the people who care about you, who are there for you if you need anything.
As we continue to breathe in that Grace, while our hearts are wide open, we know this Truth…that there is One Source of all of Life…One Spirit back of all that exists…One Power moving through all of Creation. I Am one with That…an expression of Divinity…I belong.
I am so grateful to know and accept this Truth…so grateful for this space to gather with Chosen Family, and for each one sharing this space this morning. I give thanks for the thousands of tiny blessings that grace our lives every day. Thank you, Spirit, for this day and for this amazing life. In closing our Taizé this morning, I know and fully accept the graceful unfolding of my Word in form and experience, as a prayer imagined, spoken, and felt is a prayer answered. And so, I release it now to the Power and Presence that I call God, simply letting it be. And so it is! Amen!
We gently return our awareness to our bodies, connecting once again with our senses…noticing the sounds in the room…allowing the eyes to gently open and taking in whatever is before you.
Feel free to look around at our new space, to acknowledge the beautiful souls who are here with you in prayer and meditation…say good morning…offer your Love. These are members of your Spiritual Family…people who are here for you in times of need and times of celebration.
Rev. Diana – Love Offering
As we close our Taizé Meditation, we offer the opportunity for you to share your financial good in support of the work we do in the world.
If you’re joining us online, you can find a Donate Button and our mailing address at mysticheart.org. We thank you in advance for your gifts. We acknowledge and give thanks for the infinite abundance of Spirit.
Offertory Video – Harbor, by Faithful
Rev. Diana – Blessing for the Offering
Rev. Diana & Chris J – Taizé Closing Song
- A Soul’s Blessing, written by Chris Johnson
Conscious Conversation
Chris N. – Opening Prayer
Rev. Diana – Welcome…if you’re new with us here this morning… my name is Rev. Diana Johnson, and I am the Pastor and Spiritual Director of Mystical Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Interfaith Community that teaches Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality. In this month of Thanksgiving we are giving our attention to the Amazing Grace that fills our lives. And this morning we explore how Grace Can Lead Us Home. Let’s get started by joining our voices in song and giving our bodies a chance to wake up!
Rev. Diana & Chris J. – Opening Music
- Welcome to the Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- One Big Family, written by Robin Hackett & Gary Lynn Floyd
- Amazing Grace, written by John Newton & William Cowper
Rev. Diana – Let’s take a moment to feel the Presence of Spirit in the body…the Life moving through…the Love filling you up…and join me in our Sacred Practice of Visioning for a Love-Soaked World.
…where all humans are embodying and living from Peace, Joy, Abundance, Generosity, Justice and Freedom as Living Principles that guide our lives…where all humans practice Loving Kindness and Compassion, honoring and caring for one another, and for our beautiful planet as the Sacred Home that she is.
Feel and know with me, a world where all needs are met…where all beings have plenty of nourishing food, the safety of a warm and comfortable home…
…where mental/physical health, education, and healthy relationships are ensured by social systems grounded in Integrity and Wholeness… where all beings find right livelihood, creative contribution, and a sense of belonging…
This is a world in which all beings are valued and respected for their inherent Goodness and Light…where authenticity and vulnerability are not only welcome but celebrated…where the Peace we cultivate within shows up as a world free of hatred or violence.
Feel and know with me, a world that knows no greed, where there is abundance in having enough…where generosity is the norm…where every being deserves and receives all that is needed for a full, rich, and contented life.
By the Power of our collective intention and powerful imagining, we are writing a new story…we are creating a world that works for all beings. We know that our Good Work is bearing fruit. We do not lower our Vision, no matter the appearance, knowing with our whole hearts that such a world is not only possible, but inevitable. It is coming into being now…and we trust that this prayer is an integral part of its Graceful unfolding.
We walk in gratitude, respect, reverence, and humility as we recognize the sacred in everyone and everything…there is a general sense of thriving and it is Good. See it…feel it…
We have come to understand that it is through our hands, feet, hearts, and voices that positive change happens. And so we choose to align our actions with our Vision, living these changes in our own lives, with our families, friends, and neighbors. From the ground up, a new world is being born. In this process of profound change, this Beloved Community stands as an open and welcoming place for all who seek support, belonging, a sense of Family.
By the power of our deep faith, clear Vision, and inspired action, this prayer is acted upon, answered even as it is spoken. In full expectation of its Graceful unfolding, and with the deepest humility and gratitude, we release our Word to the Creative Power and Intelligence that I call God…And so it is!…Amen!
Let’s take a moment to look around and notice who is sharing this space with you this morning. This is one of your support systems, your Spiritual Family should you choose it.
I have a question for you…
Have you had any opportunities this past week to Practice the actual creation of a Love-Soaked World? Or has it just been my week for Practice?
You know it takes practice, right? We might not get it right the first time. It might be uncomfortable. We might be called on to put our reactive tendencies and preferences aside, or at least make compromises in the interest of Harmony, Love, and Wholeness. This life is really challenging sometimes. But we can’t give up. The world needs our help, especially right now. We cannot continue to do things the way we’ve been doing them and expect positive change to happen.
Did anybody feel like giving up any time this week?
Hang in there, we’re going to be okay. We have each other. We have the support of Spiritual Family…of a beautiful new Home.
I’d like to begin our Conversation this morning by telling you a story. This is one of the parables that is taken from the book of Luke in the Christian Bible. Put on your first century Jewish sandals…are you ready?
The Master Teacher, Yeshua, is sitting in a field, surrounded by a group of disciples, or followers. He begins to tell this story:
“There was once a man who had two sons, one younger and one older. The younger one approached him one day and said, ‘Hey dad, I have a great idea. Instead of waiting for you to die so that I can get my half of everything you own, why don’t you give me my share now?’
Does anyone here have kids? Does this sound like something you would agree to? Apparently, this man didn’t think there was anything wrong with this request. The man divided his property between his two sons and after a few days the younger son sold his part of the property took the money and ran.
In fact, he left the country and wasted his money in ‘reckless and riotous living.’ He spent everything he had. Sound familiar to anyone? Anyone here in have a similar experience in your 20’s?
Unfortunately, a severe famine spread over that country, and he was left without a thing. No food, no shelter…nothing. So he got a job on a farm feeding pigs. Did you know that in Jewish culture, the pig was the most disgusting animal alive?
Pigs carried diseases & filth as they wallowed in the muck and ate revolting things. But this guy was desperate. He watched the pigs eat bean pods and other leftovers, while he had nothing.
Finally, one day he had had enough. He thought about his father’s hired workers who had plenty to eat and here he was about to starve! So he headed for home.
As he approached his family home, he planned out what he would tell his father,
“Dad, I have been really awful. I have spent every penny you gave me and have nothing to show for it. I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers.” He was kind of into drama.
He was still a long way from home when his dad saw him coming. His poor son looked so ragged and skinny. And he ran up to his son and kissed him. Pretty nice guy, huh?
‘Dad,’ the son said, ‘I really blew it. You should just write me off.’
But the father called to his field hands. ‘Hurry!’ he said. ‘Bring him a brand-new pair of 501 Jeans and a new shirt, some new boots. Put a gold ring on his finger while you’re at it. Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and start the barbecue, and let’s have a party! I thought my son was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’ And so the feasting began.
While this was going on, the older son was out in the field, still working. He started for the house, and when he got closer, he wondered what was going on. Was that the Steve Miller Band blasting out of the speakers? Take the Money and Run?
So he called one of the field hands and asked him, ‘What’s happening down there?’ ‘Your brother is home, and your father has killed the prize calf, because he’s so grateful to have him back safe and sound.’
The older brother was really ticked off, and in a huff, refused to go into the house. His dad came out and begged him to come in.
But he spoke back to his father, ‘Look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me?
Not even a package of hotdogs and a keg of beer to have a party with my friends! (Modern translation) But this brat wasted all your property on prostitutes, and when he comes back home, you kill the prize calf for him!’
‘My son,’ the father answered, ‘you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate. I thought your brother was dead, but he’s alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’
This is Amazing Grace.
Can you identify with the father? Have you ever had a kid go missing?
But can you also identify with the youngest son?
I know that when I was about 19 years old, I just had to get out of the house.
And can you identify with the oldest son?
It is important to remember that the Bible is a library of stories written in the East for an Eastern population. The stories use symbolism to teach Truth. The characters represent the aspects of you and me.
So what are we supposed to get from this story?
These stories were written up to 100 years after the life of Yeshua and were recorded by scribes based on the oral tradition passed down by the Hebrew people over hundreds to thousands of years.
So in that context, let’s look at ourselves through the eyes of these characters.
First, let’s look at the Prodigal…the youngest son. We can identify with his youth. We were there once. So we understand why he left.
Why does the author use famine as the place where the boy ends up?
(On the material level, he runs out of money. No more food. And he has been looking to the physical pleasures to fulfill him. On the mental and emotional level, he is lonely and unfulfilled. He misses the connection to family and home. This is psychological, emotional famine.)
What about the spiritual level?
(He is looking to those same material pleasures to fill the empty place inside of him.)
Is there anyone here other than me that has done that? Does is work? What does it take to fill that hole?
(Our connection to our own Divinity, to something bigger than our humanity)
So, he chooses to go home. This is important. He makes the conscious choice to go home…even at the risk of being made a servant. He chooses family, home, and to connect with something outside of himself.
So the one who was lost, now is found. Or so the story goes. But what about the oldest brother? He was really ticked off when he saw that his brother had come home. He thought because he obeyed the rules, he deserved the blessing.
Anyone ever feel this way? But what was his motivation?
(after the stuff; wants approval, but that’s not true affection; kept himself so busy that he failed to make time to really connect; pretty black and white sort of guy…right and wrong are non-negotiable; rigid; follows the rules, but does he have control over his thoughts? Does he listen to the calling of his heart? Does he even know what his heart desires?)
Was he playing the martyr? How?
(playing the martyr – “I’m the one who’s slaving day and night… I am practically a living sacrifice for that father of mine; I have denied myself all the pleasures of life. What else can I possibly do to earn my Father’s love?)
Is there a little bit of judgment going on? Where?
(He thought his brother’s mistakes were unforgivable)
Is he resentful? Of what?
(of his father’s joy and refused to take part in the celebration)
Anyone here ever felt or acted like the older brother? Can we see ourselves in this character?
So, who was the prodigal?
At first glance, we think it’s the younger brother who was lost. But the one who was really lost was the one who thought he wasn’t – the one who didn’t recognize his need for deep connection.
For all of us, the elder brother’s attitude is a powerful warning. His being prone to staying too busy and the resulting lack of connection are masquerading as faithfulness.
Doesn’t it seem that it is when we are most in need of connection, of community or family support…these are the times that we least recognize our own need? We might be experiencing depression or engaging in so much self-pity that we are oblivious.
The father’s eager welcome and absolute generosity are reminders that we can always go home to Spirit. God’s grace and goodness are inexhaustible…they can always lead us home…if we let them.
What might the Father be a symbol for? What message might he have? (One interpretation is that the father represents God. This character is telling us that no matter how we mess up our lives, God always welcomes us back in love.
But what if God had a voice and could talk to us in a way we could hear? What might He be thinking as he speaks to his eldest son at the end of the story?
(You don’t need to earn my love by doing; spend time being with me; be real and authentic; I have already given you all that I have)
He may even ask, “Your brother has found his way home. Have you?”
I ask you the same question…Have you found your way Home to Spirit?
St. Augustine once wrote: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
This journey of transformation that leads us back to the Truth of Who and Whose we are is not for the faint of heart. The poet Rumi says that it is not for “brittle, easily broken, glass-bottle people.” This path is for those who are courageous enough to re-write their stories…to face the untruths they have been living, and living with, in service of discovering the deepest kind of Truth.
During Taizé, I voiced an invitation…that as we are heading into the winter season…a time for being still, for rooting ourselves in contemplation and reflection, for becoming better acquainted with ourselves and finding nourishment for body, mind and soul…that we make the time for Spirit. In the words of Tagore, “Now it is time to sit quiet alone with You and to Sing a re-dedication of my life in this Silent and overflowing joy.”
These words call us to sit in silence in the Presence of God, the Source, and the ground of Love, and to re-dedicate ourselves to the spiritual path… to rediscover what we already know most deeply within ourselves. In so doing, Grace Can Lead Us Home.
Closing Prayer: I Am so grateful to know that the Grace and Goodness of God is forever shining in my life, as every little blessing…It shines as me, as you, as all beings everywhere, as all of creation…that Grace fills our lives to overflowing if only we have eyes to see and ears to hear. This week, I commit to spending time in reflection…taking time in silence…asking for Guidance… “Spirit, lead me Home to You.”
Thank You, Spirit, for our time together this morning. I know that it nourishes and supports me in the week to come. Thank You for each one here and for the time, attention, and intention it has taken to be here. Thank You for all of the blessings of this beautiful day and thank you for the blessing of Life Itself. May I be forever grateful. I release this prayer in absolute certainty that it is coming into form and experience for each one, exactly as spoken…Grace is leading us all Home…For I know that a prayer spoken is a prayer answered. And so we let it be…And so it is! Amen!
We gently return our awareness to our bodies, connecting once again with our senses…noticing the sounds in the room…allowing the eyes to gently open and taking in whatever is before you.
Rev. Diana – Love Offering
I invite you to join in the celebration of the work we are doing in the world by sharing of your financial Good, should you choose to.
If you are at home, you can go to mysticheart.org to use our Donate Button or to find our mailing address.
I invite you to consider joining our Gracious Giving Program by committing to a monthly gift of any size to help us in our budgeting and financial planning. We are an independent, self-supporting organization. We appreciate every dollar that comes our way, and every pledge of support.
As we receive your gifts today, we are so Thankful.
Offertory Music Video: Thankful, by Verses
Chris N. – Blessing for the Offering
Chris N. – Brief Invitations
The Mystic Heart Book Club meets on Tuesdays from 3-5 pm. We are reading Conversations With God, Book 2 by Neale Donald Walsch.
Fast Track to Wellness meets on Thursdays from 12-2 pm.
The Gospel of Thomas meets on Thursdays from 3-5 pm.
Gratitude Drum and Music Circle this coming Friday night, November 22nd from 6:30 – 8:00 pm in our new Sanctuary. Bring a drum or other musical instrument and a snack to share if you wish. Contact Rev. Diana or April Jimenez for more information.
Shasta Interfaith Thanksgiving Service is happening next Sunday, November 24th, 6:00-7:30 pm, at the United Methodist Church. Please join us in celebrating Spiritual Diversity as we offer gratitude to the One Source.
Mark Your Calendars…
Namaste Café! Friday, December 6th, 6:30 – 9:00 pm at the Mystic Heart Gathering Place. Join Mystic Heart for its first Open-Mic Night. Mark your calendars…tell your friends. Check the bulletin for more information.
Share the Light – Join Mystic Heart for our annual Candle Lighting Ceremony on Wednesday, December 18th, 6:30-8:00 pm. This year’s celebration brings lots of music, a bit of message, and closed with our ritual of Sharing our Light with the world. We will have child care this year for this Sacred Time.
Please remember, now that we are settled…bring in your socks, gloves, and hats this month for our 12 Days of Kindness. We’ll add the smaller items early in December. I already have a commitment for the bottled water. We have a basket in the foyer Room to receive them.
And finally, we are taking part in Giving Tuesday again this year. Please let your friends and family know, and consider offering a gift online to Mystic Heart on December 3rd at https://www.northstategives.org/organization/Mystic-Heart-Center.
There is more information available in the November Bulletin and on our website.
Information Cards only if new people
Prayer Requests: I am available after service for prayer, in our beautiful Prayer Room or fill out a prayer card and I will get your request to our Prayer Team for daily prayer.
Rev. Diana & Chris J. – Closing Song
Love Be With You, written by Lainey Bernstein, RScP, & Gary Lynn Floyd
Notes:
[i] Oxford Languages, https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en
©2024 Mystic Heart Spiritual Center, All Rights Reserved
Permission is granted to duplicate for non-commercial educational use only.
All rights to music performed remain with the copyright owners.
Diana Johnson’s music is © by Barefoot Angel Publishing, ASCAP.
Chris Johnson’s music is © by SeaJay Music & Publishing, ASCAP.