How Does Your Garden Grow?
Sunday, June 28, 2026
Lucinda Alton, RScP, with Chris Netto, RScP, & musician Marsh Brodeur.
Video Chapter Index
| 0:00 | Taizé | Clicking on a chapter link will play the segment in a new YouTube tab. Your link to this page will remain open in this tab, but the video will play in the new window. Clicking on the Play arrow in the video screen above will play both Taizé and the Conscious Conversation on this page. To make the picture bigger, you may click the full screen icon in the lower right corner:  To cast the video to your Smart TV, click the Play on TV button:  . Also, we now have Closed Captioning available! To access Closed Captions, start the video and click on the CC icon next to the gear in the lower right of the video screen:  |
| 18:07 | Guided Meditation | |
| 43:34 | Conscious Conversation |
Taizé
Call to Awareness – 3 Bells
Chris – Opening Prayer
Lucinda – Welcome…if you’re new with us here this morning, my name is Lucinda Alton, and I am a Prayer Practitioner here at Mystical Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Interfaith Community that teaches Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality. It is my prayer that you will hear something this morning that leads you to the Guidance and Wisdom of your own Mystic Heart.
I invite you to take a deep breath, relax and settle in …feel and know the Wholeness, the Completeness, the peace of this moment as you allow yourself to be carried by the soft tones of Taizé…joining voices, we let the music take us deeper…
Marsh & Congregation – Taizé Chants
- Welcome Home to Your Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- I Am Remembering, written by Melissa Phillippe
Lucinda – Right here, right now…right where I Am, I breathe…knowing that the breath connects me to all of Life…that the breath, in its own way, is a prayer…an intimate Connection between me and the Source of my life, the Source of all Life…I take a moment to breathe and feel my Connection with All That Is…to honor the connection with our global family…
Envision with me now a vast web that surrounds and infuses the planet… call It the Infinite Intelligence…Divine Knowing…Spirit. See yourself as a Spark in that web…feel your Oneness with all in the web…every human, every creature, every plant, shining the One Light, from the One Source…
…the rocks and minerals, water and wind, stars and planets…enlivened by the Light of Spirit.
As we acknowledge our Oneness with all that is, we are empowered…there is strength in connection…there is freedom in knowing we are not alone…in belonging to something bigger than ourselves…in belonging with a Community. Each of us fills a particular space in this Community…and in the world…not one of us can take the place of another…and the connection is enriched with the addition new person…We feel this deeply when one is absent.
As we recognize our Unity, we come to realize that our collective Practice is powerful and creative…it leaves an imprint on human evolution and on the Whole, for all time. In this Holy Moment, we set an intention that this imprint be one of Welcoming, of Love, Compassion, Kindness, Generosity, and Peace.
The theme for this month is The Play of Spirit and the flow of Taizé this morning invites us to contemplate How Does Your Garden Grow?
So, you’ve decided to plant your garden. This setting of an intention to build your garden is your first step. The next step is to prepare your soil. It’s important to clear away anything you no longer need…to release any thought, belief, and behavior weeds that are no longer in your highest and greatest interest. Is you garden ready for the seeds of new thoughts and ideas? In the book of Matthew, Master Gardener Yeshua told a story about sowing seeds. “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no roots. Other seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” The first area we focus on is the soil or our state of mind. Are we prepared to learn or are we resistant? Will new ideas fall on our resistance and wither away? Will new ideas fall into a fertile mind ready to absorb and think about them or will they land on a hard surface where doubts can peck at them and eat them. Will they grow strong or will they be crowded out by the weeds of doubts and fears lingering in your subconscious?
Chris – Guided Meditation
Please feel free to close your eyes if they are not already closed….Take a deep breath in…and let it out. Breathe in peace…and breathe out joy. Feel yourself relaxing…Let the chair take your weight… You are a seed that has been planted in a very special garden…In the beginning, you are in darkness, but you feel no fear. You feel…excited…Something wonderful is happening…You hold your arms high above your head…You are stretching…stretching upward, and then you can feel that first hint of warmth on your fingertips…Feel yourself beginning to grow taller…Now your head rises above the dark and you can see that you are in a part of the garden that is in partial sunlight…The ground is moist…You can smell the scent of the rich soil around you…You can also smell the scents of other flowers…As you look around you can see that there are many other flowers in the garden…in all of the different stages of growth …Each of you is a representation of the Gardener and you have been nurtured to be the perfect you…You can feel yourself beginning to bloom…reawakening…knowing and feeling the loving joy that surrounds and fills you…the wonder and beauty that surrounds you when you pause to look for it… How do your flower qualities express what is in your heart, beautiful one?…You have chosen to bloom in this time and place for a reason…The world is filled with possibilities…How will you be a joyful expression in the world around you?…In what way will you use your gifts to help enrich the lives of others?…Sit in the garden for a few moments and let the answer come to you.
Silence – 3:00
Now it’s time to leave the garden. When you are ready, come back to the room. Were you surprised by any of your responses? Are you ready for something new?
Marsh – Musical Meditation
- God’s Garden of Grace, written by Marsh Brodeur
Lucinda – You’ve planted your garden and it’s growing – wildly in some cases. It’s time to weed the garden. First, identify which thoughts and beliefs are the weeds. You already know which is which and your mystical heart will help you to clarify. Then, be sure you pull each one from the root. By doing your spiritual practices and listening to your thoughts, you can release those thought, beliefs and behaviors that no longer serve you.
Another – very important – part of taking care of your garden is to nourish it. And you do that with spiritual practices.
Jewish writer Avram Davis observed. “We are what we practice. If we become angry a lot, then essentially we are practicing anger. And we get quite good at it. Conversely, if we practice being joyful, then a joyful person is what we become.” So we practice all kinds of things all the time, but the decision to do spiritual practices is intentional. These activities have meaning and purpose, and they influence how we live our lives.
Doing our spiritual practices helps us to show how our garden grows.
Lucinda – Closing Prayer
Please join me in a closing prayer.
Love Offering – As we close Taizé, we offer the opportunity for you to share of your financial good in support of the work we do. We are an independent, self-sustaining organization, so we depend on your generous gifts of support.
Marsh – Offertory Music
- But Beautiful, written by Jimmy Van Heusen & Johnny Burke
Lucinda – Blessing for the Offering
Lucinda – Feel free to grab a cup of something warm in the coffee room and meet us back at 10:30 for a Conscious Conversation. And if you are leaving, thank you for being here. We’ll bless you on your way with a song.
Marsh & Congregation – Taizé Closing Song
- A Soul’s Blessing, written by Chris Johnson
Conscious Conversation
Chris – Opening Prayer
Lucinda – Good morning and welcome, or welcome back…welcome to those joining online. If you’re new with us here this morning… my name is Lucinda Alton and I am a Prayer Practitioner here at Mystic Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Independent Interfaith Community that teaches Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality. We welcome you home to our Gathering Place. My prayer is that you’ll hear something here today that points you to the Guidance and Wisdom of your own Mystic Heart.
Before we move into Conscious Conversation, let’s join our voices in musical celebration.
Marsh & Congregation – Opening Music
- Welcome to the Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- One Big Family, written by Robin Hackett & Gary Lynn Floyd
- I’m A Believer, written by Neil Diamond
In metaphysics and spiritual philosophy, the race mind represents the collective pool of human beliefs, fears, habits, and cultural conditioning accumulated over generations. It is the psychological and spiritual “atmosphere” created by all human thoughts throughout history. The Mortal Illusion: It holds standard human limitations like aging, sickness, poverty, and death as absolute truths. Charles Fillmore’s Definition: The co-founder of the Unity School of Christianity defined it as the “mortal mind”—the collective sum of errors and physical laws that bind humanity until individuals awaken to their higher divine nature. Race mind began when humans began.
The important thing to keep in mind is that race consciousness isn’t all bad. It contains a lot of good too. And, even better, it can be changed a little bit at a time. This is what happens when we do things like our spiritual practices. And each Sunday when we participate in A Love Soaked World we send a ripple that causes another small change.
And the thing about change is that while a large change all at once feels big, small changes are cumulative. They keep adding up to a big change that is easy for everyone to accept.
Let’s keep that Powerful Energy going and growing as we join in the Sacred Practice of envisioning a Love-Soaked World.
We enter the imaginal realm together, finding ourselves in a world where all humans are living from their deepest Wisdom and Generosity…their most Loving nature…thoughtful of the impact their thoughts, words, and actions have on one another, on the community, and on the planet…
This is a world where love in all of the wondrous variety of ways in which it shows up, is celebrated wholeheartedly. Where we are just as concerned with whether our neighbors have all of their needs met as we are about having our own needs met.
A world without greed…where there is abundance in having enough…where all needs are met gracefully and easily…where nutritious food, clean water, and pure, sweet air are readily available to all, no matter where you live or which family you’re born into…
…where warm, comfortable, and affordable housing is a given…where all beings feel a sense of safety, belonging, and contribution…where mental/physical health, education, and healthy relationships are ensured by social systems grounded in Integrity, honesty, and Wholeness…
A world where children are celebrated as the unique individuals that they are. Where, from a young age, they are encouraged and guided to make choices based on their own preferences. A world where children aren’t taught what to think and how to act, but instead are encouraged to explore all information available and make informed choices.
We live in a world where all beings work and play at whatever feeds their soul and are well compensated for their Service…all are valued and respected for their inherent Goodness. Authenticity and vulnerability are not only welcomed, but celebrated. The Peace we cultivate within ourselves shows up as a world free of violence, hatred, or indifference. The Love that we are here to share is given freely to whomever our hearts are called to love. We have moved beyond all lines of separation, and live as one human family, caring for one beautiful planet with the reverence she deserves.
By the Power of our collective intention, powerful imagining, and inspired action, we have undergone an amazing transformation…we are living in a world that works for all beings. Giving no power to appearances, we live according to our highest aspirations…we do not lower our Vision no matter what the world may say. We are at Peace with our families, friends, neighbors, and other nations.
This Community stands as an open and welcoming place for all who seek support, belonging, and a sense of Family…it redefines Church as a place of Self-Discovery, Authenticity, Kindness, Radical Inclusion, and Love, as we are Guided to the Truth that lies within every heart.
Giving thanks for the Beauty of our world, and trusting that a prayer spoken and deeply felt is a prayer answered, my Word is acted upon here and now. In full Acceptance and great Joy, and with the deepest humility, I release this Prayer to the One Who Gets It Done…And so it is!…Amen!
Bringing awareness back to the body, to the room, to this beautiful life, and to the amazing beings who share this space with us this morning…
…look around to say good morning to your Spiritual Family. Take a moment to really see one another. We never know if this will be the last time.
If you were here for Taizé this morning, you’ll recall our contemplations…we reflected on How does your garden grow?
In our first service we talked about building and caring for our spiritual garden. How it is important to have fertile soil and how to create it, weeding our garden,
and nourishing it.
We talked about Yeshua’s words on the importance if having fertile soil.
Why do you think it’s important to keep up our spiritual gardening? Looking for something along the lines of not getting stuck.
What do you think about race mind/race consciousness and how it might be affecting your life?
How do you think our Love Soaked World might be affecting Race consciousness.
How does doing spiritual practices affect your life?
Lucinda – Closing Prayer
Lucinda – Love Offering
As we close our time in Conversation, we offer the opportunity for you to share of your financial good in support of the work we do. We are an independent, self-sustaining organization, so we depend on your generous gifts of support. If you have found value in our time together this morning, share the Love.
If you’re joining us online, you can find a Donate Button or our mailing address, if you prefer to write a check, at mysticheart.org. And we thank you in advance for your gifts.
Marsh – Offertory Music
- Let There Be Love, written by Lionel Rand & Ian Grant
Chris – Blessing for the offering
Practitioner Invitations
Information Cards if new people
Prayer Requests: I am available after service for prayer, in the Practitioner Prayer room or if you like, fill out a prayer card and I will get your request to our Prayer Team for daily prayer.
Marsh & Congregation – Closing Song
- Love Be With You, written by Lainey Bernstein, RScP, & Gary Lynn Floyd
©2025 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.