Spirit As Community
Sunday, March 22, 2026
Sherri Dotter, RScP, with Lucinda Alton, RScP
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:  |
| 19:00 | Guided Meditation | |
| 39:51 | Conscious Conversation |
Taizé
Call to Awareness – 3 Bells
Lucinda – Opening Prayer
Sherri – Good morning, and welcome. If you’re new with us here this morning… my name is Sherri Dotter. We celebrate the fifth Sunday of the Lenton Season this morning…a focus of resurrection, hope and the promise of new life, moving from spiritual death (dying to mortal transgressions) and flowing to divine life. We begin our Taizé Journey by joining our voices in musical prayer.
Congregation – Taizé Chants
- Welcome Home to Your Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- Beloved, written by Chris Johnson
Sherri – Moving more deeply into the flow of Taizé Meditation…letting go of all that has come before this moment, and allowing ourselves to settle…to ground ourselves in Presence…taking a deep breath in, and letting it go…breathing in Presence…relaxing the body…letting ourselves be held…and in Sacred Ritual, we take a moment to sense our Oneness with the Global Community.
Envisioning a web of Consciousness surrounding and infusing the planet…seeing and feeling yourself to be a radiant point of Light in that web…knowing every human as an expression of Divine Light.
As we envision every creature, every plant, every rock and grain of sand, shining with the Light of Spirit…the soil…the water…the clouds and wind…the heavenly bodies…each one becomes a golden thread, woven tightly into the fabric of Creation…my Light enmeshed with yours, and with all of Life.
Sensing our oneness, we acknowledge our role as caretakers…in Service to one another…to all life forms…and to the planet that sustains us all.
Grounded in our Oneness, we center our hearts in idea that there is Power in Community, and we contemplate the idea of Spirit As Us, expressing As our relationships and the divine expression of Spirit AS Community.
In Spiritual Principle we begin with a simple but powerful premise: there is One Life, one Presence, one Divine Intelligence expressing itself as all creation. This Presence is not distant. It is not outside of life. It is the very life within all things. The mystics of many traditions have spoken this same truth.
The ancient Upanishads declare, “Tat Tvam Asi (Thut-Thvum-Ah-See) – Thou art That.” The Divine that creates the universe is the same Divine that lives as you, as me, as every person we encounter. Yet if Spirit expresses as individuals, another question naturally arises: why do we feel drawn into community? Why does spiritual life so often unfold not only within the individual heart, but within a gathering of people seeking truth together? Perhaps it is because Spirit longs to experience itself in relationship.
The Buddha taught the principle of interdependence: nothing exists alone. Every leaf depends on sunlight, every river depends on rain, every human life depends on countless visible and invisible relationships. The Buddhist teacher Thích Nhất Hạnh called this interbeing. When we look deeply into a flower, we see clouds, soil, sunshine, and the entire cosmos present within it. And when we look deeply into a human life, we see something similar: teachers who shaped us, friends who encouraged us, strangers who helped us at the right moment, ancestors whose courage made our lives possible. No one exists alone.
Spirit expresses itself not only as individuals but as connection. The Bhagavad Gita reminds us that the wise person sees the same Divine Presence in all beings. Not only in the wise, not only in the kind, but in all beings. This recognition transforms community. Community is no longer merely a gathering of people. It becomes sacred ground. Each person we encounter becomes another doorway through which Spirit is revealing itself. The Sufi poet Rumi wrote, “The lamps are different, but the Light is the same.” Different religions, different cultures, different languages, yet the Light shining through every lamp is one Light. And when many lamps gather together, the room becomes brighter.
Musical Meditation – One With the Divine, by Gary Lynn Floyd
Sherri – When individuals come together in shared intention, a collective field of consciousness emerges that lifts individuals beyond what they might experience alone. Ideas arise, healing occurs, encouragement flows naturally. It becomes clear that Spirit is not only expressing through us but between us. Community becomes a living demonstration of Spiritual Principle.
Compassion becomes service, wisdom becomes dialogue, love becomes practical. The Tao Te Ching reminds us that the sage does not live for themselves alone. True spiritual maturity expands beyond the personal. The question changes from “What can I get from life?” to “How can life express itself through me for the benefit of all?” Each of us expresses a unique quality of the Divine. One expresses courage, another creativity, another compassion, another clarity. Alone we express a facet of the Divine, but together we reveal more of the whole. Community is not simply people gathering to seek God. Community is God gathering as people.
Lucinda – Guided Meditation
Let us take a moment now to move inward together. If it is comfortable for you, gently close your eyes and allow the body to settle and the breath to slow. Take a gentle breath in and release it softly. Again breathe in slowly and let the breath go.
Feel the natural rhythm of life moving through you. The same breath that moves through your body has moved through forests, oceans, and countless living beings throughout time. The breath reminds us that life is shared.
Bring your awareness to the heart and imagine a quiet light glowing there, a soft steady light representing the life of Spirit expressing as you. It is the light of awareness, compassion, intelligence, and love. This light has always been present within you.
Now imagine that this same light exists within every person in this room. Each heart glowing with its own unique expression of the same sacred presence. Some lights shine brightly, some feel dimmed by life’s challenges, but every light comes from the same source. Imagine all of these lights gently illuminating the space around us, heart by heart. The room begins to glow with a quiet radiance.
Now imagine that these lights are connected like points of light in a constellation. Together they form a greater field of illumination. Feel what it is like to rest in that field, a field of shared presence and quiet compassion, a field of Spirit expressing itself as community.
Silence – 3:00
You are not alone in this moment. You are part of a living expression of the Divine. Just as the ocean expresses itself through many waves, Spirit expresses itself through many lives.
Take another gentle breath and allow yourself to feel supported by the presence of others and connected to something larger than the individual self.
The mystics remind us that the same life lives through all beings. In this moment we simply rest in that knowing: Spirit expressing as you, Spirit expressing as others, Spirit expressing as the shared field of awareness between us.
Take one more slow breath and gently return your awareness to the room.
Sherri – As we return from meditation we may notice something subtle. When we quiet the mind and soften the boundaries of the self, we begin to sense that life is far more interconnected than we usually realize. The spiritual journey often begins with personal awakening as we discover that Spirit lives within us. Eventually the journey expands and we discover that Spirit lives within everyone and within the relationships between us.
Community becomes the living demonstration of Spiritual Principle. It is where compassion becomes action, where wisdom becomes conversation, and where encouragement becomes healing. When individuals gather with shared intention to awaken, grow, and serve, a powerful collective consciousness forms that uplifts everyone present.
This is why spiritual communities matter. Not because they are perfect and not because everyone agrees, but because together we reveal something larger than ourselves. The lamps are different, but the Light is the same. When many lamps gather together the world becomes brighter. Community is Spirit discovering itself again and again in the faces of others.
Let’s close in prayer. There is one infinite Presence, one Divine Intelligence living at the center of all creation. This Presence is life itself, radiant and whole, expressing as wisdom, compassion, creativity, and love. It is the sacred essence moving through galaxies, oceans, forests, and every human heart. Knowing this, I recognize that this same Presence lives as each of us here today. It breathes through our breath, thinks through our thoughts, and loves through our hearts. Because we share this one source we are forever connected. I affirm that this spiritual community is a living expression of harmony and shared purpose. Each person brings unique gifts and insights that enrich the whole. Spirit moves through our conversations, our acts of service, our moments of listening, and our shared vision of a love-soaked world. Love leads our actions, wisdom informs our decisions, and unity reveals itself in the midst of diversity. I give thanks for the invisible threads that weave our traditions together and for the Light that shines through every person. With gratitude I release this word into the creative law of life knowing that it is already fulfilled. That my prayer spoken is my prayer answered. And so it is! Amen!
Sherri – Love Offering
As we prepare to close our Taizé Meditation, we offer the opportunity for you to share of your financial good in support of the work we do. Circulation is a Sacred Practice that supports Mystic Heart. It is by your generous gifts that we can continue the Good Work of supporting you, and engaging in the greater Community. If you’re joining us online, you can find a Donate Button and our mailing address at mysticheart.org. We are so grateful for your generosity.
Offertory Music Video – One Family, by Sam Garrett
https://youtu.be/gjgAwZK4FnA?list=RDgjgAwZK4FnA
Sherri – Blessing for the Offering
Congregation – Taizé Closing Song
- A Soul’s Blessing, written by Chris Johnson
Conscious Conversation
Lucinda – Opening Prayer
Sherri – Welcome or welcome back…and thank you for joining us this morning. If you’re new with us here this morning… my name is Sherri Dotter, credential Prayer Practitioner in service to Mystic Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Independent Interfaith Community that teaches Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality, tracing the common threads of Truth that run through all the world’s great traditions. It is my prayer that something you hear this morning will lead you back to the Wisdom and Guidance of your own Mystic Heart.
Let’s get our Conversation started by joining our voices in song and giving our bodies a chance to move!
Congregation – Opening Music
- Welcome to the Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- One Big Family, written by Robin Hackett & Gary Lynn Floyd
- We Shall Be Known, written by Karisha Longaker of Ma Muse
Sherri – Gently close your eyes and Vision with me a new version of life on earth, a Love Soaked World…where all humans are living from their deepest Wisdom and Generosity, and their most Loving nature…thoughtful of the impact their thoughts, words, and actions have on one another, the community, and the planet…a world without greed, where there is abundance in having enough…where nutritious food, clean water and air are readily available to all beings…
…where warm, comfortable, and affordable housing is a given…where all beings feel a sense of safety, belonging, and contribution…To these blessings, we say Yes!
Ours is a world where mental/physical health, education, and healthy relationships are ensured by social systems grounded in Integrity, Honesty, and Wholeness…where all beings work and play at whatever feeds their soul and are well compensated for their Service…where authenticity and vulnerability are not only welcomed, but celebrated…where the Peace we cultivate within ourselves shows up as a world free of violence, hatred, or indifference…ours is a world where the Love that we are here to share is given freely to whomever our hearts are called to love…where we have moved beyond all lines of separation, and live as one human family, caring for one beautiful planet with the reverence she deserves. To these blessings, we say Yes!
We recognize that transformation is an on-going process, and especially in times of great change, people benefit from working, playing, and simply being together. And so 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. To these blessings, we say Yes!
We recognize that transformation is an on-going process, and in times of great change, people benefit from working, playing, and simply being together. And so 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. To these blessings, we say Yes!
It is by the Power of the Great Mystery moving through each one of us that this prayer is acted upon, answered even as it is spoken…Divine Presence, Timing, and Process make it so. And so it is with profound gratitude and great Joy that I release my Word 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…
Can you feel the shift in energy as we center ourselves in such a positive and powerful Vision? I think we’re ready to have a Conscious Conversation.
Now we take a deeper exploration into the question of how Spirit expresses itself as community. Spiritual Principle teaches that there is one Divine Life expressing itself as all creation. This Life is intelligent, creative, and loving. It is the same Presence the mystics of many traditions have pointed toward. The Upanishads say, “Tat Tvam Asi — Thou art That.” Buddhism teaches that nothing exists independently. Sufi poetry reminds us that there are many lamps but one Light. The Tao Te Ching tells us that the wise person does not live for themselves alone.
When we follow Spiritual Principle through the threads of the world’s faith traditions we begin to see a pattern. Spirit expresses as individuals but also as relationship. Human beings awaken together. We learn from one another, encourage one another, challenge one another, and support one another. Community becomes the place where spiritual ideas become lived experience. Compassion becomes helping someone who is struggling, wisdom becomes listening deeply, unity becomes seeing the sacred in someone who believes differently than we do. When individuals begin changing themselves together, a collective field of consciousness begins to form and that field uplifts everyone.
Questions for the Community:
When have you experienced a moment where community supported you in a way that you could not have experienced alone?
What quality of Spirit do you feel you naturally bring into community?
What quality of Spirit do you most appreciate receiving from others?
What does it mean to you to center on the teaching, rather than the teachers? In other words, what does it mean for you to trace the common threads of Truth that run through all the world’s great traditions, rather than staying within only one perspective?
How might you show up in community to become a clearer expression of Spirit in action?
Listening to one another reminds us that spiritual wisdom does not belong to any single tradition. It lives in the lived experience of people. Each story reveals another way Spirit moves through life. Some experience Spirit as compassion, others as courage, still others as stillness or presence. When we share these insights together we begin to see that spiritual principle is universal: love, unity, compassion, awareness, and service. Community becomes the place where those principles are practiced and refined and where Spirit expresses itself more clearly through human life.
Closing Prayer: There is one infinite Presence expressing itself through all creation. This Presence is the source of wisdom, compassion, creativity, and love. It is the sacred reality recognized by seekers across the world’s traditions. Knowing this, I recognize that this same Presence lives as each person here today. There is no separation in Spirit. We are expressions of one Divine Life discovering itself in countless beautiful ways. I affirm that this community is guided by Universal Principle. Love leads us, wisdom informs us, and compassion connects us. Our shared intention creates a field of awareness that uplifts everyone present. I give thanks for this sacred gathering and release this prayer into the creative law of life knowing that unity is already present. And so it is! Amen!
Love Offering
Thank you so much for joining me here today. We’re going to bring this part of the morning to a close, but before we do, we’d like to invite you to join in the celebration of the work we are doing in the world by sharing of your financial Good. If you are at home, you can go to mysticheart.org to use our Donate Button or to find our mailing address.
We are an independent, self-supporting organization, and your financial gifts are what make it possible for us to do our work and provide this beautiful and safe space to gather. We thank you in advance for your generous hearts.
We acknowledge and give thanks for the Infinite Abundance of Spirit moving through you.
Please enjoy IllumiNative & Mag 7 as they perform One World (We Are One)
Offertory Video – One World (We Are One), by IllumiNative & Mag 7
https://youtu.be/rPq2Vo3yWIk?list=RDrPq2Vo3yWIk
Lucinda – Blessing for the Offering
Lucinda – Invitations
- The Mystic Heart Book Club is reading Return to the Sacred: Pathways to Spiritual Awakening on Tuesdays from 2-4
- Shining Light on Scripture meets on Wednesdays from 11:30am–1:30pm, facilitated by Chris Johnson. We are currently reading The Dhammapada by Eknath Easwaran.
- On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss, by Elisabeth Kubler Ross and David Kessler. Join Rev. Diana on Wednesdays from 2:00-4:00 pm for this powerful book study and support circle. We’ll be reading and discussing chapter 2 this week.
- Fast Track to Wellness meets on Thursdays from 11:30am – 1:30pm. This is a body/mind/spirit support circle. We are currently listening to and discussing selections from Good Stress and Life in the Fasting Lane.
- Uniquely You: A Jewelry-Making Workshop with Kimberly McIntosh. Saturday, March 28th, 1:00-4:00 pm. Details are available on the website and in the March Bulletin. Payment of $25 is required in advance.
- Shining Light on Scripture: The Upanishads by Eknath Easwaran, starting Wednesday, April 1st from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm with Chris Johnson.
- Writing Down Your Soul: How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within, by Janet Connor. Join Rev. Diana on Thursdays from 2:00-4:30 pm, April 2nd – June 4th.
- If you are interested, there is more information about these two new classes on the shelf in the foyer.
- Easter Sunday Release and Renewal Ceremony – Join Mystic Heart and the House Music Team on Easter Sunday, April 5th, 9:30 – 11:00 am for a special Sunday Celebration. This year’s Gathering will begin Taizé-style, weaving contemplation, readings, music, and silence into a beautiful and meditative experience. We will follow up with a powerful Releasing of what is no longer serving our lives and complete our time together with a bit of Celebration, joining our voices in song and prayer. Use this time in Sacred Community and Ritual to make a new beginning in your life. This is a perfect time to bring friends and family to our Gathering Place. Please reserve your seat with Rev. Diana, as space is limited. Potluck Brunch to follow!
There is more information available on new classes and activities in the March Bulletin.
Information Cards for 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.
Congregation – Closing Song
Love Be With You, written by Lainey Bernstein & 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.