I find myself entering a season of deep listening this fall. As I come to the end of my journey to becoming a New Thought minister I find myself in a liminal time. I will be writing my final capstone exams this month and then I will have to wait until March for the final panel interview to be fully licensed. After 3 years of intense studying it will be very strange not to have deadlines and term papers looming over me. I find myself wondering what on earth I will do with all of the spare time (and then I look around and see all the boxes from our move that still need to be unpacked).
It is also a very interesting time to be starting a career in ministry and to be building a spiritual community here in Nanaimo. Even before the pandemic, church attendance and spiritual community involvement had been steadily dropping. There have been many podcasts and articles stating that fewer people report having a religious affiliation. The pandemic then accelerated this trend even further. I know that many spiritual leaders are scratching their heads trying to figure out how to bring people back into spiritual community.
While I have no doubt that spiritual community is still an important part of life, I get the sense that post-pandemic spiritual community will look different than the traditional 'church' of the past. As long as humans have been walking upright we have been seeking meaning through spiritual exploration and we have been drawn to the sense of belonging in community. I don't anticipate that this will be any different in the future. In fact, in a world that is going through such rapid change and that is facing serious existential threats, I think spiritual community is as important and relevant as it ever has been. I truly believe that people are interested in exploring consciousness and their relationship to something greater. I truly believe that people long for authentic community where they can express the fullness of who they are and they are celebrated for their uniqueness. This is the reason I was drawn into ministry. I love to build community and to share with others as I deepen my own spiritual journey. I am excited to see how this spiritual community unfolds here in Nanaimo.
Derek and I are committed to remaining curious as we lay the foundation for the CSL Nanaimo community. Our vision is to create a dynamic and relevant community of individuals who are committed to their own spiritual journey, who care for the good of humanity and the planet, and who believe in creating a world of kindness, inclusion, and respect. We don't know exactly what that will look like yet, but we are excited to walk the path toward this vision. And if you feel called to be in spiritual community, we would love for you to walk this path with us.
During this liminal time, I feel called to enter into a season of deep listening. In order to make way for the new in my life, I recognize the need to create space for reflection and for listening to the still small voice within. One of the founders of the New Thought movement, Ernest Holmes, spoke about spending hours each day in contemplation and in stillness as an important part of his spiritual practice. The New Thought movement today often focuses on the outward process of manifestation and we don't talk seem to talk as much about the inner spiritual practice of being still and listening. I wonder if we are being called into a deeper sense of listening within as an important part of living in such a loud and fast world. Will you take time for stillness and deep listening this fall?
Stay tuned for some news about our weekly discussion group that will be starting later this fall. Drop me an email at amanda.csln@gmail.com if you are interested in participating and I'll add you to the list.
Peace and many blessings,
Amanda
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