In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me lay an invincible summer.  ~ Albert Camus

Personal and global challenges are possibly greater than most of us have ever encountered, and yet we find a deep Source of Life that supports us and invites us to carry on.  Finding our inner strength and extending it to others is the wisest and most compassionate path we can take, and we find our own capabilities growing as we do.  There truly is a Power greater than we are, a Power for Good that we can use, and it is available to everyone alike.  Those who are practiced in spiritual connection and identification are called to bring their gifts of faith, caring, and steadfastness to help lift those who may be feeling lost, struggling with uncertainty, and not yet aware of their divine connection to Wisdom and Love.

We all long for freedom to live our lives fully, and every sentient being is completely deserving of the fullness of abundance in every area: wellbeing, compassion, love, respect, and creative opportunities.  We are all connected to our Source and to one another, so we must thrive personally and find ways to lift each other to real possibilities.  Truly, we are all on a path of spiritual evolution, and, although the roads may differ, we can respect and support everyone along the way, even sit down occasionally and share a meal, literally or figuratively. The more deeply we dive into the Loving, Creative, Intelligent Source within us, the greater our sense of True Power becomes and the more willing we are to share it.

Please contact Linda O’Neill at admin@cslphilly.com if you can join us tomorrow evening at 6:30 P.M. on a Zoom meeting with GPCSL, Center of Peace in Philadelphia, and CSL Delaware in open-hearted discussions on dismantling racism, listening lovingly and respectfully to people of many colors, and working together to bring about a World That Works for All.  Our earlier meetings were warm, enlightening, and promising in so many ways. In these difficult times, we need deeper understanding and compassion to experience real freedom for ourselves and for everyone in the world.

Do invite your friends to our live stream Sunday Celebrations each week on You Tube and Facebook, both accessed through our website, www.cslphilly.org. The topic for this Sunday is, “The Great Emancipator.” Rev. Mike and I send “Love Notes” to you throughout the week, in order to stay in touch with you during this extended time of physical separation, and previous ones are archived on our website, along with past  morning live streams.  Our Practitioners are also standing by, ready to assist you with any challenges you may be experiencing, and they are listed on the website, as well. Thank you for keeping your Beloved Community strong with your prayers and your financial contributions.

With great love and respect,

Dr. Maxine

Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness.  When one desires to alleviate the suffering of others and to promote their well-being, then generosity —in action, word, and thought — is this desire put it into practice.  His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World, p. 149    

This quote clearly addresses “generosity of the heart,” which includes deep compassion and authentic forgiveness, for ourselves, as well as for others.  As we continue navigating smartly through the pandemic, caring well for ourselves, and being respectful of others, we seek to reach a deeper awareness of what is ours to do to bring about, rather than just “talk about” the kind of world we truly desire.  The same is true for our ever-increasing understanding of system racism, which must be addressed and transformed, as we strengthen our ties with one another in this pivotal period of real change for humanity. We can become more generous with our time and attention, as we encourage others to speak to us from their hearts, compassionate enough to be willing to hear with our hearts, holding each other tenderly in a divine embrace, as we move through our human challenges. We can also be open-minded, open-handed, and open-hearted with regard to our willingness to forgive . . . ourselves and others.

Knowing how the Law of Circulation works, we do not hesitate to give of our time, talent, and treasure to others and, especially, to the closest source of our spiritual food; namely, our spiritual centers which provide a radiant, healing, transformative Light to help us on the way to greater justice, love, and prosperity for all. Let’s give of ourselves fully to our teaching, our families and friends, our communities, and the world, as we delight in the flow of Good for every sentient being and experience growing abundance of every kind in our lives.

We so enjoy bringing our Sunday Celebrations to you via live stream each week on You Tube and Facebook, both accessed through our website, www.cslphilly.org. This week’s topic for Sunday is, “Freely Ye Have Received, Freely Give.” The “Love Notes” that Rev. Mike and I send to you throughout the week are just more opportunities to stay in touch with you during this extended time of physical separation, and previous ones are archived on our website, along with past  morning live streams.  You may also find a listing of our Practitioners, ready to assist you with any challenges you may be experiencing. Thank you for keeping your Beloved Community strong with your prayers and your financial contributions.

With great love and respect,

Dr. Maxine

The world does not have to be a mess. We can, right now, with our presently available resources, create a world that works for all. . . . one person, acting out of the power of his or her deepest convictions, can change the world. The power to transform our world, the power of revolution, lies with you. So does the responsibility.  Sharif Abdullah, Creating a World That Works for All, p. 32

Truly, it is our joyous responsibility to do the essential work of shifting consciousness, replacing limited ideas with those of expansive possibility, and allowing real transformation to take place within us, as we co-create a world of compassion, creativity, and conscious caring.  However, we can be only as effective as we are able to embody the powerful awareness that it is the Divine Activity within us that is working through us to establish the newer, truer ideas of peace, plenty, and fairness for all. It is my right to change my consciousness and my responsibility to do my part to lift the human mindset.  It is as I invite real transformation to occur within me that I am able to participate effectively in the rebirth of Love and Light in our world.

We all have access to the Universal Power for Good and capable of using it wisely for ourselves, manifesting healthy lives in every possible area AND of letting IT use US for the greatest expression of Good in this world. These are historic times in which we are now living, and it is up to us to write a new chapter . . . perhaps an entirely new Book of Life for everyone.  Let’s enter into this Divine Revolution of Love one prayer, one conscious intention, and one spiritual practice at a time.  Working with Spirit and Law, we understand that it is through our Unity with God and one another that everything is possible. 

We love continuing to be with you in so many ways, primarily by live streaming our Sunday Celebrations each week on You Tube and Facebook, both accessed through our website, www.cslphilly.org. This week’s topic for Sunday is, “Rights and Responsibilities.” The “Love Notes” that Rev. Mike and I send to you throughout the week are just more opportunities to stay in touch with you during this extended time of physical separation, and previous ones are archived on our website, along with past Sunday morning live streams.  You may also find a listing of our Practitioners, ready to assist you with any challenges you may be experiencing. Thank you for keeping your Beloved Community strong with your prayers and your financial contributions.

With great love and respect,

Dr. Maxine

There is no bondage in the Spirit and we should endeavor to realize that the Spirit frees us from every type of bondage. . . Bondage and freedom are but the two possibilities of our use of the Law.  Let us affirm freedom, not bondage.   Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind, p. 260

As we enter into the month of Freedom’s celebration, we realize how much intentional work must be done in order to allow lasting freedom, justice, and equity to rise up in consciousness and show up in our world.  Recognizing the outward symptoms of any unhealthy system, biological or social, we understand that any real change begins within before it can manifest externally.  As Emma Curtis Hopkins wisely reminded us, “Awareness is curative,” and we have become abundantly aware of our lack of mindfulness, both with regard to our unwitting damage to the planet and to the soul of humanity itself.  The pandemic is teaching us to live more simply and compassionately, and to care more for each other and for the purity of the earth.  The systemic racism has revealed itself to us in ways many of us were oblivious, and now we have a timely and essential opportunity to do a deep dive into our personal and public blind spots and bring understanding and truth to the surface.

It is from this place of honesty with the “what is” that we can do the Holy Work of co-creating “A World That Works for All.” We go to Source for the solutions, as our finite intelligence cannot do what Infinite Wisdom can do.  Truly, Spirit knows nothing of limitation or bondage, because this Pure Freedom is capable of transforming each of us and all of us, as we step into the Stream of the Living Waters of Spirit, inviting It to guide and direct us to a New Possibility.  We affirm Freedom for ALL, opening our hearts to each other, learning, appreciating, and respecting the Divinity within everyone and the Wholeness of the human race and planet Earth.

Any experience of personal limitation or frustration is instantly transformed into the joy of unlimited self-expression, as we embrace the Presence that loves and honors all and shows us the way to personal freedom.  It is from this place that we can rise up to authentic inclusion, seeing from the Eye of the Heart, making right what was in error, and leaning firmly on Spirit to guide us to a new reality.  Spirit nurtures and maintains us in Unity, as we affirm Freedom, and the Law leads us into intelligent action.

Thank you for joining us each Sunday morning at 10:30 A.M. for our live streamed, Virtual Celebration! We continue using every means possible to remain connected to all of you, while waiting for the right and judicious time to re-open our doors.   Our Oneness in Spirit and our relationship with each other will always come first, and we love feeling our continuing bond, as we do the right thing and “keep the main thing the main thing!” Consider joining us after Celebration for a brief “Social Time,” as we check in with each other and chat informally about the lesson or anything we may have on our minds.  This week’s topic for Sunday is, “Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free.”

Rev. Mike and I alternate Monday through Saturday, sending you “Love Notes” from our living room on Facebook and You Tube. They are archived on our website www.cslphilly.org , along with past Sunday morning live streams.  You may also find important announcements of events and upcoming classes there, as well as a listing of our Practitioners, who are helping us all move through these “interesting times.”

With great love and respect,

Dr. Maxine

Let us feel that our purposes are animated and inspired from on high and then let us go forth and make our dream come true in human experience. With an invisible Intelligence to guide, and an immutable Law to direct, let us take our place in any legitimate activity, and thus cause our dreams to come to full fruition.  ~ Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind, p. 477

Those of us who have followed the study of Science of Mind understand that the Principle is beautiful; yet, until it is applied in our daily lives, nothing much will change. The world is greatly in need of a deeper understanding of the constant Presence of the Divine and our joyous responsibility to use it for Good, in our lives and in the world. Although we teach Oneness, we see far too much divisiveness. We know that we are all created in equality, yet we remain all too aware of injustices. Isn’t this the time that we step into this crazy, mixed-up, breaking-open, evolving world and bring both our Principle and our physical presence to co-create a new paradigm of fairness, justice, equity, authentic love, and true respect?

This truly is ours to do, elevating our lives from, “Talking the Talk to Walking the Walk.” The visioning we have done with leadership from all three Centers for Spiritual Living: Center of Peace in Philadelphia, CSL Delaware, and GPCSL, has been heart-opening and inspirational. Our focus has been on, “What is the Highest Vision honoring ALL of humanity through authentic inner transformation and real action in the world.?” We are now inviting all members and friends from our three Communities to join in deep conversation together on Thursday, June 25^th at 6:30 P.M. Feeling some uncertainty, and even a bit of discomfort is a small price to pay for deepening our understanding and respect for one another, as the underlying container is Divine Love. This gathering will be held in a context of love, respect, and possibility, as it is led and supported by Spirit.

Please be with us, as we begin essential conversations, listen and share with our hearts, and feel the excitement of coming together for a beautiful, new idea for ourselves, for humanity, and for the world. Your voice, your ears, your heart, and your mind are needed, and this is the perfect time to bring a Greater Truth into our world. Simply register with Linda O’Neill at admin@cslphilly.com

We are so enjoying live streaming to you each Sunday morning at 10:30 A.M. Please invite your friends to experience our virtual Celebration, as Rev. Mike and I join our wonderful Production Crew in our Paoli sanctuary, imagining your presence with us. We all connect to uplift each other in an hour of spiritual wellbeing and inspiration, beginning at 10:30 A.M, with a musical prelude leading us in. We continue our virtual “Hospitality Time,” on Zoom, following our morning Celebration. Details are given during the morning program. Loving thanks to our Producer, Jeff Masino, projectionist, Edie Janik, and moderator, Tina Richards, with our Operations Manager, Linda O’Neill, always behind the scenes. This week’s topic for Sunday is, “Roll Up Our Metaphysical Sleeves!”

You can find our “Love Notes” on Facebook and You Tube, and they are archived on our website www.cslphilly.org Rev. Mike and I enjoy alternating Monday through Saturday, filming from our living room, often with the participation of our pup, Yoga. Our Practitioners continue to be available to you for prayer support and inspiration, and you may find them listed on our website, as well.

“See you” Thursday!

With great love and appreciation,

Dr. Maxine