Hi everybody, and welcome to the new format of CSLP's monthly newsletter. This is a work in progress, and I welcome your feedback, so please email me at clay@cslprescott.org if you have any questions or comments. Moving forward, our newsletter will be available on our website at cslprescott.org and we'll make an announcement on our Facebook page whenever a new edition is available!
April Classes and Events
 | Focusing on Prosperity issues, students will gain a greater understanding of the basic metaphysical principles which govern our financial well-being. Facilitated by Hazel Bowman.
Required Text: Spiritual Economics by Eric Butterworth Length of Course 8 weeks Saturday, April 20 - Saturday, June 8 Time: 9:00am-12 Noon |
Exploring the Roots of the Science of Mind an 8-week accredited course facilitated by Diane Gesell. | Class starts April 29. More info coming Soon! |
Practitioner's Corner
Diane Gesell, RScP
The Power of Gentleness
Checking CSL’s Global Theme title for this month I read “Giant Gentleness”. Aside from its
alliterativeness, what does that theme bring to mind? It might be the hand of a kind and loving adult tenderly holding a small child’s hand. It can be a mother’s soothing voice calming a crying infant. I’ve witnessed it in the quiet movements of a caretaker comforting the angst of an elderly client. I’ve personally experienced it by whispering directions to a noisy classroom of 4th graders who more quickly tuned in to what I was saying than if I had tried to shout above their cacophony.
Wikipedia’s definition - Gentleness is a personal quality which can be part of one's character. It consists of kindness, consideration, and amiability.
Bradford Keeney writes that “Spiritual power does not flex any muscles or display pride. Its strength is found in the moments when we are gentle with one another.”
Mother Teresa is someone who immediately comes to my mind when I picture giant gentleness. This physically small statured woman “… isn’t known for the awards she has won, or for the famous people she has impressed, but for her generous spirit and her selfless attitude. She has taught the world to see Christ in every person we meet and to be kind to everyone, because hatred takes too much out of a person."
Like everything we do in this life, our SOM philosophy reminds us to go within. It is within our own being that we recognize who and what we are. And, in that connection, we find the strength, the compassion, the caring and kindness to be gentle with ourselves and others. It is where we realize our ability to be gentle giants.
And, if you need someone to help you remember the truth of who you are, we are a team of
practitioners willing to pray with you and meet with you on an individual basis.
Love and Light,
Diane Gesell, RScP
Minister's Note
Rev. Tracey Harrick
Dear Beloved Community,
As I reflect on the path that has brought us to this moment, my heart is filled with a deep sense of gratitude and a renewed commitment to the sacred work we have been called to do. Each of you, with your unique experiences, perspectives, and gifts, are an integral part of this tapestry we are weaving together.
It is with humility and reverence that I acknowledge the times we may have stumbled or fallen short in the past. Yet, I am reminded that it is in our willingness to learn, grow, and move forward with compassion that we find the true essence of our spiritual journey. For who among us has not known the challenges of the human experience? It is in these moments that we are called to extend the hand of understanding, to hold each other in the embrace of loving-kindness, and to remember that we are all reflections of the Divine.
As we gather to address the questions and concerns of our community, let us do so with an open heart and a steadfast commitment to the principles that have guided us thus far. Let us create a sacred container where blame and judgment have no place, and where the only currency we exchange is that of mutual respect, trust, and a deep reverence for the spark of the Divine that resides within each of us.
I invite us all to be present, to listen deeply, and to allow the wisdom of Spirit to flow through us, guiding our words and our actions. Let us leave behind the burdens of the past and step boldly into the promise of the future, trusting that the very same force that has brought us together will continue to sustain and nourish us.
Together, let us be the beacon of light and love that our community so desperately needs. Let us cultivate an environment where fear and doubt have no place, and where the transformative power of our shared beliefs is made manifest in all that we do.
I stand before you, not as one who has all the answers, but as a fellow traveler on this sacred journey. I am honored to walk alongside each of you, to learn from your experiences, and to co-create a vision of a world that reflects the highest ideals of our spiritual tradition.
Let us move forward, hand in hand, with unwavering faith in one another and in the boundless love of the Divine. For it is in this unity of purpose, this collective embrace of the Beloved, that we will find the strength, the courage, and the inspiration to fulfill our highest calling.
In gratitude and with an open heart,
Rev. Tracey Harrick
A Month of Sundays
Our Sunday talks for April 2024
April 7 | Clay Smith | "With Great Power comes Great Responsibility" |
April 14 | Rev. Tracey Harrick | "The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, Part 3" |
April 21 | Rev. Tracey Harrick | "The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, Part 4" |
April 28 | Rev. Tracey Harrick | "The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, Part 5" |
Board Report
Tom Kimmerle, Board President
Hello All! Welcome to Spring (as soon as it warms up). Our Center needs your financial help. Our Center is our Spiritual home and the place we learn to better our lives. Through our teaching we learn the philosophy to improve ourselves. From this, we help each other and we create a better community.
Ernest Holmes says, “Abundance is mine. I cannot be deprived of my supply. The trees do not lack for leaves nor do the flowers fail to bloom.” As we get further into Spring, we will be witnessing more of this. As we get into Spring, our Center needs your support to create more abundance. Our monthly overhead is approximately $20,000 and we have been running a monthly deficit, which has depleted our reserves. I know, with the help of the congregation, we can turn this around and create abundance.
Last year Rev. Cath and I started a pledge program. However, the congregation never really got behind it, maybe because we didn’t have a full time minister. Now we do, with Reverend Tracey. In our congregation we have roughly 100 members. If each were to give $200 per month, that would equal $20,000. If we have 200 members, and they gave $100, that would equal $20,000. If we contacted some business friends and offered them a banner to advertise their business and hung it on the wall, we could charge these businesses $5000 a year, and if we put 10 banners on the wall, that would be $50,000 a year. These are only a few ways we can create more income. I am sure that you can come up with some more ideas.
Jackson and I started a concert series. The last concert brought in $520 profit. Jon arranged for a free container so that we could collect items for the rummage sale. Lee, with the help of others, is conducting the rummage sale and I know we will net several thousand dollars. Many of you have donated items and I want to thank you very much for your gifts.
So, I would ask all of you, what can you do to create abundance in our Center, our Spiritual home? I have given a few thoughts, but I am sure you can come up with many more. I know from many experiences in my life, the more I give without fear, the more I receive. If any of you want living proof, just ask me.
Blessings to you all,
Tom Kimmerle
Board President