Prayer for the Beginning of Autumn - From Notre Dame University archives

O God of Creation, you have blessed us with the changing of the seasons.

As we welcome the autumn months,

may the earlier setting of the sun

remind us to take time to rest.

May the brilliant colors of the leaves

remind us of the wonder of your creation.

May the steam of our breath in the cool air

remind us that it is you who give us the breath of life.

May the harvest from the fields remind us of the abundance we have been given and bounty we are to share with others.

May the dying of summer’s spirit remind us of your great promise that death is temporary and life is eternal.

We praise you for your goodness forever and ever. Amen.

Family Promise Update

Despite pandemic restrictions, Family Promise continues to provide services to homeless families. Thanks to First Christian Church who is providing overnight facilities.

HCCL will host the week of Nov 8th. We are asked to provide 3 nights of overnight hosts and to deliver two meals to the day center. Sue and Mitzi say First Christian Church is an easier and better place to host overnight.

There are 3 families now in the program: parents with a preschool daughter and brand-new baby boy; parents with a 16-year-old son; and parents with a 6-year-old son who are ready to graduate and are looking for affordable housing.

Because we are delivering food, those of you who have not been trained may contribute by preparing meals or donating money for food.

To volunteer, contact Catherine Metsch, 933-5743 or cjmetsch@outlook.com.

I want to thank HCCL and the loving volunteers for continuing to support Family Promise.

This Month's Talks

Conscious Chemists in the Laboratory of the Infinite

Oct. 4: Listen Up!

Honorable Sandra Gail

Remember when our teacher said, “Listen Up?” It was a call to mindful attention.

When we bring our full conscious attention to listening, remarkable things begin to open to us.

Deep listening is alchemy which can tune us in to unexpected messages.

Whether we listen for the song of the earth, our soul, the soul of another we are certain to hear the Infinite calling.

October 11: Stuffing Your Spiritual Ballot Box

Rev. Orlinda Worthington

Any decision in life asks you to get in touch with your authentic self and identify what is important to you… at least that can be how it works! Get ready to stuff your spiritual ballot box with tools to help get clear when making any decision. We’ll visit about ways that voting can connect you with your true self, your community and the One. This will not be a political discussion. It will be a conversation on how you can bring practices such as compassion, gratitude, peace, vision, and hope into the voting booth, the car dealership, the doctor's office… every area of your life when making decisions.

Oct. 18: Alchemy ... On Purpose

Rev. Dr. Martha Creek

Within the Infinite Potential of Being exists a world we are yet to enter, to discover, to design in, to develop through, to expand. Even with the wiring for homeostasis, we are more strongly impulsed for neostasis. Get your alchemy on and let’s create the NEW WAY. Your NEW WAY. NEW - NOW!

www.marthacreek.com

Oct. 25; Conscious Chemists in the Laboratory of the Infinite

Rev. Jean Sweet

This closing talk will wrap up the September to Remember. Rev. Jean will take you around the world and back again exploring the meaning of important E words.

Dr. Ernest Holmes stated: "We are chemists in the laboratory of the Infinite. What, then shall we create?"

We are conscious chemists who know that consciousness creates reality. The laboratory of the Infinite will fabricate, with scientific accuracy, the formula of your current emotional mind.

Pour in love, add inclusion and diversity, stir in a positive vision, and the potion you create will serve the world. If you add anger, resentment, or fear, you are co-creating a formula for disaster.

Scientists keep accurate records as they perform experiments, and they draw conclusions from the results. You must stay conscious as you formulate your experience of life. All conditions are the direct result of your thinking mind. You can draw conclusions from the results of what your life has become. Adding fear to the experiment results in fearful outcomes. Starting with confidence and positivity creates a formula you can live with.

The seven steps of the scientific method perfectly outline the way to create a life that you love. As you (1) Make an observation, you begin to (2) Ask the questions. This leads you to (3) Form a hypothesis/vision of how you want your life to be. Then begin the prayer work that (4) Leads to an outcome based on the vision. Then you can (5) Test the outcome. Finally, (6) Iterate: use the results to continue to define your vision. (7) Communicate and replicate!

Don your lab coat this month as we formulate a life that works for all beings without exception.

New Vision Prayer: Invite Our New Minister

In this moment now, I recognize that I AM a conscious living expression of my Source.

My mind is a part of the Mind of God,

which is Intelligent, All-Powerful,

and Infinitely Creative.

I know that my consciousness is an attractive force,
and that all my prayers are answered.

I am so grateful that our spiritual community is blessed with everything that we need

to prosper and thrive.

HCCL is now welcoming the perfect minister into our life and community.

This deeply spiritual light-hearted person is
ready to be adopted and loved, as we open our hearts
to their presence.

I am grateful for the complete demonstration of
our community's co-vision.

I surrender this prayer back into the Mind of God,
knowing it is done.

I am excited for HCCL! And so it is. Amen.

RECYCLING

As we have been sheltering in place, we have had many reminders about how precious our earth is. The hope is that you are buried in recyclable material now. Keep it up! There's always enough room and time to sort everything out. More importantly, we've had time to consider how much plastic we use and how unnecessary much of it is.

Rev. Jean is still saving bottle caps to fuel her big vision. Which ones? Any bottle cap you would throw in the trash, such as vitamin bottle caps, water bottle caps, prescription bottle caps, milk carton caps, you get the idea. Please collect them in a cardboard box and bring the full box to Rev. Jean.

PLEASE DO NOT bring the caps in a plastic bag, as we are eliminating the use of plastic.

Take a moment to thank Dianne Nickman, our "Recycle Queen," who takes our plastic, glass, paper, and cardboard to the transfer station every month.

A Prayer to Humankind

O Humankind, are we not all brothers and sisters,

are we not the grandchildren of the Great Mystery?

Do we not all want to love and be loved, to work

and to play, to sing and dance together?

But we live with fear. Fear that is hate,

fear that is ambition, competition, aggression,

fear that is loneliness, anger, bitterness, cruelty,

fear that is mistrust. envy. greed. vanity. . . and yet

fear is only twisted love, love turned back

upon itself, devouring itself, hating itself,

love that was denied, love that was rejected
. . . and love.

Hear my heart's prayer, O Humankind,
trust in love, don't be afraid. I love you
as I love life, I love myself, please
love me too, love yourself, for perfect love,
as a wise one said, casts out all fear.
If we are to live, there is no other choice,
for love is life believing in itself.

- Manitongquat

Helena Church of Conscious Living