Embracing the Divine, HCCL honors all spiritual paths and traditions.

We are a FORCE for Good in our community, our world, and beyond.

The Metta Sutra, On Loving Kindness

The Buddha Gautama Himself said that if you repeatedly practiced this meditation and recitation with a forgiving and loving heart, while relinquishing judgement, anger and prejudice, Eleven Great Benefits would ensue:

You will sleep easily, wake easily, and have pleasant dreams. People will love you, Celestial beings will love you and protect you. Poisons, weapons, fire and other external dangers will not harm you. Your face will be radiant, your mind concentrated, calm and serene. You will die unconfused and at peace to be reborn in much happier realms.

May all beings be happy, content and fulfilled.

May all beings be healed and whole again.

May all beings have whatever they want and need.

May all be protected from harm and free from fear.

May all beings without exception enjoy inner peace and ease.

May all be awakened, liberated and free.

May there be peace in this world and throughout all possible universes

-- Buddhist Metta Prayer

As we joyfully enter the month of May, we pause and reflect on how far we've come. The sun is shining, the grass is green, most of us have been vaccinated, and we are looking forward to opening our church.

In May we remember that the Buddhist world celebrates the life, ministry, and death of the Buddha on the full moon. This month it is on the 26th. Buddhists typically celebrate for a full week, and no one sleeps. There are ceremonies, feasts, painted elephants, 24-hour music; it is a joyful time.

In May, we remember our mothers as well. Your mother gave you life, regardless of any unhappiness you experienced.

May also brings remembrance of those who died in wars to preserve the freedoms granted to us by the U.S. Constitution.

Our theme, "May We Be Peaceful and at Ease," are the opening words of a famous song by Karen Drucker. The sutra ends with "And may we be happy." Rev. Jean concludes this month of peace and ease with these words, celebrating the life and teachings of the Buddha. This talk brings us full circle with the blessings of May.

May we be peaceful and at ease, and may we be happy.

This Month's Talks

Co-Creating a Brighter Future

June 6: Everything Grows to the Light

Rev. Dr. Charles Geddes

"As the unfolding of a flower,

from bud to blossom …

There are new blossoms every day

springing forth within me as I behold the Light"

- Charles

The Light is our Source of Being. However it is important to remember that we rise to the light out of the soil, or from the seeming darkness, as the allegorical sequence of Creation in Genesis proclaims: “And God called the light Day and the darkness Night. And there was evening and morning the first day.”

I will share my soul journey and awareness that “Everything Grows to the Light." I am here in Helena through that Truth!

June 13: The Threshold Of Awareness

Rev. Mahrzxijah Mitchell

Together we will take a look at the Four (4) Main Archetypal Patterns. Our archetypes are our energy companions, the “builders” or the “architects” of our lives. When we develop the ability to identify these Universal energy patterns, we gain a wider vision of the meaning and purpose of the relationships we form and foster; and clarity in the situations and experiences we have in our world.

Bio: Rev. Mahrzxijah Smith Mitchell is the Founder and Spiritual Director of Further Aglow, Center for Spiritual Awareness. She previously served as co-pastor at Trumpet Call Ministries in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

She leads workshops, seminars, conferences, symposiums, and webinars internationally. She is pursuing a course of study, at Emerson Theological Institute. She holds an A.D. in Education from the University Of Technology in Jamaica, West Indies.

Rev. Mahrzxijah has enormous passion for helping people as a practitioner. She helps couples and families tackle relationship challenges and work with them to develop relationships that last.

June 20: ReMembering

Rev. Dr. Martha Creek

We’re all here to remind ourselves—so that we might fully remember, and then fully express, Who We Really Are!!

We're here to complete in each moment the Agenda of the Soul, over and over again, moving through all the moments, days, and years of our lives, remembering Who We Really Are through the demonstration and the expression of it.

Not only so that the world is in some way impacted, but also because our own soul evolution invites us to do so.

June 27: Everything Grows to the Light

Rev. Jean Sweet

As ANTN's first Farmer Minister, I understand the natural and spiritual implications of this essential truth. We are all growing into the Light of our higher selves. And just like a garden, that is overtaken by weeds, requiring cultivation, we must tend the garden of our minds. The goodness of God is constant, just like the sun shining with Its beneficence. Step out of the shade and grow into your true self.

Donations

FINANCIAL UPDATE:

We gratefully announce that HCCL is operating in the black. We will continue to prosper, thanks to our shared vision: the thriving of our spiritual community.

Don't forget that you can donate through PayPal no matter where you are in the world! It is
completely safe and easy. Try it, you'll like it!

(no PayPal account required)

DONATE NOW

A Note From Your Treasurer
I need your assistance to correctly process the money you send to HCCL.
When you send or drop off a check to HCCL, please follow these instructions. If it is not designated, your payment is marked as a general contribution.

Fill out the “For” line so it can be properly credited.
Mark it Donation/Contribution/Tithe, Class or Workshop title, Auction/Raffle, etc.
Send an email to hcclspirit@yahoo.com to be properly tracked for the different classes, workshops, etc.
If you are registering for an event, contact Dr. Deb who is tracking events and activities.

When you pay via PayPal using the Donate Now button follow these instructions.

If you are making a general contribution, follow the prompts in the page.
If you are registering for a class or workshop, such as Rev Jean’s Journaling Voyage, please click the Classes tab at the top and read the instructions for notifying the event leader, and then process your payment.
To use PayPal for other activities, such as the raffle fundraiser, start on the Newsletter tab and read the instructions there, then process your payment.

Following these instructions helps me keep your payments credited to the proper account.
Thank you for your help, and may you have an abundant and fulfilling New Year in 2021.

Family Promise Update

Dearest Volunteers,

Thank you to the volunteers who contributed time, effort, and money to make our hosting turn a success. On April 19 and 20, HCCL served 3 families in the program, some with tiny infants. HCCL’s support helps homeless families become sustainably independent.

Our current schedule runs through the end of May. Carroll College, which has always hosted the month of June, will not have facilities available this summer. Consequently, we will be hosting earlier this summer than in the past. I do not have a date yet; the next schedule will be out soon. I will announce our next rotation as soon as I find out.

Gratefully,

Catherine Metsch

Family Promise Volunteer Coordinator

Contact Catherine Metsch at 933-5743 for further information.

For questions or to ask about volunteering, you can also contact Catherine at: cjmetsch@outlook.com.

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.

Community

All are welcome to join the Masterfully Mindful support group!

This group has been meeting weekly since September 2014. It provides a way to check in with others, set intentions, and share how your week has gone. The group provides a safe place for you to share honestly and without judgement. The meeting opens with a guided meditation, and closes with spiritual mind treatment.

Join now if you are experiencing loneliness and isolation from COVID restrictions or other causes. You are so welcome.

We meet via Zoom from 12:30 - 2 p.m. on Wednesdays. To join, send an email to Rev. Jean at jeansfamily6@yahoo.com.

Meditation

The path forward may sometimes be unclear.

And it may be messy.

But the shared heart is calling,

and we have an opportunity to make lasting shifts toward love and justice in our world.

Kristi Nelson

Love and joy come to you,

And to you your family, too,

And God bless you, and send you

A Happy New Year,

And God send you a Happy New Year.

Your HCCL Board

Helena Church of Conscious Living