Hello friends.  Two weeks ago I asked some of the Oakland students to comment on their experience with Mother Clare, one of our Master Teachers (the other being Father Peter).  Here's what they wrote:

Mother Clare is so solid and present with me and the community. I feel how available and giving to us she is. How much she sees us as our true selves and just that we are clouded over with things that aren’t ours. I feel so blessed that she sees this in me and wants to help me, wants me become whole. I have been shown where I have been, where I am at and what I have to work on. I have practical and immediate things to apply to my life. I feel that this weekend has moved me toward my goals, and is helping me to let go of unhealthy patterns.

-Christopher

(The) weekend's seminar series with Mother Clare showed me a lot about myself and the ways that I keep myself small. I discovered that there is indeed a strength within me that has mostly been dormant all this time. I now feel empowered to change the things that aren't working in my life. Mother Clare has the power to see us so clearly and individually, and give us the steps to take right action in our lives. I am so grateful for her love and her generosity.
-Giselle

Being with a master teacher is an intense experience. I like intense.  When Mother Clare was just at our center, I felt that my life could change - right here - right now.  There are times when I am with either of them and just feel things clicking into place.  For a brief moment, I can feel that I am tapping into feeling comfortable and fearless and discovering the adventure of being loved by God and alive! (and it feels strangely calm).   Although I haven't yet sustained this, I also get practical direction from the Teachers.  They are the people that I most want to look at me, and I am honored by their attention to my most awkward spillings of my feelings.
-Faith

For most people, this is just another Sunday.  For us, at The Center of Light, it is Easter Sunday.  A most Holy Day ~ the day our Master Jesus and Mother Mary conquered death through love, faith, dedication, sacrifice.  The most perfect divine sacrifice known in the history of time.  No other Masters have done this – none claim to.  Not the Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster – none of them had the huge mission of Love to take away all our sins, past, present and future, and give us the Grace needed for when we slip up, fall and falter.  They love and loved us so much as to plan ahead for us for when we’d fall, like the Perfect Parents.  The only question is, will we accept it?  will people of the earth, amidst all the evidence of impurity, hatred and anger, accept the reality that God incarnate humbled Himself to help us, His created, His beloved?  I believe everyone can – I think everyone can receive Him, love Him and unite to Him.  The saddest thing on earth is people feeling forgotten and unloved.  Well, Jesus and Mary didn’t forget you – in fact they know you and love you and are giving to you all the time. 

Happy Easter & Blessings to you this day ~ Reverend Rachel.

When Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is inside you," and, "You are the light of the world," He actually meant it! Two thousand years ago Jesus came with such a radical message that it still continues to disturb people today.  The heart of this message is that inside us there is a light that is the realm (or kingdom) where God resides, not in a symbolic way but truly and literally. 

Over time, mystics have been the ones who have taken the teachings of Jesus and lived them in an experiential manner through relationship with God. Mystics are the devoted who practice the inner paths of the major world religions – like Zen is to Buddhism, Sufi is to Islam, and Christian Mysticism is to Christianity.  Joan of Arc, Teresa of Avila, Francis of Assisi, and Hildegard von Bingham are all Christian mystics who lived radically during their time; their experience, knowing, and relationship with God was the cornerstone of their lives and faith.

Traditionally, regardless of what religion the mystic is, the seeker has gone into a hermitage, ashram, monastery or mountaintop to be taught by the teacher, secluding him/herself to a life of renunciation and isolation.  Yet, the question always remained, how does one, then, who is living in the world, holding a job, raising a family, or in a relationship also experience the reality of a true and dynamic relationship with God?  Is life in God only for those who leave the world – what about the rest of us?

At the Centers of Light, we embody, practice, and live what we refer to as a "modern monastic" life.  We are women and men, professionals, students, parents, teen-agers, spouses with one very essential thing in common: a deep, intimate, and real relationship with God at the center of our beings as the most important thing in our lives.
The Bay Area's Center of Light is in Oakland.  We offer daily meditation and communion, in addition to a wide variety of offerings specially suited for the spiritual seeker looking for more than just nice ideas about a spiritual life or a quick fix to the doldrums of the day.  The Center of Light is a place where real people make real changes in their lives, guided by real spiritual teachers who have been there and continue to walk the path before you, wanting you to make it too. 

At the Centers of Light seekers are taught to quiet their minds, still their bodies, use spiritual tools to examine themselves, heal emotional wounds, develop authenticity, heal their bodies, strengthen their spiritual sight, and develop an ongoing conversation with the God-being within.

The mark of true transformation is peace and consistency.  At the Center of Light seekers find both these qualities, in the teachers and community members.  The result is a dynamic and eventful life rooted in a peace that passes understanding.  To find out more, visit us!  Blessings to you ~ Reverend Rachel.

Yesterday morning, myself and 14 community members went down to Glide Memorial Church in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco to serve in whatever capacity they put us.  Every year Glide feeds close to one million people and during the holiday season, the daily numbers increase.  Where there is usually a ticket system, yesterday it was open and all who were in line by 1:45pm, were going to eat and eat very well indeed! 

We arrived after having a Thanksgiving breakfast together and upon arriving at Glide, we were shepherded into their sanctuary where the different jobs available were discussed.  Our jobs ranged from everything from sanctuary cleaner to turkey carver (you’ll see pictures of Marianne and Judy carving the masterpieces) to serving in the dining hall, and finally standing outside on the street and greeting everyone who was waiting in line with warmth and love.  That was the job I was moved to take ~ myself and three of my students put on our orange vests and proceeded to head out to hit the streets, except right when I was about to go out, someone poked their head into the sanctuary and asked, “Does anyone here speak Spanish?”  I raised my hand as Spanish is my first language, thinking she needed an interpreter for something.  I approached her and she said, “Are you willing to do an interview for Telemundo?”  I was shocked but said yes right away and thought God is so interesting in the way God moves….

I was asked by the interviewer, Pilar, what I was thankful for and why I was there – I shared with her that first I was thankful for God, Jesus and Mary, who had given me the love and the guidance I needed in order to be in a place to give and serve and love too.  I was thankful for my community who strives and courageously let’s us in there to help lift the burdens of their hearts.  She also asked me if we should be thankful for life.  Yes! 

After that we went out on the street and spoke to hundreds of people (the line was blocks long) while they stood in line waiting patiently for possibly the only meal they would have that day.  I heard stories of homelessness, of people selling themselves in prostitution for drugs and ironically, for their safety, I heard stories of heroic decisions to stop drugging amidst a culture and environment that encourages it.  I listened and listened and heard each one ~ I felt so grateful that God gave us this opportunity to see each one of them.  The angels down there were all the staff who coordinated the 900 (!) volunteers on this day. 
During dinner last night with our community, people spoke of opening their hearts to touch and speak and give to homeless people in ways they had not in the past.  It was a great time to introspect, renew and rededicate our hearts to serving and being in Jesus and Mary’s love.  You know, all of these folks who don’t have homes are stark reminders of how people feel inside ~ that they don’t belong or there is something missing.  I pray they all come to know this as a deep and meaningful reality.  May you be blessed this day ~ Rev Rachel.