SACRED UNIVERSE
 Hidden Heart of the Cosmos

During the month of MARCH Reverend Glenda and Reverend Judy will explore the question, "What does it mean to be human in this universe?"

They will work with ideas presented by Brian Swimme in The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos.

He says: "In order to move from ordinary consciousness to a new kind of planetary wisdom, we need a transformation of our experience that takes place concurrently with our acquisition of knowledge.

We are challenged with understanding the significance of the human enterprise within an evolving universe.

By learning the ways of the universe and by reflecting upon them as they surface in the daily life of family, work and community, we take the first steps into a new form of human understanding and existence.

We are six billion humans, and we need to learn to live with one another and with all the other ten million species of life in a mutually enhancing way.

We are all of us arising together at the center of the cosmos. The actual origin of the universe is where you live your life."

Come stretch your understanding of the Great Power that gives birth in every interaction throughout the universe today.

Please join us at Common Ground every Sunday for either the 9 am or 10:30 am inspirational service.

Resources include:

The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos: Humanity and the New Story , by Brian Swimme

The Great Work, by Thomas Berry

These titles are available in the Book Boutique. (Quantities Limited)

Sunday Morning Inspiration Services Weekly:
9:00 to 10:00 am and 10:30 to 11:30 am

Kids' Enrichment Program at 10:30 am

Talk titles for March:

March 6: Flowering of Conscious Self-Awareness

March13: A Deep Zest for Life
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME

March 20: Daniel Nahmod
SPRING EQUINOX: Cherry Blossom Celebration Luncheon

March 27: The Unseen Ocean of Potentiality

Watch Recent Talks On Video

Robert Fields: Appearing at Both Services Every Sunday in March.

Thank You for Your Generosity!
Common Ground is solely supported by the gracious offerings of its spiritual community and friends.

2010/2011 Newsletter Archives

 

 MARCH CLASSES & EVENTS
 Sunday Morning Inspiration Services 9:00 to 10:00 am & 10:30 to 11:30 am

MARCH SPECIAL EVENTS

SPRING EQUINOX CHERRY BLOSSOM CELEBRATION LUNCHEON~ Sunday, March 20 ~ 11:30 am ~ $10 suggested

DANIEL NAHMOD, MUSIC AS MESSAGE ~ Sunday, March 20, 9 and 10:30 am inspirational services

NEW

Processing Emotions Group ~ Wednesday, March 9, 7 to 8:30 pm ~ $5 Suggested

Movie Night: Edgar Cayce's Tour of Egypt ~ A Journey through Egyptian Mysticism ~ Thursday, March 17, 7 to 8:30 pm

KID'S CALENDAR

Kids' Enrichment Program ~ Weekly, Sundays, 10:30 to 11:30 am

OUTREACH

Standing In Peace, facilitated by Carol Marshall, Irvine Blvd @ Prospect Ave ~ Tuesdays, 4 to 5 pm

Knitting for Good, facilitated by Jeanne Czuba & Friends ~ Saturday, March 12, 1 to 4 pm

Serving at the Santa Ana Armory Cold Weather Shelter for the Homeless, team lead, Judy Carroll ~ Sunday, March 27, 5 to 8 pm

FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT

OCICE General Meeting ~ Thursday, March 3, 6:45 pm ~ Aldersgate Methodist Church

Earth Ministry Adopt-a-Park Project ~ Saturday, March 5, 9 am to 12 noon (at Portola Park)

RECYCLE SUNDAY ~ Sunday, March 20

Local Farmers Markets

Local Environmental Projects
~ Zero Trash Laguna Cleanup
~ ROOTS, Restoration and Native Vegetation Program: Upper Newport Bay
~ Save Our Beach Program

ONGOING

Eckhart Tolle Book Study ~ New Earth ~ Fridays, Weekly,12:30 to 1:30 pm ~ Love Offering

Healing Grief Circle: Life Transitions ~ Wednesday, March 16, 7 to 8:30 pm ~ $10 suggested

IONS Discussion Group Exploring Science & Spirituality ~ Exploring the work of Elisabet Sahtouris ~ March 23, 7 to 8:30 pm ~ $10 suggested

Presence Process ~ Tuesdays, March 8 & 22, 7 to 8:30 pm (Closed)

Reiki Healing Circle ~ Tuesday, March 8 & 22, 7 to 8:30 pm ~ Love Offering

Way of the Bodhisattva: Training in the Six Perfections ~ Wednesday, March 2, 7 to 8:30 pm (Closed)

Women's Wisdom Circle ~ Tuesdays, March 8 & 22, 10 to 11:30 am ~ Love Offering

VENUE EVENTS

Orange County Spiritualist Gathering, with Medium Kathleen Vance ~ 2nd & 4th Wednesdays of the month, 7 to 8:30 pm ~ $10 suggested donation

Development 1: Developing your spiritual path & intuition, with Bob Lewis ~ Saturday, March12, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm ~ $20 per person

Development 2: Advanced students in spiritual and psychic awareness, with Bob Lewis ~ Saturday, March 26, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm ~ $20 per person

LightLovers Studio, Readings & Energy Balancing ~ Saturday, March 12 , 2 to 4 pm ~ $20 per session



Be sure to look for updates and details of activities in weekly email notices.

Ongoing weekly classes continue as scheduled. Check our At-a-Glance Calendar for information.

 

 SPRING EQUINOX
 Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

Springtime is cherry blossom time.

Robin Williams, contemporary comedian, says: Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"

Yes! Let's celebrate springtime, the season of hope, joy, nature's rebirth, and blossoming possibilities.

Please join us at Common Ground on Sunday, March 20, to celebrate Spring Equinox and Cherry Blossoms.

Daniel Nahmod will present Music as Message during both the 9 am and 10:30 am services followed by a fun and festive spring luncheon featuring menu items with cherries as a main ingredient.

Come play with us. Everyone is welcome.

Something on the menu for everyone ~ vegetarian to omnivore. Lunch is offered at $10 suggested donation, ($5 for a child). No one turned away.

 

 FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
 Alliance for the Greater Good

Common Ground is pleased to announce that Reverend Susan Chamberlain, currently on sabbatical from Common Ground, has recently unveiled the new focus of her work, Sacred Seasons Center, based in her home. Launching the center realizes Susan's dream for furthering her ideal work in the world. Common Ground wishes her great success and personal fulfillment..

With this change comes the need to reformat Common Ground's Earth Ministry. In the past, Susan has taken the lead. Now leadership will be a team effort supported by various interested people at Common Ground.

In addition to revamping Earth Ministry, Common Ground will enthusiastically support the environmental efforts of OCICE and other such environmentally focused groups.

Susan will be Common Ground's representative with the Adopt-a-Park Project currently in place with the City of Santa Ana.

Judy Carroll will be Common Ground's liaison with OCICE and will bring pertinent information and opportunities for environmental outreach and activities back to our community.

A new focus on experiencing the beauty of nature and the local landscape will be launched under the team leadership of Dianne Maresh. Dianne will take suggestions from the community and help coordinate excursions, activities and events to bring an up-close-and-personal experience of the natural wonders of southern California. Possibilities are unlimited; perhaps Sunday brunch at Santa Ana Zoo, an afternoon at Sherman Gardens, a trip to Fullerton Arboretum, sunset in Laguna Beach, desert wildflowers in the spring, apple country in the fall? Dianne welcomes suggestions.

Recycling efforts will continue under the ongoing team leadership of Chuck and Judy Doty who have faithfully recycled Common Ground's plastics every month for several years. The proceeds from this recycling effort have been and will continue to be very beneficial in helping to meet Common Ground's operating expenses.

A new article will be featured in the newsletter each month giving ideas, suggestions and practices to help minimize the environmental footprint we leave as a result of our human presence on the planet. Your input is welcome.

Earth-centered prayer, meditation, ceremonies, and events will be planned and presented by the team.

Everyone is invited to bring ideas, suggestions, projects and energy to Earth Ministry and to help create a new dynamic program.

Common Ground is honored to support the work of both Reverend Susan and OCICE as we bring new emphasis to Earth Ministry at Common Ground.

 

 SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP
 Following the lesson of geese: We work as a team because we share a common vision to embrace humanity and express divinity, and can do that with greater ease because we travel on the trust of one another and lift each other up along the way

Spiritual leadership at Common Ground is supported by the hallmark distinction of a move from traditional hierarchical leadership approaches to more holistic leadership approaches in which thinking is systemic; structures are interactive; and the processes are integrative.

Primary leadership at Common Ground includes the five-member Board of Directors and a nine-member Advisory Team consisting of foundational covenant fellowship partners.

Common Ground's Board of Directors has historically been closely held among its founders. Originally, Reverend Glenda, Reverend Judy, and family members comprised the entirety of the board.

With maturity and growth of spiritual community, the board shifted to include staff minister, Susan Chamberlain, ministerial intern, Stacie Buda, founding ministers, Reverend Glenda and Reverend Judy, and family member, Dennis DePrete.

The overall aim of leadership at Common Ground is to honor and appreciate the necessary, vital, and unique contribution provided by each and every person, and to act to protect and promote the health of the entire spiritual community. The goal is to invite people to grow and develop their full potentials to the best of their abilities and to serve the greater good of the whole.

Key to success of this leadership style is flexibility, spontaneity, and functionality in response to change. With that in mind, now that Reverend Susan has taken sabbatical from Common Ground and has begun her home-based center, Reverend Danell Wheeler, founding minister of Common Ground Corona, will replace her on the board.

The board blesses Reverend Susan's new work and continues to celebrate her heart connection, covenant, and ongoing participation in spiritual community at Common Ground.

Reverend Danell's appointment to the board is enthusiastically welcomed and brings with it the important voice of Common Ground Corona's spiritual community.

Common Ground acknowledges the evolution of spiritual community as an ongoing and expanding process.

The lesson of geese.

 

 PRAYER & MEDITATION
 Om shantih shantih shantih

Oh Almighty!

You are infinite, the universe is also infinite!

From infinite the infinite has come out!

Having taken infinite out of the infinite, the infinite remains!

Oh Almighty! May there be a Peace! Peace!! Peace!!! Everywhere.

The Upanishads



Life is prayer at Common Ground.

Compassionate Listening is available each Sunday after both the 9:00 am and 10:30 am inspirational services.

Those needing prayer support are invited to make Prayer Requests on-line or by placing a request in the prayer box in the Lobby.

There are no fees for prayer at Common Ground.

 

 TITHING 2011
 As We Give, So Shall We Receive ~ Common Ground is truly blessed and in turn becomes a blessing in the world

Common Ground reaches out to the global community through our spiritual practice of conscious giving.

Giving back to the world is an important aspect of our mission and vision. A balanced integral approach is reflected in conscious selection of 501c3 qualified programs and institutions to which Common Ground provides tithes each month.

Recipients of Common Ground 2011 tithes include: IONS (Institute of Noetic Sciences), advancing the science of consciousness and human experience to serve individual and collective transformation; Kiva, empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty; Disability Rights California, affirmatively addressing the needs of the traditionally underserved and underrepresented disability community; Project HOPE School, (Homeless Outreach Program in Education), helping children without permanent homes transition into the mainstream educational system; Walking Shield, helping to improve the quality of life for American Indian families; and, Direct Relief International, supporting the immediate medical needs of earthquake victims in Haiti.

The organizations to which Common Ground tithes are meaningful programs where people from the spiritual community and its friends are already serving with heart and hand, and supporting with time and treasure.

 

 UPCOMING 2011 EVENTS ~ REVISED
 Mark Your Calendar Today

CURRENTLY SCHEDULED:

Get on the Bus Outreach Project: Mar thru Jun

Chagai Shouster ~ True Freedom & the Kabbalah : Sun, Apr 3

Harold Payne: Sun, Apr 3 (guest vocalist)

Annual Spring Yard Sale: Sat, Apr 16

Gino Walker: Sun, Apr 17 (guest vocalist)

Easter: Sun, Apr 24

Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium: Sat, Apr 30

Reverend Leo Booth: Say Yes to Spirit: Sun, May 1

Mother's Day: Sun, May 8

Freebo: Sun, May 15 (guest vocalist)

Father's Day: Sun, Jun 19

July 4th Pool Party: Mon, Jul 4

Karl Anthony: Sun, Jun 12

Melissa Suzanne: Sun, Jul 10 (guest vocalist)

Covenant Dedication: Sun, Jul 24

Daniel Nahmod: Sun, Jul 31

Darius Lux: Sun, Aug 14 (guest vocalist)

Backpack Outreach Project: Aug/Sept

Annual Common Ground Picnic: Sun, Sept 4

Daniel Nahmod: Sun, Sept 11

Karie Hillery: Sun, Sept 18 (guest vocalist)

Earthdance & Global Peace Prayer: Sat, Sept 24

Seventh Anniversary Celebration: Fri, Nov 18

Daniel Nahmod: Sun, Nov 20

Thanksgiving Eve: Wed, Nov 23

Christmas Eve: Sat, Dec 24

Christmas: Sun, Dec 25 (CLOSED)

New Year's Eve: Sat, Dec 31

 

 LIVING GREEN
 Think Locally

Consider shopping at local Farmer's Markets.

Buying locally produced products helps the environment in many ways, and also helps the local economy.

Why is buying locally a good idea?

Food has less distance to travel which saves fuel and reduces pollution

Food is fresher and healthier

Less packaging and refrigeration are needed reducing waste and energy use

You can discuss with the farmer the growing techniques, pesticides and fertilizer used so you know what you're getting.

Local growers are usually smaller operations than "superfarms," and are less likely to use mass growing techniques, chemical fertilizers and pesticides

By supporting local farmers you are purchasing directly from the grower putting money directly into your local economy

Check the OCICE calendar for a listing of local Farmer's Markets in your area.