VERIFY TEACHINGS FOR YOURSELF
 The Practice of Freedom

During the month of JULY Reverend Glenda and Reverend Judy challenge us to question, to clarify and refine for ourselves the spiritual teachings we have accepted as Truth.

They will help us shift from believing in ideals to discovering the wisdom that emerges from our own experience. They will help us gain a direct understanding of what nourishes and sustains freedom of awakening.

They will help us cultivate discriminating wisdom so that we can express our highest understanding of the Truth in all of our life experiences.

We will be encouraged to remember that we are much more capable of awakening than we imagine. We each have an inner authority that knows that it knows the Truth.

We can know who we are and be who we are through all of our changing circumstances. This talk series invites us to think for ourselves even when we may long to be rescued or find someone else to tell us 'the Truth' in this confusing world.

We will come to see that no outside authority can give us the Truth or take it away. We will find that our heart holds the simple wisdom that we have sought all along.

Please join us every Sunday in July. Common Ground is the perfect place for anyone who is spiritually independent and open to spirituality without borders. We are an open accepting spiritual community where everyone is welcome.

Please join us each Sunday at 10:30 am.

Resources include:

Voices of Insight, Edited by Sharon Salzberg

After the Ecstasy the Laundry, by Jack Kornfield

Sunday Morning Inspiration Weekly:
10:30 am

Talk titles for JULY

July 6: Think for Yourself

July 13: Simple Wisdom

July 20: Whose Truth Is It? ~ Teri Wilder, guest vocalist

July 27: Know Who You Are ~ guest vocalist, Andrew Pettit

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Robert Fields:Appearing Sundays in July

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

2013/2014 Newsletter Archives

 

 JULY CLASSES & EVENTS
 Sunday Morning Inspiration Service 10:30 am

PLEASE NOTE SUMMER SCHEDULE CHANGES:

JULY COMMUNITY EVENTS

PICNIC POTLUCK LUNCH ~ Sunday, July 13 ~ 11:30 am

SUMMER YARD SALE ~ Saturday, July 19 ~ 7:00 am to 12:00 noon

FOCUS ON THE ENVIRONMENT

RECYCLE SUNDAY ~ July 20

Orange County Farm Bureau Certified Farmers' Markets

ONGOING

A COURSE IN MIRACLES ~ Tuesdays, Weekly ~ First & Third Tuesdays, 11 am ~ Second & Fourth Tuesdays, 12 Noon ~ Love Offering

CHANTING AND KIRTAN FOR PEACE with SPIRIT SOUL AND FRIENDS ~ Sunday, July 20 ~ 12:30 to 2 pm ~ Free (Donation Accepted but Never Expected)

ECKHART TOLLE BOOK STUDY~ New Earth ~ Tuesdays ~ July 1 & 15 ~ 7 to 8:30 pm ~ Love Offering

ECKHART TOLLE BOOK STUDY ~ Power of Now ~ Fridays, Weekly ~ 12:30 to 1:30 pm ~ Love Offering

MEDITATIVE BREATHING, with Jess Ly ~ Tuesdays, Weekly ~ 6:15 to 7 pm ~ Love Offering

REIKI HEALING CIRCLE facilitated by Barbara Fukuda, Usui Reiki Master/Teacher ~ Tuesday, July 8 & 22 ~ 7 to 8:30 pm ~ Love Offering

SACRED HISTORY ~ Historical Exploration in Religion & Spirituality, with Dr. James D. Rietveld ~ Weekly ~ Thursdays (drop in class) ~ 7:30 to 9 pm ~ Love Offering

WEEKLY BOOK STUDY, with The Revs: Forgive for Good, by Dr. Fred Luskin ~ Ongoing Tuesdays ~ 1 to 2 pm ~ Love Offering

WOMAN'S WISDOM CIRCLE & Book Study: The Five Things We Cannot Change, by David Richo ~ Tuesday, July 8 & 22 ~ 10 to 11:30 am ~ Love Offering

VENUE EVENTS

RECOVERY OF THE REAL AUTHENTIC TRUE SELF, with Luke Benoit ~ Wednesday, July 2 ~ 6:45 to 9:00 pm

Plum Blossom I Ching, with Dr. Janet Woods ~ Wednesday, July 2 ~ 7 to 9 pm

Learn the Power of Korean Hand Therapy, with Dr. Janet Woods ~ Wednesdays, July 9, 16, 23 & 30 ~ 7 to 9 pm

Feng Shui Astrology: Using the 9 Star Ki to Achieve Awesomeness in Life , with Dr. Janet Woods ~ Mondays, July 7, 14 & 21 ~ 7 to 9 pm

Harnessing the Power of 4 Pillar Astrology to Change your Destiny , with Dr. Janet Woods ~ Monday, July 28 ~ 7 to 9 pm

35 for Life, with Mick Hall ~ Tuesday, July 15 ~ 7 pm

Women Connecting with Heart ~ 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, July 1 & 15 ~ 11 am to 12:30 pm, Love Offering

Oneness Blessing ~ Deeksha ~ Monthly the 2nd Tuesday, July 8 ~ 7 to 8 pm ~ $5 Blessing Giver/$10 Blessing Receiver

Orange County Spiritualist Gathering, with Medium Kathleen Vance ~ Wednesdays, July 9 & 23~ 7 to 8:30 pm ~ $10 suggested donation

Health Science Discussion ~ History in the Making! ~ Saturday, July 19 ~ 11 am to 12:30 pm

OC Holistic Chamber of Commerce Meeting ~ Wednesday, July 9 ~ 6:30 to 9 pm

Development 1 & 2: 1: Developing your spiritual path & 2: Intuition and advanced students in spiritual and psychic awareness , with Bob Lewis ~ Saturday, July 12 ~ 9:30 am to 12:00 pm & 12:30 to 3 pm and Saturday, July 26 (Development 1 only) ~ 9:30 am to 12:00 pm

Gentle Restorative Yoga, with Renee Schwan ~ Weekly ~ Tuesdays & Thursdays ~ 2 to 3 pm ~ $10 per session

Pema Chodron: Living Beautifully/Tao Te Ching Study & Meditation Group, facilitated by Rev. Craig Phillips ~ Weekly, Wednesdays ~ 7:15 to 9 pm

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 detailed information.

 

 SUMMER YARD SALE
 Back By Popular Request

Common Ground is committed to do its part to help create a sustainable planet.

Over the years the spiritual community has demonstrated conscious environmental responsibility in many ways. Creative use of materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.

The GreenLady Boutique is an excellent example of one way that upscale ladies' fashions, accessories, and gift items are recycled and made available for sale at an under-twenty-dollar price point.

Artwork and furnishings throughout Common Ground reflect an eclectic and unique style of decorating made possible through generous donations of repurposed and recycled items.

In addition, annual yard sales have provided a way for Common Grounders to reduce, reuse and recycle 'stuff' that is no longer needed. Yard sales provide a way to pass on to the local community a variety of useful household goods, clothing and miscellaneous items; and the price is always right!

Not only is the idea of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle good for the environment, it is also good for Common Ground. Proceeds from The GreenLady Boutique and yard sales help meet operating expenses of the spiritual community.

While budget forecasting for 2014, a decision was made to replace yard sales with other types of fund raising activities. However, many in the spiritual community have requested that there be a shift to 'Yes on Yard Sales 2014'

So, back by popular request, a Summer Yard Sale is on the calendar for Saturday, July 19th.

Please take time to clear clutter and release unused items to the sale. More details are available online at www.embracehumanity.com

While cleaning out closets and drawers be sure to keep an eye out for upscale ladies' fashions, accessories and gift items for sale in The GreenLady Boutique.



Tax receipts are available for donations to both The GreenLady Boutique and the yard sale. Common Ground is a qualified not-for-profit organization.

 

 COMFORTING PRESENCE
 InReach Support



With growth comes change.

This month Common Ground is introducing a new program geared toward supporting those in spiritual community who are experiencing health challenges, loss, grief and other difficulties.

Thanks to the awesome growth of Common Ground, the time has come to expand the support team for those in need of a comforting presence. As an extension of the vision and mission of Reverend Glenda and Reverend Judy, a new InReach Support Program will be launched in July.

Under the guidance of The Revs, as part of her ministerial internship at Common Ground, Stacie Buda has designed this new program and will act as the team coordinator and director.

In addition to supporting those who are experiencing life's challenges, the program is also geared toward spiritual wellness.

The new InReach program includes six components intended to bring comfort and hope to Common Grounders and their immediate families:
1. Prayer
2. Compassionate listening
3. Home and hospital visits
4. Encouragement and correspondence
5. Grief and loss support
6. Meal support for those in the spiritual community who are recuperating from a serious illness, accident, or surgery, for those who are experiencing bereavement, or for those who are in other difficult life circumstances

A team of six people who are in covenant with spiritual community have been trained in prayer, compassionate listening, hospital and home visit protocol, grief and bereavement, and confidentiality. Each member of the team has made a one-year commitment to serve in the InReach program. They will also take part in monthly in-service workshops and attend Sunday services.

In addition to Reverend Glenda and Reverend Judy, and the director of the program, Stacie Buda, team members include Carol Marshall, Donna Young, Judy Doty, Mike Kandell, Nancy Berg, Ruth Ann Miller.

This new program is a meaningful way to expand comforting presence, compassion and care at Common Ground. Please contact Stacie Buda or any person on the team if a need arises.

 

 FYI
 Keeping Up-to-Date

Thanks to the environmental consciousness and generosity of Tom and Denise Blanchard, Common Ground now has a recycle-specific collection bin in the kitchen. This addition supports the community's intention to reduce, reuse and recycle materials in support of a more sustainable planet. Thanks to the recycling efforts of Chuck Doty, all the material collected by the spiritual community is 'cashed in'. The proceeds benefit Common Ground. Teamwork is awesome!

The GreenLady Boutique is now accepting fall and winter items in preparation for the upcoming season. Remember: donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by the IRS.

The Hospitality Calendar is in need of sign-ups to bring simple snacks to share after service on Sundays. Nothing elaborate is required. A simple plate of cookies (store-bought is fine) or veggies is perfect.

A Fall Outreach project benefiting Integrity House is in the planning stage. Anyone interested in participating on the leadership team for the project is invited to contact The Revs.

Thank you to the Sunday morning team that graciously takes responsibility each week for greeting, setting-up and tearing-down hospitality and information stations, making coffee, ushering, and being a loving presence. Who you are makes a difference!

 

 PRAYER & MEDITATION
 Aligning with the Pure Spiritual Force Within



Zen Poem

Those who see worldly life as an obstacle to Dharma*
see no Dharma in everyday actions.
They have not yet discovered that
there are no everyday actions outside of Dharma.
Dogen

*Dharma: Dharma is an ancient Sanskrit word with numerous layers of meaning. It commonly refers to the universal force that guides our life and carries us safely through the threats and challenges along the way. The closest equivalent to dharma in the West is the concept of grace, the protection and guidance of a loving God. Living in dharma means acting in concert with one's divine purpose in life.

Following our dharma in the deepest sense means that we're not really obeying the laws or regulations set down by society. Dharma isn't about the external world but about aligning with the pure spiritual force within. When our intentions, thoughts, words, and actions support our life's purpose, we are in dharma. And then we bring fulfillment to ourselves and everyone else affected by our actions.

Excerpt from The Chopra Center



Life is prayer at Common Ground.

If you need comfort and inspiration please visit our website to submit a request .

Common Ground and its friends are served by a Prayer Team comprised of a large circle of loving people who hold in their hearts and in their awareness the prayer needs of all those in need. Carol Marshall graciously serves as prayer team lead.

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

There are no fees for prayer at Common Ground.

 

 TITHING 2014
 May All That We Give and All The We Receive Be Blessed and Multiplied. 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 2013 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; 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; , The Humane Society of Dover-Stewart County, a not-for-profit organization rescuing abused, abandoned and neglected animals and placing them into good homes, Mercy House Fare Share Program, providing bus passes for homeless men, women and children in search of a better life, The Avielle Foundation, a non-profit foundation created by the parents of a child victim of the Sandy Hook killings, aiming to support and protect vulnerable loved ones and to strengthen communities through brain health initiatives and community engagement; Breast Cancer Angels, a not-for-profit organization providing financial, emotional and spiritual assistance for women and their families as they are going through breast cancer treatment; and Willows in the Wind, a not-for-profit organization supporting families with teens and young adults in crisis.

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 2014 EVENTS
 Mark Your Calendar Today

CURRENTLY SCHEDULED:


End of Summer Potluck
Daniel Guttierez
Autumn Potluck
Halloween Potluck
Tenth Anniversary Celebration ~ November 14
Holiday Boutique
Thanksgiving Potluck
Holiday Potluck
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
New Year's Eve Reflection Service