Metaphysical Lego: Dr. Kenn Gordon

Dr. Kenn Gordon's Presentation

Spiritual Leader of Centers for Spiritual Living

(Rough notes, not intended to be a complete representation of Dr. Kenn’s message. Presented here only to give those not in attendance a taste of what is happening at the Conference. Please get the audio recording for a complete representation and forgive over simplification.)
Metaphysical Lego

Our coming together as two movements over the last year has been like a big box of Lego that has no instructions. We know all the pieces are there, but we don’t have a picture or an instructions manual. All we have our founding principles. We’ve been designing for a year how all the parts fit and we know all the pieces need to fit, we have to find a place for everything to fit. It is multi-dimensional. We are building a chalice, a container, which is the physical part of what we are doing. We also have the multidimensional task of filling the inside.

The important part is that inner peace. The outer part is important, it represents the vehicle to get us there, but there isn’t any point in going anywhere if we don’t have the inside part handled. The inner part is what makes the outer part valuable. To recognize that the only reason we allow our soul to shrivel is that we are frightened to let go of something else. I look into myself to discover where my fear resides…. If I don’t help the directors build the outer structure it will fall apart and go away.

So what. The content is what counts.

Continue Reading...

SpiritualLiving App: It’s What Is Happening Next

Rev. David Alexander's Presentation

(General notes - not exact transcription)

I love technology and I love what it can do for our ministry. I want to use it to enhance what we do. I think it is a powerful demonstration of the One Mind. We need to find a way to use it innovatively. I love my smart phone. There are 5 billion. 1 billion are smart phones. It took 13 years to get to the 1 billion mark. It will take 3 years to get to 3 billion. 1 million are sold a day in the US - -50 % of data consumed is being consumed by mobile devices. We are going to our mobile devices more than we are going to our laptops. 75% of the smart phones market is iPhone and Android. We text, browse, email, play games, social network…. Phone calls are nowhere on the list.

50/43% users are under the age 34. How can we get into that? I’ve been asking this for years. How can I get my Center into a smart phone app. It’s very expensive to create your own app. Companies that do it for you are expensive too. It’s cost prohibitive. It’s a closed network, even an amazing app, the only people who know about it are the people already in my Center. It’s not effective marking as a tool.

Cultural Creatives are part of the market that we are seeking to attract, not the exclusive market, but a big pat of of the growing market we are seeking to attract. More importantly is that there are two key dimension

Continue Reading...

Wednesday Evening Program

Wednesday Evening Program speakers, Savana Riker and Les Brown were fantastic.  I asked a few people after the event for their comments.  Here they are!

Continue Reading...

Evolving Right Along: An Integral CSL?

Jim Lockard
Evolving Right Along: An Integral CSL?

(Jim’s presentation was fast moving and had many slides. Again, please get the audio recording for a more accurate rendition of the excellent presentation. These notes are meant to give you a rough impression of the evening. Forgive inaccuracies.)

Talking about evolution tonight, but not in a way you’re used to hearing about it. Despite how we might see ourselves, we are not the end of evolution. We are a step in the process. So what is evolution today? It is seen as the idea of emergence, and in so many different areas of life: psychology, culture, spirituality, as being the way things are arriving and showing up. Not that we are bringing them into being, but in the sense that they are using us to come into being. We are the vessels for these ideas.

Darwin began to see that things change and evolve. He was working in the observable world. Today we look at that same idea and find that the idea of evolutionary biology has shifted dramatically and we are looking at everything through an evolutionary lens.

This is not a fad, but an emerging paradigm. Our own religious science movement, you may say, began as a small circle of people who were really in the know. That circle began to grow as Dr. Holmes began to teach and speak. As more people came into that circle, it began to change and shift into an oval with a leading

Continue Reading...

Stand: Actively and Visibly Taking a Stand for Social Change

Tuesday Evening was opened with music by the Universal Gospel Choir, a mutli-faith and multi tradition choir, under the direction of Catharine Nicholson.

Rev. Andriette Earl introduced Rev. Michelle Synegal saying that her life is truly evidence of what a life in this practice yields.

Her topic “Stand: Actively and Visibly Taking a Stand for Social Change”

(Forgive inaccuracies.  I wanted to get you the rough draft notes as quickly as possible.  I’ll clean up text later.)

She invited the audience to stand and remain standing to create an experience that we could have together. We recited the Global Heart Vision together while standing to ground ourselves for the presentation, pausing between each stanza to take in the meaning of the words.

Four points

1. Visibility is our viability
2. Stand for Our Brand
3. Prayer and Action
4. Call to Action

Visibility is our viability: Critical Mass. Even a small segment of system, when it works together collectively for the common good, creates a rate of acceleration, a rate of expansion that spreads exponentially. “I know that you do admirable works in your individual Centers, but just imagine if we simultaneously engaged in acts of love at the same time all over the world? We would become visible, we would become a house-hold word and that is my hope and vision for this movement.”

Continue Reading...

What Has Been Your Highlight So Far?

Today was all about business meetings and workshops.  I asked some attendees at the conference what their highlight has been so far.  Here are some of the spontaneous responses:



There was also time to take in some of the views of the waterfront and exquisite architecture of Vancouver, Canada.   It's a beautiful city.  Everyone is so polite and well dressed.

Continue Reading...

Day One Vancouver Canada Convention

Opening Ritual
Mary Murray Shelton and Karyl Huntley facilitated the Opening Ritual to the convention, inviting us to the consciousness of openness reflected by the question: what
wants to happen next?”

Altars around the room were illuminated to represent different faith traditions as a reminder for us to be open to each other too. Locals from Vancouver, as representatives of different faith traditions, greeted the congregation in the language of the country of their origin. They requested members of the community to stand and receive the greeting in their different groupings and were ceremonially invited to sit as an acceptance of the welcome.

The altars are to stand as symbols of prayer and sacredness throughout the Conference and attendees were asked to keep them clear from clutter so that they could be available for personal contemplation.

The Ceremony was closed with a group call and response lead by Karyl Huntley:

I bless the land of the first nations people, and their kin, the four legged, the feathered ones, the swimmers and the leafy ones. I bless the earth herself, her waters, her mountains and the clouds above her, I bless all the peoples who have immigrated to this land of beauty may they all live in peace and plenty for evermore. And may this land be enveloped in the love that I now spread and the love that I leave behind when I depart. Blessed Be.


Key Note Addresses
Michelle Medrano
(Notes from Rev. Michelle’s message. Forgive inaccuracies.)

Continuing Coherence: what’s next for us?
What would it take for us as an organization to continue to dance together?
Our two organizations are like a married couple who after a long courtship, huge prenuptial agreements, now have experienced the first year together as a married couple. At the first year anniversary there is room to re-enliven passion, connection. Three things that are high on the priority list to consider:

1. Passionate dedication to the embodiment of the Divine One within.
2. Remembering that each one of us is building this teaching and its influence in the world with every thought and word.
3. Letting Love lead the way

Embody the Divine

It’s important that we not only to be able to talk about our teaching, but to be able to live it and “be it” as individuals and in our organization, so that we participate form the awareness of Spirit within us. Keep in mind the temptation to step off the path. As we come together to make decisions, if we are not grounded in the presence of Spirit within us then the decisions that we make are based upon things like agendas, fears,

Continue Reading...

I Was There: Vancouver Canada 2013

Taken at "A Welcome by Rev. Dr. Kenn Gordon and Rev. Dr. John Waterhouse" at the 2013 Spiritual Living Convention.

I am so used to being on the other side of the camera at these events.  Not tonight.  I made sure I got in the picture to be able to say "I Was There!"

Do you know these people?

Wonderful food, and music by Diane Lines, and dancing and old and new friends.

We're looking forward to tomorrow, among other things to hear Dr. Michelle Medrano addressing "Continuing Coherency", Rev. James Melon talking about "Removing the Ceiling."  He says "Facing self-imposed limits that hold us in place is a good starting point for expanding into the infinite possibility of what we teach, it starts with seeing what's there, and then using a little mental dynamite  The explosion is awesome."  That ought to be fun!

In the evening Rev. Georgia Prescott speaks about "The Land of Er" in which she explores the teaching that we are always at choice and that sometimes the problems caused by comparison stop us from taking the next step.  Followed by Re.v Nirvana Gayle "Time to Shine as the Divine."

Continue Reading...

Headed to Vancouver, Canada

It's Sunday morning, February 17 and we are headed to Vancouver, Canada via Seattle, Washington on Horizon Air, Alaska Air's regional partner.



Julia, Chris, Evan, Jan and Bob are with me at the Santa Rosa airport. Tip: bring your own coffee.

Check in and security were seedless and friendly staff made it easy, especially when I lost my glasses under the conveyor belt.



I'm in a hurry to read my book in patience. But I love flying so much it's hard to concentrate on the words. It's the Center's recommended book of the month: Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living by Allan Lokos.

I'm enjoying this book a lot, especially the part towards the end about patience being the backbone for other spiritual skills, and how it is difficult to exert right effort without embracing patience. I guess I will pick it up after we land I Seattle and read again while we wait patiently to fly to Vancouver.

Continue Reading...

A Walk In The Rainforest of Costa Rica

Walking through the rainforest near Arenal volcano, a short walk from the Lost Iguana resort. The Hanging Bridges state park is beautiful, and I recommend going very early in the morning when the human life count is down and the wild life count is up!

Continue Reading...