Spiritual Workshop Saturday 27th November 10am – 4pm Blessings of the Dark Season Venue: Greenhill New Church Centre 177 Leicester Road New Barnet, Herts. EN5 5EB All spiritual seekers welcome. Do bring a friend. Silke Alima Stoeckel Silke Alima Stoeckel is a biologist, a therapist, a healing practitioner for psychotherapy and an active participant in the Dervish … Continue reading Blessings of the Dark Season
Friday 4 March 2011 – 19:00 to Sunday 6 March February 2011 – 15:30 Purley Chase Centre In this spiritual growth workshop we will be looking at the great significance number seven has to life and how we live. There are seven colours of the rainbow, and seven days of creation to name but two. According to Emanuel … Continue reading The Colours of Creation
Friday 18 February 2011 – 19:00 to Sunday 20 February 2011 – 15:30 Purley Chase Centre Living in the moment is to be truly alive. This state of mind comes not from pursuing our own agendas but rather from feeling we are playing our small part in the greater scheme of things. Paradoxically the more we … Continue reading Usefulness: Discussion Weekend
From Friday 21 January 2011 – 19:00 to Sunday 23 January 2011 – 15:30 Purley Chase Centre Informal group discussion of the things that interest us as young adults with regard to our spirituality, with plenty of chances to follow up and discuss any issues or questions which arise. There will also be plenty of time for … Continue reading Young Adults Weekend
Friday 12 November 2010 – 16:00 to Sunday 14 November 2010 – 15:30 Purley Chase Centre The Patriarchs and their wives give us clues as to how to identify with our genders at various levels in order to make powerfully connected marriages. We shall also explore how the same concept is reflected in all religions for example in … Continue reading Two to Tango Weekend
Friday 29 October 2010 – 16:00 to Sunday 31st October 2010 – 14:00 Purley Chase Centre More Details
by Hans Fallada (Translated by Michael Hofmann) Penguin Modern Classics.
The author of this absorbing novel has created a story about a decent character, Otto Quangel, who with his wife lives in Berlin during the second-world war. Working in a factory and living amongst a people whose private misgivings and criticisms of their political leaders are silenced by fear, Otto, also has a daily horror of the possibility of being reported to the authorities for having a wrong political attitude or for having committed some minor misdeed against the state. Such accusations could well result in arrest and torture or even a death camp. Yet he is prepared to communicate his criticism of the government’s oppression and unjust social policies as well as their military conquests abroad. For the regime in seizing absolute power, have destroyed any vestiges of democracy.
I wonder how we would react in similar circumstances? Thank goodness I do not have to face such a test. But many people in the world today who live under dictatorship have to find some way of accommodating themselves to corruption in their society while maintaining their self-respect.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not … Continue reading Serenity prayer
Some people drift aimlessly through life reacting to events and never making things happen for themselves. However, whatever the personal problem, it is often necessary for us to take the initiative in doing something about it, rather than letting things drift. Otherwise, it is only when some crisis occurs that eventually the situation forces us to make decisions about say a job, home, or even a close relationship. Better to prevent difficulties getting out of hand than allow circumstances no longer under our control to push us into a corner.
Often and in various ways we may slide into letting life around us govern how we think and behave – in a way that enables us to blame ‘it’ if ever we feel criticised. So it tends to be “someone else’s fault – not mine!” But spiritual healing may be needed.
Perhaps we are willing to be of help to others even when it is an inconvenience. It is good to be selfless and charitable. However, do we sometimes allow others to exploit our better nature? One sign of this is if we were to feel fed up with the way others take advantage of us or feel quietly resentful when sidelined, or put on.
To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour. from Auguries of Innocence William Blake