VISIONING NEWSLETTER |
| VISIONING -In the spiritual practice of visioning, we are sensing into a Divine Idea for us (or for that thing for which we vision) that is so wonderful it is beyond our imagination. We are opening the way for that which is unlimited to come into view—into our experience of life. We are volunteering ourselves as a place in consciousness that is available to allow the perfection and wholeness of the One Life to become manifest. We are becoming a space of deep listening available to hear Spirit’s highest vision or idea. Visioning is a process by which we hear, feel, see, and open to God’s plan for any particular project we are working on |
| MESSAGE FROM VISION CORE COORDINATOR |
Beloved Community Members: The new Vision Core Coordinator will be announced by Dr. Kathy Hearn at the Gathering in March. I know that this person will lead us into a more expanded use of the tool of visioning. Our next vision call is scheduled for Monday, March 24. Look for an announcement of our next fabulous guests. Please consider sending an article on your experience of visioning (no more than 500 words) and demonstrations. We would also appreciate your feedback. Your suggestions to enhance the format are important. Please feel free to email articles, demonstrations and revelations regarding visioning. The email address is onevisioncenter@hotmail.com REMINDERS: Also, a visioning book and list of vision facilitators is on the website for you to download at any time. http://www.religiousscience.org/ucrs_site/education/visioning.html Know that I take you with me in my heart and I am clear that each and everyone of you is a masterpiece of the divine. Many blessings and much love, |
| COMMUNITY SHARING |
| Was it Lao Tsu who said “without a vision the people will perish”. ? — By Rev. Barbar Leger |
I clearly remember the first time I tried to do a visioning here in Ukraine – it was in Spring of 2002. It was 6 months after arriving here on Sept 11th 2001. I had gathered up the regular attendees to my lectures and intro to SOM classes. We were crammed into the living room where I lived, a guest of my first interpreter, Grisha, and his mother Maria. 12 people squeezed around a table and I finally convinced Maria that the TV had to be turned off and to close the door to help shut out the incessant phone and pungent kitchen smells. I couldn’t keep the dog from barking, or the phone from ringing or the new kitties from climbing all over everyone. In that setting I attempted my first visioning. Good grief, what was I thinking??????? It didn’t work of course; I didn’t understand how deep was the distrust of another possible reality or a person who came saying she could ‘help’. Without that trust of me and of the world/life itself, visioning is not possible. What did happen was people claimed to vision their fears, wants and opinions. What chaos!! But at least it opened the door for me to hear their deeply held concerns, doubts, fears, past tragedies, oppression and distrust. I realized where my work lay and began my ministry at a new level that day.
Please imagine this country and its experience to know what a leap of faith it is to be visioning. It became clear to me that trust was the number 1 issue in Ukraine, a land forever occupied and fought over; a land where just 70 years ago millions were strategically starved to death or sent to Siberian labor camps by Stalin. Fear and distrust lives in the psyche and has touched every single person I know. I remember weeping when one of my first students said “no one ever asked us to think about ourselves before” for most were caring for two generations and they were at the bottom on the heap with no time for themselves – just coming to class was an amazing stretch and often cost 10% or more, of their income. Other possibilities or happier realities seemed very remote and unattainable at that point. But something in them felt the truth and they kept coming. Visioning was introduced very softly a year after that first mis-step. It was done in the model of a guided meditation and I used it in the beginning of class for the purpose of their own experience in the course. They got it, they loved it, and it shifted them into imagining a greater possibility for themselves and then ultimately being comfortable for sharing with their classmates. I have since learned how to create safe space, people now trust me to be their guide and spiritual leader. Now VISIONING is practiced in all classes, with staff, on all project teams and in the community. The upset of that first experience gave me the information I needed to better understand my new community and be wiser as I learned how to co-create the atmosphere of love and trust that we now have and are nurturing/growing. It was wholeness in action!! I see it now; from this vantage point it was Spirit in action. We call that PRECOLE. Our visioning has taken a big step forward the past three months as we now have monthly visioning for what wants to be as our community - the first Wednesday lecture of each month we dedicate to asking and deep listening. We share it all aloud (that alone is amazing), record it all and it is growing in clarity. A pattern is emerging – it is about LOVE, safety, radiating pillars of light, support, big opportunities, expansion, learning, COMMUNITY, great possibilities -- now it is exciting for us to vision together because we have a shared awareness, a group realization, that we are allowing the magnificence of Spirit to be revealed to us individually for the growth of the whole of us. The process of visioning is helping to bring people into that deepest experience of personal relationship with the Divine, Infinite Presence, the lift force, the awareness and intelligence back of all things. Along with amazing classes, visioning is helping us to develop the consciousness of love, trust, peace, with acceptance and expansion of our good. It is thrilling to be a member of UCSL Vision Core and to know how important the practice of VISIONING is for us individually and collectively. Thank you Rev. Dr. Michael and that first band of Visioners. We intend to follow in your footsteps and allow a mighty expression of Spirit as TEMENOS: |
| Visioning Support for the East Coast —By. Rev. Marsha Lehman |
| Rev. Marsha Lehman, area 6 Visioning Facilitator will be on a visioning conference call for anyone who would like to vision on Valentine's Day. The call will take place at 12:00noon on February 14. We will be open and receiving Divine Inspiration asking, "What is the highest and grandest idea of God's love expressing through me?" As part of visioning, Marsha will be doing meditation and prayer of course, and, after the call if anyone would like spiritual coaching about their visioning practice she will be available and delighted to do that. Please call the following number and you will automatically find yourself on our visioning call: 605 772 3900 (when asked for access code: 572290#) |
| Vision Support from Area 5 —By Rev. Marie Strzykalski |
| However you have been introducing Visioning as a practice in your communities there is always one more innovative idea that comes from the mind of God. Communities in Area 5 have been using the free conference call to encourage congregants and leaders of their centers, study groups, churches and special focus ministries to come together and vision for the highest for UCSL in our area.
Facilitators are Reverend CC Coltrain from Dayton Ohio and Reverend Marie Strzykalski from Mount Laurel NJ. They are leading the Visioning the first Thursday of each month. Anyone from Area 5 who is interested from congregant to minister is encouraged to participate in the calls. Our conference number is 308-344-6400 access code 912491#. For information on the next call contact: Reverend CC can be reached at revcc@godexpressing.org We would love to have you join us and have this expand to the point that we need to hold 2 or 3 calls to accommodate all who are interested. |
| DID YOU KNOW |
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| Contact Information; Vision Core Coordinator Email: onevisioncenter@hotmail.com |
This will be my last message as Vision Core Coordinator. It has been such an honor to serve you and our amazing organization in the past six years. It is so clear to me that visioning is supporting our communities, individuals and leadership in powerful and dynamic ways. I look forward to the unfolding miracles that must demonstrate in the coming years. 
This was in the same house where Grisha said to me “if you can find peace and love here, you can find it anywhere” while admonishing me for wanting a peaceful corner to do my prayer and meditation work. I was in such distress: I couldn’t be quiet or alone anywhere. There was no way I could create safe space for letting go and listening to Spirit’s call. Grisha also said, “How nice you came to teach us about peace and love, would be great if you had some” Beginning of my waking up in Ukraine…..
The Visioning facilitators for Area 5 are holding calls every month for our ministries in general and for any specific request that is submitted. Area 5 includes centers, churches, special focus ministries and study groups on the East Coast from Maine through Delaware and then Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Idaho, South Dakota and Nova Scotia. This is intended as a way to educate and allow all to experience the power of Visioning expanding the practice up through our centers and ministries. Our ministers are all practicing Visioning and have a full schedule. We have initiated this model to include everyone and expand our ministries from the bottom up.