Easy access to the internet allows us to listen to our favorite spiritual gurus whenever we want rather than crawling out of bed on a Sunday morning to listen to our local minister. Or perhaps the exhilaration of skiing down a snow-covered mountain with our family and friends is more appealing. Adapting to stay-at-home mandates during the COVID 19 pandemic frayed our connections to our spiritual community. We forgot the warm feeling of love, acceptance and belonging when we joined fellow members of our congregation for Sunday morning gatherings, group meditation, social events, or made our way to an evening class. Learning to zoom into a hybrid Sunday gathering keeps us somewhat connected, but the sense of belonging to a spiritual online community is seldom as satisfying as attending in person. Our friends at the Center grow older while we all wonder where the younger congregants could be. Have they moved away or just not found us yet?
When young adults reach their late teens and twenties, they often leave the church where they grew up. In the past when they grew older, married and had children, they might typically return to their childhood faith or a new church or spiritual Center they discovered after much searching. In the 21st century, that spiritual search more frequently leads people to discover spiritual transformation through a different type of spiritual practice. It might be yoga, Tai Chi, music, Buddhist meditation, Hindu chants, sound healing, creating or being inspired by art, or by communing with nature. The proliferation of wellness centers has provided opportunities for holistic healing modalities such as chiropractic treatment, acupuncture, Naturopaths and therapeutic massage.
A new alternative to a traditional brick and mortar Church, Temple or Center, is a spiritual hub where people can explore different spiritual paths. Each spiritual practice is an opportunity to align our body, mind and spirit, open our hearts and experience our personal connection to the Infinite Invisible. By bringing a wide-ranging group of spiritual seekers together into one spiritual hub, they have a chance to learn from other faith traditions, try out new spiritual practices, and create a Beloved Community. A spiritual hub can be a place of loving kindness and belonging where it is safe to be vulnerable, to care for each other and to evolve through spiritual transformation. What are the possibilities?
Love and light,
Rev. Pam
