I'm glad to be able to report three recent landmarks in the history of the Celebration Circle.
First, I'm co-hosting a Sunday Morning Circle in Austin this coming Sunday, August 10th, at the Toltec Center of Creative Intent (TOCI), from 11am-noon. Over the years, a number of people have inquired about the possibility of starting a Celebration Circle-style gathering in other cities - but nothing ever came of it, until now.
NEW IN AUSTIN
TOCI's founder, HeatherAsh Amara, and her teacher, don Miguel Ruiz, Jr., have long been supportive of Celebration Circle, serving as guest speakers, workshop leaders and generous donors on a number of occasions. Established in 2001, TOCI is a well-established spiritual community, which has a beautiful meeting space, a loyal following and a firm foundation on which to build a regular Sunday Morning Circle.
We don't know exactly how this will unfold, or how it will be connected to the Celebration Circle of San Antonio. This weekend is just a trial run, and there aren't any other dates on the calendar at the moment, but presuming that this Sunday goes well, we're hoping it could occur on a regular basis in the future.
NEW IN OUR OFFICE
The second landmark is that our beloved Executive Director, Zet Baer, was recently certified by both the Non-Profit Management and Leadership Certification Programs presented by Our Lady of the Lake University and the San Antonio Area Foundation (see photo above). While this recognition came primarily as a result of coursework she completed through these programs, it is also a reflection of her twenty-three years of experience in managing the business affairs of Celebration Circle with diligence, consistency and integrity. Congratulations, Zet!
NEW IN NEW MEXICO
The third event was the wedding that Zet and I recently officiated in New Mexico for our dear friends and long-time members of the Circle family, Susie McAtee Monday and Linda Cuellar. We've had the good fortune to conduct more than two hundred weddings over the years, but this was the first legally-recognized, same-sex marriage ceremony either of us has conducted. Although it occurred out-of-state (as did the wedding of David and Toby Caris, who got married in Maine two weeks prior), I can't help but feel that this long-overdue, blessed event was made possible, in an admittedly small, but-still-powerful way, by the consciousness of Oneness and inclusivity that we have been fostering in the Circle.
While the groundswell of support for same-sex marriage, currently taking place in churches and courtrooms throughout the country, is rooted in many different efforts that have occurred on many different fronts over the years, I'm proud to be part of a spiritual community which always supported this work.
NEW POSSIBILITIES
At first glance, these landmarks might seem totally unrelated - and yet I'm convinced that they all rise out of the rich, fertile soil that has been lovingly tilled, tended and amended in the consciousness of the "community garden" that is the Celebration Circle - one person, one gathering, one meditation, one committee meeting at a time.
Thank you for whatever part(s) you have played in helping making these things, as well as untold future growth, possible. Your support is invaluable.
With gratitude and joy,
Rudi
**Congratulations to Susie, Linda, David and Toby!!
No comments:
Post a Comment