We invite you to take your first step and visit one of our weekly services at Oakland Center for Spiritual Living. You will be warmly greeted at the door of the sanctuary by one of our members and given a program, which includes information about the service, our community and announcements about upcoming events.
You may sit wherever you’d like (there are ushers available to help you find a seat if necessary). As you look around the church, you’ll notice the colorful hanging banners that represent the major religious faiths (Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Muslim).
Music is a major part of our Sunday services. Our Joy! Choir performs every other Sunday, accompanied by the wonderful Full Heart Band. On the alternate weeks guest artists and soloists bless us with their talents. Each month a list of topics and musicians is published on the website so you can know in advance who will perform each week.
Each service begins with a rousing song. The lyrics are usually featured on screens at the sides of the podium. After the opening song, the children are asked to gather on the pulpit so the entire congregation can bless them. The pulpit assistant welcomes the congregants and shares announcements. Then a Practitioner reads from the Book of the Month and leads the congregation in prayer.
Reverend Joan, our Community Spiritual Leader, then begins her talk. At the beginning of each year, Rev. Joan sets monthly themes and weekly topics, so her messages build upon each other. Her talks are filled with insight and humor, and she often asks congregants to participate by sharing their own stories. Rev. Joan ends with a prayer.
- Conscious Giving
- More songs, and
- Welcoming new visitors. As a first-time guest, you will be given a welcome brochure and a flower as a token of our appreciation. You may also pick up a CD of the entire service as a special gift.
After the service ends, Practitioners make themselves available for a prayer service called “Upper Room.” Any congregant who feels the need is invited to receive a brief Spiritual Mind Treatment from a licensed Practitioner. Upper Room is held in the back of the sanctuary, on the labyrinth.
Theme for 2008
At Play in the Fieldof Infinite Grace