Founder's Center for Spiritual Living
3281 W. 6th Street, LA, CA 90020
213-388-9733
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FOUNDER'S IS OPEN!!
Join us for in person services in English and Spanish
on
Sunday, December 5th at 10 am
We have all safety protocols in place, so bring your mask!
While we highly recommend that congregants get vaccinated prior to coming to service, it is not a requirement to attend. Just tell us your vaccination status as you enter the building so we can seat you properly.
If you have any questions, please call our Church Office:
213-388-9733 Ext. 101 for English
Ext. 118 for Spanish
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3 WAYS TO HELP SUPPORT FOUNDER'S!
We need your support more than ever!
1.Donations may be made through our website:
Just click the "donate" button below.
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2.Make a donation through "Easytithe"
Just text the amount of your donation to:
213-523-7270
If you are a first time donor, the site will walk you through a setup and you're ready to make a love offering whenever you want!
3.Checks can be mailed to our address:
3281 West 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Contact our office: 213-388-9733 Ext. 101
with any questions.
THANK YOU!!
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CHRISTMAS, THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR
By Rev. Dr. Arthur Chang
For many of us, the curtain for the most wonderful month of the year parts on the first day of December. To be fair, it really parts on Thanksgiving Day—a November day that seems properly to belong to December. The obvious reason is that Thanksgiving comes with flood of spiritual feelings for our connection to home, family, friends, love, plenty, and gratitude.
The December month shelters the mystery containing Winter Solstice with its spiritual appeal to peoples and cultures throughout the world and throughout time. Christmas, for most of us, is the culmination of this month of wonder, with its supernormal miracle appearing as the virgin birth of a world savior or messiah, wise men bearing gifts, angels singing “Glory to God and peace to humanity,” and even as Santa Clause and the Grinch.
Wherever our focus may be during this time, there will be a universal feeling of love and kindness in December. However, we may wish to broaden our appreciation for the many other cultures and peoples contributing to the sacredness of December by briefly noting how a few of them did this.
December 21, 2012 is special because the Mayan calendar starts a brand new cycle on that day.
Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day (a.k.a. Rohatsu) on December 8, or on the Sunday immediately preceding. It recalls the day in 596 BCE, when Gautama sat beneath a Bodhi tree and became the Buddha—the (spiritually) awakened one.
Christians in the West celebrate Christmas on December 25, as the day when the Yeshua of Nazareth (a.k.a. Jesus Christ) was born. Saturnalia was celebrated in
Ancient Rome—the feast of the solstice on December 25. It is the day the sun starts coming back, the days start getting longer. When Christianity became the official religion in Rome, they were able to reassign this date. The Roman tradition to celebrate Saturnalia with gift giving, candle lighting, singing and decorating houses really cemented Christmas as December 25. Of course, some of these elements were also in the Christian nativity stories. Nova Romans (a.k.a. Romana) are Neopagans who worship the ancient gods of Rome and celebrate the ancient Roman holy days. They celebrate Saturnalia, a seven-day feast starting on December 17.
Jews celebrate Hanukkah, (a.k.a. Chanukah; "Feast of Dedication" and "Festival of Lights"). This is an 8-day observance which recalls a miracle in the Jerusalem temple during a war fought by the Maccabees in the cause of religious freedom. The temple candles only had enough oil to burn for a single day. Yet, they burned for eight days. Jews light candles on a menorah—two on the first day, one on the second day, and one each day until nine are burning on the eighth day. This year Hanukkah falls between sunset on November 28 and ends at sunset on December 5, making a duration of eight days. The dates vary each year, but, generally, the beginning date is in late November and the ending date is 8 days later in early December.
Muslims' holy days are fixed to the lunar calendar. On successive years, the days migrate about ten days earlier as viewed on the Gregorian calendar. Id al-Adha (a.k.a. the Feast of Sacrifice or Day of Sacrifice) occurs during the 12th lunar month of the Islamic year. This immediately follows the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). It recalls the day when Abraham intended to follow the instructions of God to sacrifice his son Ishmael.
Zoroastrians observe Zartusht-no-diso on December 26, "the day in the sacred calendar when worshipers remember the death anniversary of Zarathustra. Special prayers are recited and a visit is paid to the Fire Temple as a mark of remembrance."
Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of the African-American culture that is held from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually held on the 6th day. It was created by Maulana Karenga and is based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of Africa, including West and Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966.
Christmas holds a special place in our hearts. Similarly, for others of different faiths there are special moments for them in December. These many facets of heightened spiritual awareness by each group contribute special value to our bejeweled December—the time of Winter Solstice—the return of the light (longer days).
Whatever is awakened in your heart this month, may it be a joyful time of the year for you, and for those who love Christmas, may you feel it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
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HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR PATH, NEED PRAYER?
WRITE TO REV. ARTHUR!
Email your requests to
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FOUNDER'S ON FACEBOOK, YOU TUBE AND
IN OUR SANCTUARY!
Sunday, December 5th
Dr. Arthur's topic:
The Christmas Birth Narrative--Luke
The Christmas Birth Narrative is a brief exploration of Jesus’ birth stories, their contradiction and their enduring symbolic value to us in everyday life.
Call the Church Office at
213-388-9733 Ext. 101
for additional information.
Visit our website!
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Wednesday Night Zoom Services with Dr. Arthur
December 1st
Wednesday Night Service on ZOOM!!
Dr. Arthur's Topic:
The Tao of Jesus Part 1
The Tao of Jesus Part 1 is an attempt to identify five of his most vital teachings in terms of how they apply to our way today to live life fully.
Order of Service
Minister: Rev. Dr. Arthur Chang
Assistant Minister: Rev. Larry Barber
Duration 1 hour, from 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Zoom Check in between 6:20 PM - 6:30 PM
Welcome: Dr. Arthur Chang
Connecting Time 10 minutes
Invocation: Rev. Larry Barber
Reading: Rev. Larry Barber
Meditation (10 minutes)
Lesson: (20 min)
Q and A
Prayer requests
Benediction
10 - 15min for last 3 items
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Ponte al día
Domingos a las 10:00 am servicio, 5 Diciembre,
Practitantes de Español en la capilla de Founder's
Síguenos en Founder's Facebook en Español
presentaciones de los practicantes:
Linea de oración de Founder's: Llame a la iglesia al 213-388-9733 x. 117 para solicitar una llamada por oración personal o para recibier información sobre servicios y clases.
Lo invitamos a realizar estudios complementarios con zoom de estudio de libros en la filosofía de La Ciencia de la Mente, ya sea los miércoles por la noche a las 7:00 pm o los viernes por la noche a las 5:00 pm. Para recibir más información y recibir una invitación, escriba a Ivania a ivalsa2000@yahoo.com.
Los invitamos a todos a unirse con nosotros y así crecer espiritualmente y aprender como "cambiar sus pensamientos para cambiar su vida".
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Founder’s Prayer Line is ready for your calls
Please call 213-388-9733, English ext. 106, en Español 117. Leave your name and phone #, and a practitioner will contact you within 24 hours. Meanwhile, please use the recorded blessing to help center yourself and know that God is always with you.
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Ernest's Corner
As the external Jesus gave way to the Divine, the human took on the Christ Spirit and became the Voice of God to humanity. How wonderfully he did this, constitutes the history of Christianity, and much of the enlightenment of modern civilization. And yet it would be a grave mistake to suppose that he was different from other men. He was a man who knew himself and his direct relationship to the Whole. This was the secret of his success.
The Science of Mind, Page 367-3
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Featuring Dr. Arthur Chang
Next week, on "This Thing Called Life"
Dr. Arthur will be speaking on the theme:
"Happiness Is a Choice"
The weekly broadcasts are:
Monday: "Gain or Loss?"
Tuesday: "Errors of Eden"
Wednesday: "Win/Win vs. Win/Lose"
Thursday: "Conditional and Unconditional Love"
Friday: "To Be or Not to Be"
The shows are posted daily and available 24 hours per day.
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Ask for help
Sometimes it’s just not feasible to navigate the tricky anxiety, depression, isolation and trauma by yourself. For those who have underlying mental health conditions, for those who have experienced past traumas, for people on the frontlines in medicine, and for people who are lonely, this moment can be especially tough. But there are a number of free, confidential resources to turn to for help. Here are a few:
—National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
—The Crisis Text Line, Text “HOME” (741-741) to reach a trained crisis counselor.
Some psychologists will work with people for free or reduced rates, if needed, given the challenging times.
Founder's Practitioners are also available for prayer to address your needs. Call the church office for an appointment.
213-388-9733 Ext. 118
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