Noon Day Ministries

On any given day, there are over 610,000 homeless people in the United States. October 10th was World Homeless Day. This coming Thursday and Friday is the national Homeless Standdown at Noon Day Ministries  The Stand Down is the one day of the year that is dedicated to honoring and assisting veterans who have found themselves homeless. This event is designed to help homeless veterans regain their dignity and self-respect. Thursday is the day devoted to veterans only and Friday is open to the general public. Stand downs will occur this week in cities all over the country.  

Noon Day Ministries was founded in 1982, by a man and his Sunday School class at the First Baptist Church, who served food to the needy after church. Today the organization serves over 108,000 lunches along with a multitude of other services on a yearly basis. 

I attended the Sunday Worship services held at Noon Day at 11am. Legacy Church hosted this day's service as well as every second Sunday of each month. There was onsite security and a police officer. Members of the church and the site were scattered throughout the service to provide assistance and help with any issues that could arise. 

There was music and then a message. The speaker shared his personal testimony. He talked about the time he spent in jail, drug use, and his many near death experiences. He talked about how God and his salvation brought him out of his darkness and onto a ministerial path. His message was about the Walking Dead. How we are all souls walking around dead without the love of God and of the Message of Jesus Christ. He focused alot of his message on the enemy of the devil and personal demons. He said his minister, however, always tells him - don't be scared, be prepared to receive the gifts of God. Have faith, God will show you who you should be. Lastly he wanted to remind the group that Jesus' presence in your life is Heaven. 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ~ Ephesians 2:4-5

There was also a place for homeless children and children of volunteers to learn about Jesus. After the sermon, there was an altar call and prayer available for people. There was more music then dinner was served to the people in attendance. A barber and a hairdresser were available after the service for people to get free haircuts and used clothes and books were available as well.

Different churches alternate conducting the Sunday Worship services at Noon Day, and all start at 11am. New Covenant Church hosts the service on the first Sunday of each month. Friends Feeding Friends hosts service on the third Sunday of each month.Noon Day hosts services on the fourth Sunday of each month. Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church hosts service on the fifth Sunday of the month (when there is one). All services are followed by a meal. 

No Matter where you are on your Journey or how Broken you may feel, you are ALWAYS worthy of God's Love!

THANK YOU Noon Day Ministries for providing the Love of Christ to the Needy on a Daily basis. 

Mystics ~ Center of Light

Mysticism is not a religion, it is rather a way to practice a certain religion. Mysticism is defined as distinctive practices, discourses, texts, institutions, traditions, and experiences aimed at human transformation, it is expressed differently in each religion.  There are mystics in Christianity, but there is also Judaism mysticism called Kaballah. Muslim mystics are Sufi. 

Christian Mysticism is the "spiritual process of coming into the experience of God at the center of one’s being." Mystics do this through practices of meditation, prayer and being in relationship with God on a daily basis, all in an attempt to know God with a personal relationship. Famous Christian mystics are St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena. 

Centers of Light otherwise called Order of Christ Sophia, are a Christian Mysticism self proclaimed Holy Order with multiple centers around the United States. They "teach, share, and cultivate spirituality through sacraments, meditation, seminars, classes, and practical instruction" and are unique to other denominations that they believe Jesus represents the masculine aspect of God and Mary represents the feminine aspect of God. The Order's Co-Founder, Peter Bowes, left in 2012 and the group saw a major shift to a more inclusive and collaborative spiritual community. 

I attended the Santa Fe Center of Light Church's 9:30 am service. 

The center was in a small commercial area in a suburb of Santa Fe. There was a small group. They start out with a 30 minute guided meditation. There were two licensed ministers who performed the service. There were hymns sung, then a reading from the bible. 

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.         ~ Mark 12:30

One of the ministers, Leah Johnson, gave a sermon from The Poem of the Man God which is a text that was a forbidden text by the Vatican until the 1990's. It is an Italian nun, Maria Valtorta's, interpretation of the Gospels. The story told was one that compares Mother Mary to Lilies of the Valley with her humility. Then she talked to the two models that spirituality often speaks of - Wholeness and Perfection. The Wholeness approach is often referred to as the feminine model - inclusion, cooperation, and acceptance of all aspects of life and the world as some level. The Perfection model, often considered more the masculine of the two focuses on achievements, competition, and a results oriented approach. Johnson spoke of how the two should both be integrated and honored in spiritual studies. 

There was then Communion which everyone was welcome to receive regardless of their affiliations or beliefs. They first prayed over the wafers and wine. Their prayers, even the Lord's Prayer, incorporate Mary into them. The way they hold the Mother Mary in esteem and include her in their rituals and prayers, reminded me of some catholic practices. After the service, the members hugged one another. 

They offer a variety of classes, meditation times, and social events. 

THANK YOU Center of Light Church for allowing me to share your service with you.