Unlocking and Unleashing the Joy of Spiritual Community
by by Reverend Carmien Owen

It’s a delight to announce that I am the new leader of the Centre for Spiritual Living Saskatoon. The focus of my new leadership is unlocking and unleashing the joy of spiritual community.

For those of you who are perhaps not familiar with the Centres for Spiritual Living, our purpose is to provide a supportive, spiritual home that encourages personal growth and learning, offers vibrant community events, and accessible spiritual inspiration to Saskatchewan and the world.

We fulfill our purpose by incorporating the wisdom of ancient philosophy and spiritual traditions. We seek to inspire individuals to live their most expansive lives through the practical incorporation of spiritual tools. We practice meditation, affirmative prayer, and active visioning to tap into our inherent spiritual nature. We believe love and compassion are the most beneficial healing tools available to mankind, and we approach our personal lives from this perspective. We thereby set examples for the rest of the world in how to co-exist in peace, harmony, joy, and prosperity. Our collective vision is a world that works for everyone.

What drew me into spiritual leadership with the Centres for Spiritual Living? We are a spiritual organization focused on universal spiritual truths, rather than religion. The easiest explanation I can think of to define a spiritual organization comes down to the following question—Is the focus of the organization on someone else or on you?

When you think about it, this question applies to every aspect of a spiritual organization, including the spiritual leader. One of the things that I’ve often bumped into on my journey as a spiritual leader is those leaders who make lifestyle declarations and judgments without owning up to their own shortcomings. My vision for leadership is centred on taking personal responsibility for all that manifests in my life.

And with this vision, lifting my heart day by day, I had the pleasure to answer the call on May 3rd, 2015, to be the Spiritual Director of the Centre for Spiritual Living Saskatoon. My spiritual practice of visioning has shown me that there is no more meaningful first step than the cultivation of spiritual community.

What is Spiritual Community?

The most beautiful expression of spiritual community that I can think of is one where everyone is cared for by someone. With such a vision comes a release from limiting beliefs. I am clear that a spiritual community ensures that no one who chooses to get involved and engaged is left behind, or has no one caring for them. And given the history of Saskatchewan, I cannot help but feel a fit for such a vision.

What are the Essential Ingredients of Spiritual Community?

Visioning and experience have shown me that in order to manifest such a vision there is a need to develop a deep and profound outrageous care structure. There is a yearning within everyone that I’ve ever met to thrive and grow through accepting authentic connections of loving kindness. And there is no more beautiful experience than witnessing and feeling the loving energy of fellowship.

I have come to the realization that there needs to be a balance between the Sacred Masculine and Sacred Feminine. On one hand, we need to ensure that there is the freedom and space to allow the nurturing, magnetic, and creative qualities of the Sacred Feminine. On the other hand, an outrageous care structure honours the strengths of the Sacred Masculine.

An outrageous care structure creates a flexible, resilient web of shared leadership for everyone, delivers high quality spiritual care, supports spiritual growth, and focuses on a transformational process of being and doing at both the individual and collective levels.

When this exquisite balance is accomplished, it is like witnessing the sun’s radiance reflected by the moon. As it is for all of us on our individual journey of spiritual awakening, when the masculine and feminine are in balance the radiance is breathtaking.

Spiritual leadership is woven into the DNA of a spiritual community, it is not just where the spiritual leader is. Everyone who chooses to engage is empowered and equipped through leadership development training fit for any professional workplace, along with structured nurturing. Members are key to a spiritual community’s health and growth. Leadership is multiplied through a focus that apprenticing is every leader’s primary responsibility—developing others that are interested in spiritual leadership takes priority. And co-creation replaces co-dependency as the glue that holds the spiritual community’s relationships together.

I know that this article empowers you to unlock and unleash joy for all in whatever spiritual community you may be involved. The three keys to opening the door to the joy of spiritual community are transformation to shared leadership as a process over time to evolve a new way of doing and being as a community; looking at everything through a lens of love, learn, decide, and do; and nurturing everyone and everything.

I invite you to join us at the Centre for Spiritual Living Saskatoon, or visit our Facebook page (see below) to view one of our Sunday celebration videos. We look forward to meeting you. 

Reverend Carmien Owen’s passion is the pursuit of spirituality and he does that through extensive practice, study, composing music, writing, and as a Licensed Minister with the Centres for Spiritual Living (www.csl.org). He serves as the Spiritual Director for the Centre for Spiritual Living Saskatoon. He is an articulate communicator, physically disciplined, environmentally sensitive, and spiritually conscious. His book, Know the Flow: 180 Blogs to Spiritual Awakening, offers practical insights on bringing spirituality into everyday life. And perhaps most importantly, he believes that building community that is centred on spiritual practice and spiritual nourishment is the most important thing he could be doing with his life.

To learn more about what Carmien and the Saskatoon CSL are up to, visit www.facebook.com/centre.for.spiritual.living.saskatoon. You can reach Carmien at rev@carmien.com, and visit his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/carmien.owen. Also, see the colour display ad on page 29 of the 21.3 September/October issue of the WHOLifE Journal.