Steve Jobs once said, “It can be hard to trust in the process when you can’t see the bigger picture. But you never know what might be around the corner, so you have to keep moving forward. And one day, you may recognize that some of the hardest things you had to go through were also the best things that ever happened to you.”

When we go through things that are hard for us, we do suffer and complain, but often what can happen is that we increase our spiritual stamina, strength, and resilience, usually without realizing it until later. I think that the way we come forth into the world of human bodies
inevitably teaches us that we are weak and vulnerable, and we see so much that is bigger and stronger than we are that we forget our own strength. There is a spirit in us, however, that is accessible through our hearts and minds, that surrounds us and is constantly available for us to
choose to receive. An attitude of receptivity is very helpful here.

We must learn to trust our own unique process. I used to say to my son when I drove him to school: “You never know,” in answer to his complaints about school. I imagine it helped him, and I know it helped me. Our children really are some of our best spiritual teachers. We have to dig deep into our spiritually creative imaginations to solve some of these issues. I never really think of myself as a problem solver; I try to wait for spirit to let me know what to do in many
situations. No wonder things take so long; it is possible I am not listening carefully. Somehow, listening for and trusting spirit has brought me a gift of peace in my life and released me from an urgency and the stress that will accompany it.

Check out our website, Interfaithspirit.org, for classes, group gatherings, and special events. Enjoy the warmer weather and get outside. Listen to the birds, and you will hear the voice of God! Blessings to everyone.
Annie

Way back in 1998 our new group met for the first time. I remember counting thirty-five in number. Most of us knew each other from Unity of Ann Arbor. I remember thinking: “does this have to be so much like a church?” But I kept coming back, as many of us did and we managed to stick together, and some of us still are together. Turned out, this “church” was much different. Larry and Alex and I had come from a new thought
metaphysical church community in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was great, but this was better: Interfaith community in a real sense. I remembered the idea from a group in college, but this was better, and I felt like
getting involved, so I did, and I’m still here!
 
Dave went to the New Seminary in New York City for ordination as an Interfaith Minister and subsequently came back into the group with inspiration for others to explore Spiritual and Ministerial training from the Interfaith perspective. Based on the model at the New Seminary Dave developed a 2-year Spiritual Practitioner program here. The classes were open to anyone, but to become a Spiritual Practitioner the entire course was required, 3 of our members completed the program. Several others from our community, including me, were inspired to enroll in One Spirit and All Faiths Seminaries in New York, and become ordained Interfaith Ministers. Others were ordained through the Fellowship for Today in East Lansing. Spiritual Growth is what
Interfaith is all about and Dave has served as a great catalyst for us all.
         
I am thankful and amazed for the courage and tenacity of Dave and Judy Bell. I can only imagine what it was like to start a group of such diversity and hope and expect it could last. But last it has, 27 years now. Looking
back, who knows where I would be without their leadership and love. I know it was not always easy. And all of us have struggled at times with leadership decisions that needed to be made. I have had the chance to learn so much that my work as a massage therapist never would have taught me. I am a better speaker and writer, spiritually I am stronger than I could have imagined. I have more resilience than I ever thought I would need, and I need it all.
        
I have learned to find peace in times I never would have thought possible.  I have made amazing friends for life, as I know many of us have. One of my favorite spiritual teachings is the understanding that we attract into our lives the things that we most need to learn. May we continue learning and creating our community with grace,
compassion, and especially the love of Spirit. And may we always remember how the Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth came to be through the vision, dedication and persistence of our founders, Dave and Judy Bell.

Blessings to everyone on this journey of our lives.
Love,  Annie

I like this quotation from Abraham (Esther Hicks) “I love myself enough to stop arguing for my limitations.” So, today, as I write this piece, I thought about loving myself and about what that means. I thought there might be a few ways I could do this better. I deserve to love myself. Of
course, I know I am worthy of being loved, no matter how long it takes for me to get there.

Initially, I think it helps to stay positive as much as possible. This means I have to be aware of what my mind is thinking and make the conscious choice to keep lifting my spirit. This is mostly
easy enough by taking small actions every day. Some actions might be reading a good book or a funny book. (Humor is so, so important). Buy yourself some fresh flowers. Walk outside or inside at the mall. Write down some goals, not just your to-do list. Feed your birds outside then
watch them. Call someone you have not called lately. (FYI: Google just gave me a few hundred more ideas.)

What is interesting is how beliefs and feelings that are at the source of my understanding are underneath my thoughts and are difficult to be aware of. Many of those beliefs and feelings are fearful, and I think were established in my brain by the time I was 7 years old. What to do now is
the question. We must completely forgive the past as we become aware of it. Everyone was doing the best they knew how.

It helps to remember we are led by our spirit guides and angels all the time. There is a line in A Course in Miracles that I like to use: “I could choose peace instead of this.” I like to imagine what perpetual peace could feel like. Just one small thought like this can bring a feeling of
peace.

Check out our website, Interfaithspirit.com, for some more ways to extend love to yourself. There are a lot of wonderful events and classes going on every week

Blessings for a beautiful spring, soon to come, I am sure.      Annie

Each one of Us Makes a Difference

I want to start by quoting a passage from A Course in Miracles. “For this alone I need; that you will hear the words I speak, and give them to the world. You are my voice, my eyes, my feet, my hands through which I save the World. The self from Which I call to you is but your own.”  (Workbook, p 330)

About Six months ago I gave a talk which I titled “How to save the World”. Did I remember to say that we are doing it already? If it does not look like it, that is because there are not a very large number of us who actually remember that we already are children of God. The world is doing just what it needs to do to bring itself closer into balance by expressing the anger and pain acquired through being human, and becoming more divinely human.  Each of us thinks he/she knows how everything should be, but ideas from one group don’t work for every group. Those of us who may see the larger picture, see the struggle for balance, and see the chaos that these efforts create. It seems that things are getting worse around the world: more war, more environmental disaster, more diseases, and more suffering. We could remember that we are not victims of the struggle. We each think differently and want different challenges. And, may I say, each of us is infinitely and divinely creative. We imagine a world of peace and equity. I don’t know if we are clear about what it takes, but we do try. I imagine that each of us in our own compassionate and loving way works to make it happen around us consistently in small ways.

Our one effort must be for forgiveness. Thinking from a higher place, each of us can only practice forgiveness and peace from within our own consciousness. There is no way to make everyone happy even with many possible outcomes. We should be assured of our extraordinary resilience and strength in doing the best we can. In fact, I believe that these challenges are what we want and planned before we were born, presenting us with “many opportunities for spiritual growth”. I don’t know about you, but there seem to be plenty of challenges in my own backyard, in my own house, and in my own mind and heart.

Remember to check our website: interfaithspirit.org. and the bulletin board for events and opportunities to celebrate community.

Many Blessings!    Annie

New Year Resolutions

At this time of year, many of us like to make New Year’s resolutions. Mine usually go like this: My resolution is not to make any resolutions this year (because I usually don’t keep them, so what is the point). Until I found this one: “Let our New Year’s resolution be this: We will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity.” – Goran Persson

Most of us don’t have big families these days, or if we do, they might be scattered all over the country, so we celebrate our holidays with those around us, at our work, or in our communities. For me, every Sunday feels like a great celebration when we connect at Interfaith. You are my best friends, and I hope that I am yours. You are my family, and I hope that I am yours.

Of course there is a point in making resolutions, even if we don’t keep them all. We get a chance to think in terms of things we can do for ourselves to do better. This is important creative thinking. It is so much harder to move forward in our lives if we do not set out with some aspirational thinking. New Year’s Resolutions are just one way to accomplish this. I really like this quotation I found in an old calendar: “Our only limit to what we can achieve lies in what we can imagine.” We have to start in our own imagination. When my son Alex was a teenager, I would often say in reply to some negative or limiting remark, “You never know.”

Let us continue to imagine the best for ourselves, each other, and our Interfaith spiritual community. Together we can create much more than each of us can do alone.

Blessings for this New Year to ALL of us!  

Annie

Make Peace Wherever You Are

One of my favorite ideas is PEACE, but I can’t remember ever writing about it until now. I know I think about it a lot, partly because it seems so elusive. All I have to do is look around my house: no peace here (or so I am thinking). I think peace is an attitude and must be a choice we make and a conscious practice for every day. Imagine when many of us begin a practice of peace every day; life will be different.

I have some favorite quotes:

From Mother Theresa: “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

I live alone most of the time and I love being alone; I seem to get a lot done, but I love being with people, too. I feel inspired and stimulated by ordinary exchanges, made more precious because of the contrast with my very quiet alone time. That sounds almost like a new idea, but maybe it is because I forgot how expansive my being really is.

From the Buddha: “Peace comes from within. Do not seek peace without.” 

How can we not know this? We do, but we sometimes forget. Doesn’t everything come from within? If not, where? We do know that we have everything within that we need to create a life filled with endless love and joy if we remember to listen and pay attention.

From Esther Hicks and her spiritual voice, Abraham: “Make peace wherever you are.” 

This is quite the challenge because we know it also means no matter what is going on. I am not sure about you, but I encounter difficult or uncomfortable situations almost every day. I do my best to make peace with each one by remembering the peace I can choose. Never forget we are truly powerful and eternal beings.

Join us at Interfaith for many opportunities for fun in this truly beautiful season. For information and

details, check our website: interfaithspirit.org.

Blessings for ALL, EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME!

Annie 

How is it, why is it, that life seems so challenging these days? Why is life so much more complicated than ever before? Or that, as we expand in consciousness, there are many more challenges that confront us. Does it not seem there should be less?

There are two things that fascinate me these days: spirituality and politics. I hardly ever watch TV,  but I will listen to political commentary (including the comedians) or my favorite spiritual teachers like Eckhart Tolle, Esther Hicks, Barbara Brodsky, and Jack Kornfield every day. I notice “that never the twain shall meet.” That being said, I see that Marianne Williamson has brought spirituality and politics together better than anyone.

It is fascinating to me that the more we open consciously to our own abilities to be aware of what is out there in the world, the more we need to be aware of what we have inside. We really do have choices. Are we going to fight, or are we going to surrender? If I decide to fight, I am more likely to suffer. If I say: “this is wrong, and that is horrifying,” I may be right, but I may lose my balance in the process and despair of it ever getting better.

I choose to understand this: it is getting worse and it is also getting better. To reach our own “peaceful presence,” we need to accept the challenges of the world and of our own lives. Growing and opening to consciousness is also accepting what is without judgment and then doing our best to be loving in any and every situation in small ways to change the world. Being the love that we are is the way through the mess we have created and the only way I know that works.

Whether we remember it or not, we are loved beyond our own understanding of love, beyond belief that we are deserving, beyond our ability to accept that we are divine beings. So today, I practice acceptance!

Welcome to all the amazing activities and opportunities at Interfaith. You will find information on our website, interfaithspirit.org, and elsewhere in the newsletter. We will not do it alone; together, we change the world.

Blessings for your journey,   Annie

The Little Things ….are the Big Things  

I have a favorite poem that I have often used at weddings over the years. It is called “The Art of Marriage” but I think it could be called “The Art of Relationship” just as well. The first two lines go like this: “Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In marriage, the little things are the big things.”

I think about these words often, because I like to think that we care enough about each other to notice that our response to one another is so often based on the way we are thinking about the little things that happen between us and the people we live with and see daily and weekly at home, at play, and at work. Of course, this is not necessarily true; even though we may be making kind gestures to each other daily, many go unnoticed or are taken for granted.

Considering that Thanksgiving is coming up soon, may I suggest that each day we give at least one heartfelt “thank you” to someone who has made a gesture of kindness to us, perhaps making our lives just a little bit more delightful and easier. Doing this makes us, as well as another, feel better. Let’s not just express what we are thankful for but also who we are thankful for in our lives. You might be surprised how much someone we meet is trying to make our day better. I attempt to notice this as often as possible. It does take a certain amount of care, awareness, and mindfulness. Have fun!

As our Holidays come closer, there are lots of events at Interfaith that will give us all opportunities to practice and be aware of kindness and to express our gratitude. Information is on our website at interfaithspirit.org. Kindly join us!

Blessings and thank you,

Annie

Ministerial Miscellany – Giving and Receiving

I think we have all heard that giving is receiving, but is that something we actually experience? I don’t think it is very common. As a Catholic child growing up, I was taught “tis better to give than to receive.” As a young adult, I remember thinking, “This idea sucks. Why don’t I ever receive anything?” After spending a lot of years complaining about not receiving, I realized that I just did not have any spiritual understanding of giving and receiving. I was thinking that every time I gave something, I should then receive something from someone in a similar way. That’s not quite how it works. I have indeed been receiving endlessly throughout my life.

Giving and receiving are two aspects of the same flow of energy in the Universe. We inspire change and healing from an egoless place deep within ourselves. When we willingly give what we seek, we keep abundance of our universe flowing. I finally discovered I could never manipulate receiving – just be available and here it is. I gave up being needy. It took some growing up. All of you are great examples!

Our special events at Interfaith in September will give us all opportunities for giving and receiving. More information is on our website: interfaithspirit.org.

On September 8th during Sunday service, we will have our Gathering of the Waters Ceremony, celebrating our end of the summer return Home with each other. We bring a small bottle of water, commemorating where we have been this summer, sharing a memorable aspect of our experiences.

Blessings for a warm and mosquito-less Fall,

Annie

Ministerial Miscellany August 2024 by Rev. Annie Kopko

It is interesting to me to think that we are involved in the art of our lives every day and somehow forget to acknowledge our own creativity and the importance of art in our lives. From the art and craft on our breakfast table to the colors of the clothes we decide to wear,  the design of the cars we drive off in to go to work and to the work itself, we are setting forth a great stream of creative consciousness. 

All this expressive flow of energy fulfills a need deep within us to creatively express life in and with everything around us and to continually communicate energetically with our environment. This really happens at a subconscious level. So as we bring this process to present consciousness, we recognize the power of our creativity and the  true beauty and spirit that we move around in and create in every day.  “Art is the mediator of the divine.”  These words were shared in an Interfaith Roundtable Forum recently, and I realized this is the outpouring of communication from God into all of our lives, and we are all being Spirit continually.  The more we become aware of this, the richer and more healing our daily lives can be. 

Watch how music is the Art and Spirit of our lives in these August events. See our website for more information at: https://interfaithspirit.org  

• Friday, August 2nd, our dear friend Steve Wyse will perform his “Down Home Dharma” concert from 7-9PM in person at the Center and via zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82482229963 and on facebook. Love Offering

• Saturday, August 3rd, Curtis Glatter, Drum and Dance Jam, 7:30-9PM. Last one of the year. In person. Completely interactive, bring drums if you like. $5 donation suggested.
  
• Saturday, August 10th, Cafe 704 presents the Kozora Quartet. 7-9PM. In person or on Zoom, $10 per person.

• Saturday, August 17th, Drummunity with Lori Fithian and friends, 7-9 PM. In person, interactive and great fun. Donations welcome.

Much Joy and Blessings,   Annie