Community | Bonnie Barnard - Part 2

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The Communion of Saints

Brother Lawrence (1614-1691) began his life as Herman, a foot soldier in the army. A poor man, the military gave him promise of regular meals and housing. One day while in service of France, perched under a tree, he saw the barren, almost deadlike state of it. He became awakened to the realization the tree was sitting fallow, as he saw his current state of being, to realize someday the tree would be filled with the vibrant leaves of life, as God would enliven him. This mystical moment deeply informed him and once his military service was complete he entered into an abbey and served in the kitchen. Daily he would prepare food, cook meals, and clean up afterward. He came to see everything he did as a service to and relationship with God. “Nor is it needful that we should have great things to do. . . We can do little things for God; I turn the cake that is frying on the pan for love of him, and that done,...

There is Something Within Me that Knows

I am in the midst of such an exquisite awareness. Curiosity and innate wisdom have joined their hands together and are leading me to resources describing what I know to be true in new ways. I find myself reading books on emergence, field and systems theory, lost (now found) books of the Bible, collective revelations, tribes, and watching videos by teachers that move me. This is interspersed with my own silent reflection and meditation. If I could bottle up this feeling tone and pass it around we’d all be talking about the party for the remainder of our lives. One of the books I am reading is called Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future by four change leadership colleagues* who got together to dialogue on what happens at the point of collective breakthrough. As a minister, soon to be community leader, these observations hold great value to me. How does or could transformation happen within and to the collective consciousness? Silence is a key. And, the shift,...

The Gospel of the Belly

I have had a long term battle with my belly. It is subtle at times, and very blatant at others. I swear it has a life of its own and I have secretly resented it; although until last night, I was not aware of this brewing distain. On Monday I will fit into an outfit, than Tuesday I am too swollen to wear it. I will go to sleep on Wednesday feeling fine to wake up on Thursday with a distended stomach and no understanding as to how it happened. My long battle with the belly became more intense after undergoing a hysterectomy leaving with it scattered scars of different sizes and color hues reminding me of Di Vinci, the name of the robot that conducted the operation. I have visited doctors, medical intuitives, faith healers, and weight loss centers to address this persistent annoyance. Which brings me to all of the ways I’ve set out to take good care of my body which hasn’t resulted in visual...

Recommended Book List by Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh

I have a long love affair with entrepreneurs. As visionaries, they carry within them the commitment to bring their unique idea from concept into form. Conscious entrepreneurs are visionaries with ideas, however, they see themselves as shapers of a culture, not solely profiteers. They use their skills and talents for the benefit of humanity. I have a been a lifetime connoisseur of learning from these bold men and women and implementing much of what I’ve learned into my own life. Zappos founder and CEO, Tony Hsieh, is a master of creating community. He sees works as not something you go to as a separate part of life; but as a form of self expression to be done in the midst of and with others who share the same values. To Tony, liking who you work with is vitally important to a company’s success. So much so, that it takes an average of 68 days to hire a new employee as the elaborate process includes multiple interviews to...

Marianne Williamson Speaks of Martin Luther King — Rare Footage

January and February are precious months for me. Why? Because I love as a people we come together over much that is good. First, the New Year. Most of us invest thoughtful reflective time upon who we’ve been and who we plan on becoming. We stop, celebrate with people we love and step into a new beginning. Then in February we celebrate Valentine’s Day, stopping to remind people they have admirers and are loved. Nestled between the two is Martin Luther King’s birthday. My Facebook page greets me with quote after quote of speeches King gave. I ponder the power of one life, leadership, and standing on the right side of an issue. I am awed at how he galvanized a moment in history that shifted how we behave together as a culture. This year I spent Martin Luther King’s birthday in my new Los Angeles community attending a music event fundraiser #RAJ14 Rising. Monday evening I drove to Santa Monica with holiday traffic patterns; meaning, I could actually...

Faith, Faith and a Dose More of Faith

Today I am willing to let go of thinking I know everything. I see the Roller Derby of my mind, all of my opinions elbowing each other and jockeying for position. I see the ‘inner committee’ and laugh at its pushiness. I surrender to the space beyond the committee of opinions; the space that knows nothing and trusts everything. I make room for new discoveries — in the world, in myself and in others. Life is much better when I’m not a big smarty-pants. And so it is! Affirmation by Rev. Bonnie Rose, Ventura Center for Spiritual Living, November 6, 2013 One month ago today I woke up in my friend Heather’s home in Arizona, drove through three thunder and lightening storms with my car loaded from bottom to top with suitcases, clothes, salad dressings, photos, a few books, three overhead bags of toiletries, and three grocery bags of tea to land in West Hollywood, California on one of the hottest days of the year. The first thing...