PTS Graduation Celebration
View the Photos from the PTS Graduation, Conference of Celebration 2024
Sherie Wylie Markova, DSS, our lovely Dean of Peace Theological Seminary & College of Philosophy, introduced each of our graduating classes, starting out with the combined Harmonic Self and IHOP – Intention, Health, Openness, & Possibility. Graduates completed 8 years of IHOP and 5 years of the Harmonic Self consecutively, meeting for one weekend every month for 12 months a year. Wearing glowing gold mortarboards with bright purple tassels adorned with a shiny gold “2024,” graduates from around the world received their Certificates of Completion in-person and online.
Through all 13 years, our wonderful facilitator, MSIA President Paul Kaye, DSS, guided us through uplifting meditations, movements and stretches, profound sound and musical experiences, and even the gentle blessings of a cup of tea. As a graduate of both classes, I loved learning about all the different instruments vibrating and resonating within us in deep and profound ways. Paul introduced us to inspiring experts from the fields of music, health and well-being, meditation, poetry, spirituality, physics, and vibration, all helping us remember who we are as the harmonic resonance of God. From this class, PTS is now offering the Master of Spiritual Science in the Harmonic Self, a 3 year program starting in January 2025.
We next honored the graduates of the Master of Spiritual Science program, a 2-year course of study in practical spirituality and soul transcendence. Graduates from all over the world participated in weekend online classes for 9 months each year, culminating in a beautiful personal project reflecting each student’s journey of knowing they are the Christ Beloved. Along with their class Facilitator, each student had a Reader supporting them through the class, a volunteer who had graduated the MSS program and chose to devote their loving service to this next student’s awakening to who they truly are as soul who is one with God.
We then welcomed the Doctor of Spiritual Science graduates, the “flagship program” of PTS. After completing the MSS and then 3 years of DSS study, each graduate created and produced a Practical Treatise. Their individual written projects reflected their journeys as spiritual scientists, including service studies where DSS students brought their learnings out into the world. Each DSS graduate’s unique Practical Treatise title was announced, and they received the special blessing of the doctoral hooding process with our Traveler and PTS Spiritual Director John Morton, DSS. As a graduate of the DSS program, I found the experience in-person a profoundly sacred, deeply heartfelt moment.
Throughout all the years of IHOP/Harmonic Self, MSS, and DSS classes, John Morton showed up to share and answer questions from participants, bringing our learning and growth to ever-higher levels of wisdom, peace, harmony, and joy. In closing our PTS graduation ceremony, John gave a beautiful seminar reminding us the heart of all PTS classes is loving. We are all God’s beloveds, friends of the Lord and one another, learning and growing together while sharing the blessings of who we are.
Celebration of Peacemakers
View the Photos from the Gathering of Peacemakers, Conference of Celebration 2024
David Whitaker welcomed us to a sweet gathering of peacemakers, honoring the growth and beautification of Windermere. David shared about the improvements made over the last few years, spearheaded by Milo and Leilani Paige with the full support of the MSIA Presidency. We saw how Windermere has developed rich, self-sustaining agriculture and improved structures to support and house visitors, allowing for gatherings of peacemakers in comfortable, efficient environments. David explained how the vision for Windermere is of a fully volunteer-run place of peace. From this resurgence of joy in service, Windermere is becoming a more open and available place to those seeking greater awareness of the peace present in themselves and on this special land.
After leading us through guided meditations and gentle processes with one another, David told us about the Adopt-A-Quality program. We learned about choosing qualities we want for ourselves and then anchoring our intention with a $10 donation monthly to IIWP. I’ve participated in the Adopt-a-Quality program for many years, grateful how each Quality of Peace I’ve chosen resonates within me, enduring and strengthening over the year.
John Morton took sharings from peacemakers in the room and online, supporting and encouraging the many loving, inspiring visions for Windermere’s growth and outreach. John then shared a blessing for Windermere, reminding us of John-Roger’s message of the “Gene of Peace,” how we all have that peace gene within us naturally, allowing us to bring our peace evermore fully into the world.
Celebrating the Joy of Heartfelt Service
View the Photos from the Joy of Heartfelt Service, Conference of Celebration 2024
On Thursday morning, Jeffrey Morgan welcomed us as we gathered inside Prana with Keeping Konnected, a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles. Keeping Konnected is dedicated to “serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” helping them with access to training, employment, and internships. Bree Wilkinson called us forward into the Light, and we chanted “Ani Hu” altogether. I heard from our beloved guests joyful shouts of “Hallelujah!” and “Praise God!”
After everyone listened to John-Roger’s “Meditation on Service,” we shared in intimate four-person groups about our experiences being of service. We explored where we could be of greater service and enjoyed excerpts from John-Roger reminding us how service is about showing up and allowing God’s work to be done through our inspiration and cooperation.
Lori Matson, DSS, invited us all to venture outside and share in a sweet, creative service project. We filled small plastic bags with new hygiene products and wrote and drew cards, in English and Spanish, with messages of love and blessings to accompany the donations. Later, Keeping Konnected took all the goodies to those in need around Santa Monica Beach who are without homes.
After completing our project, everyone returned inside. We mingled with one another, sharing how we experienced each other’s unconditional loving service and how we experienced our own unconditional service. In my sharings with people I knew and those I just met, I found as we looked into each other’s eyes, our precious oneness filled our hearts. As we connected in this gentle loving way, I heard “Praise the Lord” over and over, aloud in the room and in the joyful silence within.
We then relished in the glory and tenderness of John Morton inspiring us with heartfelt stories of service. I heard John remind us that everyone and everything in God’s creation is the Beloved of God. As we serve, we are serving God’s beloveds regardless of form. John reminded us to honor our name, even a special nickname that resonates for us, as that is how we bring our divine presence forward in sharing with others.
After taking sharing and questions from participants in the room and around the world online, John invited us as he often does to “Go out and do some good!” We then served ourselves and enjoyed sharing further with one another over a delicious lunch, prepared for everyone by David Funk and our wonderful Prana kitchen staff and volunteers through their heartfelt, joyful service.
Prana’s 50th Anniversary Celebration
View the Photos from Prana 50th Celebration, Conference of Celebration 2024
Rachael Jayne, DSS, one of the first residents at Prana, welcomed us all in celebration of our beautiful Home of the Traveler. Prana means “Breath of God” in Sanskrit. John-Roger said Prana also stands for “The Purple Rose Ashram of the New Age.”
We heard stories of Prana’s early years, when John-Roger gave seminars to over 400 people spread throughout the Prana campus. Randy Garver and Jackie Travis, DSS, also early Prana residents, shared memories of their times being of service, friendship, and raising children while living at Prana. We saw photos and videos of residents from then and now with interviews of Pauli Sanderson, DSS, and Candace Semigran, DSS, sharing memories of all the fixing-up, repairing, and enhancing of Prana through the years. Starting from all that early heartfelt work, residents and volunteers have been making our glorious Home of the Traveler evermore inviting to all for years to come, including many television and film production companies who find Prana the perfect location for their creative projects.
We heard from all three MSIA Presidents, Vincent Dupont, Paul Kaye, and Mark Lurie, about their enduring devotion and commitment to sustaining, enhancing, and expanding Prana’s glory and service to all. We learned how we can stay at Prana for a day, a week, or several months, enjoying the gardens, labyrinth, and divine connections with fellow students of the Traveler.
I learned from our Presidency how the neighborhood around Prana has blossomed from a once-challenging , not-so-safe area to now being one of the best places to live in Los Angeles. As a guest at Prana this year, each evening as I walked through the neighborhood, I noticed the warmth and smiles of people along the way, a far more friendly experience from when I stayed at Prana some 20 years ago. My heart was full as I knew and felt the Traveler’s light and joy extending out from Prana, generously blessing all.
John Morton shared memories of his early days serving with John-Roger, driving around Los Angeles, and being involved in those times of Prana’s establishment and awakening. John then shared a beautiful blessing for Prana as we go forward sharing its divine goodness with joy.
Celebrating Who We Are – Conference Workshop
View the Photos from Celebrating Who We Are Workshop Day 1, Conference of Celebration 2024
The Conference 2-day workshop began with our facilitators, Joey Hubbard, David Raynr, and Zane Morton, all Insight Facilitators, welcoming us to share in the celebration of knowing who we are as souls who are one with God. David and Joey shared how they were teenagers when they met John-Roger, and how they have devoted themselves to bringing forward the teachings of the Traveler to those who are looking for them. Zane reminded us of his being born into the MSIA family and how his enduring love inspired him to step forward in service to us all this year.
Through powerful but gentle partner and trio processes, we explored how to move our judgments into gratitude. We looked at specific areas where we held judgments, including our physical health, relationships, career, success, and wealth. By choosing into gratitude, I, like others, found myself letting go of troubling judgments I held and opening my heart to the loving that endured through it all.
View the Photos from Celebrating Who We Are Workshop Day 2, Conference of Celebration 2024
Each day, John Morton took sharings from participants, helping us all open our hearts even more to the goodness always present. I heard John encourage us to move into gratitude as we choose to meet up with Spirit within, remembering God doesn’t give us anything we cannot handle spiritually.
Throughout both days, of the workshop we listened and danced to inspirational music, sometimes tender moving songs, sometimes rock ‘n roll and salsa, always helping us experience ever-greater joy and peace within. After a delicious dinner together on Saturday, we enjoyed wonderful contributions from musicians, comedians, dancers, and singers, all bringing forward their joyful talents to further inspire and comfort us. Then we danced into the night, celebrating ourselves as beloved joys of the Lord.
