Or apply to join here.
First Meeting (Introduction)
(Date to be announced)
The very first meeting will be simple introductions to learn about what brought us together in fellowship through the somethings of Mr. Nothing. Over the 60 minute Zoom Meeting (a link will be sent to the email you give us when you join), there will be time for Silent Meditation and time for sharing in the ways that Endless Search has enriched our lives. On the first meeting, we plan to use the 80+page Introducing Spiritual Unfoldment PDF which will be emailed to all those who join the Group.
Second Meeting
(Date to be announced)
We will be focusing primarily on John’s first book (Wonders of Spiritual Unfoldment) for this first cycle of the Reading Group, to complement the ongoing conversations between John and Nicola Stauder in the ‘Nature Teaches’ series on the YouTube channel (the first one of these is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrUZg5MlfpU&t=26s). We will read and discuss some of John’s poems as well.
“Will anybody read these poems
John Butler, Mystic Verses
Or, will they lie for years
Forgotten, to be “found”, some day?”
The Introducing Spiritual Unfoldment PDF allows us to hit the ground running while we buy our own copies available on the Spiritual Unfoldment website or through Amazon.
Wonders of Spiritual Unfoldment
USA Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Wonders-Spiritual-Unfoldment-John-Butler/dp/085683260X/
UK Amazon
(Feet on the) Ground Rules:
Be present.
Please come prepared. Make a commitment to read the set texts.
Please have texts ready for sessions.
Please familiarize yourself with the basics of how Zoom works before attending the first session.
Please show up on time.
Feel free to participate. This includes being involved in discussions and by attentively listening and holding silence. We help one another either way, both with words and with silence: by asking questions, sharing our reflections and when we hold silence for one another. No one should feel pressured to speak or respond. In some groups, individuals might be put on the spot. “Say, We haven’t heard from, Sally Mae tonight. Sally…?” This can be very off-putting. So speak up only when you are comfortable enough to speak.
Confidentiality:
Be careful not to share anything that might be too personal or in breach of confidentiality.
By attending these sessions, you agree that they are recorded and one day they might be posted on YouTube or other useful social media platform.
When we log in to the Zoom session, it would be nice if you would join with video, but you can choose to participate anonymously, using a pseudonym, or by audio only (leaving the camera off, which is the default setting). We’re flexible at the neck.
Please treat others with respect:
Tolerate different points of view (“don’t fence me in”). We are dealing with mystical experiences and not problem solving, so we will need to cultivate negative capability. It is alright to disagree and have your own interpretations–we are not attempting to reduce the wealth of possibilities to final correct answers.
Maintaining a non-judgmental attitude will help us cultivate habits of openness, acceptance, empathy, loving kindness, and compromise, towards which we aspire.
Everyone is invited to participate. Do not dominate the conversation. Let others speak too.
Don’t interrupt. Use the hand-up symbol when more people are willing to share.
It is ok not to respond or answer a question, especially when something is beyond the power of words to express and resting in silence is the most appropriate response.
We want to make every effort to focus on the content and purpose of our meeting. Each session will last for 60 minutes for this first cycle of the reading group, so everyone needs to be mindful of not oversharing or indulging in digressions. This will allow for wider participation.
As these sessions unfold and as need arises, we might need to expand these ground rules. Should anyone wish to recommend other items, please feel free to do so. We are listening, and we want this to be a positive experience for all who join the circle.
