The Centers of Light are mystical Christian schools and communities dedicated to consciousness, spiritual growth, and empowerment. Much like the spiritual communities that mystics such as St. Francis of Assisi and Paramahansa Yogananda created, the Centers of Light are shining, warm places for people searching for inner truth, meaning and direct relationship with God. In each of our 11 Centers across the country, we teach, share, and cultivate spirituality through sacraments, meditation, seminars, classes, and practical instruction in order to bring people into real, deep experiences of God.
Only through a direct experience can you know anything for certain. Christian Mysticism is the spiritual process of coming into the experience of God at the center of one’s being. Mystics do this through practices of meditation, prayer and being in relationship with God throughout daily life. This involves more than dogma or belief – it requires feeling, seeing and knowing God.
Christian mysticism is known as the “inner path” of Christianity, just as Zen is the inner path of Buddhism, Sufism is the inner path of Islam, Kriya Yoga is the inner path of Hinduism, and Kabala is the inner path of Judaism. Followers of these inner paths – St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis of Assisi, Paramahansa Yogananda, Rumi and more – strive to move beyond dogma, theology and concepts and into the great love of God.
Each Center of Light provides regular services and sacraments. Over and over again, we see real change occurring in people who take advantage of these offerings. Weekday services include a 30-minute meditation, a spiritual reading, and Communion. Many people who have experienced Communion at a Center comment on how powerful it is, and everyone is welcome to receive Communion regardless of their affiliations or beliefs. On Sundays, our services also include singing, a student sermon, a Gospel reading and a sermon from a priest or Master Teacher.
We are grateful to have both Jesus and Mary as our spiritual guides. People often ask why we give Jesus and Mary equal status as co-redeemers. We have experienced Jesus representing the masculine aspect of God (Christ) and Mary representing the feminine aspect of God (Sophia). In some ways, this sets us apart from other Christian denominations and is a unique aspect of the Centers of Light.