All times listed below are Mountain Time
December Offerings
Monday, December 2; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel, Meditation and Sutra Service
Saturday, December 7; in person and on Zoom,
Bodhi Day retreat, see details below
Monday, December 9; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel, Meditation and Dharma Talk with Sarah Bender, Roshi
Monday, December 16; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel, Meditation and Community Night
Saturday, December 21; 8AM, on Zoom, Winter Solstice Ceremony
(meditation beginning at 6:30 AM)
Monday, December 23; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel, Koan Meditation with Sarah Bender, Roshi
Monday, December 30; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel, New Year Celebration, 108 bells
Candlelight Meditation
Every Sunday from 8 to 8:30 PM, you are invited to join candlelight meditation online. Simple and lovely.
Did you know?
Several of our members, Phil Brown, Zina Mercil and Mary Montoya collaborated to write a welcome packet to help answer questions that new members often ask. It is available here: https://www.smszen.org/newcomers/
Looking Ahead
SMS Winter Koan Meditation Series
with Sarah Bender
January 5, 12, 19, 26
Sunday afternoons, 3-4:30 PM, at Creek Bend and online
Open Source Winter Talk Series
with Megan Rundel, Sarah Bender, Tenney Nathanson
Save the dates – the next Open Source Series will begin February 5,th and continue on Wednesday evenings through the month of February (Feb 5, 12, 19 and 26).
Spring Retreat
April 7-13, 2025
It is time to start planning our Spring retreat at Benet Hill Monastery. The steering committee has done some initial work and is ready to hand off to a planning committee which is now forming. If you would like to help plan this upcoming retreat, please contact Kelly McFarland at s.kelly.HLS@gmail.com
Upcoming Retreats
Save the dates – more information coming
Bodhi Day Retreat
December 7 hybrid
2025 Retreats
Half Day Retreat
February 2 followed by Interfaith Habitat Event
Spring Retreat
April 7-13, 2025, Benet Hill Monastery, Black Forest, COBuddha’s Birthday Retreat
May 10
Integrative Retreat
June 20-22
Ullambana Retreat
September 7
Bodhi Day Retreat
December 7 hybrid
Ongoing Meditation Schedule, All available
via Zoom; Monday Eves available in person as well
Weekly Meditations (all times MDT) on Zoom:
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday are 6:30 to 7:30 AM. We sit for two periods and people come and go as they need to, and leave camera off. (Often a poem or koan will drop in at some point.)
- Saturday we sit from 6:30 to 8:00 AM, then someone speaks for a bit about their practice to kick off a deep and lively discussion (til roughly 8:30) These Zen Threads talks are now alternating every other week with “mini-threads” group discussions of practice with multiple paths emerging and joining seamlessly. You can join the meditation at 6:30, 7:00, 7:30 or 8:00.
- Sunday 8:00-8:30 PM Candlelight Meditation