Offerings
December
Monday, December 30; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel, New Year Celebration, 108 bells
January
Sunday, January 5; 3-4:30 PM, on Zoom & in person at Creek Bend Zendo, SMS Winter Koan Series
Monday, January 6; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel, Meditation and Dharma Talk from Sarah Bender
(note change due to Sarah’s travel in January)
Thursday, January 9; 6:30-8 PM, on Zoom, The Great Matter of Livingdying conversation series
Sunday, January 12; 3-4:30 PM, on Zoom & in person at Creek Bend Zendo, SMS Winter Koan Series
Monday, January 13; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel, Meditation and Sutra Service, conversation
Sunday, January 19; 3-4:30 PM, on Zoom & in person at Creek Bend Zendo, SMS Winter Koan Series
Monday, January 20; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel, Meditation and Community Night, Celebrating MLK Day
Sunday, January 26; 3-4:30 PM, on Zoom & in person at Creek Bend Zendo, SMS Winter Koan Series
Monday, January 27; 6 PM, on Zoom & in person at Shove Chapel, Koan Meditation with Sarah Bender, Roshi
Wednesday, January 29; 7 AM, on Zoom, Lunar New Year Ceremony
And coming up in February
Sunday February 2, half day retreat at Creek Bend Zendo followed by an Interfaith Habitat Event
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/
New Year Celebration
Monday, December 30, 6PM in person at Shove Chapel and online
We gather to welcome the new year
with meditation and a ceremony of cleansing,
blessing and rededication.
We’ll share poems and ring 108 bells
to bring us through into a new time.
Please bring (or have ready, at home) any practice objects you’d like to bless and rededicate, and any poem you’d like to share.
Some of us may wander down to Shuga’s for a little New Year social time after we finish at Shove Chapel.
SMS Winter Koan Meditation Series
with Sarah Bender
January 5, 12, 19, 26
Sunday afternoons, 3-4:30 PM, at Creek Bend and online
Suggested donation $10-$15 per session can be made directly to Sarah via PayPal, check or in person in her dana bowl at the top of the stairs
Please let us know if you plan to attend in person:
sembender@gmail.com
The Great Matter of Livingdying
a series of conversations with Sarah Bender
continues Thursday, January 9th, 6:30-8 PM MT
Zoom Zendo
Tentative ongoing schedule: Jan. 30, Feb. 13 and 27
suggested dana $10-$15 per session, offered directly to Sarah
If you’d like to join the series and haven’t let Sarah know already please do so, to be added to the email list.
http://sembender@gmail.com
Lunar New Year Celebration
Wednesday, January 29, 7 AM on Zoom
Looking Ahead
Open Source Winter Talk Series
with Megan Rundel, Sarah Bender, Tenney Nathanson
Save the dates – the next Open Source Series will begin February 5th and continue on Wednesday evenings through the month of February (Feb 5, 12, 19 and 26, 7:30-8:30 PM).
Upcoming Retreats
Save the dates – more information coming
Half Day Retreat: February 2 followed by Interfaith Habitat Event
Spring Retreat: April 7-13, 2025, Benet Hill Monastery, Black Forest, CO
Buddha’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
- 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
Many Arms of Guanyin
Volunteer with SMS
Are you interested in volunteering to help with a specific project within the sangha? Do you have a particular skill or enthusiasm for something that might be helpful? Would you like to help out, but not sure how? SMS truly values and depends on the many efforts given freely by the sangha to the sangha. This is dana and is so much appreciated. If you have questions or want to help, please contact Kelly McFarland S.Kelly.HLS@gmail.com
Support for Springs Mountain Sangha
You can donate to Springs Mountain Sangha in person at Shove Chapel using the dana bowl at the entrance to the dharma hall. You can also donate through our PayPal account. You can get to the SMS PayPal link on the SMS web site at:
http://www.smszen.org/supportsms/
Or you can mail a check to:
Springs Mountain Sangha
P.O. Box 2613
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
*We depend on the generosity of our members to support the work of our sangha*
If you want to make a donation to Sarah Bender specifically, for example, dana for classes, group meetings or work on the phone (suggested donations for these are $10 per class, or $20 for a 20 min. individual meeting) you can do this by sending a check directly to her.
Sarah Bender
7528 Jenkin Place
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
or by Paypal to sembender@gmail.com
Support for Cloud Dragon
https://joansutherlanddharmaworks.org/cgi-bin/dharma/page.cgi?g=Support%2FDonate%2Findex.html;d=1