New to Scottsdale Center for Spiritual Living?

Wherever you are on your spiritual journey you are welcome at Scottsdale Center for Spiritual Living. We personally invite you to come join us for one of our services.

We are a diverse community that honors all paths to God. We welcome everyone regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, socio-economic class, or any other human condition. We are a place where people come and experience their connection to God through worship, community, spiritual classes and service.

This coming together creates fellowship and support for individuals and families. At SCSL, community and oneness is easily built and friendships quickly formed. Activities and classes based on shared interests are ongoing, supporting the spiritual growth of each person and our community.

Scottsdale Center for Spiritual Living is the place for people from all walks of life and spiritual paths to come together to learn more about themselves, about Spirit and how to use spiritual principles to build a better life and world.

Rev. Jill Clements

Our Community About Science of Mind What to Expect What to Wear FAQs

Our Community

We believe people who are part of an inclusive spiritual community create happier, healthier lives, through participating in weekly fellowship with others. Being in community with others fosters understanding, unity, peace, joy, and common good

Because we all have busy lives, responsibilities and hectic schedules, many people today find themselves disconnected from others and even from themselves. Scientific studies have proven that human beings need relationships to experience fulfilling lives. When we participate in group gatherings and activities and feel accepted, heard, honored and not judged, it allows us to become more open, relaxed, trusting and faith-filled as we explore and deepen our connection to Spirit and each other.

Participating in a spiritual community such as Scottsdale Center for Spiritual Living can be a transforming experience. A community of like-minded people allows for sacred sharing, spiritual expansion, compassionate communion, personal growth, leadership development and life-long friendships.

Visit us and experience a community that teaches Successful Living... from the Inside Out!

About Science of Mind

Science of Mind is a Philosophy, a Faith and a Way of Life. It that was developed in the early 20th century by writer and philosopher Ernest Holmes. Dr. Holmes studied the world's religious traditions and the sacred writings of the ancient Greek philosophers to the then present-day spiritual and religious leaders and found the common ideas and spiritual truths in all. He found that Universal Spirit—God—is the source of all things, and that this One power moves through us as love, as creativity and that we can actively participate with It to create happier, fulfilling, peaceful and joyous lives.

holmes Here is an excerpt from an Ernest Holmes paper describing the Science of Mind:

The Science of Mind is built on the theory that there is One Infinite Mind which of necessity includes all that is, whether it be the intelligence in man, the life in the animal, or the invisible Presence which is God. In it we learn to have a spiritual sense of things. This spiritual sense of things is what is meant by the Consciousness of Christ. To be able to discern the spiritual idea back of its physical symbol is to use the mind that Jesus used.

The Science of Mind is intensely practical because it teaches us how to use the Mind Principle for definite purposes, such as helping those who are sick, impoverished, or unhappy. Each one of us should learn to become a practitioner of this science, a demonstrator of its Principle, a conscious user of its Power. Power already exists, but the existence of Power is of no particular value to us until we use it. We must not only be conscious of Power, but we must be actively conscious of it. This is one of the first lessons we learn in the Science of Mind.

This science is more than mental; it is also spiritual, since we live in a spiritual universe. The Science of Mind declares the Truth about this spiritual universe and it also declares the Truth about false belief, considering everything which is opposed to good as an accumulation of human thought, the collective negative suggestion of the race.

Wrong conditions are resolved into false beliefs, and through the use of right ideas a transformation of thought takes place. We learn to build our ideas upon an affirmative rather than a negative factor. To state the Truth and deny or disregard that which in belief is opposed to it, is to prove that the Principle of the Science of Mind is actual.

Ernest Holmes called Science of Mind, “a religion of joy; it is a religion free from fear and uncertainty; it is a religion of faith, a faith justified by results.”

Some of the basic ideas that we teach are:

There is one power and presence in the Universe, which we call God, Presence, Essence, Source, and or Universal Energy.
God is all there is, so we are by nature that which It is and It lives, moves and has Its being through us
As we become aware of this Truth, we allow Source to influence our lives for good, whether for improved health, finances, relationships, or simply more happiness, joy, love and peace.
Spiritual laws, like physical ones, govern the universe, and learning how to use them is the Truth that sets us free to choose to create the life of our dreams.
Holmes taught that by “changing our thinking, we change our lives!”

If you’re searching for a practical, positive and empowering spiritual teaching that teaches you how to think, not what to think, based on the premise that God is Love, join us to discover more.

What to Expect

Welcome to Scottsdale Center for Spiritual Living!

Led by Rev Jill Clements, Scottsdale Center for Spiritual Living is a dynamic group of like-minded people who come together on Sunday mornings to discuss Spiritual Principles and how to apply them to our lives. Our mission is that We Teach Spiritual Principles of Positive Living to Create a World that Works for All.

Our Sunday service at begins at 10:00 am, and lasts for about an hour. Our service features a positive, and empowering message as well as live, uplifting music that will inform and inspire you to a happier and more peaceful week.

Ernest Holmes, founder of this teaching, taught us to “Change our Thinking and Change our Lives” and we teach the practical application of how to practice and achieve this in our everyday lives.

At 9:30 you also are invited to join us for 20 minutes of quiet meditation led by one of our Ministers or licensed Practitioners.

During the week, our Ministers and Practitioners facilitate a number of spiritual classes, workshops and supportive groups that are open to all in our community and teach the proven tools and practices of these Universal Truths for transforming our lives.

We also enjoy live music with a guest soloist each week.

Please bookmark our site or subscribe to our once-weekly email list to stay abreast of our services, upcoming classes and ongoing groups.

We look forward to meeting you!

What to Wear

FAQs

Q. What is Centers for Spiritual Living?

A. Centers for Spiritual Living is an organization of nearly 400 spiritual communities around the globe that provide spiritual tools to transform personal lives and help make the world a better place. At Centers for Spiritual Living, our spiritual communities teach powerful principles for personal growth and global transformation, honoring all paths to God.

Q. Who founded of Centers for Spiritual Living?

A. Dr. Ernest Holmes founded the spiritual movement that started Centers for Spiritual Living. Born in 1887 on a small Maine farm, Dr. Holmes spent his teenage years outdoors, asking himself "What is God? Who am I? Why am I here?" This questioning led to his 1926 book, The Science of Mind, which outlined the foundational viewpoints of modern New Thought.

Q. What is Science of Mind®?

A. Science of Mind® (also referred to as Religious Science) is the core teaching of Centers for Spiritual Living. Science of Mind is a philosophy that integrates spiritual truths with science and physics. Simply put, Science of Mind teaches the unity of all life. Intentions and ideas flow through a field of consciousness, which actually affects and creates the world around us. This idea is common to most major religions and is supported by the teachings of psychology and quantum physics. In Science of Mind, we believe that the secret to living a successful life is to consciously choose positive and productive thoughts. Put another way, “As you think, so you become.”

Q. Are Science of Mind and Religious Science the same?

A. Religious Science is the name of the church that Dr. Ernest Holmes started, which was the precursor to Centers for Spiritual Living. Dr. Holmes' comprehensive book of teachings is entitled The Science of Mind. Members of Centers for Spiritual Living often use the phrases Science of Mind and Religious Science interchangeably.

Q. Is Science of Mind a real science?

A. In Science of Mind, we believe that the fields of religion and science are complementary, and that science will prove what the mystics have said for thousands of years about the nature of God, human beings, and the Universe. These beliefs are being proven even now by many quantum physicists who have found that the universe is made up of energy that cannot be destroyed and is infinitely intelligent. Science of Mind is also scientific in that is uses laws of nature to prove spiritual principles. Any person can experiment with the principles and measure the results.

Q. Is Centers for Spiritual Living related to or connected with Scientology?

A. No. Religious Science and Centers for Spiritual Living are in no way related to Scientology.

Q. Is Centers for Spiritual Living associated with Christian Science?

A. No. Centers for Spiritual Living is a unique and separate entity from Christian Science.

Q. Do people who practice Science of Mind go to doctors?

A. Absolutely. In Science of Mind, we believe that healing comes in many forms. God is expressed through doctors and medicine just as it is expressed through all of the physical universe. In short, we believe in both prayer and modern medicine.

Q. Is Centers for Spiritual Living a "New Age" organization?

A. Science of Mind is a New Thought philosophy that incorporates spiritual tools of affirmative prayer, healing and creative visualization to transform lives and make the world more peaceful, harmonious, and prosperous. Centers for Spiritual Living does not consider its teachings to be New Age, but rather incorporates the ancient wisdom of all the spiritual traditions through the ages. People of all spiritual paths -- Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Islam, New Age and others -- are all welcome in our communities.

Q. Are Centers for Spiritual Living communities a place for healing?

A. Yes. Centers for Spiritual Living spiritual communities are places where amazing healings and life transformations take place.

Q. What is the role of prayer within Centers for Spiritual Living?

A. Centers for Spiritual Living honors all forms of prayer. In addition, we teach a unique and scientific form of prayer called Spiritual Mind Treatment. This powerful, affirmative method of prayer was developed by Dr. Ernest Holmes. Spiritual Mind Treatment involves a five-step process that harnesses the creative process of consciousness. This type of powerful, scientific prayer allows new levels of health, wealth, love, and wholeness to become a reality in our lives.

Q. Is Centers for Spiritual Living a cult?

A. No. At the Centers for Spiritual Living we teach that each individual has influence over, and responsibility for, his or her own life. We support personal responsibility and strongly discourage the "following of" any one person, including founder Ernest Holmes. The philosophy taught by Centers for Spiritual Living challenges people to think for themselves and only believe what feels true to them.

Q. What does Science of Mind teach about Jesus?

A. Jesus was a master a teacher and healer for mankind. He brought to the world divine teachings that are a path for all to release themselves from mental and physical bondage. We believe Jesus was spiritual master who came as an example for us all. While others who came in human form became enlightened, and continue to do so, Jesus remains a sterling example of what we can all aspire to and become.

We accept his example and teachings. We do not deny the divinity of Jesus, but rather we affirm the divinity of all people, because God is the Creator of us all. We think of Jesus as an example, not an exception.

Q. What does Science of Mind believe about God?

A. God is that transcendent and beautiful Mystery: the Origin of all; the Sustainer of all; the Truth of all that is; Presence and Principle; Love and Law; Life Itself, and the Substance of all form. This is, in part, our concept of God, but no person can fully explain what God is, since God is infinite.

Q. What does Science of Mind teach about heaven and hell?

A. Heaven and Hell are states of mind, and neither is a literal geographical place. Modern science has demonstrated that there is no actual “up” or “down” in this universe, where heaven or hell might be. Both are in our minds.

Q. What is the teaching around an afterlife?

A. We believe in the eternal now, which includes both here and hereafter, for Life is an ever-unfolding experience of God’s Self-expression. There is much, much more to it than what this world contains. We do not, however, believe in sudden change in our whole nature when we leave this plane, for we retain our individual identity. And that “immortality” is not something awaiting us in the future, because we are immortal now! In other, yet unseen dimensions of life, there are new fields to conquer, new challenges, new and beautiful Truths to discover in an unlimited and divine Cosmic Universe.

Q. What does Science of Mind say about good and evil?

A. God is the Source of all, beyond good and evil. God simply is. But in human life, where our freedom allows us to make mistakes (so-called “sin”), our comparisons of actions to what would have been better lead us to ideas of good or evil. However, they are human inventions, for ultimately there is only God: Infinite Love and Truth.