By Jessica Thieda

Join in for a Founders Day Celebration on Sunday, November 3rd at the Sarasota Center of Light. There will be a special Sunday morning service, a wonderful coffee hour, a peace pole rededication and so much more to celebrate the 70th anniversary as a center here in Sarasota!  

In 2008, Jo Mooy and Patricia Cockrill established a sixty-five square mile, diamond shaped, prism of light with 12 anchor points, represented by a different individual, connected to a center or a spiritual place in Sarasota.  At each of those anchor points a peace pole was installed.  On the 70th anniversary there will be a rededication of a new peace pole in the garden with all of the twelve original individuals acting as anchors present as well as representatives from the Venice Peace Project. 

Sarasota Center of Light (SCOL) when started in 1949, was named Shrine of the Master.  It was founded  to create a philosophy that practiced right living, healing, mediumship and an understanding of Spiritual Law by Rev. Dorothy and Dr. Russell Flexer, a husband and wife team of spiritualist ministers and mediums. The church evolved from the Spiritualist Episcopal Church, the parent organization that the Flexers belonged to in the early days of their ministry. In 1958, the Flexers created a new denomination and called it Metaphysical Christianity.  

The Flexers’ goals and dreams for Shrine of the Master were to bring to people an awareness of understanding of spiritual truth that was both spiritual and could be applied to everyday life. These teachings are offered clearly and simply and can be used by anyone regardless of their level of understanding or experience. Primary subjects taught were and continue to be healing, meditation, spirit communication, mediumship development, spiritual law, and interpretation of biblical teachings.  

The Rev. Dorothy and Dr. Russell Flexer were pioneers of spiritual truth, establishing the Center of Light’s principles. Today, Rev. Jim Toole leads the Sarasota Center of Light congregation as Sr. Pastor into an ever expanding expression of the light and love of God and spirit and what began as a small neighborhood church and has grown to be a center of light of with over fifteen buildings and properties, used for services, classes, events, offices, counseling, fellowship, healing, mediumship and so much more. 

As SCOL’s philosophy evolved and in response to the ever changing view and interpretation of spirituality, they were inspired to take a closer look at how the center expressed itself as a church. In 2010, the name was changed from Metaphysical Christianity to Metaphysical Spirituality, and the name Shrine of the Master to Sarasota Center of Light. 

Metaphysical spirituality is known as a way of life built upon the spiritual principles of life and embrace the teachings of all master teachers. Key expressions within the philosophy are Healing and Spirit Communication. SCOL believes in personal responsibility and determining the conditions of life through thoughts and actions. 

Through the guidance of Spirit and many who have served the church over the decades, Shrine of the Master has evolved into a “Center of Light,” a beacon that shines brightly allowing individuals to discover, express and experience their own connection with Spirit and God.