By Mike McKenna
The first time Gayle Dillon walked into a Center
for Spiritual Living she felt like she finally
came home.
For years, Gayle felt like she was lost in the darkness
of the world. Struggling with alcohol issues as
her escape, Gayle realized that if she didn’t change
her ways the outcomes would be dire. Her search
for help and a new direction led her to a recommendation
from a small bookstore owner. He recommended
a book by Ernest Holmes, The Science of
Mind.
The book inspired her to attend a service at her
local Center for Spiritual Living, even though she
was nervous about going, and soon thereafter she
quit all her bad vices and left the darkness for the
light of religious science.
“The philosophy shared by Ernest Holmes really
connected with me,” Gayle explained. “It’s really
about making up your own mind. We don’t believe
there is a heaven or hell. That it’s all just part of our
existence here depending on how you live. God is
in and through all things and is part of you that’s in
existence for ever and ever.”
Gayle eventually became a licensed Prayer Practitioner
and then a Minister. Based out of Bellingham,
Washington, Gayle now serves as an Interim
Minister for Centers for Spiritual Living. After a
spell in New Mexico, Gayle was brought to the
Wood River Valley last fall to fill in before a new
fulltime Minister can be found.
“I hit the jackpot coming to Sun Valley. It’s a
beautiful place and the community here is fantastic,”
she said.
Light on the Mountains Spiritual Center (LOTM)
was founded locally back in 1987 to offer, as their
website explains, “practical spiritual teaching that
draws on the wisdom of the ages and New Thought
principles, in order to promote personal growth and
a deeper connection to the Divine.”
Now located just off Highway 75, neighboring
the Sawtooth Botanical Garden, LOTM teaches
people “how to have a personal relationship with
God.” Their teachings “incorporate the ancient
wisdom of all the spiritual traditions through the
ages. People of all spiritual paths Christian, Jewish,
Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, New Age and others are
welcome in our communities.”
LOTM finds inspiration from thought-leaders
like Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer and Eckhart
Tolle, and offers a very inclusive spiritual experience.
Their services are open to anyone, are available
livestream online, and include lots of music led
by local favorite R.L. Rowsey.
“Our services are not Minister-centric. They’re
community-centric. I’m here to help hold that space
and lift spirits,” Gayle said, about their weekly
Sunday services. “We need community. We need
human connectivity. We should be singing and
laughing together. Sundays give us an opportunity
to share that joy.”
LOTM has felt like home to countless locals for
nearly 40 years now. Gayle is happy to help carry
the torch until a new Minister arrives to help light a
path through the Wood River Valley again.
“We have no dogma. We’re more of a philosophy
than a religion,” Gayle said about the appeal of the
Centers for Spiritual Living. “There’s nothing between
me and you and God.”
Find out more at LightOnTheMountains.org or
by calling 208 727-1631.
