Hi Everyone,

Just a quick notice. Please join family and friends for Brian Wright’s Celebration of Life, on Saturday, April 18th, set in the lovely, wooded environs of the Clubhouse at Coronada Condominiums, off Hwy 70S in Bellevue. (The official address is 250 Chimney Hill Road, Nashville, TN 37221.)

There will be a service at 3 p.m. and a potluck at 4 p.m. (Brian loved potlucks), followed by a song circle from 5 – 7 p.m. (Brian also loved participating in song circles, backing up performers with his wonderful spontaneous lead guitar licks).

Brian loved the St. Louis Cardinals and the Nashville Sounds, so people are encouraged to wear something that represents one of those teams, or something with a guitar or music note on it.

Because parking near the clubhouse is limited, there has been talk of volunteers providing a shuttle service from the Kroger parking lot to the Clubhouse, but that has not been confirmed yet, as of this writing.

This is our chance to say thank you and farewell to a beloved member of our community. Hope you can make it.

Gordon

The post ELLISVILLE NEWS–APR. 4, 2026: Brian Wright’s Celebration Of Life Scheduled For Saturday, April 18th. appeared first on Gordon Ellis.

Hi Everyone,

Well, after experiencing all the seasons (in one week), Spring came rushing in a week ago with some of our warmest March temps ever, including 89 degrees about a week ago. Wasn’t it only about a month ago, we had an ice storm, temps in single digits, and power outages, and I was sleeping on a friend’s floor because my home was too cold to stay in? The old cliche still holds–if you don’t like the weather here, wait a minute!

A few weeks ago, CSLN welcomed our new Head Minister, Rev. John Adams to lead us through the next phase of our journey. I believe it is quite rare for a spiritual community to go for several years without a head minister, but our Board of Trustees and our practitioners kept things going, rotating speakers on Sundays, while Larry Faragalli and the CSLN Band kept our incredible music going. It took a long time to find the right person, but we wanted to get it right, and I believe we have. Rev. John is a warm and authentic human being, well versed in our teaching, who, despite having just moved here from Chicago, has already gone out of his way to get to know many people in our CSLN community, as well as some of our activities like our CSLN Coffeehouse. Welcome, Rev. John!

Speaking of the Coffeehouse, our next one will be Friday, April 3rd. As usual, we will start with our Open Mic from 6:30 – 7 P.M. (Signup starts at 6 p.m. with 7 slots open). If you are so inclined, please share an original song, poem, comedy bit or short story (Maximum 5 minutes per presentation, please). Our 3 Spotlight Performers are Steve Brown, Lisa Firestone, and Rique. Please see flyer below for brief descriptions of each Spotlight. They are all very different but all very talented, which is why we are having them back. Potluck snacks and drinks, and love offering to CSLN greatly appreciated.

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A couple of weeks ago, Brian Wright–long time friend of many of us at CSLN–made his transition. An exceptional lead guitar player, he was a staple of the CSLN Band for 20 years, hardly ever missing a Sunday Service. He backed me on lead guitar more times than I can count, whenever I needed to put a band together for a special event, as well as at writers nights around town. He was also very generous with his time and energy in other ways, taking me to several medical procedures over the years, when I was not allowed to drive myself home. He co-organized the annual CSLN camping trips for many years, hikes around Radnor Lake, and trips to Nashville Sounds baseball games. With a quirky sense of humor, Brian was always up for a good time, and I will keep my good memories of him, long after the sadness has left. Be at peace, my friend–you will be missed.

There will be a Celebration Of Life for Brian on Saturday, April 18th. The details are still being worked out, but, it will take place at the Coronado Condominiums off of Hwy. 70 in Bellevue. Look for more info on Facebook and in the CSLN weekly newsletter over the next couple of weeks. I may also send out a short notice through this newsletter.

Well, that’s it for this month. As always, be safe, be well, be you.

Gordon

The post ELLISVILLE NEWS–3/27/26: Hello Spring; Hello to Rev. John Adams, Our New CSLN Head Minister; Next Coffeehouse 4/3/26; Farewell To Brian Wright appeared first on Gordon Ellis.

Hi Everyone,

In my last newsletter, I mentioned that there was a mean storm coming, but I didn’t realize it was going to be mean to me (LOL). The heavy snow they originally predicted didn’t materialize–we only got about two inches–but then it turned to sleet and especially freezing rain for over the next 24 hours. And with increasing cold. We often assume that if the temp is below freezing, we’ll get snow, and that is usually the case, but with this storm, there was a layer of warm air above the cold air on the ground, so the snow melted coming down from the clouds as it hit the warmer air, then re-froze as sleet, or hit the ground (and the snow on the ground) as rain, and immediately froze. We had between a half to three quarters of an inch of ice, and anything over a half inch can cause trees to fall on power lines, making them snap, which is what happened.

My power went out sometime before dawn on Sunday, Jan. 24th, and did not come back until yesterday (Sunday) around noon. I slept at home the first night, and despite adding more and more layers, it was almost unbearably cold. The next day (Monday), my thermostat was showing 45 degrees around lunch time, and I know it must have been even colder overnight. Fortunately, my friend Caroline offered to put me up Monday Night (Probably the coldest night), and when I checked my home the next day, it was 38 degrees inside, and hovered between 38 and 43 degrees for the rest of the week.

My friend Gary let me stay at his place the next 5 nights, which was better for me, because he lives one neighborhood over, so I was able to go home twice a day to monitor the situation. I had the hot and cold faucets running freely (I have found that dripping or even trickling, can subside over a few hours, so I couldn’t take a chance on anything less than a stream of water). Thirty eight/thirty nine degrees is probably no warmer than my fridge–I can’t sleep in it either (LOL), so I was grateful for Gary’s graciousness. Each time I checked, the water was running, but power was off. Finally, yesterday (Sunday), power came back, but my place warmed slowly. It took nearly 12 hours to go from 39 degrees to 64, and that’s still pretty chilly. So after a week, I finally got to sleep in my own bed. Yes, Dorothy, “There’s no place like home.”

I want to thank everyone who offered me a place to stay during the past week, and I sure hope our electric company, NES, will be a lot more prepared in the future!!!!!

Meanwhile, this Friday, Feb. 6th, CSLN will be hosting our first Coffeehouse since we moved into our new building, and I am proud to be one of our three Spotlight Performers, doing a 25-30 minute set of original material. The other two Spotlight Performers will be the lovely and talented Ashley Welte , who has performed several times at Sunday Services, and for the first time, A.J. Bigler, the Leader of the Coffeehouse (I am just the MC and his “co-leader–he’s da man”), who performs regularly around the Nashville Writers Night Circuit, and has some really cool original tunes and independent cuts.

I am pasting a flyer below, but here is the pertinent info in text:

Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, From 6:30 – 8:30

Please join us in the Main Hall, for a night of entertainment, snacks, and fellowship.  

Sign up for Open Mic is at 6 p.m. 

Open Mic 6:30 – 7 P.M.  (Seven slots available) Original songs, poems, short stories, stand-up comedy.  (Please limit your presentation to 5 minutes).

Spotlight Performers at 7 p.m., 7:30, and 8 p.m.

GORDON ELLIS

ASHLEE WELTE

A.J. BIGLER

Potluck snacks and drinks and love offering to CSLN appreciated.

CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING  160 BELLE FOREST CIRCLE., NASHVILLE, 37221

Questions?  AJ Bigler: ajbig1951@gmail.com

          Gordon Ellis: gordelmusic@hotmail.com   

Finally, our new Minister John Adams will be leading his first service this Sunday, Feb. 8, at 10:30. You will love his authenticity and humor!

That’s it for now. Stay warm, be safe, be well, be you!

Gordon

The post ELLISVILLE NEWS–Feb. 2nd, 2026: Power Finally On Again; Spotlight Performers At This Friday’s Coffeehouse; New Minister John Adams To Lead His First Service This Sunday appeared first on Gordon Ellis.

Hi Everyone,

Well, here in Ellisville, we are bracing for Winter Storm Fern, expected to hit Saturday Morning and continue through Sunday (BTW, did you know that the National Weather Service doesn’t name winter Storms–it is a practice started several years ago by The Weather Channel, and it has caught on). They were initially predicting 8″-12″ of snow here, but now they are saying about 4″ of snow then mixing with sleet and freezing rain–then possibly ending as more snow. Yuck!

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The CSLN COFFEEHOUSE will be resuming on Friday, Feb. 6th, from 6:30 to 8:30. This will be our first Coffeehouse in our new building, as we weren’t logistically ready in October and there was a scheduling conflict in December. I am proud to be one of the three Spotlight Performers that night, along with Ashlie Welte and AJ Bigler, each doing about a 25 minute set.. Ashlie has a great voice and has performed several times at our Sunday Services. She is also a songwriter and will no doubt be sharing some of her original material. AJ has had several independent cuts over the years and performs regularly at writers around town. He is also part of the CSLN Audio/Visual team.

Here are particulars:

Sign up for Open Mic is at 6 p.m. 

Open Mic 6:30 – 7 P.M.  (Seven slots available) Original songs, poems, short  stories, stand up comedy.  (Please limit your presentation to 5 minutes).

Spotlight performances at 7 p.m., 7:30, and 8 p.m. Potluck snacks and drinks are appreciated, along with a love offering to CSLN. Please join us for a night of entertainment, snacks, and fellowship.   160 BELLE FOREST RD., NASHVILLE, 37221 (Don’t look for a church–we are part of a small shopping strip, across from the Animal Hospital.

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And finally, after an exhaustive search by our Minister Search Committee, and an overwhelming “Yes” vote by our members, Rev. John Adams has become our new minister and will start leading our services on Sunday, Feb. 8th. He will be moving down from Chicago, and will be here 2 Sundays a month, until he is fully situated in Nashville. We were very impressed with his authenticity and his humor.

Well, that’s all the news to share for now. Be safe, be well, be you.

Gordon

The post ELLISVILLE NEWS 1/23/26: Mean Winter Storm Approaching; Spotlight Performers At Next CSLN Coffeehouse; CSLN Has A New Minister appeared first on Gordon Ellis.

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a while since my last post, mainly because I didn’t have a lot of news to share, and didn’t want to waste your time with unimportant stuff. I do apologize for not sending out a post that the CSLN December Coffeehouse had to be cancelled, due to a scheduling conflict. We hope to get back on schedule the first Friday of even numbered months, so the next one is set for Friday, Feb. 6th. I don’t have word yet on Spotlight Performers, but I will include that in the next newsletter.

I hope this has been a good year for you. The truth is, I’ve had better. I contracted Bell’s Palsy at the end of April, and it took a few months to get over it–the muscles on the left side of my face went numb, affecting my appearance, vision, speech and singing. Fortunately, that’s better now. I was also told that a biopsy showed there was a 50% chance that a mass on my thyroid was cancerous, but now they think that is less likely–I will get another ultrasound in April to confirm–expecting good news. Other stuff too–I’m looking forward to a brand new year.

On the positive side, I am in the process of re-assembling the Gordon Ellis Ensemble. My keyboard player, who had 3 major back surgeries in the past year, is able to play again, so he, I and our drummer have gotten together a few times to re-familiarize ourselves with the repertoire. During the long hiatus, we lost our lead guitarist and bass player, so we will be looking for replacements after the first of the year, and I hope to start booking gigs again in 2026.

During stressful times, I am grateful to have my friends, the CSLN community, and our teaching to lean on, as well as my music. As this year winds down, I hope that you have people in your life to lean on if you need it, and people to share the good stuff with, as well. I wish you all a happy holiday season and a great 2026.

Be safe, be well, be you.

Gordon

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The post ELLISVILLE NEWS–12/12/25: Gordon Ellis Ensemble Re-Grouping; CSLN Coffeehouse Returns In February; Happy Holidays appeared first on Gordon Ellis.

Hi Everyone,

Not a whole lot to share at the moment; however I wanted to let you know that the CSLN Oct, 3rd Coffeehouse has been cancelled. There were a number of logistical reasons–not necessary to go into here–but we hope to get back on track in December.

SCAM ALERT: I got an email from the Interim Minister at CSLN, who flies in once a month to do the Sunday Service and lead a workshop or seminar. She said she was doing a presentation and wanted to present two of the participants with gift cards, but she didn’t have time to get them–would I purchase them and she would reimburse me. Now I have heard of scams like this, so normally I would have sent her a separate email to verify that this really came from her, but I didn’t have her email or phone number, and when I clicked on the sender’s email, it did not show up as another email address (Normally a tip-off with a scam). Furthermore (This is the scary part), it was worded in a way that sounded like her (I guess AI captured her writing style and used it in the original email as well as her responses to me). I won’t go into the details here or the back and forth exchanges, but I will admit that I got scammed and have lost some money, simply trying to help someone I knew. I don’t know how you guard against this if you don’t have the senders email in your own address book, or their phone number, but I think in the future, if I can’t verify that the sender is who they say they are, I will not respond. Fortunately, the loss isn’t so bad that I can’t absorb it, but it pisses me off that our government can’t seem to do anything to prevent these scams–the criminals are always 10 steps ahead! They can also do this with phone calls. So, beware, folks.

Well, that’s all for this month. Enjoy fall (When it finally actually gets here–LOL).

Be safe, be well, be you.

Gordon

The post ELLISVILLE NEWS–9/30/25 October 3rd Coffeehouse Cancelled; Scam Alert appeared first on Gordon Ellis.

Hi Everyone,

Hope the summer has gone well for you. Summer here in Ellisville is coming back with a vengeance! After a week or so of very pleasant fall weather, the next 7 days are predicted to be in the 90s again, peaking at 95 on Sunday. Put away the fall blanket–bring back the summer blanket.

At the beginning of August, I had the pleasure of being one of 3 Spotlight Performers at the CSLN Coffeehouse, getting to perform a half hour set of my music. In the past, when doing a set of more than 4 songs by myself, I have had someone backing me, but this time, I accompanied myself solo on all the songs, and it went very well (I think a standing ovations qualifies for “very well”, right?). A couple of days later, I was the Guest Performer at our CSLN Sunday Service, doing 3 originals. Again, a very enthusiastic and gratifying response.

This Sunday, I will again be the Guest Performer at CSLN–my first time performing in our new home, and I am really looking forward to it. Instead of all originals, this time I will be performing at great Barry Manilow song, called “All The Time.” It is an emotionally powerful ballad that anyone who has ever felt “different”but transcended the loneliness can probably relate to. The service starts with the opening song right at 10:30 a.m.

By the way, big congrats to B. Sadler, who at the age of 91 climbed Tennessee’s 6000 foot Mt. Leconte last week. The man is truly in great shape!

And finally, our next Coffeehouse will be Friday, Oct. 3rd. We don’t have all the Spotlight Performers lined up, but one of them will be the ever popular and always amazing Shawn Gallaway, whose uplifting “Conscious Music” has been performed around the world, including for the Dalai Lama! More about the Coffeehouse to come.

Well, that’s it for this edition. Enjoy fall (whenever it gets here).

Be safe, be well, be you.

Gordon

The post ELLISVILLE NEWS–9/10/25: Spotlight Performer At CSLN Coffeehouse Went Well; Performing At CSLN Sunday Service Again This Sunday appeared first on Gordon Ellis.

Hi Everyone,

Just a brief post here. This Sunday, Aug. 17th, I am honored to be our last “Guest Performer” at CSLN’s Sunday Service on the Unity Campus. I will be doing three original songs during the service, starting at noon sharp. Unity is at 5125 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN 37220.

After that, we will be holding our services at 160 Belle Forest Circle, starting Sunday, August 24th at our new time, 10:30 a.m. I hope you can make this milestone service on Sunday–Dr. Mitch Johnson will be speaking.

Be safe, be well, be you!

The post ELLISVILLE NEWS– 8/13/25 Performing At Last CSLN Service At Unity appeared first on Gordon Ellis.

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are enjoying the summer. Here in Ellisville, it has been plenty hot, and humid. I think today makes 20 straight days of 90+ degree heat with at least another week to follow. With the humidity, I think the heat index has been around 400 degrees (LOL).

Though still not fully over the Bell’s Palsey that started near the end of April, I am much better. My mouth looks normal again (though there is still some slight numbness on the left side), and my voice is pretty much back, so I am performing again. I resumed my Seniors’ Residence gigs in June, was a Guest Performer at the CSLN Sunday Service a few weeks ago, and have re-scheduled my Spotlight Performer slot at the CSLN Coffeehouse from June to our upcoming Coffeehouse, which is next week. Unfortunately, the vision in my left eye, though better, has not yet fully returned, but I am optimistic that it will.

Speaking of the Coffeehouse, it will be next Friday, August 1st. We will have the Open Mic from 6:30 – 7 p.m. (Signup is at 6 p.m., with 7 slots open). Original songs, poems, stand up comedy, short stories, etc. (Maximum 5 minutes per song, story, poem, etc.). This will be followed by three Spotlight Performers, each doing a half hour set. Saralina’s music is soothing and healing; Rique is a talented singer/songwriter/actor and is a real hoot; and I will be doing a set of all original “Relevant Country”/Americana music. Please see the flyer I have copied and pasted below. This will be our last Coffeehouse at the Unity Of Nashville location, as CSLN is expected to move into our own building around Aug. 21st. The address at Unity is 5125 Franklin Pike, Nashville, 37220. Potluck snacks and drinks, and Love Offering to CSLN always appreciated. Let’s close out this last Coffeehouse at Unity with a great turnout!

And yes, CSLN will have it’s own building again in late August. No more renting–no more need to coordinate Sunday services. I know that for people living East or South of Nashville it is a bit longer drive, but probably only about 10 minutes longer then our old building was. Hope you will still come out.

Well, that’s all for this edition. Y’all stay cool. Be safe, be well, be you!

Gordon

The post ELLISVILLE NEWS 7/25/25: Feeling Better; Performing Again–Spotlight Performer At Upcoming Aug. 1st Coffeehouse, Recent Performance At CSLN Service, and Back To Playing At Seniors’ Residences. appeared first on Gordon Ellis.

Hi Everyone,

Seems like a long time since my last newsletter. I hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day Weekend. Summer has now unofficially begun. Meanwhile, over the past month, Tennessee has been experiencing lots of rain, some tornadoes, lots of rain, some tornadoes, and (Did I mention) lots of rain. At least the drought seems to be over.

About a month ago, seemingly out of the blue, I developed Bell’s Palsy. Not life threatening fortunately, but certainly disruptive. The left side of my face was numb and partly paralyzed. It affected my ability to chew on that side, to drink from a glass or straw unless I used my fingers to hold my lips together, and it affected my diction–especially when talking for more than 15-20 minutes. It also impacted my ability to sing–I lost vocal power and stamina and about the top 5 notes of my range. And when I talked or smiled (Or sang), it made my mouth crooked (Eeeuuu!). All of those symptoms have gotten noticeably better after 4 weeks and 4 acupuncture sessions, but I’m still not 100%, so I will continue with the acupuncture. A cortisone steroid pack did nothing to help. Apparently it needs to be prescribed in the first 72 hours, and it took 5 days to get it (Boo, hiss!).

It has also affected my left eye–I can’t close it all the way unless I close the other eye too. This causes dry eye, which over time can affect the cornea, so I have to put eye drops in every couple of hours, wear a patch over that eye and use an ointment at night to protect it, and so far the vision in that eye is still noticeably reduced, though perhaps a little better lately.

I had to cancel all my May nursing home gigs, but with my voice getting better, I hope to be able to do most of my June gigs.

No one seems to know what causers this. Some people think it is a virus or the after affect of a virus, and I did have a cold for a month, but this didn’t happen until 2 weeks after the end of my cold.

I am fortunate, in that quite a few people have offered prayers and rides, and I have accepted rides for longer distances or to places I am not familiar.

The CSLN Coffeehouse is scheduled for Friday, June 6th. Here is the info:

I haven’t seen the first two Spotlight Performers, though I hear they are quite good, with impressive bios. I have seen Sean numerous times, and he is an inspiring songwriter with a great voice. It looks like his wife Laurie will be joining him on harmonies, and they have even asked me to sing harmonies on one song–I’m honored to.

Open Mic Sign up:  6 p.m. (7 slots available) 

Open Mic Performances:  6:30 – 7 p.m.  (Original songs, poems, short stories, stand up comedy, etc.).  Up to 5 min. per presentation

Spotlight Performers:       7 p.m.,   7:30,   8 p.m.  See flyer above.

Potluck snacks and drinks, and love offering to CSLN appreciated.

And finally, after renting space from Unity Center for over a year, CSLN has purchased its own building in Bellevue, and will likely move in some time in August. More on that when the time gets closer, but just like with buying a home, I think owning is always better than renting–we can build equity and it is ours to use as we choose.

Okay, that’s about it for this edition.

Be Safe, Be well, Be you!

Gordon

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