Keep A True Lent

 

We have discovered that we can look at the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday as a preparation time for us.  But preparation for what?  That depends on you.

 

As you looked at where you were on your journey at age 40 or there about, what did you find?  Was there anything significant about that age for you?

 

If you look at where you were at age 40 and where you are today, that may give you an idea of what foundation you were building or maybe what you completed at that time in your life.  That’s the metaphysical meaning of the number 40. And that is what we want you to look at during this Lent Season….at least one of the things.

 

We also want to check our consciousness.  Is there any ‘spring cleaning’ that could be done?  We all probably have some of that to do.  A mental housecleaning.

 

We go layer by layer, through all the years of build-up; the domestication we have lived with, the attitudes and ideas we picked up along the way that might not agree with who we are today.

We ask ourselves, “Does this serve my highest good?”

 

And just when you think you have cleared your layers away, you find another!  But all things are resolved with the Divine.  And, together, we find a way to move along our chosen path.

 

Here’s a comment on cleaning our house of consciousness by Tony Jackson LUT I went to class with at Unity Village:

 

 

I’m feeling very satisfied about the thorough cleaning of my house of consciousness, ready to host exciting new opportunities into my life. But alas, hours later I see a layer of dust and grime has settled in and made my house inhospitable. Time and again this inexplicable occurrence has frustrated me until today when I realized that the inlet filters have been clogged with old contaminates that keep me in struggle. Like the unseen particulate matter of dust, each thought is unnoticed until over time its cumulative affect clouds my purpose and true meaning. Like that filter, I must change my belief filters to new filters that allow fresh new meanings to enter my house and allow the joyous fulfillment of my desires to be entertained. Now that I am finally aware of the cause that has been cloaked for so long, I can tell my thoughts, ” I’m watching you.” This is the most powerful tool I have, the mindful awareness of the truth that empowers me to transform my house into a garden of joy. I am particularly effective when I notice the immediate thoughts after an occurrence or idea. Filter out the lies with denial and allow truth with an affirmative and appreciate yes!

 

That’s what Charles Fillmore has asked us to do, to ‘fast’ from negative thoughts and deeds.  And maybe do some forgiveness work too.  And with true fasting from negative thoughts and actions, we often find that we have made a change for the good in our lives.

 

It’s not as if we can go back to the attitude or belief that we were fasting from…we aren’t going to start lying as if we gave it up for lent like giving up chocolate and then having a bite on Easter Sunday.  No, when we make an effort to release a habit or belief that does not serve our journey, after 40 days, we often have let it go for good.

 

Then last week Charles asked us to be more understanding of the variety we have in this manifestation we are experiencing as humankind.  We all have a different idea of what the various concepts would mean to us.  Variety is abounding and part of our abundance.  We are all loved and sacred in the Divine, One Mind.

 

We were reminded to use our 12 Powers to aid us as we make our choices through this physical life.  Being mindful of those powers, we can discern what is best for each of us.  Those Powers are Will, Understanding, Imagination, Love, Wisdom, Order, Life, Faith, Enthusiasm, Power, Strength and Release.

 

And we once again reminded everyone to watch your words.  I AM.  Powerful words. Creative words.  When used to make a positive affirmation, they possess immense potential to alter our lives for the better.  And those two words can alter lives in the negative too, so think before you speak and watch what you think.

 

So, this week we want to look at our Conscious.  Charles states that we all have a divine goodness; it is the root of all existence.  He says, “no man is so lowly but at the touch of its secret spring this divine goodness may be brought to light within him.”

 

We are all made of Divine Spirit.  We just haven’t accepted that fully yet.

 

Some of us try to stifle this good, but it is in the recesses of every mind and comes forth, sometimes when we least expect.  It is The Law of Universal Balance:  The Equilibrium of Being.

We have often been fooled into believing that we can do things that are not in harmony with goodness and escape the consequences.  I’ve done it.  And paid too.  I remind us all, we are not punished by our errors, but by the consequences of them.

Think on that a moment.

 

 

Charles states, “A man and his conscience are good friends as long as the way is smooth, but when it grows rugged, they fall out.”

 

Those were the times we often went blindly through life, but experience is a very dear, sometimes expensive teacher, is it not?

 

That’s when we often review what we are doing with our life and, hopefully, start to make positive changes.

 

Then, we make our amends, ask for forgiveness, start looking within, change our thinking, change our friends too sometimes.  We look and are open for a better way.

 

And sometimes, we come here, to Unity and find a home and peace, and friendship and love.

 

I would like to think it is us following the guidance of Spirit that dwells within each of us that brings us here, and following Spirit is a much easier path.

 

Remembering that God is everywhere present and all-knowing, so we can take that advice instead of stepping out on our own,

 

And Charles reminds us to let our ‘yeahs be yeahs and our nays be nays.’  In other words, less talk and more action.  Let your work speak for itself.”  We see that in action with our volunteers.

 

We are reminded that God is Principle and the Christ ideal is the idea of principle as it is brought into creation.  We are that creation on its way to the perfect expression of our Highest Self.  Each of us, in our own special way, expressing as the Christ.

 

Charles reminds us that we must act with God, for to act without that Spiritual knowing is our step toward separation.  When we THINK we can do life, without God’s guidance and wisdom, that is our first step in ‘the fall of humankind.’

 

This is our ‘eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’

 

We have within all the potential of Being, of God.  We forget, maybe get a little cocky, thinking we can do ‘life’ without the Divine.  This is where we sometimes Edge God Out-let ego get in the way.

Think of the Tower of Babel…they thought they could build a Tower to God, but not with God’s guidance and wisdom.  So, they were sent away in many directions throughout the lands with many new languages so they couldn’t conspire again.  They had to work from within.

 

 

Some people believe it was a good thing, our stepping out and ‘testing the waters’ so to speak.  Because it started us on the journey to know ourselves and that leads us to know our Creator.

 

A Sioux creation story says that long ago the Creator gathered all of Creation and said, “I want to hide something from the humans until they are ready for it. It is the realization that they create their own reality.” The eagle said, “Give it to me, I will take it to the moon.” The Creator said, “No. One day they will go there and find it.” The salmon said, “I will bury it on the bottom of the ocean.” “No. They will go there too.” The buffalo said, “I will bury it on the Great Plains.” The Creator said, “They will cut into the skin of the Earth and find it even there.” Grandmother Mole, who lives in the breast of Mother Earth, and who has no physical eyes but sees with spiritual eyes, said, “Put it inside of them.” And the Creator said, “It is done.”

 

 

 

Our journey begins within and continues within.

 

 

Charles puts it this way, we are Being in miniature.  We have all the powers available that God does.

 

Again, what you place behind the creative words, I AM is how we make our world.

 

This is our greatest strength, and also our greatest weakness.

 

When we take that I and make it my and mine is where we err.  When we do not include God in all our thoughts and acts, we fail to manifest as we wish, as God would have us succeed.

 

Charles tells us that “Man is just as undefinable as God”

 

The “I” within you is as great a mystery as the infinite “I”. You are just as a great mystery to yourself as you are to others.  You do not conceive of all of your possibilities.

 

Unity tells us that we are children of God and therefore are good and only good.  We are made in the image and likeness of our Creator.

 

Therefore, it is our responsibility to know ourselves and to step forth with the Truth of our Being.  Made in the IMAGE AND LIKENESS….

 

 

We are reminded in “Keep a True Lent:  “The Spirit of Wisdom is right now a part of the consciousness of everyone.  It is in you and about you, and you will come into conscious relations with it when you believe on it and its powers.  If you ignore it, and thereby deny that it exists in you and for you, you remain in the darkness of ignorance.  It is exactly as if a man lived in the basement of a large house and refused to go upstairs, declaring that because the upper rooms did no come down to him, they were not there.”

 

Until we rewire our brain to see things differently than our brain is letting us see now there will be no change.

 

We believe we are spiritual beings, created in God’s image. The spirit of God lives within each person; therefore, all people are inherently good.

 

We are perfect because we are of God and God is perfect.

 

We must ‘detach our “I” from our consciousness and attach it to our Christ consciousness.  We must connect with our Buddha nature and rest there in that peace.  We must gather around the Goddess of Wisdom and learn the ways of the Divine Universe.

 

That is what this Lenten journey is all about.

Great Morning Beloved!

 

Lenten Series – The Throne of Love

 

Last week we talked a bit about Lent and why we observe it.  I asked you to look at the number 40 and where you were on your journey at the age of 40.  I hope the idea brought some insightful and helpful contemplation for you.

This week Charles Fillmore asks us to look at the God we invented.  Voltaire is quoted as saying, “If there were no God, men would invent one.”

And if we would look at our early history, we would realize that we did have Gods and Goddesses for all sorts of reasons.  And even today, some believe that their God has the same emotions and characteristics as humanity does.

We mentioned last week that creation is first have a thought from Divine Mind, then we develop an idea, and create or express that idea …mind, idea, expression.

When we think of people and things, they are all conceived through our own filters.  So, the same idea may become many different manifestations.  For example, think of a dog.  What comes to mind…. for me, the first thought is a bichon.  Did all of you think bichon?  Most likely not.

We all have different takes on what different things mean and sometimes that’s good.  We get a variety of things from the same idea.  Think about one object…. now think of all the ways that object has manifested because someone had the same idea with a different vision: color, size, shape  Variety!

When we attempt to agree on something less concrete we may have a different issue…the idea becomes more complicated when we want to agree on it for safety purposes, for example.  What constitutes freedom, justice or equality?  What’s right and wrong?

God’s gift to us is ideas.  What we do or don’t do with the ideas is our choice…free will.

Have you ever had an idea and didn’t do anything about it only to find someone else took that idea and developed something out of it?  I did….

 

This is where we must use our faculties, our 12 powers to discern what is appropriate for each of us.  And this is where we must connect with our Divinity.

The 12 Powers are: Faith, strength, wisdom, love, power, imagination, understanding, will, order, zeal, renunciation, life.

We will talk more about the 12 Powers later this year.

 

We know that God is only Love.  Plain and simple.  God is all good, all knowing and everywhere present.

 

Where then, does the so-called evil come from?  Is there a devil?   We may wish sometimes we could blame our actions on the devil, but there is none…we must take responsibility for our choices.

 

We all know that sin is really missing the mark.  Making a mistake.  And that we can always start again.  Sometimes our ego lets us believe that we are doing what is right when we know deep down inside that we are not.  That is missing the mark…letting our thoughts go against what and who we truly are.

 

And hell is what we do with our life while we are living…if we are not actively connected with Source, we feel separation, and THAT is hell.

 

 

Divine Love is the force that dissolves all opposers of true thought and thus smooths out every obstacle that presents itself.  When love ascends our consciousness and thoughts, and takes complete control of our lives, its rule is just and righteous.

Even destructive faculties, such as resistance, opposition, anger, jealousy, are harmonized through love.  Our outer affairs are put in order …cooperation and trust prevail.

When we know Truth, we know that we are all one, that there is no separation…

Unselfish love brings us to the presence of God.

Divine love and human love are all from the same source, we must direct our love with wisdom and discernment, to avoid downfall caused by following our human impulses blindly

Wisdom shows us when we fall short of the law   we know it in our consciousness, if and when we are honest with ourselves.

There is no anger from God when we error; missing the mark brings its own punishment, we are not punished for our sins but by them, by the consequences of our actions.

 

We are all Children of God.  Divine Love sees no distinction among people.

When we let the Truth of our Being into our hearts and pull down all walls of separation we shall feel the flow of infinite love that Jesus felt.

 

Love is the greatest worker in the universe, it forgives a ‘multitude of our errors   Divine love is the balm for every ill.

 

1 Peter 4:8 says. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

 

Part of our forgiveness work is unselfish love for it is fearless because of its forgetfulness of self.

 

 

The world belongs to us and we are responsible for it…for the poverty or the prosperity…we determine whether we shall have or have not by our thoughts.

 

Our prosperity is the result of work – mental, spiritual as well as physical.  That means prayer work, soul searching, contemplation, good choices for your associations; it means putting feet to your prayers too.

 

We are not content with the present – we are ever seeking to be better: to progress as individuals, as a country, as a “religion.”  That mean work…and when we don’t follow that urging, we often get a little, or not so little, push.

 

The very fact that you are sitting in these chairs shows me that you are ready and willing to take these steps.  We need the courage to develop our positive potentials.

–         Need more initiative, & to be more awareness of our spiritual nature,

–         We need more involvement in our journey,

–         this is how we grow and make life easier for ourselves and our children

 

Spiral Dynamics?

 

All things are possible for those who believe, through spiritual unfoldment.

Believe what?  Believe in ourselves, believe that we are innately spiritual beings.  We are encouraged with affirmations, with positive thoughts, with fellowship with others of like mind.

 

What is our part in this evolution?  KNOW THYSELF

We must become acquainted with our own minds, our own hearts.

I remind you that any and all the progress you make affects each of us and works toward a better future.

 

Every thought has an active movement…cause and effect…with our consciousness, with our bodies, with our world—the cells go through changes.

 

Charles says, “Every time we speak we cause the atoms and cells of our body to tremble and go through certain changes.”

Every action causes a reaction…in us and in the Universe.

 

This is the consequence of our actions.

 

The destiny of the world & its people is in the minds of those who seek to know God as Spirit & must seek God in Spirit—Jesus points the way with his teachings.  But it is not the religion OF Jesus, it’s the spiritual following ABOUT Jesus and what he taught.

 

All of his teachings are constructive, not destructive.  Therefore, we ask that you watch your words and thoughts and only send positive, constructive energy into the universe…not matter the issue or situation.

 

I realize this may be a challenge for some of us in today’s climate, but this can be a learning opportunity for all of us.  This is where courage come into our lives…do we live them as we wish or as others dictate?

 

And what is Jesus’ formula?  Simple — “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.”

 

This is the fulfillment of all the commandments   someone asked me last week about the Old Testament and an angry & vengeful God.

 

I remind you that the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible is a history of the Hebrew people.  It was written for them to explain how they came to be on the earth.  It then goes on to record their history.

 

We use that history, if you will, as a metaphor of the soul’s journey.  As the Israelites went, so our young souls went.  We learned God’s laws and then tested them, just as children test their parents as they grow.

 

We drift away and then fall to our knees when things go astray.  The God of our understanding comes to us and uncovers our inner light and we can stand again, until we test the Laws again.

 

And this is how we learned God’s laws.  Once we got it…once we understood what it was like to live with other human beings by following the Commandments, we graduated to the New Testament where Jesus showed us that it really all boils down to LOVE.  Love God and love people.

 

Sounds simple and it should be, but we all understand what happens when our egos Edge God Out.  It is up to us to use our courage, and our 12 Powers to find the correct footing for ourselves, and work to move forward.

 

We all here at Unity hope you depend on us, your Unity family to be with you on this journey, we are honored with your presence.

 

Namaste

 

The Way to Perfection

Why do we see Lenten observations during the 40 days before Easter?  Do we see anything in the Bible that tells us to have a Lenten observation prior to Easter?

NO, Lent is actually an institution devised by ‘the church’.  So, all those times when you ‘gave up’ chocolate, or coffee, or fighting with your siblings, it was really just ‘the church’ trying one more way to ‘suggest’ that you be good.

We know a different way now.  We could still ‘give up’ chocolate or potato chips, because it might be a good idea for our health, but not to make us look better in God’s eyes.  We ALWAYS look good in God’s eyes.

And besides, it’s not a sandwich without chips!

So, where did the 40 days come into play.  The number 40 is prominent in many of the stories in the Bible.  Moses and the Israelites wandered for 40 years.  Elijah did too on his way the mountain of God, Mt. Horab.  And of course, Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days before beginning his ministry.

Well the number 40 metaphysically means completeness, or a foundation for something to follow.  So, it’s the amount of time or whatever, to complete what needs to be done; to build a foundation for something to follow.

This made me think back to when I was 40 and where I was on my journey at that time…made for some interesting contemplation.  Maybe you would like to think back to where you were at age 40…when we look at anything metaphysically, or looking at something differently and then we relate that information to ourselves, this is what we do as metaphysicians.

Let me know what you come up with.

We can also look at Lent as a tie in to spring, to clean our consciousness.  Lent means spring, so that makes sense.  By being more conscious of what we are thinking and saying and doing, we can bring our consciousness awake.  The distractions of our human experience are many and can be very tempting.  A spring cleaning of our thoughts can do wonders for our consciousness, and I’d bet, our lives too.

We are going to look at the season of Lent through the words of Unity co-founder, Charles Fillmore and his book, “Keep a True Lent”.

Charles says, “When we consider Lent as a well-rounded or completed season of retreat from the things of the world for the cleansing of the mind and the recollection of things of the Spirit, it becomes a true season of preparation…for Easter; for the resurrection of the mind from …doubts and false beliefs into the light of understanding.”

“To observe Lent according to the spirit rather than the letter we must fast from criticism and condemnation and feast on brotherly love;     fast from false beliefs…and feast on the truth of God’s omnipresence;    fast from false beliefs in lack and limitation and feast on the truth of God’s bounty and good will.”

Interestingly and amazingly, Charles states “One of the most valuable ways of observing the Lenten season is to fast from (meaning loose and let go) the belief that people or nations can stand in the way of God’s good will for humanity.”

Appropriate for today’s world, wouldn’t you say?

As we mentioned last week in our discussion of “The Velveteen Rabbit” and the lessons it provides and I shared with my Tuesday class as we began discussing “A Course in Miracles,” we have Lessons presented to us in many, many ways and often, many, many times.

So, we see some of the same themes or topics presented to us in Charles’ book. The title of the first chapter is “The Way to Perfection.”  As we learned last week, perfection on a human scale is not something we can attain.  We can work on doing our best, always.  But we must agree that only God is perfect. God is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent—everywhere, all knowing, all powerful.

We are all that as a part of God, but in human form, we are not expressing that as us, as hard as we try.  Humanly we cannot be everywhere, we are not all-knowing or all-powerful, contrary to our egos belief sometimes. When we connect with Source, we get a taste, a glimpse of what Divine Spirit truly is.

And so, that is our quest…to connect as much as possible.

Divine Mind is the meeting ground for us with God.  We use prayer and meditation to connect with that meeting ground…with Divine Mind.

We follow the teachings of Jesus, the example of Divine being.  When we follow these teachings, we work closer to the Divine connection.  And as we walk in the way of Jesus’ teachings, we recognize the I AM of ourselves and, of each other.

Remember, when you use I AM, you are stating the Christ of you is whatever follows those two words.  So, watch your words, watch your thoughts.  Our words and thoughts are creative. If you say, I Am happy, that’s good, we want a life of ‘happy.’  If you say I AM sorry…do you want a life of ‘sorry’?  You are stating that your Christ self is sorry.

Do not claim that! Watch your words.

We have often reminded ourselves that we are the cruelest towards ourselves.  Love yourself as you watch your thoughts and words.

Charles takes the first chapters of this journey through the book to review a few of the basic Unity beliefs.  One is the Trinity, spoken as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Metaphysically, we see that as Mind, Idea, Expression.  Or Thinker, Thought, Action. We are the image and likeness of God.  We have an idea  when we Conceive it,  the idea becomes a belief  when we Believe, we put the belief into action and Achieve the desired effect of the original idea.

This is the manifestation process, simply stated. Then the question comes forth, why does it not always manifest?

Can you think of some reasons why we cannot manifest as Jesus did?

Maybe we still have some forgiveness work to do…that is often the case…not 7 times 7, but 70 times 7…forgive ourselves as well. Just take a moment to think about what work you are doing yourself.

You all know the answer to that question…even if it is only deep inside.  Search yourself for the answer to that question…why aren’t you manifesting what you want?

Charles suggests, maybe ‘we aren’t seeing the whole of it.’  What does that mean? It means we aren’t seeing the truth of the situation.  We may be looking at it through ‘human’ eyes.  Or through our egos instead of through our Christ consciousness.

We cannot look at a situation with the same eyes that started the situation or problem.  If we have a situation or problem that we wish to be resolved, we must step away from it and look at it through eyes of love.

Ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”  Really.  Wouldn’t that give you a clearer mind?  Wouldn’t that push ego away and give you a chance to listen to your heart?  And we all now know that the heart is smarter than our brains.

So, we want to follow our heart wisdom.  Because that is where our Christ within dwells.  So, we want to connect with our heart wisdom, with our inner Divine Spirit, that Christ, that Buddha that is a part of all of us, and is our connection to all that is.

So how big is your God?  How connected are you to the God of your understanding?  Are you still believing in the God of the Old Testament?  The angry, vengeful God who would condemn you to eternal fire if you do not ask for forgiveness for your ‘sins.’ That describes a God made in the image of humanity; not a humanity made in the image and likeness of God.

Our limited understanding of what a great God we have, our belief in a God in our image has greatly distorted what a wise and good Creator we have.

Charles says, “Those who get the right conception of the creative source and adjust their mind to its wisdom, purity, power, love, and completeness as the ideal source of perfect man are rewarded by a serene peace and confidence in the final supremacy of justice and righteousness.”

So, one of the answers to the earlier question regarding manifestation of our goals is not being open to the Light of The Christ within.  God is the only power in the Universe and our source for all things.  If we are closed to the divine ideas that are available to all, we cannot move forward.  We may continue to struggle on our journey.

But we also know that Jesus taught that ‘race evolution’ would carry forth.  And only God knew the duration of our “Spiritual Evolution.”  But as we follow the teachings of Jesus, the “Christ in you —your hope of glory’ — we work toward a better understanding and closeness with what God’s ‘Kingdom” is all about. Everyone must travel through that ‘Spiritual Evolution.’  Knowing this helps us to have a better understanding of those on the various paths to enlightenment.  We can be more tolerant and loving knowing that we all are on the same journey and we all will meet again, in the end, as ONE.

Namaste

 

The Parable of the 10 Virgins

 

 

 

Read Matthew 25:1-13

 

This reading takes place in the final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, and he is clearly intent on reinforcing with his disciples an understanding of what exactly he means by “the kingdom of heaven,” and what they should expect once he has left them in physical form. The disciples have “come to him privately” (Matthew 24:3) to ask for a clearer indication of what is going to happen, and when. This parable is part of his response.

 

 

 

What do you think the message in this parable is?

 

 

 

The message can be summed up in two words: Be Prepared! Jesus warns his followers to make no assumptions about the coming of the new consciousness he calls “the kingdom of heaven.”  And he uses the background of a wedding as the basis for his lesson.

 

 

 

Weddings in the Near East at that time were a lot different than what we know of weddings, no matter what form they are taking.  D.A. Carson in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary describes the wedding setting: “Normally the bridegroom with some close friends left his home to go to the bride’s home, where there were various ceremonies, followed by a procession through the streets – after nightfall – to his home. The ten virgins may be bridesmaids who have been assisting the bride; and they expect to meet the groom as he comes from the bride’s house…Everyone in the procession was expected to carry his or her own torch. Those without a torch would be assumed to be party crashers. The festivities, which might last several days, would formally get under way at the groom’s house.” The torch was either a lamp with a small oil tank and wick or a stick with a rag soaked in oil on the end of it which would require occasional re-soaking to maintain the flame.”

 

All ten of the bridesmaids were honored to be chosen, and all of them received the same tools and materials—lamps and oil—to work with.  We all come into this life with our soul or Spirit, with our hearts open and ready.  Then we have ‘life as we know it” and must learn to open ourselves again.

 

The lamp is often pictured in scripture and in literature as a symbol of the spirit of a person.

 

Or it could be the word of God which lights one’s pathway through life.

 

 

 

The oil typically represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

These are all gifts that everyone has.

 

 

 

The five wise maidens realized that they didn’t know exactly when to expect the wedding party, and chose to make sure they had plenty of oil supply by bringing extra. The five others assumed everything would unfold at once, and so brought no extra supplies of oil.

 

In both cases, those choices had immediate consequences. Those who were prepared were welcomed into the wedding celebration, i.e., the kingdom. Those who were unprepared were not admitted. This isn’t a question of punishment, but of the spiritual truth that all our choices have consequences.

 

I think all of us have both wise and foolish bridesmaids in our consciousness. The foolish are those thoughts that assume we know how and when the new dimension of consciousness known as the kingdom will arrive, and that we have already “earned” the right to be included.  We believe that we have done our work and so are ‘saved.’

 

As I reminded everyone last Sunday, if you are still here physically, there is still work to be done.

 

The wise are those thoughts that “know what we don’t know” and make no false assumptions. Being “invited”—being awakened to our innate Christ Presence and the possibility of expressing that Presence as the kingdom of heaven—is only the first step, not the final qualification. We must continue to live our lives in such a way that we are prepared to step into that new consciousness at any moment. If not, we’ll be left behind, forced to wait for another wedding. (or to learn THAT lesson again!)

 

 

 

Again, we were reminded last week about living our integrity.  Or our 5 Principles…look at them again and see how you are doing.

 

 

 

All ten of the bridesmaids saw their lamps beginning to burn out as the midnight hour approached.  The wise virgins had extra oil with them. But that extra was not in their lamps. The extra oil came from another companion vessel that they carried with them.  

 

This extra supply was separate from the oil they had within the lamp of their own spirit. This was the critical difference between those who were wise and those who were foolish.  It represents the power of their Christ Presence and their awareness of that presence.  It is the faith that they have and work on diligently.

 

Burnout happened to all ten of the bridesmaids. Burnout happens to all of us from time to time as we come to low points and times of crisis in our lives. There is nothing wrong with this at all. It is a common human experience.

 

What happens as midnight and the Bridegroom draws near is an example of the importance of preparation ahead of any time of darkness and trial and testing that may come as part of this human experience.

 

If we are doing our work, prayer, self-discovery, forgiveness, etc.  we will be prepared when the time comes and we need that extra amount of faith, patience and wisdom.

 

So, it is our spiritual attentiveness and preparation that appears to be the critical issue in this parable…or the lack of.

 

I chose this parable as an opening to the Lent Season and our Lenten Series.  Lent is about Being Prepared for the resurrection that we experience, often many, many times.

 

We will be using Charles Fillmore’s “Keep a True Lent” as a guide for this series leading up to Palm Sunday and Easter. 

 

 

Lessons from The Velveteen Rabbit

 

 

 

You know I believe that our messages and lessons from Spirit are everywhere.  We just need to be open to them.  And sometimes, we have to hear the Lesson a few different times in different ways.

 

Our ‘masters’ come in a variety of forms too.  It’s not just the Don Miguel Ruiz’s, Marianne Williamson’s , and yes, J.K. Rowling’s of the day that have a message for us.

 

So, it should be no surprise to you that there are many lessons in many ‘children’s’ books, including “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams.

 

I became interested in children’s books through a friend of mine who made a point of having a collection of them and added to it from time to time when she saw something that caught her eye.  The collection was for her, as she did not have children of her own, but did interact with them.

 

I don’t recall children’s stories as a child, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t there, I just don’t remember having them read to me or having books about the house.

 

So, let’s explore this classic.  The actual title is “The Velveteen Rabbit (or How Toys Become Real). The book was first published in 1922.

 

It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit and his desire to become real, through the love of his owner.

 

As the story goes, a stuffed rabbit sewn from velveteen is given as a Christmas present to a small boy. The boy plays with his other presents and forgets the velveteen rabbit for a time. The presents he first plays with are modern and mechanical, and they snub the old-fashioned velveteen rabbit, and put on airs of superiority. 

 

Because of the behavior of the other toys, the poor little Rabbit was made to feel very insignificant and commonplace, and the only ’person’ who was kind to him at all was the Skin Horse.

 

The wise Skin Horse, tells the rabbit about toys magically becoming REAL due to the love from their children.

 

The author calls the Skin Horse a ‘person’ because he has made the transition to REAL through the love given by the boy’s uncle when he was a boy. 

 

The rabbit is awed by this idea of becoming REAL; however, he feels, his chances of achieving this wish are slight because of his treatment from the other, ‘modern’ toys, making him feel inferior.

 

One night, the boy’s Nana gives the rabbit to the boy to sleep with, in place of the usual bedtime toy that was misplaced.  The rabbit becomes the boy’s favorite toy, enjoying adventures in the playroom and yard, and picnics with him in the spring; and the boy begins to regard the rabbit as ‘REAL’. Time passes, and the rabbit becomes shabbier but happy.

 

One day, the boy becomes sick with scarlet fever, and the rabbit sits with him day in and out as he recovers. The doctor declares the boy well, and orders that the boy should be taken to the seaside and that his room should be disinfected—all his books and toys burnt, including the velveteen rabbit.

 

The rabbit is bundled into a sack and left out in the garden overnight, where he sadly reflects on his life with his boy. The toy rabbit cries, and as a real tear drops onto the ground, and a marvellous flower appears.

 

A fairy steps out of the flower and comforts the velveteen rabbit, introducing herself as the Nursery Magic Fairy. She says that, because he is old and shabby and REAL, she will take him away with her and “turn him into “Real” – for everyone.

 

The fairy takes the rabbit to the forest, where she meets the other rabbits and gives the velveteen rabbit a kiss. The velveteen rabbit changes into a real rabbit and joins the other rabbits in the forest.

 

The next spring, the rabbit returns to look at the boy, and the boy recognizes his old velveteen rabbit.

 

From the book:

 

“REAL isn’t how you are made…” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become REAL.”

 

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

 

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are REAL you don’t mind being hurt.”

 

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

 

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are REAL, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are REAL you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand…”~From “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams

 

So what are the lessons that we can learn from this story?  Many, my friends, many.

 

 

 

The first, very obvious lesson is about the word R E A L.  Look at how many people are treated.  Much like the velveteen rabbit by his fellow toys.  Many, more modern, often mechanical toys had airs about them; making themselves above other, not so modern seeming toys.

 

But what happens when the rabbit is loved by his boy? 

 

What happens to you and I when we are loved by another?  When we are accepted for the people we are?  When we love and accept ourselves?          We become R.E.A.L.

 

The toys–and people–become real through the wisdom and experience of love.

 

Here is how one blogger put it… Love causes wear and tear on us all, but it’s worth the pain b/c of the joy love brings. We all need to love, be loved, and belong.

 

That if you love something strong enough-it becomes real to you. It touches your heart and soul. And no matter what – it stays with you. Even when you are told you have to let go. Others can’t understand what you feel and see because they don’t feel the love you do. Loving someone or something can hurt when it’s time to say good bye.

 

For something (the stuffed rabbit in this case) to become real it must be released (parted with in the fire).

 

Applies to anything in our lives – letting the kids grow and leave to become their own persons – etc.

 

That love can make all things real and beautiful.

 

And another easy Lesson is, looks do not matter…”little Rabbit grew very old and shabby, but the Boy loved him just as much. He loved him so hard that he loved all his whiskers off, and the pink lining to his ears turned grey, and his brown spots faded. He even began to lose his shape, and he scarcely looked like a rabbit any more, except to the Boy. To him he was always beautiful, and that was all that the little Rabbit cared about. He didn’t mind how he looked to other people, because the nursery magic had made him Real, and when you are Real shabbiness doesn’t matter.

 

 

 

It’s when we are worn with years and the insults that have been flung at us and we have been cautioned to shut up and sit down and wait our turn and no you can’t have that and don’t be silly, get a real job, something that will help you survive. That’s when we start to see this definition of REAL.

 

 

 

Taking the example from The Velveteen Rabbit: Being Real sometimes hurts. The alternative to being real, however, is unimaginable.

 

 

 

Being Loved sometimes hurts. Although we do our utmost not to deliberately hurt the ones we love, the truth is, we inadvertently hurt the ones we love (and they hurt us), because our hearts are exposed the most to one another. What greater way is there to communicate and to exist, than to live wide openly and authentically Real with one another?

 

 

 

In the words of Melissa Etheridge, “I want to live my life pursuing all my happiness. I want a fearless love, I won’t settle for anything less.”

 

 

 

This wisdom is explored with warmth and depth by psychotherapist and social worker Toni RaifenD’Antonio in her book, The Velveteen Principles: A Guide to Becoming Real. In it, she translates the lessons learned by the Velveteen Rabbit into 12 principles that create a guide to becoming real.

 

 

 

She describes the difference between living in the land of Objects and being Real. “Once we accept the pervasive messages of the Object culture, once we believe that we should be perfect, we start to feel shamefully inadequate. No one, after all, can ever attain the Object ideal. As a result, we tumble into a never-ending cycle of struggle, self-condemnation and flailing attempts to ease the pain through money, power, drugs, sex, food or purchases…Just think about the process of abandoning your Real self. You let go of a dream here, a feeling there. Elements of yourself fall away so quietly that you don’t even notice. But something inside of you feels the loses

 

Briefly, Let’s look at her 12 Principles:

 

 

 

Principle #1: Real is Possible – The first principle reassures us that Real is possible. Just as the Velveteen Rabbit felt in his little bunny heart that he was Real, that he had the potential to be Real, and undertook developing those qualities that he needed to in

 

order to live as Real.

 

 

 

Principle #2: Real is a Process – This is the wisdom of the Skin Horse? “It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or have to be carefully kept.” We begin to become Real when you begin the process of discovering and defining yourself, and we become more and more Real as we grow and mature and refine what matters most to us.

 

What can support this process? What can help us feel more real? Close relationships make us feel more Real. Work that matters makes us feel more Real. Creativity and growth make us feel more Real. Teaching, nurturing and caring for others make us feel Real.

 

 

 

Principle #3: Real is Emotional – Principle 3 speaks to the importance of being emotionally available and intelligent. When we’re Real, we honor our feelings and express them maturely and responsibly. We don’t “stuff” our feelings or project them out on to others.

 

 

 

As we become more aware of our own emotions, we learn to respect and appreciate the feelings of others. We recognize that not every feeling needs to be acted upon. This isn’t being real or authentic, it’s being impulsive. Important distinction! And this emotional intelligence leads to the fourth principle.

 

 

 

Principle #4: Real is Empathetic – The mechanical toys in the nursery had a very hard time relating to the feelings and needs of the other toys. Their constant need to be superior hid feelings of insecurity and shame. Their missing paint and broken parts their lack of perfection – created an insecurity that was out pictured as judgment. In contrast, the Skin Horse is very comfortable in his own skin. The Skin Horse is Real and not interested in being perfect.

 

 

 

Principle #5: Real is Courageous – Brene Brown wrote that, “Courage is telling who you are with your whole heart.” Real feels the fear and does it anyway. Real is willing to take risks. Real does the right thing, even when it’s not popular. Real isn’t afraid to fail, and sees every failure as a learning experience. Real knows that Failure leads to growth; New beliefs are powerful.  Courage comes with experience.

 

 

 

Principle #6: Real is Honest – The only toy in the nursery who is honest, who tells the truth, is the Skin Horse. He likes who he is, so he doesn’t need to posture or pretend to be something he isn’t. He’s not perfect and doesn’t need or want to be.  He understands that:

 

– Perfect is arbitrary. Think about how body image standards have changed over the years. What was considered beautiful 100 years ago is not what we consider beautiful today.

 

– Perfection is boring. Isn’t it our flaws, our idiosyncrasies that make us interesting.

 

– Human perfection is ultimately impossible.

 

 

 

When we’re Real, we’re comfortable in our own skin, just like the Skin Horse.

 

We say what we mean, and mean what we say. We walk our talk, and practice what we preach. This is inherent in Jesus’ teaching of letting your yea’s be yea’s and your nay’s be nay’s. No drama, no posturing, just being real.

 

 

 

Principle #7: Real is Generous – Real expresses a spirit of goodwill and encouragement, a generosity of spirit. Real supports others joyfully and is affirming. When we’re Real, we understand that there’s enough to go around, so we don’t hold back our gifts. We don’t buy into the common misperceptions about competition, and someone needing to lose in order for us to win. Real looks for win/win solutions. Real understands the Law of Giving and Receiving, that it is in giving that we receive. Real knows that sharing our light doesn’t diminish it, but allows it to grow ever brighter. Real understands that we are all One, that we are inherently connected, which makes generosity natural and even logical.

 

 

 

Principle #8: Real is Grateful – Gratitude flows when we are able to focus on the positive instead of the negative. Developing an attitude of gratitude opens our eyes to the beauty around us, and to the infinite possibilities that surround us always. Real associates gratitude with awareness and appreciation. Real takes the time to be aware of our surroundings, to observe our lives, and those that share it, without judgment, to appreciate our journey and those that share it. Gratitude is the gateway to grace. When we’re willing to be in gratitude, we invite grace into our lives and experience unexpected blessings.

 

 

 

Principle #9: Real can be Painful – As the Skin Horse explained to the Velveteen

 

Rabbit, sometimes becoming Real can hurt. The more we tell the truth about

 

ourselves, the more open and vulnerable we are, the more risks we’re willing to take,

 

the more possible it becomes that we could be hurt. We might not like what we see.

 

But being Real means we keep looking, that we’re willing to accept ourselves, and others, warts and all. We start to care more about contributing, about being of service, than we do about the opinions of others.

 

 

 

Principle #10: Real is Flexible – Real is adaptable and able to adjust quickly to change. When we’re Real, we hold ourselves lightly, not taking things personally, or ourselves too seriously. Real goes with the flow.  Real understands that:

 

– Change does not equal disaster.

 

– Change is natural. The I Ching teaches that “life is change.”

 

– Change does not mean we failed.

 

– After a big change, we are not going to be the same. Real understands that change

 

is necessary for growth.

 

 

 

Principle #11: Real Love Endures – In his book of Toltec wisdom, The Mastery of Love, Don Miguel Ruiz teaches that: “We can talk about love and write a thousand books about it, but love will be completely different for each of us because we have to experience love. Love is not about concepts; love is about action. Love in action can only produce happiness. Fear in action can only produce suffering. The only way to master love is to practice love. You don’t need to justify your love, you don’t need to explain your love; you just need to practice your love. Practice creates the master.”

 

 

 

Thus my signature on my emails…Loving is the answer.

 

 

 

Principle #12: Real is Ethical – “The process of becoming Real eventually makes us calmly content with ourselves, which means we no longer feel overwhelmed by self-consciousness and self-doubt. We are so comfortable in our worth as human beings that we are able to act according to our highest values in a way that is practically automatic. Almost without trying, we begin to act in ways that are consistently ethical.” What I call living in your integrity. 

 

 

 

Real understands that our actions have consequences, a ripple effect, and so we become exquisitely aware of our effect on others.

 

 

 

We live the Golden Rule, not because it’s a “rule” but because it has become an extension of our Realness.

 

 

 

Real happens when we are willing to see that we are exactly as God created us to

 

be, we stop apologizing for who we are, and embrace who we are.  

 

 

 

Something interesting happens when we’re willing to be real, to be vulnerable, to know the truth about ourselves and others, to focus on love, to be genuine… all of a sudden, we start to see things differently. Because we’re no longer interested in pretending, or trying to be something we’re not… because it’s so much easier to just be who we are, all of a sudden we have more energy, more enthusiasm for life, more ideas, more joy. This is not magic. It’s the result of freeing up all that energy we used to spend keep the mask in place, all the energy we used to spend hiding, more interested in our fear and our stories than in being real.

 

 

 

Toni speaks to this:

 

After he became Real, the Velveteen Rabbit looked upon the world with the quiet wisdom we acquire when we have grown enough and learned enough to understand what Really fulfills and sustains us as unique individuals. To put it another way, we know what gives our lives true value and meaning. This is the ultimate goal we reach as we mature as Real people.

 

 

 

The hunger for a sense of meaning – for true value – is universal and as old as humanity itself. We all want to feel that we have a purpose and that our presence on this planet matters. Many times, this desire is dismissed as impractical and even frivolous. But when you are Real, the quest for meaning is central to your life. It leads you to nurture your own values, interests and passions and to connect with others in empathetic and positive relationships. This doesn’t happen without some effort.

 

 

 

A Real life demands your active participation. It doesn’t happen to you. You design it and then create it. Real doesn’t mean you’ll be perfect at anything. It means that you’re willing to  grow and learn through experience. And as a result, you know that you always did your best.

 

 

 

Besides saving us from regrets, a life conducted in this Real way creates a beautiful and unique story that becomes our legacy to the people we love and, perhaps, to people we never knew. This is the greatest reward of living as a Real person. It’s not stuff or power or achievement, but rather a sense that you are using your time on Earth well, that you are connected to others and that your life matters.

 

 

 

Once you are Real, and you know that everything you say and do matters, you can also understand that we each leave a mark on the world that remains long after we’re gone. Whether we recognize it or not, we all create a legacy…. If you become more Real in your own life and bring that to your relationships, you are practically guaranteed to leave behind an inspiring example for others. Your life’s message will encourage everyone you touch to live with a sense of wonder, curiosity and openness, rather than cynicism and fear. It will say, “I was Real. And you can be Real, too.”

 

 

Compassion

Big Unity will often have a theme for each year that we in the trenches can use as a guide or a jumping off point for Lessons.  At least that’s how I like to use them.

 

This year the theme is “Unleashing Your Divine Potential.”  And the word for this month of February is Compassion, which you may have figured out by the Reading.  The affirmation for the month is ‘I treat others as I would want to be treated.’  I’ve included it on your insert in case you wish to add it to your Spiritual Practice for the month.

The verse for the month is from 1 Peter 3:8, “Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”

 

Compassion –

The etymology of “compassion” is Latin, meaning “co-suffering.” More involved than simple empathy, compassion commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate another’s suffering

This is not Pity, which separates us from another’s suffering, compassion opens our hearts and connects us to that individual.

It is not sympathy, which is simply recognition of another’s lack; it looks beyond the lack and the personality to the desire of the other person to rise above his lack.

 

The compassionate person does not cry when others cry, but he uses the energy that he would waste in tears to stretch forth his hands in encouragement to the one in need. Beyond the tears of another he sees, the upreaching, for comfort, and he gives this comfort. Beyond the seeming pain of another he sees the longing for health, and he speaks words of health and strength. Beyond the loneliness of another he sees the desire for friendship, and he gives kindness and understanding.

 

Compassion does not judge by negative appearances; it always looks beyond them to the self within, and to this inner self it declares the truth of its being. It says to every soul, “Christ is within you, and Christ is your freedom.”

Often we’re taught that having compassion is a sign of being weak because it means you’re not going to stand up to abuse or oppression. Compassion is strength—it means you’re not going to be consumed by hatred. Your actions may then be more effective because they’re not born under that angry fire, which can be very confusing because it can make you feel as though you have no options.

 

Compassion gives us an opportunity to step back. When we explore the nature of compassion, we recognize that disturbing and disruptive actions come from a place of pain. We can truly wish the other person well—wishing they could be free of that pain.

 

We realize that obsessing over another’s faults holds us back and limits us because it requires so much of our own energy. It’s as if we’ve let them take over our own mind and body. To recapture all that energy, we have to be able to let go of the other person. If they have issues, they are their own. If we need to take action to protect ourselves or others, we do that, but it doesn’t have to be from a hateful place.

Do you see the difference?

 

The positive part of anger is its energy—it’s not passive or complacent. Our job is to capture the energy without getting lost in anger’s damaging aspects, such as negative tunnel vision.

 

A perfect example of capturing anger was the Women’s March, which took the anger of many and turned it into an expression of what people wish and hope for in their future and the future of their children – equality for all.

 

The concept of compassion was central to Jesus: “Be compassionate as God is compassionate,” he said. He was compassionate to everyone, including and especially those who were considered outcasts or untouchables: the poor, the maimed, the chronically ill, lepers, Samaritans, Gentiles, tax collectors, sinners and even women, who fell to the bottom of the social strata at that time. Jesus pointedly rejected the purity system that dictated who had rights and who didn’t; who was to be acknowledged and who wasn’t; and who one could speak to, eat with, touch, help, defend or befriend.

 

In his brilliant book, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, author Marcus J. Borg writes: “To put it boldly, compassion for Jesus was political. He directly and repeatedly challenged the dominant sociopolitical paradigm of his social world and advocated instead what might be called a politics of compassion.”  Jesus ignored social boundaries and violated purity protocol, demonstrating again and again that the letter of human-made law is less important than the spirit of God’s law, which is love and compassion.  Jesus said, ‘Love one another.’ That should be the End of the story!”)

 

COMPASSION was one of the outstanding qualities of Jesus.

Many have spoken on compassion:

“Compassion is the basis of morality.” ― Arthur Schopenhauer

 

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ― Mother Teresa

 

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” ― Dalai Lama XIV, The Art of Happiness

 

“Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and it’s beauty.” ― Albert Einstein

His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote,

“According to Buddhism, compassion is an aspiration, a state of mind, wanting others to be free from suffering. It’s not passive — it’s not empathy alone — but rather an empathetic altruism that actively strives to free others from suffering. Genuine compassion must have both wisdom and lovingkindness. That is to say, one must understand the nature of the suffering from which we wish to free others (this is wisdom), and one must experience deep intimacy and empathy with other sentient beings (this is lovingkindness).”

Have you ever seen someone do something courteous and then get angry for not being properly thanked? True compassion has no expectation of reward, even a simple “thank you,” attached to it. Expecting a reward maintains the idea of a separate self and a separate other.

How to be more compassionate?  Pema Chodron says, “start where you are.” Whatever mess your life is right now is the soil from which enlightenment may grow.

After all this talk of selflessness, it may seem odd to end with compassion for oneself. But it’s important not to run away from our own suffering.

Pema Chodron also said, “In order to have compassion for others, we have to have compassion for ourselves.

And in –

Matthew 7:12 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets

Loving thy neighbor is intrinsically connected with loving yourself. Maybe you’ve never been concerned about self-love, but it is vitally important. How you treat yourself, including how kind and compassionate you are toward yourself, can inform everything you say and do, and most certainly how well you love your neighbor.

So ask: What can I do today to improve my situation? How can I enjoy my life just as it is?

 

― Steve Maraboli, in the Life, the Truth, and Being Free “How would your life be different if…You stopped making negative judgmental assumptions about people you encounter? Let today be the day…You look for the good in everyone you meet and respect their journey.”
Instead of recognizing the differences between yourself and others, try to recognize what you have in common. At the root of it all, we are all human beings. We need food, and shelter, and love. We crave attention, and recognition, and affection, and above all, happiness.

 

Reflect on these commonalities you have with every other human being, and ignore the differences. Here is an exercise from Ode Magazine — it’s a five-step exercise to try when you meet friends and strangers. Do it discreetly and try to do all the steps with the same person. With your attention geared to the other person, tell yourself:

1. Step 1: “Just like me, this person is seeking happiness in his/her life.”
2. Step 2: “Just like me, this person is trying to avoid suffering in his/her life.”
3. Step 3: “Just like me, this person has known sadness, loneliness and despair.”
4. Step 4: “Just like me, this person is seeking to fill his/her needs.”
5. Step 5: “Just like me, this person is learning about life.”

Look around you at the folks gathered here today and think on those statements.  It will be a good practice for when you walk out that door.

 

Remember:   Proverbs 18:21

“The tongue has the power of life and death…”

Be compassionate towards yourself and towards others.  It’s what Jesus, our Wayshower would do.

The Metaphysics of Football

Next week is Super Bowl Sunday.  For those of you who do not follow football, this is the culmination of the Professional Football season, where the supposedly, top two teams play each other to see who is the best.  We all have favorites and deep down feel that team is the best.  Just maybe not this year.

I thought it might throw some additional interest into the day by a discussion about football and how it relates to life.  I do realize it will not top the interest in the commercials before, during and a little after the game, for it’s the commercials that many watch the game.

And then there is the Super Bowl Parties, which have gone beyond mere hot dogs and chips!

In the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest quotes his mother saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates.”  Well, today we are saying “Life is like football.”

And humorist Lewis Grizzard agrees, “The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity.”

Those would-be growth opportunities.

I know some of you are probably thinking that football isn’t very spiritual, but I would dare say that there are probably more prayers said on Super Bowl Sunday than on any other day.

And in case you are thinking the whole idea of sports is not very Biblical…I refer you to the words of Paul in I Corinthians 9:24 as he uses sport as a metaphor:  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

 So, Paul is talking about the sport of running and boxing here. He doesn’t mention football…which had not been invented yet, but there certainly is a lot of running in football and only one team receives the prize. And that is the whole purpose of the Super Bowl…to determine which team played the best this year and wins the prize.

Football is really just a game. Every game has an objective and ways to go about winning it. Football has such a strong visual—the goal line marking the place where touchdowns are scored. We could say our spiritual goal is to connect with Divine Spirit or our God Self. Winning the game of life is using our divine power to create our experience of happiness, health, wealth, love, or whatever good we desire.

Any game has a structure and must be played by certain rules. The game of life requires knowledge and use of spiritual laws. To successfully play the game of life, we must train the imaging faculty to image only good, which brings every righteous desire of the heart. Directing our consciousness is the key to the game.

In football, you have TWO TEAMS. The team you are on could be your family, your spouse, and your friends, those you know here at Unity. And it is important to know what team you are on and who your teammates are…which is why they wear uniforms.  Our uniforms are of the Spiritual kind…an aura of light surrounding each and every one.

And it could be our Unity of Rehoboth Beach T-shirts!

You want to make sure you have the right people around you, supporting you and carrying the ball for you. JESUS knew this and had a team of 12 disciples around him supporting him on his journey and he supported them on theirs.   And he had many others following him and providing for his needs, many of them women.

Then there is the OPPOSING TEAM…. they are not the enemy, are they? No, they are another team wearing their own uniforms and playing the game with you. They are there for learning opportunities. And sometimes the opposing team is our own fears that need blocking.

Teams use plays and tactics for meeting the opposition and moving forward. So, too, we use the powerful strategies of prayer and affirmation to meet opposing forces and develop spiritually. Remember, Through the power of our spoken word, we are continually making laws for ourselves. One says I never—another says I always or I will. Each has made a separate law for themselves, one of failure, one of success. Owing to the vibratory power of words, whatever we voice, we begin to attract.

In a way, our words are like the football in a game helping us to move forward to our goal or backwards, away from it. In a game, sometimes after the kickoff, the football is run all the way down the field for a touchdown, but that’s rare. It is more common for there to be steady progression, yard after yard, sometimes even inches forward. Likewise, in the game of life we make steady progression, meeting each instance of fear with faith and courage and trust.

Arnold H. Glasgow said; “In life, as in football, you won’t go far unless you know where the goalposts are.”

So, it’s IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT DIRECTION YOU ARE HEADED. You don’t want to be like Roy “Wrong Way” Riegels who in the 1929 Rose bowl picked up a fumble and then ran 69 yards in the wrong direction.

Life is about setting goals and working to achieve them. Part of moving towards those goals is finding obstacles in the way and sometimes getting tackled to the ground. Illness, financial problems, relationship issues can all seem to tackle us sometimes,

But remember the people involved in those scrimmages are not your enemy…. they are just another player or team heading towards their own goals. And the role they play in your game of life is to provide the learning opportunities that will…if you let them…. serve as your tools for growth.

After every game the team gets together and watches the film of the game to see how they can learn and grow and play the game better the next time. I’d like to suggest that no hard feelings are shared between teams, but we all know that there are some intense rivalries between professional, and college as well as local teams.

 And the same is true for our lives…the people in our lives that seem to provide the obstacles in our way are there as a part of our game of life…and we can learn from our contact with them…if we take the time to take responsibility for our part in the scrimmage and learn whatever lesson is there for us to learn.

We sometimes hold a grudge against someone for something we perceive as a wrong against us.  Did they say or do something that we thought should have been done differently?  Are we throwing a penalty flag for some illegal motion or an off-sides?

 And the assessment for the infraction could be the first step in the forgiveness process.  Step off 10 yards and re-start the game again.  Something is given to offset the perceived penalty.  That’s what forgiveness is ‘giving for something.’

Of course, knowing where we went wrong and changing are two different things. We learned that lesson thanks to CHARLIE BROWN. Remember, Lucy is holding the football and he runs to kick it and every time she pulls it away at the last moment and poor Charlie Brown falls flat on his back. Over and over again she does this…until finally she puts the ball down, but he refuses to kick it. He tells her, “why should I kick it if you are just going to yank it away at the last minute and I fall on my back.” And Lucy gets all teary eyed and admits that she has been terrible…and begs him to give her one more chance. And Charlie Brown does…. he goes running to kick the ball, and once again she yanks the ball away at the last minute and Charlie Brown falls on his back. Lucy’s last words were, “Recognizing your faults and actually changing your ways are two different things, Charlie Brown!”

 So, if we are going to win at this game of life it would behoove us to review our life and the times we’ve fallen flat on our backs and instead of blaming someone else, learn what is ours to learn…and then change our ways.

In football there are REFEREEs who oversee the game to ensure the teams play fairly.  And sometimes they will throw a penalty flag on the play…which means an error has been made and most likely there will be an adjustment in yards.

Well wouldn’t it be great if we had a referee to throw a flag every time we made a mistake? It would make life so much easier, wouldn’t it? If you knew in the moment every time you made an error….it might not stop you from making them, but it would sure help us in getting more conscious.

Don’t we all have an inner referee….and if we are in touch with our inner referee we can notice when we are off center. I certainly notice a lot quicker when I’m off center.

We can spend time nurturing our inner coach…. our Higher Self…. through prayer, meditation and study….and when we do that and we say or do something that we know is off center, we will notice it much more quickly. We can throw down our own flag and delay the game …..and possibly have an opportunity for a ‘do-over.’

Every team has a COACH…someone to cheer them on and to offer plays and strategies. I like to think of myself as one of your coaches…. you come here on Sunday mornings and I offer you strategies for life…. ideas and tools for playing this game of life. But you have an inner coach as well…. God…your Higher Self is there for you any time you call on her.

Every team spends time in the HUDDLE…. that’s the place where the strategy for the play is set…. where the intention for this upcoming play is shared, and you need to be alert and present in that huddle. I think in this game of life…the huddle is the time we spend in prayer and meditation…and I like to think of our Letters to God that we write at the beginning of every year as our huddle for the year. It’s where we set our intentions for the year.

A sportswriter once said, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.” In the game of life, how you play the game is everything. We don’t sit on the sidelines, but play fully, powerful in our oneness with divine power. Faith is the primary ingredient in the game of life. Faith holds the vision steady, focused on the goal line of what is desired and blocking adverse thoughts.

If one asks for success and prepares for failure, he will get the situation he has prepared for. We must prepare for the thing we asked for, when there isn’t the slightest sign of it in sight. Prepare to have a demonstration! Act as though it is already yours, we must be bold and assertive in our affirmation and belief.

And the last point I want to make is that every game has a SET TIME to play. There are four quarters in a football game and each quarter is 15 minutes long. However, if you’ve ever watched a football game you know that it takes way longer than an hour. There are time outs, running out of bounds, and penalties that stop the clock. And then of course there are all those commercials…which is the main reason many people watch the Super bowl….and the Half Time entertainment.

So, in truth you never really know how long the game is going to be. The same is true for our lives. Your life might have 80 years or 90 years…. you’ll have certain milestones in life…which I guess could be considered the quarters…. any there is always the possibility of a midlife crisis some folks go through…their halftime, which can be entertaining. Who doesn’t want a new sport car???

It doesn’t matter how much time; the game is never over until it’s over.

There have been many games where the game ends with a hail Mary pass to the end zone or a last second field goal attempt.

In life, as in football….it is not over til it’s over. I don’t care if you are 99 years old…. you still have time…you still have a chance. All you must do is keep going forward, have a supporting team around you…. huddle daily with your inner coach…. learn from your past mistakes and adjust.

So play full out till the end.

In the game of life, there can be mistakes or fumbling—missing opportunities or being tackled by fear and immobilized. There can be penalties for “unnecessary roughness”—unkindness and condemning of self or others. You can be blocking your own good, so you don’t receive. Are you a tight end or a wide receiver? You can be penalized for “holding”—on to money, grudges, or the past.  

 “Living in the past is a violation of spiritual law. The robbers of time are both the past and the future. We should bless the past, and forget it, and bless the future, knowing it has in store for us endless joys, but live fully in the now. Living in the past is running the wrong way down the field, which will never win the game.

The rule is to keep our eye on the ball—on the greatest vision for our lives, keeping focused resolutely on good and only good, letting every situation of fear move us to greater faith and belief. We get out of our own way. We use our divine power to speak our word of declaration. We cast the burden to Higher Power and hand it off to the divine. So, day by day, moment by moment, we are winning the game of life.

Richard Rohr reminds us: “Remember, everything is a revelation of the divine—from rocks to rocket ships. The divine is disclosed everywhere for those who have eyes to see. Our only blindness is our own lack of fascination, amazement, humility, curiosity, awe, and willingness to be allured forward.”

And most importantly…while this spiritual growth is important stuff…. it’s also important to enjoy yourself along the way. If you aren’t having fun at least most of the time …. then change your game plan. ENJOY THE GAME! ENJOY YOUR LIFE!

 

The Season of Nonviolence

Name some people you respect…often the names of Nelson Mandela and MLK come up when people are asked that question.  Why do you think that is?

 

 

The Gandhi King Season for Nonviolence (SNV) commences on January 30, in cities across the globe. The annual 64 day campaign, co-founded in 1998 by Dr. Arun Gandhi and The Association for Global New Thought (AGNT), is an educational, media and grassroots awareness campaign spanning the January 30th and April 4th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

The purpose of the campaign is to focus educational and media attention on the philosophy of attaining peace through nonviolent action as demonstrated by legendary leaders Mohandas K. Gandhi, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar E. Chavez, and President Nelson Mandela, as well as living legends such as His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.

 

Spiritually guided citizen leaders in over 900 cities in at least 67 countries have participated since the campaign began in 1998.

If you go to the website for the Season for Nonviolence, there is a guide for Daily Practices one can do to promote Nonviolence and Peace. (show)

 

We must ask ourselves what is my part in the goal of global peace?

In Matthew 25, Jesus says, “… I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ … Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

This is what our Way-shower asks of us…we are to look out for the disenfranchised.  This is what the Safety pin movement is all about.  Trying to be available for those who feel fear for their safety in this new direction that the country seems to be headed.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr commented in a recent blog, “every viewpoint is a view from a point, and we need to critique our own perspective if we are to see and follow the truth all the way through.”

Why do I mention that quote?  Because part of being a Truth student is questioning our own views, thoughts, beliefs.

Have you taken inventory of your thoughts? Beliefs?

 

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Does peace matter to you, does it matter in your life?

 

“To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.” Mahatma Gandhi

Isn’t this what our 5^th Principle states:  Knowledge of these spiritual principles is not enough. We must live them.

 

We say all the time that Peace begins with me…with each one of us.  We sing the peace song at the end of the service.  But when we walk out the door, do we follow through with that concept?

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians – you are not like him.”

That is unfortunate.

Unity bases itself on the teachings of Jesus.  Our 5 Principles are the essence of His teachings.

1. There is only one Presence and one Power, God the Good.
2. God is present in all people as our divine essence, our Christ nature.
3. We create our life experiences through our way of thinking.
4. Through affirmative prayer and meditation, we connect with God and bring out the good in our world.
5. Knowledge of these spiritual principles is not enough. We must live them.

 

Gandhi also said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

So how do we go about being the change we wish to see in the world?

ASK

 

Shams Tabrizi, a teacher of RUMI, suggests: A life without love is a waste. “Should I look for spiritual love, or material, or physical love?”, don’t ask yourself this question. Discrimination leads to discrimination. Love doesn’t need any name, category or definition. Love is a world itself. Either you are in, at the center…or you are out, yearning.

I find true peace when I turn within. There, in the stillness of sweet Spirit, I enter the Silence and rest in the presence of profound love.

 

 

Again, Fr. Richard Rohr: “…spirituality and action are connected from the very beginning and can never be separated. Some people set out to act first, and their inner experience is given to them on the journey itself. Others have an inner experience that then leads them into action. It does not matter on which side you begin, but eventually action and spirituality must meet and feed one another. When prayer is authentic, it will always lead to actions of mercy; when actions of mercy are attempted at any depth, they will always drive you to prayer.”

 

“Whatever you do may seem insignificant to you, but it is most important that you do it.” Mahatma Gandhi

What happens when Spirit talks and we don’t act?  It’s called a Spiritual 2 x 4.  I’ve had a few and believe me, you do not want to experience it.  Take steps that Spirit is asking of you.

 

And where do we start?  I have a bumper sticker that suggest this: Think Good Thoughts: Words become action, actions become habits, habits become character, character becomes destiny.

I have it at my kitchen sink so I can be reminded often.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “We may never be strong enough to be entirely nonviolent in thought, word and deed. But we must keep nonviolence as our goal and make strong progress towards it.”

 

100 years ago, the Fillmores created “A GOOD WORD CLUB”

Rules for Admission were:

1. Members are admitted upon request
2. There is no charge for membership or dues
3. Members agree to avoid subjects of negativity and anger for a period of one month.
4. Members are expected to report in one month
5. Each member is requested to spread the word.
6. To speak daily for one month:

“Let there be Good Words on earth and let them begin with me.”

• I believe that there is power in united effort.
• I believe in the power of the spoken word and I realize that I am held accountable for even my lightest words.
• I desire to be a member of the Good Word Club that I may unite in supporting others as well as myself to speak only good, true words & to participate in actions that support those Good Words.
• I agree to guard my conversations against all words of gossip, anxiety, foolishness, impurity, untruthfulness, crime, fear, nagging, complaining, sickness, poverty, vengeance, and anger, and to turn them toward words of trust, wisdom, goodness, health, prosperity, praise, joy, and goodwill.
• I will abide by the rules of the Good Words Club for a period of no less than one month and if I notice that I am not using Good Words or Good Actions, I will take a deep breath and start over again; for I know that it is that simple to start anew, to begin again.
• I will, at the end of one month of participation, send a report of the changes I have personally experienced from being willing to participate in this Good Word Pledge.

 

I am not suggesting you do something so formal, but just remember who you truly are; and if you wish to try this, let me know how you are doing and what changes you notice.

These quotes from MLK – Remember. “Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.”

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”

And from Mahatma Gandhi: Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit.

Remember, not choosing, is choosing.

I am not being political in any way.  No party or person other than the quotes were mentioned here.  This is not a political issue, it is a people issue, a national issue, a world issue.

We do what is ours to do to the best of our ability.

That is what this is all about…what you do after you walk out the door.

I love this phrase that has been a part of my evening reading all month: I am the place where god stands forth in the world as myself

White Stone Ceremony

 

Typically, the new year is a time to consider the goals we will attempt throughout the next 12 months. It is a great opportunity to set an intention, or a ‘theme’ for the upcoming year. It could be a quality you would like to enhance in your life, such as love or abundance.  Selecting a theme allows you to study it and put it into practice.

 

So we ask ourselves, What are my intentions? What do I hope to accomplish? Do I have time and energy to see these into fruition?

Something new is being born in you.  You can feel it.  The old ways don’t fit anymore.  It’s time to release the shackles of limitation that have lived in your own mind and listen… A miracle awaits you…

 

We participated in the Burning Bowl last week, which was a releasing and forgiving ceremony, believing in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “So, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away!”

 

This ceremony is a profoundly impactful experience. It helps us release, which is very freeing. And when we release, we create an empty space, which will be filled with something! This morning, I invite you to consider what will fill that empty space.

Many Unity churches do a second ritual along with the Burning Bowl. It is called a White Stone Ceremony, and it is typically done as a follow-up to the Burning Bowl, as a symbol of starting anew.  It can help us at the beginning of the year to claim our good for the coming year.  I will invite you to do this very personal ritual in a few minutes.

Ask yourself: “Who is Spirit calling me to be?”

As a spiritual trailblazer, you know that all change begins within.  The White Stone Ceremony is a powerful ritual for beginning this journey to the center of your being and emerging with spiritual clarity about who you called to be in your life and in the world.

You have been given small white stones when you came in. We will use these in the ceremony to identify our “new name.”

The ceremony is inspired by a quote from the Book of Revelation: chapter 2:17. Consider these thoughts:

 

“Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.”
This passage refers to a couple of actions and promises:

The first activity is listening: otherwise known as Meditation

An ear to hear is not an outer ear, but the ear of the soul; the ear that hears the “still, small voice”.  We develop this inner listening quality by getting out of our intellect and into our hearts, through meditation.  It is a tool to help us quiet our busy mind and listen to the Divine Voice of Wisdom.  We open our minds and hearts to a deep intuitive “knowing.”

Another activity or tool is surrender:

The passage says: “To everyone who conquers…”  The conquering is not an outer war, but an inner one. To everyone who takes the time to listen to the still, small voice; to everyone who practices release and affirms inner spiritual qualities….  We realize it requires surrendering personal will to Divine Will, and the paradox is that in that surrender of the egoic self is Victory. It is a birthing of the Essential Self, just as Jesus taught and demonstrated.

In this passage there are also 3 Promises:

It said, “To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.”

The first promise is “Hidden Manna:”

In the days of wandering in the wilderness with Moses, the manna was sent by God.  The people only had to go and collect it each day; they did not have to do anything to earn it. If they tried to save it, it spoiled.  When we are in “the wilderness” of our spiritual searching, we receive “hidden manna,” not visible to the world.  We are given spiritual energy and nourishment that sustains us. Grace.   It nourishes the soul and the body.  It benefits the whole being.

The 2^nd promise is a White Stone

Back in the time when Jesus was teaching and someone served time in prison or in bondage of any kind, they were given a white stone when they were released.  It served as a symbol that they had done their time and they had been given passage to live with all the rights of a free man. Each of us comes from the bondage of past nonsense – false limitations, old beliefs, error thinking that have been a prison.  With a release from bondage, comes a sense of worthiness:  we are beloved of God, one with the Divine, free and unlimited!

The 3^rd promise is a New Name

In the Bible, we read of many name changes.  For example, Saul – which means personal will – was struck to his knees.  He was blind for three days and had to look within.  He was given a new name at the time of his awakening. Saul (personal will) was transformed to Paul, which means enlightened will.  He is a symbol of human will that surrenders to Divine will, and in that surrender, he claimed Divine Power.

Other stories of a name change in the Bible are Abram, as he grew in spiritual awareness became Abraham.  Sarai became Sarah.  Jacob was renamed Israel. Simon was renamed Peter (Faith).

The prophet Isaiah wrote in Chapter 62, Verse 2; “The lower consciousness shall see your freedom, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give.”

So when we awaken to inner Spirit, we take on a new identity, a new name so to speak.  This refers to the new, higher realization of the I AM, a new awareness of our God Self.  And this is where the Ceremony called White Stone” comes in. In the passage, we are told “I will give a white stone and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.”

I invite you NOW to hold the stone in your hands.  As you hold it, open your mind to “hearing” your new name.  At any time in the next few minutes as I am speaking, if the new name comes to your awareness, go to the table in the back and write the name on the stone. If nothing comes to you during this ceremony, take the stone home with you and continue to ask.  Whenever we ask there is an answer.

Allow yourself to ask a question: Who am I or what am I called to be in this coming year? As I let go of my old habits, those I released during the burning bowl ceremony, what is it that I am called to be known as? This new character Identity that you intend to cultivate in the coming year might be connected to that which you released at the Burning Bowl ceremony.

Let your awareness drop from your head down into your heart and gut: from your intellect and into your deep inner knowing. an awareness of Divine Love and Wisdom. Listen for a moment to your still small voice.

Right now, in this place and time, at the beginning of a new year, I invite you to consciously surrender to the activity of the Divine Mother/Father. – for the next few minutes. Open your imagination, allow Wisdom to speak. give your ego a few minutes off and let that divine holy Voice in you come through. Perhaps there is a new career, a new title, or a new quality that Spirit is pressing out through you.

Give yourself permission to know that as you release that which no longer serves your highest good, you can claim a new quality, a new name.

This is a moment in which you know you are free, free from all that has bound you.  Breathe in, live in this new beginning.

And so, as you are guided by Spirit, I invite you to trust in this now moment, ….as Spirit gives to you in this sacred place…in this moment of Truth…an insight into your divine purpose… an insight into your holy essence, I invite you to allow yourself to hear the new name that is speaking within you.

it may be a title, it may be something like published author…or clean and sober…or grateful…whatever.

Sometimes people who write the word peace, love, or presence, take on a new essence of who you are becoming.

And, as that name becomes clear, to write it on your stone…

If a name has come to you, remain quiet and allow yourself to ask for a deeper understanding, to ask if there are any steps to take.  Allow yourself to simply open to Spirit, to say, “God in me reveals my true essence.  God in me reveals my next step.  God as me lives a joyous, peaceful, fulfilling life.”

Anytime you look at your white stone realize that you have the gift of choice; the gift to live differently, to live a more fulfilling life, to begin again, to connect with God and create with God.

The white stone carries a new name, the spiritual identity and a deeper awareness of your soul’s journey at this time in your life. No one, in the entire universe except your inner wisdom, knows what this new name is.  But it has come to your awareness to be lived out, to be expressed, to be embodied as you.  It is what your True Self, the Divine is calling you to be or do. It is a whisper from your soul that you are so much more than you have ever let come into expression.

Jesus said, “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you this kingdom. Accept this consciousness of ever increasing good in your life. I invite you to carry this white stone as a reminder of that promise.

pause

A thankfulness flows over us as we receive our new name.  Along with it comes the power and guidance to achieve all that we desire.  This is our new name.  We see it.  We decree it.  We are on the path to gaining greater insights and awareness and a new beginning.

Remember this:

Your greatest power is the power to be:

To be more loving

To be more courageous

To be more joyous

To be more friendly

To be more sensitive

To be more aware

To be more forgiving

To be more forgiving

To be more tolerant

To be more humble

To be more patient

To be more helpful

To be a greater human being