“The Ladder of Life”

You know, as I look for topics that would interest you or at least have some sense of purpose for you, sometimes ideas just pop into my head…thank you Spirit!
SO, when the “Ladder of Life” came to mind, I thought, why not go for it. Could be an interesting topic…some value to it if I can fill in the large blank that is a blank page.

So, I googled “Ladder of Life” just for the heck of it, and I got all kinds of Ladders…but nothing about the “Ladder of Life” that I was thinking of.

So, once again, I was going into this on my own.

When I think of a ladder of life, I think of the steps we take on our life’s journey and how each one affects us.
If we think back to our earliest choice, where did it bring us? And then, think again to our next choice…. there is always a choice.

Somewhere along the way, we choose to try to better ourselves. Maybe we made a-not-so-great choice and we weren’t in a good place. But then we made a ‘better’ choice and we saw that there was hope for us.

We all have been in those situations…some earlier in our lives than others. But we made a choice to do better. There’s always a CHOICE!

Obviously, one of those choices was to attend Unity…just saying!

We ALL have experiences that were presented to us for learning…learning about life, about others, learning about relationships, and about the God of our understanding.

T.S. Eliot says, “We had the experience but missed the meaning.”

It is possible to live through something and not to understand it. If the meaning is not recognized, then the full life changing impact of the experience may be lost, even aborted. Luckily, it is never too late to “get the meaning” and with the meaning there may come transformation.

This could be the ‘spiritual 2×4’ that we too often refer to, right????

AS babies, we are born whole and complete. We lose that wholeness as we grow and separate ourselves in our individualization…. ego comes into play and domestication on all levels thwart our sense of remaining in Oneness with the Divine.

So, our goal then, is to get back to wholeness. And THAT is where our “Ladder of Life” comes into play.

The creation story of the Garden of Eden tells us metaphorically about our lost wholeness.

The Garden is a place of wholeness and perfection. All needs are met and there is only one prohibition. One may not eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eating from this tree will bring death. Such a temptation to knowledge proves too much and Eve and Adam do eat of the fruit. Their eyes are opened. They awaken to self-knowledge and to the world of opposites. They are thrown into the world of duality.

Symbolically, the story tells us that when they eat of the fruit of this Tree there is the birth of self-reflective consciousness. There is the beginning of personality formation and the Ego. With the birth of the ego there is an expulsion from the garden of unconscious wholeness out into the world of individuality.

Can you see why eating from the tree of good and evil brings about metaphoric death?

That death introduced us to duality. We no longer saw ourselves as One with all. A death of our realization of wholeness. And we want that back…but we cannot not gain it going backwards…we must move forward.

Life’s journey, then, is to strive to regain our realization of wholeness but do it consciously and with intention. Unconscious wholeness does not do you or anyone else any good but conscious wholeness can be made manifest in the world and shared with others.

The first half of our lives we developed personality and a sense of ourselves which is the ego. We learned skills and abilities, so we can be all we can be in this physical world.

The second part of life involves bringing all that knowledge together to wholeness. It’s almost like asking yourself, what did I learn in this life and then setting our steps forward to transformation to our realization of our Divine self?

And actually, that is what you are asking as you climb the Ladder of Life…what did I learn at each step, each rung? And, does it still suit me to have that as part of my life?

In our “I of the Storm” class this past week, one of the assignments was to form a timeline of your life’ journey and indicate on that time line, the instances of resistance you encountered along the way, noting the feelings felt. Then, looking at the maze that is your life, what can you learn from those situations? Was there a theme to your challenges? How often did you have to learn the same lesson? Did each situation make you stronger?

It’s a great book and class…everyone should take it.

So these questions and experiences are all rungs on the Ladder of Life.

Each point of resistance is an opportunity to learn something. We do not necessarily realize it at the time, but looking back is most often, easier to do. Try it when you are at home and see what you come up with.

Rev. Dr. Gary Simmon’s book, “The I of the Storm” has a unique way of looking at those situations that present themselves as conflict. It is when we embrace conflict that we work through it and learn what gifts are being presented.

Remember, ‘what we resist, persists’.
Or as they say on Star Trek, ‘resistance is futile!

What does ‘what we resist persists’ mean?

It means what we continue to think about consciously or unconsciously, will continue to remain in our lives.
So, if you feel as if you are stuck on a certain rung on the Ladder of Life, a certain place, and can’t seem to feel as if you are moving forward; check what you are thinking about. What are you saying to yourself? Watch your conscious AND unconscious thoughts and behaviors.

What is showing up in your life is what rung you are standing on…is it a strong rung or is it a little worn?
Thoughts of lack, for example, come in many forms…. instead of “I can’t afford that” we could say, “that is not is my budget at this time.”

Instead of “my illness…whatever it may be” say “this body is whole and complete, disease free.” Or, “this body is afflicted with….” If you must mention the illness.

We do not need to claim the affliction and Myrtle Fillmore would agree. When she stopped believing of the family illness of Tuberculosis, she began turning it around and cured herself.

And we can do that and more also. Just take the steps necessary…that first step may be a hard one, but we all know after that first step, it gets easier.

I found these steps, no author noted, of 5 steps on the Ladder of Life, to improve yourself daily,
According to the writers, you only need one thing to improve your life: determination.

You need to improve yourself in order to be happy. But then they break it down into five keys to promote your own personal growth.

1. The first step to improving yourself: stop being permeable.

If you’re strongly affected by criticism, you are permeable. When you get carried away by what others say to you, recommend, or suggest without considering your own opinion first, you are permeable.
If you’re the kind of person who feels overwhelmed by the negativity of those around you, by their toxic or limited ideas, you are permeable.

To stop it, you need to protect yourself…. begin by visualizing a wall. Next, internalize a very simple concept: no one will be able to cross that wall. That is where your dignity and self-esteem are stored, and no one can violate that boundary. To protect this boundary, be assertive. Learn to say “NO.”

2. Second step: deal with what’s hurting you

The second phase to improving yourself and climbing the ladder of life is solving what hurts you.
You feel disappointments, failures, and lies throughout your life that make you feel as if you’ve achieved nothing. You need to heal those wounds and stop dragging them around behind you. Disappointments do hurt, but they can be overcome by being aware that the entire world and people within it can’t be exactly as you desire.
You must assume that people fail, and that you too will fail from time to time. Understand that this all becomes a part of your past. It becomes of yesterday and there’s nothing that has happened that you can change.
This is where you experience the meaning of the situation or relationship, learn the lesson and then move on.
What you can change is yourself. The past is past, not happening NOW. So, climb up one rung of the ladder once you’ve resolved those wounds.

3. Third step: not resisting

There’s that ‘resistance is futile’ again!

If you want to excel you need to start practicing the “no resistance” approach. What persists, resists.
If you’re an indecisive person, let yourself go. Everything that you want and dream of is beyond this psychological barrier.

Fear is what will be most able to freeze you in place. The fear of failing, the fear of not being what others expect of you, or the restlessness that comes from having to search for your dreams can bring you disappointment that is a common occurrence among humankind.

The law of non-resistance can be applied in a variety of ways. One way is by accepting others as they are. Don’t expect to be able to change them. You can only change you and how you see and understand what is around you.
Another useful strategy is to practice self-knowledge. If you know who you are and what you want, you need to break free from what holds you back and what forces you to persist in suffering or sadness. It is of no use to you, we choose to suffer. Only you can choose to not suffer.

4. Fourth step: personal freedom

By personal freedom, we don’t mean dropping everything and leaving. Freedom demands responsibility.

You have the right to be free and to choose what you do and do not want in your life. You can also choose who you do and do not want by your side.

This fourth step above all implies being courageous. It’s time to leave behind what no longer serves you and climb the most complicated rung of all: that of conscious choices.

5. Step five: embrace love

To embrace love is to fight for what is worthwhile and to know how to keep it. The top of the ladder of life is being able to hold onto what makes you happy.

There’s no doubt that there are people by your side whom you love. They are the pinnacle of your experiences: appreciate them.

Similarly, in this final goal at the top of the ladder of your life is your personal fulfilment. Here is where your self-love shines and where you glow with the calm of understanding how you feel and realizing your true self.
Getting here is not easy. As we said in the beginning, you need determination. But you’ll always have people by your side assisting you onward, giving wind to your wings.

They come in all living forms and are here for you as you need them and as you ALLOW for them to be in your life.
They are the magical beings that soothe the soul and become an intimate part of your personal journey.

Be grateful for all those who have helped you to and through your journey thus far….

And do not give up. The journey is worth it…just look inside to that blessed part of your soul, that connection to Spirit you have and keep working on keeping that connection burning…it’s all you need to Know the Truth, and that Truth will set you free.

Great Morning!

We are Prosperous.

Richard & Mary-Alice Jafolla have stated that ‘prosperity could very well be the easiest of God’s laws to prove…”

What do you think they mean? Do you agree?

Well, I think there’s a hint in this story….
Try think what would you have done in this situation?

There was a workshop back in the 80’s that Unity minister, Susan Eng-Poole attended. Here’s how she tells it:

“We were blindfolded and dropped off in different areas. We were given $1 and we couldn’t bring anything but a sleeping bag and sundries. As this was to prepare us to go to different countries, our assignment was to survive for 24 hours and to get to know about the area as much as possible.
I had in my mindset that I was to ‘survive’ on the dollar and bought a loaf of bread to last me. I walked around the town to learn of it and then settled on an area to do homework. I later slept out in an open field.

All day long people were asking me what I was doing. When I told them, a family invited me to go boating, people wanted to give me money, dinner etc. I thought that was cheating since I would not be surviving on the $1 so I refused. I found a field to sleep in for the night.
The next day I walked into the town to see what time it was, waiting for my pick up. I was surprised because news had spread, and people were watching out for the girl sleeping in the field and were asking how I slept, etc.

When we debriefed the assignment, I was shocked to see my interpretation of the assignment was so different from my fellow classmates. One person had gambled his dollar and won enough for a hotel room and dinner. Another went to a pub and had a blast meeting others, people bought her drinks and talked about their lives, like people do in a bar.

Another person went to a lake and had a meditation retreat. Another asked for a temporary job and washed dishes in a restaurant.
I realized that I had limited myself. I had limited myself because my goal was just to survive. I could have had a much richer experience.”
What do you think?

Now look at your experiences. How have you, …. Me, how have we limited our-selves through our thinking? What beliefs are holding us back?

We have a divine inheritance from our Source, the Creator…but we limit that inheritance…. By our thoughts, our domestication, even our beliefs.

the word ‘prosper’ in its root means “wholeness.” You are prosperous to the degree that you are experiencing peace, health, and plenty in your world.

When most people think of prosperity, we automatically go to gratitude for the people and things already in our life, and how blessed we am.
But there is so much more available to us is we just allow, if we are willing to look beyond our corner of the world. Just imagine…..

Yes, we can use our Power of Imagination to do more and have more in our life. More friendships, more love, more peace and joy.

We need to start being thankful for the good that is already present. This is very important.

From there we learn how to know and claim the prosperity that flows in and through us all to generate more prosperity.

Start now by taking a deep breath. As you feel the air fill your lungs, give thanks that you can breathe easily and effortlessly. And if it takes a bit of effort, give thanks that you can breathe as well as you are now.
Next, look around you and give thanks for the things in your life.
Let’s start right here at Unity: what are YOU grateful for? Our space? Our family of like-minded souls sharing our journey? The many people who volunteer time and talent to helps us with all our endeavors each week. Our Board and Leaders? Give thanks for all these things in your heart.
Do you have a roof over your head? Give thanks for it. Do you have food to eat? Give thanks for it. Do you have an automobile to drive? Give thanks for it every time you get in it. Give thanks for your friends and family, perhaps have a celebration of your relationships. Give thanks for the chair you sit in. For every little thing you have, notice it with a grateful heart and mind. Notice the beauty of nature around you. Gratitude is key!
When we give our attention to the things we are grateful for, we notice more things to be grateful for. We create our life experience through our way of thinking. The magic is that whatever we give our attention to, we manifest more of.

While you are doing this gratitude inventory, notice if there are things in your life that no longer serve you. Clean these things out of your life. This creates a vacuum that allows other things to come to you—it is the cycle of giving and receiving. Are there things you have that might serve someone else better? Give it to them. Or place them in the ‘save for the spring yard sale’ box and donate the sale to Unity like we did this past spring.
Tithe on your income to the places where you receive your spiritual nourishment. A healthy giving consciousness naturally draws better into your life.
One of Unity’s Prosperity experts Rev. Catherine Ponder, writes about the importance of tithing:
“tithing generates prosperity only when you give gratefully and without fear instead of out of obligation”
She continues: “It is through the law of giving and receiving that we demonstrate prosperity, and the first step of receiving is giving. The act of giving moves on universal substance and starts substance flowing back to you in some appropriate form. We are never impoverished by giving, only enriched, and there is always something we can give.”

And do not think that you can’t afford to tithe.
“It is when you think you can’t afford to tithe, that you cannot afford not to tithe.”
Tithing releases unlimited supply. You must share your substance to insure continuation of it.
There are ways to tithe…if not on income, then time and talent…. all part of what you have to share.
Sharing and expectancy are the beginning of financial increase because when you share, you can and should expect a new supply to come to you. Your faith and expectancy opens the way. It is the law of the universe. Just as you must give to make way to receive, you cannot give anything without getting something in return for it.
This is expectancy from the Universe in whatever way IT sees fit. Not necessarily as you do, keep in mind. It may be a car, for example, but red instead of blue…or in my case, grey instead of the white we all were expecting back in 2014.
What would you like to have more of? Close your eyes and imagine what it smells like,
what it tastes like,
what it looks like,
what it feels like.
Imagine it as if it were already yours.
If you are new to this type of thinking, you might want to start small. Would you like to have more happiness and joy in your life? Imagine what it would feel like to be happy and joyful.
Would you like to be gentler and kinder? Imagine what it would feel like to be gentle and kind.
We are pulling the power of the universe into motion, bringing whatever you can imagine into your life.
It is important to be very clear when you imagine what you want to manifest in your life. For example, if you imagine a new pair of shoes, be sure to imagine they fit well and are comfortable.
Maybe you want a better job. What are you doing in the new job?
Do you want better pay? What would you do with the extra money?
Have the courage to imagine your highest and best in the world. Have the courage to imagine a deeper connection to Spirit. Anything you can imagine, you can manifest.
This is like a mental Vision Board. And you can add affirmations to your visioning.; Rev. Catherine Ponder says: “The most powerful technique of all, however, is when you combine the power of the spoken word with the power of the written word and the power of imagination. Picture what you want in your mind, write out your desires on paper, and then speak the word out loud daily.”

When you begin to draw greater prosperity to yourself, don’t forget to be grateful.
Like Willy from the comic strip, Willy N Ethyl: Willy says to his wife: “We could’ve lost a freezer full of food when I accidentally unplugged the fridge. But instead, because it was totally empty, we lost nothing! We have to be the two luckiest people in the world!”

Here’s another story of the power of gratitude:

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger. The smile made him feel better and caused him to remember a past kindness of a friend. With that memory, he decided to write his friend a thank you letter.

The friend was so pleased to receive the thank you, that he left an extra-large tip that day at lunch. The waitress, surprised by the large tip, gave part of it to a man on the street.

The man on the street was very grateful, because for two days he’d had nothing to eat. After he finished his dinner, he left for his small, dingy room. He was feeling so warm and satisfied that, when he saw a shivering puppy on the street, he picked it up and took it home to get warm.

The puppy was very grateful to be in out of the cold. That night the house caught on fire. The puppy barked the alarm. He barked till he woke up the whole household and saved everybody from harm. All this because of a simple smile that hadn’t cost a cent.

We forget that sometimes the simplest things we do can be the most profound. Have you done any simple yet ‘profound’ things lately?

Rev Ponder tells this story of how she learned about Unity:
When I was young and my mother was raising three small children, she became quite ill. My father met an electrical engineer who came to inspect the Carolina Power and Light Company substation he operated in North Carolina.
My father told him about my mother’s daunting health problems. The engineer pulled an issue of Unity Magazine out of his hip pocket, handed it to my father, and said, “Call these people in Kansas City, and they will pray with you about your wife’s health.”
“But we are Presbyterian,” my father told the engineer.
“That doesn’t matter,” the engineer said. “These people are nondenominational and will be glad to pray for your wife.”
He did, and a few days later, my mother was up and around, functioning properly again. (She lived to the age of 80 and was active until her passing.) After that, whenever a problem arose in the family, my father would say to my mother, “Contact those people in Kansas City and tell them to straighten out this problem.” My mother dutifully did so and the problem got “straightened out.”
My mother kept leaving Unity publications around our house because she thought my father “needed” them, but he never took the hint. I eventually wondered what kind of “propaganda” my mother was leaving for my father, so I finally picked up an issue of Unity Magazine. I thought, Wow! Why didn’t Mother tell me what’s in this literature? This is what I have believed all my life.
After that I became an avid reader of Unity literature and books. In 1950, I attended a retreat at Unity Village with others from around the world and had the revelation that made a believer of me. I returned in the early 1950s to attend what was then called Unity Training School. I became a licensed Unity minister in 1957 and was ordained by Lowell Fillmore, son of Unity founders Charles Fillmore and Myrtle Fillmore, in 1958.

Those people in Kansas City can and have straightened out many situations through the years. We believe in the power we hold as co-creator with our Creator.

Lets take all this into meditation….

Great Morning Beloved!

How are we measuring up to our Values?

Last week we began doing a ‘check’ on our Mission and Vision. It was time to look at ourselves as Unity of Rehoboth Beach and really see if we are holding up to our Mission and Vision. I hope you all are taking this in and voicing your thoughts about your Unity. Now is the time, as it is every day.

Today, we look one step further to what we have listed as our Values.
If something is a value, from a personal point of view, it is important to us.
Your values are the things that you believe are important in the way you live and work.
They (should) determine your priorities, and, deep down, they’re probably the measures you use to tell if your life is turning out the way you want it to.
When the things that you do and the way you behave match your values, life is usually good – you’re satisfied and content.
But when life doesn’t align with your personal values, that’s when things feel… wrong. This can be a real source of unhappiness.
This is why, making a conscious effort to identify your values is so important.

If you look at your integrity, what was important to you to be a part of it?
Honesty? Respect? Compassion?

What are the qualities that make up your integrity?

Well, that is what we are asking, in a sense, when we ask, what are the Values that Unity of Rehoboth Beach IS?

Our Values are the HOW of it all. We did the What, and the Why last week. Now we look at HOW. How are we doing what we say we want to be in this Community and in the greater Community?

And they follow your Mission and Vision, our Values put feet to those prayers…the WHAT & WHY of Unity of Rehoboth Beach.
As a reminder, this is our Mission: Unity of Rehoboth Beach is a shining light…strengthened through support and fellowship, celebrating diversity by honoring individual Divine connection.

And this is our Vision: Unity of Rehoboth Beach is a vibrant and inclusive spiritual community, dedicated to growth and transformation through the exploration of universal Truth.
Our Values:
Unity of Rehoboth Beach exists to be a Shining Light, providing opportunities for spiritual growth and transformation.
Our Community is strengthened through support and fellowship.
We recognize the One Source that is Love, it is who we are and what we express.
We encourage Spirit guided exploration of our individual Divine connection.
We are Inclusive, celebrating diversity unconditionally as an expression of Spirit.

SO, let’s look at each one:

Unity of Rehoboth Beach exists to be a Shining Light, providing opportunities for spiritual growth and transformation.
When you think of a shining light, on a spiritual perspective, what does it mean to you?

Interesting synonms for Shining Light….choice spirit, leader, luminary, master spirit, sage,…
Think about the things, the activities we do here….do they provide spiritual growth and transformation opportunities?
Does that statement express our Mission and Vision?

Our 2nd Value statement: Our Community is strengthened through support and fellowship.
It’s hard to imagine that anyone who entered our Spiritual Center would not feel the love we have here…the peace that fills us when we walk through that door.
It’s so ‘bad’ that we can hardly get you in your seats and quiet before Service, our Fellowship is before AND after Service.
We show our love by praying for and helping others in our Unity family.
And we Support our greater Community when we do our outreach programs – our food drives and personal products for women and the Armed Service; like helping stuff back packs and collecting pet food.
We support the Greater Community when we tithe part of our Love Offering to community efforts like aiding school lunch and the War Dogs and local rescue organizations and the Foster Parents Association of Sussex County.
SO maybe we have this one covered fairly well, what do you think?

Next…..We recognize the One Source that is Love, it is who we are and what we express.
Well, we KNOW who we are and we are all working on expressing the Love that we are, in our own way.
Sometimes that’s hard to do, right? We all have questioned ourselves when we hear or repeat to ourselves that we are made in the image and likeness and therefore we are LOVE.
It’s hard to acknowledge that we are energy filled love and our purpose in this life, or one of them at least, is to express that love.
And the neat thing is that we get to express that love in many different ways – you choose if you will sing or sew, design or drive, ponder or pray…or all of the above.
Share your gifts…..share your love.
When you walk out that door, filled with the energy of this community, spread that joy and love and compassion wherever you travel through the week.

Next Value…..We encourage Spirit guided exploration of our individual Divine connection.
Spirit, Spirituality, I remember the discussion surrounding the writing of this Value. It was determined that the term Spirit could encompass Spirituality.
Spirituality is important – it’s being concerned with our spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. Its what we are doing.
And obviously it is spirit guided, if we are attuned to the Universal Energy, we are allowing ourselves to be Spirit Guided. And we desire to be guided to a connection to our Divinity. Its one of the things that got us here, in a Unity Center, that exploration of ourselves to answer that urge to connect with our inner Christ, our Buddha Heart.

And finally:
We are Inclusive, celebrating diversity unconditionally as an expression of Spirit.
AS I was working on this, I looked at the definition of inclusive and found “all embracing” and it sounded so right. Giving hugs is a big thing here, and I guess I see a lot in our Hugs & Handshakes time. And I can tell by the difficulty getting you back in your seats that you really like it too.

And it doesn’t matter who it is, we try to reach out and embrace everyone as best we are able.

AS many of you may know, My mantra for many, many years has been, Loving is the answer.
I believe it is truly the answer to all issues. As we know, if we love our enemies, we no longer have an enemy.
And loving is an action word, a verb. Love is a noun. It is what we are. And the verb loving is what we DO.
I think we are doing well with our Values. But I and the Board wish to hear from you. So, take the time to let us know what your thoughts are.
We are here to stay. Unity is wishing to be an important part of Sussex County and your lives.
Help us make that so.

GREAT Morning Beloved!

Let’s talk about OUR Prime Directive…

Two weeks ago, we concluded our Summer Series on the Lesson we can learn from the many Star Trek and Star Wars incarnations. And there were many, and there ARE many more in each episode….I know, I’m still watching!

But it’s time to move on to other important things to discuss.

If we were to ask what is Unity of Rehoboth Beach’s Prime Directive, what would you say? How would you respond?

This Unity is yours. If you ever have traveled through out the country, or even the world, and visited other Unity Churches and Centers, you would find a wide variety of Unity’s, different versions;…oh, the Principles are the same and most, not all I’m sad to say, follow what the Fillmore’s, our founders, put forth in their Principles and their understanding of what Unity was and is.
If you have forgotten and wish for a reminder, sign up to take the Basics class in October. A few hours here with me and the Fillmore’s and you would understand why we do what we do here each Sunday.

SO, though we all start out under the Fillmore tutelage, some Unity Churches and Centers go their own ways, because the congregation asks for more Bible, or more traditional rituals, or more nature…the congregation guides the Minister or Spiritual Leader with their requests.
Let me emphasize GUIDES.
If they want communion, or the Lord’s Prayer and the majority of the Congregation wishes for that, the Leader either does it or leaves if they disagree and a compromise cannot be reached. Sometimes it goes against what the Leader sees as what the Fillmore’s wanted and can not follow the congregation asks.
For example, I can not agree on preforming the communion ritual every Sunday, as some churches do.

The Minister or Spiritual Leader always has the last ‘word’ but they also try to give what the congregation asks for. There is a reason for why we do what we do….ask if you don’t understand.

So, sometimes leadership and congregation part ways. And the congregation looks for new Leadership.

I think, so far anyway, we as a congregation and its Leadership, the Spiritual Leader and the Board, are all in agreement as to the direction we are going.
If not, then you, the Congregation are not talking to your Leadership. You are not taking advantage of the opportunities to connect with your Leaders…either the Spiritual Leader or your Board.
That is your responsibility to this Spiritual Community.

What does all this have to do with OUR Prime Directive?
So –What do you think Unity of Rehoboth Beach’s Prime Directive would be?
Anyone?
We do have one…actually a 3 part one…Mission, Vision and Values.

This week I want to review the Mission and Vision for Unity and next week we’ll review our Values.
And through these two weeks, YOU get to respond to anything that you do not understand or that you have a thought or suggestion about.

So, let’s start at the top….what is a Mission Statement?

A mission, in this reference, is a strongly felt aim, ambition, or calling.
Then, a definition of a Mission Statement would be: a formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual. It’s something that states the overall purpose or goal of a business or organization.

So, what’s our Mission Statement? According to the Congregation a few years ago, it’s: Unity of Rehoboth Beach is a shinning light…strengthened through support and fellowship, celebrating diversity by honoring our individual Divine connection.

This is the WHAT of Unity of Rehoboth Beach. This is what some of you and some people no longer with us, thought Unity stood for in this greater community.

How do you feel about that statement?

Does it still fit?

Do you think Jesus had a Mission? A Vision? Values?

Of course he did! Though it was HIS mission, not a committee of congregants trying to make sense of what their fellow congregant members wished for their community.
His committee was God. He did God’s Will.
Matthew 20:28 “….He came not to be served, but to serve.”
We’ve been discussing God’s Will vs Our Will in Tuesday’s class & we have mentioned it a few times here also.

God’s Will means good for all involved. No ego involved. Simple.

So, lets go back to the Mission Statement that was set before Unity a couple of years ago…. Unity of Rehoboth Beach is a shining light…strengthened through support and fellowship, celebrating diversity by honoring our individual Divine connection.
Are we fulfilling that Mission Statement? Is this WHAT we are?
Are we a Shining Light?

Do we provide strength through support and fellowship?

Do we celebrate diversity by honoring our individual Divine Connection?

Is there anything missing in our Mission Statement?
If you have some thoughts about this, you might wish to speak to any of the Board , or me or to the Vision Team headed by Karen.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Matthew 18:11
Like Jesus, we are not here to destroy Unity, but fulfill what we said we would do or we should change our Mission.

What have you made YOUR life’s mission?

Now let’s look at the next statement, Our Vision Statement: Unity of Rehoboth Beach is a vibrant and inclusive spiritual community, dedicated to growth and transformation through the exploration of Universal Truth.

Our Vision Statement is why we do what we do.
A Vision includes vivid description of the organization as it effectively carries out its operations.
AS I look again at our Vision, is vibrant a WHY?

Is inclusive?

How about dedicated to growth?

Transformation?

Exploration of Universal Truth?

WHY are we, Unity of Rehoboth Beach here?

When we met with Rev. Stephanie Seigh at our first meeting place, these are the statements that we came up with when trying to pull all the thoughts together from the over 30 people that attended the weekend workshop.

Its good that we look back to check ourselves…are we doing what we said we started out to do?
Are we ON OUR CARD?

Let’s talk about this. There are cards on the Information Table if you need a Mission, Vision & Values card. You have opportunity now to talk with your fellow Congregants & your Leaders if you have thoughts or questions.
I’m here Wednesday’s and Fridays to talk with you. And you can always request an appointment.

In other words, we are here to hear what you have to say.
Next week we will look at our Values.

So, between now and then, let’s get the conversations flowing, what are we doing right, what needs a second look…

Great Morning Beloved!!

What did we learn?

We started off this adventure looking at some of the gadgets we have today that started in Science Fiction- Star Trek actually! Where would we be without our Phones??? Maybe a bit less stressed and a bit more present.

Anyway, I imagine there will be many things that are, right now, in someone’s imagination that will develop in the future and we will wonder both what did we do without this and why do we need it!

And that’s it, our imagination. One of the 12 Powers that we all have and are waiting to be developed; or to unfold, may be the better word.
Charles Fillmore understood the importance of Imagination, making it one of his Twelve Powers. From his book THE TWELVE POWERS: “It is through the imagination that the formless takes form.”

Can you think of anything that you imagined into form?

The core of science fiction is our belief that through the power of our imagination, our vision of a better tomorrow that works for all, we can believe in impossible things…
“No use trying, said Alice; one can’t believe impossible things.”
“I dare say you haven’t had much practice, said the Queen. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
— Lewis Carroll

So, I ask you, what impossible things have YOU dreamed this morning?

We learned so much more as we journeyed through Sci-fy. Gene Roddenberry had high hopes for the human beings that populated this blue marble floating in our Universe among many universes.
One more time, he said:
“Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. […] If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, to take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there.”

Through every incarnation of Star Trek, Star Wars and all other science fiction and fantasy forms, Science fiction gives us a glimpse of what we can be. And it gave us and continues to give us ways to do that.

Recall one of the first questions we asked this summer, “What God have we created?”
We are created in the image and likeness of our Creator, yet we often create a god in our image with the faults and idiosyncrasies of humans.

The God of our understanding is of energy, is love and good. And so are we, if we would just let go of the ideas and domestication we have learned along our way. Enlightenment is releasing what no longer serves.

Many of the episodes we looked at and the many more that I watched as I was preparing these Lessons, reminded us that we are all of the Creator; we are all ONE. So many of the shows and movies and books have provided opportunities to remind us of that.

The fate of Data, the Android in Star Trek, The Next Generation had us look at CREATION….what does that actually mean? Who owned Data because he was created by scientists in the Federation?
The answer – in a sense, all beings are created but that does not necessarily make them the property of their creator.
Are we not created in the image and likeness of OUR Creator? We are not owned by that Creator. We have free choice.
The characters in that episode were challenged to let go of what they had previously believed to be true, what constitutes a living being.
And hopefully, so were we.

Time and time again we are challenged regarding how we treat anyone who is different from us in society. And how we reduce those who are different to non-beings.
Both in the wide variety of ‘aliens’ that were presented during the episodes and movies and in the instances when our ship mates were exposed to being treated as medical experiments and as prey in a hunt to the death.
Do you recall how you felt when YOU were the experiment? Or YOU were the prey?
Uncomfortable to say the least.

How easily we justify enslaving and killing anyone, or anything, not like us. And yet, our differences are absolutely necessary to make us strong. Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins to not just, tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in lifeforms. -. – Gene Roddenberry

Diversity is necessary for the survival of our species. Ironically, we continue to fear that which is different from ourselves.

Science Fiction writers have most often presented a look at the issues that we face daily – greed, homelessness, inequality, hunger…and more often than not, they give us a look at what we can become, a look at who we truly are if we just let our love shine through.

As we watched Luke grow with the Force, we got to see many things…learn many things
Starting with you must unlearn what you have learned.
The beginning of wisdom is acknowledging “I don’t know.”

How so like Luke were we in our youth…impatient, thinking we knew it all.

Luke was taught the Ways of the Force, that way of living, that philosophy so similar to our belief in the energy of the Universe that surrounds us all, encompasses us all.
George Lucas developed the Force from all religions, very similar to Charles Fillmore as he researched the religions and cultures of his day to develop Unity’s Principles and main ideas.
Lucas said that there is a conscious choice between good and bad, and “the world works better if you’re on the good side”. I believe Charles would agree with this, as it resonates with our 1st & 2nd Principle.

Obi Wan to Luke – “Let go of your conscious self and act on instinct. Your eyes can deceive you. Don’t trust them. Stretch out with your feelings.”

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

Your eyes can deceive you. What is real and what is illusion? Something we must ask ourselves daily…

We were reminded that we are so much more than we think. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.
So many times, I have read or viewed Unity thoughts and Principals in the fantasy book I’m reading or, in these Science Fiction Movies we are discussing.
Yoda is a Unitic! The Force is saying the same things we say every week. We are all One. There is a Force that is surrounding us and enfolding us, a part of us on every level.

Through many episodes of Star Trek and Star Wars, we were brought to an understanding that our shadow, that part of us that we may not be very familiar with, that we may not even like, IS a part of us.
Feelings such as sadness, joy, anger, fear, and disgust can form the basis for the actions we take and the interactions we have with others. That makes the interplay between emotions incredibly important.
Captain Kirk showed us the importance of the shadow when he was separated from his dark side, he was dying without it. He could not function as the captain, he lost his ability to make choices, difficult choices that many times were a matter of life and death to his crew.
Shadow work is about opening your heart and making peace with your internal devils. It is about embracing your fears and weaknesses and finding compassion for your humanity

The Gospel of St Thomas states: “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”

We may not have such melodrama in our lives, but to be a complete, whole human existing in this dualistic world, we must acknowledge our complete self and accept both shadow and heart into our understanding.

Dr. Judith Baard stated, “The interaction between the two Kirks dramatizes an important principle: the more volatile the emotion, the more likely we are to reach a wrong moral judgment. Likewise, the less emotionally agitated we are, the greater the chances that we will weigh alternative courses of action and reach a sound moral judgment.

Another thing Captain Kirk taught us, is ownership, responsibility. If you have ever watched Classic Star Trek, and I viewed them all this summer, how many times in each episode did he say, “MY Ship” My crew”?

ALL the TIME!

Look at how responsible you are in your life? In the things and people that you have some obligation…where do you stand?
We always have choice. And we choose where and with whom we spend our time and energy.
This is as it should be. SO, you get to choose….how are you doing with your choices? Are you pleased with how that’s going? Any changes needed?
It’s up to you.

Are we willing to befriend who we already are? Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves. If we are only loving part of ourselves, the parts we deem to be acceptable, is that how we’re loving our neighbors? Loving only the parts that we deem to be acceptable?
Abraham Lincoln asked, “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”

Dr. Johanna Vanderpol says it this way: “Star Trek explores what it’s like to be human. It creates a positive vision of humanity. It explores what it means to honor and respect another person.”

Let’s talk about one of the most important things in Start Trek – The Prime Directive.
“The Prime Directive is not just a set of rules. It is a philosophy, and a very correct one. History has proved again and again that whenever mankind interferes with a less developed civilization, no matter how well-intentioned that interference may be, the results are invariably disastrous.”

Our Captain Kirk understood this, and yet, he would ignore it time and again. To him, people are more important than rules.
He would enforce the spirit of the law above the letter of the law.
How does this apply to us? What is OUR Prime Directive?

I would suggest our Integrity. And what all is in your integrity? What is YOUR Prime Directive?

The Prime Directive of Star Trek asks us to respect ALL other ways of being.
Or as Wade Davis observed, “The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you: they are unique manifestations of the human spirit.”

Honoring all paths isn’t easy. Contrary to those who think we don’t believe in anything, what we believe in is difficult to practice. A spirituality based totally on loving one another, honoring one another’s path, even when we don’t understand it… a spirituality without hard and fast “rules”, without rigid do’s and don’ts is much harder to practice than a religion where everything is clearly defined for us.
Remember, a major difference between Unity and Traditional Christianity is our free thinking.
We set out Principles and let you go.
We give you ideas, thoughts to ponder and allow you to put them into practice in your life….or not.

This path, although more challenging to travel, is much more satisfying. And while I recognize it’s not for everyone, it is my path.

I leave you with some of the best quotes from this series:

No, try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
“Size matters not.
Luke: I don’t believe it. Yoda: And that is why you fail.
We’re only as sick as our secrets….
“If you want to know who you are, it’s important to know who you’ve been.”

Roddenberry was trying to show us that for all our differences, we have just as much in common. We dream, we love, we fear, we laugh, we cry, we have children and families and in-laws. We are born and we die. Star Trek is about the journey in between.

HOW will you fill your DASH?

GREAT Morning Beloved!

THE WISDOM OF YODA

We are winding down with summer, unfortunately or fortunately….however you look at it – and also with our summer series on the Lessons learned from Science Fiction and Fantasy in all its forms.
I have especially loved this journey because this is one of my interests. Too bad we didn’t come across a dragon or two…then we really would have had some fun!

This week we explore the Wisdom of Yoda. Let’s look a bit at wisdom.
The dictionary defines wisdom as knowledge and good judgment based on experience; being wise.
Wise implies having knowledge and understanding of people and of what is true and right in life and conduct; and showing sound judgment in applying such knowledge.

In ‘The Twelve Powers of Man’, Charles Fillmore writes that, “Wisdom includes judgment, discrimination, intuition, and all the departments of mind that come under the head of knowing.”
Wisdom is making wise choices. The spiritual power most often associated with wisdom is love. In fact, the apostle assigned to the power of Wisdom is James, the brother of John, the apostle representing Love.
The combination of wisdom and love is a clear example of the connecting of head and heart. Wisdom without love can become academic. Love without wisdom can become co-dependent; and we end up making unwise choices.

James Trapp, former President and CEO of Unity Worldwide Ministries once said, “There is information that informs and then there is information that transforms.”
Together, wisdom and love help us to move beyond ourselves, beyond what we thought we were capable of. Wisdom and love help us to see beyond appearances.

Which brings us to the wisdom of Yoda
Luke was being trained by Yoda in the ways of the Force.
The WAYS of the Force…..it seems mystical, doesn’t i? It’s more than a feeling, the Force is a life-style.

There are so many wonderful lessons to be learned from Luke’s relationship with Yoda.
First, we learn, along with Luke, that wisdom doesn’t always look like we think it will. Luke is looking for a great Jedi master in The Empire Strikes Back and impatiently demands that Yoda take him to his new teacher. It never even occurs to Luke that this little green troll is, in fact, that master.
How often we assume that wisdom will come in a pretty package and tell us what we want to hear.

Yoda’s training of Luke is comprehensive. He not only focuses on teaching him about the metaphysical nature of the Universe and the Force, he also trains Luke’s physical body and encourages him to look into his heart for answers.
Yoda was truly a holistic teacher, recognizing the connection between body, mind and spirit and supporting Luke to grow and develop his skills in all three areas.
Yoda teaches Luke that the cave he fears to enter holds the treasure that he seeks. While in Luke’s case there was a literal cave, we all have our own metaphorical caves that we are afraid to enter, right?
I believe Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Do one thing every day that you are afraid of.”
If you think that is impossible, the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland said, “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

We need to face our fears.

Yoda taught Luke that he needed to unlearn what he had learned. Luke needed to say – “I don’t know”.
Again, how true this is for all of us!

Luke’s head was so full of what he thought he knew that he couldn’t take in what Yoda was trying to teach him. He had a preconception about what his Jedi master would look like and had to let go of that in order recognize Yoda.
He thought being a Jedi meant fighting great battles in great wars. Yoda laughed at this idea, and at Luke… “Ohhh! Great warrior! Wars not make one great!”

Yoda uses his own appearance to teach Luke some valuable lessons. In one exchange, Yoda admonishes Luke to see beyond appearances, to recognize that might doesn’t make right and bigger isn’t always better.

In an important scene of the movie, “The Empire Strikes Back”, Yoda is encouraging Luke to lift his fighter out of the swamp. Luke tries, and gives up, complaining that it can’t be done!
Yoda: Always with you it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?
Luke: Master moving stones around is one thing, this (the ship) is totally different.
Yoda: No, no different. Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned.
Luke: Alright, I’ll give it a try.
Yoda: No, try not. Do or do not. There is no try.

When Luke has failed to lift his ship out of the water, he complains that the ship is too big.
Yoda explains, “Size matters not. Look at me, judge me by size do you, hmmm? And well you should not, for my ally is the force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the force around you, here! Between you, me, the tree, the rock! Yes, everywhere! Even between the land and the ship.”
Luke: You want the impossible.
Yoda then lifts the ship out of the water with a wave of his hand…
Luke: I don’t believe it.
Yoda: And that is why you fail.
This is our challenge also, is it not?

Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Who knew Yoda was Unity! Truth is truth and wisdom is wisdom, regardless of the source.
In this exchange, Yoda is trying to teach Luke about the holographic nature of the Universe. Yoda knew that moving the rocks and moving the ship were the same thing. He knew that doing the smallest thing with intention and focus can make the biggest of shifts.
Where can this principle fit in your life?

Yoda teaches about being positive about what you can do, no negativity.
Yoda also urged Luke to take his training, his destiny, seriously.
He told Luke, “A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind” and admonished him that if he took the quick and easy path, he would become an agent of evil.

One of Yoda’s greatest challenges in training Luke was dealing with his youthful impulsiveness, his wanting to know everything right now!
Again, how true this is of us as human beings. So often we want to go from A to Z, without going through the steps, through the journey, that it takes to get there.
And enjoying the journey along the way.
One of the questions many people ask is how to tell the difference between our Inner Voice of Wisdom and what we often call monkey mind… especially when our monkey mind seems so persuasive!
Here are some clues…. Monkey Mind is right, righteous, rigid, defensive, cynical, no possibility, others are wrong, humorless, self-interested, and basically concerned with survival. There is always fear that something could go wrong. There is a closing around the heart, a sense that you won’t make it. If you feel “I have to get this done right away,” it’s Monkey Mind.
Remind you just a little bit of the Luke that first came to Yoda?

Our Inner wisdom, on the other hand, is open, possibility, compassionate, and spaciousness. It is characterized by generosity of spirit, gentle humor, and opening around heart.
Remind you a little bit of Yoda?

Yoda taught Luke that “You will know the good from the bad (or wisdom from monkey mind) when you are calm, at peace.”

Luke was consumed with a sense of urgency, of wanting to do everything right now and therefore wasn’t able to hear his inner voice of wisdom.
Yoda, like all the great masters, taught that we have to become quiet to hear that still small voice of Wisdom that we all have…. that still small voice that helps us to make wise decisions.

Yoda also taught Luke that he had to choose which side of the force he would serve. He warned Luke that the Dark Side was very seductive… “Beware of the dark side. Anger…fear…aggression. The dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will…”
Once we start down the path of making decisions based on fear, consume us it will… so what are we choosing?

You remember the great little story about a Cherokee grandfather and his grandchildren…
An elder Cherokee was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.
One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.”
The children thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
What wolf are we feeding? “Choose this day who you will serve.”

We know that Heaven and Hell are not actual physical places, but states of mind that we create.
Are our choices creating Heaven or Hell? Are we using the Force for good and standing for peace, love, hope, joy and truth, or are we walking down the dark side of fear, anger, sorrow, greed and regret?

Matthew Fox wrote, “When we are joyous and full of heart, we are emanating wisdom. Wisdom is not in the head but in the heart and gut where compassion is felt.”
I think Yoda would agree

Here are a few more Yoda wisdom tidbits:
“Hmm! Adventure. Hmmpf! Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things.” A Jedi lives to serve and protect, not to seek out danger and risk, unless it’s in the name of the Force.
Sometimes we look for excitement instead of wisdom, can’t we have both?

“Ready are you? What know you of ready?” As Yoda tells young Luke, most of us think we’re ready before we really are, as we’re always looking for shortcuts or an easy way out.

Sound familiar? Oh youth….

“All his life has he looked away…to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? On what he was doing.” Yoda tries to tell Luke about the dedication that a Jedi must possess. The philosophy here is about dedication to an ideal.

Personal responsibility. You are choosing what is important in your life, what drives your integrity

“Twilight is upon me, and soon night must fall. That is the way of things.” This is part of Yoda’s death speech to Luke. We must accept that we will come to an end one day.

We must make the best of the DASH between our birth date and date of our transition. Mine will be 10/1/1949 – ?

HOW will you fill your DASH?

Great Morning Beloved!

The Prime Directive

So today we will explore one of Star Trek’s most fundamental teachings, the basis for how they do things in the universe – The Prime Directive.

In the book, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek” by Dave Marinaccio, we learn about ‘The Prime Directive’.

The Prime Directive is central to everything in Star Trek. It is a non-interference directive coming from the highest authority in the Federation and may be the most important idea in the series.

The Prime Directive prohibits the captain and crew from interfering in the internal affairs of any of the planets they visit. It insinuates that any peoples have the right to construct their societies in any manner they wish.
Of course, we can understand the need for this directive. Cultural bias may influence the way the crew interprets what they are seeing. Therefore, its best to not interfere.

This rule protects the people of the planet but also the crew. Noninterference keeps the crew from getting into the middle of a private fight. They don’t have to pick sides.

All that being said, if you have watched any of especially the Classic Star Trek, you know that Captain Kirk didn’t follow the Prime Directive very well. “Episode after episode after episode, Kirk does what he believes is right.”
Kirk does observe the Prime Directive when it fits his purposes.
Kirks actions show that he would enforce the spirit of the law above the letter of the law. Does that sound familiar? Check out Matthew 5 for starters if it doesn’t.

The Prime Directive was instituted to protect people. When it goes against that premise, he would ignore it. People are more important than rules.

“A person who understands a rule knows when to break it, they know the intent of the law.”

This brings to mind something else…we can’t legislate morality. That should sound familiar too, to those of us who remember the struggle through the years for equal rights and opportunity. I believe I recall that statement being spoken in the 60’s and 70’s and probably again today.

The Prime Directive is an example of what is called in ethical circles Cultural Relativism. According to James Rachels, a contemporary American ethicist, cultural relativism is a theory that makes six basic claims:

1. Different societies have different moral codes.

2. There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one societal code better than another.

3. The moral code of our own society has no special status; it is merely one among many.

4. There is no “universal truth” in ethics – that is, there are no moral truths that hold for all peoples at all times.

5. The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society; that is, if the moral code of a society says that a certain action is right, then that action is right, at least within that society.

6. It is mere arrogance for us to try to judge the conduct of other peoples. We should adopt an attitude of tolerance toward the practices of other cultures.

There’s a wonderful Next Generation episode that illustrates what it looks like when we reject these claims, called “The Cost of Living.”

The U.S.S. Enterprise heads toward the Moselina system. As they travel, ships counselor, Deanna Troi’s mother Lwaxana transports aboard with an unusual announcement — she is planning to get married on the Enterprise to a man that she has never met. Deanna finds the news disturbing, but Lwaxana laughs at her “motherly” concern.
At the same time, Troi has been counseling Worf and his son Alexander, who have been clashing over the boy’s responsibilities. Soon, Lwaxana meets Alexander and takes a liking to him. She persuades him to skip his appointment with Counselor Troi and accompany her to the holodeck instead. There, she takes him for a visit to a colony of artists, poets and free thinkers, and to a mudbath. Troi and Worf, meanwhile, are searching for the missing boy.

An angry Deanna asks her mother to stop interfering with Alexander’s upbringing. The subject changes to Lwaxana’s upcoming wedding, and Troi is shocked to learn that her independent-thinking mother plans to forgo the Betazoid custom of getting married in the nude and wear a wedding dress provided by her bridegroom instead.

Later, Lwaxana’s intended, Minister Campio, transports aboard along with his pompous Protocol Master. Lwaxana is a bit taken aback by just how stuffy her husband-to-be is, since the compatibility profile that matched them did not alert her to how major their differences are. She becomes bored with the complicated wedding plans and heads back to the holodeck with Alexander, much to everyone’s dismay.

Lwaxana’s nuptials begin only to come to an abrupt halt, however, when she walks down the aisle naked according to her traditions, sending her stuffy bridegroom and his Protocol Master scurrying for home. Troi is pleased that her mother stuck to her guns, and later brings Worf to join Lwaxana and Alexander for a last trip to the mudbath.
So let’s look at this episode in relation to the six claims of cultural relativism.

1. Different societies have different moral codes. We see clearly at least 3 sets of moral codes – the Betazoids unique custom whereby the bride appears nude at the wedding; the Kostolains’ rigid adherence to protocol, procedure and ceremony; and the colony of free spirits in Lwaxana’s holodeck program.

2. There is no objective standard by which to judge one society’s code better than another But we try, don’t we? After all, our way must be the best way. We see this clearly in the Protocol Master’s attempts to impose the Kostolain way upon Lwaxana. From the moment Campio, the bridegroom to be, meets Lwaxana, Erko, the Protocol Master is dictating how their interactions will proceed. From no kissing, to not even calling Campio by his first name, there is no consideration for Lwaxana in their interactions. It is the Kostolain way or no way.

3. The moral code of our own society has no special status; it is merely one among many. This shows up most clearly in this episode in the interactions between Worf, Deanna and Worf’s son, Alexander. In Klingon society, children are expected to obey without question. So when Deanna proposes that Worf and Alexander enter into a parent-child contract, as a way to encourage Alexander to do his chores without hassle, Worf bristles. Worf resists the idea, because it goes against the grain of what he was taught as a child, and what he understands to be custom. However as Deanna explains to him in this episode, there’s more than one way to raise a child. If you want to foster a happy, healthy mutually beneficial relationship with your child – or simply teach him how to pick up after himself – and what you’re doing right now prevents you from attaining that goal, then perhaps you ought to try something else. (Remember the definition of insanity?)

4. There are no moral truths that hold for all peoples at all times. This shows up in all the relationships in this episode, and also in Lwaxana’s realization, with a little help from Alexander, that while her marriage to Campio may prevent loneliness, it doesn’t necessarily promise happiness.

5. The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society. This cuts to the basic conflict within this episode. Interestingly, while Deanna is not happy that her mother is marrying a man she has never met, she is equally, if not more upset that her mother will be wearing a wedding dress at the ceremony, completely breaking with Betazoid custom. Equally as interesting is that even the colony of free spirits have a moral code – as Lwaxana explains, “Only those whose hearts are joyous may enter the colony of free spirits.”

6. It is arrogant to try to judge the conduct of other peoples. We should adopt an attitude of tolerance toward the practices of other cultures. Lwaxana makes this point in a big way in the climactic wedding sequence, when she shows up at her ceremony completely naked, horrifying Campio and Erko, and clearly delighting everyone else! We also see a shift in Worf in the final scene, as we watch he, Deanna, Lwaxana and Alexander in a mudbath together, surrounded by free spirits.

So let’s get back to the Prime Directive. How does it relate to this episode? Clearly, the Kostolains would not have a Prime Directive. They truly believe that their way is the ONLY way, and would have no problem imposing that way on to any culture they encounter, as they did with Lwaxana. To them, there is nothing more important than the rules. Rules first, people second.

Remember what we heard earlier? “What, then, is the lesson here? A great one. People are more important than rules. Enforce the spirit of the law above the letter of the law. The Prime Directive was instituted to protect people. When the directive gets in the way of protecting people, ignore it.”

This is contrary to the very purpose of the federation – to seek out new peoples and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to boldly go anywhere when we’re consumed with following, and imposing the rules.

How does this apply to us? We might say we’re very open to new ideas, to new ways of doing things. We follow the spirit of the law, not the letter. We’re New Thought, we’re Interfaith, we’re “liberal.” Just ask anybody how free-spirited we are.

Really? Do you ever believe that the way you do something is better than the way other people do it? Do you ever look at other families, or businesses, or organizations, and think, “They’re doing that wrong?” Do you look at other faith traditions and think, “How could they believe that?” Do you look at other Christian denominations and think, “How could they believe that?”

The Prime Directive asks us to respect ALL other ways of being. Or as Wade Davis observed, “The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you: they are unique manifestations of the human spirit.”

Gene Roddenberry himself summed it up in an interview in 1968, “By the 23rd century, we will have learned to take a delight in the essential differences between men and cultures. We will learn that differences and attitudes are a delight, part of life’s exciting variety, not something to fear.”

Honoring all paths isn’t easy. Contrary to those who think we don’t believe in anything, what we believe in is actually difficult to practice. A spirituality based totally on loving one another, honoring one another’s path, even when we don’t understand it… a spirituality without hard and fast “rules”, without rigid do’s and don’ts is actually much harder to practice than a religion where everything is clearly defined for us.

A major difference between Unity and Traditional Christianity is our free thinking. We set out Principles and let you go. We give you ideas, thoughts to ponder and allow you to put them into practice in your life….or not.
This path, although more challenging to travel, is much more satisfying. And while I recognize it’s not for everyone, it is my path. So, here’s to mud baths on the holodeck, Betazoid weddings, taking delight in our differences and all of us being allowed to love and live as we were born to

Great Morning Beloved!!

The Tao of Star Trek

Why are we discussing Star Trek and its many versions still? Dr. Johanna Vanderpol says it this way: “Star Trek explores what it’s like to be human. It creates a positive vision of humanity. It explores what it means to honor and respect another person.”

This week we enter Deep Space 9, a space station situated in front of a worm whole, in an effort to keep it open to all and not in the hands of some nefarious group of profit minded world citizens.

The Federation of Planets oversees the station, with a range of support personnel from various worlds as members of the maintaining force. It’s an interesting mix of peoples and creatures, many very different than our world inhabitants.

One of those is a Trill, a creature that must live within a host. The Trill lives for centuries as long as its host doesn’t do anything that would harm it. When the host is about to die, a new host is found. And thus, the host has access to all the memories of its Trill over centuries.

In the episode titled, “Equilibrium,” the current host of the Trill named Dax is having hallucinations about a mysterious cloaked figure wearing a mask. A check-up reveals that the connection between Dax and Jadzia, it’s humanoid host, is growing weaker. Commander Sisko and Doctor Bashir return with Jadzia Dax to the planet, Trill to find out from the host doctors what is going on.

There they uncover a conspiracy to conceal that Dax had at one time been placed in an unstable host, that eventually had a breakdown and committed murder. Not only has the Commission in charge tried to suppress the memory of the murderous host, but the entire establishment has tried to wipe the entire incident out of its history. They were willing to let Jadzia AND Dax die rather than face the truth.

Maybe it’s true, we’re only as sick as our secrets….

Captain Sisko and Dr. Bashir fight for Dax’s right to remember and integrate the memories of that past lifetime. And in a beautiful scene, Jadzia literally embraces the memories of the past host, and is restored to balance and wholeness once again.

Very reminiscent of the Start Trek episode two weeks ago with the 2 Captain Kirks. Again, we see how our shadow side must be incorporated for good health and well-being.

Jadzia Dax states: “If you want to know who you are, it’s important to know who you’ve been.”
Think about that for a minute…..

There is an interesting use of masks in this episode, and Dax’s journey to resurfacing the past begins with the taking off the mask of the character in her hallucination.

My friend Laurie has a wonderful play about all the masks we use to hide behind through our various encounters through life and often, through a single day! Think about the masks you wear throughout your day…

This is a Lesson on the masks we wear, but also on the rights of ‘other’ forms of life…be it animals, insects (what is the purpose of mosquitoes?) and plants, or a Trill named Dax.

And how about the lives of those we consider ‘other’? Different from US…different skin, different beliefs, different loves, different language and customs?

All the Star Trek incarnations look at life and its many variations and the shows and movies give us a chance to consider what we consider ‘life’ and how we react and respond to life that is ‘different.’

And in Science Fiction and Fantasy, you really can’t get much ‘different than what we see on screen and read in print.

A Trill that must live within a Host. How about Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy…pretty much looks and acts like a talking tree.

And there WERE talking (and walking) trees in The Lord of the Ring trilogy!

In Star Trek: Voyager, we get a glimpse of what it is like to be prey to a species that is taught from birth to be hunters. Their whole life is predicated on finding challenging ‘prey’…and in the episodes “Hunter’ and “Prey”, two of Voyager’s crew are captured by a race whose culture is based upon the thrill of the hunt.

Here we get to experience through the characters of Tuvok and Seven of Nine what it’s like to be prey and then treated like animals trussed up ready for slaughter.

Eventually, Captain Janeway must determine how to save her crew and still show compassion and lenience to this ‘different race.

And it gives a look at what it might feel like if we were stalked by something that considered us prey…. not a comfortable feeling.

In another episode involving a different life form, some members of the crew are suffering from extreme unexplained medical problems.

After several crew members are seen in various stages of these unexplained symptoms from aging by decades to headaches to sexual attraction and many more, the Doctor detects a microscopic tag on one of the DNA cells responding to nearby signals in the ship. They find out that Voyager has been invaded by a mysterious species cloaked so they inflict these symptoms undetected.

These intruders have implanted invisible devices recording their findings as if the crew were subjects in a series of experiments.

This episode explores, from a third-party perspective and views the events in a manner similar to the medical experiments we humans perform on lab rats or other animals. And this entity has the ability to silence those that come close to the truth giving us a taste of the animals’ situation who have no voice.

How does that feel? Uncomfortable?

When the experiments are discovered, the Captain wishes to fight back she is warned that the ‘intruders’ are in control and if she resists, the crew will be exterminated.

The alien callously responds that their experiments are for medical research and could be of benefit to everyone in the galaxy. The alien leader draws parallels to research done by humans on living rodents and primates.
But in exchange for their ‘service’, the lead researcher agrees to share whatever data they gather with the Federation.

Of course, Captain Janeway finds a way to give the aliens a taste of their own medicine by conducting an experiment of her own, which forced them to leave.

Now, think, how did you feel about what science does to unaware animals as you were hearing about this episode? Maybe made you think, if you haven’t already let those thoughts enter your consciousness, about what is often done in the name of science.….and remember too, this is 1997.

Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was nicknamed The Big Bird of the Galaxy as his philosophy about the use of animals changed over the years to the point that he was leaning toward vegetarianism.

He is quoted as saying, “I look forward to the day when we would have our juicy T-bone without having to kill the animal.”

That day came on Star Trek with the ‘replicator’ – a magical device that would produce whatever item you wished for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack by just asking for it.

I could use one of those.

There are many other stories in the Star Trek vault that led us to think about what we were doing to our co-inhabitants on earth. And, how we treat ‘others’. We have mentioned ‘others’ many times already this year, during this series and during the ‘Ten Words’ series, especially.

It took Unity several years before they allowed African Americans to stay at Unity Village…an act the leaders regretted to this day.

But the Fillmore’s were vegetarian and offered the first vegetarian restaurant of their time in Kansas City. When you go to the Village dining room today, many offerings are vegetarian, sometimes more vegetarian than not.
They had a farm for years at Unity Village that was organic, again, unusual for their time.

Eventually the Unity family placed their beliefs in line with their actions. They promote vegetarian meals but leave it open to their guests. Everyone is welcome on campus at Unity Village and I know of no Unity churches or Centers that are not open and accepting congregations.

Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us, “We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”

Jesus reminded us to love our enemies. And what IS an enemy? The dictionary states: one that is antagonistic to another; especially: one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent; something harmful or deadly.

Do we have to have enemies? Of course not.

Abraham Lincoln asked, “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”

Of course, we do!

Can you think of someone who you had an adversary relationship with only to now call them your friend or at least be able to be pleasant with them? People you didn’t know well or at all and now can call them acquaintance in the very least.

“That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love your enemies. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So, love your enemies.”
-Martin Luther King Jr.

Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love. You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results. Gandhi

We are reminded what we learned in the beginning of this series from Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek creator, “Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins to not just tolerate but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in lifeforms.”

It’s simply a spiritual principle, we are all created equal by our Creator, God.

I saw this on FB this week and wanted to share it with you….
“Until we have met the monsters in ourselves, we keep trying to slay them in the outer world. And we find that we cannot.
For all darkness in the world stems from darkness in the heart.
And it is there that we must do our work.” Marianne Williamson

Good Morning Beloved

The Enemy Within

Welcome back to our series based on Science Fiction and the Lessons available if we pay attention.
We have learned that Science Fiction and Fantasy stories are so much more than entertainment, these stories, TV shows, movies and books can help to shape us; we learn what kind of people we want to be—and who exactly we are fighting against becoming.

Our example this week beautifully illustrate the importance of integrating what Carl Jung described as our “shadow”. The manifestation of the shadow is common in Star Trek. Science Fiction and Star Trek itself are highly suited to show the exploration of the human condition, as we have seen already through our series.

Often Sci-Fy writers focus on the intricate dance between emotions and how critical they are to how we view the world. Feelings such as sadness, joy, anger, fear, and disgust can form the basis for the actions we take and the interactions we have with others. That makes the interplay between emotions incredibly important.

In other words, the Star Trek Universes as well as other ‘worlds’ love exploring our shadow, that dance between dark and light, because they can give a face to that shadow.

The episode, “The Enemy Within” does this literally by splitting Captain Kirk in two…

A transporter malfunction splits Captain Kirk into two captains, the Good Captain and the Bad or Evil Captain.

Spock notices the Good Captain has lost his power to make decisions and concludes it is an opportunity to examine the roles of good and evil.

We can look at this as a test – what it is that makes someone an exceptional leader. The negative side makes them strong. Properly controlled and disciplined, it is vital to their strength.

But the negative side of Captain Kirk also displays very decisive thoughtless hostility, lust, brutality and violence.

While his positive side expresses compassion, love and tenderness but lacks the decisive power necessary for in-the-moment decisions.

Spock observes that Captain Kirk needs his dark side to make the decisions an exceptional leader must make. It is Kirk’s so-called evil side when properly disciplined and integrated that is vital to his strength and ability to be a star ship captain. Eventually the Good Captain Kirk realizes he does need to be reunited with his “evil” side and yet is greatly repulsed by the idea.

In “The Ethics of Star Trek” by Judith Barad, PhD,
“Good” Kirk realizes that “reason and emotion may be entirely separate functions, yet they’re critically interdependent.”

One without the other would lead to psychological death – insanity.

“Bad” Kirk wants nothing to do with joining with his good side. He’s paranoid about losing his power.
Barad looks at the situation through the ethics of Aristotle (an original New Thoughter!)

She states, “The interaction between the two Kirks dramatizes an important principle of Aristotelian ethics: the more volatile the emotion, the more likely we are to reach a wrong moral judgment. Likewise, the less emotionally agitated we are, the greater the chances that we will weigh alternative courses of action and reach a sound moral judgment. “

Look at that again….thoughts?

So, why this episode of Star Trek? Can you guess what some of the Lessons are?

As Bones (Dr. McCoy for non-Trekkers) tells Kirk he’s no different than everyone else: “We all have our dark side – we need it! It’s half of what we are. It’s not really ugly- it’s human.”

Without Kirk’s negative side, he was unable to make the choices that a Captain needs to make.

And we ALL need that side to balance out our lives, our choices.

Pema Chodron calls it our wonderfulness and our craziness. In her little book, “Awakening Loving Kindness”, she observes:

“When people start to meditate or to work with any kind of spiritual discipline, they often think that some-how they’re going to improve, which is a sort of subtle aggression against who they really are.

It’s a bit like saying, “If I jog, I’ll be a much better person.” “If I could only get a nicer house, I’d be a better person.” “If I could meditate and calm down, I’d be a better person.’

Or the scenario may be that they find fault with others; they might say “If it weren’t for my husband, I’d have a perfect marriage.” “If it weren’t for the fact that my boss and I can’t get on, my job would be just great.”

And “If it weren’t for my mind, my meditation would be excellent.

But loving-kindness – maitri – toward ourselves doesn’t mean getting rid of anything. Maitri means that we can still be crazy after all these years.

We can still be angry after all these years. We can still be timid or jealous or full of feelings of unworthiness. The point is not to try to change ourselves.

Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already. The ground of practice is you or me or whoever we are right now, just as we are. That’s the ground, that’s what we study, that’s what we come to know with curiosity and interest.”

This internal struggle to keep all our parts in balance is addressed in every tradition.

St. Paul laments that he doesn’t do what he knows he should; and does what he knows he shouldn’t.

In Islam, the greater jihad is the struggle against one’s inner self, and the Lesser Jihad as the struggle to defend the Islamic state.

“According to the Qur’an and the Hadith, jihad is a duty that may be fulfilled in four ways: by the heart, the tongue, the hand, or the sword. The first way (known in Sufism as the “greater jihad”) involves struggling against evil desires.”

Jesus had 40 days in the wilderness

Siddhartha had to leave the castle, to embrace the “darkness of the world”, which his father had tried to shield from him, in order to find his strength and his destiny.

Taoism is based on the balance between yin and yang, light and dark, and everything in between.

And of course, Star Wars, the Harry Potter series, and every super hero including Wonder Woman, have all explored the importance of recognizing and integrating our shadow… and the shadow of our world.

An interesting component of this episode is that the “good” Kirk wasn’t aware of his talents, of his abilities. He was what Aristotle called shamefaced, as opposed to his “evil” counterpart, who had no shame at all, unable to comprehend the consequences of his behavior.

A different definition of humility – not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less. Kirk, as captain of the fleet’s premier starship, needed to be aware of his abilities, of how good he was as a captain. He needed the confidence inherent in true humility, found only by embracing his darkness.

Without his dark side Kirk is confused, forgetful and unable to make decisions. Kirk’s good side was able to recognize that he needed to reintegrate with his dark side.

However, his dark side remained stubbornly convinced that he did not need the good side and the dark side tried to kill off the good side.

Kirk is repulsed by his “dark” side, yet recognizes that without it, he loses much of his leadership abilities. And worse, without his dark side, Kirk would have eventually weakened and died.

An example of hidden gifts:

Over three hundred years ago, the Burmese army planned an attack to invade Thailand. At the time, the country was known as Siam. The Siamese monks were in possession of the most amazing Buddha statue. The statue is over 10 feet tall and weighs in excess of 2 1/2 tons. It is made of solid gold and is valued today at $200 MILLION dollars. The monks were determined to protect the shrine that meant so much to them. While it was priceless to them for reasons that transcend money; they knew that the Burmese would stop at nothing to steal the statue because of its tremendous monetary value. They covered the Golden Buddha with 12 inches of clay knowing that the warriors would totally ignore it and think it worthless. Sadly, the monks were slaughtered in the invasion and the secret of the Golden Buddha stayed hidden for two centuries. The Buddha itself though, remained safe.
In the mid 50’s, a monastery was to be relocated to make room for a new highway. The monks arranged for a crane to come and move the “Clay” Buddha to its new location. When the crane started to lift the statue, it was much heavier than expected and it began to crack. Wanting to protect the priceless shrine, the monks lowered it back down and decided to wait until the next day to bring more powerful equipment. To add insult to injury, the rains came so the monks lovingly covered the statue with tarps to keep the moisture away. In the dark of night, the head monk took his flashlight and went out to make sure the Buddha was adequately covered. When the light of the flashlight shone into the crack of the clay, he saw a glimmer…a reflection of something underneath that shroud of clay. He immediately started to carefully chisel away shards of clay to find that the glimmer grew brighter. Hours later, and all the clay removed…he was in the presence of a Buddha made of solid gold. It now resides in The Temple of the Golden Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand. Every year, millions of people go there to see this magnificent work of art and to worship at his feet. And to think, it may never have been uncovered…

We never know what golden gifts we have underneath, our shadow side…

In the end of our Star Trek episode, the “good” side literally embraces the “darkness” signified by Kirk holding onto his dark side while on the transporter pad, and in doing so, wholeness is restored.

The Gospel of St Thomas states: “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”

Gandhi said, “The only devils in the world are those running around in our hearts. That is where the battle should be fought.”

Shadow work is about opening your heart and making peace with your internal devils. It is about embracing your fears and weaknesses and finding compassion for your humanity.

Give yourself the gift of your heart. As soon as you open your heart to yourself you will open your heart to all others.

Are we willing to embrace our darkness, our craziness? Are we willing to befriend who we already are? Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves. If we are only loving part of ourselves, the parts we deem to be acceptable, is that how we’re loving our neighbors? Loving only the parts that we deem to be acceptable?

Or are we willing to have the courage to love all of us, and all of the other? Because it does take courage. It takes courage to own the nastiness, the envy, the anger, the temper, the judgments. And it takes courage to acknowledge the love and the compassion and the capacity for giving.

We must use our complete person to captain whatever ship holds us – our families, our communities, our Unity, and the places we call home. It is true that the raw force of our darker emotions, unchecked, can jeopardize our well-being and the well-being of others. But working in concert with our ability to reason and love, we create a whole person, both shadow and light, cable of powerful action.

Kirk referred to his duplicate self as an “imposter,” but the shadow side of ourselves can be welcomed as an important part of our nature, a necessary force, rather than something too brutish to harbor. There is no imposter, no enemy within, so long as we refuse to view any part of ourselves as an adversary. As McCoy said, “It’s not really ugly, it’s human.”

“I used to want to save the world. To end war and bring peace to mankind. But then, I glimpsed the darkness that lives within their light. I learned that inside every one of them, there will always be both. The choice each must make for themselves – something no hero will ever defeat. I’ve touched the darkness that lives in between the light. Seen the worst of this world, and the best. Seen the terrible things men do to each other in the name of hatred, and the lengths they’ll go to for love. Now I know. Only love can save this world. So, I stay. I fight, and I give… for the world I know can be. This is my mission, now. Forever.” – Diana Prince, Wonder Woman

The Hero’s Journey

We have been seeing how the Science Fiction writers have most often presented a look at the issues that we face daily – greed, homelessness, inequality, hunger…and more often than not, they give us a look at what we can become, a look at who we truly are if we just let our love shine through.

Last week we used the episode from Star Trek, The Next Generation called “The Measure of a Man”

This week we’ll take a look at The Hero’s Journey.

In 1949 Joseph Campbell made a big splash in the field of mythology with his book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”. This book built on the pioneering work of German anthropologist Adolph Bastian, who first proposed the idea that myths from all over the world seem to be built from the same “elementary ideas.”

Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung named these elementary ideas “archetypes,” which he believed to be the building blocks not only of the unconscious mind, but of a collective unconscious.

In other words, Jung believed that everyone in the world is born with the same basic subconscious model of what a “hero” is, or a “mentor” or a “quest,” and that’s why people who don’t even speak the same language can enjoy the same stories.

Campbell’s contribution was to take this idea of archetypes and use it to map out the common underlying structure behind religion and myth. He proposed this idea in “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”, which provides examples from cultures throughout history and all over the world. Campbell argues that all stories are fundamentally the same story, which he named the “Hero’s Journey.”

This sounds like a simple idea, but it suggests something incredible, which Campbell summed up with his adage, “All religions are true, but none are literal.” That is, he concluded that all religions are really containers for the same essential truth, and the trick is to avoid mistaking the wrappings for the diamond.
Think about that for a minute….first: All religions are true, but none are literal, and then; the trick is to avoid mistaking the wrappings for the diamond.
That has to get your thinking caps on….

This week we are using Star Wars for our inspiration into the human psyche.

George Lucas had already written two drafts of Star Wars when he rediscovered Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” in 1975. This blueprint for “The Hero’s Journey” gave Lucas the focus he needed to draw his amazing imagination into a single story with many chapters.

Joseph Campbell often noted that while mythic structure is universal, myth itself must be kept fresh through reinterpretation. Every generation must look at the myths within their own context to suit their times, to create their own road map for how to fit best into the world.

After the release of Star Wars, Campbell and Lucas became friends. Campbell credited Lucas with reinvigorating the mythic force in the modern world. In return Lucas reignited worldwide interest in Campbell’s ideas, which have had profound repercussions on world culture in general and Hollywood in particular. Lucas once called Campbell “my Yoda.”

Our hero’s journey begins in Star Wars: A New Hope. We first meet Luke Skywalker as he and his uncle are buying two new droids, R2D2 and C3PO. Luke is a brash, impatient and immature young man, who bemoans his lot in life on a regular basis. “It just isn’t fair. I’m never going to get out of here.”
Can any of you relate to Luke?

Luke is working on his uncle’s farm on a remote and dry planet called Tatoine. He dreams of going to the Academy and becoming a pilot in the fleet.

AS fate would have it, Luke meets up with Obi-Wan Kenobi, formerly a Jedi knight that knew Luke’s father. Obi-Wan introduces Luke to the Force.

“The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, it penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together.”

Sounds like Divine energy, doesn’t Charles define LOVE as that force that binds everything together?

In response to a distress signal sent by Princess Leia, Obi-Wan tells Luke that he needs his help and tells him that he “must learn the ways of the Force.”

Initially, Luke resists, but when his aunt and uncle are killed by Imperial stormtroopers, he joins Obi Wan in the rebellion against the Empire and agrees to learn the ways of the Jedi. When Luke boasts to Obi-Wan that “I’m ready for anything,” we once again see the arrogance of the young Luke.

As our story continues, Obi-Wan begins Luke’s training aboard the ship of Han Solo, the Millenium Falcon. They are journeying to save Princess Leia, who’s home planet has been destroyed by the evil Darth Vader. Luke is practicing with his light saber against mechanical challengers, relying on what he’s done before, relying on what he can see.

Obi-Wan reminds him, “Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him.” Luke asks, “You mean it controls your actions?” Obi-Wan replies, “Partially, but it also obeys your commands.”

Obi-Wan continues to instruct Luke, by making him put on a helmet so he can’t see his challenger. “Let go of your conscious self and act on instinct. Your eyes can deceive you. Don’t trust them. Stretch out with your feelings.”

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

Your eyes can deceive you. What is real and what is illusion? Something we must ask ourselves daily…
Obi-Wan, Luke, Han, Chewbacha and the droids form a plan to rescue Princess Leia and escape from the Death Star. Again, Luke is impatient and questions Obi-Wan’s decision to separate. Not for the first time in the saga or the last, Luke is told, “Be patient, Luke. The Force will be with you always.”

Fast forward. Obi-Wan has disarmed the tractor beam that was placed on their ship, Luke and Han have freed Princess Leia, and our intrepid band is all moving back toward the Millenium Falcon. On the way, Obi-Wan is intercepted by his former student, Darth Vader and they begin a lightsaber battle. Vader taunts the older Jedi, accusing him of becoming weak in his skills. Obi-Wan admonishes Vader for his arrogance: “You can’t win, Darth. If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine.”

Isn’t that what happened with Jesus. He became more powerful than anyone at the time, would have imagined.
Obi-Wan’s is killed and his death devastates Luke, because he doesn’t understand that death has freed Obi-Wan. As Luke stands beside the Falcon, stunned, we hear Obi-Wan’s voice urging him to “Run!” and know, as does Luke, that Obi-Wan has not really left us.

Having planted a homing device on Han’s ship, Darth Vader follows our heroes to the rebel base. The young warriors of the rebellion prepare to destroy the Death Star, based on the plans supplied to them by R2D2.

The one disappointment at this point in the movie is the imminent departure of Han Solo. Luke berates Han for taking the reward money and running. Han, ever the cynic, tells him they’re all crazy for taking on the Empire and prepares to leave.

Through Han’s bravado, we see a real struggle taking place within him, between being right (after all, there is a real bounty on his head and he feels fully justified in leaving) and doing the right thing.

As ship after ship has been destroyed by Imperial flyers, Luke alone is left to deliver the final blow to the Death Star. As Darth Vader is about to blow his ship away, Han swoops in and rescues Luke… his struggle over and “doing the right thing” winning the internal struggle.

Meanwhile, Luke is having his own struggle. Trained to rely on the ship’s computer, he hears Obi-Wan telling him to, “Trust your feelings, Luke. Use the Force, Luke. Let go, Luke. Luke, trust me…” Luke surrenders to Obi Wan’s suggestion, turns off his computer and uses the Force to launch the missile… hitting the target dead on and destroying the Death Star. As the instrument of evil blows up, spectacularly, we hear the voice-over of Obi-Wan: “Remember, the Force will be with you always.”

Star Wars ends with an awards ceremony, and we had to wait over two years to find out what happened next.

What are the lessons here?

Let’s start with you must unlearn what you have learned. What have you learned? We have learned that if we don’t see it with our eyes, we can’t believe it. What would happen if, like Luke, we were willing to unlearn all of that?

Believe it to see it!

What if we are reminded, that we are so much more than we think we are? What if we were to remember that we truly are spiritual beings having a human experience?

Love your neighbor as yourself, forgive as often as it takes, and take care of those less fortunate than yourself.
Do you do those things? Then you’re a Christian.

Jesus taught that if you approach God’s altar carrying a grudge against a brother, to leave your sacrifice, reconcile with your brother (or your sister) and only then approach God.

Do you do that? Do you go direct, with compassion and respect, when you have a problem or an issue with someone? Then you’re a Christian. If you don’t, then you may want to re-examine what you have learned about being a “Christian.”

Quoting Jesus, or scripture in general, does not make you a good Christian. Following Jesus’ teachings makes you a good Christian. Coincidentally, it also makes you a good Taoist and a pretty decent Buddhist.

Unity is the school of practical Christianity. We are all about making what Jesus taught practical and relevant to our current experience. Are you willing to unlearn what Christianity has turned into? Are you willing to re-learn that we can experience what Jesus taught through books like Harry Potter and movies like Star Wars and Joseph Campbell and yes, even other religions?

Are you willing to let go of preconceptions and misconceptions about what we can accomplish? Jesus taught, “You will do greater things than these.” Do you believe that? As Obi-Wan taught, “Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.”

Do you believe that the Force is everywhere, that God is everywhere?

Life is a Hero’s Journey. The Hero is that part of us that remains constant and courageous, regardless of what is happening around us. It is our authentic self—the essence of who we are, apart from our personality traits or the drama that sometimes surrounds our lives.

Rev Carla McClellan suggests: To rediscover the Hero within you and experience greater joy, fulfillment and satisfaction in your life, begin by simply asking yourself: Would it be alright if my life got easier? Asking yourself this question may even cause you to laugh. Laughter connects us with the Divine within. Asking certain questions allows us to begin our inward journey.

Next, ask yourself, Am I willing to be authentic? Find the qualities that have deepest meaning for you and affirm their importance in your life. An example might be: I am willing to be courageous and loving, creative and kind when I interact with people today.

Third, begin to observe rather than analyze your life. When we analyze, we remain engaged in the same conversation that stopped us from moving forward in the first place. But when we observe, we give ourselves the space to discern what is happening right before us and then to act from wisdom.

Fourth, be willing to say “yes” to what is, even those situations that are causing you discomfort. When you say “yes,” you are accepting the facts of the situation, but not its power over you. Acceptance opens us up to the field of possibilities, and we see there are many choices before us.

Dag Hammarskjöld, former head of the United Nations, once said, “To everything that has been, I say, ‘Thank you.’ To everything before me, I say, ‘Yes!’”

Yes changes the energy in our body and our courageous heart opens up to expressing something creative and different.

Through willingness, self-reflection, observation and acceptance, we are able to take authentic action and live lives filled with meaning, courage and possibilities.

We are on our own Hero’s Journey.