The Burning Bowl Ceremony & Letters to God

There’s an ebb & flow to life…all life.  Just observe Nature for any proof you may wish to observe.  We could & often do call it Letting Go & Letting God.

Letting go, that which is not for us, that no longer serves, that has lived its usefulness with us and is ready to move on to someone or something else, even someone or something better.

Yes, letting go—so that the ‘new’ may manifest. The ‘old’ must go.

This is what a Burning Bowl Ceremony is all about.

We have just completed another year of wonder, of growth, of opportunity.  There are events, growth opportunities, even people that we are ready to release to their own journey.

‘How willing are you—are we—to let go of all that is holding us back?’ I am thinking of habits, addictions, negative thoughts and emotions, but also unhealthy relationships.

You see, most of us resist change, largely because we fear it, but also because change—real, meaningful change in our lives—is never easy. We make so many excuses for giving up what is bad for us. We even say, ‘I can’t change. That’s just the way I am’.  Some would say, that is an excuse, the easy way out.

The way you are now may well be the way you have been for quite some time but in truth it is not the real person that you are. Each of us is changing all the time. The problem is that as soon as we see we have changed, we tend to revert quickly to our old selves, because that feels safer and more secure. But is it really good for us?

You know the answer to that.

The purpose of the transformative ritual, Burning Bowl, is to release old patterns, beliefs or experiences, or anything that impedes us from realizing our true self. By sending the old unwanted conditions up in the smoke, we clear the way for new beginnings.

The performance of this ritual helps us to let go of old hurts, grudges, resentments, regrets and suffering, indeed, to relinquish anything that is holding us back and which we wish to relinquish.

The Burning Bowl is a healing process; we offer it to all of you…to ourselves.

Saint Paul wrote ‘be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Rom 12: 2). That is what the Burning Bowl Ceremony is all about—transformation and renewal. It all begins in the mind.

So, what we wish to do is a mental and emotional house cleaning.

Thoughts have weight, and if we choose to carry them into the New Year, it’s like we are carrying very heavy mental luggage – jam-packed full. It’s like walking through the airport carrying heavy luggage except this is more than for just a week-end trip, it’s for a whole new year. Wherever we go we take this weight, burden, unhappiness, disappointment, criticism or guilt with us. You have a choice this morning to unpack and reexamine exactly what you want with you daily for the next year. It’s time to lighten up mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And forgiveness is the spiritual tool to use.

It’s been said that 90% of the thoughts we think today are a rehash of the same ones we thought yesterday and the day before, and the month before, and the year before. It’s time to rethink our thoughts today… to empty out the old ones that no longer serve us and replace them by infilling our minds and hearts with life-affirming, love-affirming thoughts that will serve us better in the new year.

In most religions and cultures, fire is a symbol of purification and transformation–and power! In the Burning Bowl Ceremony, you write down on a small piece of paper whatever it is—it may be more than one thing—that you want to be free of. The act of writing down what you want gone from your life is a very important part of the letting go process—indeed, there is great power in so doing. It sets the intention.

Now, before placing the piece of paper in the ‘burning bowl,’ spend a moment or two in quiet prayer or meditation by way of personal commitment and surrender. You might wish to pray — Dear universe: I no longer need the lessons that these feelings, things, or circumstances would teach me. If I haven’t already, I vow to learn these lessons in a different way that feels better and opens my heart.

If there is anything else holding you back—there almost always will be, you know—become aware of what it is, and let that go as well. Now set alight your piece of paper, and quickly drop the paper into the burning bowl

If you do so in a sincere, meaningful way, the ritual will help you to effect real, deep change in your life—and we all need that. And if you and I change, then others, after seeing the change in us, may decide to change as well. That is the only way to change the consciousness of our world. So please take all that I’ve said in this post very seriously indeed.

After you have released through burning those things you have forgiven and do not want to carry into the new year, return to your seat and write down as many good gifts from God as you can think of.  Be audacious! Be outrageous! Be inspired! If you are ready for God – your Higher Power – the Holy Spirit – to be your partner and your inspiration, then lift your vision higher than you could ever stretch it alone. God is with us.

This past month, we have given birth to the Christ potential in us and we have celebrated the birth of the Christ potential in our awareness. Now we are preparing ourselves to grow and expand in spiritual awareness in this new year.

Finally, I invite you to write a letter to God. . AS you write, it may seem as if you are just making it up, and indeed you are but – with inspiration. To be inspired is to breathe in Spirit. So breathe in Spirit and using your own way of speaking, allow Spirit to inspire and encourage you in this new year. Give yourself another chance to make amends, to be a little different, to grow and expand in wisdom and integrity. do is to help you bring to mind what would benefit you to change in your life

Dear universe: I invite these emotions and circumstances into my life at this time to serve my highest and best good. I intend that these things will fuel me to be of better service, to be more present, and to keep open my heart.

This will be a letter you can read later in the year when realizing that God’s loving presence has been with you in all things… Please take the envelope and address it to yourself. It will be mailed back to you in June.

Resolve to evolve. Goethe said, “When you trust yourself, you will know how to live.” He was echoing the advice of Buddha: “Now all that is left is for you to become yourself.” Let evolution take you where you want to go. The will of God is your own will.

Many are familiar with Jesus’ promise that “the truth will make you free.” Not as many remember the statement that precedes the promise. Jesus says, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32).

let us bless the year that is passing and give thanks for it. Let us know that 2017 will be a wonderful year for us.

I BLESS the year that is ending, giving thanks for the good it has brought. I bless the challenges it has offered, for through meeting them I have learned much. If the year has brought sorrow or seeming loss, I bless all and release it to the Father, in whom are comfort, healing, and peace.

As I have blessed and released the old year, I now welcome and bless the new year.

In Closing: Jesus often asked “Do you believe?” before he prayed with someone for a miracle. A more correct translation in today’s language would be “Can you accept?” I ask you now “Can you accept your good this year?” Yes?… then let it be done to you according to your acceptance. Amen. It is done and it is so.