Meeting the Self

In my post last week I announced that my Sunday lesson series during Lent this year is entitled “Loving the Self.” I use the capital ‘S’ as I will focus on loving the Divine Self. In Unity, we call this Self the ‘Christ,’ the individuated expression of Divine Life that each of us is in Truth.

Rather than attempting to suppress or deny aspects of our human nature which we judge as bad or eliminate behaviors that do not support our greatest good, which many Christians do during Lent, I propose that we, instead, give our attention and devotion to the qualities and expressions of our Divine Self which we desire to embrace and demonstrate.

During Lent this year let us love the Christ of our being so that when Easter arrives we can celebrate the resurrection, the reawakening in our consciousness of Christ, in order that we may demonstrate the gifts (fruits) of the Christ. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul describes these as love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

We must begin by meeting the Self in the silence of our own hearts where Divine Love abides and is always accessible. I suggest we do this by first setting a clear intention to know the Self. Open to the Self by dropping awareness into the heart. Breathe deeply into the heart center located to the right and directly behind the physical heart. Imagine that you are breathing through this sacred heart space. Allowing awareness to rest there, gently redirect your focus when you notice your attention being drawn elsewhere, such as the thinking. Invite your awareness to fall deeply into Divine Love and greet the Beloved, the Christ of your being, there.

In this space of Divine Love allow any thoughts of lack or limitation that arise in your mind to be transformed by the power of Love. Do not struggle against them. Simply welcome them into the space of Love and allow the energy of Love to transmute anything that is unlike itself. If doubt rises, employ the power of faith to trust and know that even though you cannot see, or perhaps not feel this taking place, Love is in fact doing the work. Love is the power to transmute and transform all into its likeness.

Engage in this practice for 10-minute intervals 4 times each day. At the end of the day, you will have devoted 40 minutes to this practice. Metaphysically the number ‘40’ represents a period of completion. I suggest that you choose one of the 9 gifts above to use as your contemplative focus each day. Beginning February 20, there are 36 days (including Sundays) before Easter. This period provides us with the opportunity to devote 4 days to each gift.

During each 10-minute practice period, once you have brought your full awareness into the heart space, bring one of the gifts, ‘kindness’ for example, to your heart  and concentrate on it with your mind. Welcome all thoughts, feelings, and actions that are not in alignment with kindness to arise in your consciousness and invite them to be transmuted without struggle or resistance. Allow yourself to experience the shift within. Again, use the power of Faith to rest in the assurance that this transformation is taking place. Let the Light of Love do the work and know that all unlike Love is being dissipated. Experience gratitude for your awakening and close the practice with an expression of thanksgiving.

I will be interested to hear your results from consciously and intentionally participating in your own awakening to the Christ of your being, and I look forward to sharing mine with you. Please join us on Sundays at 10:00 over the next few weeks as we explore further what it means to “Love the Self.”