The Journey of Awakening

This past Sunday, I began my Lenten lesson series entitled “Awaken with Jesus” based on the book, Resurrecting Jesus – Embodying the Spirit of a Revolutionary Mystic by Adyashanti. He explores in the book, from a Buddhist perspective, Jesus of the Gospels as a metaphor for each of us and his life as a process of awakening which can be a model for our own journey. When I speak of “awakening” I am referring to moving beyond our habitual state of consciousness, which is most often identification with the body or life situations, and embracing and living from a higher level of conscious connection with the transcendent nature of being, which in Unity we call ‘Christ.’ I will continue with that series of lessons and related blog posts throughout Lent.

It is my intention to be clear that awakening is our path to freedom from the limited concept of self that we have imposed on ourselves or taken on from our families, peers, schools, and yes, our churches. We are taught from birth to believe things about ourselves that are not in alignment with our true nature. We are conditioned by the world around us, and we primarily live our lives from this conditioned state of consciousness. Living from identification with the conditioned mind colors our experience of ourselves, others and, most importantly the God of our understanding. Identification with the conditioned mind keeps us asleep and in bondage to its limitations. As we awaken to the Christ of our being, we free ourselves to live empowered and fulfilling lives. The master teacher Jesus taught, “You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). I emphasize that he said we must know the Truth in order to be free. To know the Truth is to awaken to it

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In the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary, Charles Fillmore, the cofounder of Unity, said,

“Jesus Christ was the [prototype] man, which includes all the mental phases through which man passes in demonstrating life's problems. So we find Jesus Christ passing through all the trials, temptations, and mental variations of each of us…The experiences of each individual are in miniature the experiences of all.

We may "put on the new man," that is, bring forth Jesus Christ in ourselves. First we must put away the "old man" of error and limitation through denial of his reality. The second step is to accept the truth of our being, in faith; then through understanding to begin diligently to live Truth in thought, word, and deed. The Christ is the man that God created, the perfect-idea man, and is the real self of all men; Jesus Christ is this Christ-self brought forth into perfect expression and manifestation

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Jesus, the man of Nazareth, demonstrated that this attainment is possible to man... We are exhorted to "have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus," which implies that all may demonstrate as He did…”

While I unequivocally believe that it is possible for each of us to attain the level of awakening and embodiment that Jesus did, it is vitally important to me, as we move through this series, that we do not get lost in the weeds of self-judgment, comparing ourselves to the ideal that we believe Jesus exampled. Yes, it is essential for us to hold the vision of our potential to know ourselves as the expression of Christ in the world and to free ourselves from identification with the conditioned mind. And, it is also crucial that we accept and love ourselves right where we are on the path so that we do not impede our progress. It is important for us not to have unrealistic expectations of ourselves. It is equally important for us not to denigrate ourselves when we find that we fall short of living our highest intention to embody and live from Christ consciousness. It is a journey of self-mastery that Jesus exampled for us. I offer the following as encouragement along the way

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For most of us, awakening from the conditioned mind is not a one-time experience that happens suddenly and is permanent. It is usually a process that happens in phases. Although there are some who have reportedly experienced instantaneous awakening and who appear to have been able to maintain it for extended periods of time, it is not the norm. Whether it is not the norm because collective consciousness maintains the belief that it has to be a process, I cannot emphatically state; however, the evidence is that, for most people, it progresses over time. The same is true for Jesus. As Mr. Fillmore stated, he passed through all the stages while on his earthly journey that we do on our respective paths.

Further, because it is tempting for us to fall into the trap of assessing where we are and thinking that we should be at a particular stage in our process at any given time, it is important to know that we are not engaged in a linear process. As we explore the life of Jesus as the metaphor, it would seem that embodying the Christ is a process that we can follow step-by-step. We may experience the various stages of awakening as identified by Adyashanti in the life of Jesus, such as “the calling,” “baptism,” “trials and tribulations,” “crucifixion” and the like; however, it is most often not as clearly defined and linear as depicted in the story. Instead, it is often a circuitous spiraling path. We may have a “baptismal” experience and think we are on the road to “trials and tribulations,” only to find ourselves experiencing “crucifixion” in the next moment, or “the calling” the following day. While it sometimes seems that we experience the same things over and over, in actuality we are having familiar experiences from a higher state of consciousness.

When we are intentionally engaged in our journey, we are continually spiraling toward realization of our Christ nature, even though at times it may not seem so. It is vital to acknowledge and honor that for ourselves. It is essential that we give ourselves permission to be exactly where we are and give ourselves compassion for what we are experiencing in the moment.

Finally, it is not a process of abdication, but integration. We are not called to renounce our humanity or to abandon our lives, but to integrate our new-found awareness of Truth and live it. It is not about leaving the world behind, but about shining the light of Truth on our conditioned mind, realizing that we cannot be defined by our past conditioning, and choosing to bring that consciousness to bear in our daily lives. We are here to bring the Kingdom of Heaven into conscious manifestation. We do that by fully engaging in our humanity while knowing that our True Nature transcends time and space. We are to be fully in the world, while maintaining consciousness awareness that we are not of the world.

I invite you to join me during Lent for this journey of awakening. We are all on the path of awakening together. Let us join in love and compassion for each other and ourselves as we invite Jesus, our master teacher, to lead the way.

Join us on Sundays at 10:00 for our service, and on Wednesdays 7:00 – 8:30 for the book study.

I Agape

Love is all around. Saturday is Valentine’s Day, a day designated to celebrate romantic love. We often hear it said that God is love. Jesus told us that the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind” and the second is like it; “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 27: 37-39). Love is one of the Twelve Powers of Man as discerned by Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore. Love is also one of the five core values of Unity Church of Denver.

With all the talk of and references to love in our culture, the Bible, Unity teaching, and our church, one might think that we all understand what it means and how to put it into practice. Perhaps I am alone in this, but I admit that I am often still confused when it comes to love. What do we mean when we use the word ‘love?’ We accept that God is love and we are created in the image and likeness of God, so it follows that we, too, are love. Since we acknowledge that we are love, a common understanding of what it means would prove beneficial in our intention to be love in the world. What follows are some of my thoughts as I have meditated on and explored ‘love’ over the past few days.

In our daily conversations, we most often use the word ‘love’ in relationship to an “other,” whether a person, an animal, an object, or a life condition. Grammatically speaking, we generally use ‘love’ as either a noun or a transitive verb. For those of us who have not been in school for a while, a reminder in grammar may be helpful. A verb is an “action word” and a transitive verb is one that requires a direct object. When we say, “I love you,” we are using ‘love’ as a transitive verb, an action word, and ‘you’ as the object.  In the same phrase ‘love’ may also be considered a noun as we may actually be saying “I feel love for you.” In that case, ‘love’ is an emotion.  The same is true when we use phrases, such as “I love my job;” “I love my pet;” or “I love ice cream.”

Such phrases express an aspect of love that we value in our lives; they are ways that we experience love reflected to us from others. Yet, while they express warm and tender sentiments, these statements can also suggest what A Course in Miracles calls “special relationships” that can be exclusionary. The implication is that someone or something is loved, while others are not. This use of ‘love’ is habitual in our human experience. We typically evaluate others based upon our established criteria to determine whether they are worthy of our love, and we decide to extend our affection and compassion to them, or not, based on our assessment.

I have to believe that this is not the love that Jesus was referring to when he instructed us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” I suggest that he was, instead, referring to Agape, a Greek word which denotes the love of God for humanity, a love that is all-pervading, all-inclusive and all-providing.  Agape is love without condition, without restriction and without limitation. I offer that Agape, love in its purest form, is neither a noun, nor a transitive verb, but instead is an intransitive verb: It is an action that requires no object. In fact, it is God in action.

Agape is God – Creative Life Force Energy – in its purest vibration. It is the Principle of Love and is not personal. It is.  And, it is without respect to person, place or thing. We make it personal as we demonstrate it. We give it meaning and purpose. It is comparable to the principle of mathematics: It is only principle until we apply it

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Agape, while it requires no object, is energy in expression and requires a channel through which to flow into the manifest realm. We, you and I, are the channels through which it is meant to flow. We open ourselves to the flow through our conscious intention to do so. We must be willing to proclaim as composer Dan Schutte so beautifully wrote in his song, “Here I Am Lord”,

“Here I am, Lord. It is I, Lord. I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, where you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.”

We must open to the “Lord” of our being, “the activity of the Spiritual I AM”¹, and allow love to call us forth to our purest expression. We must allow our hearts to be the chalice of love and our thoughts, words and actions to be the means we employ to pour love into the energy matrix from which the world we perceive is made manifest. We must engage in the activity of the Spiritual I AM and perceive all as One.

As we answer the call and open to allow, we bask in the glow as our consciousness is flooded with the Light of Agape. Our chakras awaken in all dimensions as portals through which it flows into and through us. In this way, we begin to embody the Truth of what Jesus meant when he said, “You are the Light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). It no longer remains simply an affirmation of our essential nature, but in our acceptance of it, becomes our conscious expression.

When we embody Agape, we see all creation as perfect and whole, the complete demonstration of the Life Energy it signifies. We hold all, including ourselves, in complete acceptance without evaluation or judgment.  We embrace all in compassion, knowing that any suffering is our suffering. We no longer have a desire to find fault or place blame, instead we let go of our need to be “right.” We know that there is only One, and we are that One. We see the “other” as ourselves, and we love accordingly.

In the consciousness of Agape, the phrase, “I love you” is grammatically incorrect because ‘love’ is neither a noun nor is it a transitive verb. We might instead say simply, “I love.” Some Christians, in an attempt to capture the spirit of Agape, use the phrase, “I agape you²,” but again, that usage makes Agape either an emotion or an action directed toward another.

I realize that it may sound odd, but I invite us to affirm, “I Agape”: I love with no limits, no boundaries, no labels, and no exclusions.

Join us on Sunday for our 10:00 service as we explore how we can together embody “I Agape.”

¹ Metaphysical Bible Dictionary

² Dictionary of Christianese

Mind Your Own Business

I have been studying Discover the Power Within You by Unity minister, Eric Butterworth, in preparation for the class that Phyllis Hoover and I are currently facilitating.  While reading from this book, the title for my lesson this coming Sunday came to me in a flash – “Mind Your Own Business.”

With the aid of Eric Butterworth’s profound metaphysical exploration of the verses from the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 7: 1-6, I came to the conclusion that Jesus was, in a kind and compassionate manner, telling us to “mind our own business.” I invite you to consider that suggestion as you read below.

 “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. “Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.”

Jesus is instructing us to cease judging others, stop paying attention to what others are doing, or not doing, and discontinue trying to convince others to accept our spiritual understanding and insight.

Unity’s third basic principle states that we experience life as the effect of our consciousness. Judgment of another first occurs in our consciousness, thus we suffer the effects of it. The one upon whom judgment is levied is affected by it only if:  1) they are aware of the judgment, and 2) they choose to accept it, and then 3) finally they incorporate it into their consciousness.

Jesus is telling us to pay attention to what is happening in our consciousness. We are to focus on what we are projecting and experiencing in the world. In other words, we are to mind our own business. If we notice we are in judgment, it is our opportunity to become aware of our beliefs, release those that are not in alignment with our Truth, affirm what is True, and transform our own consciousness. In doing so, we change not only our perspective of others and ourselves, but also how we experience life in general.

As Paul said in his letter to the Romans, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good, and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NRSV). The “will of God” according to Butterworth is “The ceaseless longing of the Spirit in you to completely fulfill in the outer the potential within you.” With the aid of Butterworth’s definition, we see that what Paul is saying is that the demonstration in the outer is a reflection of our consciousness which must be transformed in order that we may manifest the highest and best good for ourselves and humanity. We renew our minds by getting still and consciously connecting with our Truth; as the psalmist says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). In the stillness, we know our unity in the God. We know the Truth, and the Truth sets us free (John 8:32). Our consciousness is transformed and we are in conscious communion with the will of God, the “ceaseless longing of Spirit.” We are then free to fulfill in the outer all that we know.  We demonstrate the potential within us by first discovering, claiming and embodying it in consciousness, and then thinking, speaking and acting in alignment with it.

Likewise, others’ actions are the outer demonstrations of their consciousness. We cannot control another’s consciousness, only our own. It is often easy for us to observe the lives or our family and friends and diagnose and prescribe solutions to their problems. And, while often well intentioned, our solutions are usually tinged with judgment and evaluation of what they are doing “wrong.” Butterworth says that our job is not to “set things right, but to see them rightly” and we can only do that by removing the “log in our own eye.” In other words, we are to remove from our consciousness the thoughts that are not in alignment with the “Power Within” – theirs or ours.  These thoughts block our vision of the Truth and prevent us from seeing clearly the Divine Potential expressing and fulfilling in and through the lives of all.

In Matthew 7:6 quoted above, Jesus was not encouraging us to use derogatory terminology to refer to those who don’t agree with us when he said “do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not cast your pearls before swine.” Instead, he was using the metaphors to demonstrate clearly the potential for rejection and even humiliation when we attempt to convince others to adopt our spiritual understanding and perspective. Everyone has their own spiritual path and those who are open will receive their own revelation of Truth. It is not ours to make that determination for anyone other than ourselves.

Our business is our consciousness.  In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount we are focusing on, the master teacher Jesus is reminding us that we perceive others and ourselves according to our consciousness; we create our experience of the world as a reflection of our consciousness; and we experience revelation of Truth through our consciousness. As we focus on the content of our consciousness and less on the action, inaction and beliefs of others, we will discover that the power is within us and that focusing on others blocks our awareness of it and frustrates the flow. The ultimate message from Jesus, Butterworth and me this Sunday is “Mind Your Own Business.”

Join us on Sunday for our 10:00 service to learn how to apply the spiritual principles and “Mind Your Own Business.”

Resistance is Futile

I am continuing with my series based on the book, Discover the Power Within You, by Unity minister, Eric Butterworth, and the lesson this week is “Resistance is Futile.” Mr. Butterworth asserts that in Matthew 5:29-49, a segment of what is widely known as “The Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus was instructing his listeners in “The Law of Nonresistance,” and that practicing nonresistance helps us to not only discover, but also to release the “Power Within.”

Mr. Butterworth posits that often the things and people we resist have the potential to be catalysts for our greatest accomplishments, and that when we push against them or run away from them, we can miss an opportunity for spiritual growth and personal discovery. He suggests that resistance is futile: It cannot produce any desired result. He proposes that rather than fighting against or running from, that we accept “what is” and do our best to allow that which we are resisting to help us “discover the power within.” He cites Jesus’ teaching from Matthew 5:29-32 as evidence.

Further, Mr. Butterworth proclaims that the passage from Matthew 5: 38-42, quoted below, is in his words, “one of the most profound messages of the entire Bible. It sets forth with unmistakable clarity the law of nonresistance.”

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.”

The traditional interpretation of this passage, usually literal, suggests that we are to ignore those who would do us harm, not fight against those who would take from us, and give to anyone who asks. While many others were calling for violent reaction, in his efforts to promote social change in the civil rights movement, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used this Scripture to validate his commitment to nonviolence and nonresistance in response to frequent and often vehement attacks against African Americans. Dr. King was a friend and student of Mahatmas Gandhi who also employed these practices in his efforts for equality in India. Their commitment to these practices is honored annually with The Gandhi King Season for Nonviolence (SNV), a campaign sponsored by the Association for Global New Thought (agnt.org). SNV, now in its 18^th year, begins on January 30 and ends on April 4, marking the dates of the assassinations of Gandhi and King. The purpose of the campaign is to focus attention, through education and media, on the philosophy of attaining peace through nonviolent action as demonstrated by legendary leaders Gandhi and King.  Other leaders living by this example would also include Cesar E. Chavez, President Nelson Mandela, as well as living legends such as His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, to name a few.

While in complete support of loving responsive action, Mr. Butterworth gives less consideration to action and instead approaches the teaching from a metaphysical perspective. He stresses that this Scripture, as well as all of Jesus’ teachings, were more about consciousness than action. Contemplate that important concept and then consider that Mr. Butterworth says Jesus was teaching us to be aware of our state of consciousness in response to the actions of others, and to do our best to turn from our conditioned human response, often emotions based in fear which stimulate resistance, and to respond, instead, from our spiritual nature. In effect, he is saying that our conditioned human response can often create resistance to the flow of God, or the Life Principle, through us. When we are consciously aware of that, we can choose to release the resistance and become the conduits for God that we are intended to be. Again, to do otherwise will never deliver the outcome we desire, thus resistance is futile.

It is comparable to electrical resistance. “The electrical resistance of an electrical conductor is the opposition to the passage of an electric current through that conductor. The inverse quantity is electrical conductance, the ease with which an electric current passes” (Wikipedia.org).  Similarly, we are here to be the conductors of the “Power Within Us” that is God. When we are in resistance, due to resentment, fear, anger, or any similar reactive emotion, we are not allowing the free flow of that Power. The more open we are, the greater our capacity to be the conductors and release that Power.

I invite you to join us at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday as we explore further the concept of nonresistance and how its practice can assist us as we discover and release the Power within us. Remember, resistance is futile.

Coming Home

On Sunday, I will continue with my series of lessons based on Eric Butterworth’s book, Discover the Power Within You. In the fourth chapter of the book, entitled “Jesus’ Unique Concept of God,” Mr. Butterworth explains that the story of the prodigal son from the Gospel according to Luke is a metaphor for our own process of remembering our Divine Nature and reclaiming the “Power Within.” In this article I will expound on his interpretation so that we can more clearly see ourselves in each of the main characters in the prodigal son story.

The master teacher Jesus often taught using parables, short allegorical stories intended to illustrate a spiritual truth. In Luke 15:11-32 Jesus tells the story of a son who after receiving his inheritance from his father, left home to go in search of adventure. When he had used all he had been given in pursuit of worldly pleasure and possessions, then destitute, he returned to his father asking for forgiveness, thinking that his father might at least give him a position as a servant in his household. His father, rather than chastising him or punishing him, instead welcomed him home with open arms, celebrated his return, and shared all that he had with him. This did not sit well with the older brother who chose to stay at home and had continued working with his father the entire time his brother had been away. He felt angry because he had never been celebrated by his father in spite of his dedication and hard work. The father assured the older son that everything was his as well, and encouraged him to celebrate the homecoming of his brother who was lost but now returned.

As I recall, in the Baptist tradition, this story was used to illustrate God’s love for all his children, even for those who go astray, provided that they return, confess their “sins” and repent. It is, as are many parables in the religious tradition of my youth, used as a morality tale to teach right from wrong and invoke “good” behavior based on the fear of judgment and punishment.

Unity co-founder, Charles Fillmore, taught that the Bible is the story of the evolution of human consciousness and that each character in every story in the Bible represents an aspect of each of us. Interpreting these stories metaphysically helps us to understand these aspects of our own consciousness and assists us in working with them for our own conscious spiritual evolution.

In the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary, Mr. Fillmore’s interpretation of the story of the prodigal son says that the two sons represent the “departments of the soul.” The older son who stayed at home with his father is the “religious or moral nature,” and the younger son who squandered his inheritance is the “human in which there are appetites and passions.” He seems to imply that the older son is the virtuous one, while the younger son by going in to a “far country” separated himself from the father who represents the Source. In his metaphysical interpretation Fillmore, too, seems to present the story as a morality tale.

I wholeheartedly admire and respect Mr. Fillmore and am grateful for his enlightened and inspired discernment. I would also like to offer a slightly different metaphysical interpretation, one that does not infer that one of the sons is righteous and the other wayward. I see this story, not as a morality tale, but as a story of Self-realization. Rather than the sons being two aspects of the “soul,” they instead represent two aspects of the mind; the mind of humanity that is founded on misconceived beliefs derived from a perspective of separation. Such a mind is constantly seeking its identity in some aspect of the world of form, rather than knowing itself as Source, the “Father” in the story. The younger son represents the aspect of mind that attempts to identify itself through seeking sensual pleasure, worldly possessions and adventures, while the older son represents the aspect of mind that seeks its identity in status, pleasing others and doing what is considered “right” in order to be admired, appreciated and valued. Both aspects of mind serve only to further a false sense of separation.

Luke 15:17-18 says, “When [the younger son] came to himself” (Lamsa), he decided to rise and go to his father. When he came to his ‘SELF’ he had a realization of his truth. While not expounded upon in the story, I believe his realization was the culmination of his own process of self-awareness and Self-discovery. As Mr. Butterworth says in his book, like the flowering of a bud, it is a process; one that each of us must go through. This realization of truth is demonstrated in the story by his decision to return to his father. It is further demonstrated by his father’s embrace and the showering of abundance. When we understand that all of this occurs, not in the physical, but in consciousness, we see that as we awaken from the dream of separation, we recognize that, in truth, we have never been and can never be apart from the Allness of God expressing as us. As in the metaphorical story of the prodigal son, we “come home” to the kingdom of God consciousness, represented by the “Father.” The “Father” is the “Power Within Us” which is the One Source of all that we could ever truly desire. It abides here and now and is ours as we open to accept and receive it. Likewise, the older brother was also “embraced by the father,” not because of his outer expressions of dedication and obedience, which were his attempts to prove himself worthy of what was already his, but because of his openness and willingness to accept that he already possessed all that he had been seeking. He did not have to “do” anything as is often taught in traditional religions. And, while we are not told how the elder son responded to his father’s invitation, I like to vision that he openly and lovingly accepted what was already his. I enjoy believing that he too accepted the kingdom of God consciousness as his truth. For everyone, in this acceptance of the Kingdom of God as our abiding and sustaining reality, the seeking ends: We realize that all we have been seeking is already ours as that we have been seeking with. We realize as Jesus said, “the Father and I are one.”

The story of the prodigal son is not a morality tale, nor is it a story of the power of confession, repentance and forgiveness. It is the story of awakening to the truth. Each of us is, has ever been, and will forever be - abiding in the Father’s house, the kingdom of God consciousness, the Garden of Eden, Heaven. It is already ours, by whatever name we choose to call it. It is up to us, and only we can decide, to stop seeking it and open ourselves to the realization of it. When we do so, we, as did the prodigal son, awaken to our true Selves, arise in consciousness and realize “home.”

I hope you will join us on Sunday at 10:00 as we explore this idea further and Discover the Power Within You.

Discover the Power Within You

On Wednesday, Phyllis Hoover and I began facilitating a six-week class based on the book, Discover the Power Within You, by Unity minister and author Eric Butterworth. On Sunday, I will begin a six-week series of lessons on the book as well. I hope you will join us as together we discover the nature of the power within us and how we can release that power to create the lives we desire.

My exploration of this class began with the title, Discover the Power Within You. What do we mean when we say that the ‘power’ or the Kingdom of God is “within” us? What is the Kingdom of God?  What do we mean by “within?”  Eric Butterworth helps to answer these questions in this book. He says that the Kingdom of God is not a place in space, thus “it is not somewhere to go, but something to be.” He further states that the Kingdom of God is the full potentiality of spirit which is expressed in each of us. This could be more clearly and directly stated as the potentiality of spirit expressed as each of us. The Kingdom of God within is not located within a particular point in space and time, but is that essence of life that is constantly evolving and expanding in expression. French author, Voltaire, is quoted as saying, “God [the Kingdom of God and the power within] is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.” It is that expanding and evolving, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient life that is the power within.

In chapter 18, page 224 of the book, Butterworth relates the story of when the disciples asked Jesus, “When will the kingdom come?” to which Jesus replied “When the without shall become as the within.” What Jesus was saying is that when we realize the power within and express the full potential of that power, then the external, or the world, will reflect that full potential. As Butterworth states, “Life is growth and unfoldment, and life is lived from inside out.” In other words, using Unity terminology, when we fully embrace and embody the Christ, the full potential of humanity, then we will bring forth the Kingdom of God upon the earth. We will usher in, as is envisioned in the book of Revelation, the reign of peace on the Earth. 

Butterworth says, “Jesus’ message of the Kingdom is the message of wholeness.” Wholeness is a concept that can also be described as perfection, completion, containing all, or not broken or damaged. All of these concepts represent what Jesus teaches is the spiritual Truth of each of us. In our natural state of being, we are complete, unbroken, and perfect: we are whole, thus in our natural state we embody the Kingdom of God. Because we are whole, we can also say that the Kingdom of God is within us, as us. When wholeness is fully realized within our conscious awareness, which we can describe as being “within,” we will demonstrate that state of consciousness in the physical realm. This is the foundational teaching of Unity. The Kingdom of God realized is the perfection of God made manifest in all aspects of our lives, including the body, self-expression, finances, and relationships. We access the Kingdom of God, or the power within, by entering the Silence through prayer and meditation. In the Silence, realization of Oneness is actualized, and in this state of conscious realization the Kingdom of God consciousness is activated. Through the power of intention and the expression of our thoughts and words, the power within is demonstrated in our lives. It was this realization, actualization and activation that facilitated Myrtle Fillmore’s healing, and the healing of countless others.

“The Power with” is the fullness of God expressing as me. It is not contained within my body, or even within my mind. It cannot truly be contained “within” anything. It is the power in which I “live and move and have my being.” (Acts 17:28)  I can best comprehend it when I think of it as the power within which I am. I like to think of the Truth of me, the ‘I Am,’ as the idea of full potential that exists in the mind and the heart of God, which I also interpret as the Kingdom of God. I Am within the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom of God is within me.  It makes perfect sense when I realize that, in Truth, all that is real is the Kingdom of God, so all that is real must exist within it, and all that is real must embody only that Truth. As I embrace that as my spiritual Truth, and keep my mind stayed on that Truth, I am at peace.  When I am at peace, I think thoughts of peace. When I think thoughts of peace, I express Love.  When I express Love, I experience joy. When I experience joy, I bring forth the Kingdom of God on the Earth. 

It matters less to me whether I can clearly express my mental understanding of the Kingdom of God or the power within, and more whether I can know the Truth of that power within me.  It is in knowing the Truth that I am free. I invite you to join me in affirming: “I am eternally in the Kingdom of God, I know the power that I am, and I express that power fully.”

Dis-ease of the Soul

It is vital for all to be aware that a deadly infectious dis-ease is afflicting billions of people around the world.

           

The most pronounced symptoms of this dis-ease are feelings of fear, anger, resentment, loneliness and depression. Many, not understanding the cause of this dis-ease, attempt to treat it with drugs, alcohol, shopping, food, sex, and/or religion. While these may temporarily lessen the symptoms, once the “treatment” is discontinued the symptoms return and are often more painful than when left untreated.

           

The dis-ease is spread through contact with others who have been infected, and once contracted it can be insidious or become consuming. It has devastating effects, not just on the life of the individual, but on the life of the planet as well. Over the past few decades it has become pandemic and threatens the very survival of the human species. It has caused those who suffer from it to behave in erratic ways, including warring against others, plundering the resources of the Earth, and decimating other life forms.

           

It cannot be treated with medication. It cannot be cured with chemotherapy or radiation. It cannot be removed by any surgical procedure. This dis-ease cannot be cured by any method known to medical science because it is not a physical disease; it is a spiritual dis-ease.

           

This dis-ease begins with the germ of one thought, “I am separate from God.” Left unchecked, this germ will quickly infect the entire body of thought. Once it has established itself there, it begins to multiply until it eventually invades all the areas of one’s life, the physical body and the body of one’s affairs including finances, relationships and career. This one germ, given free reign, can be the cause of pain and suffering for a moment or for a lifetime.

           

There is hope, however. There is an agent that will counteract the germ and treat the dis-ease. It is readily available to all. It is called “Truth.” A little Truth ingested several times each day provides almost immediate relief from the symptoms of the dis-ease. It has also been shown to have the cumulative effect of eradicating the germ from the body. An excellent Truth that can start one on the road to recovery is, “The Life of God is my life now.” Taking that in several times each day will most assuredly allow Truth to overcome dis-ease and produce healing effects.

           

The side effects of Truth are a heightened awareness of the present moment, a desire to help others, a sense of Oneness and a positive attitude. Caution: “Truth can be habit-forming.”

           

The only request is that Truth be shared with everyone. It must not be kept for one’s sole use. It is to be used to treat the soul of humanity. It must be shared so that all may find relief from the symptoms of this painful dis-ease.

It is possible to live a full life with no dis-ease. Truth is available free of charge at your local Unity. To learn more, please join us at Unity of Denver, 3021 S University Blvd, 80210, or call 303.758.5664 for additional life-saving information.