Mastering Freedom

I am continuing in this post with the series I began last week on answering the question…

“What does it mean to be a Spiritual Master?”

I encourage each of us to affirm daily:

I am a Spiritual Master
I am awakened to my Mastery
I am mastering my Mastery

With continued repetition we align the energy fields of our minds, spirits and bodies with these statements of Truth.

In my lesson at Unity Spiritual Center Denver this past Sunday, June 25, 2017 (listen here), I stated that I am approaching this exploration of Spiritual Mastery from what I have termed “The 3 R’s of Spiritual Mastery.” They are: Recognition, Realization and Revelation.

RECOGNITION can better be understood as “Re-cognition.” By that I mean that we are not learning anything new. Instead, we are remembering or re-cognizing the Truth that is held eternally within our hearts as the essence of who we are – Christ – the only begotten idea in God Mind for each of us. “Re-cognition” is primarily a mental process.

REALIZATION, for my purpose, is better stated as “Real-I-Iz-ation.” By that I mean to denote the process by which we fully embrace the consciousness of the “Real I” which again is Christ. While “Re-cognition” is a mental process, “Real-I-Iz-ation” is the knowing of the heart. It requires us to take the awareness of the Truth of our being-ness into our spirits and embody it.

REVELATION, or “Reveal-ation” is the process by which we demonstrate through our thoughts, words and actions what we have “re-cognized” and “real-i-iz-ed.” As Unity’s fifth basic principle states, we must live the Truth we know. Through “Reveal-ation” we are revealing to ourselves, and the world, the Truth that we are.

I am a Spiritual Master is a statement of “Re-cognition.”
I am awakened to my Mastery is a statement of “Real-I-Iz-ation.”
I am mastering my Mastery is a statement of “Reveal-ation.”

In my lesson (listen here), I explored what a Spiritual Master knows about ‘Abundance.’ In honor of our observance of Independence Day coming up on July 4^th, let’s explore what a Spiritual Master knows about Freedom.

A Spiritual Master knows that knowing the Truth sets you free.

The Spiritual Master, Jesus of Nazareth, when speaking to the Jews who believed in him said to them, “if you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8: 31 & 32) Quite often, the only portion of that Scripture we hear and that we are most familiar with is “the truth will set you free.” However, taking that out of context dilutes the teaching. Jesus, speaking from the Christ consciousness, says that we will know the truth by “following in his word,” in other words by following his teaching we may all attain his level of oneness consciousness. Only when we know the Truth of our Oneness will we truly be free. Knowing the Truth of ourselves as God expressing sets us free in mind, spirit and body.

In her seminal text, Lessons in Truth, author H. Emilie Cady says,

“Man will grow up through various stages and by various processes to the divine or spiritual understanding wherein he is one with the Father, and wherein he is free from all suffering, because he has conscious dominion over all things. Somewhere on this journey the human consciousness, or intellect, comes to a place where it gladly bows to its spiritual self and confesses that this spiritual self, its Christ, is highest and is Lord…Everyone must sooner or later come to this point of experience.”

Knowing the Truth of the Power and Wisdom of God indwelling sets us free from the self-imposed bondage of our own limited thinking and beliefs.

A Spiritual Master knows that only we can set ourselves free.

In the Bible passage referenced above, those to whom Jesus was speaking said to him, “We are sons of Abraham. We have never been enslaved to anyone. What do you mean we will be set free?”  To which Jesus replied, “Anyone who sins is a slave to sin.” In my lesson on Sunday, June 18 (listen here), I discussed Unity’s interpretation of “sin.”¹

Metaphysically, Jesus is stating that anyone who fails to “Real-I-Ize” his True Nature as the Christ is “missing the mark” and will forever be enslaved to the belief in separation and subject to the associated fears. Knowing the Truth in mind and heart frees us from enslavement to “sin,” saves us from fear and empowers us to live as love in the world. It is a choice, one that each of us may make for ourselves moment-by-moment. There is no one, no teacher, no guru, no savior, other than the one we see in the mirror, who can set us free. We are the ones we have been waiting for.

A Spiritual Master know that freedom exists now.

The following is an excerpt from my book, In This Moment, Prayers from the Well of Awareness, which you may purchase here.

If time has any relevance, it is relevant solely as the present, the moment in time we can now. Only now can you have emotion. Only now can you be aware. Only now can you know. Only now can you choose. Only now can you breathe. Only now can you have any sensory experience, whether taste, touch, sight, smell or sound. Anything else is just a memory or a dream, and neither is reality in the present. What is real now is what is present in all its wonder and glory now.

The mind often longs for a past that does not exist or dreams of a future that will never be. The mind can prevent our being fully alive to the moment [and enslave us to a painful past or a hopeful future.] The awakening happens when the mind focuses on what is and allows what is to be the perfection that it is. In that holy instant, the awareness of [Oneness] reawakens. In that moment, peace is remembered, and love flows in freedom.

Now is the moment of power. It is time now for us to claim our freedom and be Spiritual Masters.

Join us on Sunday at 10:00 for our service as we explore more about Mastering Freedom.

¹ MetaphysicalBible Dictionary

Spiritual Mastery

In my post last week (read it here), I said that I am currently living in the question, “What does growing up spiritually look like?”

After living in the question for a week, the question has now morphed into, “What does it mean to be a Spiritual Master?”

Earlier this week, I received the following message during meditation:

You are a Spiritual Master.
You are awakening to your Mastery.
You are mastering your Mastery.

Claiming your Spiritual Mastery is the first step in awakening from the dream, the dream that you are anything other than the image/likeness of God.

The first step in being a Spiritual Master is claiming that you already are that. In the creation story in Genesis 1 we are told that we are created as the image/likeness of God - Creative Life Energy, One Mind, Pure Perfect Light and Life – and that we are given dominion over all the things of the earth. This is a pronouncement of our Mastery.

In Unity, we often say, “I am one with God;” “God and I are one;” or “I know my unity in God.” While all of these statements are true, they are not affirmations of Absolute Truth because each of them denoted duality. The words ‘with’ and ‘and’ signify a relationship between things; therefore indicate that there are two, not one. Our Absolute Truth can better be stated as “My identity is God.” I prefer, “I Am that I Am,” or “I Am Pure Light and Life.” You are Pure Light and Life. You are the Presence of the Power of God. You are the Power of God’s Presence. You are the image/likeness of the One.

Metaphysically, “all the things of the earth” represents all that appears in the manifest realm. We know from our Unity teaching, as Emmet Fox so eloquently stated, that life is consciousness. In other words, all that we experience in the manifest realm has its beginning in consciousness, and is a projection of consciousness. Our consciousness is comprised of our thoughts, feelings and beliefs – all that makes up our conscious and subconscious minds. We have dominion over our consciousness through the gift and power of freewill choice.

You are a Spiritual Master experiencing your human incarnation as a reflection of the level at which you have awakened to and mastered that Truth.

When you awaken spiritually, you are no longer caught in the dream of separation. You are awakened to your True Nature as the image/likeness of God. Spiritual awakening for some happens in a flash, in an instant, and some are able to maintain the consciousness of oneness and live from it. Most of us, however, experience spiritual awakening incrementally. It is a process of realizing our Truth and integrating those realizations into our consciousness.

A Spiritual Master recognizes that the human experience is a journey back to remembrance of our True Nature. We allow life experiences to show where we are in respect to the realization of Truth and the integration of it. We do not claim perfect expression, yet aspire to it. Each experience is an opportunity to learn and grow.

You master your Mastery through each choice you make to live as a Spiritual Master.

My understanding of this message is: You no longer resist any aspect of life. You recognize that life happens for you. Everyone and everything in your life is there to help you awaken more completely from the dream; to go from who you are not to the fullness of who you are. You allow life to be as it is and welcome each opportunity to remember your divinity.

You stop waiting for the next phenomenal experience, the latest and greatest spiritual teacher or book, or the voice from heaven to call to you. You are no longer a spiritual seeker; you are a spiritual Knower. You realize that what you have been seeking is that which you already are. You know, and you know that you know, who you are. Further, you know that God is the all that you are. There is nothing to be found outside the Self that you are.

You are no longer in bondage to the desires of the adverse ego¹ dominated mind. Your life energy is no longer spent engaging in activities that strengthen and support the false self, the image of who you are not, which is based in fear. Instead, you direct your life energy toward fulfilling the desires of the Spirit which is always in service to Love – Love for the Light and Life, I Am; Love for the world; and Love for the True Self – which in Truth are all one and the same. You are awakened to Love, as Love, in service to Love.

You stop looking to anyone else as your source for anything, including love. You realize that there is only one Source and you are the expression of that Source. As A Course in Miracles says, “Only what you are not giving can be lacking in any situation.” Anything that you believe is lacking from your experience is what you are not giving. You realize that all that you ever desire lies within you, as you. You open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive all that is eternally available.

You are a Spiritual Master.
You are awakening to your Mastery.
You are mastering your Mastery.

Join us on Sunday at 10:00 for our service as we explore further what it means for us to claim our Spiritual Mastery, awaken more fully to it, and master it.

¹ The Revealing Word

The Sins of the Father

Earlier this week the song, “I Won’t Grow Up” from the musical Peter Pan, began running through my head. In the play, Peter Pan leads a group of boys in singing the song. Here is an excerpt.

I won’t grow up.
I don’t want to go to school
Just to learn to be a parrot
And recite a silly rule.

Never gonna be a man,
I won't!
Like to see somebody try
And make me.
Anyone who wants to try
And make me turn into a man,
Catch me if you can.
I won't grow up.
Not a penny will I pinch.
I will never grow a mustache,
Or a fraction of an inch.
'Cause growing up is awfuller
Than all the awful things that ever were.

(Listen to the entire song here)

At times, I can relate to Peter and the sentiments expressed in the song. It seems as though growing up carries with it much more responsibility than I sometimes care to take on.

I was reminded of this song as I reflected upon a meeting. I was having a conversation about a situation that could prove to be quite important in the life of our spiritual community. As I was listening to the others speak, I became aware that I was feeling nervous. I recognized that I was telling myself that I did not know how to respond to what was being shared. In that moment, I was thinking of myself as a ten-year-old boy rather than a fifty-six-year-old man. Something inside me was screaming “I won’t grow up. I don’t want to be the leader.”

Having the awareness of my thoughts and feelings brought me back to the moment. I remembered that I am the senior minister and spiritual leader of this ministry and that I do, in fact, have some skills that will help me respond to this or any situation.

Unlike Peter, I recognize the importance of growing up. I am not advocating giving up child-like joy and innocence. Rather, I am suggesting that we embrace growing up into spiritually mature adults who embody our spiritual awakening through our thoughts, words, and actions.

I have said this again and again, and I will say it again here: I love living in the question. Living in the question opens up new and wondrous possibilities.

The question I am choosing to live in now is –

What does growing up spiritually look like?

With this post I am beginning a series in which I will share some of my insights.

     You no longer allow yourself to be defined or limited by your past beliefs or conditioning.

This Sunday, June 18, is Father’s Day. I don’t give a great deal of attention to the day any longer. My father died in 2003, so the days of sending cards and calling him have passed. However, knowing that Father’s Day is approaching, I have thought of my dad more the past few days. And, considering my current questioning, have contemplated growing up spiritually in light of my relationship with him.

The Bible tells us that the sins of the father are visited upon the children (Exodus 20:5). I don’t believe that means that the children will be punished for the transgressions of theirs fathers. From a Unity perspective, ’sin’ means to “miss the mark.” Also, in The Revealing Word, Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore says that ‘sin’ is “wrong thinking” or “error thought.” ‘Sin’ refers to any thought of separation and the resulting actions.

‘Sin’ begins with a belief that we are separate from God, thus separate from our higher selves, and separate from each other. When our actions are stimulated from a core belief in separation, they are often damaging, not only to ourselves, but also to others and the world around us.

‘Sin’ is born of misinterpretation or misunderstanding of truth. When fathers incorrectly assume that their beliefs are truth and teach their misperceptions to their children the “sins of the father are visited upon the children.” If those beliefs remain unexamined, they continue to be passed from generation to generation and are promulgated throughout a culture.

When we are awakened to our spiritual truth and know our oneness in God and our unity with humanity and all creation, it is incumbent upon us to make conscious and correct the “sins of the father.” Otherwise, they may continue active in our subconscious and play out in our lives.

Charles Fillmore said that self-awareness is a prelude to Christ consciousness. It is imperative that we invite self-awareness and observe our thoughts and actions that may be based upon “sin.”

As we become aware of our unconscious “sin,” it may be tempting to punish ourselves with our judgments and condemnation. That is not helpful. It is important for us to extend love to ourselves in the midst of this self-discovery. Only love has the power to heal.

Once we are aware, we can make conscious choices. We can use our spiritual practice of denial and no longer give power to those thoughts. We can then begin to affirm the truth that we know. As we reprogram our minds, our thoughts and actions come into alignment with truth. In this way, we bring a renewed consciousness to bear and begin to redefine and transform the culture. The “sins of the father” no longer have power in our lives.

We need not be defined or limited in any way by the beliefs or conditioning of our past. As spiritually mature adults, we have the power to become conscious of all that we have taken on and continue to allow to limit us. Once conscious of them, we can explore them and determine for ourselves what is true. We can release what no longer serves us and welcome what will as we continue growing up spiritually.

Join us this Sunday at 10:00 for our service as we observe and honor Father’s Day and explore further what growing up spiritually looks like in our lives.

I would love to hear how this article landed with you, and what growing up spiritually looks like for you. Please share your insights with me in the comments below.

'I' is All!

In assisting her with preparations for her class on Healing and Wholeness, I have had several meetings with Rev. Dr. Phyllis Hoover. During our meetings we discussed Unity’s perspective on the ideas of ‘wholeness’ and ‘healing,’ as well as other related topics. During our most recent meeting I was reminded of this piece that I wrote several years ago. I am choosing to recycle it because I believe it speaks to the foundation of what we teach and what Phyllis will be presenting in her class.

“We must see our body with our mind; see it with something more than the intellectual mind; see it with Jehovah, the Lord God within us. When the perfect man is conceived in pure reason, the reason of Spirit, and man sees himself as he is in God’s mind, the Lord’s body begins at once to appear. We all can see our body with the single eye of which Jesus spoke, and through this faith in the reality of the invisible body we can regenerate the flesh.” – Charles Fillmore, Talks on Truth

“This so-called material body has within it and about it the divine perfection. Do not make any separation.” – Charles Fillmore, Talks on Truth

“We must see the life of God in our flesh. Any form of denial of God-life and intelligence or of the physical organism, any thought of flesh other than as of God’s pure substance, congests and irritates the body. This is double-mindedness, which consists in believing in evil as well as good, in perceiving and thinking about evil, or undesirable conditions, or lack, or failure, or calamity of any sort. Double-mindedness weakens the eyes and dims the vision, and we do not clearly perceive that which is our perfection in God-Mind. That which we mentally stamp a thing is registered in our own flesh.” – Myrtle Fillmore, Healing Letters

The last few days my “so-called material body,” as Mr. Fillmore refers to it, appears to have been experiencing an imbalance. I have observed what one might, using Mrs. Fillmore’s term, “stamp” as intestinal distress. As I ponder the Fillmores’ teaching above, I recognize that I have named and given form to something that has registered in my flesh. I have given validity to a material body separate from the spiritual body; the spiritual body is, in Truth, only the perfection in God-Mind manifest. It is becoming clearer to me that this “double-mindedness” is the only thing that separates me, or anyone, from experiencing the perfection of the “invisible body” to which Mr. Fillmore refers, and through which Mrs. Fillmore experienced healing. So, how do we live Unity’s fifth principle and practice the Truth that we know?

In order that we may live this Truth, we must allow this Truth to be revealed to us as our ever-present reality. This Truth is not and cannot be revealed through the intellect, nor can it be comprehended by the reasoning mind. The reasoning mind may glimpse the possibility of this Truth as it is presented in the words of the Fillmores and other teachers, but the full potential of this Truth can only be and must be revealed in the silence of our own hearts in order for it to be realized. As Mr. Fillmore says, we must “see it with Jehovah, the Lord God within us.” We must allow the “I Am” of us to see it, the single “I” within us, in order to truly experience it. It is this “I” that Jesus referred to as “the way, the truth, and the life.”  This is the way to realization of the truth of the life that is each of us made flesh.

We must withdraw our awareness from this so-called material body and focus solely on the Omnipresence of the One. As long as we continue to perceive through our physical senses that there is something to be healed, we are incapable of realizing the Truth. There is nothing to be healed; only a Truth to be realized.

Please note that I am speaking in the Absolute here, as were the Fillmores, and it is often challenging for us to comprehend the Absolute from the relative consciousness.

First, our intent must solely be to realize the Truth of the Life of God expressing. Period! We must seek only to have that Truth revealed for the sake of Truth only, not for the purpose of affecting a change in the physical body. The paradox is that while we must not seek the revelation of Truth for the purpose of changing any outer condition, the revelation of Truth (God as our ever-present reality) demonstrates in the outer, and as Mr. Fillmore states, “regenerates the flesh.”

I also want to make it clear that most of us do not experience instantaneous manifestation. Myrtle Fillmore, the mother of Unity, spent at least two years in daily prayer and meditation before she experienced the demonstration in her “flesh”.

I encourage us not to allow the truth presented here to be used as a weapon against ourselves if we are experiencing some so-called physical imbalance, dis-ease, or discomfort. It is not meant to be an indictment. Blaming ourselves, or anyone else, for an apparent condition is not helpful.

Sharing this truth is intended as an encouragement and an inspiration. Each of us is the embodiment of this Truth, and each of us may realize it through the power of our awareness. We choose, albeit most often unconsciously, where to focus our attention and awareness. We can, however, make that choice consciously moment-by-moment. We begin here, right where we are. We take one step at a time. Again, our focus is not to heal or change any outer condition: our sole desire, thus our only goal must be to know the Truth that sets us free, and thereby demonstrate it as our self-evident reality.

While we may continue to experience imbalance in the “so-called material body,” we can if we choose, take comfort in the recognition that it is the spiritual body which is the temple of God, therefore eternal and not subject to any condition.

Allow this Truth to be revealed in the quiet of your own consciousness and free yourself. As Jesus, the master metaphysician said, “You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32)

If you would like to explore these concepts in greater detail, please join Phyllis for her class beginning Thursday, June 8, and continuing for 5 weeks. The class meets from 6:30 to 8:30. You may register here.

Pentecost Now!

I have said it before, and I will say it again, now: Metaphysical Bible interpretation is one of the many things I love about Unity. I deeply value this method of understanding Scripture. It has given me an appreciation for the truth teaching in the Bible that I did not enjoy before I discovered Unity.

Prior to gaining some understanding of metaphysical Bible interpretation I would never have dreamed that I would conduct a Sunday service focusing on Pentecost; however, I plan to do just that this coming Sunday as it is Pentecost Sunday in the liturgical calendar.

Pentecost from my traditional Christian background was confusing. I used to associate it with Pentecostal churches where people would dance in the aisles after being “slayed in the Spirit,” or speak in tongues while gyrating feverishly. I found it a bit scary.

When explored from a metaphysical perspective, Pentecost is a potent reminder for us all of the power of realizing Unity consciousness; remembering our divine nature; and knowing and expressing truth clearly with grounded enthusiasm.

In the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary, Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore explains the “day of Pentecost” in this way,

The metaphysical meaning of the "day of Pentecost" is that in the unfoldment of the spiritual mind there are periods when the ideas that we have meditated on, and accepted as true, spring forth into consciousness, becoming living realities in our life instead of mere mental concepts. In this awakening we get the fruits of the ideas that we have planted in our mind; we have escaped from darkness (Egypt) and have entered into light (Promised Land).

Our spiritual awakening begins with an intellectual understanding of concepts and ideas. We read books; take classes; and learn the practices of prayer, meditation, contemplation, denials and affirmations. Active engagement in our spiritual practices develops an understanding and deeper connection with the principles. Continual practice eventually leads to the realization, which Mr. Fillmore defines as “the deep inner conviction and assurance of the fulfillment of an ideal,” and their embodiment through our thoughts, emotions, words and actions. 

Mr. Fillmore continues,

To the one who is awakened to spiritual reality, the "day of Pentecost" signifies the degree of mind action that brings to consciousness the presence of Spirit as substance.

This is a powerful statement. Mr. Fillmore is saying that at this level of spiritual awakening one realizes that Spirit (God) and substance, that which is the foundation for all creation, are One. From this consciousness, one claims the power of dominion over the manifest world. This is the consciousness from which one says “Let there be…” and the substance takes shape as form. This level of embodiment empowers one to be a conscious demonstrator of divine ideas.

Mr. Fillmore further states,

"The day of Pentecost" signifies a gathering of spiritual powers for the purpose of harvesting the first fruits of Spirit; otherwise, a dedicating of these new forces of Spirit to unselfish service in the vineyard of the Lord.

Here, Mr. Fillmore says that one who attains this conscious realization of unity has gathered and developed all the spiritual powers represented by Jesus’s disciples in the Acts 2 account. These spiritual powers are to be used in “unselfish service” to the Christ, the True Nature of each individual, and in service to the common good of humanity. In short, we are to use our spiritual powers to strengthen our conscious awareness of our divinity so that we can more fully serve the divinity in all others.

Like all Bible stories, the “day of Pentecost” is not just an event that happened in the distant past that we can only observe from a historical perspective. The “day of Pentecost” metaphysically represents a state of illumined consciousness in which one knows, and knows that he knows, unity in God and with all humanity. It is a state of consciousness in which our spiritual powers have been ignited and are awakened in service to the Christ of our being and the Christ in all. It is a state of awakened awareness that is accessible to each of us in every moment.

Much like the crucifixion and resurrection from a metaphysical perspective, the “day of Pentecost” is not a one-time occurrence. We can arise in that consciousness in any moment that we are willing, open and receptive to the revelation and realization of our True Nature. Let this moment be your Pentecost, now!

Join us on Sunday at 10:00, Unity Spiritual Center Denver, for our service as we further explore Pentecost, its significant potential, and what it may signify along our spiritual journeys.

  

A Memorial Day Vision

This coming Monday is Memorial Day, a federal holiday in the United States that honors those who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. It originated as Decoration Day after the American Civil War. On Decoration Day, survivors honored deceased Union soldiers by decorating their graves. A similar practice developed for those who died serving the Confederacy. Memorial Day became an official national holiday in 1971 and honors all men and women who have died during their military service.

Those who died are honored in a variety of ways. The National Memorial Day parade and concert are held annually in Washington, D.C., and many cities around the country hold similar observances. Decorating the graves of the fallen is a common practice as well. For example, it is traditional for the President to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington National Cemetery and each of the graves there is decorated with an American flag on Memorial Day. While in Dallas, I lived a few years in a house where the yard adjoined a cemetery. Every year on Memorial Day families would gather there and have a cookout and picnic in honor of their loved ones. I thought it odd to have a picnic in a cemetery, but it was their way of paying homage.

I appreciate and deeply respect our desire to honor those who died in service to our country. At Unity Spiritual Center Denver it is traditional to have a candle lighting ceremony during our service the Sunday prior to Memorial Day. We will continue that tradition this year. It is good to recognize those who made the ultimate sacrifice as we light a candle in their honor or place flowers or a flag on their graves. While these traditions and celebrations are important, I further encourage each of us to go a little deeper this year.

I suggest that we can best honor those who died by doing all that we can, individually and collectively, to ensure that at some point in the not too distant future there is no need for a Memorial Day. Vision a world where there is no longer a person alive who remembers someone who died in war. You may think that this is the impossible dream, but it is not. Peace is possible, and it begins with you and with me. I am reminded of the following from the Lao Tze,

If there is to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the nations.

If there is to be peace in the nations, there must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities, there must be peace among neighbors.

If there is to be peace among neighbors, there must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the heart.

Peace in the world begins with peace in the heart. And, peace in the heart begins as each of us remembers and claims the truth of who we are as unique and wondrous expressions of Love. And, when we remember it for ourselves and truly embrace that knowing, we also know it for each other and for all life. When we know that all is an expression of Love, we know our unity with all creation. We know ourselves as God expressing. God cannot be in conflict with itself.

Conflict can only occur in a mind that believes in the possibly of separation. When we think we are separate from God, we naturally feel fear. When we feel fear, we believe we have to protect ourselves. But, who is the ‘self’ that we are protecting? The ‘self’ we would protect is the illusory self that in truth only exists in our minds. When we believe in the illusory self, we tend to fight to protect who we think we are, or what we think is ours.

Conflict cannot occur in the heart, because the heart knows unity with God. When we surrender our minds to our hearts and allow thoughts and actions to be inspired from the heart, we think, speak and act from love. When we speak, think, and act from love there is no ‘me’ or ‘mine;’ there is only ‘we’ and ‘ours.’ War happens in the space of a belief in ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ and ‘us’ and ‘them.’

In Truth there is only One and that One does not know ‘me,’ ‘mine,’ ‘us’ or ‘them.’ The One only knows itself as ‘I Am that I Am.’ When we know our True Selves as that and all others as that as well, there is no conflict, thus there is no war.

To assist in knowing peace in the heart, I offer the following:

Begin by saying aloud or in the silence of your own mind, “I Am that I Am.” As you use the power of the “I Am” to make this proclamation, you affirm the knowing of your heart and align your mind to Truth. This statement declares your unity in God, and restores peace to your mind.

In that alignment, choose to witness that same Truth for all others. As you walk about in your day, silently witness others by saying to yourself “I Am. You are I Am.” In doing this, you are calling yourself to the remembrance of your unity with all of humanity. Additionally, you are calling others into remembrance as well.

This Memorial Day let us come together to honor those who have died in service to freedom and peace by claiming freedom and peace in our minds as we choose to know and proclaim our unity in God and with all creation. Let us be the ones who bring peace to the world by first knowing peace in our hearts.

Join us on Sunday at 10:00 as we honor those who have died in service to our country and hold the vision for a world where a Memorial Day is a distant memory.

Do Thoughts Create Our Reality?

I have said many times that I “live in the question.” In doing so, I have discovered that living in the question often elicits more questions than answers. I have recently been pondering one of Unity’s primary tenets. I have been questioning whether our thoughts actually create our reality. I decided to take a risk and share some of my current thoughts and insights on the question. I wholeheartedly welcome your feedback and comments. I trust our shared wisdom.

Most of us are familiar with the popular adage that says “Change your thinking; change your life.” As far as I can discern this phrase was first introduced by author and self-development trainer, Brian Tracy, in the book by the same name. Popular self-help author and motivational speaker, Dr. Wayne Dyer, later capitalized on the idea in his best-selling book, Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life. Subsequently, other speakers and authors, like Pastors Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen, have popularized this teaching in the more mainstream conservative religious movement. Of course the idea did not begin with any of them. The belief in the power of our thoughts dates back centuries and forms the foundation for the New Thought movement of which Unity is a part.

In fact, one of Unity’s five basic principles is “We create our life experiences through our way of thinking.” This is how it is stated on the Unity.org website. In her book, The Five Principles, author Reverend Ellen Debenport restates this principle as, “Human beings create their experiences by the activity of their thinking. Everything in the manifest realm has its beginning in thought.”

When I first began my journey with New Thought I believed this to be an empowering teaching. I accepted it as Truth and worked with this principle in hopes that I would have everything in life I wanted once I mastered the ability to control my thoughts. And, I admit that I have experienced what I believed were “results” of focusing my thoughts and feelings on the things and experiences I desired.

Lately, however, I have been questioning the soundness of this teaching. I realize that this flies in the face of a foundational teaching of the New Thought movement, but I am just no longer comfortable embracing and continuing to teach it because…

•        It can be empowering to those of us who are born into a certain level of prosperity and privilege, because we are given opportunities to thrive and prosper; opportunities that many others do not enjoy. Telling someone born into poverty or into a society in which they are dehumanized that they create their experience according to their way of thinking is not only disempowering, but also extremely unkind.
•        Suggesting that someone created a physical illness through their way of thinking can stimulate a great deal of pain and guilt for them, and their loved ones. Again, it is not compassionate or kind. And, is it really true?
•        Most of us don’t have control over our thoughts. Yes, we all have the potential to control our thoughts, but most of us, I dare say the majority of us, have not mastered control of our minds. In fact, if we could observe the thinking that goes in our minds on a minute-by-minute basis, we would recognize that thoughts arise without any effort on our part, and we remain unaware of most of them.
•         If our thoughts create our reality, which thoughts out of the millions – conscious and subconcious – would that be? Again, if we could record just one day of our thoughts and review them, I believe we would readily see that our ordinary thinking has little to do with how the external world is shaped. Rather, the majority of our thinking is actually nothing more than commentary on what is already happening in the external world.
•         The majority of the thinking that occurs in our minds centers around who we think we are and what we think about who we think we are. Further, who we think we are and how we judge who we are greatly influences how we view others and the world around us and determines our reactions. Our reactions to our thinking, what we say and do, creates our experience, and resonates that in energy from and through us, more than anything else.

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I recently discovered support for my questioning from my favorite Unity author, Eric Butterworth. In this book, In the Flow of Life, he refers to the process of attempting to control one’s thoughts as “mental programming.” He suggests that it is arrogance to believe that we are responsible for our physical wellbeing or the state of our finances. He also asserts that we cannot control our experience by engaging in “mental programming.”

He states that there is only one Source of all our healing, success and overcoming. That Source is God, or what he calls “the universal flow” Further, Butterworth, posits that…

“Thought of itself does not create [emphasis mine]. It either places us consciously in the universal flow or it frustrates the flow. If we think sickness or lack, we do not manufacture those things. When the thought is out of synchronization with the flow of life, then, even as anything cut off from its source, we “come to know want.”

Mr. Butterworth supports my current understanding that our thinking does not create our experience, but it can serve to align our consciousness with the all prevailing Good of the universal flow. Conversely, our thinking can also restrict the flow thus causing us to act in ways that do not serve our highest good.

While it may not actually create our external reality, our thinking does affect our internal experience which in turn impacts what we experience externally, but our thinking does not actually create or control reality.

I hold that “The Flow of Life” to which Rev. Butterworth refers is the flow of Divine Love in, through and as all creation. Therefore, for us to be in sync with the flow, our thoughts must embody the frequency of Love. When our thoughts do not resonate with Love, we are frustrating the flow, and not experiencing the fullness of the Life that is eternally expressing through us.

We can know when we are in the flow of Love by engaging in practices of self-connection. I suggest we take time during each day, even if just a minute or two, and follow these steps:

• Breathe consciously and deeply.
• Invite yourself to become aware of the body.
• First, simply notice the feeling of the clothing against your skin, or your feet against the floor.
• Next, scan your body and notice any tension or discomfort.
• Without judgment, breathe into those areas and gently release as you exhale.
• Continuing, invite yourself to become consciously aware of your emotions. Remember that emotions are “energy in motion.” By becoming aware of them, you are sensing the flow of energy. Do not attempt to change them or control them. For now, just notice them.
• Now, notice your thoughts, again without judgment. Like emotions, thoughts are energy, they are neither good nor bad; they just are.
• Sense the feeling nature of your thoughts. Are they resonating with Love? This is discernment, not judgment.
• If the feeling nature is not love, breathe deeply into your heart space, bring to mind an image of something or someone that easily stimulates thoughts and feelings of love.
• Now, surrender your mind to the energy of love in the heart, and allow love to transmute your thoughts.
• As love becomes your predominate vibration, you move into “The Flow of Life” and become an emanation of love, thus an attractor of love.

As Rev. Butterworth stated, our thoughts do not create our reality; they either open us to the flow or frustrate the flow of Life as us. We participate in creating our desired external experiences by become consciously aware of our thoughts and feelings and taking steps to adjust them when they are not in alignment with Love. It is a simple concept, but it is not always easy and certainly not, for most of us, instantaneous. It is a process – a process that begins with increasing our level of self-awareness – moment by moment.

We have the power to choose our thoughts. Let us use it wisely.

Join us on Sunday for our 10:00 service as we welcome author, thought leader and contemplative activist, Brandan Robertson, as our guest speaker. You may read more about Brandan on his website – BrandanRobertson.com