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.