Sharing God with God

“Do not withhold your gifts from the Sonship, or you withhold yourself from God!  Selfishness is of the ego, but Self-fullness is of spirit because that is how God created it.” – A Course in Miracles

This passage from A Course in Miracles provides a new understanding of what it means to be “Self-full,” as well as what it means to be selfish. We often consider one selfish who is only concerned with his or her needs, not considerate of others, or one who takes without the thought of giving. The Course is saying that selfishness is not about taking, but is actually about withholding. To be selfish is to withhold from the world the expression of our unique gifts and talents. It is withholding God from God!

Self-fullness, on the other hand, because it is of Spirit is only about extending. Self-fullness is confidence – it knows self as a magnificent expression of God. From Self-fullness one overflows with the expression of Spirit: It can do no other. Self-fullness is the recognition that one is endowed with the gifts of Spirit, and makes no apology for owning that truth and living that truth. Unlike selfishness, Self-fullness does not “hide its light under a bushel” (Matthew 5:15). Instead, from the realization of the unique individuation of Spirit that one is, it shines brightly for the entire world to benefit.

Many of us have adopted the practice of discounting our own gifts and talents in the name of “modesty.” We have been taught that to acknowledge our gifts and talents is conceited, and that conceit is not an admirable quality. However, if we are not willing to honor our unique expression and share our gifts and talents with the world, then as The Course says, we are “withholding our gifts from the Sonship.” The world needs the benefit of all that each of us has to give and share.

The time is now for us to acknowledge the unique and wondrous expression of the Divine that each of us is and to appreciate all the good that we are and all the good that we have to share with the world. As we fill ourselves up with the awareness of God expressing as our very lives, we feel the gratitude for all that we are, and we let our lights shine as a natural expression of the essence of our being.

When we express from the experience of fullness, we can give freely without reservation and without attachment to what, if anything, we receive in return. However, it is imperative for us not to believe that we are to give tirelessly to others while sacrificing self. We must be willing to continue to fill ourselves if we are to give to the world.

An important aspect of honoring and appreciating self is taking care of us, physically, mentally and emotionally. Appreciating the self includes appreciating the aspect of God that is expressing as this human being. We can only give from fullness when our own needs are met and we are feeling peace. We have all heard the instructions given by the flight attendants on aircraft, “Be sure to secure your oxygen mask first before assisting others.”  The same applies to all areas of our lives.

This Sunday, July 30, during our 10:00 service we will honor those in our community at Unity Spiritual Center Denver who give of themselves through Sacred Service. Those who shine their lights in so many ways, within and outside our community, express from the fullness of God that overflows in love. We are grateful for each and every one who gives of their time and talent in service to our spiritual community and beyond our walls. USCD’s light shines brightly because of all who give.

We will also have a Sacred Service Fair following the Sunday service so that those who have not yet found their area for giving may learn more about the available opportunities. Our spiritual family is created by our giving and loving community.

Please join us for our service and then plan to stay around for refreshments while you learn more about the many ways you can share the fullness of God that you are through Sacred Service. You are always welcome and there is great love for you here.

Additionally, if you are blessed or inspired by these posts or by my Sunday lessons, which are available on YouTube, I encourage you to make a donation to support the work of the ministry at Unity Spiritual Center Denver. Thank you!

I'm Coming Out!

Today, I am coming out of the closet. Surprise!

No, not that closet. That’s old news.

I am coming out of hiding about something I have not shared with many people for fear of the reactions I might get. I now understand that it is not about me. So, I am sharing it with you and invite you to participate.

Every Thursday morning, with rare exception, I host a conference call. During this call, a collective consciousness of the group energy is established by those on the call with me. I serve as the voice for insights and wisdom that is drawn from this collective consciousness. Some call this “channeling.”

Perhaps it is “channeling,” but I do not claim to be speaking for an entity or disembodied beings or spirits. I believe that I am opening myself to serve as a conduit for the word, the I AM, the eternal fount of wisdom within us all. I hold that I am only doing what each of us does when we open ourselves to the flow of Spirit. Some do it through spoken word; others through the written word. Still others express it through music, visual arts, healing arts, and many other expressions. Most always, those that experience the flow, call the moments inspired. I feel inspired when I translate the energy to spoken word so that others can benefit from the insights and wisdom generated in these moments.

What follows is an excerpt from one of those calls. It is edited for this format. I have decided to share these here from time to time. I hope you find them beneficial.

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Everything that is moving in and through your awareness in this moment is an aspect of Consciousness awakening unto itself.

You are a point of awareness at which Consciousness is becoming conscious of Itself.

Allow your mind to grasp the truth of that at whatever capacity you have to do so. It is not something that you can reason. It is not something that you can necessarily understand with the mind. It is something you can experience. It is the Divine experiencing itself as you and delighting in Its expression.

Say to yourself or aloud:

I experience all the truth, the light, the power, the presence that is moving in and through this moment, moving in and through this moment as my body; moving in and through this moment as the word; moving in and through this moment as light; moving in and through this moment as sound; moving in and through this moment as the chair; moving in and through this moment as the animals; moving in and through this moment as the air that I breathe; moving in and through this moment as every cell of my body. Divine Life is moving in and through and as all creation in this very moment. Divine Life is awakening unto itself as I awaken unto the awareness of that life that is moving in and through every moment.

I AM that which is aware of it. I AM one with it. I AM not separate from the chair, the animals, the ground, the sky, the trees, my body, or any of those things that I perceive in manifested form. They are expressions of the Divine Life that is moving in and through and as this moment.

As I perceive through my physical senses, I awaken. I see, smell, taste, hear and feel Divine Life moving in and through all of creation.

There is no separation. The only “sin” is believing that there is anything that is not Divine Life. When you awaken to the awareness that the Allness that God is is moving in and through and as every moment, you are free from any idea of separation. Therefore, you are free from “sin.” You have received your enlightenment—your salvation.

The Spiritual Master, Jesus of Nazareth, said, "You must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). You must be born anew in your awareness of Divine Life moving in and through and as all things to enter the awareness that the kingdom is here and now present.

Say aloud or to yourself:

In this moment, I am born again.

Resistance to understanding, accepting, and claiming this Truth keeps you separate from it, but only in your own thinking. You cannot be separate from anything, because Divine Life is all you are, I AM. All is God. All is Light.

Jesus also said, "You must become as a little child. Unless you become as a child, you cannot enter the kingdom" (Matthew 18:3). You cannot enter the kingdom because your mind is so full of these ideas, projections of belief, and thoughts of separation learned in your life experience. To become as a child means to free yourself of all you think you know.

Jesus instructed us in A Course in Miracles, when observing things during the day to say to ourselves, "I do not know what anything means. I do not know the meaning of this thing." Do you see how that opens you up to the revelation of God moving in and through and as all that is? As you become as a child, you open your mind. You enter the mind of “not knowing;” the mind of innocence, curiosity and questioning. You open your heart to the revelation of Divine Life in and through all things.

If you do not become as a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of God—the consciousness of oneness, the consciousness of unity, where you know that you are not separate. Unless you become as a little child, you will not know your own enlightenment. You will not know your own salvation. Allow yourself, as you move about your day, to become as a child and embrace the curious mind.

Opening your mind and heart to the revelation of Truth that is beyond what you have learned and think you know is key to your enlightenment. It is key to awakening the Spiritual Master that you are.

That is the message for today. The message today is to open, to spend more time in the kingdom in your own consciousness; to spend more time in meditation and contemplation, in prayer, opening to the conscious awareness of Consciousness awakening unto itself as you. You are the awakening Consciousness. As you awaken, you claim yourself as the Spiritual Master you are.

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If you would like to experience one of these calls, please send me an email and I will send you the necessary information. All are welcome. When contacting me about the Thursday morning conference calls, please send your email to revdavidhhoward@gmail.com.

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As always, USCD will gather on Sunday morning at 10:00 for our weekly service. If you are in the area, please join us. This week, we go "back to basics" with guest speaker, Mendhi Audlin, LUT.  Explore the five foundational Unity teachings and how they build upon each other to lead us on a path of Oneness and, of course, UNITY! Mendhi’s lesson is, “One, not None.” 

Additionally, if you are blessed or inspired by these posts or my Sunday lessons, which are available on YouTube, I encourage you to make a donation to support the ministry of Unity Spiritual Center Denver. Thank you!

God as Metaphor

Recently, J and I had the distinct privilege of spending some time with author, teacher and Franciscan Priest, Father Richard Rohr at his center in Albuquerque. I have been a fan of his books for years, but until this occasion had not attended one of his public appearances. It was truly a blessing to spend a Friday afternoon sitting with an intimate group of twelve listening to Fr. Richard’s wisdom and interacting with him. We also attended an event that evening at which he spoke.

While walking around the courtyard during one of the afternoon breaks, I gathered my courage and walked over to Fr. Richard. I introduced myself, and told him that I was feeling a bit “star struck.” He laughed and assured me that there was no reason for me to be. Unlike some who enjoy celebrity status, he was warm, open and generous. He put his hand on my back and said, “God just made it too easy for me,” referring to what I observe as his remarkable ability to synthesize complex information and mystical teachings to make them accessible to the rest of us.

I seriously doubt that he would make the claim himself, but I believe he is a mystic and a prophet for our time. Fr. Richard has been on the journey for many years consciously awakening to his Spiritual Mastery and mastering it.

J and I both took copious notes. There is too much to attempt to capture in one post, but I will share something that I have been pondering as I continue to live in the question…

What does it mean to be a Spiritual Master?

A Spiritual Master knows that ‘God’ cannot be defined.

Fr. Richard stated that metaphor is the only language we have for talking about God. I am sure I had read that in one or more of his books, but hearing him say it out loud made it resonate with me as if I was hearing it for the first time.

The spiritual master, Jesus of Nazareth, when speaking of God used “Father” as a metaphor. He spoke of God as a benevolent “Father” and us as his children. When he taught, Jesus would often say “the kingdom of heaven is like…” using metaphorical language, such as a “mustard seed,” “leaven” and “pearl of great price.” He spoke of himself in metaphorical language as well, saying things such as “I am the…’bread of life,’ ‘light of the world,’ and ‘vine’.”

Since I began my study of New Thought, I have resisted speaking about God in anthropomorphic terms; that is, assigning God human characteristics. I have often cringed when listening to songs that talk about “God’s eyes, hands or arms,” or when hearing someone talk about God wanting or feeling something. I have categorically avoided using such language when talking about God.

With great appreciation for Fr. Rohr, I am enjoying a newly found acceptance for that language. I recognize now that speaking of God in human terms is not necessarily anthropomorphic, but may instead be metaphoric. Further, that doing so may, in fact, bring comfort and solace.

This morning I awoke feeling lethargic and apathetic. As I sat to meditate I realized that I was feeling lonely and afraid. When I connected with those feelings, I used my meditation time in what, for me, is an uncustomary way. I imagined myself rocked in the loving arms of God as Divine Mother. It was helpful for me to envision God with arms, and hands and a smiling face. The metaphor of God as Mother was comforting.

Imaging God in that way or speaking of God in those terms does not mean that my perception of God has changed. I do not perceive of God as a being. I hold that ‘God’ is the ground of all “beingness.” ‘God’ is shorthand for Allness, All that is, the All that cannot be limited or defined with words. And within that, we are One. There is no separation – from others, or God. God is not a being outside of us.

I resonate with what H. Emilie Cady stated in her seminal text, Lessons in Truth,

Many have thought of God as a personal being. The statement that God is Principle chills them, and in terror they cry out, “They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him: (John 20:13). Broader and more learned minds are always cramped by the thought of God as a person, for personality limits to place and time.

God is the name we give to that unchangeable, inexorable principle at the source of all existence. To the individual consciousness God takes on personality, but as the creative underlying cause of all things, He is principle, impersonal; as expressed in each individual, He becomes personal to that one – a personal, loving, all-forgiving Father-Mother. 

Sometimes, as in my case this morning, we just need a personal, loving, forgiving, compassionate God to hold, comfort and protect us.

From now on, I intend to be less judgmental when I hear others speak of God using human terms. What excellent opportunities this will present for me to “Master my Mastery!” I suspect the same may be true for others as well.

Join us on Sunday at 10:00 as we continue to explore what it means to be a Spiritual Master.

For more information on Father Richard Rohr and his work, please visit www.cac.org. 

The Power of 'I AM'

The “I Am” is God in action. God is not a man. God is working through you. You are not separated from God. God does not sit far up in the sky and send you a good idea. God is the I Am giving you a new embodiment, a new creation. Whatever you believe, that you create. You are the I AM. God knows himself in your consciousness, and that is knowing God. God is I AM THAT I AM, but you are I AM.

As I meditated this morning, once again on what it means to be a spiritual master, I was reminded of these powerful words by Emmet Fox in his presentation, Life is Consciousness, at Unity Village in 1936. There is great power in knowing that each of us is the I AM. There is also power in aligning our thoughts, words and actions with the Truth. This is the reason I am encouraging each of us to continue to claim…

I Am a Spiritual Master

I Am Awakening to my Mastery

I Am Mastering my Mastery

When we continue to claim these truths, we condition our minds with the truth of who and what we are and affirm for ourselves that we make conscious choices to be aware of our truth in every moment and to embody our truth through every thought, word and action.

A Spiritual Master knows “I Am That I Am.”

As we align with the truth of our mastery, we are awakening more fully to who we are as I AM. We are in the process of remembering what we already know and reclaiming who we already are as we open to the realization that we are the wisdom, power, intelligence, strength, love, and all that we consider God to be as the I Am of each of us.

As Fox stated, “The ‘I Am’ is God in action.”  Unity cofounder, Charles Fillmore, stated that Christ is a scriptural name for the spiritual ‘I Am.’ ‘I Am’ is the “word made flesh” (John 1:14) in each of us.

The Christ is the true light that enlightens everyone (John 1:9). As we align with the I Am, Christ, the ways we have previously known ourselves, through memories of the past, are transmuted by the light of the Christ.

A Spiritual Master surrenders all to the Christ.

Say, “I let go, and I let God. I give it over to the Christ and allow the Christ Light of my True Nature to be the source of the cleansing.”

In this way, our minds are renewed and our lives are transformed (Romans 12:2). We become, as Paul said, new creatures in our Christed awareness (2 Corinthians 5:17). As we become new creatures, we no longer operate as our former selves. We no longer see through the eyes of who we have previously believed ourselves to be. The former has passed away and something new has been born in our consciousness, not something that is newly us, but a renewed conscious awareness of that which we have always been – the I Am, the Christ of God, God in action. We have awakened to it.

A Spiritual Master allows the Christ to live as him.

Fox continues in his speech by saying that we not only build our consciousness through our thoughts, but also by, “Using your ‘I Am’ in every action all day long. You never build anything into your consciousness until you do it in practice.”

As we bring the awareness of our Christ, I AM, more fully into our consciousness, it becomes our predominate focus. The Christ becomes our primary way of being in the world.

I encourage us to begin each day affirming,

I Am a Spiritual Master

I Am awakening to my Mastery

I am mastering my Mastery

I Am God in action

I Am the Christ

Do the same prior to conversations, meetings, and all activities engaged in during the day. When we do this, it helps us to be the conscious activity of I Am. In doing so, we invite the Christ to live as us.

It is vitally important for us to know that we have the power to invite the Christ, to welcome the Christ, and to allow the Christ to be our expression.

I encourage us to use the power of our spoken word to proclaim,

I live, yet not I, but the Christ lives as me.

I speak, yet not I, but the Christ speaks as me.

I see, not yet I, but the Christ sees as me.

I hear, not yet I, but the Christ hears as me.

I act, yet not I, but the Christ acts as me.

A Spiritual Master knows the power of the word.

Words are important. Thoughts and feelings are powerful, but the spoken and written word bring the intention more fully into a third dimensional expression. They help to ground the intention and bring it into demonstrable form.

As we claim it, we invoke our power of faith to know that it is happening. As Paul said, Faith is the assurance of things [declared], the conviction of things not [yet] seen (Hebrews 11:1).

Knowing and claiming the truth that we are “God in action” in every moment sets us free from the bondage of belief that we, of our personal selves, can do or know anything apart from God. As the master Jesus said, “The Father within does the work” (John 14:10). We might also say, “The Master within does the work.” When we align with that truth, we are free to be as Fox stated, the consciousness through which God knows himself. We are also free to be the ones through which the activity of God is brought forth into the manifest world through our thoughts, words and actions.

Join us on Sunday, July 9, at our 10:00 service as we explore together more fully the implications of claiming, I Am.