Is Unity Christian?

I had fun this past week at Unity Spiritual Center Denver with “Ask a Minister” Sunday. I invited those present to write their questions on index cards and pass them in. I randomly chose questions to respond to during my usual lesson time. The questions were certainly thought-provoking. I hope my answers were as well. You may listen to them here. Due to time constraints, I did not get to all the questions, so I gathered them up after the service with plans to use them for future lessons and blog posts.

As I was visiting with small groups of people after service, someone said they would really have liked to hear my answer to a friend’s question. Since all the questions were submitted anonymously, I did not know which question was hers. While standing there, I looked through the stack of remaining questions. When I read this particular one, I knew it was hers.

Her question is one that many of us in Unity have had and may continue to ask. It is, “How do I respond to people who believe that Unity is not Christian, especially if we love those people and want them to understand?”

It is natural for us to want connection with the people we love. In her book The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown, defines ‘connection’ as “the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” This is what we long for with our families, friends and others we love. When connection doesn’t happen, especially around something as fundamental as our spirituality, of course it is painful. It can also stimulate fear when we think that our loved ones judge or don’t accept aspects of us.

Before we can lovingly and compassionately respond to others, it is essential that we take time for self-connection, and to receive empathy and compassion for our pain and unmet longing. I suggest we find someone who is willing and able to be with us in our pain and fear, meet us with empathy and understanding, and help us to fulfill our longing for connection. Without this, I fear that any interaction will be a reaction from pain and will most likely be received as defensive and elicit even greater disconnection from those we love.

Bringing attention and awareness to our longing to be seen and heard and to be met with acceptance, as well as opening ourselves to the pain we feel when that connection is not achieved, is a practice of self-connection and self-love. We are immensely more equipped to respond to those we love from love when we are self-connected and loving ourselves.

Further, it is important for us to be honest with ourselves. We can ask ourselves, “Am I hearing me? Am I seeing me? Am I valuing me? Am I accepting myself without judgment?” If we are not doing it for ourselves, it is unreasonable to ask others to do it for us.

Additionally, if we want others to respect our spiritual path, we must be clear that we honor and respect it as well. It’s important for us educate ourselves and ground ourselves in Truth Principles. Not so that we can prove we are right and they are wrong, but so that we are able to stand firm in love as we respond to our loved ones.

We can meet our loved ones with open compassionate hearts and minds, and help them realize their longing for connection when we respond from a place of self-connection and self-love, and when we ae grounded in Truth. We can then approach them with curiosity and empathy, rather than pain, fear and defensiveness. We can give them what we long to receive from them – to be heard, seen, valued and accepted without judgement. It is vitally important that we respect their path as well, even if we do not agree with it.

My experience has been that those who question whether Unity is Christian are thoroughly convinced of their religious beliefs. Our loved ones who try to convince us that we are not Christian are most likely concerned about our eternal salvation. They truly want to know that we are not going to spend eternity suffering in hell. I am certain that it is excruciatingly painful for them to believe that someone they love may face such an end. Even though I don’t agree, I can understand why they would be so determined to do all they can to convince us we are wrong.

It has also been my experience that it is not helpful to attempt to educate one with whom we disagree. Educating them about our spiritual path is not going to help them feel better or accept our choices. On the contrary, it will often insight a more passionate defense of their beliefs. The belief in salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ meets deeply held needs for many people. Asking them to accept something different or to even question their beliefs is tantamount to blasphemy and heresy, and endangers the safety and security they feel. It is not helpful.

Our most effective approach is to listen with the intention to connect and understand. Let us give them the connection they so desperately long for, and which we also seek. We can help them to know that they are seen, heard, and valued. We can be curious about what they believe, why they believe it, and why it is so important to them for us to believe it as well. We can let them know that we feel their care and concern for us, and that we value it. We can let them know that we completely respect their spiritual and religious path without judgment. And, we can ask that they afford us the same.

If, and only if, they are curious and ask to hear more about what Unity teaches and whether we are Christian, then we can share with them. I recently read the following in our study guide to Brené Brown’s latest bestselling book, Braving the Wilderness, which we are using for our fall small group study. It was written by Rev. Geo Downer, Senior Minister at Unity Windward. It may be one of the best concise descriptions of Unity that I have heard. If they ask, paraphrasing this would be a good place to start.

Described as a positive path for spiritual living, Unity encourages the realization of God’s good in our daily lives and in our world. With an emphasis on reflection, introspection, and spirituality rather than religion, Unity invites everyone to experience healing in mind, body, spirit, and affairs, through thought, word and action. Based in the teachings of Jesus, Unity principles actuate the shift in perception to live in the Kingdom of Heaven, already present.

Additionally, if they ask, one might also say that Unity explores the biblical account of Jesus’s teachings, as recorded in the Christian Scriptures, as a path to spiritual living. We stress that it is more important to believe Jesus than to believe in Jesus. We believe him when he said things such as, “the kingdom of God is within you,” “greater things than I have done will you do,” and “you are the light of the world.” We also believe that Jesus was the great example for us in how to live our lives in service to love for God, our neighbors and ourselves. We teach that emulating how he lived is the true defining measure of a Christian, not what one believes about his birth, death or resurrection.

I have lived it, so I understand how challenging it can be to have conversations with loved ones who cannot begin to fathom how we can believe that we are created in original blessing rather than original sin; that we are all expressions of the Christ aspiring to realize our full potential; and that we make our own heaven or hell right here on Earth as an effect of our consciousness.

The best advice I can offer is what I have delineated here. Give yourself empathy and compassion and get it from those who are willing and able to give it. Listen to and follow your inner guidance. Respect yourself and your beliefs. Ground yourself in spiritual principle. Meet others with the same level of empathy, understanding, compassion and respect that you desire to receive from them.

This a beautiful example of what Brené Brown’s book, Braving the Wilderness, is about. She speaks of loving ourselves and belonging to ourselves so deeply that we embody the courage to connect with others, even and especially those with whom we strongly disagree. Our fall book study begins meeting next week. There are still openings in several groups. If you would like more information, please email Trish Morris.

Please join us on Sunday for our service at 10:00. I will begin a series based on the book with the lesson, “Everywhere and Nowhere.” You are welcome here!

Courage to Heal

Thursday, September 13, 2018, marks the 25^th anniversary of Unity World Day of Prayer. Each year on the second Thursday in November thousands of people around the world join with Silent Unity, Unity’s 24-hour prayer ministry, for this prayer event. Unity Village Chapel hosts an opening ceremony which begins a 24-hour prayer vigil.

We, at Unity Spiritual Center Denver, kicked off our observance by inviting everyone to participate in our monthly Healing Circle on Wednesday evening. We began our 24-hour prayer vigil at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, as well. We will conclude with an interfaith service on Thursday at 7:00 featuring speakers representing Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Bahá'í, and Christianity. Each speaker will share about this year’s theme from their tradition’s perspective.

This year’s theme is “Courage to Heal.” When I first heard the theme, I wondered why ‘courage.’ Why not say “Power to Heal?” That would seem to be more in alignment with what Unity teaches about our innate power to heal ourselves through the activity of prayer. However, after contemplating it, I have come to appreciate the choice of words.

What is healing?

When we think of healing, we often think of physical healing. The Unity movement was, in large part, founded upon the power of prayer to affect physical healing as demonstrated by cofounder Myrtle Fillmore. In fact, the New Thought movement as a whole developed out of the “mind cure” movement of the late 19^th century. In the early days of the Unity movement, physical healing was a primary focus of the teaching. While physical healing is an important aspect of our teaching, for true healing to manifest and endure, it must occur in all aspects of our being – spirit, mind and body.

One definition of ‘heal’ in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is, “to restore to original purity or integrity.” Considering that definition, for healing to be necessary there must be some evidence or at least the perception of an interruption in the integrity or wholeness of that which requires healing.

This is most obvious when it concerns physical healing. The natural state of the body is homeostasis, a stable and balanced interworking of all the systems of the body to produce a state of health and vitality. When something happens to disturb this natural order, we experience disease, broken bones, torn ligaments and the like. These are all manifestations of disturbance in the natural flow of energy. Healing, or the restoration of wholeness, is facilitated in many ways, such as, prayer, spiritual mind treatment, energy work, holistic treatment, and yes, when necessary allopathic means.

Mental healing involves our thoughts and emotions. I assert that just as the natural state of the body is homeostasis, our natural state of mind is order, harmony, and balance that results from aligning with love as our guiding principle and peace as our foundation. When something, whether as seemingly simple as an unkind word or as traumatic as the death of a loved one, or abuse of any kind, is interjected, it interferes with our natural state. Healing is required to restore the natural flow. As with the body, mental healing is achieved through many modalities, such as prayer, meditation, energy work, and often with the help of a trained spiritually aware mental health professional.

We exist eternally in the natural state of unity in God. In truth, we can never be separated. Our souls are individuated expressions of the One Power, One Mind, One Life, One Spirit, One Presence we often call ‘God.’ While we know that to be our spiritual truth, we often forget, lose our conscious connection and begin to believe that we are separate and alone. This belief demonstrates as fear and often manifests as violence against others, ourselves, and our world.

We do not restore our spiritual wholeness because it was never disrupted. However, spiritual healing occurs when we reestablish our conscious connection with the truth of our being. Like physical and mental healing, spiritual healing is also facilitated through prayer, meditation, contemplation, and affirmations, as well as energy work, body work and the like. Additionally, while it may not be the sole cause, this spiritual dis-ease contributes to the loss of physical and mental equilibrium. Spiritual healing can and does affect healing of body and mind.

Why healing requires courage.

Merriam-Webster defines ‘courage’ as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” Myrtle Fillmore displayed immense courage in the face of what was at the time considered a fatal disease when she defied medical advice and the prevailing wisdom and chose to heal through prayer. I have personally witnessed the courage exhibited by people who are healing from physical disease or injury. I have seen friends, family and congregants come face-to-face with a cancer diagnosis, feel the fear, and move through surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy treatments with courage and tenacity to claim their healing. I have stood in awe as I heard stories of people who experienced skeletal breaks and with courage and resolve moved through excruciating pain and sometimes torturous physical therapy to reclaim their wholeness. And in every case, each of these courageous souls was supported by prayers, mind treatments, energy work and the loving presence of others.

I also know from personal experience that courage is required to claim mental and emotional healing. It takes courage first to recognize and admit that healing is needed. Further, it requires courage to take the steps necessary to seek the information and help required. Beyond that, courage is essential if we are to journey into the darkest places in our psyche and be vulnerable enough to share our experiences, our fears, our shortcomings, and even our dreams with another or a group of others. I have walked through it, and I continue to do so. I have also had the privilege of witnessing others do the same. We are the only ones who can reclaim our wholeness, yet we do not have to do it alone.

Claiming our spiritual wholeness may be the most courageous journey of all. In a culture that overwhelmingly promotes concepts of separation, it is imperative that we muster the strength to stand firm in our commitment to know and live the truth of our Oneness. When we can know at the depth of our being that we are God expressing in human form and make the commitment to see ourselves, others and the world from that perspective, we have truly claimed our spiritual healing and restored ourselves in consciousness to our natural state of being. From the consciousness of unity, we affect healing in our minds and bodies.

Our courage to heal affects global healing.

Not only do we experience the effects of our healing, but we also bring healing to the world. When we have the courage to claim our healing and live our Oneness, we become an example and an inspiration for those around us to do the same. Through our courage to claim our healing and live our Oneness, we bring healing to our relationships with our families, partners, spouses, coworkers, and with all whom we interact. Through our courage to claim our healing, and live our Oneness, we help to affect healing of social injustice. Through our courage to claim our healing and live our Oneness, we share healing with the planet and our environment. Through our courage to heal and live our Oneness, we can unabashedly proclaim “I Am a Healing Presence” which is the affirmation for the year’s World Day of Prayer.

I encourage us not to allow World Day of Prayer to be a one-day event that we observe and then forgot, but rather allow it to be just the beginning of our renewed commitment to gather our courage and move forward toward claiming our healing in whatever way is calling us. Please know that, while you must do it, you do not have to do it alone.

Please join us at 10:00 on Sunday for our service. I was out last week due to illness, but I have claimed my healing and will be back. Since I missed “Ask a Minister” last Sunday, I will be on hand this week to answer your questions during my regular lesson time in the service. I look forward to it.

Booted In The Booty

We just never know where our spiritual lessons and insights are going to come from.

While at the gym this morning, I was walking on the treadmill and listening to an audiobook when my attention was drawn to a program on one of the many television monitors facing me. The program was about parking enforcement in a major city. This is not something that would normally capture my interest, yet I was intrigued. I was not listening to the audio from the program, nor was I able to read the closed captioning. Still, I had no problem interpreting the energy that was being directed at the parking enforcement officers from those being cited.

Whether it was live or dramatized I’m not sure, but it appeared to be captured live. The segment showed several incidences where the officers were “booting” illegally parked vehicles. The “boots” prevent the cars from being moved. After the vehicle has been “booted” a tow truck is called to remove it, and it is impounded. The owner must pay a fine to recover the vehicle.

Again, I was not listening to the dialog, but I could tell that in every instance the owner of the booted vehicle was indignant and treated the enforcement officers with disdain. Rather than take responsibility, each of them blamed the officers for their predicament. They were defiant in their resistance to facing the consequences of their actions.

You may be asking, “What was the spiritual lesson in that?”

I can see in me the indignant defiance of those whose vehicles were booted when I feel stuck and unable (or unwilling) to move from where I am. I can see in me the attitude of being a victim of others or of the world. I can see in me the tendency to want a quick fix for the life circumstances that I co-create through the energy of my thoughts, feelings, words and actions. I can see in me reticence to take responsibility for my creations.

It was a perfect and present reminder for me that I am solely responsible for my creations and that I must be responsive to them. While I would love to have someone else rescue me from my occasional complacency or apathy, I realize that I am the one in control, and only I can save myself. I am the only one who can take charge of my energy signature (listen to my talk from August 26 or watch it below) and make the changes necessary to move forward in my life.

The Universe, like the parking enforcement officers, simply shows up and provides me with the demonstrations (or consequences) of the energy signature I have proclaimed and the choices I have made. It does me no good to rage at the Universe. Well, it might do me a little good. Raging does help to release some of the built-up energy. As long as it is not directed at another person, raging can be cleansing.

As I said, this is not a program I would normally watch, yet I am grateful that I was open and receptive to the message it held for me this morning. I was “booted in the booty.”

When I tell myself I am stuck; when I feel a lack of motivation; when I feel disconnected from my Source, my self and from others; when I feel apathetic; when I am complacent and resigned; when I feel like my life has been “booted” by something external to me, it is time for me to stop, breathe and take stock. It is time for me to take responsibility for my thoughts, words and actions. It is time for me to assess my energy signature and take the necessary steps to shift it.

My practice this morning –

Take time to write this post as a means of self-connection and reflection.

Breathe consciously and deeply to help move energy through my body.

Align my mind with the Truth of my being by affirming -

I am now attuned to the energy of the indwelling Christ.

Moving down the body, I attune each center in the energy of Christ.

• ·       I Know with the Mind of Christ (crown chakra)
• ·       I See through the Eyes of Christ (third eye chakra)
• ·       I Hear with the Ears of Christ (mouth of God chakra)
• ·       I Speak with the Voice of Christ (throat chakra)
• ·       I Will the Will of Christ (will center, top of chest)
• ·       I Love with the Heart of Christ (heart chakra)
• ·       I Feel with the Soul of Christ (solar plexus chakra)
• ·       I Create with the Love of Christ (sacral chakra)
• ·       I Live as the Life of Christ (root chakra)

I am the Christ of God made flesh.

From a place of connection in mind, body and spirit, I can then move forward with energy, inspiration and enthusiasm to create with passion and excitement. I join with Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore and proclaim…

I fairly sizzle with zeal and enthusiasm and spring forth with a mighty faith to do all the things that ought to be done by me.

Join us on Sunday at 10:00 for our service at Unity Spiritual Center Denver. I will do my best to answer your questions during my normal lesson time. It is "Ask A Minister" Sunday. 

It Is Enough

Every Tuesday morning my prayer partner and I meet by phone. We spend a few minutes catching up and sharing about our current life celebrations and challenges, then we quickly move on to our prayer requests and our prayer time. This past Tuesday, while sharing my challenge and prayer request about finances, I got in touch with a limiting core belief – “It’s never enough.” It hit me like a ton of bricks. I had to stop for a few moments to take it in, breathe deeply and feel the impact. The weight of it was almost too much to bear in the moment, yet I welcomed the enlightening revelation.

Because I had been sharing about my desire to generate additional financial abundance, the initial recognition was that the thought, “It’s never enough,” is a belief that I have around money. Yet, the longer I sat with it the more I realized that the energy of this thought resonates through much of my life. Finances just happen to be a present and tangible measurement of its effects.

My prayer on Tuesday was that I continue to contemplate this belief, remain open to recognize the ways I have allowed and continue to allow it to limit me, and do what is mine to do to be released from the energy of it. My prayer partner held this for me as we prayed together.

One might think that I would be accustomed to swift responses to prayers, but I am constantly amazed and delighted by how quickly Spirit responds when I am open to receive. This time I was open.

Each morning, Monday through Thursday, our staff at Unity Spiritual Center Denver meets for a time of prayer and meditation. We begin with reading the Daily Word for that day.

The word for this past Tuesday was “Worry-Free” and the affirmation, “Now is the time and this is the moment to free myself from doubt” The entry continues,

“At the very core of worry is doubt…I find release from worry in the quiet of prayer and meditation – in knowing who I am as a creation of God.”

This was my first nudge toward being released from my limiting belief.

We also gather each Tuesday morning for staff meeting. I begin our meetings with an inspirational reading. This past Tuesday, just before going into the meeting, I picked up from my desk a Unity publication from December 1905. The scripture at the top of the cover page is, “Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free!” That in itself was a powerful reminder, but what came next was yet another answer.

I opened to a random page and read,

“Now, here is the secret – not to doubt, no matter what comes to us. We must know and declare that prosperity is ours. The noon statement that Unity people are holding is ‘I am prosperous; I always succeed.’ Now, from a limited standpoint this may not seem true, but when we speak from the Christ-consciousness, then it is absolutely true. Let us be true to Truth; true to principle; true to ourselves, and from Truth’s standpoint we say: I am prosperous; I am conqueror, today the same as yesterday.”

I love the phrase, “Let us be true to Truth.” To what Truth are we to be true? What is the Truth that when we know it sets us free?

Despite any appearance to the contrary, God/Spirit/Life/Creation is expressing itself, all of itself as each of us right here, right now. This is the Absolute Truth.

Taking this to heart, I wrote and repeated the following. I invite you to use this or something similar for any belief that you may be allowing to block your good.

Standing firm in the realization of who I AM, the Light of Truth shines from the inner core of my being and reveals to me that the belief, “It’s never enough” is a lie. I do not need to know where or from whom I learned it or when I allowed it to become part of my consciousness. I do not need to analyze it or trace it to its root. I simply allow the light of Truth to shine forth from my heart and soul and invite the energy of that belief to dissipate, to burn away, to be released from my energy field and make way for a new revelatory vibration – IT IS ENOUGH! In the vibration of Truth, I am set free. I am free from the energy of doubt and its effects in my life. I go forward with a renewed commitment to be “true to Truth.”

It is enough to know and fully realize that we are created as the image/likeness of our Creator endowed with the potential to express all that we can image God to be. If we are true to the intention to live that Truth, it is enough. We express the level of awareness we have at any moment in time, and it is enough. Still, we never cease to strive for greater embodiment of our Truth. We know who we are and what we are as the Christ of God in the world, and it is enough.

When we find ourselves in worry, doubt, fear or distress about any situation in our lives, we can stop, breathe, invite the awareness of Spirit in, through and all around us, affirm our unity with It, and say silently or aloud – “It is enough!” Allow it to resonate in our minds and hearts and open to our own revelation.

I invite you to join us at Unity Spiritual Center Denver on Sunday at 10:00 for our service. Our Associate Minister, Trish Morris, will present the lesson. I will be back on Sunday, September 9, when I will open the lesson to your questions. It will be “Ask the Minister” Sunday. So, get your best questions ready!

More Than Human

Many are familiar with the quote by French philosopher and Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

His words resonate deeply with what we know to be true about ourselves. From the dawning of human consciousness, we have sensed that we are more than physical forms living an earthly existence. We have longed to understand more of the mystery of who we are and to be in conscious communion with our Source. 

I appreciate and completely agree with the second part of Teilhard de Chardin’s statement, but I do not fully agree with the first part of the quote. We are multi-dimensional beings. Whether or not we are consciously aware of it, we exist simultaneously in this earthly plane, as well as in dimensions beyond.

We are human beings, and we are having a spiritual experience. Better stated, we are human beings and we may have a spiritual experience. Having a conscious spiritual experience is dependent upon the perspective from which we view ourselves and our relationship to our Source and the world.

If we are trapped in the belief that we are separate and alone and defined by the conditioned consciousness, which Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore termed the adverse ego¹, we may not be open to perceiving life as a spiritual experience. When we are willing and ready to begin to expand our awareness through meditation, prayer and contemplation, observe the conditioned consciousness, and question its content, we begin to see that we are more than we may have previously believed ourselves to be.

As we continue our practices and expand our awareness, we will begin to encounter the Divine within ourselves and in all that is around us.

HUMAN BEINGS – Being human and all that it entails, including the messiness, pain and joy of it, is invaluable to the personal and collective evolution of human consciousness. Rejecting the value of our human experience is tantamount to denying the manifest expression of God that each of us is.

SPIRITUAL BEINGS – We are also spiritual beings. We have existence beyond our physical forms. Our spiritual nature is the unconditioned consciousness of who we truly are, absent of our human conditioning. We sometimes refer to this as our “True Self” or “Higher Self.”  This represents the individuated unique expression of the Divine that each of us is. Our spiritual journey is about making this aspect more conscious, embodying it, and expressing it. In that way, we are spiritual beings expressing and experiencing the Divine.

HUMAN AND SPIRITUAL – The deeper truth is that, while we are human beings and spiritual beings, our ultimate reality is that we are Spirit expressing and experiencing Itself as each of us as we live this life journey.

Why is it valuable for us to know that we are multi-dimensional beings?

When we are willing and able to access the higher dimensional aspects of ourselves, we have access to higher wisdom. Whether seemingly unimportant or life-altering, the answer to every question we can conceive of can be found through our conscious connection with our non-localized Self.

It also helpful because knowing this assures us that we are not and cannot never be alone. We are ever connected to the Source of all Light and Love. Each of us is, however, responsible for the level of Light and Love that we allow into and through our lives. We are always at choice.

Each of us has equal and unlimited access to the resources of Source, Love and Light which is the Spirit and Substance which imbues all life. As we grow into this as a knowing, it can be empowering and freeing no matter your current life circumstances.

We are “children of God.” We are “heirs to the kingdom.” In other words, we are expressions of an inexhaustible Source, and we, through our conscious connection, have unlimited access to all the Good available to us.

Knowing this and embracing this truth, frees us from the belief in lack and limitation. When we know that we are channels of infinite supply, we can open ourselves to the inflow and the outflow of all the Good/God we can imagine.

Yes, we are human beings, and we are oh so much more than that.

Join us on Sunday at 10:00 for our service at Unity Spiritual Center Denver. You are welcome here!

¹ Revealing Word

NOTE: When I wrote this post I intended for this concept to be the topic for my Sunday lesson. I have since received a different inspiration. My lesson on Sunday is entitled “Your Energy Signature.” I hope to see you there.

Our Ultimate Purpose

During my lesson, Building Our Spiritual Muscle, on Sunday, July 29, at Unity Spiritual Center Denver, I shared that from my perspective embodying the Christ consciousness is the ultimate purpose for engaging in our spiritual practices and building our spiritual strength. Further, that as we embody the Christ, our divine nature, we express it as did Jesus Christ, our way shower, through acts of love, service, compassion and healing.

As frequently happens, following service that day I facilitated “Discussions with David,” where a group gathers to discuss and share thoughts about the lesson. One of members who attended that gathering asked what I meant by the word ‘ultimate.’ This lead to further conversations about “Divine Plan,” “God’s Will” and “Freewill.”

I appreciate these dialogs. They invite us all into a deeper connection with what we believe, know and experience. They certainly inspire me to greater contemplation and more in-depth inquiry.

Since we did not have time to delve deeply into the topics mentioned about, I thought I would offer some of my thoughts in this forum.

I stand firm in my belief that the pinnacle of human experience is the attainment of Unity consciousness - the realization of our oneness in God/Spirit/Divine Life/Unified Field of Consciousness, or by whatever name or nature we know It to be. In fact, as I understand it, that is the “Divine Plan.” We are here, individually and collectively, to awaken to the indwelling Christ, to embody that Divine Ideal, and to manifest a world that exemplifies the qualities of the Christ through our thoughts, words and actions.

Unity cofounder, Charles Fillmore, in The Revealing Word, defines “Will of God” as,

God's determination is always perfection and all good for all [God’s] children; perfect health in mind and body; abundance of every good thing including joy, peace, wisdom, and eternal life. [God] does not will suffering or imperfection in any form.

We often think of “God’s Will” as a directive. We may have interpreted this to mean that God uses the Power of Will or will power to assert or impose a specific plan upon us. That does not jive with the God of my understanding. In researching synonyms for ‘will’ I found ‘spirit’ listed. Replacing the word ‘will’ with ‘spirit’ gives this concept an entirely new energy.

I suggest that each time we hear “God’s Will” we translate it to “God’s Spirit.” God’s Spirit of love; God’s Spirit of courage; God’s Spirit of forgiveness; God’s Spirit of abundance; God’s Spirit of joy; God’s Spirit of wholeness; God’s Spirt of peace, etc. God’s Spirt is accessible and available to each of us, yet never forced upon us. We get to choose.

We enjoy the gift of freewill. In his book, In the Flow of Life, Unity minister and author Eric Butterworth says,

The only predestination in life is the ultimate unfoldment of the divine creature you are. But the direction you take in realizing this outforming of the Christ indwelling will always be determined by your consciousness.

The content of our consciousness, the prevailing energy patterns of thoughts and feelings, determine our path, not some predetermined arbitrarily assigned role or plan for our lives. We have the power to affect the nature of our consciousness.

Regarding the “ultimate purpose” for our lives, I share this from my book, In This Moment: Prayers from the Well of Awareness ¹,

The sole purpose of life experience is to be a channel for [God.] “Why am I here?” or “What is my life purpose?” are questions asked by most of us. Many spend a lifetime seeking these answers, yet never finding them. The problem is not with the answer, but with the question. The question implies that the one asking has a purpose that is different and somehow separate from the one purpose of humanity – to be the expression of Love on Earth.

The questions often asked about purpose are truly questions of calling. The questions could very well be worded, “What is [Spirit] calling me to contribute to the world, and how do I accomplish it?” or “How can I, as an individuation of [God] freely share Love in a way that is life-enriching and uniquely suited to my gifts and talents?” Those are questions that open the channel of freedom, allowing the expression of all that desires to be born in the one asking.

Each of us has a unique part to play in the unfolding of the “Divine Plan” as we awaken to the indwelling Christ, and through the power of freewill, become God’s Spirit in action.

In addition, we are divinely guided on the path to our greatest unfolding. Eric Butterworth also said in In the Flow of Life,

Divine guidance is not an exterior force action upon you. It is the seed of your divinity (the Christ of you) seeking to fulfill its pattern in the outforming process of your life. God could never do for you that which you do not inherently want for yourself.

As we center our awareness in our hearts, we attune to the voice of our inner guide. When we listen and follow the knowing at the depth our being, we are lead each step of the way in the fulfillment of our unique pattern of the Christ that each of us is.

I will explore more about this idea in my lesson at 10:00 this coming Sunday, August 19, at Unity Spiritual Center Denver. My lesson is entitled, “Your Internal GPS.” If you are in the Denver area, please join us. If you are not able to join us on Sunday, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. My lessons are uploaded each week.

¹ Sign up for my email list, and I will be happy to email you an electronic copy of my book. You may also purchase a paperback copy here.