A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #160 - I am at home. Fear is the stranger here.

 Lesson #160

I am at home. Fear is the stranger here.

Do you feel at home in the world of the ego? We keep trying to believe that the idols of the ego will make us happy. We are told this hundreds of times per day in advertisements of all sorts. We are conditioned to think that our happiness lies in acquiring things in the external world. This world is full of fear based on the ego’s law of scarcity. The ego tells us there isn’t enough for everyone. There isn’t enough to go around so get yours as quick as you can and protect it before the threats of the ego world take it from you.

Fear is the atmosphere of the world of the ego. It is what we breath, and ingest, and eliminate constantly.

And then it finally dawns on us that the promises of the ego world are a lie and that peace and joy does not come from the things in the external world of empty promises. Rather peace and joy comes from the Unconditional Love of our Creator in Whose embrace we can dwell if we so choose.

The question is simple: “Now, knowing you have choice, will you choose hell or heaven?” We can decide that our home is in the Oneness of our Transcendent Source where fear is a stranger because we have chosen to dwell in perfection.

In Alcoholic Anonymous it is suggested in the eleventh step to improve our conscious contact with God through prayer and meditation. AA instructs us to stop taking other people’s inventory and to focus on our own. How about that? Is that a good idea or what?

In Unitarian Universalism, we are encouraged to covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. This inherent worth and dignity is nothing to be earned, to be deserved, to be obtained and acquired, it is our intrinsic nature. It is not what we do but who we are. In this realization we are at home and fear is a stranger because scarcity is not part of the picture. If that isn’t nice, what is?

Today, it is suggested that we begin and end the day, and many times in between, we remind ourselves of our choice: to become aware of our intrinsic nature and dwell there or to be consumed with fear that we are not good enough, don’t have enough, won’t get enough. This fear of scarcity is a stranger in the world of the Spirit. And so it goes…..

My Kind Of Church Music

Sounds of Silence, Simon and Garfinkle

Spiritual Book Discussion - Scripture Unbound - Historical understanding

ANY LITERATURE or history teacher can tell you that texts are situated in the place and time they were written. The vocabulary, the genre, the structure, every aspect of a work is influenced by the time and culture of its origin—not to mention the author. While recent works may meticulously cite dates of publication, names of authors, and references, ancient works require detective work to unearth even these basics. That’s what historical-critical reading provides.

Johnstone, Jonalu. Scripture Unbound: A Unitarian Universalist Approach (p. 41). Skinner House Books. Kindle Edition. 

In an attempt to bring some sense of authority to religious texts many scholars engage in a historical exegesis. When was the text written, by whom, under what circumstances with what sanction and certification and how was it used by the communities that embraced it?

Meaning is not a matter of fact but of interpretation which can change over a period of time, contexts, and influence of power relations.

1. If you were raised in a faith tradition which espoused a sacred text how has your view of the authority of the text changed over the years?
2. Have you found yourself picking and choosing various interpretations of the text according to your biases?
3. Have you found religious leaders attempting to persuade and influence people based on their interpretation of the meaning of the text?
4. Have these religious leaders claimed they have the one, and only, and true interpretation and so should be accepted as authoritative?
5. Have you ever used a religious text in this way to persuade, convince, and influence others?

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #159, I give the miracles I have received.

 Lesson #159

I give the miracles I have received.

You can’t give what you don’t possess. You can’t share what you don’t have. Do you realize that you have the Unconditional Love of God and that things in the spiritual world are already perfect? Only in the world of the ego is there scarcity and separation and the law of “one or the other,” the so called “zero sum game,” where there must be a loser if there is a winner. Both being winners is not considered smart nor even possible.

In Alcoholics Anonymous, it is suggested in step twelve, that we give our recovery away, that we share it with others, that we extend what we have learned and achieved. In this sharing, our well being is reinforced and amplified. In this gift economy we receive what we give. The ego thinks this is crazy when the opposite is true: it is in giving that we receive.

In Unitarian Universalism, we are taught that it is a covenantal religion, one in which there is strength in sharing and being there for each other. UUs affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and the nurturing of spiritual growth. UUs know that in sharing they receive and that many are stronger and healthier than one. The UU motto is “all for one and one for all.” And so it goes. Isn’t this nice?

Today, it is suggested that we begin and end the day, and many times in between, rejoicing in giving the miracles we have received. The meaning of “miracles” in this statement is “love.” We can say, “I give the love I have received.” Love, in the vocabulary of the Course, is the miracle. The meaning of life is to love one another which at times is damn hard.

My Kind Of Church Music 

Get together, The Youngbloods

 

The Spiritual Child - Depression as a system's failure.

 Depression as a system’s failure.

Spiritual community gives struggling teens the benefits of the expanded field of love or social engagement system, shared spiritual values, unconditional acceptance, and communal prayer and spiritual activity. As we learned in chapter 5, the tendency for mirror neurons to prompt synchronization between brains among participants during religious ritual in turn makes all participants more primed to experience transcendence. This means that teens’ potential for transcendent experience is enhanced by the group’s heightened neurodyanmic, a benefit for the developmentally depressed teen. 

The field of love also emerges as a rich resource for the depressed teen and for adults in the tough position of wanting to help but feeling helpless to do so. Depression affects an entire family, after all—siblings included—with what I call “family bystander stress,” until the depression is acknowledged and named: “Ah, George is actually depressed; he doesn’t hate me.” “Telling Carla to ‘just look on the bright side’ may have no traction—maybe I could ask, ‘Is that the depression talking?’” “I wonder if you are depressed—is something troubling you, knocking at the door right now for you? There may be something valuable on the other side of that door.” Extended family, teachers, coaches, and clergy can often connect with a teen with deep empathy that helps the teen feel accepted, loved, and part of the “something larger” that has spiritual meaning.

Miller, Dr. Lisa. The Spiritual Child (pp. 295-296). St. Martin's Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

We know that one of the six components of mental health are social connections. People who are depressed often withdraw and isolate and become cut off from social connections. People with depression often don’t have the energy for social connection. Sometimes the best thing is for people to hibernate and cocoon for a while. But then there comes a point where having a place to turn to or someone to turn to becomes paramount for turning the corner from depression to peace of mind once again.

What role does spirituality have in this recovery? It often is critical and very empowering. How is it accessed and utilized? Sometimes from parents and sometimes from friends and other times from authority figures representing various social institutions like school, sports, clubs, community groups, a clique, a gang. Rarely these days from church.

Young people in the 2020s have been turned off by formal religion and are as likely to say that they are spiritual and not religious as adults. Where has religion lost its credibility with young people? 

Young people don’t see religious institutions as being relevant to the problems they face such as climate change, the job market, the digital economy, the hypocrisy which floods the media outlets hourly.

How are young people to spiritually cope with the insanity of society? Will any adults be honest with them or are they, also, a part of the big lie?

As kids are subjected to safe shooter drills in schools with metal detectors at the entrances and police in the hallways with every student now a suspect, how is religion relevant to the lives they live?

With the Travon Martin killer acquitted and Tamir Rice’s killer acquitted, can children and teens trust adults to be protective of their welfare?

Is it any wonder that the God of institutional religion no longer speaks to the lives of young people?The adults in positions of authority no longer see themselves as spiritual ambassadors, but as agents of state control.

And so it goes with children and adolescents looking for God other than in the institutional church which has let them down and failed to protect them and nurture them. For evidence of this failure to nurture all one has to do is turn on the news, go to Twitter, log onto Facebook where the evidence of abuse, degradation, demeaning subjugation is prolifically evident.

The connection that children and adolescents need is with adults of integrity who are honest, genuine, sincere, authentic, and loving. They seem to be in short supply and religion has not only failed the children but also the adults who should be caring for them. If adults are to help children and adolescents with their depression, perhaps adults should focus on their own.

UU A Way Of Life monthly recap for January 2021

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lessons

There were daily articles during January 2021 on lessons 131 - 158. They are referenced to Alcoholics Anonymous one of the largest spiritual development programs in the world and to Unitarian Universalism one of the smallest religious denominations in the United States.

The Course In Miracles workbook is for people at intermediate and advanced levels of spiritual development because it is based on a metaphysical model which is not widely known and shared.

The viewership of UU A Way of Life has decreased probably because of the difficulty of the material which raises an editorial question of whether the blog should strive for the quantity of views or focus itself on a more selected audience. At this point, the goal is to cultivate an audience interested in intermediate and advanced resources for spiritual growth.

Readers of UU A Way Of Life can look forward to more commentary on further A Course In Miracles workbook lessons over the coming month.

Spiritual Book Discussions

Over the month of January, the blog has continued to provide commentary on The Spiritual Child by Lisa Miller and Scripture Unbound by Jonalu Johnstone. The articles on these two books have been sporadic. It is planned to finish The Spiritual Child in February and turn these articles into a course on Spiritual Parenting to be offered in the Spring of 2021.

The discussions of Scripture Unbound has also been more sporadic than hoped for and the plan is to return to a more frequent discussion for the rest of February, 2021. The Spiritual Book Discussion group was started with the goal of 10 members by the end of January, but this goal has not been achieved as the number of group members is 5 with very little activity. The goal to further develop this online discussion group will continue into February and March and perhaps videos and a zoom discussion meeting will be added to encourage more interest.

The Mystic Circle of Unitarian Universalists

The Mystic Circle of Unitarian Universalists was started in January with plans for a novitiate year of training. After a good start, the weekly lessons were not offered, due to the instructor being preoccupied with other duties. It is intended to resume the lessons during February and to continue throughout the year. An online discussion group was also started, and students are being recruited and invited to join.

Stories about UU Mystic Harry Hollywood

The stores about UU mystic Harry Hollywood were started in January, 2021 and will continue to appear on a weekly basis. They are intended to be humorous and insightful about the spiritual life. If you have stories that are humorous and make a spiritual point, please share them with us at UU A Way Of Life at davidgmarkham@gmail.com

Podcasts

No new podcasts have been created in January, 2021. The older ones continue to be accessed and listed to. There is a plan to create a new podcast every two weeks.

Support UU A Way Of Life

All materials on UU A Way Of Life are available free of charge as there should be no charge for spiritual services. Your donations of time, talent, and treasure  to support this work are welcome and very much appreciated.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #158, Today I learn to give as I receive.

 Lesson #158

Today I learn to give as I receive.

If we are but drops of the ocean what I give to the ocean becomes part of the ocean of which I am a part so what I give I also receive.

In Alcoholics Anonymous, it is suggested in the twelfth step that we share what we have learned from the program with others and in turn our learning and recovery is strengthened. The paradox is apparent that I receive what I give and I give that which I have received. How about that?

In Unitarian Universalism, we covenant together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and the nurturance of each other’s spiritual life. We learn that the miracle of Unitarian Universalism is in this covenant to give as I receive and receive as I give. How sweet is that?.

Today, it is suggested that we begin and end the day, and many times in between by  considering the idea that I give as I receive and I receive as I give because we are all part of the interdependent web which is not physical but spiritual. It is not the bodies that make up the communion of saints but the minds which are part of God.

Are you a mirror or a window?

 

"Most people are mirrors, reflecting the moods and emotions of the times; few are windows, bringing light to bear on the dark corners where troubles fester.  The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows."

—S. J. Harris (1917-1986)