A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #187, I bless the world because I bless myself.

 Lesson #187

I bless the world because I bless myself.

The law of the ego world is one of scarcity. The law of the Spirit (Love) world is one of abundance. I can’t give what I don’t have. I can’t possess what is not mine. 

The law of the world of Spirit (Love) teaches that we don’t divide, we multiply. I bless the world because I realize that I, myself, am blessed.

In Alcoholics Anonymous, in the twelfth step, it is suggested that we strengthen our recovery by giving it away to others.

In Unitarian Universalism, we covenant together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth. In this acceptance and encouragement we ourselves are strengthened.

Today, it is suggested that we regularly, throughout the day, bless the world as we realize that we ourselves are blessed.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #186, Salvation of the world depends on me.

 Lesson #186

Salvation of the world depends on me.

“Salvation” in A Course In Miracles is a return to the non dualistic Oneness of God. When the monk asks the hot dog vendor to “make me one with everything” the monk is asking for salvation and the asking for salvation depends on the monk.

Salvation is ours for the asking, and in fact, has always been ours, but we have forgotten it so what we are asking for is the conscious awareness of our natural inheritance which is the Oneness with our Transcendent Source.

In Alcoholic Anonymous, in step three, it is suggested that we not only ask for salvation but actually engage in it by deciding to turn our wills and lives over to the care of God as we understand God.

In Unitarian Universalism, we covenant together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and the encouragement to spiritual growth which is the salvation we facilitate when we ourselves and others return to the Oneness from which we separated ourselves in our incarnation into our earthly bodies.

Today, it is suggested that we remind ourselves frequently that salvation of the world depends on us, on me. The monk became frustrated when the hot dog vendor didn’t give him his change when he gave the vendor $5.00 for a $2.50 hot dog so the monk asked the vendor, “Where’s my change?” and the vendor said, “Oh monk, you should know more than anyone that change comes from within.” The vendor is reminding the monk that the salvation of the world doesn’t come from without but from within him.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #185, I want the peace of God.

 Lesson #185

I want the peace of God.

Don’t we all ultimately want the peace of God? “Ultimately” is the key word here because in the meantime we want all kinds of other stuff that we mistakenly think will make us happy. We have made idols out of all kinds of things: material objects, romantic love, power, status, adulation, ingestion of substances, etc.

After all the things of the ego world have failed to make us happy, we start to question our choices and what we value. Eventually, we come to realize that what we want more than anything is the peace of God and we want this for others as well.

In Alcoholic Anonymous, in the eleventh step, it is suggested that we seek to enhance our conscious contact with our Transcendent Source through prayer and mediation.

In Unitarian Universalism we covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning which takes us on the search for the peace of God. This search is done not alone and individually but with others because we have learned that the way to God is all for one and one for all.

Today, it is suggested that we take a few moments or minutes throughout the day and consider what it is that we truly want, and experiment in meditation seeking where it is to be found. It is found in unconditional love for ourselves and others and all of God’s creation.

A Course In Miracles #184, The Name Of God is my inheritance.

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”

― Rudyard Kipling

 Lesson #184

The Name Of God is my inheritance.

Here, in this day and age, we are taught in Western Civilization the Aristotelian logic of cause and effect. We have been taught to deconstruct things into their component parts to understand how they work. We forget that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. A system’s view is different from a logical, linear, mechanical view. Today, it is suggested that we don’t forget  the system's view, the holistic view, the holy view. The parts we perceive and their interactions are somewhat of an illusion because there is more to the story than what our egos can parse out. It is this rest of the story that today is being named “God” and is always our natural inheritance.

In Alcoholic Anonymous, it is suggested in step three what we turn our will over to our Higher Power. The program of AA is telling us that there is more to the story of our lives than what we dare to apprehend. AA teaches us that we have a choice between our willfulness and a willingness to get with the program and join the wholeness of life.

In Unitarian Universalism, we covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person which comes not from separateness and individuality but from  awareness of holiness, the fact that they are part of something bigger than themselves.

Today, it is suggested that we take a few moments several times a day and withdraw from the minutiae of our daily lives and consider that we are part of something awesome, something vast, something far beyond our ability to name. Our lives are mysterious and grand and part of something magnificent which transcends our mortal understanding but which fills us with great joy, and peace. We are asked to accept that the Name Of God is our inheritance.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #183, I will call upon God's Name and on my own.

 

Lesson #183

I will call upon God’s Name and on my own.

The Buddhists call the constant chatter in our heads, the “self talk,” “monkey mind.” The monkeys keep chattering and won’t shut the fuck up. They psychologists and self help coaches tell us we need will power and to replace the troubling thoughts with positive ones, yadda, yadda, yadda. It doesn’t work. To replace negative thoughts with positive ones is insanity. We only increase the chatter. All we have done is change its form when what we really want is peace of mind. So, today’s lesson tells us to drop the chatter and call upon God’s Name of which my own is a part as God’s child. I am part of God’s family and so why worry? Set all the worries aside and rest in the stillness of God’s presence which is my natural inheritance.

In Alcoholic Anonymous it is suggested in step eleven that we seek to improve our conscious contact with God through prayer and meditation. This is a prayer of “no mind.”, ignoring all the chatter and resting in the peace and relaxation of God realization.

In Unitarian Universalism, we affirm and promote the internet worth and dignity of every person which is to be found in their essence, in the ground of their being, not in external characteristics. Inherent worth and dignity is to be found in the Godliness we all share as being part of the creative force of the universe. In this creative being we can rest assured of our natural inheritance from which we have distracted ourselves looking for our happiness elsewhere.

Today, it is suggested that we take several moments throughout the day to call upon God’s Name by making room in your minds and hearts by ignoring all the bull shit and resting in the Grace of our Natural Inheritance which is the Peace of God..

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #182 - I will be still an instant and go home.

 Lesson #182

I will be still an instant and go home.

Are you tired of the bull shit? Do you sense that there must be a better way? Are you ready to focus on that better way  in your life?

In Alcoholic Anonymous, it is suggested in step three that we turn our lives over to the care of God. We can go home any time by stopping our external activities, take a few deep breaths, relax, and go within.

In Unitarian Universalism, we affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning and we come to learn as we search that truth and meaning is not to be found in the external world, but in our essential innocence born from our Transcendent Source which we can rejoin at any time we choose by letting go of the illusions of the world which involve a hell of our own making.

Today, I will stop several times for a few moments whatever I am doing and just remember from whence I came and where I am going and experience the peace of God.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #181, I trust my brothers who are one with me.

 Lesson #181

I trust my brothers who are one with me.

In Unitarian Universalism we covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. When we perceive other people do we see their problems, their deficits, their character flaws, their hurtful behaviors or do we see their inherent sinlessness, their innocence, their innate goodness?

Can we see past the errors and mistakes and see the Divine Spark within them and ourselves? What do we trust , their innate goodness or their mess ups and defects?

In Alcoholic Anonymous, it is suggested in step twelve, that once we see the innate goodness in people we carry the message of AA forward as a ray of hope and tools for recovery from the world of the ego to the world of Love.

Today, we are asked whenever we are upset, hurt, angry with another to remind ourselves that under all the dysfunction there is a good person and it is in that goodness that we trust. In Social Work, professionals are encouraged to develop and maintain a “nonjudgmental attitude” This position is blessed and brings great joy and peace no matter what kind of mayhem is occurring on the ego plain.