A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #338 - I am affected only by my thoughts.

 Lesson #338

I am affected only by my thoughts.

The saying is “Perception is reality” It is a wise statement. What you perceive is not reality but merely what you want to perceive. In psychology this phenomenon is called “confirmation bias” of a “self fulfilling prophecy.”

Sometimes we jokingly say “Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it” or “Be careful what you fear because your fearing it will bring it to pass.”

In Alcoholic Anonymous it is suggested, in step one, that we admit our lives have become unmanageable, and in step two we come to believe that there is a Power greater than ourselves, and in step three to turn our willfilluness over to the Tao. “Let go and let God” is the slogan.

In Unitarian Universalism there is a belief in the Unconditional Love of our Transcendent Source and we affirm and promote a free and responsible search for this Transcendent Source. Alleluia!

Today, it is suggested in lesson #338 that we recognize and acknowledge that we are affected only by our thoughts and our thoughts play hundreds of thousands of tricks on us.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #337 - My sinlessness protects me from harm.

 Lesson #337

My sinlessness protects me from harm.

At the end of things when it's all said and done, we are perfect at our core. The separation never really occurred. Living in the land of the ego has been a dream of illusions. We actually are sinless when we understand the idea of Atonement which is the repair of the separation. It is what Jesus taught when He said that the Father and I are One.

In Alcoholic Anonymous it is suggested, in step eleven, that we improve our conscious contact with God through prayer and meditation. We pray to know His Will for us and the power to carry it out. The “power” is simply a choice. Would we choose the separation or Love?

In Unitarian Universalism we join together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning and this search takes us to a place of sinlessness when we remember the inherent worth and dignity of every person.

Today, it is suggested that we give up our fears and remember that in our essence our sinlessness protects us from harm.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #336 - Forgiveness lets me know that minds are joined.

 Lesson #336

Forgiveness lets me know that minds are joined.

Forgiveness, as described  in A Course In Miracles, is the willingness to give up making other people and circumstances responsible for our unhappiness. Forgiveness asks us to give up playing the role of the victim and instead become the agent, through our choices, to make love manifest in our life. Jesus taught this when He said, “Love your enemies.”

In Alcoholic Anonymous it is suggested in step four that we do a fearless moral inventory, in step five that we admit the exact nature of our wrongs to another human being, in step six ask God to remove the defects of our character which contributed to the harm we have done, and in step eight, where it would do no further harm, to make amends. It is in the making of amends that we realize that minds are joined.

In Unitarian Universalism we covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person and justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. We join with others in this recognition of every person’s inherent worth and dignity, and in promoting justice, equity and compassion.

Today, it is suggested that we recognize and acknowledge that it is in forgiveness that minds are joined.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #335 - I choose to see my brother's sinlessness.

 Lesson #335

I choose to see my brother’s sinlessness.

When Flip Wilson, the comedian, did his Geraldine routine, she would say, “What you see is what you get!” The questions are “What do you see?” What do you want to see?” Today’s lesson, #335, suggests that we choose to see our brothers’ and sisters’ sinlessness.

In Alcoholic Anonymous it is suggested, in step twelve, that as a result of our spiritual awakening we carry the message of the spiritual program of the 12 steps to others. We share with others who often are stigmatized, despised, and perceived with disdain that they are the sinless children of God who loves them unconditionally and whose unconditional love we are a conduit.

In Unitarian Universalism we covenant together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth and we affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person..

Today, it is suggested that we look for the Divine Spark in every person and focus on that which is sinless and perfect forever.

How do we encourage spiritual growth in others? Part one

 How do we encourage spiritual growth in others?

Principle three in Unitarian Universalism is UUs covenant together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations. How is this to be done? In my 16 years of involvement in four UU churches I have never heard a sermon preached on this topic. I wonder why?

There are no sermons on the encouragement to spiritual growth because Unitarian Universalism lacks a map for this development. There is no metanarrative to guide the journey. The denomination is spiritually impoverished. The proverb teaches “if you don’t know where you’re going any road will take you there.”

Unitarian Universalism lacks a vision and with no vision there is no viable mission because what difference would a mission make if we don’t know our destination?

1. If you are involved in a UU church what has attracted you to the congregation?

2. If you are involved in a UU church what has contributed to the retention of your involvement?

3. If you are involved in a UU church what are you hoping to get out of it?

4. To what extent has your spiritual development been facilitated by your involvement in Unitarian Universalism?

5. What are the factors present in Unitarian Universalism that have contributed to your spiritual development and that of others that you have observed?

To be continued

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #334 - Today I claim the gifts forgiveness gives.

 Lesson #334

Today I claim the gifts forgiveness gives.

What are the gifts that forgiveness gives? Peace and joy.

It is suggested in Alcoholics Anonymous, in step twelve, that we claim the gifts of our spiritual awakening and share them with others.

In Unitarian Universalism we covenant together to accept one another and nourish with encouragement each other’s spiritual growth.

Today, it is suggested in lesson #334 that we claim the gifts that forgiveness gives and by doing so those gifts reverberate with others with whom we interact and the whole world.

Why are Unitarian Universalists engaged in social justice work?

 

The mission of facilitating spiritual growth gets captured by special interests who want to use the organizational resources to advocate for social justice causes that are peripheral to the prime mission and vision of the organization. This organizing around social justice issues cannot sustain a mature organization because the motivations are situational and relatively short lived.

David Markham, Book Notes on The Gadfly Papers by Todd Eklof

Unitarian Univeralist congregations are not social justice agencies. UU churches are not social activist organizations. Social justice and social activism organizing is best left to the professionals. The mission of Unitarian Universalism is to provide covenantal relationships where spiritual growth and development an be facilitated. 

If this spiritual growth and development can be facilitated by  corporal works of compassion and mercy social justice work can be a vehicle to nourish such spiritual development. However, social justice work is not the purpose of UU churches itself but a means to another end which is to raise the consciousness of people engaged in the work and those with whom they interact.