Friday, June 21, 2019
A Course In Miracles and Unitarian Universalism - What is our function?
From A Course In Miracles:
T-21.II.2. This is the only thing that you need do for vision, happiness, release from pain and the complete escape from sin, all to be given you. Say only this, but mean it with no reservations, for here the power of salvation lies: I am responsible for what I see. I choose the feelings I experience, and I decide upon the goal I would achieve. And everything that seems to happen to me I ask for, and receive as I have asked.
Deceive yourself no longer that you are helpless in the face of what is done to you. Acknowledge but that you have been mistaken, and all effects of your mistakes will disappear.
Schucman, Dr. Helen. A Course in Miracles (p. 448). Foundation for Inner Peace.
Comment:
Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. Where is this search to take us? Where is truth and meaning to be found?
The search is an inward search not an outward one. Recognize that we have the power to choose our own reality. Would we choose conditional love or unconditional love?
The Universalist tradition tells us that God loves us unconditionally and we are to extend God's love to ourselves and throughout the world.
This extension of God's unconditional love is our function as Unitarian Univeresalists and we know that as we give so we shall receive and as we teach so shall we learn.
A Course In Miracles tells us that happiness, release from pain, is achieved simply by making a choice to follow God's will which is to take responsibility for our own happiness by extending God's love to ourselves and throughout the world.
Ask Alexa - Who is responsible for my happiness?
Absolutely, you and only you, and don't play the victim and blame others or you give your power away.
Alexa: Did you hear about the person who didn't pay the bill for his exorcism?
Yes, he got repossessed.
You may think it's okay to vote for Donald Trump for President of the U.S.
Today marks the inception of a new column on UU A Way Of Life ministries blog tagged "You might think it's okay." The column will appear periodically.
You might think it's okay to vote for a pathological liar, a malignant narcissist, and sexual predator to be President of the United States but it is not okay because of the injustice, inequality, and exploitation unleased on Americans and people around the world.
For more click here.
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Ask Alexa - What is that dim memory that enchants me?
That is the song of heaven calling you back home.
Alexa: Did you hear about what Lena did when Ole died and she called the newspaper to place an obituary and she asked the obituary writer how much it cost and he said, "The first five words are free?"
Yes, she told the obituary writer to write, "Ole died. Boat for sale."
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
A Course In Miracles and Unitarian Universalism - Uncondtional Love and social justice
From A Course In Miracles
T-21.in.1. Projection makes perception.
The world you see is what you gave it, nothing more than that. But though it is no more than that, it is not less. Therefore, to you it is important.
It is the witness to your state of mind, the outside picture of an inward condition. As a man thinketh, so does he perceive.
Therefore, seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world.
Perception is a result and not a cause. And that is why order of difficulty in miracles is meaningless.
Everything looked upon with vision is healed and holy. Nothing perceived without it means anything. And where there is no meaning, there is chaos.
Schucman, Dr. Helen. A Course in Miracles (p. 445). Foundation for Inner Peace.
Comment -
Many Unitarian Universalists are interested in and concerned about social justice. In fact, this concern is part of our covenant with one another which is to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. It is important to understand that we enact this principle not to make the world a better place, because what we see in the world is an illusion, but rather to forgive ourselves for our judgmental and distorted preception.
The third principle asks us to accept one another and encourage spiritual growth in our congregations. Focusing on the condition of the external world instead of focusing our own internal state of mind is a distraction and a mistake. Jesus tells us before you attempt to remove the splinter in your neighbor's eye, take the log out of your own eye first.
A Course In Miracles asks us to shift gears and look upon our brothers and sisters with unconditional love and this is the core of our Universalist faith. If we are to look upon our brothers and sisters with unconditional love what does that mean for pursing social justice?
It means that we love the sinner and hate the sin. It means, as Jesus told us, that we should love our enemies.
Jesus told us that all are called but few choose the Universalist path of Unconditional Love.
T-21.in.1. Projection makes perception.
The world you see is what you gave it, nothing more than that. But though it is no more than that, it is not less. Therefore, to you it is important.
It is the witness to your state of mind, the outside picture of an inward condition. As a man thinketh, so does he perceive.
Therefore, seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world.
Perception is a result and not a cause. And that is why order of difficulty in miracles is meaningless.
Everything looked upon with vision is healed and holy. Nothing perceived without it means anything. And where there is no meaning, there is chaos.
Schucman, Dr. Helen. A Course in Miracles (p. 445). Foundation for Inner Peace.
Comment -
Many Unitarian Universalists are interested in and concerned about social justice. In fact, this concern is part of our covenant with one another which is to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. It is important to understand that we enact this principle not to make the world a better place, because what we see in the world is an illusion, but rather to forgive ourselves for our judgmental and distorted preception.
The third principle asks us to accept one another and encourage spiritual growth in our congregations. Focusing on the condition of the external world instead of focusing our own internal state of mind is a distraction and a mistake. Jesus tells us before you attempt to remove the splinter in your neighbor's eye, take the log out of your own eye first.
A Course In Miracles asks us to shift gears and look upon our brothers and sisters with unconditional love and this is the core of our Universalist faith. If we are to look upon our brothers and sisters with unconditional love what does that mean for pursing social justice?
It means that we love the sinner and hate the sin. It means, as Jesus told us, that we should love our enemies.
Jesus told us that all are called but few choose the Universalist path of Unconditional Love.
Past, present, future - Don't worry; Be happy
Past, present, future: all parts of our lives.
The past is part of our story sometimes painful, sometimes precious, sometimes better left unremembered, sometimes providing valuable understandings and wisdom.
The present is getting lost in the here and now, the real deal, being aware of current experience. Some say, the present is all there is, be here now, you can't live in the past, but that's just not true. We are conscious human beings with memories, and hopes.
The future is yet to come. We live best when we are hopeful, have dreams, wishes, aspirations. This yearning often gives our lives their meaning and keeps us going especially in tough times.
Past, present, future, all three perspectives make up life. All three perspectives enrich us and each other.
Matthew 6: 25-34
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
The Tao of Jesus seems to be "Don't worry" or as Bobby McFerrin sang in his great song, "Don't worry, be happy!"
Time is not real. The all is all all at once. We only break it up in chunks to apprehend it. We have to take the good with the bad, the beautiful and ugly, the pleasurable and the painful, the past, present, and future, all as part of the same great Tao.
The third principle/value of Unitarian Universalism is the "Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations." When people are in a state of acceptance sometimes they describe it as "time stood still" or "time seemed to fly by" or "where did all the time go?"
Don't Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin lip synced by Nature's Sunshine Employees in the mid-80s, video lasts about 5 minutes and made me smile.
The past is part of our story sometimes painful, sometimes precious, sometimes better left unremembered, sometimes providing valuable understandings and wisdom.
The present is getting lost in the here and now, the real deal, being aware of current experience. Some say, the present is all there is, be here now, you can't live in the past, but that's just not true. We are conscious human beings with memories, and hopes.
The future is yet to come. We live best when we are hopeful, have dreams, wishes, aspirations. This yearning often gives our lives their meaning and keeps us going especially in tough times.
Past, present, future, all three perspectives make up life. All three perspectives enrich us and each other.
Matthew 6: 25-34
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
The Tao of Jesus seems to be "Don't worry" or as Bobby McFerrin sang in his great song, "Don't worry, be happy!"
Time is not real. The all is all all at once. We only break it up in chunks to apprehend it. We have to take the good with the bad, the beautiful and ugly, the pleasurable and the painful, the past, present, and future, all as part of the same great Tao.
The third principle/value of Unitarian Universalism is the "Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations." When people are in a state of acceptance sometimes they describe it as "time stood still" or "time seemed to fly by" or "where did all the time go?"
Don't Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin lip synced by Nature's Sunshine Employees in the mid-80s, video lasts about 5 minutes and made me smile.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
