Ask Alexa - Why don't older people get more respect?

Alexa: As I grow older I don't think I get much respect. Why is that?

There is a difference between growing old and growing up. Respect has to be earned, it is not freely given. Animals grow old, but only human beings have ther prerogative of growing up.

Alexa: Did you hear about the husband who wanted a divorce because his wife made terrible coffee.

Yes, he felt he had the grounds.

Daily refections - Day three - Where is the Love?

Day three

Where is the Love?

“The opposite of love is fear, but what is all encompassing can have no opposite” ACIM Intro. 8

We are living in a time when the biggest psychiatric diagnosis is anxiety disorder. The rise of antianxiety and anti - depressant medications is impressive. One might wonder why the high prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders?

We are living in a time of rapid social change with increased social isolation. Along with anxiety and depressive disorders, a major complaint is loneliness and lack of meaning in one’s life. Are we living in a loveless age? Otherwise why all the anxiety?

It is suggested that the opposite of Love is fear, aka anxiety, and then quickly follows up by saying that all encompassing Love can have no opposite. If this Love is all encompassing why are we not often aware of it?

The lack of awareness of all encompassing Love is because we are focused outward instead of inward. We are looking for love in all the wrong places. Love is not to be found outside of our minds in special relationships, money, power, prestige, sex, fun. We make idols out of the things of the ego. Mother Teresa said one time that while the United States might be the richest country on planet Earth, it is one the spiritually poorest. If you think about the U.S. high rates of anxiety and depressive disorders, and high use of medications, we might be inclined to agree with her.

Love is to be found in our minds and hearts nor outside of us. We are looking for love in the wrong places barking up the wrong trees.

Today just be quiet, slow your breathing, relax your muscles, and think of the time you felt most loved in your whole life. Stay with that scene for a few seconds, and try to expand it and embellish it. Imagine that the peace, and contentment, and comfort that you feel could increase in your experience and take over your life. Feel yourself become a part of something far greater than yourself which accepts you with a welcome, acceptance and nurturing care for which you were created. Watch the fear evaporate and Love become all encompassing.

Having felt the Love in your heart and mind, share it with whoever comes into your path today.

Ask Alexa - Does God love me?

Alexa: Does God love me?

Unconditionally, but you don't believe it because you are so caught up on the path of the ego.

Alexa:What do you call a drink which is one part prune juice and one part vodka?

A Pile-driver.

Daily Reflections - Day Two - Love's presence is your natural inheritance

Day Two

Love’s presence is your natural inheritance

“The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance.” ACIM Intro. 6-7

Holiness is what you are. Holiness is your essence. However, our holiness gets buried under our social conditioning, and our attempts to fulfill our desires by seeking and obtaining the things of the ego.

These things of the ego which we seek to obtain become idols which block our awareness of Love’s presence which leave us feeling anxious, depressed, confused, and scared.

To become aware of Love’s presence in our core being we must remove these blocks. This is called purification. Purification is not of the body but of the mind. Purification is eschewing the things of the ego. Jesus tells us to be in the world but not of the world.

Knowing this we still are tempted to believe the things of the world. We still think that special relationships, material things, status and prestige, having power to dominate and influence will make us happy. We pray in the great prayer of Jesus, the Our Father, “...lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil…”

Take three deep breaths, relax, and go inward and become aware of God’s presence in your heart. Do this several times today whenever you are feeling stressed, frustrated, discouraged, scared.

Love’s presence is your natural inheritance. Become aware of it.

Ask Alexa - Why is my life so hard?

Alexa: Why is my life so hard?

Maybe because you are running uphill, going against the grain, upsetting the apple cart, disturbing the status quo, wandering in the desert, confused beyond all recognition, don't have your shit together.

Alexa: Did you hear about the two cannibals who were eating a clown?

Yes, the one cannibal asked the other, "Does this taste funny to you?"

Daily reflections - Day one

Day One

Pax vobiscum.

This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time. Into. 1-5

Life is a classroom. You were born here on earth to learn certain things. You were born here to learn that you are a conscious being who, in spite of what you’ve been taught, are not the author of your own life, but the extension of a power far greater than yourself.

Some people are too arrogant, too vain, too blind to the fact that this is so and will continue down the path of the ego doing as they damn well please until they hit bottom and it dawns on them that there is something going on in life that they can’t control. It dawns on them that they are not in charge as they have been  led to believe.

This dawning comes at the great cost of recognizing and acknowledging their fear of punishment for having separated themselves from the power of the Universe of which they are merely an extension. With this acknowledgment of their fear of punishment also comes the growing awareness that they are a part of something Awesome and Great. The Universalists have taught this, that human beings are loved unconditionally by that from which they have come. With this awareness, fear is replaced with great peace.

When people say, “Peace be with you. Pax vobiscum,” this is what they are referring to.

Are you ready to give up the ego and begin to study the curriculum of the Spirit? Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. This search is not for external things but an inward search for Truth and Love.

Take a minute today, and turn inward, and find the peace and joy that comes from sensing your source. Then extend it to those around you wishing them the same peace and love which you have found. Say to them in greeting, "Pax vobiscum," or in English, "Peace be with you." If you find it awkward to say out loud, just think it in your mind.

Sunday Sermon - The Truth will set you free.

Luke 23:35-43 The Message (MSG)

34-35 Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Dividing up his clothes, they threw dice for them. The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, “He saved others. Let’s see him save himself! The Messiah of God—ha! The Chosen—ha!”

36-37 The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him, making a game of it. They toasted him with sour wine: “So you’re King of the Jews! Save yourself!”

38 Printed over him was a sign: this is the king of the jews.

39 One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him: “Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!”

40-41 But the other one made him shut up: “Have you no fear of God? You’re getting the same as him. We deserve this, but not him—he did nothing to deserve this.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom.”

43 He said, “Don’t worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise.”

Today's gospel reminds me of Donald Trump putting down and smearing the truth tellers at the impeachment hearings.

Trump's Republican defenders join in the sneering with Nunes and Jordon being the worst, but all the Republicans got in their licks.

Adam Schiff and many others, trying to get to the bottom of things for the American people, get attacked, mocked, villified, bullied, and made fun of.

The Repubicans and their supporters have no fear of God, or maybe deep down they fear punishment and vengeance, otherwise why would they behave as they do?

The impeachment hearings have become a major morality play being performed in the front of the American people and the world. And in light of today's gospel WWJD, What would Jesus do?

Jesus would calmly take it all in and not judge and nor condemn. Jesus would forgive and for those who acknowledge their sins, and accept forgiveness, they would join him in paradise. But for those who don't and continue to be bitter, resentful, scared, and attack, they are already in their own hell and it will continue until they chose otherwise.

The story of the crucifixion is not about a man being murdered by the State as much as the Truth being butchered, mocked, belittled, subject to extinguishing by the powers that be. But the Truth cannot die because the Truth is that which is. The Truth can be ignored, defamed, distorted, denied, but it cannot be killed. You might think that we humans would have learned this lesson by now. However we are too self serving, too self deceptive, too arrogant, to acknowledge the Truth even when it is apparent before us.

The lesson of Jesus' crucifixion is not about blood sacrifice as so many Christians insist. As the Universalists know, God does not require nor want sacrifice. What God wants is the acknowledgement of Truth for without it we are consigned to hell and with it we enter into heaven.

The Truth will set us free, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, but there are those who are afraid of the Truth and they create a living hell in our midst. Jesus shows us that the way to deal with deceit and injustice is to forgive for Jesus is quoted as saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

This Thanksgiving as families gather there will be plenty of forgiveness opportunities. There is no need to defend and argue for the Truth for if you have accepted Truth into  your heart, you will already be free.