A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #265 - Creation's gentleness is all I see.

 Lesson #265

Creation’s gentleness is all I see.

Jesus tells us to pray, “.....Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In other words, we should hope to experience heaven on earth if we align our will with God’s will. When we do this it is Creation’s gentleness that we see. Ha! What do you think of that?

In Alcoholic Anonymous, it is suggested, in step three, that we make a decision to turn our willfulness over to God and be willing to go with the flow to become one with the Tao.

In Unitarian Universalism we covenant together to affirm and promote the love for the interdependent web of all existence and in this we experience the great gentleness of God’s creation.

Today, we are invited to shift gears and see the world of gentleness through the eyes of forgiveness rather than to nurse our resentments, our grievances, and live in anger and fear. This shifting of gears is what the Course calls a “miracle.” and indeed the whole course is a course in miracles. Isn’t that something?

June, 2021 has been proclaimed immigration month by President Biden

 

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and proclaim the inherent worth and digntiy of every person and the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #264 - I am surrounded by the Love of God.

 

Lesson #264

I am surrounded by the Love of God

We get caught up in the immediate concerns of the ego world and we forget the Unconditional Love of God and even if we think of it, it seems too good to be true and so while we may pay it lip service we don’t take it to heart.

In Alcoholic Anonymous, it is suggested in step eleven that we improve our conscious contact with God. Good idea right? It takes practice.

In Unitarian Universalism we covenant together to affirm and promote the love of the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part and in this awareness we experience great peace and joy. Things, deep down, are just as they should be and we are loved.

Today, take several moments to smell the roses, to savor, with gratitude, the gifts which existence has provided for us. There is always something sweet we can be grateful for even in the worst, most sour, toxic situations. If we have trouble seeing that sweetness, forgiveness is the key to experiencing it..

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #263 - My holy vision sees all things as pure.

 Lesson #263

My holy vision sees all things as pure.

What we see in the ego world is superficialities. We rarely look deeply into the heart of things. Were we to do that, today’s lesson teaches that we would see things pure. We would see the Ground of Being, the emanation of the Transcendent Source, what Luke Skywalker called “the Force.”

In Alcoholic Anonymous we are encouraged, in step eleven, to improve our conscious contact with God through prayer and mediation which shifts our perception from division and separation to an apprehension of Oneness imbued with the energy of Creative Love. We perceive the higher vibrations of denser matter and it appears more pure.

In Unitarian Universalism we covenant together to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning and this search involves clearing away the barriers and obstacles to perceiving the essence of things. In perceiving the essence of creation, the purity of the creative energy of Unconditional Love is manifest as the Universalists taught centuries ago.

Today, it is suggested that we overlook the externalities of things and focus on their essences. It is there that we see and understand and can appreciate Spirit and this holy vision sees all things as pure.

Increasing awareness that life is holy.

Increasing awareness that life is holy.

Call it an energy shift, call it a cosmic cycle, call it the overhaul of humanity, or whatever you will, but what’s occurring on Earth right now is, you can be sure, very real. It’s touching lives emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Some lives more than others, but none are immune. This experience is global in scope. Talk to people. Just ask them. Talk to people anywhere, everywhere. They’ll tell you: Yes, life has been tumultuous lately. More than usual. More than normal. For some, more than ever.

Walsch, Neale Donald. The Only Thing That Matters (Conversations With Humanity Book 2) (pp. 4-5). Hay House. Kindle Edition. 

What Neale seems to be describing is an evolutionary push for higher levels of consciousness. Ken Wilber calls this simply “Levels.” Developmental models have phases, stages, levels, whatever you want to call them. Is there a collective growth occurring pushing humanity to a further level of consciousness?

Yes, this is what the Covid-19 and climate warming and digital communication is doing to us, usually below our level of consciousness. We are becoming more and more aware of what Unitarian Universalists call the “interdependent web of existence.” This is no more evident than the idea of “supply chains” which became so evident with the toilet paper shortage during Covid-19.

When we experience the shortage of supply we become acutely aware of how interdependent we are and that our dependence makes us feel vulnerable and fragile. The push is for harmony, for working together, for the valuing of every link in the chain, an awareness that every person is important. We become more aware than ever of the inherent worth and dignity of every person and that we sink or swim together.

This awareness brings us back to what really matters. It is not the individual as much as the whole. Life is not linear and reductionistic but systemic and one. Our recent experiences have changed our understanding of who and what we are as human beings. We are forced to see life as whole (holy) if we are to survive.

A Course In Miracles Workbook Lesson #262 - Let me perceive no differences today.

 Lesson #262

Let me perceive no differences today.

Like drops of the ocean, every human being is an individualized version of the same thing. Every person is a single aspect of the same Source. The Unitarian Universalists call this thing all human beings have in common, “inherent worth and dignity.”

In Alcoholic Anonymous, it is suggested, in step twelve, that as a result of the spiritual awakening facilitated by working the steps that we share it with others. In this sharing we strengthen ourselves. We do not have less by sharing but we gain more. Seems paradoxical doesn’t it? The reason this works is because human beings are different forms of the same thing so when we share we are stronger in the whole. That’s why to share is “holy”. Get it?

In Unitarian Universalism we covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person and when we do this we realize as today’s ACIM workbook lesson teaches that there are no differences as we are all a part of the interdependent web of existence.

Today, let us look beyond the superficial differences on the surface and perceive the essence beneath the exterior form to the Ground of Being within. In this apprehension there is great peace and joy. Amen, Alleluia!

A Course In Miracles Lesson #261 - God is my refuge and security

 Lesson #261

God is my refuge and security.

We are not our body. We are not our social status and roles we play. We are not our thoughts nor our feelings nor our personality. What are we? We are a spark of Life which we call “God.” It is in this awareness that we find our refuge and security.

In Alcoholics Anonymous it is suggested in  step eleven that  we improve our conscious contact with God as we understand God. Good idea, yes?

In Unitarian Universalism we covenant together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person which comes from God. Right?

Today, we will give up the idols we have inserted into our daily lives believing that they will make us happy. We will reflect on the fact that our refuge and security comes from enhancing our awareness of our Oneness with God.