Annual Meeting

We had our annual meeting on Sunday and it is an incredible experience to watch a group of people come together to create something much bigger than each one of us individually. We have much more direction and clarity since developing our new vision and mission. We spent time examining the progress we made toward our goals and we can see how we are moving forward. Our goals are structured very differently which allowed for a real sense of success. They are no longer about things over which we have no control like attendance markers, rather they define specific actions we as a group want to take in order to be in integrity with our vision and purpose. We approved our values and will spend time learning what it means to live them. Our core values are: love, inclusive community, Spirit-led, stewardship and service. We will go through a whole process to own them and to live them in the daily life of our church community and our personal lives.

We had a conversation around being an inclusive community. I have reported on this blog my journey into veganism. Several others within the congregation have made that lifestyle choice as well. We discussed how to have different choices like this without sending a message that all had to choose in this way in order to be accepted in the group. It is funny how unwritten rules can developed if we are not conscious of that process. All and all it was a time of reflection, celebration and looking toward our future.

Seeing each other as holy

I had the opportunity to talk about Unity to a university class this past week. I explained how the seemingly evil acts of humanity are a result of our sense of separation from God and one another. I shared how Unity teaches that we are created from the substance of God and as a result are inherently good. There were several students who struggled with the concept of our original goodness. One young woman stated emphatically that she was evil and sinful and needed a saviour to make her OK in the eyes of God. My heart ached when I heard those words come out of her mouth. I wanted her to see her as God see her, cherished, perfect and valued beyond description. I am not sure why we insist on holding on to an image of God that would see us as evil and would need a sacrifice in order to be redeemed. I wonder what kind of world it would be if we were all able to see who we really are as divine beings of Spirit. How would we be different if we really understood that we are inherently good? If we knew this about ourselves, we would see the same in each other. . We would treat each other with dignity and goodness. I believe that we would be incapable of inflicting any harm on another. Let's try it just for a day. Imagine that everyone you meet is the goodness of God walking around in human form. Include yourself in this image. See this even if you and others act in ways that would suggest otherwise. With laser beam vision, see one another as good and holy. See if this change in perception changes the way we treat each other. Then let's report back what we observe.

Department of Peace

There is a group of people meeting at the church this evening with a vision for a Department of Peace. When you think about it, that's a pretty incredible concept and it seems like it is a no-brainer. We have a Department of Defense and a Department of Homeland Security. Why not a Department of Peace. Just saying the words of our current paradigm creates an energy of fear and guardedness. When you simply say the words, "Department of Peace" there is an energy of possibility and of, well-peace. It says that as a nation, we are committed to the process of peace. This does not have to mean that we are weak. It means that we come from a place of strength, of a belief in a higher ideal, and a faith in a Presence that is available for everyone. We commit ourselves to stay present for the difficult process that peace often demands. In our personal lives and as a nation, we become accountable for our part in a conflict and we listen to others with ears of understanding and compassion. We fearlessly seek out the condition that will meet the needs of all parties involved. If we beleive that God is all good and everywhere present then we must believe that this possibility exists. It is simply waiting for us to set aside our fears, our judgments and paradigms long enough to give Presence enough space to make a higher alternative known. It reminds me of a bumper sticker on the car of a very dear friend of mine that says "God bless everyone-No Exceptions." Is all of this a bit Polly Anna, a bit unrealistic? Maybe-but if some of us are not willing to entertain the seemingly impossible then our other alternative is to resign ourselves to the current situation, and live in fear of our future. I for one, am ready for a very different experience.

claiming our talents

Yesterday at church, I had a book signing form "Sacred Secrets." It is a collection of essays in response to the "Secret" published by Unity and I have an essay in it.  I found myself wanting to discount the importance and impact of it. Thankfully, there was someone who spoke up and called me on it. She asked that I claim my gift and the impact my writing has on people as an example for all of us.  I am not sure why it is so difficult for us to claim our gifts and our successes but I heard her when she said that I was modeling that. I get it that we are all modeling things. So, here and now I commit to claiming my gifts and my successes and to acknowledge that what I do, particularly my writing, impacts others.

God and the recession

It has been difficult to watch the news recently and not want to stock pile food in the pantry for when it gets really bad. The news casters have been talking about how dismal our ecomony is and they are predicting that it is going to get much worse before it will get better. They are broadcasting a message of fear and doom.

So, how do we react to what is happening to our country economically? We certaintly don't hide our heads in the sand and pretend that nothing is happening. I have heard several economist make good sound suggestions about what we can wisely do with our money. They are the kinds of suggestions that would be good regardless of whether or not we have a recession. But, this is the time when we walk our talk. This is the time when we take our eyes off of the outer appearances of lack and focus on the reality of God active in the middle of it all. We listen for what we are to learn in all of this, we make good wise choices with our money and we live as if we believe that God is our Source and that Source is unlimited. Money may not show up at our doorstep, but we will hear divine guidance about our best course of action. We continue to open our hearts to one another. Fear is corroding and debilating. Faith and love keep us open to each other. They keep the channels for God fluid and give God room to move. So, the next time we hear how lousy everything is financially, let's breath and bring ourselves back to center, back to the awareness of God as our source. Then I am going to encourage each one of us to give that same hope and affirmation to someone else who may be feeling anxiety. I bet if enough of us choose not to get caught up in the hysteria and choose instead to stay focused on Spirit, we have enough power to turn this thing around.