May 4, 2013 - Realizing Oneness

Mugs Poster
by John Rankine

ACIM Workbook Lesson #124

"Let me remember I am one with God."

The recognition that we are one with God has a calming effect. It seems that those of us who think we are in charge of everything around us tend to be excited and often angry. Currently, I'm observing reactions to an art installation in Eureka Springs. There are three-by-four-foot posters plastered on blank walls around town .These posters depict 130 of our local artists making silly faces. The point of the project is to let people know they aren't stuffy, boring people and that we are a fun town. Midway through the month, the general public will be given markers to draw on the posters, further bringing frivolity to these black and white posters. I have no strong opinions about this art installation. I think the artist who thought up and enacted this idea is a wonderfully creative man whom I admire. Not everyone in town feels this way! Once again, we come back to individual perceptions and interpretations from belief and past experiences. Art and the creation and enjoyment of it is a wonderful litmus test of our ability to realize our Oneness with God and, hence, everyone and everything. I love observing people's reactions to various forms of art in our gallery. Now I'm enjoying watching the emotions these large mug shots are bringing to the surface in friends and loved ones. As the ACIM lesson tells us: "Today we see only the loving and the lovable. We see it in appearances of pain, and pain gives way to peace. We see it in the frantic, in the sad and the distressed, the lonely and afraid, who are restored to the tranquility and peace of mind in which they were created." And I will remember my Oneness with God and everyone as a reflection of that divine Mind which created us.

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The eternal Elohim includes the forever universe. The name Elohim is in the plural, but this plurality of Spirit does not imply more than one God, nor does it imply three persons in one. It relates to the oneness, the tri-unity of Life, Truth, and Love. Man is the family name for all ideas,--the sons and daughters of God. All that God imparts moves in accord with Him, reflecting goodness and power.”

Science & Health Page 515:16:24

May 3, 2013 - New Beginnings

"Lilies and Bee"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #123

"I thank my Father for His gifts to me."

Don't we all love new beginnings? Every symbolic new beginning we experience gives hope that it truly will be this time; that the great shift in thought, in consciousness, has reached its tipping point, allowing the Utopia we so crave. We yearn for peace and plenty, purity of heart and environment, joy, satisfaction. But we keep forgetting the spiritual Principle which guarantees this reality, simply for our perception of it. Sometimes we catch glimpses of what it could be like. For instance, I witnessed a man and woman in their 70s cavorting like teenagers in giddy expectation of exchanging marriage vows.Their happiness in this new beginning was infectious! Also, a friend in The Netherlands has been sharing videos of their celebrations centered around the investiture of a new king. What a wonderful symbolic new beginning for the world, feeling a bit like Camelot with its reign of peace and beauty. My friend's joy in this event is palpable through the internet connection we share. The endlessly flowing giving-and-receiving action which divine Mind supplies is ours, right here and now. A true new beginning is at hand -- your hand and mine, today, now.  I will not be distracted by ego-based taunting to play the game being enacted all around us. I will look through the temptation to stay stuck in the muddle of material belief by giving energy to the lower propensities. Raising thought above what cries out so loud for attention, I'll see the beginning in every situation. But if there is no end, can there be a beginning? Ah -- ever-flowing forever. Now!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Gratitude is much more than a verbal expression of thanks. Action expresses more gratitude than speech.

Science & Health Page 3:25-26

May 2, 2013 - Holding Grudges?

"Washington, D.C."
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #122

"Forgiveness offers everything I want."

The forgiveness we speak of today is all-encompassing. This is more than just saying we don't hold a grudge against someone for something. The "forgiveness [which] offers everything I want" is born from the practice of realizing our unity with God, hence our Oneness with each other. By this understanding we can look past the multitude of forms which present themselves to us in the guise of reality, and, in looking through this veil, realize and demonstrate Truth. What more could we want other than peace, joy, love, contentment, bliss, appreciation, and satisfaction? And this larger, all-encompassing forgiveness reconciles any so-called differences we may have with each other, and also with anything we are holding against ourselves. Allowing divine Love to guide our every action and thought would free us to live differently from when our lives are dictated by material beliefs and habits. It's always amazing to me that some people choose to not speak to one another simply because they disagree about certain things. I like oranges, you like apples. So what? Our commonality rests in the Oneness of our true being. That's a constant reality!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.”

Science & Health Page 494:10-11

May 1, 2013 - Love Fills All Space

"Pure Love"
photo by Aaron Springston

 ACIM Workbook Lesson #121

“Forgiveness is the key to happiness.”

In today's workbook lesson, we are asked to think of someone we don't like, someone who irritates us perhaps, someone we don't enjoy being around. In the time it takes to read the last sentence, we have chosen this person! Contemplate him. Meditate on her. Find some bit of light in them and let it grow until you feel the goodness, the God, which they inherently are. After we have allowed this feeling to grow, we are asked to think of someone we like and transfer that good feeling to them. In doing this, we then realize there is no difference in these people. All feelings of separation are released in this forgiveness, this realization of their Oneness with each other and ourself. By this process, we give and receive, understanding the unity in these seemingly separate acts. Whatever we give, we receive, because we already have the kingdom within us. So-called forgiveness is the letting go of false beliefs in various forms of separation, the understanding of the power contained in this realization, and the demonstration of that fact. Letting Love rule every aspect of our thought is forgiveness, because there is no room for anything but this Love when it is admitted as the only reality of our being. To paraphrase Mrs. Eddy, Love fills all space and there is nothing else to think about. That understanding is enough to allow happiness to reign!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty,and glory of infinite Love fill all space. That is enough!

Science & Health Page 520:3-5

April 30, 2013 - I Am Spiritual

"Portland Oregon"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #120

Review of:

#109 "I rest in God."

#110 "I am as God created me."

When people ask me to pray for them, they most often think that I'm asking God to help them. Some have told me they think I've got a direct line to divinity, and they have somehow missed the connection. This could not be further from the truth. The prayer which I utilize affirms the truth of our Being, combined with a listening to hear what should be affirmed. It's not an asking for a condition to be changed, but a knowing that there is no condition in God's reflection. We are created by divine Mind and reflect all that implies. This has nothing to do with matter. Our mortal mind often insists that this material existence is the reality of our being and any glimpse we may have of our spiritual perfection is but a mirage. The opposite is reality and our realization of this is what brings harmony. This form of prayer is also not a mind-over-matter type of healing. So when you ask me to pray for you, it's possible I'll say "God, help!". But that's only to clear my thought, allowing Truth to be foremost and error to melt away. I'll never say in prayer anything like, Please, God, heal Mary's cold. But I will say, What do I need to know about this situation? This is what Jesus was telling us. That's why his teachings were revolutionary. We are not material, we are spiritual. Some think we are unable to demonstrate this in our material form. And so that is true. But what is also true is that we are not really matter. This illusion can be dropped here and now, as we ascend past mortal belief into spiritual Truth. God has made us capable of this!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“God creates and governs the universe, including man. The universe is filled with spiritual ideas, which He evolves, and they are obedient to the Mind that makes them. Mortal mind would transform the spiritual into the material, and then recover man's original self in order to escape from the mortality of this error. Mortals are not like immortals, created in God's own image; but infinite Spirit being all, mortal consciousness will at last yield to the scientific fact and disappear, and the real sense of being, perfect and forever intact, will appear.”

Science & Health Page 295:5-15

April 29, 2013 - Truth Trumps Error

"Somewhere in Oregon"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #119

Review of:

#107 "Truth will correct all errors in my mind."

#108 "To give and to receive are one in truth."

Many people have been telling me they think this Truth we speak of is difficult to understand. One person says it's incomprehensible unless you've had years of study and training. Another says she's not smart enough to "get it". Yet another says she's not up for the hard work this way of living entails. I've been thinking about this quite a bit. Is it true? Does it take some special dispensation, some quantum gift from beyond, some unraveling of DNA, years of study perhaps? I suppose we think it takes a long time to change our thought because it's taken us a long time to think in the ways we presently do. Most of us have 12 to 20 years of formal education as proof that it's difficult to learn everything we need to know. Maybe that's why we tend to balk at what could be a lifetime of work. But wait a minute! What's with this "lifetime" business? Aren't we floating in eternity? I feel that we already know all there is to know. It's our birthright as a child of God. The part that takes practice is leaving the erroneous teachings of a lifetime behind. The easy part is the realization that Truth is always within us, just waiting to be discovered. And with this discovery comes a renewal of our mind, a rediscovery of the Truth we've always known, which easily pushes aside false beliefs. So, no, I don't think it's hard work. But it is dedicated work. A dedicated discipline to seeing and feeling as Love. Not through Love, not with Love, but as Love. That is our essence. That is our Truth. Let's keep it simple!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Because Truth is infinite, error should be known as nothing. Because Truth is omnipotent in goodness, error, Truth's opposite, has no might. Evil is but the counterpoise of nothingness. The greatest wrong is but a supposititious opposite of the highest right. The confidence inspired by Science lies in the fact that Truth is real and error is unreal. Error is a coward before Truth. Divine Science insists that time will prove all this. Both truth and error have come nearer than ever before to the apprehension of mortals, and truth will become still clearer as error is self-destroyed.”

Science & Health Page 329:21-31

April 28, 2013 - Peace, Stillness, Truth

"Montana Silhouettes"
photo by Aaron Springston

ACIM Workbook Lesson #118

Review of:

#105 "God's peace and joy are mine."

#106 "Let me be still and listen to the truth."

When our minds are busy with worries and repetitive thoughts, when we're voicing our concerns either orally or mentally, it's very difficult to hear the still, small voice of Truth. This is why I always recommend meditation for people who tell me they are having problems sleeping. Not only must the mind be quiet for easy, peaceful falling into sleep, but the last thoughts we think before sinking into this other-worldly abyss are very important! We have been told by material practitioners of various disciplines that sound sleep is necessary for good health; that it facilitates healing in on-going ways which are necessary to our well-being. I've always felt this is true because we need to be quiet to hear the ever-present voice of Truth which is often drowned out by the constant chatter we allow into our heads. This listening mode of being is essential to health, because this health we speak of comes from listening to our true Self rather than the material beliefs of the ages.  Silencing our lips and thoughts to materialism allows Love to replace error, then peace and joy reign supreme in our existence. What a lovely byproduct!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

“Lips must be mute and materialism silent, that man may have audience with Spirit, the divine Principle, Love, which destroys all error.”

Science & Health Page15:11-13