Highlighting Hopkins-It's All Good

Again, I started this series so that you can see the lessons the founders of Unity received from Emma Curtis Hopkins. Remember her writing style is typical of the late 1800's

Another topic that the mind is not to descend into thinking or the voice into speaking about, is that there is anything against anyone or anything. Whoever says opium is dangerous, or compositions of minerals are offensive, is descending from the ideal reasonings of God, who pronounced all things good. No one shall speak against the climate, the draughts, the actions of earth's creatures, for he who would see them good must think along the thoughts of God. We shall not permit the lowering of the mind's holy reasonings into the thought or the talk of sin in the world or in ourselves. Sin is not a theme we can give any thought to. Many a good reasoner in Science wonders why his thoughts do not live and thrive at the harbors of demonstration where he halted them. He may remember that yesterday or last week, he descended into the idea of the selfishness of Mary, or the jealousy of James, or his own temper gave him regret. A fall of the barometer of reasoning must chill the delicate process of demonstration.

Sermon Summary--The Economy

• If you are feeling fearful about the economy, remember "God has not given you the spirit of fear..." As there is no fear in God and no God in fear, the fear that you seem to feel can't be and is not real.
• More money in an anxiety-ridden hand is like having no money at all. The first order of business is not getting more money; but rather experiencing the PEACE that is native to your God nature. "Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee." Keep your mind stayed on the highest Truth(s) of God you know (or have faith in).
• Read over the promises of God in the Bible. They apply to you, since God is no respecter of persons. Do a Google search for "promises of God" in quotation marks. There is a good one that lists the promises of God by category. Read them slowly.
• All economic theories are based on the fictitious notion that there is not enough. All you need to know about "not enough" is that it is a LIE about MORE THAN ENOUGH. Infinity is the measure of existence. As God is the Substance of all Form, for there to really be not enough, there would have to be a shortage of God--Infinity.
• All it takes is just 1 person to turn their eyes away from the appearance of lack and FOCUS on God's Infinite Substance to see the evidence of God's Abundance. And it helps to turn your ears away too.

Highlighting E.C. Hopkins-No Suffering

It is related of a soldier in the East Indies that his comrades threw a basin of hot soup into his bosom to test his patience after his conversion to Christianity. He had been a prize-fighter, and they hoped he would fight at this insult. He, however, looked up calmly and said, "This is what I must expect if I become a Christian." Well, who taught him to "seek and find" such things as that? Was he not rather bending like a reed under the wind of a popular opinion of the Christian walk than standing straight up like a pillar of faith with the early proclamation, "I do not believe in violence and hardship?" "They that seek Me early shall find Me." Who is this "Me" the soldier might have found? "The Prince of Peace." He had a right to the peace of God. Does God suffer? Then remember it is not Godlike to suffer. Those who are most like God suffer least.

Highlighting Hopkins--Truths To Contemplate

(by Emma Curtis Hopkins teacher of the Fillmores)

Has anyone found himself glad to be told that reformatories and prisons are no use because they are founded on a belief that in God's house there is evil? In Truth there are no criminals. In Spirit there is no need of prisons and reformatories. Spirit and Truth are all. Shall we then close up our prisons and reformatories? Our first duty is to know the truth about them. "Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free." It is not for you to touch externals. You are to know what is true. This is your whole business in life. Knowledge of Truth is its own demonstration. All things are coming to the world by its knowledge of Truth. It is considered a virtue by some people to build hospitals and schools for the carrying out of man's belief in the absence of God. It is not virtue. It is better to enter into the closet and be still to know God. God is Truth; Truth will redeem the nations from pain. Therefore speak Truth. Truth is peace. Therefore speak Truth.

Highlighting Hopkins--Human Will

I've decided to add the "Highlighting Hopkins" column to our blog. The Hopkins I'm referring to is Emma Curtis Hopkins, the teacher of Unity's founders Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. My purpose is to give you a glimpse of the teachings they received during their coursework with Ms. Hopkins. Below is from one of her Bible studies.

Some people are not honestly interested in the Science of Spirit for a long time. Their thoughts are all wound and twisted around material things. They only think of the Spiritual teaching in the hope to get material gains of some kind. Now, for a long time the most extraordinary blessings attend them. Their eyes are healed. Their backs are strengthened. Their families are healthy. But there is one thing that still seems to refuse to yield to all their thoughts about Spirit. They were so filled with hope at first that they rather ignored that one unchanged condition. But by and by it is thrust uppermost in their mind and thy actually feel cross at the Science for not fixing up that one point. This unmanageable condition stands for the human will. That human will is still set to material issues. It is cross-grained to Spirit. Here is an affair that never will to the way you want it. Your want must be changed; for the want is simply your ugly will. At this point Jesus Christ said we ought to take our mind entirely away from caring whether it were brought to pass or not. The dissolution of the human will is demanded. It has been an ugly clog in the passageway where some wonderful idea was meant to flow through.

Highlights From the Q & A Service

First "Thank you" for being courageous enough to ask your questions. And Donna, a particular thanks to you for getting the ball rolling. I was thrown by one question and another haunted me on my drive home. The question that haunted me was Roslyn's: "How come we don't see anyone doing the works of Christ Jesus?" Don't be fooled. People are doing some amazing things, but what happens is that they begin to retreat from society. Why? Because when they share their stories, no one believes them. As the so-called supernormal become more normal for these people, they find it more difficult to share what is most meaningful in their lives, and usually retreat to a monastic lifestyle. But Roslyn didn't ask the Ultimate question which is, "Why is it that it seems no one is as dedicated to Truth as Christ Jesus?" It was C.J.'s unwavering devotion to knowing and Being Truth that showed forth as superhuman ability. People seem to want the ability without the devotion. Won't happen! The other question was Terri's: "What does that look like?" Although a good question it caught me by surprise. The practice of Truth is nothing more than the acknowledgment of God as the only Presence, Power, Mind, Life, Substance and Activity. Have you ever complemented a woman on the pretty dress she was wearing? The complement was not to change the attire, it was simply an acknowledgment of what IS (was). Truth acknowledged cannot be to change what appears to be. It must be to merely acknowledge what IS according to God's absolute Allness. The Mind of God only acknowledges God.