Sermon Highlights--Dealing With Appearances

Below are some highlights, helps and hints regarding Sunday's sermon.

• The basic principle on page 1 "God, which is goodness, perfection, love, and harmony, with no opposite or opposition, is omnipresent. Every individual including his life and his body , is in reality an expression of omnipresent God." [I like the more absolute statement "...is in reality the evidence of omnipresent God."]
• Remind yourself of this foundational statement throughout the day, every day, until we meet Sunday.
• How do I best help a loved one who seems to be in trouble? Go back to the foundational statement. Every individual including his life and his body, is in reality an expression of omnipresent God. This is their reality NOW. The best help you can give is to clarify your perception of her/him. Are you seeing this one as a patient with ____, one in trouble, or as the EVIDENCE of omnipresent perfection without an opposite?
• Remember, get your BUT out of the way. You cannot have omnipresent Harmony AND something else too.
• Take the statement and contemplate it. Sit with it. Consider every nuance of it. Be Silent and let further Revelation come forth. You are not using this statement to fight against something. YOu are acknowledging it as the only something.
• FEAR is the result of judging by appearances. Remind yourself that the fear has no presence and no power. Refuse to let it operate.

How To Solve Any Problem?

This Sunday we will pass out a gift to you. It is a copy of the book "Dealing With Appearances" by Ben Sweet. The sermon will be based on this book. After this sermon series, you will not be able to say about any problem, "I don't know what to do." The book is written in a clear, simple, and straightforward style. We will have fun with this. Be There!

Truth Not Working For You?

One of my favorite Unity books is one of the old classics, Effectual Prayer, by Frances Foulks. A short read, but the most powerful passage in the entire book is found on page 24. She writes:

"When an error condition in our lives does not respond to prayer, we have a right to ask why: 'What is there in me that is keeping this good from me?'"

Yes, I know that this wreaks of dualism. Get past it. You are interested in uncovering a Truth through Revelation. The asking of the question and the listening of the answer will reveal an answer that is not dualistic. Yes, such questioning will seem to free you of a supposed evil, but that's just scratching the surface. You will discover something about God and some truth about your Identity directly from your own God Consciousness.

Article On Prayer

Our Prayer Project is in full swing. I know (and believe in my heart) that our church family is participating in this project--if only for the two-minute minimum. Here is an article on prayer from my booksite that may inspire you.

Online Donations-Thank You

I want to thank those of you who have contributed to our ministry via online donations. There will be times when you just cant come to church, but via the online donation system you can still support Unity in Silver Spring. Thank you. This is a new procedure for us and it has proven to be a great idea.

Donation Update

You can now make donations to this ministry right here on the blog. Look to your top-right for the "donation" button." All donations are secured through Paypal.

Sermon Summary

Below are the main points from Sunday's sermon "The Juicy Fruit Life."

• Spirituality is more than mere feel-good philosophy. It is practical. When Jesus warned his disciples about false prophets, he said, "Ye will know them by their fruits." A spiritual tree (life rooted and grounded in God's allness) bears spiritual fruit. In other words, without you saying a word your spirituality shows forth in all that you do, say and by the quality of your living.
• One of the fruits or telltale signs of the spiritual life is LOVE. Without any effort at all, you find yourself engaged in a love affair with everything and everyone in the world. You LOVE, because you can't help loving. At some point you realize that YOU ARE LOVE IN ACTION.
• As LOVE, you will find that (1) unforgiving attitudes resulting from past hurts (2)harbored resentments (3) petty dislikes fall away as naturally as leaves fall from the trees in Winter. The beauty of this is you are not making an effort to rid yourself of these feelings. These leaves just don't grow on the spiritual tree.
• The Bible states that "Perfect love casts out fear." The spiritual tree does not grow fear fruit. Fear of persons, places, conditions and things fall away--if only gradually and by degrees. You've heard it said that if you can shake the fear of a disease the healing is sure to come. As a spiritual tree bearing the fruit of LOVE, the fear of (seeming)disease and the fear of the consequences of (seeming) disease drop away. You are no longer manipulated by disease and diagnosis. You are free to discover the WHOLENESS of your BEING.
• Another fruit of the spiritual life is JOY. Unconditional joy. No one gave you this joy, so they cannot take it away. No thing gave you this joy. It is generated from the I AM that YOU ARE. It out-pictures as genuine cheerfulness and a positive attitude. Bearing the fruit of joy, it is no possible for you to be bored.

Sermon Summary-No News Blues

Every now and again I preach a sermon that I can't shake. The theme haunts me (like a friendly ghost) for many days. No News Blues is one of those sermons. Below are highlights:

• Either you are an active reader of the news or you are a passive reader of the news. When you are an active reader, as you are reading even the most horrific headlines, active in your Consciousness is the FACT that no matter what you seem to see, GOD IS THE ONLY PRESENCE, THE ONLY POWER, THE ONLY ACTOR AND THE ONLY ACTIVITY.
• Every time you pick up the paper or listen to the talking heads should be a catalyst for world prayer--not to fix the world but to perceive that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
• Where there appear to be reports of power-mad, and ego-driven world leaders, we should be conscious that there is only the Love-Driven Christ Identity.
• Conscious of God's presence and power, let's not accept any report of hatred, violence, disease or lack as "normal," or beyond the power of prayer.
• As Rees Howells prayer efforts resulted in Hitler's downfall so can our prayers show the nothingness of hatred's seeming rampage.

Wonderful Things Are Happening

A few years ago, I preached the sermon, "Wonderful Things Are Happening." It was one of my favorites. Here is the audio version of the actual story. In a few weeks, the sermon will be posted on our website.

click

Healthy Living (sermon summary)

You have read a zillion laws and must-dos for living healthfully. Most of them approach health from the outside in. Healthful living is an inside job based on two laws--Omnipresence and Oneness. Below are some of the highlights from Sunday's sermon:

• The understanding of Omnipresence will do more for your health than any man-made theories based on the material sciences. God's Perfection is Omnipresent. It is all that is Present. Omnipresence includes your Body.
• The truth is HEALTH IS GOD, and therefore is a Universal Constant. Health is not an attainment.
• Welcome your Body into your understanding of Omnipresence. Don't leave it on the outside looking in on all that God Is. Include your Body in the ISNESS of God.
• The secret to Christ Jesus' power is summed up in these words, "I and my Father are one." Go into the prayer closet seeking a better understanding of those words as your very own reality.
• It is natural to progress in understanding from, "I and my Father are one" to "All that the Father has is mine." The next progression is "All that the Father is I AM." And finally, "All that the Father is not, I am not."
• Many folk have sprung out of their sick beds by realizing "Since God is not sick, I cannot be sick, because I and my Father are one."
• If you have already been to your doctor, and she (he) has diagnosed you with ________, turn completely away from the name of the disease, and the prognosis. Rejoice that your Body is Omnipresent Perfection in action. At first, it may seem that you are merely saying words for a healing. The healing (which is the experience of ever present Perfection) will "happen" when you Rejoice because the Truth is already true.

New Thought Books For Free

This is why we often send our tithes to Serving New Thought. They make metaphysical classics available for free. Click here.

Highlights From The Sermon On Regeneration

• At one time Unity's co-founder, Charles Fillmore, embraced the idea of reincarnation-thinking it necessary for the body to go through many births and "deaths" in order to evolve into the perfect Christ Body. Later, he came to understand that it is possible for all of us to experience this perfect Body in this lifetime without death. In place of reincarnation, Charles Fillmore embraced REGENERATION.
• Regeneration as Fillmore defines it: "A change in which abundant spiritual life, even eternal (deathless) life is incorporated into the body."
• Death, experienced through suffering and disease, is not part of the divine plan for man. It is the result of any human attempt to negate the divine idea of life. To be restored to the natural state, we must focus on the innate divine perfection of the Christ ideal which is our true nature.
• The Regenerated Body is a direct result of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit baptism can be evoked by the intensity of the desire to know God through prayer and meditation.
• The Regenerated Body is immune to age, disease, birth and death. It is the Christ Body--your real body.

Did You Do Affirmations Like This?

Thanks to Donna Britt for this clip. Check it out!

Sermon Summary-Your Wonderful Mind

Below are the most important points from Sunday's Sermon on Your Wonderful Mind, based on our Unity textbook.

• There is only One Mind--God. We call it Divine Mind. The activity of this Mind is simply God's contemplation of Its own Allness of Perfection. THIS IS YOUR MIND.
• The human mind is like the shadow of a tree. It is the dark, distorted view of the actual Mind. Just like the shadow tree only exists because there is a real tree, the human mind only SEEMS to exist because the Divine Mind really exists as your own Mind.
• Give your attention to the Divine Mind. How? First by embracing the fact that it is your Mind, and then relying on it to teach you all Truth. You have many questions about God, and many more about God's reality in your life. Ask those questions of your Mind, and wait for the answer. Ask expectantly, and if necessary wait patiently. Nothing is more potent than receiving direct answers to your questions from the ONE MIND.
• Simple Exercise: "Take the words, "God loves me." Say them over and over again seeking a realization that they are true and watch the wonderful things that result. One person hearing this idea that God loves me said, "So what!" While you are seeking the realization of the truth of these words, you will first discover that no matter what you have done, or are doing, GOD LOVES YOU. Second, you will discover that when you are Loved by Omnipotent Goodness Itself, it will not allow any seeming evil to come near you. In other words, when Omnipotent Goodness is on your side, nothing else can prevail. Lastly, you will discover Why God loves you. It's because God loving you is God's exercise in Self-Love.

Sermon Highlights

The sermon (May 2, 2010) was based on the first chapter of the Unity textbook, "Lessons In Truth." Below are the highlights:

• The sure way of escape from any seeming bondage to persons, conditions, or things is through awakening to your Christ nature--your spiritual identity.
• Your (as the book calls it) indwelling Christ is the truth that you and God are one.
• You can experience as much of God's goodness as you dare claim (not wish for) from your Christ nature. Christ Jesus, from his Christ nature, dared to claim: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." He also dared to claim "All that the Father has is mine." From your Christ nature, what do you claim on a daily basis? Remember, I am not asking what you are wishing for, but what you are claiming as your REALITY right now.
• You cannot experience the power of your BEING without taking time for daily quiet and meditation. In quietness, your God Consciousness announces itself and reveals what is REAL and TRUE.
• This quiet time is not for thinking about your seeming problems, nor the vexations of the day. It is to get your mind centered on God. "If need be, turn your thoughts to some simple words of Christ Jesus, or a favorite statement of Truth."

What Does Unity Teach?

I'm surprised at the number of people who've been sitting in Unity pews for years that have no clue as to what Unity really teaches. More surprising is the number of Unity folk who have never read the Unity textbook, Lessons In Truth.

On Sunday, we will begin thesermon series, What Unity Teaches. If you already have the textbook, please take a look at the first chapter. Our sermon-lesson is about FREEDOM

Sermon Summary-Falling In Love With God

Key scripture: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with al thy might. Deuteronomy 6:5 and Mark 12: 29-30

Jesus encouraged us to get back to fundamentals! Consistent with this most important commandment, Italian priest, Raphael Simon said, "to fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances." Prosperity teacher, Carole Dore, says we must develop a love affair with God for our lives to overflow with health, wealth, and loving relationships.

Romance is wonderful, alluring, and energizing - but too often fleeting Joel Goldsmith said in the Gift of Love, "Out of the love for God flows everything else, every other love." My theme - we must live in love (active) rather than focus on being in love (passive)/fleeting When you cultivate a love affair with God you will enhance an existing relationship and if you're not in a relationship, you will likely radiate so much love that you will attract an ideal partner. Romance versus love People spend $17 BILLION on Valentine's Day - on chocolates, flowers, dinners ($1 billion on chocolates alone). Valentine's Day should remind us of how to act all year long. Unfortunately, people treat it like Christmas - putting lots of energy into one day and neglecting the rest of the year. Cultivate a deep love relationship with God if you want to draw in an empowering love relationship into your life. Laura's 4-part LOVE formula for living in love- for daily cultivating a love affair with God

L = Life/Light and looking up - join the high watch group/Like when you're in love - you feel so light and carefree and nothing fazes you. Don't sweat the material stuff. O= Be open to your oneness with God. One with God is a majority. Develop your oneness by spending time in the prayer closet and by raising your vibration V= Your vibration must be high - do more of what makes you feel the presence of God - getting out in nature, dancing, reading scriptures, going to an art exhibit, or listening to music When you hear positive love songs - imagine that you are dedicating them to God - this will raise your vibration Like the song, "I turn to you" by Melanie C - you can use it to feel your love for God. God is our constant companion. In her book, The Soulmate Solution, Arielle Ford shared a love letter from God which says, "you will never be united with anyone or anything else until you are united with Me...."

Hearing The Voice of God

It's been a few Sunday's since you've heard and inspirational reading. For your reading enjoyment and encouragement:

READING (By Joel Goldsmith) To know the will of God and to hear the voice of God means above all things developing the practice of having many periods of solitude every day, going into the inner sanctuary. The first argument that comes to most students is, “I have no time. Others may have, but I haven’t.” Of course, it is not you saying that at all. Everybody has 24 hours in every day, so there is no person in the world who has more time than another. Everyone has the same amount of time–24 hours in every day. It just depends on what use is made of those 24 hours. When people say they have no time to attain spiritual dominion, do not believe it any more than when they say they cannot afford this or that. It is entirely a matter of how they wish to use their time or their money. People can afford anything and everything that they truly want, and they can find time for everything. It is not a question of time or money: it is a question of which thing a person values highly. You have to retrace your footsteps to the Father’s house through many periods of a day. Take mastership of your clock and don’t let your clock tell you that you do not have enough time. You tell the clock that you have 24 hours of time each day and sixty minutes in each of those 24 hours. Count them: 24 times 60, and see how many minutes you really have out of which to set aside these periods of meditation–even if it is only ten minutes before the rest of your household is awake, if it is five minutes before sitting down to that lunch or that dinner, or if it is ten minutes before going to bed. If you would use just those few minutes when you awaken in the middle of the night, you would soon find that you are developing a capacity to be still, to be quiet, to be listening.

You-The Urban Mystic

For Sunday's sermon, please read the chapter "Urban Mystic." The chapter starts on page 73.

Does it seem to you that living the Truth would be so easy if you could just get away from the sights and sounds of trouble and disaster? Do you feel that the monastic monks have it easier because they have voluntarily separated themselves from society?

This Sunday we will talk about Christ Jesus and you as "urban mystics."

Silent Prayer Pointers

I received a lot positive feedback about Sunday's sermon. And it was a great service. Below are some helpful hints about silent prayer:

• Someone asked does time and place matter. No! Eventually silent prayer becomes a lifestyle where at least one ear is always cocked to hear that still small voice.
• Length of time is not as important as quality of time. Remember I started off with two or more minutes each prayer session. (I confess my schedule allowed for a lot of these short prayer periods)
• In a crisis, I realize that it might seem difficult for you to pray, "God, all I want is you. Reveal Thyself." Remember we are only referring to 2 minutes (or whatever you are comfortable with). For those two minutes your only desire is to hear that still small voice--to be God taught.
• Silent Prayer is so powerful because (1) it is transcendental by nature. Your focus is meta (above) physical (the problem) (2) it is the catalyst to Revelation that corrects misperceptions that show up in your life as seeming problems. All problems indicate that there is some false idea being held as true and real. Revelation is the corrective.
• About that wandering mind. Just remember your focus is the "still small voice." Gently bring your attention back. Tell yourself, I'm not here for that (random thinking) right now.

Bible Readers Check Your Schedules

Are you a Bible reader this Sunday? If you don't know for sure, it would be a great thing for you to check the schedule that Laura handed to you. Last minute reading doesn't give you opportunity to absorb the message and convey it in a powerful way. Again, please check your schedule.

Sermon Summary-Revelation = Transformation

Romans 12: 2..Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Focus of talk was on transformation - its roots are in the word "metamorfu" from which "metamorphis" is derived. Transformed means to change into something -usually something better is the connotation.

Renew - means to make something new - again with the connotation of something better or more expansive Not only a new year, but a new decade is upon us - it's the time when people typically make resolutions for changes they want - they see the new year as an opportunity for a fresh start - although we can make a fresh start anytime - time is a human construct As people view the new year they make "resolutions" - to create a new job, lose weight, exercise more, find a new relationship - focus is on "new, new, new." It's well known that health clubs are flooded in January - no parking spaces can be found in the parking lot. But, by March or April - many health clubs have become ghost towns! Why? People are trying to make changes by human will/effort rather than changing their consciousness.

Lasting, powerful transformation occurs only through personal revelation. Our focus for transformation should be on revelations in the silence - not resolutions. Best fictional example of overnight transformation by someone not seeking it - A Christmas Carol - story of Scrooge who changes from being a tight-fisted old miser who is totally separated and doesn't celebrate Christmas to a fun, funny guy/dude who helps his fellow man and realizes oneness in his life. It's a heartwarming, timeless story. Scrooge receives revelations (by grace and the love of his deceased business partner whose ghost visits him) through the visits by 3 ghosts (can also see them as angels) - the ghosts of Christmas past, Christmas present, and Christmas future. Through each of these visits, Scrooge reconnects with his heart and with the memories of people he had loved. Increasingly, he realizes how he has gotten off track. By the end of the last ghost's visit, Scrooge makes a commitment to change. And changed he is so that now he views people with love, he becomes jovial, and the town in which he used to walkabout not noticing anything or anyone becomes a delight for him. His new insights change his eyesight - nothing about the town had change - only Scrooge had changed. He taps into his Christ nature and his Christ light. None of us are as extreme as Scrooge - however, it's wise to do a self-assessment to ensure that we truly are acknowledging that God is all in our lives and that we are not subject to the concerns, fears, and worries of the material world. To create a transformation in our consciousness - we need only seek revelation - through the six-step RENEW process. R = Rest and relax in the silence to receive the revelation of the still small voice - touch your ear to remind you (as per Joel Goldsmith's advice) several times a day and affirm that you are listening for a Christ revelation. Also take 10-15 minutes of time during the day to sit in silence. E= Expectancy must fill your consciousness. Listen as if you were expecting to hear the winning lotto numbers as Allen says N= New ideas, insights, and inspiration will come to you E= Embrace the revelations that come - as Oprah did when in 1992 she went into the woods of Colorado to ask God, "What will you have me do?" in reference to the direction she should take with her television show. She embraced and acted on he answer, "Take the high road" and she became phenomenally successful while others went out of business. W= Wonders result - just as Oprah became so successful after acting on her revelation - wonders will occur in your life Mrytle Fillmore also focused on transforming her seemingly ill body by renewing her mind and overcame terminal tuberculosis. Revelation will create the most powerful and lasting transformation for you in 2010."