Church and Crime On Every Corner
In just about every urban area in the United States, there is a church on every corner. That’s a whole lot of preaching about God’s power, and a whole lot of praying of the Lord’s Prayer. And on these same corners, after the sun goes down, drugs are bought and sold, and other crimes are plotted.
Let’s get off the corner and into the churches. Year after year, the same huddled masses of hurting, sick, poor and unhappy people praise the Lord with strong voice, but they never seem to get well, prosperous or happy. In a nutshell: THE CHURCHES DON’T SEEM TO BE DOING MUCH GOOD AT ALL.
Sitting In The Silence And Silently Suffering
The metaphysical (spiritually focused) churches are no better. Folk have been sitting in the silence, saying affirmations, making Treasure Maps for years; yet they seem no more enlightened or prosperous than the day they stepped into the church. WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
Here’s the answer in a nutshell: YOU START WRONG, YOU END WRONG.
Let’s leave aside the traditional church that starts and stays with the premise that their congregation members are sinners from the womb to the tomb. Let’s go straight to the churches that claim to have a metaphysical and/or spiritual focus.
The Problem Starts At The Pulpit
Here’s the typical scenario. The preacher stands at the pulpit with unquestioned sincerity. She preaches a heartfelt sermon-lesson to hopefully enlighten, teach, and awaken her congregation to their "inner splendor." She sees herself as an able guide helping each member navigate the winding road to God realization. SHE (for the most part) CANT SUCCEED. SHE (for the most part) WONT SUCCEED. Why? YOU START WRONG, YOU END WRONG.
Reader, you see what’s happening here. The able (perhaps disabled) pastor looks out at all the smiling eager faces and sees, not ALREADY ILLUMINED God (Christ) Identities, but rather the illusion of unenlightened and un-illumined human identities trying to become enlightened. Identities that need to be instructed in Truth. She sees, and believes that if these unenlightened ones do the "right stuff," they can possibly BECOME enlightened identities some time in the distant future. She even believes that one day she herself will become fully enlightened.
Keep Playing In The Mud You Stay Muddy
In any area of living (church life included), if you start with the illusion and try to do something with and about the illusion, all you are going to end up with is more illusion. In other words all 52 sermons will be a complete waste of time.
This is why you seem to see folk sitting in the Unity churches for 999 years just as sick, broke and unhappy as the day they stepped into the church. The minister’s approach to ministry did not help.
The Solution
To be effective, the churches have to start with Truth, and STAY with Truth. Regardless of the appearance, the preacher must preach sermons to a church of completely illumined and enlightened God Identities. The sermons cannot be intended to enlighten, but rather to celebrate. The services should be God parties– celebrations of God’s Allness already present as each and every member and visitor to the church.
Every sermon must be directed to the very soul of the individual. Here, the minister will experience no resistance to his messages of the Absolute.
My Pledge To Unity In Silver Spring
From this day forward, I intend to be more mindful than ever of how I preach, teach and write. I pledge to be mindful that every Identity in the congregation is ALREADY COMPLETELY ILLUMINED AND ENLIGHTENED. They "get It," because the ARE IT. My sermons, and our services are merely celebrations of God’s Absolute Allness. Reader, I am conscious of this being your reality as you read this post.
I intend (very soon) for
Unity In Silver Spring to be the fulfillment of what a church really should be.
