Prayer

What is prayer to me; my personal experience of prayer?  In childhood I thought my family was the universe and I was the center, literally with “Now I lay me down to sleep.  I loved praying as a child, especially the rosary.  Then in my late teens, it seemed to me that all that praying didn’t do much, and that was the beginning of resistance.  Life became busy, and there were more important and effective things than prayer that I could do.  It was the stage of believing the illusion that I could consciously master my fate, and that no one out there was listening anyway.  My universe had gotten much larger than my family, but I still had the unconscious perspective of being the center of that universe.

Robert and Janet Ellsworth defined three major types of prayer.  The first is results oriented prayer, in which you pray for specific requests for yourself or someone else.  The next is defined as consciousness expanding prayer, or affirmative prayer and prayers of praise and thanksgiving.  The third is defined as non-directed prayer, or meditation and the experience of the silence. 

All three of these types of prayer have a place in my life.  When I am troubled, or when another is in need, results oriented prayer brings me great comfort.  God is within me, but God is also much more.  I turn within to find Divine contact and surrender my concerns and the needs of others to that one Presence and Power which sustains all of us in love.

Consciousness expanding, or affirmative prayer, is a tool to break down the barriers in my own mind to the good of God’s will.  It is my path to discovering and activating the power of creation in and through me.  It is a method to transform my own negative thoughts, my fears, my false beliefs, into realization of the love and power active in my life, often in spite of me.

Non-directed prayer, or meditation and the experience of silence, is the source of my joy.  This is where the thoughts of my mind, the feelings of my heart, and the knowing of my spirit come together and meet a “something” that is so great and so beautiful that touching it, even for just a few moments, sustains me and give me a serenity which lasts for days, sometimes weeks.

I invite you to examine your own prayer history, and your prayer life now.  Which forms of prayer seem to work best for you?  What brings you the most joy, the most comfort, the most growth?  Is it different kinds of prayer at different times, or is there one way that always suits you best?  Become familiar with what stimulates you to pray, which forms of prayer you use, and which kinds of events lead you to the various forms of prayer that are a part of your prayer life.  This is where the conscious mind and will can make a positive contribution to mastery of your fate.  Know yourself, become consciously aware of the truth of who you are, and use your will to make the choice for comfort, for growth, and for joy.

Making a Difference 2

On Eagles Wings

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks?  The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come.  Then, when the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm.  While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it. The eagle does not escape the storm.  It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.

When the storms of life come upon us - and all of us will experience them - we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward the Divine living as us and through us. The storms do not have to overcome us.  We can allow the power planted in us by the Creative Force of the universe to lift us above them. We are invited, encouraged, called, to ride the winds of the storms that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives.  We can soar above the storm, and call forth the Good even in the midst of tragedy.

In doing so, we contribute to lifting up all our brothers and sisters of the earth.  Our lives become not only an example for others, but even more importantly, a powerful force of energy helping the human race shift the balance toward evolution of the spirit.  Hold in your heart the thought that every difficulty that plagues you is presenting an opportunity to grow in strength and achieve greater spiritual power.  It is the only true power.  Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them, and we always have a choice.  

This is not a new idea. "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles."  Isaiah 40:31

Making a Difference

Thoughtful Evolution

In the spiritual communities which have aligned themselves with a philosophy called “New Thought” one of the primary tenets is that we are energy beings; spirit wearing a space suit we call a body.  Mind you, New Thought is only new to the western mind.  It is a compilation of principles taught and proven in countless societies, since before recorded history.

So far in this world physical power has dominated, or so we thought.  Let’s take a look at the evolution of thought and how it relates to human physical evolution.  If we look at humanity’s history, with all its beauty and horror, courage and cruelty, we can see significant shifts along the way.  How many hundreds of generations passed when we didn’t even have language?  Then over time  we shifted from rule of the strongest male, rule of magic and superstition, rule of city states and kingdoms, rule of law, and so on.  Each shift in our community interactions was an evolutionary shift and each one began with an idea.  A new thought.

Here is the key concept.  None of those shifts could have happened unless enough people accepted and believed the new thought.  Whatever the thought, it had to be accepted and energized by Spirits in bodies before it could show up in the physical world as what appeared to be physical power and physical reality.

The evolution of though has carried us from grunting survival to where we are today.  Along the way there has been much beauty and horror, courage and cruelty.  Heroism and greed.  There still is.  Here is the good news.  In spite of our faults, in spite of our seeming detours into destructive errors, we have come a long way.  Kindness is growing.  More people have food and hope.  More people show up to offer food and hope to others than ever before.

To paraphrase Einstein, we need to decide whether the universe we live in is friendly or unfriendly.  Each of us must make that decision and as we do, each of us will be a force to bring into physical reality that which we hold as true in our hearts and minds.  Ultimately, this is a friendly universe and our fearful or greedy thoughts can do no more than create temporary detours in an evolutionary process which is an upward spiral toward more and more good.  Choose your thoughts carefully.  They carry the power of your spirit and join with others of like kind.

Making a Difference

You want me to do WHAT??

   When we give of our time and talent through volunteer work, or our resources through donations, we are making a difference in our communities in a very important way.  How many people would starve on the streets of the United States if there were no food banks? 

How much more would the people of New Orleans and other disaster areas  suffer without the donations and help of private individuals?  Some kids have a backpack, new jeans and school materials only because of Back-To-School collections in churches.  New England and other areas have been graced for many years by our volunteer fire departments.  The list could go on for pages.  We are a generous nation, both at home and abroad.

   There is, however, something else we can do that does not take any time or any money.  That might sound like an oddball statement in a world consumed with busyness and nervous about high costs.  What value could possibly exist without the commitment of time and money?  We all know the buzz words.  “You get what you pay for.’  “No pain, no gain.”  “There’s only so much you can do.”  “I’m only one person, and I have a family and obligations.”  “You want me to do what?”

   Perhaps we could ask ourselves if we are engaged in a dance of survival or in a dance of creativity.  People caught in survival mentality see all the ways they can lose.  People engaged in creative mentality continually search for better options.  Sometimes those better options can be stunningly simple. 

   This “something else we can do” is about a shift in how we see the world and our own place in it.  It is not about finding a way to do more or give more.  This idea simply requires a specific focus of our attention.  Quantum Physics has rocked the scientific worldview by proving that the smallest particles of matter change behavior in the presence of human attention.  That means your attention counts whether you know it or not, and your attention can count for a lot when you choose to use it consciously for positive change.  If you have ever walked into a room full of people and been able to sense either a very positive or negative feeling, what follows will make perfect sense to you.  Let me set the scene.

   The world is not in a very happy state right now.  Volatile might be an apt word to use.  Fear, distrust and hatred, leading to hunger, suffering and death are in every newscast.  But fear, distrust and hatred are only possible when people agree on them.  What if some of us started changing our agreements?  That begins with changing our own thoughts.

   For instance, I go into a store to shop several times a week, usually rushed and distracted.  You know what that looks like.  There are a lot of us rushing around, looking distracted and bumping into each other.  Suppose I, or you, take a deep breath on the way in and choose to focus my/our attention on looking for something positive to comment on while shopping.  Or we could deliberately make eye contact as often as possible and offer a smile.  What might people sense from us when our focus is consciously directed toward being a kind and smiling presence?

   And then, suppose I or you convince a friend or two to try the same thing, and they liked it and started telling more friends, and then……….  How long might it take for this idea to move around the world?

   “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”   Margaret Mead, 1901-1978

Time Travel

Boundaries of Space and Time

So, here’s something to consider.  What if time as we understand it isn’t real?  What if it’s just a game we made up?   What if the boundaries of time had no power over us?  What might happen if we taught ourselves to think outside of time?  Maybe we could create new realities with looser boundaries.  How would you arrange your thinking if there were no time fences constraining you?  Beyond that, what might you believe is possible if neither time nor space could not contain your mind?

Some years ago two university students, a computer scientist and a budding physicist devised an experiment.  Both of them were familiar with studies focused on psychic abilities and other paranormal activities but realized none of those studies were conclusive.  There were already a number of accepted scientific devices in common use that could measure brain activity and the resonance of energies in the bodies.  Then one day a prominent scientist proposed that the brain itself did not have enough cells to manage even the physical needs of the body, let alone go beyond that into the realms of thought and creativity.  There must be an  intelligence in the very cells of the body itself running most of the “works.”

The two students created a software program which proved this was true.  The cells contained not only a basic intelligence, but also awareness and the ability to communicate; in other words, cells possessed consciousness.  Their excitement carried them to the next step, which was to try to determine how far each individual human consciousness reached into the universe.

They discovered that the concentration of measurable consciousness dispersed as distances increased, but they were unable to find an outer limit; a boundary where it stopped.  I wonder how much farther they would have gone if it had occurred to them they were measuring the wrong thing.  How real is time?  We certainly assign it a great amount of reality.  What is space, really?  The sky looks mostly empty, but we are awash in the midst of it.  What might you believe is possible if neither time nor space could not contain your mind?

Spring Cleaning

Witnessing

When we cleanse an area of consciousness through prayer, fasting and speaking words of power, a void remains which needs to be filled.  The void created as we release old habits and beliefs that no longer serve us also creates a void in the energy patterns we use to connect to our world.  This can leave us feeling lost and isolated.  Some would call it a dark night of the soul.  We all enter that dark night from time to time; it is a natural result of the cleaning we have done.  But there is no need to wallow in it.  The way out can be quick and easy.

Become a witness to all the good news you know.  In every one of the world’s religions we find some reference to witnessing; some reference to sharing the good news, not just keeping it for ourselves.  When we have a spiritual experience, we’re wired up to share it with others, to be an example of what is possible.  This practice is called testifying, or evangelism.  What we’re going to explore today is being a different kind of witness.  Often, witnessing has the purpose of converting others to MY religion.  I tell someone my experience in order to get them to change to my path.  This approach is entirely different.

   When you share the good news or when I share it, in my jeans and sweatshirt at a garden shop, at a movie, on an airplane…if any of us shares the good news in the context of our daily life, you and I are creating new connections.  We’re sharing the good news for a whole different reason.  This kind of witnessing is not about getting anyone else to become or do anything.  It’s not a result oriented witnessing.  This is about sharing our experience, our good news, for its own sake.

Remember the void in energy patterns which comes from clearing our consciousness, leaving us feeling lost and isolated?  This kind of witnessing creates new energy patterns which connect us to a higher level of being, shifting the relationships we have and bringing new people and opportunities into our lives.  The only things we change are what we think and how we speak about it.  The rest of the world will take care of itself.

How many tales of woe and fear cross your awareness every day?  Perhaps you and I can bear tales of possibility and encouragement.  It only takes a small number of people to tip the balance away from negativity and toward peace and joy.  Will you be one of them?

Spring Cleaning

Speak the Word

We live in a generous universe, conspiring for our good, and yet many of us have settled for mediocrity; we settle for just getting by.  Today lets open to a greater abundance and live in the free flow of creation.   The practice for this week is “speaking the word,” sometimes called affirmations.

The first affirmation is I am worthy of all the good I can imagine, and more.  Say that out loud and notice what comes up for you when you say/hear that statement of truth.  Most of us have attached our sense of worthiness to what we do, or what others think of us, or have said about us, or our education or our wealth.  We measure our worthiness by something in the world, outside ourselves.

The truth is our worthiness is attached to only one thing, and that is we are a Divine creation.  We are born worthy.  We can’t earn it and we don’t need to.  No matter how much we can imagine, the universe promises more.  This is a worthiness that’s not based on behavior or history.  It’s a worthiness that’s based on identity as sons and daughters of the force that created all of life.  I am worthy of all the good I can imagine, and more.  That’s the truth.

   The second affirmation this week is I release the past and bless it as a stepping stone to my highest good.   That one might stir something up.  For most of us, there is something that is hard to let go.  What if that one thing is the foundation of all the good awaiting us?  As we hold on to an experience as a failure or injury, the flow of the good that is meant to come through that experience is closed down because we have not yet learned to bless it and call it good.  What is it in your life that most needs to be blessed so it can be released?

   Affirmation 3, I give and receive freely and fully.  Knowing my source is Divine, I give and receive freely and fully.  Well, sort of?  On a scale of 1-10, how am I doing?  Are the channels in my life completely open in both directions or am I limited?  Do I give in relationships and then watch for that person to give back to me?  “I’ve given, now it’s your turn to give.”  Do I financially support the thing I believe in, even practice tithing, then immediately look for that raise at work or a windfall or something else to prove it’s going to come back to me, or do I give  knowing that freely and fully giving opens channels that cannot be blocked?  If I’m stuck in linear thinking, “I’ve given this much here and that much there, so I’m supposed to get this relationship and that lottery winning,” then I’m blocking the flow by limiting the possible channels of good.  But when I know I’m worthy, when I release the past and move into gratitude, I can’t help but express that gratitude by giving, and the universe cannot help but respond with abundance and the good pours in.  The trees in the orchards don’t give just to those who are deserving.  They give to live.