Month: February 2013

February 24, 2013 – Non-Violence and the Other Cheek

by

2/24/13 Rev. David McArthur
Non-Violence and the Other Cheek

Jesus taught if you are struck on the right cheek, “turn the other cheek”. In the context of the Jewish culture, to be hit on the right cheek meant the one who hit you used either his “unclean” left hand or the back of his right hand. Either was a great dishonor to you. But when you turn the other cheek to be hit, the person can’t hit you in either way. It takes back power where it had been lost. It makes you equal to the other person.

This teaching does not say that suffering abuse is spiritual. Rather, it is the non-violent response which opens us to the flow of divine energy and power, to love. Use the power of love to bring an equal connection with your “enemy”. But how? When someone is in your face, love isn’t your first response.

The civil rights activists in Selma, Alabama heard of the brutal treatment colleagues were suffering at the hands of the authorities. You can imagine the level of anger they felt—a natural response. But their leaders understood the teaching of non-violence. They asked for a call-and-response song that acknowledged love. They sang out “We love Martin Luther King” and the crowd answered, “Certainly, certainly!” The leaders sang out another civil rights leader’s name, and another. Each time the crowd sang back, “Certainly, certainly!” Then the song leaders sang out the name of the sheriff who, with his troopers, had them surrounded, threatening violence. “We love the Sheriff.” The crowd faltered at first, but soon sang, “Certainly, certainly!” They got it. Love has the power to change things! The sheriff said years later that in that moment he realized he had been wrong.

Love gives understanding and compassion, but it also shows us the oppressor, the victim, the self righteous one inside each of us. Healing that is where the power truly is. How do we do it? Recall the Prayer of St. Francis. “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” You have the power, because you are the love to do that! And if music does it, sing, “Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me!”

February 24, 2013 – Non-Violence and the Other Cheek

by

2/24/13 Rev. David McArthur
Non-Violence and the Other Cheek

Jesus taught if you are struck on the right cheek, “turn the other cheek”. In the context of the Jewish culture, to be hit on the right cheek meant the one who hit you used either his “unclean” left hand or the back of his right hand. Either was a great dishonor to you. But when you turn the other cheek to be hit, the person can’t hit you in either way. It takes back power where it had been lost. It makes you equal to the other person.

This teaching does not say that suffering abuse is spiritual. Rather, it is the non-violent response which opens us to the flow of divine energy and power, to love. Use the power of love to bring an equal connection with your “enemy”. But how? When someone is in your face, love isn’t your first response.

The civil rights activists in Selma, Alabama heard of the brutal treatment colleagues were suffering at the hands of the authorities. You can imagine the level of anger they felt—a natural response. But their leaders understood the teaching of non-violence. They asked for a call-and-response song that acknowledged love. They sang out “We love Martin Luther King” and the crowd answered, “Certainly, certainly!” The leaders sang out another civil rights leader’s name, and another. Each time the crowd sang back, “Certainly, certainly!” Then the song leaders sang out the name of the sheriff who, with his troopers, had them surrounded, threatening violence. “We love the Sheriff.” The crowd faltered at first, but soon sang, “Certainly, certainly!” They got it. Love has the power to change things! The sheriff said years later that in that moment he realized he had been wrong.

Love gives understanding and compassion, but it also shows us the oppressor, the victim, the self righteous one inside each of us. Healing that is where the power truly is. How do we do it? Recall the Prayer of St. Francis. “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” You have the power, because you are the love to do that! And if music does it, sing, “Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me!”

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February 17, 2013 – The Great Paradox of Prosperity

by

2/17/13 Janet Conner
The Great Paradox of Prosperity

The Buddha and Jesus each gave us a formula to create a beautiful, abundant life. Guess what? They taught the same thing! And it’s nothing like our modern obsession with the Law of Attraction. They both taught the paradox of abundance. They both taught the paradox that you don’t get what you want by wanting it. They taught “put your attention on the divine within” and then your life is abundant.

Not too many months ago, with all my success, I was bankrupt. At Thanksgiving, I told my son, who then asked, ”Are you doing work you love? [I was.] Then what’s the problem?” He was saying it wasn’t what I was doing that needed to change. I knew I needed to turn my attention to the divine within. So in my daily deep soul writing I dialogued with my beloved divine voice. I heard that I needed to spend the following month deep soul writing every day. One week for preparation, the next looking back at all the wisdom and what I had learned already. Then a week in forgiveness. The fourth week was to be spent looking at the life “you now want to create”. So I wrote.

Then, on New Year’s Day, I didn’t want to write. I found You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh at my feet, and I read the sentence which changed everything—“The Buddha said when conditions are sufficient there is a manifestation.” I realized we’re 180 degrees off with The Secret. It’s not about the manifestation, it’s about the conditions! So what did Jesus have to say about it? Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Dr. Neil Douglas Klotz translates the original Aramaic as “Pouring yourself out makes the universe do the same.” When we pursue a right relationship with the universe we produce a condition of reception in which anything we need to produce our beautiful abundant life will be provided by the universe. The same teaching!

The conditions for manifesting our desires are uniquely our own. Every day I let God have the responsibility for manifesting the things I want. I focus on living my intentions as I have expressed them in the center of my mandala. Then I tap my heart and say, “I’m one with the One.”

Sing “I will leave this world as it is, go inside and find my God…Inside there is peace [and] joy… there is more than enough. Inside there is sacred love.” Set aside your wanting and asking and go inside and find your God.

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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February 17, 2013 – The Great Paradox of Prosperity

by

2/17/13 Janet Conner
The Great Paradox of Prosperity

The Buddha and Jesus each gave us a formula to create a beautiful, abundant life. Guess what? They taught the same thing! And it’s nothing like our modern obsession with the Law of Attraction. They both taught the paradox of abundance. They both taught the paradox that you don’t get what you want by wanting it. They taught “put your attention on the divine within” and then your life is abundant.

Not too many months ago, with all my success, I was bankrupt. At Thanksgiving, I told my son, who then asked, ”Are you doing work you love? [I was.] Then what’s the problem?” He was saying it wasn’t what I was doing that needed to change. I knew I needed to turn my attention to the divine within. So in my daily deep soul writing I dialogued with my beloved divine voice. I heard that I needed to spend the following month deep soul writing every day. One week for preparation, the next looking back at all the wisdom and what I had learned already. Then a week in forgiveness. The fourth week was to be spent looking at the life “you now want to create”. So I wrote.

Then, on New Year’s Day, I didn’t want to write. I found You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh at my feet, and I read the sentence which changed everything—“The Buddha said when conditions are sufficient there is a manifestation.” I realized we’re 180 degrees off with The Secret. It’s not about the manifestation, it’s about the conditions! So what did Jesus have to say about it? Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Dr. Neil Douglas Klotz translates the original Aramaic as “Pouring yourself out makes the universe do the same.” When we pursue a right relationship with the universe we produce a condition of reception in which anything we need to produce our beautiful abundant life will be provided by the universe. The same teaching!

The conditions for manifesting our desires are uniquely our own. Every day I let God have the responsibility for manifesting the things I want. I focus on living my intentions as I have expressed them in the center of my mandala. Then I tap my heart and say, “I’m one with the One.”

Sing “I will leave this world as it is, go inside and find my God…Inside there is peace [and] joy… there is more than enough. Inside there is sacred love.” Set aside your wanting and asking and go inside and find your God.

February 10, 2013 – Love Your Enemy–They Showed Us How

by


2/10/13 Rev. David McArthur
Love Your Enemy—They Showed Us How

The greatest commandment, Love God, is the universal experience found in all spiritual teachings. From Jesus to Krishna, it is the same beautiful teaching.
A most powerful teaching brings this ideal down to our world, and frees us. Yet it is also most difficult: Love Your Enemies. When you are having a difficult time, there is always someone there, denying you what you desire. As Unity students, we know that is not really the case, but still we say, “I know that I should love them, but if I do then I have to roll over and let them continue what doesn’t work.” At times we even go past the outer manifestation to the inner part of ourselves that blocks our good—“I’m too fat, I’m not good enough, etc.” How do we deal with what stops the good in our lives?

Then there’s “turn the other cheek”. We really misunderstand that. If you are experiencing abuse and turn the other cheek, that’s not loving yourself nor the person in front of you. From the sayings of Mohammad, “O messenger of God, how does one help the oppressor?” and Mohammad answers, “By hindering him from doing wrong.” We have an amazing example of “turn the other cheek” in the civil rights movement. The people of Selma chose to love themselves enough to say “no more”, and they loved those who had been part of their oppression enough to say, “no more”. From the Quran, “The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better and behold… [your enemy] shall be as if he were a loyal friend.”

When you really love your enemy, there is love for yourself. There is wisdom and intelligence there. It is within the nature of love when we say, “no more”. When that happens there is the most clear, powerful wisdom and you know what to do. You are divinely guided to love yourself and to love that other person. Affirm, “I am love. I am divinely guided.” You are there for one reason only—to free yourself and all involved.

Valentine’s Day is coming up and you can give the greatest gift—you can show up as who you really are! Bless you!

February 10, 2013 – Love Your Enemy–They Showed Us How

by

2/10/13 Rev. David McArthur
Love Your Enemy—They Showed Us How

The greatest commandment, Love God, is the universal experience found in all spiritual teachings. From Jesus to Krishna, it is the same beautiful teaching.

A most powerful teaching brings this ideal down to our world, and frees us. Yet it is also most difficult: Love Your Enemies. When you are having a difficult time, there is always someone there, denying you what you desire. As Unity students, we know that is not really the case, but still we say, “I know that I should love them, but if I do then I have to roll over and let them continue what doesn’t work.” At times we even go past the outer manifestation to the inner part of ourselves that blocks our good—“I’m too fat, I’m not good enough, etc.” How do we deal with what stops the good in our lives?

Then there’s “turn the other cheek”. We really misunderstand that. If you are experiencing abuse and turn the other cheek, that’s not loving yourself nor the person in front of you. From the sayings of Mohammad, “O messenger of God, how does one help the oppressor?” and Mohammad answers, “By hindering him from doing wrong.” We have an amazing example of “turn the other cheek” in the civil rights movement. The people of Selma chose to love themselves enough to say “no more”, and they loved those who had been part of their oppression enough to say, “no more”. From the Quran, “The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better and behold… [your enemy] shall be as if he were a loyal friend.”

When you really love your enemy, there is love for yourself. There is wisdom and intelligence there. It is within the nature of love when we say, “no more”. When that happens there is the most clear, powerful wisdom and you know what to do. You are divinely guided to love yourself and to love that other person. Affirm, “I am love. I am divinely guided.” You are there for one reason only—to free yourself and all involved.

Valentine’s Day is coming up and you can give the greatest gift—you can show up as who you really are! Bless you!

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February 3, 2013 – Prodigal, Prayer, and the Beloved

by

2/3/13 Rev. David McArthur
Prodigal, Prayer, And The Beloved

Prayer and meditation keep changing as our spiritual life grows. We have heard prayer is speaking to God and meditation is listening to God. But it’s hard to tell the difference anymore. Most requests for prayer to our Prayer Ministers come from need, especially the need for healing. The experience of prayer changes so much for us. When young, we pray from a list, especially for those that we think Infinite Intelligence somehow seems to have missed. Then we come to know that what is needed is already given, and that prayer is to open ourselves to receive. Prayer then, is to open our awareness.

Every month Silent Unity issues some prayers to bring our consciousness to this. This month they printed, “The flow of divine life revitalizes me” for healing. It’s already there, already given. Hold it and know it for yourself. Hold it and know it for someone you know that is in need. How beautiful, knowing this beautiful presence and power. This is not about need but about relationship with that Presence.

We see in the story of “The Prodigal Son” elements that express aspects of ourselves. Experiencing a real sense of lack, the prodigal son comes to his senses (we turn to prayer). Then, before he even gets back to his home his father comes out on the road to meet him. This is a response of love. Pure love. When we seek to establish contact with the divine the response is always love. It comes to meet you. God is not a child-consciousness that seeks revenge or punishment.

The older son who had stayed and was good shows us our self pity. (“It’s not fair!”) The father responds, “Son, you have always been with me and all that I have is yours.” No good|bad, no should|shouldn’t. All the divine has is ours. (We are still free to run around complaining.) But you are the beloved child of God! “I am the Beloved!” “I am the Beloved!” “I am the Beloved!”

Be still and be with God. The beloved is us. We are the ones loved completely without limit. You are the beloved child of God! Always!

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

February 3, 2013 – Prodigal, Prayer, and the Beloved

by


2/3/13 Rev. David McArthur
Prodigal, Prayer, And The Beloved

Prayer and meditation keep changing as our spiritual life grows. We have heard prayer is speaking to God and meditation is listening to God. But it’s hard to tell the difference anymore. Most requests for prayer to our Prayer Ministers come from need, especially the need for healing. The experience of prayer changes so much for us. When young, we pray from a list, especially for those that we think Infinite Intelligence somehow seems to have missed. Then we come to know that what is needed is already given, and that prayer is to open ourselves to receive. Prayer then, is to open our awareness.

Every month Silent Unity issues some prayers to bring our consciousness to this. This month they printed, “The flow of divine life revitalizes me” for healing. It’s already there, already given. Hold it and know it for yourself. Hold it and know it for someone you know that is in need. How beautiful, knowing this beautiful presence and power. This is not about need but about relationship with that Presence.

We see in the story of “The Prodigal Son” elements that express aspects of ourselves. Experiencing a real sense of lack, the prodigal son comes to his senses (we turn to prayer). Then, before he even gets back to his home his father comes out on the road to meet him. This is a response of love. Pure love. When we seek to establish contact with the divine the response is always love. It comes to meet you. God is not a child-consciousness that seeks revenge or punishment.

The older son who had stayed and was good shows us our self pity. (“It’s not fair!”) The father responds, “Son, you have always been with me and all that I have is yours.” No good|bad, no should|shouldn’t. All the divine has is ours. (We are still free to run around complaining.) But you are the beloved child of God! “I am the Beloved!” “I am the Beloved!” “I am the Beloved!”

Be still and be with God. The beloved is us. We are the ones loved completely without limit. You are the beloved child of God! Always!