Month: June 2016

June 26, 2016 – Prayer as Co-Creator

by

06/26/16 Rev. David McArthur
“Prayer as Co-Creator”
 
I was back at Silent Unity a couple of weeks ago, the place of continuous unending prayer for the past 125 years. Millions of people from all over the world have called them for prayer. I reflected on how my perception of prayer has changed since I was a boy. Back then I asked for things, like I asked my mom and dad for things. As I got older I got somewhat skeptical, as most of us do.

As our understanding shifts, we realize prayer is creative. We move from supplicant to co-creator. Myrtle Fillmore, a wise spiritual woman, prayed for healing. She knew she was a creative being. “I told the life in my liver that it was not torpid …but full of vigor and energy. I told the life in my stomach that it was …energetic, strong and intelligent. I told the life in my abdomen that it …was alive with the sweet, pure, wholesome energy of God… I did not become discouraged at their being slow to wake up, but kept right on… until the organs responded.” Myrtle Fillmore cured herself of tuberculosis.

Think. As you take a breath, think of each cell athrill with the sweet pure energy of God. That’s a little different perception of prayer. Sometimes I treat prayer like aspirin, using it for any “headache”. But really, with prayer we’re bringing the spiritual pattern of who we are into that which exists. We’re bringing it into our body, whether we’re seeking healing of the body, or of our relationships, or whether we’re seeking abundance. Affirm, I CHOOSE THE FULLNESS OF MY SOUL PATTERN TO EXPRESS IN ME HERE AND NOW!

A minister friend has a little dog that had been going through a hard time. A group which met at her church prayed for it. Soon every evening for three hours the dog roused herself for a few minutes at the top of each hour, then returned to her bed to rest. My friend told the group’s leader, who told her they pray at the top of the hour and they sent friends in three time zones their prayer list!

My friend had a subjective experience of prayer. I’m cursed to be the kind of guy who has to know the objective “how” of things. What happened when those people prayed for the dog? What happened when Myrtle Fillmore reversed a disease not known at the time to be curable? Well, you are one with a force that moves through each and every cell. We are all one. We’re not separate. When we take hold of this power with our intention—when we make that connection—that’s creation!

For me the most powerful prayer is to simply feel love for someone. It carries the power of the creative intention of our world. So feel this love. Send it through your family. Send it to families around the world, to children, moms, and dads. Some are in harmony and some are in conflict. As you do, hold them in perfect peace. Can you feel just a little peace for them? Now send it to their communities. Feel it. Gently feel that peace. We’re spiritual beings and this is what we came for. Feel it. DIVINE LOVE FLOWS THROUGH MY HEART. DIVINE LOVE FLOWS THROUGH MY HEART. DIVINE LOVE FLOWS THROUGH MY HEART. And as it does, it unfolds and blesses our world. Peace IS this moment!

June 26, 2016 – Prayer as Co-Creator

by

06/26/16 Rev. David McArthur
“Prayer as Co-Creator”

I was back at Silent Unity a couple of weeks ago, the place of continuous unending prayer for the past 125 years. Millions of people from all over the world have called them for prayer. I reflected on how my perception of prayer has changed since I was a boy. Back then I asked for things, like I asked my mom and dad for things. As I got older I got somewhat skeptical, as most of us do.

As our understanding shifts, we realize prayer is creative. We move from supplicant to co-creator. Myrtle Fillmore, a wise spiritual woman, prayed for healing. She knew she was a creative being. “I told the life in my liver that it was not torpid …but full of vigor and energy. I told the life in my stomach that it was …energetic, strong and intelligent. I told the life in my abdomen that it …was alive with the sweet, pure, wholesome energy of God… I did not become discouraged at their being slow to wake up, but kept right on… until the organs responded.” Myrtle Fillmore cured herself of tuberculosis.

Think. As you take a breath, think of each cell athrill with the sweet pure energy of God. That’s a little different perception of prayer. Sometimes I treat prayer like aspirin, using it for any “headache”. But really, with prayer we’re bringing the spiritual pattern of who we are into that which exists. We’re bringing it into our body, whether we’re seeking healing of the body, or of our relationships, or whether we’re seeking abundance. Affirm, I CHOOSE THE FULLNESS OF MY SOUL PATTERN TO EXPRESS IN ME HERE AND NOW!

A minister friend has a little dog that had been going through a hard time. A group which met at her church prayed for it. Soon every evening for three hours the dog roused herself for a few minutes at the top of each hour, then returned to her bed to rest. My friend told the group’s leader, who told her they pray at the top of the hour and they sent friends in three time zones their prayer list!

My friend had a subjective experience of prayer. I’m cursed to be the kind of guy who has to know the objective “how” of things. What happened when those people prayed for the dog? What happened when Myrtle Fillmore reversed a disease not known at the time to be curable? Well, you are one with a force that moves through each and every cell. We are all one. We’re not separate. When we take hold of this power with our intention—when we make that connection—that’s creation!

For me the most powerful prayer is to simply feel love for someone. It carries the power of the creative intention of our world. So feel this love. Send it through your family. Send it to families around the world, to children, moms, and dads. Some are in harmony and some are in conflict. As you do, hold them in perfect peace. Can you feel just a little peace for them? Now send it to their communities. Feel it. Gently feel that peace. We’re spiritual beings and this is what we came for. Feel it. DIVINE LOVE FLOWS THROUGH MY HEART. DIVINE LOVE FLOWS THROUGH MY HEART. DIVINE LOVE FLOWS THROUGH MY HEART. And as it does, it unfolds and blesses our world. Peace IS this moment!

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June 19, 2016 – Brain Health and Compassionate Communication

by


Garrett Riegg, J.D.
“Brain Health and Compassionate Communication”

Happy Father’s Day! I found recently that I am a father figure at a fraternity I advise at Sonoma State. It was very important to a young man there. His father was absent from his life, and he had no brothers or sisters. He told me recently about his wonderful girl friend and the great job he had as a camera man with the Forty Niners. He was so excited. Over break, though, he was binge drinking and took some pills. I got a call that he was found face down on the floor outside his room, dead.

It is believed that over 50% of students engage in this dangerous behavior. We do know more people are now dying from illegal and legal use of anti-depressants and opioids than from handguns or auto accidents. Among white middle-class women, up to 40% are using 1 or more anti-depressants. Medicine didn’t believe how dangerous these drugs are.

The answer to depression is not drugs. After researching thousands of studies, it has been determined that there are 8 ways to calm the brain.

From the last to the first:

8) Smile. Mean it or not, it releases endorphins. And little things count. It has been found that if a patient about to get a bad diagnosis were to give their doctor a small bag of jelly beans before the diagnosis, the doctor is 20% more accurate!

7) Think. Chess can reverse some dementia. Games and puzzles improve mental ability in the short run, but for the long run the mind needs big intellectual ideas and challenges, like philosophy, metaphysics, or world peace.

6) Relax. Relaxing your muscles and breathing deeply is good for the brain, as is playing relaxing music or repetitive activity like knitting or using rosary beads.

5) Yawn! It also relaxes the muscles in the neck and causes you to breathe deeply. Students who yawned 5 times before a test consistently made higher scores. 5 yawns, too, are as good as a cup of coffee.

4) Meditating. It’s a treat for the brain. MRIs show significant differences between monks and regular people. And they show negative emotions kill brain cells, while positive emotions grow brain cells.

3) Aerobic exercise is definitely good because it brings more oxygen to the brain.

2) Dialogue. Talking, especially talking about big concepts like God or evolution.

1) Faith. The most important. Not necessarily faith in God, but focusing on affirming, positive beliefs, like faith in humanity or the individual’s faith that he or she can overcome. Optimists have better health overall; pessimists die earlier.

I was lucky as a college student to not only have a good father, but over summer vacations I also had a good father figure in my boss at Beacon Moving in Oakland. He was African American, and this was 1963, before the Civil Rights movement had accomplished anything. But Bill had faith. His work was of the highest quality. He was the first black driver for Beacon in Oakland. He had zero customer complaints filed when the average was 20 to 30 a year. He was elected to union shop steward at Beacon, even when the union still didn’t want to integrate! I found out Bill had pulled himself out of poverty and alcoholism, gotten married, and at 50 started a family by adopting a little girl. They adopted 2 more girls, and all were good students. I know at least the oldest went to college. Bill had never even graduated high school! I so appreciate the fathers I had!

June 19, 2016 – Brain Health and Compassionate Communication

by

Garrett Riegg, J.D.
“Brain Health and Compassionate Communication”

Happy Father’s Day! I found recently that I am a father figure at a fraternity I advise at Sonoma State. It was very important to a young man there. His father was absent from his life, and he had no brothers or sisters. He told me recently about his wonderful girl friend and the great job he had as a camera man with the Forty Niners. He was so excited. Over break, though, he was binge drinking and took some pills. I got a call that he was found face down on the floor outside his room, dead.

It is believed that over 50% of students engage in this dangerous behavior. We do know more people are now dying from illegal and legal use of anti-depressants and opioids than from handguns or auto accidents. Among white middle-class women, up to 40% are using 1 or more anti-depressants. Medicine didn’t believe how dangerous these drugs are.

The answer to depression is not drugs. After researching thousands of studies, it has been determined that there are 8 ways to calm the brain.

From the last to the first:

8) Smile. Mean it or not, it releases endorphins. And little things count. It has been found that if a patient about to get a bad diagnosis were to give their doctor a small bag of jelly beans before the diagnosis, the doctor is 20% more accurate!

7) Think. Chess can reverse some dementia. Games and puzzles improve mental ability in the short run, but for the long run the mind needs big intellectual ideas and challenges, like philosophy, metaphysics, or world peace.

6) Relax. Relaxing your muscles and breathing deeply is good for the brain, as is playing relaxing music or repetitive activity like knitting or using rosary beads.

5) Yawn! It also relaxes the muscles in the neck and causes you to breathe deeply. Students who yawned 5 times before a test consistently made higher scores. 5 yawns, too, are as good as a cup of coffee.

4) Meditating. It’s a treat for the brain. MRIs show significant differences between monks and regular people. And they show negative emotions kill brain cells, while positive emotions grow brain cells.

3) Aerobic exercise is definitely good because it brings more oxygen to the brain.

2) Dialogue. Talking, especially talking about big concepts like God or evolution.

1) Faith. The most important. Not necessarily faith in God, but focusing on affirming, positive beliefs, like faith in humanity or the individual’s faith that he or she can overcome. Optimists have better health overall; pessimists die earlier.

I was lucky as a college student to not only have a good father, but over summer vacations I also had a good father figure in my boss at Beacon Moving in Oakland. He was African American, and this was 1963, before the Civil Rights movement had accomplished anything. But Bill had faith. His work was of the highest quality. He was the first black driver for Beacon in Oakland. He had zero customer complaints filed when the average was 20 to 30 a year. He was elected to union shop steward at Beacon, even when the union still didn’t want to integrate! I found out Bill had pulled himself out of poverty and alcoholism, gotten married, and at 50 started a family by adopting a little girl. They adopted 2 more girls, and all were good students. I know at least the oldest went to college. Bill had never even graduated high school! I so appreciate the fathers I had!

Play

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June 12, 2016 – The Power of SHE

by


Rev. Sheila Gautreaux, L.U.T.
“The Power Of SHE”

Quantum physicists talk about the male and female energy of planetary and particle movement. God, which is the universe, is a perfect balance of male and female energy. The time is right to focus on merging the divine feminine with the divine masculine in our lives and in the world to see a shift in war and violence. The masculine energy is out of balance. When it is out there by itself, there is force and then push-back. The key to all this in our world is for the masculine energy to find balance with the divine feminine.

The Biblical story of Deborah tells of the only woman to be a judge, prophet, and general of Israel. Deborah means “bee”, spiritual discrimination, activity. She was the first woman head of state. On guidance from God, she told a general, Barack (means executive aspect of active will) how to defeat one of Israel’s enemies. He responded, “I will only go if you go with me.” This is the first place in the Bible where the divine masculine and the divine feminine come together to overcome. When the mind (the masculine) and the heart (the feminine) come together, we are power—not “we have power” but we ARE power! When we have power, it can be taken away, but when we ARE power it can’t be taken.

How will it affect our innocents, our water, our food, when the masculine cooperates in a scenario that takes all of them into consideration? Would not the balance of the masculine (mind) with the feminine (heart) defeat our enemies within and without because we bring harmony to our decisions?

How do we teach our young women about force? We have taught our daughters power is something to HAVE, not to BE. But within, they have masculine and feminine, and when they align that, they ARE power. And we are called to teach our little boys compassion, nurture, gentleness. We must stop telling them, “Boys don’t do that.” And we must stop telling our little girls, “Girls don’t do that.” It is our responsibility to share this with our children. We must redesign our school curriculums for this. And we must revamp our sports programs to reflect these values, personified by the late Muhammad Ali. We can, when about to make a decision, ask ourselves to seek balance with our masculine and feminine energies and seek a decision for the highest good of all.

Now we are asking men what they think, and women what they feel. What if we ask men what they feel and women what they think? Will it help? We’ve got to change our language, and how we speak to little boys and girls. Ask yourself, “Where am I out of balance? What can I do to bring myself into balance?”

When mind and heart are one, I AM POWER! When mind and heart are one, I AM POWER! When mind and heart are one, I AM POWER!

June 12, 2016 – The Power of SHE

by

Rev. Sheila Gautreaux, L.U.T.
“The Power of SHE”

Quantum physicists talk about the male and female energy of planetary and particle movement. God, which is the universe, is a perfect balance of male and female energy. The time is right to focus on merging the divine feminine with the divine masculine in our lives and in the world to see a shift in war and violence. The masculine energy is out of balance. When it is out there by itself, there is force and then push-back. The key to all this in our world is for the masculine energy to find balance with the divine feminine.

The Biblical story of Deborah tells of the only woman to be a judge, prophet, and general of Israel. Deborah means “bee”, spiritual discrimination, activity. She was the first woman head of state. On guidance from God, she told a general, Barack (means executive aspect of active will) how to defeat one of Israel’s enemies. He responded, “I will only go if you go with me.” This is the first place in the Bible where the divine masculine and the divine feminine come together to overcome. When the mind (the masculine) and the heart (the feminine) come together, we are power—not “we have power” but we ARE power! When we have power, it can be taken away, but when we ARE power it can’t be taken.

How will it affect our innocents, our water, our food, when the masculine cooperates in a scenario that takes all of them into consideration? Would not the balance of the masculine (mind) with the feminine (heart) defeat our enemies within and without because we bring harmony to our decisions?
How do we teach our young women about force? We have taught our daughters power is something to HAVE, not to BE. But within, they have masculine and feminine, and when they align that, they ARE power. And we are called to teach our little boys compassion, nurture, gentleness. We must stop telling them, “Boys don’t do that.” And we must stop telling our little girls, “Girls don’t do that.” It is our responsibility to share this with our children. We must redesign our school curriculums for this. And we must revamp our sports programs to reflect these values, personified by the late Muhammad Ali. We can, when about to make a decision, ask ourselves to seek balance with our masculine and feminine energies and seek a decision for the highest good of all.

Now we are asking men what they think, and women what they feel. What if we ask men what they feel and women what they think? Will it help? We’ve got to change our language, and how we speak to little boys and girls. Ask yourself, “Where am I out of balance? What can I do to bring myself into balance?”

When mind and heart are one, I AM POWER! When mind and heart are one, I AM POWER! When mind and heart are one, I AM POWER!

Play

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June 5, 2016 – Awakening the Power of Our Purpose

by

06/05/16 Rev. David McArthur
“Awakening The Power Of Our Purpose”

There are times when I really appreciate the fun part of our spiritual growth. I speak of the many aspects of ourselves found in the symbols in Snow White. The King and Queen are symbols of the divine. The male is our thinking nature and the female is our feeling nature. The birth of the Princess Snow White is our birth, the birth of our soul. But the Queen dies and the Dad disappears, off doing kingly things. (We lose our awareness of the Divine Mother along with the Father (wisdom and power)). The 2nd wife, the false or step mother is very vain (“mirror, mirror,” and all that). We end up serving a power “out there”, where we “have to do it THIS WAY”. If we don’t, we’ll be taken out into the woods and killed. This a real, but false, God-thought—do it that way or die. The divine self within us can be suppressed and put into the subconscious (the woods). But the truth remains within.

When Snow White reaches seven, the mirror tells the new Queen that Snow White is the fairest, which so angers the Queen that she orders the huntsman to take Snow White out into the woods and kill her. But he can’t do it.

So the Princess, at 7 years, goes over 7 hills to the house of the 7 dwarfs. (A subtle reference to the 7 chakras.) There she (we) begin to awaken to early spiritual growth (the dwarfs are not fully grown and show some of our aspects with names like Dopey, Happy, Sleepy, etc). But Snow White grows up. (We can no longer stay asleep. Our unconscious become conscious. Our spirituality awakens. Our brain grows up to the fact that we give our power away to the false perception of “out there”.) But the step mother and the poison apple cause Snow White to “die” (fall into a deep sleep, a “death”).

A man named Lloyd Glenn landed at the airport in DC where he was told that his 3 year old son had been in an accident and was near death. He was under the garage door when it closed on him right on his heart. His mother thought he was dead but at the hospital his heart was restarted. The staff called it a miracle. Unfortunately his brain had been deprived of oxygen, and when his father arrived he was told not to expect much. With his father at his side, the boy awakened and cried, “Daddy! Hold me!” The staff was amazed at this show of life. With care, he returned to the life of a 3 year old.

A month later he went to his mom and said, uncharacteristically, “Sit down Mommy. I have something to tell you. When I was trapped, the birdies came and made a swoosh and took care of me.” He called them birdies because they had wings. “They were so beautiful! White, and green and white. They told me the baby would be all right.” He was outside his body and could see the baby (himself) trapped under the garage door. He continued, “They went and got his mother and told the baby to stay and not leave. The bright light was so warm. There was someone really nice there who told me, ‘I love you but you have you go back, play baseball, and tell everyone about the birdies and everyone’s plans,’ because they love us so much.”

Emily Cady said to possess the secret of anything is to have power over it, and that knowledge of God within is power over all. In Unity we know I am the beloved child of God! But thinking it isn’t enough. It has to be felt. That’s the important part. Snow White shows us how: she is awakened when the Prince kisses her. So get kissed!

In Snow White there is the death of the old and the awakening of the adult (the mature spiritual self). That’s when the Prince and Snow White go to the castle to live. (The consciousness; the plan.) I am the beloved child of God! I am the beloved child of God! I am the beloved child of God! The amazing power which flows through you, not “out there” (center to circumference) actualizes your being. And on the way it’s ok to be kissed!

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

June 5, 2016 – Awakening the Power of Our Purpose

by


06/05/16 Rev. David McArthur
“Awakening The Power Of Our Purpose”
 
There are times when I really appreciate the fun part of our spiritual growth. I speak of the many aspects of ourselves found in the symbols in Snow White. The King and Queen are symbols of the divine. The male is our thinking nature and the female is our feeling nature. The birth of the Princess Snow White is our birth, the birth of our soul. But the Queen dies and the Dad disappears, off doing kingly things. (We lose our awareness of the Divine Mother along with the Father (wisdom and power)). The 2nd wife, the false or step mother is very vain (“mirror, mirror,” and all that). We end up serving a power “out there”, where we “have to do it THIS WAY”. If we don’t, we’ll be taken out into the woods and killed. This a real, but false, God-thought—do it that way or die. The divine self within us can be suppressed and put into the subconscious (the woods). But the truth remains within.

When Snow White reaches seven, the mirror tells the new Queen that Snow White is the fairest, which so angers the Queen that she orders the huntsman to take Snow White out into the woods and kill her. But he can’t do it.

So the Princess, at 7 years, goes over 7 hills to the house of the 7 dwarfs. (A subtle reference to the 7 chakras.) There she (we) begin to awaken to early spiritual growth (the dwarfs are not fully grown and show some of our aspects with names like Dopey, Happy, Sleepy, etc). But Snow White grows up. (We can no longer stay asleep. Our unconscious become conscious. Our spirituality awakens. Our brain grows up to the fact that we give our power away to the false perception of “out there”.) But the step mother and the poison apple cause Snow White to “die” (fall into a deep sleep, a “death”).

A man named Lloyd Glenn landed at the airport in DC where he was told that his 3 year old son had been in an accident and was near death. He was under the garage door when it closed on him right on his heart. His mother thought he was dead but at the hospital his heart was restarted. The staff called it a miracle. Unfortunately his brain had been deprived of oxygen, and when his father arrived he was told not to expect much. With his father at his side, the boy awakened and cried, “Daddy! Hold me!” The staff was amazed at this show of life. With care, he returned to the life of a 3 year old.

A month later he went to his mom and said, uncharacteristically, “Sit down Mommy. I have something to tell you. When I was trapped, the birdies came and made a swoosh and took care of me.” He called them birdies because they had wings. “They were so beautiful! White, and green and white. They told me the baby would be all right.” He was outside his body and could see the baby (himself) trapped under the garage door. He continued, “They went and got his mother and told the baby to stay and not leave. The bright light was so warm. There was someone really nice there who told me, ‘I love you but you have you go back, play baseball, and tell everyone about the birdies and everyone’s plans,’ because they love us so much.”

Emily Cady said to possess the secret of anything is to have power over it, and that knowledge of God within is power over all. In Unity we know I am the beloved child of God! But thinking it isn’t enough. It has to be felt. That’s the important part. Snow White shows us how: she is awakened when the Prince kisses her. So get kissed!

In Snow White there is the death of the old and the awakening of the adult (the mature spiritual self). That’s when the Prince and Snow White go to the castle to live. (The consciousness; the plan.) I am the beloved child of God! I am the beloved child of God! I am the beloved child of God! The amazing power which flows through you, not “out there” (center to circumference) actualizes your being. And on the way it’s ok to be kissed!