Back to the Garden

This is the 5th, and last part of a series on the Gospel of John.We have learned many things. For starters, just as with the others, we don’t know who wrote this book. We also learned that it was the last to be written, some forty years after the first, and seventy years after the death of Jesus.From the perspective of orally handed down stories, that is a very long time for stories to be circulating. It is not hard to imagine they changed along the way before they were finally written down. To further muddy the waters, we don’t have any of the original documents. What we have are copies from a couple of hundred years later.As such some have raised the question of whether these were really the words of Jesus, or of an author trying to make his point of view known? We have no way of knowing with absolute certainty, but there are clues that Biblical Scholars can pick up for insight into this question.Many have made this effort. One such group of scholars, The Jesus Seminar, actually concluded that essentially the entire Gospel of John are not the words of Jesus.In Unity we turn our attention to the words or ideas from this book that would come from a mystic, and when we do, we do find them in this spiritual book.

This is the 4th part of a series on the Gospel of John.Episode one began with an overview of all the Gospels. My intention was to show both what they share, and how they differ. Among what they share is that we don’t know who wrote them. They are not eye-witness accounts. They were written generations later, in a different language.They differ, in that each portrays a different Jesus. In Mark, (the first Gospel written), Jesus is a simple itinerant preacher. In Matthew he is the Jewish Messiah, In Luke, the prophet and teacher, and in John (the last to be written) Jesus is the Cosmic Christ.In weeks two and three, we began to examine the Gospel of John from the perspective of the cosmic consciousness revealing itself through this book.From this point of view, what Unity calls a metaphysical interpretation, every character, every event, every word takes on significant meaning as some aspect of our Being, or of a transcendent idea. Some examples we covered were: “The word”, as the infinite potentialities of Being. The lamb of God, as the consciousness that removes error thought from the mind of the individual who has reached that level of realization.John the Baptist as the illumined natural man. Meaning that stage in us when we reach intellectual knowledge of a higher reality, thus begin the journey to the unfolding of the Cosmic Consciousness within.Finally, we addressed Jesus as the voice of the universal consciousness, speaking not as the Redeemer of Sin, but as the Revealer of Truth. Thus, when we hear Jesus make the I AM statements, or say to Nicodemus that he must be born again, he is not making human references, he is speaking as the divine essence within each of us.

Two episodes ago I started a new series on the Gospel of John. In episode one I spend some time doing “set-up work” about, not only Gospel of John, but all the Gospels. My intention was to help you understand the history of these gospels—to put them in perspective.Epiode two we dove into some of the abundant spiritual meaning in the book. Three of the major topics covered were (1) the metaphysical meaning of the person John the Baptist as the forerunner to the coming of the Christ consciousness.From Charles Fillmore we get that John the Baptist represents the “illuminated natural man”. This means that in the ever-evolving process, John the Baptist represents the stage in us when we awaken intellectually to the idea of a greater reality. The mind eventually realizes that “baptizing with water” (knowledge of the physical world), is but a voice crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord (the coming of our greater consciousness—Spirit awareness).The prologue to the Gospel reads “and the light shineth in the darkness and darkness apprehended it not”. That is to mean that we are spirit beings, yet unaware of it.We also covered the idea that, (2) spiritually speaking, “in the beginning” is the ever present here and now. So that at any moment we want to change our mind, change our world, that becomes our new beginning. Finally we talked about (3) “the word”. How both John and Genesis 1 make clear that in the beginning there was “the word” and nothing else. I posed the question: what IS this word? Charles Fillmore writes: “The Greek word (logos) cannot be adequately translated into English. In the original it denotes wisdom, judgement, power, and in fact, all inherent potentialities of Being.”Thus, in the beginning (now) there is ever all the inherent potentialities of Being before us awaiting the unfolding of our consciousness into that awareness.

Last episode, I started a new series. A series on the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John is distinctive, and unlike the other three, which are more narrative driven.As noted in the last episode, we don ‘t know who wrote any of the Gospels. However, the Gospel of John is so radically different, that some suggest it could have been the product of an entirely different school of thought. A perspective that saw the more mystical side of Jesus.That would not be a stretch, because the Gnostic texts discovered in 1945 certainly show that this was one of the many diverse views about Jesus that existed during that time.This is no different than the distinction between how tradition sees Jesus, and how Unity sees Jesus today. From this comparison, the Unity mindset would have written John, and the traditional mindset the Synoptics. Granted some of this is conjecture because we know so little about the topic from a historical, unbiased, point of view. As such, that leaves us with the liberty to take a metaphysical interpretation of the Gospel of John because that is what we do in Unity.

The Gospel of John is a very intriguing book. It is radically different from the other three, referred to as the Synoptic Gospels. The meaning of the word synoptic can be broken down to “syn” (together) and “optic” (seen). Literally “seen together”. In other words, you can place them side by side and see the similarity in format, style, and content. Such is not the case with the Gospel of John. From the onset, in John, Jesus is seen as the “Cosmic Christ”--one with God before time began. It is much more reflective and theological than the narrative-driven Synoptic Gospels. It also includes the “I AM” statements that are frequently quoted in traditional churches. These are not found in the other three gospels. Why? We will see.From the Unity angle of metaphysical interpretation, the Gospel of John is seen as more spiritual. It is the only Gospel Unity Co-Founder Charles Fillmore wrote a book about.

How many times have you heard someone bring up the question: what is my purpose? Have you ever thought about that question? Do we have a purpose? I have heard many people say that God has a purpose for us. A plan for each and every one of us. Is that true? If it is, what are the theological ramifications? If it is not, does that mean life has no purpose? Most people don't think about these things. I do. Most people are content to simply say “God” has a plan for me, and leave it at that. Join us this week as we examine the questions: What is mine to do? What is my purpose?

In today's episode, we finish our review of Unity's Five Principles with a look at Principle #5 and a general overview of the Principles. When the Unity Movement began in the late 1800s, Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore never wrote anything down for the first twenty years. His reasoning was: the person I am today, is not the person I will be tomorrow. He knew that to hold a steadfast set of beliefs was, and is, a limitation contrary to life’s unlimited nature. Eventually, he was persuaded to compile some kind of “theology” for the sake of passing on this new understanding of the relationship between God and Mankind. Many years later Charles' great-granddaughter, Connie Fillmore Bazzy, was asked if she could summarize Unity teachings for a Daily Word article back when she was the president of Unity school in Kansas City. She came up with five principles that have since become the cornerstone of our teachings. These Five Principles are: 1. God is absolute good, everywhere present. 2. Human beings are created in that image of God and our very essence is divine; therefore, we are inherently good. 3. We create our life experiences through our thoughts and beliefs. 4. Through affirmative prayer and meditation, we connect with God and bring out the good in our lives. 5. I do and give my best by living the Truth I know. I make a difference. In this episode, I will focus on Principle #5 which essentially is “walking the walk”. That is to say, putting the knowledge we have of the principles to work in our lives. Join us this week as we conclude our review of Unity’s Five Principles.

In the episode, we continue our review of Unity's Five Basic Principles with a look at principle #4 which states: prayer is creative thinking that heightens the connection with God-Mind and therefore brings forth wisdom, healing, prosperity and everything good. In her book titled The Five Principles, author Rev. Ellen Devenport, begins her chapter on the fourth principle: "Prayer would seem to be the simplest and most familiar of spiritual concepts. Even little children understand it. Prayer has been practiced by human beings throughout the ages, in many different forms, addressed to gods of many different names. And yet this is where confusion usually sets in regarding the Five Principles." But what could be confusing about prayer? You talk to God, you ask for this or that, sometimes the petition is granted, sometimes it is not. What's confusing about that? Isn't that the way it works? No, that isn't the way it works! That is a view of God that is external, and anthropomorphic. A God that is fickle and capricious. The confusion for beginning Unity students is in regards to the radical departure from this whimsical God which one has to petition to. In Principle 1 we see God as Principle. In Principle 2 we see God as personal, expressed through each of us. In Principle 3 we learn that it is we who create our own destiny, through the activity of our thinking, believing, and feeling (free will). Given these three principles, then it seems we truly are in control of our own destinies. Then who or what am I praying "to", or why is prayer necessary at all? In its simplest form, the answer is that we are an expression of this ONE greater Mind (consciousness), and through affirmative prayer (not supplication) we align ourselves with this greater good to "...bring forth wisdom, healing, prosperity and everything good". To use a metaphor, there really is a “river of life” that flows in the expansive and positive direction. Prayer then becomes aligning ourselves with this flow, to manifest that which is consistent with its general nature. Join us this week, as we delve further into the topic of affirmative prayer.

In this episode, we continue our discussion of Unity’s Five Principles with Principle 3 which states: “Human beings create their experiences by the activity of their thinking” The principle states that it is you who co-creates your experience(s)! That we are active participants in the creation process. If you’re like most, you’re probably thinking; How? By the activity of your thinking and believing, as the Principle states! The caveat that cannot be ignored is that we are not alone in the process. Mark 11:24 states, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mathew 21:22 states “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Notice that, in both passages, whether what you pray for “comes to be” or not, is contingent upon YOU! You are the determining factor! Is there any basis for this idea in science? Yes, there is as well! Quantum physics is essentially telling us that we live in an interactive universe (the observed is altered by the observer). Roman Catholic Priest and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin put it this way: “The universe as we know it is a joint product of the observer and the observed.” To repeat my personal mantra: we have GOT TO change the way we see things! The time to start is now!

Unity has Five Basic Principles that summarize our entire philosophy, our theology. In her book about the Five Principles, Rev. Ellen Debenport writes: "As well as offering tools for daily living, The Five Principles suggest answers to the great questions of existence that humans have been asking since the dawn of conscious awareness." The Five Principles are: #1: God is absolute good, everywhere present. #2: Human beings are created in the image of God and our very essence is divine; therefore, we are inherently good. #3: Human beings create our life experiences through our thoughts and our beliefs. #4: Through affirmative prayer and meditation, we align with God (Source) and bring out the good in our lives. #5: I do and give my best by living the truth I know. I make a difference. If we were to express these in a concise manner, they might be something like this: GOD IS, I AM, I think (create), I pray (align), I act! Based on these principles, Unity's view of God, man and our "relationship" is quite different from that of traditional Christianity. In particular, the concept behind second principle. Of this idea Ralph Waldon Emerson wrote: the greatest revelation is that God is in every man. In this episode, we examine principle #2: Human beings are created in the image of God and our very essence is divine; therefore, we are inherently good.

These next two weeks, Unity Spiritual Center Georgetown will be conducting new membership classes. In order to become a member of any Unity center it is not necessary to believe any particular dogma or creed. We do this for a specific reason. We teach and appreciate an open mind, and an open heart. We do so because we know that every moment is a new moment, and every day our consciousness expands as a result of the experience of the day. Unity co-founder, Charles Fillmore, never wrote down anything for the first twenty years of Unity’s existence. His reasoning was: the person I am today, is not the person I will be tomorrow. He knew that to hold a steadfast set of beliefs was, and is, a limitation contrary to life’s unlimited nature. Eventually, he was persuaded to compile some kind of “theology” for the sake of passing on this new understanding of the relationship between God and Mankind. A number of books were written as a result of this effort. It was part of the birth of the New Thought Movement. Many years later, Connie Fillmore Bazzy, great-grand daughter of Charles, was asked if she could summarize Unity teachings for a Daily Word article back when she was the president of Unity school in Kansas City. She came up with five principles that since have become the cornerstone of our teachings. These Five Principles are: 1. God is absolute good, everywhere present. 2. Human beings are created in that image of God and our very essence is divine; therefore, we are inherently good. 3. We create our life experiences through our thoughts and beliefs. 4. Through affirmative prayer and meditation, we connect with God and bring out the good in our lives. 5. I do and give my best by living the Truth I know. I make a difference.

In his book: Meeting Jesus (Again) for the First Time, biblical scholar and professor, Rev. Marcus Borg presents us with a different view of one of the most influential people in  western civilization. We, in the west, have all “met” Jesus. The image we have of him is largely dependent on the religious, or non-religious, background we come from. The book presents us with an overview of these images as well as a view from the scholars. One review notes: “In this small, but eloquent and learned book, Borg directs his readers, especially those who have found no meaningful image of Jesus, away from confessed doctrines about Jesus (what the gospels and the churches say about Him) and toward a relationship with the Spirit of God.” In Unity we believe there is a major difference between the life and teachings of Jesus, and the story created about Jesus which ultimately became tradition. According to Rev. Borg, the traditional view of Jesus, as the "Christ of Faith" the only Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, was a view Jesus would have found foreign. Rev. Borg aims to present us with a new image of Jesus not commonly known. Jesus as a teacher who’s central purpose was to show us how to know God as an experiential reality. Join me this episode as we meet Jesus (again) for the first time.

This episode I will cover the first of a two-part series on a book by Unity Minister Robert Brumet titled: “Birthing A Greater Reality, A Guide For Conscious Evolution”. The conversation continues with the questions: where are we (spiritually), where are we going, and how do we get there? Brumet’s book is divided into three sections. Chapters 1 and 2 focus on the big picture of who we are and our history. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 parallel this approach, but the focus is on the personal level. Chapter 6 integrates our understanding of global evolution with the wisdom derived from our personal transformation. In the book Rev. Brumet brings up the ideas of three very influential authors/philosophers: Henri Bergson, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and Ken Wilber. Influential that is, if you are familiar with them. I would like to believe that we are at the point of birthing a greater reality for our community and those whose lives we touch. Our fundamental belief is that there IS a greater reality, and we must ever be open to the awareness and expression of that consciousness. Unity offers a distinctly unique approach to spirituality. Our open-mind and open-heart approach puts us in a receptive mode towards that end. Join me for this episode as we continue to explore ways to ever expand our awareness as individuals and as a humanity into a higher reality.

This episode is based on two ideas. The first is the concept of integral theory as developed by American Philosopher and mystic, Ken Wilbur. The second on a book by Rev. Paul Smith applying the integral approach to Christianity. The title is: “Integral Christianity, The Spirit’s Call to Evolve.” From Ken Wilbur (the innovator of integral thought) comes this: “The word integral means comprehensive, inclusive, non-marginalizing, embracing. Integral approaches to any field attempt to be exactly that—to include as many perspectives, styles, and methodologies as possible within a coherent view of the topic. In a certain sense integral approaches are “meta-paradigms” or ways to draw together an already existing number of separate paradigms into a network of interrelated mutually enriching perspectives” In simple English, it means taking existing points of view and bringing them together to form a BIGGER, broader point of view! Basically, it’s making a bigger puzzle using smaller puzzles. From the forward, by Jim Marion, comes this: “[Rev. Smith’s book] sets forth the evolutionary stages of human spiritual development. It also explains the three stages of human spiritual development as well as the three standpoints through which humans experience the reality of God”. In his introduction to the book, Rev. Paul says, “We all wear glasses, our glasses are our worldview. The lens through which I now look at Christianity had not taken shape and did not have a name 50 years ago…. What if there is a Christian path that more closely follows Jesus than many of us have seen in the past? What if it is possible to hear the continuing voice of the Spirit as Jesus promised?”

Walk the Talk

I think we can all agree that the keynote to life is change. Everything is nature tells us that change is the only constant. We understand this intellectually. However, when change comes rapidly, or at too big of a scale, we usually find ourselves questioning the meaning and purpose of the change. Certainly these are difficult and trying days we are all currently experiencing. The changes are major and many are questioning this period of transition. The key to coping with this difficult time is to turn our attention to the larger picture. To discover that a major life transition is an opportunity for transformation, and that transformation is an opportunity for spiritual rebirth. In this episode, we will discuss ways in which to deal with the changes around us.

This past week our nation put preventive measures into place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. One of the biggest measures was decreasing large crowd gathering. Many activities were canceled and others provided online option. Another measure we can always take for healing is prayer. Prayer, what is it? How does it work? Unity uses “affirmative prayer.”  Rather than begging God for what we desire, this method involves connecting with the spirit of God and asserting positive beliefs about the desired outcome. Affirmative prayer is the same method of prayer Jesus taught when he said, “So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).  Metaphysicians believe that thoughts transmit magnetic energy and this energy attracts other energy of the same frequency. Whether we are conscious of it or not, our thoughts are transmitting energy that is attracting more of the same. When we remain focused on our intentions, we will draw those things into our lives.  We know that our consciousness make a difference and one of the greatest gifts Unity offers is to stay positive and pray.  I invite you to join in the following prayer or one of your own choosing.  We know that God is a Love that has no end and a Power that knows no bounds. God’s healing power of Divine Life is restoring, healing, and revitalizing our world in this very moment. We let go of any fears or anxieties, and we affirm that all are safe, healthy, and protected. We bless all those who support us in maintaining vibrant radiant health. We express Divine Life in all we think, say, and do. We bless our global family with radiant health, peace of mind, and abundant love.

Is God really "our father"? If God is, then what does that mean theologically? When we refer to God as our father, what kind of imagery comes to our minds? I feel fairly safe in saying that for most people the image that comes to mind is that of a larger (much larger) version of ourselves. We refer to this image as the Supreme Being. It is all powerful, all knowing and everywhere present, but it is "a being" nevertheless. One problem with this vision is that it creates an image of God which is like us, and the Bible clearly states that it is we who are like God. Another problem with this image that it separate us from God. God is something else which, of course, means we are not really like it. So if indeed, as Scripture says, we are the image and likeness of God, what does that mean? Christian tradition tells us that God is Love and God is Spirit. Christian tradition also tells us that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. How is it then that God can be three "things" and yet still be One God? Think about this for a moment: If God is everywhere, then God is everything, and if God is everything, then we are all one and the same thing. This episode I will examine and propose to you the simple idea that not only is God partite in nature, we are as well, and both are ONE with all.

The last two times I've spoken, I have talked about the Spiritual Tools we have in our Spiritual Toolbox. We say that we are not human beings seeking "a spiritual end to our lives". That instead, WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS, first and foremost, and what is happening is that we are having a human experience. Because most people see ourselves as primarily human, our focus has been on the human experience as the foundation of reality. This is fundamentally flawed and along with this error in focus, comes an error in perception. We perceive ourselves to be helpless victims in an alien universe. As such, our goal becomes future based instead present based. Consequently we lose out on the opportunity to make this human experience a wonderful and rewarding one. On this episode, I will start a new series to help us re-focus our attention. I will be using a book by Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. called "Inner Peace for Busy People; 52 Simple Strategies for Transforming Your Life". In this book Dr. Borysenko offers us simple techniques, much like our Spiritual Tools, to help us maximize our human experience in the here and now.

Let me ask you a question. How many tools do you have in your spiritual toolbox? If you're like most people, you have one: prayer. That's a very good spiritual tool to have, but it's only one. Did you know you actually have fourteen spiritual tools? Imagine the kind of life you could build if your spiritual toolbox had fourteen tools in it, and you actually used them on a consistent basis? The truth is we all have access to these tools, most of us are just not aware of them. As a result, we don't use them and our lives manifest in some, not so pleasant, ways. In this episode, we're going to cover some of these tools. Build a better you! Build a better life!

The abundant universe

The power of will

How big is your God?

This lesson comes from 2 books—You are the Universe by Deepak Chopra & Menas Kafatos and From Science to God by Peter Russell. In this episode, we will explore the paradigm shift on the unfolding consciousness of planet Earth. A paradigm is essentially a worldview understanding of something. Just as Copernicus was instrumental in changing the notion that the Earth appeared to be the center of the universe and creation, these books are bringing into question our currently held beliefs of what “appears” to be going on now.

In this episode, I will review another book by Biblical scholar Rev. Marcus Borg. titled:" Reading the Bible Again for the First Time”. Rev. Borg had been studying and teaching the Bible in private and public colleges, universities and graduate schools for over 35 years when he wrote these books. The books represent a departure from the traditional way of seeing Jesus and the Bible. He says it this way: "As we enter the 21st century, we need a new set of lenses through which to read the Bible. The older set, ground and polished by modernity, no longer works for millions of people. These lenses need to be replaced. The older way of seeing and reading the Bible, which I will soon describe, has made the Bible incredible and irrelevant for vast numbers of people.....one of my central purposes in this book is....to provide Christians with a persuasive way of seeing and reading their sacred scriptures, a way that takes the Bible seriously without taking it literally." Perhaps you are one of those vast number of people for whom the Bible has become "incredible and irrelevant".

For several years, I had been interested in doing a lesson on The Wizard of Oz. One day, while watching the movie for the umpteenth time, a thought crossed my mind: “Who wrote this and what were they thinking?” The reason for my curiosity came from the realization that the story is very similar, metaphorically, to the parable of the prodigal son. In fact, for Unity, this similarity can be extended even further to the overall concept of the Bible being representative of our spiritual journey. These ancient stories involve the classic telling of a hero's journey which begins "at home", in a place of comfort, then ventures out into an unknown land. That unknown land is always filled with many adventures for the hero: some happy, some not so happy. The protagonist nevertheless presses on and eventually he or she ultimately returns home. In the case of the Bible, that home is heaven. In the Wizard of Oz, that home is Kansas. So, who wrote this story? It was L. Frank Baum, and in my search, I learned he was a devout Theosophist, a term I was unfamiliar with. As it turns out Theosophy is somewhat similar in its views to Unity because they were both "born" in the same relative time period/consciousness and both by women. Perhaps because of this influence, The Wizard of Oz contains a very interesting spiritual overtone which I would like to explore this week.

Introducción al sendero espiritual Unity

The biblical story of Easter is rich with symbolic meaning about the unfolding of the human soul. Philosophically the question is: are we fundamentally matter, or are we fundamentally spirit (energy)? The vast majority of people on this planet see themselves as fundamentally matter and thus, separate from God. Transformation in our consciousness will rectify this error perception. Jesus, our way shower, made this clear when he heeded us to "repent". The word repent means to change direction, to change our way of seeing ourselves. The Truth is that we are all expressions of God and, as such, cannot be separated from God in reality. In consciousness, however, we can be separated from God because of free will. A crucifixion of our old consciousness is required in order to allow for the resurrection of a new consciousness.

What is the most basic idea there is concerning the topic of spirituality? Jesus was asked a similar question when the Pharisees challenged him to narrow down the importance of the 620 plus Jewish laws. His response was, “Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Two commandments; one message: Love. These were not the words of Jesus, though; he was quoting Torah. The New Thought Movement, of which Unity is a part, in some sense has a similar idea for simplifying the spiritual message. For us it is all about Oneness. It is also about returning to the simplicity of the message of Jesus: love and forgiveness. Many who come into the Unity Movement do so because they have always had the feeling that all religions and all paths ultimately lead to the one source. In Unity we honor and draw from all paths to Spirit.

Charles Fillmore, cofounder of the Unity Movement, wrote: “Inherent in the Mind of Being are 12 fundamental ideas, which in action appear as primal creative forces. It is possible for a person to ally with and to use these original forces and thereby cooperate with the creative law, but in order to do this he or she must detach from the forces and enter into the consciousness of the idea lying back of them” (The Twelve Powers, p. 52). ​Rev. Fillmore identified these “primal creative forces” as: Love, Imagination, Power, Judgment, Understanding, Zeal, Elimination, Faith, Life, Order, Will and Strength. This lesson will cover the powers of Faith, Strength and Judgment. ​By understanding these powers, we can engage them in such a way as to help us on our spiritual journey.

Peace

Prayer-Connecting with Source

Our Thoughts Create Our Experiences

The Divine Spark Within

God is Good and Everywhere Present

The episode is based on an audio CD by Dr. Bruce Lipton called “The Wisdom of your Cells”. The central question this book raises is this : what is the relationship of our beliefs and our biology? The short answer is “everything”. Our beliefs have everything to do with our biology! The fact is our beliefs influence, affect, and even change our biology. In other words, our body responds to what we believe. Our thoughts and our beliefs create our world, our reality.

The Science of Natural Healing

As human beings we are highly influenced, and even deceived, by the world around us. In our effort to understand our place in the universe, the general approach has hitherto been that we are observers of an objective universe. A universe that exists independently of us. In short, that life is happening “to us”. In the 1700s German Philosopher Immanuel Kant proposed a distinction between what he called the noumenon (the thing itself) and the phenomenon (our perception of the thing). According to Kantian philosophy, the only reality we can know is that which we create in our minds through our perception (the phenomenon). Revelations in science and phenomenology have led us to change the view of an objective universe to a totally subjective one. One in which we are participates in the process of creation of our lives. Evidently, this has long been known because even the Christian Bible tells us not to be taken in by appearances. “Judge not by appearance, but by righteous judgement,” and “So that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Recently, I’ve been purporting a new mantra which is: “We’ve got to change the way we see things”. In Unity we teach that we create our own experiences based on what we believe. These beliefs are grounded, to a large extent, in what we perceive. Our perceptions and beliefs thus become our reality. We say: “Change your mind, change your world”. A variation of this might be: “Change your perception and your world will change.”

In the first episode, I talked about the allegory of The Garden of Eden. I included some references to the creation story. As a reminder, these stories are found in Genesis One and they represent the author’s attempt to address the classic philosophical questions: who are we, and where did we come from? As I was considering several topics for this week’s lesson, I came across a talk I had done some time back on the story of Cain and Abel. It occurred to me that this would be a natural continuation of the previous lesson, as well as an interesting view from the perspective of metaphysical interpretation. The story of Cain and Abel is found in Genesis 4. The passage tells of Adam and Eve’s offspring: Cain, the older brother, and Abel, the younger brother. Cain, we are told, was a tiller of the earth. Abel, a keeper of sheep. According to the story, the time came (the ancient practice began, we could say) of giving offerings to the Lord. Cain made an offering from his work as a tiller of the earth, and Abel made an offering from his firstlings of this flock. Scripture then tells us that “the Lord had regard for Abel and his offerings, but for Cain and his offerings he had no regard”. In other words, God accepted the offering of one brother, but not of the other even though there is no indication that one was made with less love or reverence than the other. It only tells us that they were different. This disregard for this offering caused Cain to become angry and disillusioned with the Lord to the point where his anger led him to murder this brother Abel. What are we to make of this story in which the first family feud leads to the first homicide on the planet? Would it not have been easier, and the act of a loving God to have equally accepted both offerings? Why did God favor one over the other? God surely must have known the potential end results?

New Thought-The Greatest Story Never Told

Unity and Me (Part 2)

Unity and Me (Part 1)

Unity sees Jesus as the Master Teacher and Way-Shower. Christian Scripture points out that many of the teachings left by Jesus are in the form of a parable. A parable is defined as a story with a moral or spiritual meaning.  In all there are some 46 parables recorded in the New Testament, but perhaps the most notable is one called The Parable of the Lost Son, or Prodigal Son. Many of the parables have more than one lesson within their content. Certainly this parable is one such example. In this story the three main characters are: the father, the one prodigal son, and the one obedient, yet ultimately resentful son.  Several keys points are made by the story. One is our free will to explore new possibilities in the form of changing our present setting. This is referred to as a journey to a far country. Another is the feeling of guilt when we fail in a new endeavor. A deeper point is the reminder that we intuitively know that at any time we can return to our true state of being. This is represented in the story by the prodigal son’s return home. But perhaps the greatest lesson of the story is the expression of unconditional love from the father to the son, both sons.  Those familiar with Unity teachings know that, as with all Biblical stories, Unity seeks to find a correlation between the story and each individual person. In other words, what is this story saying about my life, or about your life? Ultimately the story is a micro account of the macro concept of the spiritual journey each individual has chosen to embark upon. In summary we were “home with the father (heaven)”, but decided to go off into “a far country” (the physical realm) to seek our own experiences.  Ultimately the individual, sometimes after being in the gutter, awakens to his or her true nature and decides to return to the Father at which time he/she is received with open arms.

Science and Religion

Shift Happens

Interpreting the Bible symbolically, or as we say, metaphysically, is the central view that distinguishes Unity from traditional Christianity. This week I will be presenting our unique interpretation of The Lord’s Prayer.  The Lord’s Prayer is most likely the scripture most used by Christians. New Thought writer Emmet Fox says: “The Great Prayer is a compact formula for the development of the soul”, he further notes: “It is a complete system of metaphysics and theology.” The Prayer is written in seven clauses “put together in perfect order and contains all that is necessary for the nourishment of the soul”. The eighth clause, (for thine is the kingdom and the glory), scholars do not consider part of the original prayer.  The seven clauses can be broken down as such: “Our Father” (establishes the relationship between God and man).  “Which art in heaven”. (is the first description of God’s nature)   “Hallowed be thy name” (Hallowed means wholeness or oneness, which is a second description of God’s nature).  “Thy kingdom is done, Thy will is done” (the original Aramaic is in present tense). Heaven is here and now. Our “duty” is to manifest God’s ideas here on earth as in heaven.  “Give us our daily bread...”- (means more than food, it means all that is needed for a happy, healthy harmonious life).  “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive…” Herein lies the “key” to our “salvation”. Freeing our debtors, frees us!.  “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”, seems puzzling as written, but the Aramaic phrase is don’t let us remain in temptation, and the word for temptation is “unripeness”.  Join me for a complete and fresh interpretation. 

Interpreting the Bible symbolically, or as we say, metaphysically, is the central view that distinguishes Unity from traditional Christianity. This week I will be presenting our unique interpretation of The Lord’s Prayer.  The Lord’s Prayer is most likely the scripture most used by Christians. New Thought writer Emmet Fox says: “The Great Prayer is a compact formula for the development of the soul”, he further notes: “It is a complete system of metaphysics and theology.” The Prayer is written in seven clauses “put together in perfect order and contains all that is necessary for the nourishment of the soul”. The eighth clause, (for thine is the kingdom and the glory), scholars do not consider part of the original prayer.  The seven clauses can be broken down as such: “Our Father” (establishes the relationship between God and man).  “Which art in heaven”. (is the first description of God’s nature)   “Hallowed be thy name” (Hallowed means wholeness or oneness, which is a second description of God’s nature).  “Thy kingdom is done, Thy will is done” (the original Aramaic is in present tense). Heaven is here and now. Our “duty” is to manifest God’s ideas here on earth as in heaven.  “Give us our daily bread...”- (means more than food, it means all that is needed for a happy, healthy harmonious life).  “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive…” Herein lies the “key” to our “salvation”. Freeing our debtors, frees us!.  “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”, seems puzzling as written, but the Aramaic phrase is don’t let us remain in temptation, and the word for temptation is “unripeness”.  Join me for a complete and fresh interpretation. 

Resurrecting Jesus

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