Finding Our Voice; Social Justice Series part 1

The crafting of a Social Justice voice within and for New Thought / Centers for Spiritual Living is not as easy or as black and white as it may seem.  While our theological doctrine is liberal - our spiritual principles appeal to "conservatives" just as much as they do to "liberals" - politically speaking.  It is the contrast between our rugged individualism and our inherent connection to all life.

Therefore I'm going to have at least 2 entries on this subject (perhaps more if the interest is there).

Part 1 - Will You Sign This?

Recently I was asked by a colleague if I was willing to have a petition signing group at my church.  The petition was for a Marriage Equality Ballot measure.  The individual who asked was seeking guidance as their church had been asked to do this.

The response that followed provided insight into the emerging conversation about the Social Justice voice of New Thought....

Here is my reply:

We've not been asked to do this on Sunday or any future Sunday that I am aware of.

But if  I were, I'd find a way to do it.  (perhaps an open forum and conversation on the issue - after church - that people could freely attend (or not) and the petitions could be available?) 

 I think you could go either way - but it's extremely important to understand your motivation.

 I think it's a valuable opportunity to teach on the Principle of Love.  As you know I believe strongly that New Thought ought to have a place at the table of Social Justice - articulating our own unique voice ... in fact I believe that doing so would greatly change (for the better) the overall tenor of Social Justice work (ie our voice is missing and it shows!)

There are many angles you could take on this to teach....

Dr. Cornel West says it best:  "Justice is what love looks like in public"  - to me, Marriage Equality is about taking a stand for the Principle of Love and the equality of the law being applied to all.  

As for engaging in the political process - a few thoughts...

1. the law is clear that 501c3's cannot endorse candidates - that's the big no-no!  But you can register people to vote and sign petitions on ballot measures if you choose.

 - The Community of Welcoming Congregations hosted a petition signing event for this ballot measure earlier this year for clergy - I was among the first to sign.

- The religious right understands the law and takes advantage of it (not that I favor what they do - but man are they clear and organized!) - the religious left is mostly afraid of the either the law or afraid of offending some of their members - (the religious right does not have this problem), those who tread forward can end up looking like "liberal zealots" (of which we have within our centers - but I would say don't want to characterize all of New Thought or CSL as such) 

2. I don't see this as a "political issue" but as a spiritual principle one.    We teach that "demonstration is the only authority" - so where is the demonstration that Love is all there is and equally available to all?  And if it is not currently demonstrated in our society - how will that change?  If not by our own inner conviction and active demonstration?

- of course the easy answer here lies in Individual choice.  Everyone has to have their own demonstration and thus act accordingly.  True enough.    WIthin this angle you could encourage folks to act on their own inner convictions.  We are after all a fiercely independent teaching.  I think this approach is 99% right, and is applicable to most issues.  There is the slippery slope of allowing "one type" of social issue - opening the flood gates to every social cause needing platform time and sign-ups in the back of church... soon you are the social activism church (ie Unitarians, which we are not [with all due respect to my Unitarian friends and colleagues] ).   The approach of Individual action helps avoid that slope.  

However, there are exceptions (the absolutist out there are gonna go nuts about now...).  Exceptions where "the church" ought to have a voice in the social state.  Civil Rights is one of them.  Marriage equality is not only a spiritual principle issue - it is THE Civil Rights issue of our time.  First and foremost, I don't believe that civil rights should every be put to a public vote, but if that is method we must employ to gain acceptance of this as a basic civil right - then so be it.  

"The Church" cannot afford to remain silent in the face of basic civil rights violations/discrimination.  Especially a movement that speaks of Oneness and universal Love and creating a world that works for everyone.  

The truth of this issue is this - both democrats and republicans, independents, libertarians and tea party people should be voting FOR civil rights of ALL people.  The religious right has been very successful in framing this issue as being liberals vs conservatives, sinners vs religiously moral people, acceptance of 'gay lifestyle' vs 'traditional family values'   - But the truth is one does not need to be "in favor" of "gay lifestyle" (whatever that is) in order to vote in favor of basic civil rights.  A mature society recognizes that you don't have to "like" or even "accept" the choices or behaviors of your neighbor in order to acknowledge that they have the right to make those choices.  

But that wisdom has gotten lost in the fervor of "religious morality" and right vs wrong and liberals vs conservatives. - which is exactly the way the religious right wants it to be thought of.

The only way to change that is for the liberal religious voices of our society to speak up and reclaim the conversation as one of basic human rights, dignity and worth and speak to the transcendent spiritual ideals that supersede political affiliation - i.e. Equality and Justice for All.

I shared the following at the luncheon that CSL sponsored at The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries conference in Las Vegas last week - "We (CSL) don't want to partner with you to "save or fix" the world.  Rather we want to partner with you to REVEAL a world that already exist in the Mind of God and recognize that we must stand with you to work and build it together." 

"It is quite a burden lifted when we realize that we do not have to move the world-it is going to move anyway. This realization does not lessen our duty or our social obligation. It clarifies it. It enables us to do joyously, and free from morbidity, that which we should do in the social state."

Emphasis added

pp. 270, The Science of Mind, by Ernest Holmes

Thus I choose to freely and joyously teach Love and stand for it in the public square.

Rev. David Alexander

Time to Upgrade: YOU 2.0

Happy New Year!  2012 is here and much has been made about the Mayan Prophecy "end of the world."   Of course what we really know is that it is the end of an era (as every year's passing is) and if we consciously choose it - it can indeed be "the end of the world as we know it!"  What we know is that we have the power within us to create a new world, right now.  

"This is exactly the position that modern philosophers take; it is called the theory of emergent evolution, which means that when nature needs something, it demands it of itself, and out of itself makes it. So, in the evolution of the human being, when it was necessary for him to grasp, fingers were produced. When, then, if it is necessary for you and me to know something we do not know, can we not—according to this theory of emergents—demand the information of ourselves and have it come to be known? The Bible says: “There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” Science, philosophy, metaphysics, and religion, viewed from the universal viewpoint, are all of much the same opinion.
We believe that when the human mind, individually and collectively, needs a new truth, out of the necessity of the desire comes the truth it needs. Everything we know in philosophy and science proves it. Out of the desire for a greater good come ways and means for creating the greater good; and if every person made a demand upon Intelligence for the solution to the present world problems, through the minds of those people who are our national leaders would come an adequate and happy solution. That is in line with what we know about the way Life works."  - Ernest Holmes, excerpt from Science of Mind Magazine, July 2011

(the following came from my column, Philosophy In Action, printed in Science of Mind,  July 2011):
 In this writing (the full article) from Holmes he takes us on a full circle journey, from the Macro – largest vision of the universe and the way it works, to the micro – the individual manifestation and replication of that Universe.  Reminding us that we are part of some Universal Wholeness that operates and reveals Itself though us according to an exact Law, Holmes inspires the reader to deepen their practice of right thinking, affirmative prayer and Mental Equivalence.  Empowering? Yes.  Daunting? Perhaps.

Does this really mean that every area of my life that is “not working, less than perfect (whatever that is), or  not unfolding just the way I dreamed it would” – is because of or related to an idea of God or “the way Life works” that I am holding on to?  Well….yes…but stick with me, it gets better!   This does not mean you should beat yourself up for these thoughts, no it just means its time to upgrade!  

That’s right, its time to install God 2.0, Life 2.0, Love 2.0 etc…and these upgrades, easily installed through regular meditation and spiritual practice, include lots of minor bug fixes to irritating ideas like “you are not enough” as well as major new features like instant access to Infinite Mind, Guidance and Wisdom of the Universe, making God more accessible than ever before.  This upgrade comes with a new Finder feature that reminds you right where you are, is exactly where you are suppose to be.  The Finder is also bundled with latest “Emergent Evolution” feature, which automatically brings forth everything you need into your experience for your highest good.  This means that all the resources, everything you need to know to bring forth your greatest yet to be, is right there at your beck and call, literally (yes, God 2.0 is completely voice activated.)

This upgrade is ready for instant download,  and it is completely free.  There is a catch, you must provide the mold for it to flow into, and once it starts working it will seek to purge your system of thinking of everything not like itself, so be sure to empty your trash regularly.

So in celebration of the New Year, here are some spiritual tools that I think you'll find to be empowering and helpful on your journey of personal transformation!  

• Spirit is Calling Journal - (there are lots of great spiritually based journals out there - this is the one I am using this year).  Here's the great thing - there is the book format, AND a desktop version for your computer!  
• 21 Day Consciousness Cleanse - a powerful and effective little book that will focus your morning meditations and clarify your intentions for 2012!
• TrancenDance CD - by Michael Bernard Beckwith - this music will shift the energetic vibration of your being, keep you motivated and inspired all year long - I love to use it at the gym, or home working out, cleaning house, morning yoga and prayer time.  You'll LOVE IT!

Happy New Year, New YOU 2.0!

NEWS FLASH: Jesus was "Spiritual but not Religious"

In the last 24 hrs on some of the blogs that I follow and Facebook comment threads, there has been quite the stirring about the phrase "Spiritual but not Religious" aka SBNR. After spending a good portion of the day chatting and commenting, I thought I'd blog about it as well.

It all began with a Facebook post from Chad Holtz (the guy who got in trouble for liking Rob Bell's book). I enjoy the way Chad thinks about things and tend to pay attention to the things he post that are of interest to him.

He posted a link to an article on the United Church of Christ site from The Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel, "Spiritual but not Religious? Stop Boring Me." in her post Rev. Lillian shares that she dreads conversations on airplanes with people who identify as SBNR. She dreads it because she seems to find their version of spirituality boring, uninspired and lacking of the real substance that is required for growth (that being the element of community). She further claims that SBNR folks are little more than typical self-centered Americans. Self-Indulgent consumers of their own brand of spirituality, she claims.    An interesting judgement for sure. For those of you who are friends with Chad, we had a wonderful exchange on his comments section of the post.  Chad later posted his own blog entry about the conversation, which is getting some great feedback as well.

Now to Dr. Lillian's credit this article was a mini version of a much longer article posted on the Christian Century site, "You can't make this up: The limits of self-made religion" and as she expressed to me in a personal email, you can say a lot more in 3,000 words than you can in 250.  In the longer article her tone is not as snarky, and her points are better delivered and overall provides some wonderful thoughts for consideration.

Even so, there is still an overall theme that seems to look down upon the classification SBNR as inferior to "religious people."   A judgement that I think naively overlooks the rich history of the SBNR movement.  It makes me wonder if those who criticize the term actually understand what it means?   Do they understand that SBNR is not some mer post-modern cultural fad - but is in fact a deep and enriching part of American culture for over 150 years and has positively impacted nearly every major religious institution for the better?  It makes me wonder if their criticism is balanced with scholarship. Have they read "Spiritual but not Religious" by Robert Fuller  and others like it (which you can find along with other great info on SBNR movement at www.newthoughthistory.org)?

If the answers to these questions were yes, I imagine we'd find a slightly more understanding and tolerant tone.  Perhaps we would discover that those who identify as SBNR often do so as a result of the religious abuse and oppression that they have suffered in the name of God and religious authority.  That more often than not, the SBNR among us do not "reject" religion as much as they reject Dogma.  Dogma that has too often been defended and promoted by organized religion.  Dogma that has oppressed the weakest among us, dogma that has suppressed the Holy and Divine Feminine making it shameful and wrong. Dogma that has made a mockery of scripture by using it to defend racism, homophobia, sexism and classism. Dogma that has the audacity to put conditions on Grace, Love, Mercy and Salvation which Jesus so freely gave to all.  Dogma that helped produce a religious institution so unlike the name and nature of Jesus that the Son of Man himself would be hard pressed to recognize, much less defend it.

So please forgive us, for I too am SBNR.  Forgive us for looking outside of the institution that has far too often failed exemplify the simplest element of it's own creed, to Love thy neighbor.  Forgive us for looking into nature to find God's true Nature.  Forgive us that while on this seemingly self-indulgent path of personal discovery, we in fact discovered Jesus, Buddha, Krishna and The Christ Principle.  And please forgive us if we discovered that this encounter was far more real, authentic and transformative than anything we previously experienced in "church."

And forgive us if we happen to notice that this seems to be the path that Jesus took as well.  Remember, he disappears from the narrative from age 12-30 and when he reappears he is not touting the virtues of religious and spiritual community.  In fact, quite the opposite. He railed against the institutions of his day, their dogma, rules and authoritative judgements over society.  He sought his own personal relationship with God, so personal he called him Abba, Father.  So personal that this connection was not made through a creed, book or Temple, but in fact was closer than his breath and dwelled right within him.

Forgive us for thinking he was not self-indulgent for doing so.   Forgive us for noticing that Jesus was "Spiritual but not Religious"

And while you consider forgiving us for these transgressions, take note of the following;

SBNR people do not deny nor reject the power of being, growing and learning in community. In fact a more loving, inclusive and charitable community that is working toward a world that works for everyone is something that we care deeply about.

Take note that often the loudest voices against Religious Institutions have been voices from the inside. Voices that have been the source of positive and evolutionary change.  Religious voices that have called upon us to be more Spiritual and less Religious.

Rev. Henry Emerson Fosdick

Shall the fundamentalist Win?

Bishop John Shelby Spong

"So it needs to be said clear that the God presence of this Jesus will lead us ultimately beyond every religious definition.  Indeed, it will lead us beyond Jesus himself.  That becomes essential to human development whenever our idolatrous convictions identify the messenger of God with God.  So the Ground of Being will finally be worshiped apart from any system of religious thought.  It is a startling but real insight into the future of worship."  - Why Christianity Must Change or Die, p. 224

 Paul Tillich, Protestant Theologian

"The importance of being a Christian is that we can stand in the insight that it is of no importance. It is the spiritual power of religion that he who is religious can fearlessly look at the vanity of religion. It is the maturest fruit Christian understanding to understand that Christianity, as such, is of no avail." - The New Being, p 19

In other words Christianity is not about Christianity. It is about a new way of Being. When Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" he was not speaking of a religious way of Being, but a spiritual way of Being.

Scripture reminds us that it is the letter of the Law (religion, creeds and dogma) that kills, while the Spirit of the Law gives Life. An to enter the Spirit of the Law, one only need be spiritual, not religious.




And finally Dr. Lillian, do not make haste in your criticism of "self-made religion"

All religion is self made.  Paul Tillich reminds us that "Revelation is God's attempt to reach man. Religion is man's attempt to reach God." All religion stem from the personal Revelation of one individual, who then shares that revelation with others who in turn seek to touch the wisdom of the revelation by way of rituals, customs, rules and traditions that ultimately become...a religion.


In the end Dr. Lillian's point on the importance of community is well taken. We need community.  In community we grow, we are challenged and we change. But the world will not be served by more communities of "us and them."  In fact the world of divisive separation that humanity has created can only be served by the spiritual insight and revelation that there is only One Community. One global community of humanity in which, as Dr. Lillian stated, "[in community] we are stuck with each other"

And, like it or not that this is the way it is... This transformative insight can only come one personal revelation at a time.


Ernest Holmes

"The Church of God"

The Church of God is not built with hands, it is eternal in the heavens; it is not lighted with candles; its dome is heaven and it is lighted by the stars of God's illumined thought, and each member in his separate star "shall draw the thing as he sees it, for the God of things as they are." Here all people recognize the God within their own souls and ask for and see no other God. When you can look upon all creation as the perfect work of a perfect God, you will become a member of this church. I doubt very much if the church universal admits members from the church individual. When you can see in the saint and the sinner one and the same person, when you can realize that the one who kneels before the altar and the one who lies drunk in the street is the same one, when you can love the one as much as you do the other, no doubt you will be able to qualify. As it now is we have too many preachers who do not understand, that have no purpose; too many prayers, too many creeds, too many teachers, that have no message; too many churches, too many "learned" people, and too few thinkers. "The Kingdom of Heaven cometh not by observation." It is the "Still, small voice" within the soul that speaks. The expanded thought will never wish to join or be joined to. Nothing human can contain it. It feels the limitation of form and ceremony and longs for the freedom of the Spirit, the great out of doors, the Great God of the everywhere. Alone in the desert, the forest or by the restless ocean, looking up at the stars, man breathes forth these words, "With only my Maker and me."  

Denomination Bucks Trend - Reunited after 57 Years!

PRESS RELEASE FROM UNITED CENTERS FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING AND INTERNATIONAL CENTERS FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING.

Golden, CO…In an era when religious denominations are splitting into smaller and smaller sects, one just reunited after being split since 1954.  Science of Mind®, also known as Religious Science, founded in the 1920s by philosopher Ernest Holmes, functioned as two competing organizations for more than 50 years.  This week, delegates at their joint annual conference in San Diego approved reunification, called “integration,” with 98% of the vote.

In preparation for their integration, the two organizations, originally called Religious Science International and United Church of Religious Science, changed their names to International Centers for Spiritual Living and United Centers for Spiritual Living, respectively.  Now that the merger is official, the new organization will be known simply as Centers for Spiritual Living.

“We are a philosophy that teaches unity, so it is time for us to walk our talk,” says Rev. Dr. Kathy Hearn, Community Spiritual Leader for United Centers for Spiritual Living.  “Our founder, Ernest Holmes, always believed the movement would come back together at some point, and the time is now.”

“The time has finally come for our organizations to come back together,” echoes Rev. Dr. Kenn Gordon, President of International Centers for Spiritual Living.  “We simply cannot go on teaching unity while remaining split.”

The merger has been in process for eight years, intensifying over the last three years, and using a shared leadership model that included almost 400 volunteers working to create “modules” that reflect the functional departments of the new organization.  These modules became the basis for the new corporate documents that were overwhelmingly accepted this week.  

Science of Mind is part of the New Thought Movement, started in the mid-1800s by Transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and continued into the twentieth century with the teaching of Emmett Fox, Napoleon Hill, Emma Curtis Hopkins, and Holmes.  The cornerstone of New Thought is a teaching of unity, yet despite this, two factions of Science of Mind broke apart in the 1950s over organizational differences.  “We have the opportunity here to heal the wounds of the past,” says Gordon.  

During Ernest Holmes’ life and ministry in Los Angeles, celebrities such as Cary Grant, Peggy Lee, and Doris Day followed his teaching.  More recently, Science of Mind has influenced such luminaries in the field of self development as Wayne Dyer, Jack Canfield, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Beckwith, and Marianne Williamson.  

The integrated movement has over 400 spiritual centers in 29 countries, and publishes two inspirational monthly magazines with a combined readership of 100,000.

“We have a big vision for providing spiritual tools and transforming personal lives,” says Hearn.  “We realize that our influence is much more powerful now that we’ve integrated than it has been on our own.”

Gordon adds, “I know Ernest Holmes would be proud today.”

For more information about Centers for Spiritual Living, or to find a center, you can visit either www.unitedcentersforspiritualliving.org or www.intcsl.org.

New Thought - This is our moment!

In 1959 Ernest Holmes made his last address to the Religious Science movement at Asilomar - now famously known as the "Sermon by the Sea" - The words of that address have rippled deep in to the heart of many in the movement, as a source of inspiration, aspiration and vision. Among the often quoted lines of this address is this line;

"It would be great indeed if a group of people would come to this earth who could stand for something and against nothing...."

Many like me have spent many a long meditation on just that line alone - what does that mean, and how do you go about doing such a thing? Our collective consciousness has grown a lot since 1959. We've seen the launch of the Association for Global New Thought - and its many great projects and initiatives like the annual Season for Nonviolence, a national 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities. Inspired by the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this international event honors their vision for an empowered, nonviolent world.

And so here we are, in the early days of this year's season - and we have an uprising in Egypt dominating the news coverage. Now, having some strife, war and chaos during the season is certainly not new - guns have not ceased to fire during this 64 day period. But what is unique about this global headline - is that it began in PEACE. The people of Egypt marched and gathered in PEACE and Nonviolence to affect change in their country. In turn - they were attacked, by the very President that tried to tell the world that he was beloved and the "protesters" were rebel trouble makers. In fact, they had made no trouble, started no violence. The President sent his own police forces, in plane clothing, into the streets to attack and instigate violence, first on the citizens, then on the media for telling the story. Remarkably - on Friday, a day of prayer, the people of Egypt returned to PEACEFUL walks and sit-ins. You can turn to many sources for reporting - I've found that Rachel Maddow on MSNBC is doing some of the best you can find.

And so, my message is simple - this is our time New Thought! Time to apply the meaning of Standing for Something - and against No-Thing. Time to Stand for Peace - and Stand with the People of Egypt. Nonviolence is the only way forward in this conflict. We can support that happening by invoking the spirit of Gandhi, King, Chavez and others - AND by encouraging the people of Egypt to continue to stand for peace and nonviolence.

Within United Centers for Spiritual Living - we are guided by a "Global Heart Vision" . One of our esteemed ministers, adapted the vision for this critical time in Egypt - We are now inviting you - to read, meditate on and share this vision and prayer - post it on facebook, email it to you contacts - and watch for youtube versions from our spiritual centers very soon. This is what Standing for Something looks like - there is nothing to stand against - we include President Mubarak in our prayers - there are many ways for the people and the government of Egypt to move forward - ours is not to take sides on how that may or may not look - but simply that the call for Peace and transformation from the people will be heard.

Join us as together we vision and affirm:

We see Egypt free of homelessness, violence, war, hunger, separation and disenfranchisement.

We see Egypt, a country in which there is generous and continuous sharing of heart and resources.

We envision Egypt as a place in which forgiveness, whether for errors, injustices, or debts, is the norm.

We embrace a vision in which Egypt has renewed its emphasis on beauty, nature, and love through the resurgence of creativity, art, and aesthetics.

We see Egypt as a place in which fellowship with all life prospers and connects through the guidance of spiritual wisdom and experience.

We envision Egypt as being an example of a place in which we live and grow as One Global Family, a place where there is respect and honor for the interconnectedness of all life.

We envision Egypt as being as a bridge across the illness and illusion of separation thereby dynamically empowering spiritual life.

We envision Egypt as being actuated by this compelling vision of her spiritual wellbeing.

We see Egypt as a global community of inspired individuals caring for and about each other and the entire planetary family, thereby bringing the gift of active compassion and kindness to the world.

We see the leaders of Egypt as “points of inspiration and influence” effectively advancing the vision of a world that works for everyone.

and so it is.

Recovering the Mystic Self

In the July Science of Mind magazine article Holmes tells us that a mystic is one who has a “deep, inner sense of Life and his unity with the Whole.” He goes on to recognize some of the great mystics of the ages, past and present. Today we can confidently add Holmes’s name to that great role call. The dictionary defines the mystic as one who has a pursuit of communion or identification with, ultimate reality. And it is toward that definition that Holmes’s work becomes a valuable tool on the journey.

You see, like Jesus, Buddha and other great mystics, Holmes believes that each of us is destine to be a mystic in our own right. He removes the “mystery” and provides us with a tangible pursuit of union with Divine Reality through our own application of spiritual principles. In the declaration of principles or What We Believe, he states “anyone may become a revealer of this truth who lives in close contact with the indwelling presence.”

Awakening the mystic within begins with the recognition that you are more than what meets the eye. You are more than your body, more than the roles you play, more than what others think of you, or for that matter what you think of you! As you begin to take this idea into meditation and contemplation, you become more and more acquainted with the ultimate reality of the universe. This is what Holmes is driving at by a “conscious courting of the Divine Presence.” How wonderful to awaken to your true identity as an emanation of universal Love, Truth and Beauty. The truth is you were born in this awareness; every one of us comes to this world with a deep inner sense of our unity with the whole.

So, are you ready to re-claim your mystical self? Are you ready to stop courting ideas of lack, limitation, and not-enoughness? Are you ready to roll up your belief in the material world as your source and supply and number it with the things once thought to be real? If so, then you are ready for the adventure of a lifetime! You are ready to live, move and have your being in the awareness of God consciousness. Your reward for stepping out on this adventure? Nothing less that truly knowing that you are, and have always been, whole perfect and complete. And like Holmes and others before him, you’ll know first hand that living life as a mystic is the sanest thing you can do.

Your Internal GPS (The Principle of Divine Guidance)

In the June Science of Mind magazine article from Ernest Holmes we read about the principle of Divine Guidance. He presents us with the idea that we are surrounded by an Infinite Intelligence and that anybody can access and use this guidance who permits themselves to. This guidance, he states, is God’s gift forever delivered. What a marvelous idea!

I once had a teacher who would ask me questions about my future plans, dreams and aspirations – and often I would find myself saying “I don’t know.” I felt distressed about the many options before me. To which she would respond rather simply with “Well David, suppose you did know…then what would your answer be?” She understood the principle of divine guidance. She understood that there was something within me that did know and that all I needed to do was to call upon It. In fact there is something within each of us that knows exactly what the answers are to any challenge or situation facing us. I think of it as having an internal GPS device. I recently purchased a GSP device for my car and I absolutely love it! Even on the regular routes that I know well, I like to see the path it recommends to me.

It seems that in today’s world we are faced with so many choices, about everything! Which one is the right one for me? how can I be sure? These questions have passed though everyone’s mind a thousand times. Holmes provides us with some simple guidelines at the end of the article for calling on this guidance and trusting that it will respond. But we must call upon it and trust in it. And to the part of our little mind that wishes to doubt, fret or worry let us turn to Emerson, who reminds us that “The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks. See the line from sufficient distance, and it straightens itself to the average tendency. Your genuine action will explain itself and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing.” (from Self-Reliance)

In other words, you have an internal GPS. The Universe knows where you are. Now, tell the universe where you want to go (state your destination) and trust the route that unfolds. This is one course you can’t get lost because at every turn in the road, God is present and divine guidance is waiting to be called upon. In the words of Raymond Charles Barker, “Divine Mind? You know what to do, now do it!”

Bold Belief

It was Goethe who said, “Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” Ernest Holmes is a fine demonstration of that truth. This month’s article strikes a chord that makes me profoundly aware of both his boldness and genius. How awesome and inspiring are his words as he confidently declares that there is one power, one presence, and one truth running through the ages, all mystical teachings, teachers, and sacred writings.

Let us contemplate for a moment the assertion that throughout time and history there has been, and still is, a Universal Intelligence behind /all and expressing through all/. Not only that, but through the vast diversity and creativity of human expression, in both the religious and secular realms, there is ultimately one truth being expressed in infinite ways. Now that is a bold claim!

But here is where the pure genius of Holmes’s work comes in. Just at that magical point when your consciousness has been expanded and stretched to its limits, he turns around and makes it personal!

This magnificent power that you have contemplated is in you, right now. You can use this power to literally change your life. Holmes tells us that if we require a better God, then we should believe in one. In other words, stop waiting for something or someone “out there” to help you create the life you want. Take charge of the direction of your thoughts and beliefs, and in so doing take charge of your life.

As we welcome the return of spring, I invite you to take on a bold belief. Get quiet for a moment and ask yourself: “What bold idea or belief is waiting to emerge in my life?” What would it look and feel like for you to really embody, as your true nature, the belief in your perfection, wholeness, prosperity, and love vibration?

What have you got to lose? After all, you have the creative power and genius of the entire universe behind you. Go for it!

To read the full article of Ernest Holmes - pick up the April Issue of Science of Mind Magazine

A Closer Walk with Thee

Yesterday in service we talked about the season of Lent and what it means to be in a spiritual practice of fasting from thoughts, attitudes and behaviors that are no longer serving us. The most useful spiritual tool that I have found regarding a new thought look at Lent is the book "Keep a True Lent" by Charles Filmore from Unity Press. In the forward by Georgiana Tree West we read:

"When we withdraw our attention, interest, and support from the false and unworthy, this is true fasting. When we give that same attention, interest, and support to the enduring good, we are feasting on the things of the Spirit, and this is true prayer."

This idea alone is worthy of forty days of mindful focus. What are the false ad unworthy ideas, thoughts, beliefs and behaviors that we have been walking with? Are we willing to shift our attention, interest and support to that which is the enduring good of our life?
The Lenten season is a church institutional idea that is based on a very sound idea - taking time to internally clean house so that we are prepared for a deeper spiritual journey into our Christ Nature. Ultimately this is a very personal journey and no institution, church or spiritual system can facilitate (even though we may find ritual, community and inspirational support in them) that which is between God (whatever we conceive it to be) and ourselves.

I believe it is this notion of the very intimate and personal spiritual journey that we are each responsible for that Ernest Holmes was speaking to in his first published work, Creative Mind in the passage entitled "The Church of God"

The Church of God is not built with hands, it is eternal in the heavens; it is not lighted with candles; its dome is heaven and it is lighted by the stars of God's illumined thought, and each member in his separate start "shall draw this thing as he sees it, for the god of thing as they are". Here all people recognize the God within their own souls and ask for and see no other God. When you can look upon all creation as the perfect work of a perfect God, you will become a member of this church. I doubt very much if the church universal admits members from the church individual. When you can see in the saint and the sinner one and the same person, when you can realize that they one who kneels before the alter and the one who lies drunk in the street is the same one, when you can love the one as much as you do the other, no doubt you will be able to qualify. As it is now we have too many preachers who do not understand, that have no purpose; too many prayers, too many creeds, too many teachers, that have no message; too many churches, too many "learned" people, and too few thinkers. "The Kingdom of Heaven cometh not by observation". It is the "still, small voice" within the soul that speaks. The expanded thought will never wish to join or be joined to. Nothing human can contain it. It feels the limitation of form and ceremony and longs for the freedom of the Spirit, the great out of doors, the Great God of the everywhere. Alone in the desert, the forest or by the restless ocean, looking up at the stars, man breathes forth these words, "With only my maker and me".

- Ernest Holmes

Re-investing in Faith

Philosophy in Action - for March 2009

Ernest Holmes teaching on faith is absolutely powerful and inspiring. However, for those of us early on our journey of faith, it can be a bit intimidating. In the Science of Mind he defines faith as

“an idea so inwardly embodied that the mind can no longer conceive of its opposite.”

Wow! Now that’s powerful stuff. But what if you do contemplate its opposite? Does that mean you have “less” faith? Often we approach life’s challenges with the notion of “if I only had more faith” or “I don’t have enough faith.” But the truth is you already possess all the faith you will ever have, right now!
If you have ever thought that all you need is more or enough faith in order to succeed, STOP. Begin to pay attention to where the faith that you do have is being used. Is is being used negatively or misplaced as Holmes describes? Do you find yourself saying “oh, I just knew that was going to happen!” when things go wrong? How about when things go better than expected? Do you think to yourself “gee, guess I was lucky?” If so, then its time to start re-investing your faith for higher yields.
It has been said that the difference between the mystic and the paranoid is a thin line. The paranoid believe that there is a grand conspiracy in the universe that is working against them. The mystic believes that there is a grand conspiracy in the universes that is working for them! All we need do to build our faith is to try on the idea that all things are working together for good, right now. In the bible we read: “All things work together for good to them that believe and those who are called according to his purpose” I like to think that since God is all that there is, then we are all called according to his purpose so the only question that remains is – do we believe it? This is what it is to have the faith of God.

for the full article on Faith by Ernest Holmes - pick up a copy of the March issue of Science of Mind magazine

The Call: lost Poem of Ernest Holmes

This poem, entitled "The Call" is one of my favorites by Ernest Holmes - however most do not know of its existence.  It can only be found in the original 1926 edition of "The Science of Mind" text, in which its local is odd at bests.  It can be found at the end of the Glossary and just before the Index (no page number).  After the reorganization of the text in 1938 - the poem disappears - and to my knowledge is not published in any other location.

My soul is stirred by this poem and serves as a focal point of my calling as a minister of New Thought.  Here it is...

The Call:

by Ernest Holmes

This I saw or else some greater presence made it known to thee,

the universe is filled with life, the earth, the sky, the sea

And teamed with Intelligence with majesty and might

Deep within me some subtle inner sight

Beholds and sees, comprehends and knows the All

No fears, no falters, but answers the Divine Call.

To be as one, beyond the bonds of time and space

To overcome the bondage of the human race

And to leap with Trust, undaunted and free,

into the deeps of that infinite sea

Who's waters, calm are ready to receive 

Those who in simple faith Believe.

Holmes on Freedom

The Spiritual Meaning of Freedom
From a talk given at the Wiltern Theatre, Sunday morning, July 4, 1937 by Ernest Holmes.

Ever since the dawn of civilization, ever since the first humans began to grasp the significant fact that they were individual beings in a universe that seemed to be more or less hostile to them, the entire search of the human mind, its whole endeavor, has been to get free from evil, from bondage and the shackles of lack, want, fear, superstition, uncertainty, pain, disease, poverty, and fear of the hereafter. And because of this, human systems exist -- organized philosophies spring up, sciences develop, educational systems are conducted, collective security is sought after, and religions are formulated to allay the fear of humankind relative to the soul. The great demand in the world today is for a sense of security, freedom, and liberty. But we must be very certain that we do not swap one image of bondage for another. I have read a large part of the religious and philosophic history of the world and I have noticed that almost invariably, when the world traded one kind of religion for another, it didn't get a good deal. The Pilgrim Fathers who came to the shores of New England came to worship God in their own way, but the moment they got there, everybody in the colony worshiped God in the way that the strong-minded members of that colony decided was the way to worship God. That was not freedom.
Even in our newer religions of the last seventy-five or a hundred years, very frequently we meet people who say they have now found the truth, and then, unfortunately, a large majority of them disclose that they merely have found an idea they liked and called it the truth because they were egotistical, self-conscious, self-righteous people with an attitude of condemnation toward others. That is not the truth. In studying one system of thought after another that has transpired in the last seven thousand years of human history, I have noted how extremely difficult it is for the human mind to conceive liberty without license, without egotism; and we can only give birth to freedom when we have conceived liberty.
True freedom -- true liberty -- has something cosmic behind it. If the time has come that modern science has proved that we cannot move a piece of paper without changing the balance of the entire physical universe; if we have come to the place where we know that the stuff of which our physical bodies are made is the same stuff of which the planets are made; if we have come to the place where such a profound unity is maintained that physicists believe there is no such thing as disunity in the physical world; then we can easily see what the great spiritual leaders of the ages meant when they told us of that greater unity in which we all live and move and have our being, and that the idea of freedom itself is tied up with the true concept of the unity of good. If our nature is one, if God is one -- and we know that God must be one, for the universe cannot be divided against itself -- then we are all tied into an indivisible unity. We shall have to get back to this unity to find the meaning of freedom. Nothing in any part of this cosmic whole could be considered freedom that would destroy the liberty of some other part of it. That would be self-destruction, would it not? As Jesus pointed out two thousand years ago, that would be a kingdom divided against itself. The kingdom of God is one kingdom. So we know that true liberty must spring from true unity.
We are bound into a supreme unity, we are tied into an immutable law of irrevocable cause and effect -- that is unity moving into action. Cause and effect is something that happens as a result of the use of unity. Consequently we are one even while we are many, and since each one of us is a part of the whole, if we seek to destroy each other we only ultimately hurt ourselves. That is the great lesson of life.
Freedom, then, will come only in such degree as we no longer do anything that hurts anyone, but that does not mean we have to become spiritual or intellectual doormats. I do not believe in that. Nothing in my belief causes me to feel that God or the Creative Principle wants me to suffer for myself or for anyone else. I do it, I have always done it, perhaps I always shall in this world -- but I know that it is wrong. How can the Supreme Being desire my suffering without imposing that suffering, and what kind of a universe has a God who suffers and imposes suffering in a changeless reality? The whole theology and religious reaction of people who believe that arises out of morbidity and fear and superstition and nothing else.
Well, it is not so -- and still we suffer. Why? Because we do not understand. We might say that the world suffered darkness until somebody discovered electricity. It suffered crawling around on the face of the earth until technology was developed so we could fly and drive. It suffers limitation, not because the Infinite imposes limitation, but because the world does not understand its freedom. And when it begins to develop its freedom, seldom does it do it directly; it generally creates a new bondage. When we kill the old devil we are very likely to give birth to a new and more subtle one. War is more to be feared than ever before because we have more knowledge without more wisdom. And final freedom will come only as it is tied into divine wisdom.
What is divine wisdom? I am no prophet, but I would suggest that divine wisdom must be as simple and profound as this: Jesus said, "The kingdom of God cannot be divided against itself." I think that is all there is to divine wisdom. The kingdom of God cannot and will not be divided; so long as I will seek to hurt, I will be hurt.
We desire freedom. We do not like evil, we do not like pain, we do not like poverty, we do not like unhappiness. Why should we? None of us likes to go to bed and worry all night and get up tired out in the morning. God does not impose it on us. Why do we do it? Because we sense freedom, we sense liberty, we sense God, yet out here in the objective world we experience limitation; and the argument is between what we feel ought to take place and what we see and the world experiences. It seems as though we are two people, one that experiences evil and one that knows there should be no evil.
The evolution of freedom in the human mind is a slow process. Many movements in the world that claim to be seeking liberty only produce new kinds of bondage. We should beware of them. They are born out of the idea of depression; they are born out of the spirit of bondage. If we want freedom, we must understand that freedom can never come by the imposition of a will of the minority over the majority. It is born finally, and only in such degree as some system is devised whereby individuals are allowed complete freedom so long as they do not, in their freedom, impose bondage on someone else.
I believe that the true spirit of democracy is a spiritual conception where there is freedom, liberty without license, and a flexibility that makes evolution possible on the foundation of freedom. As we enter into the spirit of the meaning of Independence Day, the day when liberty, symbolically, was conceived, the day when freedom, objectively, in our country was announced, we should think of it not merely as a political system or form of government, but we should think of it as a spiritual conception, an idea in the Divine Mind Itself, taking form in human experience; we should learn to love that liberty, and in loving the idea we should learn to tenderly and prayerfully handle the embodiment of that idea and nourish it always to greater strength; we should really conceive again the great spiritual conception of that rugged man of God who said: "...that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

For more on this message see Sunday's Sermon; Soul Freedom - podcast http://web.mac.com/revdavid1/iWeb/NTMOPodcast/Podcast/4AA25FF2-FF96-4E35-AD89-F8C0C216E47B.html

New Thought: To Be or Not to Be - Christian...

"Is New Thought Christian?" This seems to be a frequent and popular question in New Thought, and a hotly contested one among our own. The question that I have is Why? Why is this a debated issue and why is it important?

*Disclaimer before I go on* While using the term "New Thought" in this post I am mostly referring to Religious Science. Being that Unity historically is more biblically based and "Christian" identified. However, the issues I'm attempting to address may be relevant to the Unity movement.

The most common answer to the "Christian Question" within New Thought is "Yes and No" Yes, in that we are followers of the Christ Principles, No in that we are not burdened with dogmatic creeds or other limitations. Much of New Thought has attempted to separate its identity from the standard labels and race-consciousness associated with Christianity. Indeed a separation from the race-consciousness and general perception of Christianity is a very good idea. However, this has occurred at the cost of a true knowledge/Gnosis of our theological roots. And that should be of great concern.

Most of the ministers and general practitioners of New Thought that I have engaged with on this issue bring up the same concern. That is, if we align ourselves with the term "Christianity" it will automatically alienate our roots in other great world religions and traditions. Afterall, we believe in the golden thread of truth that runs through all faith traditions. Is it not the great gift of our theology - the ability to "stand for something and against nothing." Therefore, we believe in and honor all paths to God.

Yes - that is exactly true! Which is exactly why a true, deep theological understanding of Christianity and our connection to it is so important. For if we stay clear of the term due to the modern and current interpretations, most of which make us fairly uncomfortable, then we are doing a disservice to the deeper meaning of Christianity that New Thought is uniquely poised to express in the world. So much so , that one could argue that with out our expression - it would be lost to history forever.

Consider for a moment that all of our most important founding writers within New Thought both have and express a deep embodiment and understanding of this unique and powerful expression of Christianity. These writers understood, as we must do today, that embracing our Christian roots does not exclude our connection to eastern and other spiritual wisdom. In fact, it does just the opposite! Embracing our authentic form of Christianity - theologically empowers us us to embrace all paths to God. This is why and how our founding writers were able to so clearly speak of terms like "Christ Consciousness"

How? Because Christianity at its core is not about religion or creeds, nor is it about a man. It is fundamentally about a new way of Being.

Jesus represents a New Way of Being (with God).

Paul Tillich

...no religion as such produces the New Being. No religion matters - only a new state of things.

Paul Tillich, The New Being - p. 16

Christianity is more than a religion; it is the message of a New Creation. Christianity as a Religion is not important.

Paul Tillich, The New Being - p. 16

What do you think? is this perspective of Christianity important in defining New Thought?