Sermon on Spiritual Sustainability

On July 21, 2013, I was invited to deliver the sermon to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Eugene.

This is the text of my message.

 

Opening Words

Good morning. I am delighted to be here today to speak of spiritual sustainability, and its partner, social justice.  But while we all want social justice, and we speak of social justice, do we really know what it means? What is the definition of the word “Justice”?

Theologian Matthew Fox in his book A New Reformation, said, “Sustainability is another word for justice, for what is just is sustainable, and what is unjust is not.” I know sustainability is the buzzword of the day, but it has real meaning when we bring it to the idea of social justice. Social sustainability.

We all know about material sustainability: carbon footprint, greenhouse gases, alternative energy sources and the like, but what about social sustainability? The way we elect our representatives? The way our governments handle our money? Our foreign policies? Immigration? Welfare? Are they sustainable? What are the values that underpin these systems? Can anything be sustainable without values?

Today our systems are beginning to fail because they are not built upon the bedrock of values. Some people have too much while others have nothing. Our kids are taking drugs, getting pregnant in high school, ending up in jail. As many marriages fail as succeed. What do we do? We implement more social programs to provide high school daycare centers, and drug treatment programs in jail, and cheap, no-fault divorces. These are not sustainable fixes, because we are addressing the symptoms, not the problem.

I believe the answer is in the power of our collective thought, and initiating and maintaining what I call spiritual sustainability.

It is my prayer that this morning we will all find a new way to participate in social justice for our community, our country and our world.

Talk

I would like to begin by welcoming all of our angels and the legion of unseen friends who are with us today, and thank them for tirelessly helping us navigate the uncertain waters of life on this planet.

This morning, let us consider the power of thought. Thought precedes intention.  First there’s the thought, then there’s the intention, and finally, the act. Almost every act begins with “I think I’ll…” go to church. Take a class. Call my son. And before you know it, it’s done.  This is the power of individual thought.

And then there is the collective power of thought. Walk into a room of angry people, of fearful people, of worshipful people, of celebrating people. You can feel the energy. Have you been to a football party when the Ducks were winning? Or losing? We can get caught up in the “spirit of the moment,” if you will.

How about just sitting with a grieving person? Don’t we begin to share that grief as well?

Because we’re all connected.

You think about calling your brother, and the phone rings. It’s your brother. Two scientists on opposite sides of the world share a Nobel prize because they both came up with the same idea at the same time. There is no question that we are connected. The evidence is everywhere, if we will see it.

But exactly how are we connected? What is the spiritual circuitry, if you will, that puts us in touch with one another?

Imagine for a few moments that there is actually a fabric that surrounds our planet, a fabric of planetary consciousness that holds the residue of every thought since humans had thought. Dark thoughts of anger or fear or resentment stain the fabric, as if we sent into it a drop of black ink. Light thoughts of love and happiness and prayer and gratitude lighten it, as if we sent into it a little drop of light.

Indulge me for a moment and close your eyes. Visualize our beautiful world, spinning peacefully in the cosmos. Feel your love for this world.

Now visualize the fabric of planetary consciousness that surrounds our planet like its atmosphere.

What color is the fabric right now?

The lightness or darkness that we add by the positive or negative quality of our thoughts only stays true for a moment, and then it is absorbed into the collective, like drops of ink in a glass of water.  Is this how we’re connected?

In your mind’s eye, move the globe until you can visualize the color of planetary consciousness over Syria—where everyone is afraid. What color is the fabric of planetary consciousness? Now to Africa—where people are sick and starving. What color is the fabric of planetary consciousness? To Washington, D.C. where…well, who knows what they’re doing there, but it is without question contentious. What color? And now to Eugene, where blue skies and festivals abound, people still wear tie dye and flash the peace sign. What is the color?

Before we open our eyes and return to this room, take a moment to feel your desire for real global change to occur in the thoughts and actions of all of our spiritual brothers and sisters across the globe. Feel your desire for this tender fabric of planetary consciousness to become enlightened, worldwide.

Thank you. Please come back to the room and open your eyes.

This is where we can make a real difference.  Not by posting happy faces on Facebook, but by actually uplifting our thoughts. We all have negative thoughts, angry thoughts, resentful thoughts, but we don’t have to feed them, we don’t have to dwell in them.

This is not easy. I don’t know if it is in our DNA, or the fact that we are of animal origin, but maintaining a positive attitude is difficult. At least it is for me. And therein lays its value.

We’ve all heard “be the change you want to see.” Well, this is how to go about that, by controlling our own thoughts. We are in charge of our thoughts. It is our choice to be angry or happy. It is our choice to hold on to resentment or to forgive.

It is up to us to change the color of the fabric of planetary consciousness, one thought at a time.

I learned in my twelve step program that I don’t really have much control over anything, but what I do have control over is my attitude. When a driver cuts me off in traffic, I can curse him (shake fist), or I can turn that around and wish him a nice day (peace sign).

We can pause and adjust our thoughts before we react and speak as we go about our day interacting with others. It is in this pause that we can change the direction of our thoughts like flipping a switch. See the switch in your mind and imagine the aura of your energy changing to a lighter color when you think and feel positive loving thoughts. If you fail and fall back into negativity, imagine the brightness of your energy fading and then adjust your thoughts and watch it brighten again to a healthy hue.

If we can learn to sustain this stream of thoughts of light, then the whole fabric of planetary consciousness will begin to lighten, which will lift the spirits of everyone and help everybody—all seven billion of us—sustain streams of thoughts of light. We sustain it and it sustains us.

So how do we go about sustaining a positive stream of thought? One way might be to visualize this fabric of planetary consciousness in your daily stillness practice. By knowing that your positive thoughts have a real and profound effect on people you don’t know, and have never heard of, thousands of miles away.

This is spiritual sustainability in a real global sense. It is something we can do now, right now. If you are sitting there worried about something, stop it. Worrying isn’t going to change the situation, but it is going to color your aura, your life, your relationships, the world situation.

If you are criticizing somebody in your head, stop it. You have the power to do that. You are in control of your thoughts. Send a blessing that person’s way instead.

This is the way that we can help members of congress change their attitudes from self-aggrandizement to true social justice.

This is the way that you and I can encourage dictators on the other side of the world to peacefully acquiesce to a more democratic form of government.

This is the way that you and I can ensure that eventually, every person on this planet will have fresh, free drinking water. Eventually, every child will be adored and cherished. Eventually, there will be no more war, no more famine, no torture, no greedy businesses that pollute our wonderful world in the name of profits.

This is how we can bring those who suffer out of the margins of society and enfold them, implementing programs of true social justice based on real spiritual values. We have the power to change hearts, to raise the vibrations of all thought, all from right here, right now, and as we go about our daily duties with love in our hearts and blessings on our tongues.

And when we do, the angels and other celestial helpers, the overseers of our world, spring into action to not only help us sustain, but to augment our efforts by bringing us together for meaningful groups, committees, and social structures to implement such systems based upon spiritual values.

Mother Teresa said, “If we pray, we will believe. If we believe, we will love. If we love, we will serve.”

We—right here—have the power for global change. Each of us is a shining facet in the diamond that is humanity. Love one another with a fierce and intense affection. Let your light — your literal light — so shine that everyone will glorify our creator, and let us live our lives in tribute to this astonishing creation and as examples of what life could be in a service-driven economy instead of a profit-driven one.

Together we can spread the benign virus of love until we reach that tipping point that will mark the end of our animal ways and usher in a new, spiritual age.

It is through our purposeful connectedness, the spiritual circuitry in the fabric of planetary consciousness, that we may actively, consciously, bring forth spiritual sustainability to our world.

This is my prayer.

Amen.

On Being of Service

We have on occasions discussed the concept of being of service. We return to the subject, and add the word ‘loving’ to it. In loving service, as in doing the Father’s Will, implies that there is no expectation of something in return. This is the way I would have you serve, as this opens the way to more abundant blessings. Those who serve either grudgingly, or with hidden agendas, place limits upon My blessings, because they have not understood the real meaning of service. It is in being of loving service that you, yourself are blessed. The Creator of everything knows the hearts and minds of all creatures, and knows the secrets of all hearts.

Many a soul languishes in darkness, because of having been told that as long they fulfil their obligatory duties by paying their dues they are saved. ‘Saved from what,’ I like to know? It is the personal connection to the All That Is, which needs to be in place. It is the way with the most love in it, walked in truth beauty and goodness, with sincerity and honesty of heart. This ought to be your daily striving, to each day become more aware of My Presence within you, and to try each day to love one more person. They are the ‘unlovely’ who also need your love, for you cannot know the aches and pains of another’s heart. All have feelings, and by showing yourself friendly and accepting of one another, you reside in a state of loving service.

You have the ability to uplift someone else with only a smile. The world is in need of happy and genuine smiles. Nothing is ever forced in the kingdom of God. You need to realize that you are actually already living in the kingdom of God, because there is simply nowhere that God is not. All of the infinitely widespread creation is of God. And the reason that everything is manifesting is the unconditional loving service which His mighty descending Sons render in return to the Father. They are subservient even to lowly creatures such as you, because they know what is possible for you to become when you also begin walking in the way of loving service. In this manner you become more finely attuned to all possible potentials which lie undiscovered before you.

Humans in the early stages of evolution developed their fictitious ideas and ‘fabricated’ those ideas into gospels for others to follow. Many untruths, superstitions, creeds and dogmas evolved and became established as the infallible word of God. Over time, these shall all fall away when God’s truth becomes more widely known. This will happen to just one person at a time. Those who were offered glimpses of truth, because they took the time to make that personal connection, are becoming the salt of the earth, the lights for others to see. These will be the ones of true loving service because they begin to understand the true meaning as to what it means to lovingly serve. They serve already now without recognition. They serve without attracting attention to themselves, because they are at peace with themselves, for they have found that pearl of great value within themselves, which has become their Guiding Light. Search and you shall find. –The Beloved One

Good Things Happen to Those Who Believe

Anxiety is the characteristic of a restless spirit. Restlessness comes to human beings from their worrying that the circumstances of life will spin out of control into bad situations, causing harm to them. Anxiety is their being afraid of that which does not yet exist; they fear a possibility. Awareness of possible troubles ahead is useful in avoiding them, or dealing with them properly. However, when troubles are conceived by the mind, they are given life, and once they are projected, they might become actualities. Anxiety is a process of giving life to things you fear, instead of avoiding them.

The spirit at rest is a condition of one who has gained a mature personality, and developed a level of real beauty and harmony in life. Being at rest is a result of being at peace with the self, others and the universe. The Spirit Within, as you call your Adjuster, is an important element in experiencing this harmonious state of being, because these Mystery Monitors are the ones who sponsor the manifestation of real values in the life of their subjects. Following the Adjuster’s leadings will always improve your ability to deal with anxieties.

Correct are your sacred records attesting to the truth that “love sends away fear”. Love is the substance of ultimate reality. Evil, adversely, springs from an ill-adaptation of the self to universe laws, it lacks enduring reality. Realizing this should put human minds at rest, by allowing the self to find its place in the cosmic unity that links everything. In nurturing, ministering, and receiving love, human beings are capable of finding their balance in life. Love can ensure real peace because it is the universe technique which accommodates every action and attitude into the good and perfect will of the Father.

Faith, indeed, is also essential to enjoy spiritual rest. Faith is the expectful state of hope that brings goodness into your personal experience. Good things happen to those who believe. Minds that are open to the good energies of the universe will enter in their energetic flow and make a channel to receive and distribute goodness.

However, to human beings on Urantia, life develops within the evolutionary cycles of time and space, and perfection is yet a distant, although achievable future goal. You are on a journey from imperfection to perfection, and being at rest is experienced as opposed to having to deal with, everyday disturbing circumstances. The peace of a restful mind is not predicated by absence of conflicts, but by assuming the correct attitude in facing them, which is acceptation and adaptation while pressing for spiritual progress from the standpoint of love and faith.

So, my pupil, keep on loving and believing, and the anxieties of daily living will fade away, one by one as you face them courageously, for who knows the inherent goodness of the Universe. My love is with you; so is our Father’s love, which makes life very well worth of living!   –Prolotheos

Living and Learning

There are many things in life that say, “not this way,” because they are unproductive or they are painful, or the repercussions from them are too negative, too detrimental to proceed with them, even if they are in the far distant future. What many of you do not realize is that every day is an opportunity to learn more, to learn more about yourselves, where you came from, your family and how to provide a wonderful learning experience for your children and grandchildren. If all people were to do this, your world would be changed significantly in one or two generations.

There is a pernicious “me-ism,” the selfish ego-centrism most individuals have in life, seeing that they are blind to their narcissism. They are blind, seeing the world is at their doorstep for them to use, that “the world is their oyster.” This is not so, for you are an agent of change yourself, an agent to change for yourself and for others. You are an agent of change for yourself because you are conscious of yourself; you are aware of yourself; you are aware that some of your actions are unproductive and in fact, destructive. When you go deeper you learn that some of your attitudes are likewise as detrimental to your progress, to learn to love yourself and to learn to love others. And when you dig further, you will discover in your unconscious thinking those worldviews, mental images of how your world as you think it should be are operating. You make assumptions about this world that are inappropriate. Many of you, however, have learned positively; you have learned that this world is a place of learning, a place to come to know yourself and to know and to trust in God when you ask for that guidance, when you ask for opportunities to reveal to you the way ahead in your life.

We would advise you to examine all that you do. It begins first by being conscious of yourself, aware of yourself, aware of your strengths, aware of your weaknesses and attending to those. This is all in preparation for the afterlife, for when you arrive on the mansion worlds. You will not know where you are to begin with in the resurrection halls. Soon you will become acquainted and slowly you will regain your memory, much like a person who has been in a coma, who has been unconscious for a period of time. There, you will reconstruct your life and find out where you are, how you got there, what your surroundings are and what is in store for you. This part of your life now is the awakening, the awakening of your consciousness, to be aware of yourself as a child of God. And as a child of God, God has provided you with a school to learn how to become a spiritual adult. And, as was mentioned earlier a few weeks ago, you are going to learn how to become a Citizen of the Universe. This is quite an accomplishment; it is very much a part of becoming fused with the God presence within you, your Thought Adjuster. You will come to know that as a Citizen of the Universe you have learned the lessons, that you know the way, and that you have achieved a significant stage in an evolved process of becoming perfect—and that means becoming a creator.   –Monjoronson 2/24/12

Attaining Perfection

Perfection comes from knowing right from wrong. Those created perfect do not fall into sin or error, because they innately know what is best for them. Regardless of how attractive sin may appear, they are not deceived because they simply know. Besides, many of the things that trouble mortals, the so called ‘pleasures of the flesh’ are not an issue to those who live on Paradise.

It is entirely possible for these creatures to choose evil, because they also enjoy free will, but they will always know the consequences of their actions. Such is the life of the perfect creatures. They know with certainty the will of the Creator and enjoy a higher understanding of the Father and the working of His Universe.

Perfection is also the destiny of mortals, if they choose to follow the guidance of their Divine Spark. However, mortals have and advantage: Evolutionary experience. Those personalities that are forged in the struggle of time have no parallel in the Universe. Great attributes of courage, loyalty and faith are needed to achieve the goal of perfection. Once you have reached this level you will have been tested in every way, and you will have triumphed over all challenges.

Today while you must believe without seeing; while you walk trusting that the invisible Father holds you by the hand; while you suffer trying to harmonize the things of this world with your spiritual realities; while you aspire to truth, beauty and goodness, and are faced each day with error and sin, remember that your Father has created you so you can aspire to be like Him. Through your extensive preparation during eternity you will become a perfect creature — similar to your Creator — and someone who can also understand very well the tribulations and mistakes of those who come later. Those well prepared can provide a more than adequate service to these younger souls of the future who search for the Father.  

–Unknown Teacher

Sharing the Light

This is the dawning of a new day as the darkness of night slinks away. This is the accepted norm for most people, and I say most people, for how many will not see another day on this planet, as they are on the verge of passing on, to have a new, heretofore undiscovered Light come to their consciousness?

Life is eternal and so is the Healing all-pervading Light from the Creator, which serves as a nurturing balm for the human soul. However, it is up to the human to open the ‘inner eyes’ to see, and truly imbibe of this spiritual Light, which lives within them.

Among the living on this planet, there are those who never see the dawning of a new day until the sun is well on its way above the horizon. It is the habit of catching another ‘forty winks’, so the most glorious moment of daybreak escapes them.

Liken this to the start of a new day in the inner life, when most are to busy to notice that there is life to be discovered so deep within each one of them. More is the pity as many opportunities for inner growth are lost, and indeed causes mortals to fall by the wayside, even though they profess their faith in reciting by rote their habitual prayers.

It is in waking up to the inner life, and finding the resources waiting for a greater life fulfilment. It is the discovery of this mysterious inner Light Spark from the living God, which has been waiting for this all-important moment for the creature to wake up and realize that there is more to life than only the outer material life.

These moments are what create great joy in heaven, as another mortal awakens to his or her great potential to grow and nurture their soul, already in this earth life, now nurtured by the Healing Light from the Creator of all things and beings.

Realize that the greatest opportunity lies in doing the will of God, as this is how the soul grows. Many on leaving this mortal life realize only after their resurrection into eternal life how they could have served others by being a healing light while nurturing their souls.

Service is always reciprocal; you give out and you receive, for this never stops, as this nurturing and Healing Light Energy has been set in motion at the very beginning of space and time as you know it. There are many dimensions in the hereafter and all who dwell there share this Healing Light as this cannot be otherwise. This is the law of Heaven.

Consider how you can become a greater light on this planet, so more may wake up and begin to shine their lights as well. In this way your planet will truly be on the way to Light and Life, which is its destiny. It has been so ordained ere this planet began her evolution, as this is the method of creation in space and time and all planets share this same destiny. –Beloved Teacher

Every Day an Adventure

Every day offers the potential for a great adventure. To desire the surprises of each day is a sign of spiritual growth, a sign that you are in understanding of your purpose a little better, and you are learning to trust. This is how [Jesus] lived each day, with courage and joy, because surprises do always come, and the opportunities for spiritual growth are abundant.

It would be profitable for you to understand that most of the time you don’t know how an opportunity will present itself. Sometimes you will not recognize them when they are right in front of you. Sometimes you would wish to have someone saying, ‘Here is an opportunity, so take advantage of this moment to learn something.’ In this way you would know when to give your best and when to pay attention to the present.

For this reason, today, I declare that everything that happens in your life is an opportunity. Each new second is an opportunity. Each person that crosses your path is an opportunity. Each decision is an opportunity. In every moment of your day you should give your best, this way you will be sure of not missing any opportunity that is offered to you.

If you live your life in this way, you will turn every apparently-insignificant thing into an opportunity to grow spiritually. As you can see, it is you who decides what constitutes an opportunity, and what doesn’t. This is how you create your own opportunities, and this is how you can decide the rate of your spiritual progress. –Unknown Teacher

Message from The Spirit Within

My child, in terms of proximity, you cannot get closer to me than you already are. I inhabit your mind, I know all your thoughts, and I know everything that is going on with you. It is not this kind of closeness that you need from me, for we already have it. The closeness between us that you need, and what I long for, will happen one day when there will be a real attunement of purpose between us, when my leadings and your will finally will be able to be at one. That is when you will be on your way to our next phase, our eternal union in fusion with each other. There will then be no need for closeness at all, for we will be one.

What I presently ask from you, my child, is your close attention and consideration to my work in you. Pay more notice to my leadings, and give them more serious consideration and wholeheartedly follow them in your life. Only in this way will you progress on your spiritual path. I have given you not the best guidance possible, but a perfect guidance and I know that when you follow it, you will achieve great spiritual growth. However, although I press for perfection, you are able to realize it only as much as you can; which is fine if you keep doing so, because today’s small victories are the leverage for tomorrow’s greater conquests.

Can I, my child, lure you on the way of a better, higher, and immensely more satisfying spiritual path? Do you want to experience more of the joy I have at times given you when you worship the Father? Do you want to overcome fear when facing troubles and dangers, while courageously pressing on with living? Do you want to really be of service to your fellow human beings? I will give you all this and more, day after day, if you would only dare to follow my leadings wholeheartedly.

Do not be afraid, my child, no permanent harm will come to you, as long as you keep walking on the path of a higher life. I love you, my child. The Father Himself loves you. Even the whole Universe loves you. Let me show you the way, day by day, step by step, with one leading at time, I will take you there. Give me all you can today, and tomorrow you will be able to offer me a little more. The more attention and consideration you give to my leadings, the more you will grow in real spirituality, the closer to me you will feel. It’s as simple as this. Just listen to me, my child, and you will be fine.

There Will Come A Time…

Today we will speak about a time of unity.  This is a time when all people, races, religions, and nations will come together and ‘feel’ that they are a part of the human family — brothers and sisters of this planet.  No longer will differences in culture or religion be viewed as something foreign or something to assimilate or eradicate, but such will be looked upon as something to treasure and revere as a rich rainbow of diversity that adds value to the whole of humanity.

There will come a time when all peoples will revere the planet as the nursery and mother of their terrestrial home and will see to it that She is cared for, respected, and made beautiful for generations to come, for She is the soul generator of the Creator.

There will come a time when women in every nation will stand on equal ground with men and be viewed as the temple of the Creator’s Indwelling just as all are — men, women, and children, for it is the feminine energies that will transform and bring the planet into balance.

There will come a time when the raising of children will be the most important duty and never again will they be cast aside as inconveniences or distractions, but will be cherished as the future tenants of a world that is evolving and achieving greatness — where the values of truth, beauty, and goodness are instilled in their souls.

There will come a time when corporations will become responsible and use philanthropy as the cornerstone of their success to provide jobs and to help solve world problems, while respecting the earth and building a sustainable future.

There will come a time when governments will actually serve the many and care for the populace by making laws and policies that promote a realistic and sustainable future where all will have access to equality of opportunity–true life, liberty, and happiness.

There will come a time when wars will be no more and military forces are used for good — to rescue people from unforeseen natural disasters or protect the virtues of equality of opportunity where a life of dignity is available to all men, women, and children.

Presently, for the majority of the planet, this is not the case, but if you can dream it my friends, you can realize it by focusing your thoughts and directing your actions toward this attainable goal.  There are people on this world now who are making a difference and working toward this dream.  Seek them out, partner with them, and help grow these sustainable ideas.  Only through the unity of our ideals can we realize this very attainable life we all dream of.  What things can you do today to start moving in this direction?  Meditate on this and put your thoughts into action.

(Teacher Ophelia 8/28/11)

The Gift of Life

The message for today is about the most precious gift that can be given–the gift of being alive.  There is so much to live for my friends, and though it may sometimes seem quite difficult to you here on the nursery worlds of time and space, you must understand what a wonderful gift it is to have identity and personality, for what you are experiencing now is but the first heartbeat in a succession of never-ending experiences of wonder and learning; sublime beauty; and love infused adventures — lifetime upon lifetime of unending glories, too fantastic for your human mind to rasp, should you choose to continue.

What you are doing and experiencing now is so very important to your eternal career, for you are forging out the rudiments of your eternal personalities and setting the stage for the supreme performance of perfection seeking accomplishments.  Within your mind lives the Creator Fragment who is experiencing life through the creature, which frees the Creator from the static state of infinity and omnipotence and allows for the reality of true experience of living life from every level of existence–from imperfection to perfection.  It is the journey, my friends, that is so important, and how you choose to move through that journey determines the quality of that life.

Free will assures the width and breadth of variance in the expression of true adventure and wonder seeking experiences.  What power you posses that you may choose to have any experience available to you through the opportunities created by the varying parts of the whole, both perfect and imperfect, who themselves are carving out their own paths to live and serve as they ascend and descend to and from the Source of all Creation.  You are beginning life in the seeming shifting and straining chaos of what will become a glorious path to the highest attainable standard–to be perfect as is the Creator perfect.  It is this divine tension set up by the Creator with the creature to be so far from, yet so intimately close, that drives the creature to seek for unity with the divine nature.

Having faith in this yet-to-be-experienced perfection, is the key to living each day and experiencing life with new meaning.  When we live with this child-like expectancy of love, trust, and assurance, that we are the sons and daughters of the Most High God, we can move through life as a co-creator–a quality of life that has the power to change the fabric of time itself by using the one sure super innate ability that we all share, and that is the power of love.  No matter how lowly we may be in the hierarchy of perfected beings, we have this super ability to change the lives and paths of others in our life circles through love, and we can choose to give love or withhold love.  When we choose to give love, we are doing the Will of the Creator, for it is the supreme life force in the universes that creates and dynamically changes all things.

This precious gift of life allows us to experience this all-powerful life force and use it to make
beautiful that gift which was given out of love.
—Ophelia