"Abbacatastasis"

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Today is “Big Word Sunday.” I have three big words in mind for today.

The first one is a word I’m confident everyone here knows. What word comes to mind when I wave my magic wand over this top hat?

Abracadabra, that’s right.

Ok, one big word down, two to go.

The next word is one I will have to introduce to you because I’m guessing it might be the first time you’ve heard it.

Actually, after I say the word if anyone knows its definition, or would like to take a guess at it, please raise your hand… and by the way, I’m also going to ask you to use it in a sentence. ;-)

Apocatastasis.   (APO KUH TAS TUH SIS)

Apocatastasis has two meanings according to dictionary.com (SLIDE): 1) “The state of being restored or reestablished: restitution,” and 2) “The doctrine that Satan and all sinners will ultimately be restored to God.” When we say, “All paths lead to God in the end” we are talking about apocatastasis.

(Note: Apo means “away from,” also, the farthest point from (i.e. apogee) catastasis is “the third part of an ancient Greek drama, in which the action is heightened for the [forthcoming] catastrophe. Apocatastasis: the furthest point away from catastrophe”)

We are “returned,” “restored,” “reestablished” to the awareness of God.

Two big words down, one to go. The last word was coined, as far as I know, by a Unity minister named Chris Chenoweth. Chris says it’s a word and an idea he uses in workshops;

“Abbacatastasis.”

Abbacatastasis means, “What looks like disaster today, God will turn into good tomorrow.” (because God is Good and everywhere present)

God's good floods our lives constantly and Divine help is accessible to us at all times. It’s up to us to open ourselves up and “let it in” to our awareness.

The next time a seemingly bad thing happens to you say "Abbacatastasis" (would you say that with me please, Abbacatastasis) to remind yourself that God's good will come to pass in the most surprising and uplifting ways by letting it, God/God’s good, into our awareness.

Please let, what Unity teaches, be firm in your understanding that it is NOT the will of God for disasters and bad things to happen. (I’m not the Public Information Officer for God… just saying this is how we see it in Unity) It IS the will of God to help you pick up the so-called pieces and turn around, what you view as, your misfortune to the best of possible outcomes.

Affirm for yourself that these outcomes, where we invite God in; ask; listen; and put into action that guidance are always better than our human mind could conceive. In a few minutes I’ll tell you a few stories to illustrate that point of how including God gives you a better outcome than you can manage on your own. For now, please remember that God always knows a way out because God always knows the way.

“Bad things and events” sometimes appear to happen to very good people… like you, for instance. When you are in the consciousness of “bad things happening to me,” say to yourself, “Abbacatastasis” as a reminder that God's good will come to pass in the most surprising and uplifting ways by letting it into our awareness.

From this moment forward, I invite you to hold positively to the belief in good outcomes. Make “good outcomes” your strong belief.

Rev. Chris tells the story of a woman that lost her job (she was fired) and started to think of herself as an unfortunate victim destined to suffer.

Then she said to herself "Abbacatastasis" to again remind herself that she was not alone. She prayed and God gave her the idea to move to a larger
city to look for another job. Times were tough for a while and the change was difficult. She struggled on the little money she had left. Each day, God was fortifying her with inner strength. She was led by God to apply for a different type of job then she had ever done before. She got the job and she said later that the new job "fed her soul." She felt needed and
wanted in the new workplace. She felt valued, and eventually rose within the company to become a vice president.

Please don’t be misled. This story is not about the outcome, but about the process that led to a better outcome than the “destined to suffer” outcome she had been imagining for herself

She said that, getting fired was the luckiest thing that ever happened to her, and she was blind to it at the time.

"Abbacatastasis"

When something bad happens to you, I ask you to say this word aloud “Abbacatastasis" – to again remind yourself that God is your help in every
need, and will turn this misfortune around to bless your life.