Father's Day 2014

On this Father’s Day, we need to keep in mind the tremendous gift that fathers have given to this world. Bernie Siegel said, “If you are worried about the future of the world, create children that love.” If we are able to create children that love, our future is assured. Everything will be all right.

Jane’s father was a loving man and he loved Unity, too.

Once I was invited to attend the Seminary at Unity Village, Jane’s father, Harold, decided he would sell the Harpsichord he had purchased in the 1960’s and gift those funds to us to help pay for school. For reason that escape my memory at the moment (probably tax purposes), Jane and her father were looking through check registers from the ‘60 to find the amount he had paid for the Harpsichord. Jane noticed that as she went through each month she would see a $5.00 check written to Silent Unity (about $35.00 today). After she and her dad accomplished the task at hand she asked him about the monthly checks. Harold told her that he called Silent Unity once a month, asking for prayer, while her brother Harry was ill.

Another thing Harold did, once I was invited to seminary, was he began practicing The Peace Song on his piano. His goal was to someday attend the church where I ministered and play that song.

Another goal he held for himself was to visit Unity Village and partake in the library there which is purported to be the world’s largest metaphysical library. Sadly, neither of those two goals was accomplished by him. He entered the hospital a week before school began and he never left.

Harold was a gentle soul and I have been blessed to have both a father and a father-in-law that were kind and gentle.

Here are a couple of fun stories about Harold. One is that he loved fruit pies, home-made fruit pies, and apparently he didn’t feel Harriet baked him pies frequently enough. His gentle remedy to encourage Harriet to bake more pies was a collage that he framed and hung on the wall at the dinner table. This masterpiece of art was a number of pictures of his favorite fruit pies cut from magazines and pasted on a board and then framed along with its title: “Your husband’s Favorite Pies.” It was hung on the wall directly opposite Harriet's place at the table/

Harold also solved a frustration in a unique way, a frustration that I can relate to, too. He could never find a pair of scissors when he wanted one. Eventually he hit on this solution; he chained a pair of scissors to the inside of the “junk drawer” in the kitchen. Now when Jane (for instance) wanted to use a pair of scissors – or at least this pair of scissors – she would have to take the scissors and entire junk drawer up the stairs to her room to use them and then return the entire drawer, including scissors, to the kitchen.

I’ve deduced from this story that Jane’s room may have been the scissors graveyard.

 Allow me to tell you another story. This story goes back many, many years ago, to about 1918. There were two boys in England. The one boy that I am going to tell the story about was a farmer boy and he was plowing his field. He had a horse in front of the plow and he was busy plowing and tilling the soil. There was another boy, close by, who was in the river swimming, having fun and making noise. But then, he started to make a little too much noise. He started to scream. He called out, “Save me! Save me! I’m drowning!” And the poor farmer boy stopped his horse, left his plow, and jumped in the river to save the little boy from drowning. He pulled out the little boy and revived him on shore. He saved the little boy’s life.

Life continued on for a year. The farmer boy was out doing farm chores on the same piece of land. He was in back of his plow and a man, a father, came to see the poor farmer boy. He tapped him on the back and said, “Son, was it you that saved my son’s life in the river a year ago?”

The farmer boy said, “Yes, but anybody could have done it. I was just here and I jumped in and I pulled him to shore.”

The man said, “Son, if you had all the money in the world to do anything you wanted to do, what would you do with your life?”

The farmer boy got a smile on his face and said, “Aw, it will never happen because we are very poor. But if I could, if I had a way, I would become a doctor. But more than a doctor, I would research medicine to help people. I see so many of the poor people of our village die. They need cures.”

The father of the boy that had almost drowned looked down on the farmer boy and said, “Now you have the money because I am going to put you through school. If you want to become a doctor, you will become a doctor.”

Many, many years later, something big was going to happen. The date was February 11, 1945. The Big Three were coming together – Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. They were coming together at Yalta. They were coming together to heal the world – one of the greatest meetings of all time throughout all history.

But there was a problem because Churchill had gotten deathly ill, and they didn’t believe that Churchill could come to the meeting. But he was shipped some medicine. The medicine was called penicillin. They injected it into Churchill, and within a day, Churchill was revived. They said that his life was saved. And friends, that was the second time that Alexander Fleming saved the life of Winston Churchill.

There was a time when I worked on a construction crew building metal buildings. Some of the guys I worked with were violent characters. Everybody had nicknames and there was a fellow called “Loser.” Loser eventually shot a Texas Highway Patrol officer. There was another guy called “Indian.” Indian allegedly looked too long and hard at the wife of another man on the crew, “Nelson.”

One day Indian doesn’t show up for work. The question, “Where’s Indian?” is posed.

“Hospital.”

“Hospital? What happened?”

“Accident.”

It turns out that Nelson’s wife says Indian was looking at her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. Nelson and John-John took him out, got him drunk and then beat him and left him in an alley.”

I think that these guys may have fancied themselves as “real men.”

Go back in your memory to the movies with men like John Wayne, or more recently, the character “Rambo.” That has been our idea of a “real man” – macho. He would never, ever talk to his girlfriend or wife, or have a meaningful dialogue with anyone. He goes into the jungle with a flamethrower, or up against the Indians or other “bad guys,” guns and fists blazing, and that is the way he conquered problems.

I used to think about this when I was younger, “Why is it that the guys with the biggest muscles are the ones who are right? Just because someone (ok, pretty much everyone) could beat me up doesn’t make them right.” (from Plato’s Republic “Justice is nothing more than the interests of the stronger” and Lucan, a first century poet, “Might was the measure of right.”)

In the last few decades, men have grown up and matured to the point where, frankly, women have been for some time.

It is okay, men, to cry.

It is okay, men, for you to be big and strong, and to show your feelings.

It is okay for you, men, to get on your knees and pray to God and know that God is going to come through for you.

And it is okay for us men to know that we are not alone; that we have a greater help from God.

And this is good to know for men and women to know. We are not alone; we all have a greater help from God; and there is no order of difficulty for God and me in any matter.

Back on June 2

The Monday Message is on vacation until June 2nd.

The Great Law/Do Unto Others

May 4, 2014

We are going to have an unveiling today as promised. That’ll come a little later.

Another thing that will come a little later is I’ll tell you about some inexcusable bad behavior that I exhibited about 11 days ago. It was so personally emotionally debilitating, as it is when we spew poison, that it took me eight days to get to the point emotionally, internally, that I could offer an apology.

In order for us to connect a few dots, we have to journey through a portion of the Gospel According of Mathew. Let’s look first at Chapter 7:1-5, “Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. ³ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

I have to agree with Emmet Fox who so eloquently says, “In these five verses we are told more about the nature of man and the meaning of life, and the importance of conduct, and the art of living, and the secret of happiness and success, and the way out of trouble, and the approach to God, and the emancipation of the soul, and the salvation of the world than all the philosophers and the theologians and the savants put together have told us - for it explains (what Fox calls) the Great Law.”

Really, we’ve been talking about this same idea in each of our “Prosperity Sunday’s.” What you put into this every-where present, invisible, creative substance that is lying in potential awaiting your input, is what is reflected back to you in your life: You reap what you sew; you experience what you express. This is Cause and Effect. Cause and effect is the Great Law of Life.

Harkening back, again, to our “Prosperity Sunday’s,” remember that there is a subtitle to the book we’ve been reviewing, and it is “The Principles and Process of True Prosperity.” Here we have the Principle (Cause and Effect). What is the process linked to these ideas? Well, we find it just a little further into the chapter; Matthew 7:12, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

We know this as the Golden Rule and if people in general realized the Golden Rule as being literally true, it would impact the world in such a profound manner that it would decrease crime, reduce war, and increase personal responsibility. If people in general realized this as being literally true, they would realize that while they may able run and hide to escape the law of the land, they cannot escape the law of life. They would realize that they are the cause of something in their life and they are going to experience its effect.

Last week I said that spiritual principle holds the answer to our troubles.

How I reacted to a person in my life 11 days ago is not how I want to be treated.

Jane’s car got the sniffles about two weeks ago and in just a couple of days the car no longer had the sniffles, it was in critical condition in the ICU!

The amount of money it would take to repair the car was right about the amount we’d get on a trade-in. We had to make a decision, fix the car and hope nothing else goes wrong, or buy a new car. We chose the latter.

Once we knew the make and model we wanted I called a few of the local dealers, told them I would be purchasing a car in the next two or three days and asked them if they would be willing to submit a proposal for our business. I also told them I was inviting several other dealers to do the same. Now they were competing for our business which is the way I think it should be.

Have you ever heard anyone say, “I was so mad I couldn’t see straight?” Well, that was me.

At the same time I was negotiating for a car I went totally off the deep end about something else that was occurring in our life. I felt Jane had been poorly done by and I set out to set someone else straight. I was going to help the take the speck out of their eye before removing the plank of anger in mine.

It didn’t go well.

I came home from that confrontation ANGRY!

I checked my email and had offers from Dealers “A and B.” I decided to purchase from dealer “A.” I called dealer “B” and said I would take dealer “A’s” proposal unless he wanted to sweeten his deal.

“No thank you”, he said.

I called dealer “A” back and said let’s do it, then something caught my eye on his proposal. I thought he was trying to sneak something past me. I asked him about it and he gave me his answer.

Now you have to remember that my anger was still boiling under the surface. Not only could I not see straight, I couldn’t hear straight either. Dealer “A” was not trying to sneak anything past me. It was all there, clearly in black and white and his explanation fit what was in writing.

I heard and saw something different, something that was not there and I told him I didn’t want to buy a car from him; cancel the deal.

The best way I can describe my language is… well, my mother may gotten  the soap bar if I were younger. I can also tell you that I was not using my “inside voice.”

You might remember from last week that I suggested the way out of trouble is through the application of spiritual principle. I had to work hard applying spiritual principle in my thoughts to neutralize the poison my anger had created and showed up as the internal pain and suffering I was experiencing.

I apologized to the car salesman for my inexcusable behavior. I told him he did not deserve to be treated that way. I also apologized for forgetting every spiritual principle I ever thought I knew, and taught from the pulpit.

Gratefully, the car salesman was gracious.

I wonder, sometimes, if we misunderstand the outworking of “Do Unto Others,” thinking that it acts like some form of magic, “So and so has been unkind to me, so I’ll practice the Golden Rule, be kind to them and they’ll be kind to me,” and when that doesn’t occur people are confused, revert to their old ways and say, “Well that doesn’t work.”

This great Law of Life is a law of life.  If you extend kindness and love out into the world, the world will reflect kindness and love back to you. We often do see it reflected back from the person or circumstance we direct it at, and that’s wonderful.

The Question

The question is: How do you want to be treated?

1.     Do you want to be loved and accepted?

2.     Do you want to be honored and respected?

3.     Do you want to be appreciated?

4.     Do you want people to treat you fairly?

5.     Do you want people to be honest with you?

6.     Do you want people to be understanding and compassionate toward you?

7.     Do you want people to be kind to you?

8.     Do you want people to share with you?

9.     Do you want to be made fun of or mocked?

10.                        Do you want people to speak to you and be friendly?

Here is the game plan. You can take the list above or your own list and for everything that you want others to do for you…you begin doing those things for them. In other words, if you want love and acceptance, start loving and accepting others. If you want to be honored and respected, begin honoring and respecting others. If you want to be treated fairly, begin treating others fairly. If you want people to be kind to you, start being kind to them.

If there is someone in your life whom you do not accept, begin extending acceptance toward them. I’m not saying to go out and try to cozy up to them, but to extend thoughts of acceptance to them whenever they cross you mind. Do the same with people for whom you withhold  respect; begin to extend respect to them in your thinking and let the Great Law of Life take its course.

“We reap what we sow; whatever we sew is reflected back to us in life.

Do unto others is not a teaching confined to Christianity, it is a teaching that can be found in some form in every major religion.

The unveiling I mentioned earlier is this; Sherry Boram is a local artist well-known in national Quilted Art circles. A month or so ago Jane and I purchased a piece of Sherry’s artwork titled: “Do Unto Others,” which we are donating to the church.

It’s always helpful to have reminders. I think they are much better when they are gentle rather horrible warning I endured.  :o) Sherry’s Artwork will hang in the sanctuary as a gentle reminder to Do Unto Others…

 

Each "Prayer Flag " hanging on the quilt exhibits the Golden Rule as it's stated in various religions.

Prosperity Sunday 9 of 12

 To read the full text of the service presented Sunday, April 27th, 2014, click here.

Prosperity Sunday 8 of 12

Below are my bullet points from Sunday, March 30, 2014. There is no full text of this talk as I used only bullet points this week

1

  “It’s the receiver of the gift who determines the value of the gift.”

2.     You’ve been given the gift of creation

3.     You’re the receiver of the gift – how do you value it?

a.     You didn’t receive this gift because you’re lucky, or Christian

b.     You can’t lose it or turn it down

c.      You can deny it, decline it, be unaware of it. Regardless, you do have it.

4.     You have received the gift,

a.     How do you value it?

b.     What awareness do you have of divine flow?

c.      The answers to above determine how you see experience your security in a changing world

5.     Unaware of this power to create? You have it. To know and practice this is life-changing.

6.     Having inner conversation about, “Not me.” Stop it. It’s a lie. It’s not true.

7.     Here’s what you need you know:

8.     Key* You live in and endless flow of creative substance

9.     Key* You “attract” according to how you think

10.                        It is vital to know and practice your creative power

a.     If you are practicing, keep practicing

b.     If you were practicing and fell off wagon, start again

c.      If you are unaware of this powerful gift, begin to explore

11.                        Key* There is a vast difference between believing and knowing

a.     Difference between intellect and experience

b.     Look for its demonstration; occurring all the time

c.      Once you see it occurring on a small level, step back and let it occur on a bigger level

d.     Step back, yet again, to another bigger level

12.                        Key* develop a relationship with your Inner Guidance

13.                        Key* Your Inner Guidance will tell you when to shift and change. Learn to hear and trust.

14.                        Key* Check your motivation. Give to give, not to get

15.                        Think of what you are doing as giving when paying bills rather than “losing” that money