Wednesday, March 14, 2018

In case you were wondering.........

My third grade science test.


Quiz #4 - What usually triggers the dawning?

The stage of spiritual development called the search follows “the dawning” and “the turning”. The dawning which triggers the turning often is generated by:

1. The urging of others.
2. Disillusionment
3. Scripture study
4. Marketing efforts of a religious organization

The answer is in the comments.

Relationships have a purpose: they are teaching-learning opportunties

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to accept one another and encourage each other's spiritual growth. This acceptance and encouragement depends on the initiation and development of relationships.

The path of the spirit involves relationships at three levels.

First is the momentary. We smile at someone next to us in line at the supermarket cashier and even at the cashier her/himself.

The second type of relationship is more than a moment but temporary, a fellow student in a class, a co-worker, a neighbor, someone we play softball with.

The third type of relationship is life long, a parent, a child, a life long partner in a committed relationship, a friendship which has lasted decades.

All these types of relationships create a teaching-learning dynamic. To understand the teaching-learning dynamic we simply have to ask, "What is the purpose of this relationship?" Is the purpose of the relationship "give to get" or "me or them" or "one or the other," or is it "what's mine is yours," or "both together," or "one for all and all for one?"

To use the terms described in A Course In Miracles, is the relationship a "special relationship" or a "holy relationship?" A "special relationship" manifests a "give to get" dynamic while a "holy relationship" is about joining and sharing.

All relationships are learning opportunities and it is up to us what we will learn. What do we want to learn? Do we want to learn about our specialness or do we want to learn about Love? Do we intend to use this relationship as a means of our journey on the path of the ego or the path of the spirit? Is the relationship about me and you and how we are separate, or about us and how we are the same? Will we continue our journey separate and alone or together and connected?

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

The peace that is timeless on the Walk of Love

The Universalists have taught that God loves us unconditionally. Most people don't know this. This lack of awareness is a shame. However, sooner or later all of humankind will come to know what the Universalists already know. It's only a matter of time, awareness, and choosing.

Univeralists are called to preach the good news that human beings have a choice. They can choose now or later but ultimately we all have to choose whether we continue down the path of the ego or whether we embark on the path of the spirit.

We are all here to learn the walk of Love.

For some it takes a long time how to learn the walk of Love. For others the time is quicker. It is our destiny to learn the walk of Love. In ultimately fulfilling our destiny we have no choice. This is the basis of our faith. But we can choose when we want to learn it.

Some resist learning the walk of Love. There are other things which distract them. Many detours are taken. In arrogance and desire, idols are identified and worshiped. These false starts and mistakes create a hurt that leads to anguish and despair. The tolerance for pain by human beings can be very high.

However, when the pain becomes great enough, it starts to dawn on the person that there must be a better way. This dawning leads to a turning from the path of the ego for a search on the path of the spirit. This search creates a a teaching-learning situation in which the person simultaneously becomes both a teacher and a student for we learn what we teach and we teach what we want to learn.

This teaching-learning dynamic was created by the Divine at the moment of our separation and were it not to have occurred we could not, would not have survived in this life on earth. From the moment of our birth we began learning and with our cries began teaching others how to interact with us. The teaching-learning dynamic is a basic building block of life. We constantly teach, whether we are conscious of it or not, what we are to others and what others are to us.

On the path of the ego we "give to get" and behave based on the belief of "you or me," "us or them," which comes from fears instigated by our beliefs in scarcity.

After "the dawning," "the turning," and "the search," we come to realize there is a better way and we enter into the "walk of love" where we learn that "giving is receiving" and "one for all and all for one." The walk of love brings peace and bliss that is timeless.

Brockport man upset that his doctor won't prescribe his favorite drugs.

Brockport, NY - Brockport man upset that his doctor won't prescribe his favorite drugs.

Bret has been on Oxycontin for his back pain, and Klonapin for his anxiety and sleep problems for years. "Yeah, "I might have taken extras when the pain or the anxiety is really bad, but the Doc seems to think I'm a drug addict."

"He told me to take up exercise and meditation! Can you believe that shit," Bret said?

Pastor Beverly replied, "Perhaps prayer would help?"

"You're a UU aren't you?" Brett said exasperated. "I'm a freakin atheist, ya know. We don't pray. Jesus!"

Pastor Beverly said, "How about therapy?"

"You think I'm crazy!!??" yelled Brett.

"Oh, no. I'm sorry," said Pastor Beverly. "Perhaps finding another doctor who will continue your prescriptions would be the way to go."

"Pastor Bev, you're the best!" said Brett.


Monday, March 12, 2018

There are teachers of God among us to help us find our way

Unitarian Universalists covenant together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth. This encouragement requires that all UUs become teachers of God.

There are many ways to remembering the Love of God. And there are many teachers of these ways. They all lead to the same place, the experience of the Oneness of God's creation.

This experience arises when the blocks and obstacles to the awareness of Its presence are removed. What are the signs of this experience? The signs are peace, bliss, and gratitude.

The teachers of God hasten the experience by taking steps to help us remove the blocks and obstacles to the awareness.

The idols of the world that we worship bring a weariness to our souls that fill us with anguish and sometimes suicidal thoughts. We get to the point at which we don't want to go on. It dawns on us that there must be a better way. With this dawning, there is a turning to the search, and when we begin seeking, the teacher of God appears to guide us on better way.

The teacher of God may say a word, perform a kindness, manifest an example that removes a block or obstacle to our awareness of Love's presence. The teacher of God may not know what (s)he's lesson has meant to us and done for us, but a miracle has occurred. A breach between our detour on the path of the ego from the path of the spirit has been repaired and we feel we are back on the right track.

Teachers of God are a blessing in the world. They continue to learn right along with us. Helping us, helps themselves, and their work on themselves, helps us.

We are here, in this world, to learn. What we chose to learn makes the difference. Do we want to study and learn the ways of the ego, or do we want to study and learn the ways of the spirit? Do we want to continue our separation from God, or learn how to return to the Divine? The choice is ours to make and there are teachers of God among us to help.
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