Weekly Message
February 17, 2012
This Says It All
Late Tuesday evening I came across a little known booklet compiled by "Eric Butterworth and Committee" titled A Synoptic Study of the Teachings of Unity. I was struck by the simplicity of the little story on pg. 10 – a true story told some time ago, yet still relevant today.
"He was just a little lad, and on a bright Sunday was wandering home from Sunday School, dawdling on his way. He scuffed his shoes into the grass, he found a caterpillar and gazed at it, then a fluffy milkweed pod and blew out all the filler. A bird's nest in the tree over head, so wisely placed and high became another wonder that caught his eager eye.
A neighbor watched his zig-zag course and hailed him from the lawn and asked him where he had been that day and what was going on. "Oh, I've been to my Sunday School at Unity." As he carefully turned over a chunk of sod he found a snail beneath it. "I've learned a lot about God," he said. "Mmm, a very fine way," the neighbor said, "for a boy to spend his time. Tell you what - if you'll tell me where God is, I'll give you a brand new dime."
Quick as a flash the boy's answer came, nor were his accents faint. "I'll give you a dollar, Mister, if you'll tell me where God ain't."
And that just about says it all, don't you think? For our lives, for our relationships, for our experiences, and for all aspects of our spiritual home here at Unity of the Valley, we are Divinely guided, and may we never forget that. And, because God is love and everywhere present, let us remember to love one another - as the song says "through the good and lean years and through all the in-between years, come what may." What an
opportunity!
I'm so happy and excited about what is coming our way these days. I really am! So I will see you this Sunday at Unity "Sunday School" at 10 a.m. And, on the 26th at our annual meeting. A very fine way to spend our time. :-)
Love, Sherry
February 10, 2012
In this season of love, with Valentine’s Day a couple of days away, when the world around us doesn’t feel either loving or loveable, we would do well to look back upon Biblical reminders of life and love. At Mark 12:29, Jesus, in response to the question: “What is the greatest commandment of all?” replied (referring to Deuteronomy 6:4): “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
I confess there was a long time in my life when the loving myself part of this commandment was a problem. How could I love my neighbor much if I didn’t really like, much less love, myself? That one took years of trial and error, study, prayer, and experience before I became a super lover of my neighbor, including me. It has been worth the effort.
Our current national and world situation appears as a huge problem in the love department. It isn’t easy to witness the behaviors of national and world leaders who have chosen to accept their exalted positions as license to line their own coffers, exert undeserved power, and live like royalty at the expense of their constituents. Easy to deal with? Almost impossible.
Yet, once again, we are asked to “pray for those who despitefully use you.” The Apostle Paul, at I Cor. 13:13, tells us: “So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” Elsewhere we are told to “pray for those who despitefully use you.” And the list goes on.
We are definitely challenged, but do you know what? Challenge does not have to be negative. We can turn it around and use the experience to overcome, to learn and to grow and to make the world a better place by contributing only positive, loving energy in our thoughts, words and deeds. An analogy which I like is this: A stone in your path can be a stumbling block, or a stepping stone. The choice is yours.
Blessings of love,
MaryEllen
February 3, 2012
Imagine being one of those early voyagers...
who sailed off across the ocean blue not knowing if they would fall off the edge of the world. What a glorious adventure! And yet, is not each of our lives a daily voyage through new experiences, new revelations? Are we not all riding upon the great round ship of Mother Earth, passing through an ever-transforming physical and social environment? As Reverend Inge Tarantola reminded us last week in quoting Wayne Dyer: When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
For many of us, the sensation has become increasingly vivid that our Unity community is itself on a grand voyage of discovery:
- While our Captain, Rev. Ed Conrad, has been taking some much-needed time off from the helm, Reverends Inge and Sherry Lady have stepped up as very able Co-Captains.
- As word has gone out that supplies are running low in Unity's hold, we're beginning to see stronger commitments toward keeping the church on stable financial footing.
- When it was mentioned we could use more hands on deck serving as Kitchen Angels, a fresh wave of volunteers flooded in.
- As our ship's band leader, I'm thrilled and honored to find myself working with such wonderful musicians as Paul Biondi, Jeremy Gibson, Brian Alexander, Katherine Conrad, my wife Donna O'Neil, our drummers Dave Boyer and John Raden, along with occasional guest appearances by our talented little drummer boy, Keante Priddle. Somehow, we've all come together at this time--you included--to sustain and nurture this powerful, God-powered center of love and light called Unity of the Valley.
So it makes perfect sense that this Sunday, February 5, Ed will be speaking on the topic of Facing the Unknown. And Nancy Hopps will carry us deeper into the mysterious vibrations of the universe with her crystal bowls. Seeing with new eyes, we will open ourselves to the beautiful adventure of our lives. Whatever surprises 2012 holds in store for us, I am so happy to be sharing the adventure with you.
Jon West
January 27, 2012
Dear ones,
While it is cold outside right now, it is the perfect opportunity to focus inward. Just like the garden lies fallow in the winter so it is our invitation to be more contemplative and reflect on life’s meaning and purpose. Being an avid gardener, I like gardening metaphors. The seeds require time to germinate and the trees slowly send sap all the way to the tips of their outermost branches in preparation for the renewal of life in the spring. It does no good to dig up the seeds or tug on the new sprouts. It is an invitation to practice patience with the changes that take time, because it is one of those processes that can’t be rushed, just like any gestation. It takes however long is necessary to unfold in Divine order.
It is a good time to keep the inner fire burning, to remind ourselves to nurture the spirit, as well as the mind and body by practicing good self-care and to remember who we are as beloved children of God. The Divine expresses in you as you and through you as we see the Christ in each other.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Peace & Blessings,
Rev. Inge Tarantola
January 20, 2012
A Gathering of Stars
Work on and rehearsals for the upcoming Spring musical - our 21st at Unity of the Valley - have begun. The story, which is the same title as this article, has within it humor, passion, love, family conflict, a dream, a surprise element, and a healing, among other things. It will, of course, include music, choreography, and great sets.
But that is not the really beautiful core of what this production is all about. It is about the most incredible and creative teamwork that is building this production. The original script was crafted by me for a playwriting class at Lane Community College and was produced there in the early 90s. But THIS script, as it has evolved, is the result of what happens when one opens themselves to allowing other people to participate in the creative process of telling a story on stage.
When we - the Coming Alive Theater Group - were looking over the original script, I began to feel the weight of doing the editing, rearranging, the music, all by myself, along with my other tasks and duties around the church. The one evening, when I was feeling exhausted, I asked the group if they would improv one of the scenes and voila! After doing that, someone offered to revise and write down their version of the scene. The next week someone came with a song they had written; and so it went, until one evening I said to them "Gosh, WE are writing a play together!" What relief I felt and what genius has showed up since then - not to mention the fun we had and continue to have as a true "ensemble." Some have written or rewritten scenes, improving on them immensely; others have and are writing original words and melodies (the original was not a musical) and wow are they good!
To me, this is what church is all about as well. The Fillmores had an idea, based on the teachings of Jesus, who had this message from "the Father" and after input from many people through the years, a movement was born. At Unity of the Valley we could do well to learn and follow the pattern. When everyone is involved building a church program, or enhancing one that exists, or creating a new vision or whatever is there to do, it can't help but be even better than what one mind or person can do alone. Inclusiveness, delegation, cohesion, cost sharing, whatever it takes to create a solid structure for sharing the truth is our opportunity to participate in the collective whole and create something magnificent for years to come. Let's do this, ok? I'm so ready. There are others here that are already stepping out in a new way and how grateful I am for them.
Together WE can write a new and exciting story for our spiritual home.
Love and blessings, Sherry
January 13, 2012
Charles Fillmore, Unity’s co-founder, defines “faith” as follows: Faith is more than mere belief. It is the very substance of that which is believed. It works by love. Thoughts of condemnation, enmity, and resistance must be released and divine love declared; then faith will work unhindered. Faith working in spiritual substance accomplishes all things. This is the faith that cooperates with creative law. When faith is exercised deep in spiritual consciousness, it finds its abode; and under divine law, without variation or disappointment, it brings results that are seemingly miraculous.
Moving into this New Year, we are presented with a wonderful opportunity to live in and be the faith of which Mr. Fillmore speaks. Our little baby New Year was born into an unlovely morass which left old 2011 worn and bedraggled. Feelings of despair and hopelessness darkened the atmosphere in the face of rampant unfeeling greed, power-hunger, bigotry, and other noxious negativity.
The path of least resistance would be to go along with the flow of “what is, is.” Let us add to that phrase: “But I can, and choose to, make it what it can be!” Let us follow Mr. Fillmore’s instruction, right now: Releasing all thoughts of condemnation, enmity, and resistance, declaring Divine Love. Beginning this moment, let us trust in and ally ourselves with Divine Law.
We, and all others, are spiritual beings living in a spiritual universe, though many are ignorant of that fact. It is ours to overcome ignorance with prayerful use of Divine Law to transform and bless our world as it truly is: the out picturing of our faith in Divine Love and Order.
In faith,
Rev. MaryEllen
January 6, 2012
Dear ones,
Happy New Year! As we let go of that which no longer serves us we welcome new ideas and open to new ways of doing life. This is a brand New Year with all the promise and opportunities we could wish for to lead us to our goals. How do we get there? Every moment is a choice point, let us make sure that every decision we make and every step we take leads us in the direction of our goals and dreams. Let daily prayer and meditation help us stay centered and focused, and let faith turn obstacles into opportunities. Don’t know how to meditate? Join one of our meditation groups. Want to pray more deeply? We’ll be offering classes in the spring. In the meantime just get still and let your heart speak to you. The heart knows that you are one with the source. Here is a prayer for the New Year that I want to share with you.
"Faithful Companion,
In this New Year I pray:
to live deeply, with purpose,
to live freely, with detachment,
to live wisely, with humility,
to live justly, with compassion,
to live lovingly, with fidelity,
to live mindfully, with awareness,
to live gratefully, with generosity,
to live fully, with enthusiasm.
Help me to hold this vision
and to daily renew it in my heart,
becoming ever more one with you,
my truest self." ~Joyce Rupp
God’s richest blessings,
Inge
The Message of Christmas (from your Associate Ministers)
December 14, 2011
Christmas is all about remembering and celebrating the birth of an enlightened being who came to earth to share with the world the most impactful and profound message of the ages: God is love, and all beings and persons of the world are loved eternally and unconditionally. As the bearer of this message, he dedicated his whole life and every waking moment to the sharing of it with all who would listen.
This profound teaching has echoed down through the ages and is spoken and shared somewhere every hour of the day. It has transformed lives, empowered ordinary people to do extraordinary things, brought comfort and compassion into difficult situations, brought people to the place of their hearts in gratitude, opened doors to exquisite creative expression, and brought people together, over and over, to take in the wonder of it.
One of the most inspiring things Jesus’ message has accomplished for us, is that it has allowed us to open to the truth of our divinity by acknowledging that there is a Christ Spirit that dwells in us, as us, and is always available to guide us on our individual, and collective, life’s journey. And, most gloriously, it is available every second of our life. We only need acknowledge and call upon it, and it gracefully enters our beingness.
This is the reason for the season. We give thanks and offer to you a most glorious transcendent and blessed Christmas because it is there to be embraced. And we look forward to sharing an exciting and abundant 2012 with you.
Rev. Sherry and Rev. Inge
Do you hear what I hear?
December 8, 2011
It's the song of our collective souls answering the call of awakening. We are hearing this song around the world...across our nation...in our community...right here at Unity of the Valley when 90 people gathered after the last Sunday service and shared wonderful ideas for strengthening our church community!
I heard the song in Reverend Ed's decision to take time off from his countless weekday tasks. And as Ed attunes more deeply to the renewing power within, I hear that song stronger than ever in his inspired words. You can also hear the song of Unity on the back page of the Eugene Weekly all this week--take a look!
Unity has a special treat for you this Sunday, December 11. Ed is speaking on the topic of One in a Trillion: The Light that is You. Jeremy Gibbons will be playing his electric mandolin, joining Katherine Conrad, me, and Dave Boyer on drums. And my wife Donna will make a special appearance singing "Surely the Presence."
We look forward to seeing you at the 10 am service, as we join our songs and souls together in joy and harmony!
With deepest love,
Jon West
The Power of Faith
| December 1, 2011 In her book "Invisible Acts of Power" Carolyn Myss talks about being a "conduit for the divine" by examining the stages of power represented by the spiritual model of the seven chakras. She writes: "Faith is the power of the seventh chakra, which houses the connection to our own spiritual nature and governs our capacity to allow our spirituality to become an integral part of our physical lives." |  |
In this alignment, Christmas is the season of the seventh chakra and the season of miracles, the most profound being the birth of love into the world by the incarnation we know by the name of Jesus-Yeshua, who was later anointed with the spiritual crown of Christhood. His birth mother, Mary, was, by the very nature of her faith, a seventh chakra woman of her day. Her faith in God allowed her to open her heart and her body to receive the child of love and to the intuitive resources that would guide her steps for the rest of her life as she nurtured and supported her son's miracle-filled ministry.
Myss goes on to say that when we enter into full faith “we are as likely to be a part of the unfoldment of a miracle as we are to receive one." This is because the power of faith enables us to "take on the physical world and turn dreams into reality, heal illness in the blink of an eye and make difficult things easy." In this place of higher consciousness, service to others becomes a "biological necessity." Our life force cannot be held back. It pulses in and through us as it did for the Biblical Mary and her son and, like them, we can only serve. We become the channels for Divine Grace, and are blessed beyond measure.
So let us celebrate the activation of our faith this Christmas season by being in service to others, knowing that every action we do for someone else replenishes our life force and provides profound healing effects for both the giver and the receiver. This is how we heal the world, on action at a time.
May yours be a season of miracles. May your life be full of grace. May your faith be strong. May you know peace.
Sherry Lady
I am Grateful
November 23, 2011
The season of Thanksgiving has a wide emotional sweep. I can still hear the sounds, voices, and laughter of family members, many who are no longer here. For most of us in my nuclear and extended families, Thanksgiving gatherings have been sacred ground, a sanctuary of the heart even with its imperfections. Bound together through procreation and familiarity, we experienced belonging. I still cherish these moments stored in timelessness that have the scents of love and Thanksgiving. I am grateful.
Alongside, I also cherish my larger inclusive family of spiritual community, the many two-legged ones who like me have been compelled through the years to head off into the wilderness of life to find spiritual sisters and brothers. This breed of familiarity is established by choice and follows the leanings of the soul. Unity of the Valley is a glorious part of my extended spiritual family. Like two great mountains that stand side by side and fill the landscape, both biological and spiritual family are each a powerful immovable presence in my life. I am grateful.
And, there is the valley where the two mountains meet. Katherine and I first connected as spiritual companions and then became family as well. My daughter Hillary and I have rendezvoused in this heart space at various times and my mother has joined with me there on occasion. This is the ultimate sacred ground for me. I am grateful.
We are spiritual beings having an extraordinary human experience. An amazing Divine Love and Order, some how, some way, created the reality of you and me. May you take that into your heart this week in a way that naturally causes you to feel and pray, “I am grateful.”
Walking the blessing way with you, Ed
New Wine, New Wineskins
November 17, 2011
This past Sunday near the end of the service I announced that I would be taking 3 months of spiritual renewal time beginning December 1. This necessity became clear after several intimate gatherings with your board of trustees over the past month or so. This decision has arisen from a consciousness of unanimous support and encouragement from your board. It has been clear that I have been getting signs from within me to apply the brakes. I definitely need this time. I completely embrace this opportunity, and I'm humbled by the board's generosity of spirit and full support of me.
This profession that I have chosen is my spiritual school of learning, awakening, and healing. So much of it has been about connection with thousands of souls over almost 25 years. There does come a time to truly go apart for awhile and reconnect with the essence of me, not for a few days, but an extended time. This time could very well serve to revive the original inspirations that led me down this path as well as discover new ones in order that I may bring my best in service to all of you.
During this 3 months, December-February, I will continue to speak on a majority of the Sundays as well as facilitate the wonderful after-service group. This continuity is important especially as we move through the holiday season.
We are incredibly fortunate to have ordained Unity ministers in our midst who will be leading the day-to-day operations during this time. Rev. Sherry Lady, our associate minister, will be co-leading along with Rev. Inge Tarantola, during my three-month absence. Your board has agreed to officially recognize Inge as an associate minister also. They have been a part of Unity of the Valley for more than 2 decades, first as congregants, and now in our midst in a ministerial capacity. So, we have two skilled and caring ministers to lead us through this period in addition to other talented people who will be handling their specific areas of ministry. We are in very good hands.
This coming Sunday, November 20, I invite you to come and join us for our 10 am service. There will be an important announcement coming forth from your board that points us toward a brighter future together. There will also be an inspirational and beautiful service!
I sincerely appreciate all the kind words that many of you have shared with me. May this personal time of renewal for me also serve as a time of renewal for our beloved Unity of the Valley so that when the 3 months is complete we rejoin and fulfill the vision of pouring new wine into new wineskins. This is what I see.
I love you, Ed
Broom Angel
November 11, 2011
“If the angel deigns to come it will be because you have convinced her, not by tears but by your humble resolve to be always beginning, to be a beginner.” Rainer Maria Rilke
Every so often it's as if a great broom comes along and utters the refrain: “Let me sweep away the cobwebs of your life, so that you may see clearly once again.” Sweeping is happening in my inner closet right now. Several old perceptions of myself are feeling the swoosh. How about for you? This broom angel seems to arrive just at the right time...a time for clearing out the old webs of discontent and suffering. Let this angel do its divine cleaning in you.
There is a cry from within many of us right now for new beginnings. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) To be “in Christ” is to be in now-moment immersion with a heart opened to the God Presence. The old hymn tells this tale: “Sweep over my soul, sweep over my soul. Come, gracious Spirit, sweep over my soul.”
Decide today, 11/11/11, what is needing to be swept away into the dust bin of old lingering parasites. Follow the mastery of Rilke: “Resolve to be always beginning, to be a beginner.” This is the time that the ancients have prophesied...a great new beginning. Invite the broom angel to bring her best broom. Let that which is truly old in you be delivered to its rightful resting place.
Let's put on a new shine, Ed
Love is God
November 3, 2011
The simple truth is, when you're frightened you're dumber. from The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton
It has been clearly proven over and over again that the stresses and fears of life fog our brain, stifle our creativity, and skew our perceptions. Fear's rising tides have one antidote. Consider in your heart these words I first read almost 30 years ago from A Course in Miracles: “The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance. The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.” Hummmm......There is something about Love that is truly life transforming.
Jesus was asked by a religious leader, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He responded with a question, “What is written in your law?” And this man with knowledge of sacred scripture answered, “Love...”
Personally, I've been inwardly attuning to the teaching that God is Love or Love is God. This Love is all-encompassing. There is a powerful meditation that supports this truth: “Love goes before me. Love is behind me. Love is to my right. Love is to my left. Love is below me. Love is above me. Love is in all my surroundings. Love is within me.” Bathe in this amazing presence and then watch as the blocks to Love's awareness vanish. Your frequency changes and fear is diffused. Experiment with this simple practice throughout each day.
Let Love flow into every dark and fearful corner of your life as much as it readily flows into the easily embraceable parts. This Love will honor your request. Ask and you shall receive. Take a deep cleansing breath and practice the simple meditation on Love. This is your beginning and ending course in miracles.
All you need is Love.
There is only one Heart, Ed
A Cruelty-Free World
October 28, 2011
Over the years I've become familiar with the expression “Cruelty-Free”. This notion has arisen from the vegetarian/vegan community around the world. People choose to eat plant based diets for health reasons, not only physical health but spiritual, emotional health as well.
In a broader sense, what if we create a movement toward cruelty-free living that includes and yet extends beyond eating choices and the treatment of animals....a cruelty-free world. Many of us remember the movement started several years ago by Unity minister Will Bowen in Kansas City to create a complaint-free world. Wrist bands were made and a movement was born. I'd like to take this one step further.
I believe most of us know what cruelty is when we are witness to it. It is the deliberate infliction of pain or suffering on others and ourselves through our actions as well as our thoughts and intentions. Cruelty breeds more cruelty. The antidote is kindness, yet before kindness can genuinely express, anti-kindness or cruelty needs to be faced.
So, it begins with you and me. All the ingrained patterns and thoughts of small cruelties need to be unplugged. I think you know what I mean - the small cruelties in your heart that you hold toward another or yourself. Whether inflicted or not, these thoughts and feelings gradually dehumanize you and disconnect you from life. Eventually these thoughts and feelings turn into actions that spread the effect and increase desensitization.
Acting on the vision of creating a cruelty-free world would contribute to greater abundance for all—a world that is more socially just, environmentally sustainable, and spiritually fulfilling. (see below) The golden rule would finally rule and politics, economics, government, religion, families, industry, spiritual movements, and technology would see the light of a new day.
Let's begin, Ed
Reminder this Saturday, October 29 is the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium - 10 am – 4 pm. This symposium is a profound inquiry into a bold vision: to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on Earth. Suggested donation is $10. Please bring a brown bag lunch. To register contact David at spinney1@gmail.com or 541-633-0745. For more information, visit www.awakeningthedreamer.org
The New Time
October 21, 2011
“The old order...cannot stand forever against the principles of life: ever changing, ever remaking its form to better express the nature of that life. Thus is it today, and thus the old will wither and the new shoots flourish, as men seek to express and manifest better the principles of the New Time: sharing, justice, right relationship, love and unity.” from The Emergence News, Summer 2011
We are witnessing our inner and outer worlds remaking themselves. Much of what we have leaned on as security is being dislodged. This is life, yours and mine. Nothing we can be or do can halt life's natural progression of the old making way for the new shoots.
I look out into the world that we are cocreating and see the arising of “Arab Spring” that is now “Arab Autumn”, the ongoing economic earthquake, personal and collective downsizing and reprioritizing, and nature's turbulence. Alongside all of this are gathering collectives of souls stepping fully into this New Time. In every one of these manifestations the old is withering and new shoots are pushing their way into the light of a new day...or, you could say, a new way.
A New Way—a New Time. We are having a spiritual emergency, an emergence of life in new forms. So, what is your contribution to this emergence? What are you facing and feeling that has your attention? How are your responding?
I have a “companion in blessing” Dennis Rivers. He originated this term- “companion in blessing” which could also be described as “spiritual friend.” He has committed to pray every waking hour on the hour- a prayer that would support “sharing, justice, right relationship, love and unity.” Highlighting Dennis serves to shine a light on the kind of response that this time of emergence calls for. How can we truly be spiritual friends and companions as we move through this New Time? This question and your answers matter.
Every time we gather together whether it is for Sunday services, or the after service healing group, or the soul of the heart circles or the sexuality/spirituality group, or the monthly Wednesday night prayer service, or the monthly Taizé service, or praying together, or the other classes, groups, or meetings throughout the week, let us do so as companions in blessing, spiritual friends. May the message go out to all in your personal and spiritual circles. Our calling is to allow these new shoots of life to flourish. Put the word out. The New Time is now.
Your companion in blessing, Ed
PS For more on the work of my spiritual companion Dennis Rivers, go to www.ecobodhi.org
Forgiveness is the Key
October 14, 2011
“Forgiveness is the key to happiness. Here is the answer to your search for peace. Here is the key to meaning in a world that seems to make no sense. Here is the way to safety in apparent dangers that appear to threaten you at every turn, and bring uncertainty to all your hopes of ever finding quietness and peace. Here are all questions answered; here the end of all uncertainty ensured at last.
The unforgiving mind is full of fear, and offers love no room to be itself; no place where it can spread its wings in peace and soar above the turmoil of the world. The unforgiving mind is sad, without the hope of respite and release from pain. It suffers and abides in misery, peering about in darkness, seeing not, yet certain of the danger lurking there.” ~A Course in Miracles Workbook, Lesson 121
Life is what you make of it. This goes without saying. Forgiveness is a choice and a feeling. It is always available. Forgiveness is about loosening the grip of fear. This loosening releases the power of your Holy Spirit. It is a purposeful movement of your heart. At times, it feels as if it is not something you can do yourself. You therefore call upon a greater power, a higher authority within you. You place your heart in the Heart of God. This is forgiveness. The perceived alienation between the human and divine in you is healed. You are transformed. You now can fulfill your divine purpose...to love with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Therein lies your happiness.
Peace be with you, Ed
Vibrating into Grace
October 7, 2011
“What would you think if I told you that Gregorian chants create a harmonic vibration that has been proven in studies to eliminate fatigue, heal and cure disease and illness, extinguish depression and enable the person who sings Gregorian chant, to subsist on as little as 2 hours of sleep a day...” Christina King
There were times while living in Grand Junction, Colorado that I would take a walk with a group at night under the full moon amongst the towering red rock formations of the Colorado National Monument not far from where I lived. The merging of silky moonlight, rocky monuments, and soundlessness was magical. While walking along as a group, if wanting to say something, we almost automatically found ourselves whispering to one another as if we had entered a holy shrine. Every so often, someone would simply stop and stand motionless and then everyone would stop. We were simultaneously experiencing powerful vibrations, waves of energy that were reorganizing our cellular and emotional sensibilities. It was as if we could almost hear the voices of ancient elders showering us with messages of love. Healings would take place on these walks. Lives were altered. Visions of hope would emerge. It was grace.
Vibrations matter. You are a vibrational being. Come to terms with this. Your whole self is a holy shrine. You live with it every moment. You choose how to adorn it. A profound example of this is the research into Gregorian chant referred to above. You are responsible for your focus, who you associate with, what you ingest from the world, the music you play, what you feel, what you practice, the messages you send out, and what you put into your bodies. You vibrate according to the choices you make. Grace doesn't occur by chance or because your name was drawn from some giant hat today. You participate in creating this experience by your choices, by the field of vibration that you generate.
Grace is a vibration, a spiritual portal to Love's wisdom and healing presence and is accessible to anyone at anytime on our planet. It is Spirit's way of calling you back to your true self. Primers of grace like my walk in a moonlit canyon or the effects of Gregorian chant serve to help us remember what is always with us. And, these primers are right in our midst as specific prayers, practices, “two or more” moments, or the unlimited access points in the natural world. Vibrate this vision, ask for grace to touch you. Then prepare to be surprised.
Love and grace to you, Ed
The World of Your Choosing
September 30, 2011
"The whole of life depends on the life of the individual. It is here in my deepest, most private, most personal self, that I make the world I live in." Carl Jung
We live in a country founded on individual, inalienable rights. The chorus of voices both yesterday and today have been loud claiming that the rights of the individual are paramount. Yet, so many today feel disempowered largely because there is a belief or story that claims that "they" have the power. I'll leave it up to you to decide in your life who you may think "they" are. Do "they" really have the power? Is there only a certain measurable amount of power available and "they" have most all of it, and there is little or nothing left for you? All of this simply plays into a long held human belief. It's as if there is a secret code to access all power and only those few privileged to be in the right place or with certain resources are gifted access to power. It doesn't matter whether this is actually true, it simply matters what you carry in your heart about this lie.
I find it helpful to understand that "I am the world" as Krishnamurti put it. In other words, you are not a tiny cog in a very large wheel. You are the universe in miniature. All the creative genius inherent in the universe (God) is in you. Most all of us have been soaked in the polluted waters of an old, Newtonian cosmology and worldview which accepts that planet earth and you and I are just minuscule parts of a gigantic machine that can be controlled, quantified, predictable, and rationally defined. This is the very thing that causes individuals to want to have their voices heard.
There is a radically different and powerful viewpoint: We are beings of purpose, uniquely indefinable and immeasurable. This viewpoint and revelation could be described as "spiritual capital." Instead of investing our hearts, minds, and beliefs in the outdated premises of Newton and his disciples of scarcity, choose to invest your heart and soul in what a wise teacher boldly stated about 1,985 years ago, "The kingdom of heaven is within you."
Applying the insight of Jung, "What world are you making and living in?" Is it a remake of Newton's world which leads you to believe that power is scarce and only a few have it or Jesus' world which calls you to venture out onto the edges of where you have been and look further, stretch out and notice that power is allowing the unquantifiable presence of Spirit to live and vibrate in you. If it has been your pattern to choose the former then I remind you as, A Course in Miracles puts forth, "Choose once again." I leave you with the wisdom of poet Robert Frost: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
With you in peace, Ed
Tale of a Logo
September 23, 2011
I would like to take this time to provide a bit of commentary on our new logo, the one that has been in use since the spring of this year. After receiving input in the form of a questionnaire (Sept 2009) regarding what people in the congregation would like to see or experience in a new logo, a team of 4 was formed composed of three Unity members and myself. After about a year of work that included compiling this input, the selection of an artist, numerous meetings and emails, finally the new logo was born.
As with most all things artistic as well as anything that is put before the public as a representation of who and what we are as a spiritual community, there are going to be a very wide spectrum of feeling
s, visions, and opinions. Since the new logo was softly introduced on our weekly bulletin earlier this year, we have received numerous responses, some favorable, some not, and some indifferent. This kind of experience with logos is not unusual. Unity Worldwide Ministries, one of our parent organizations, introduced their new logo in the spring/summer of 2010 to very mixed reviews.
Let me share what this symbol/new logo communicates as I see it as a way of providing insight and a point of view that some of you may not have considered or conceived of. This is purely my take on it.
It has a number of aspects. One, the base of the logo forms a valley (Unity of the Valley) that is shaped somewhat like a U for Unity. It is a receptive place and green which represents the verdant life of western Oregon. This base is flared at the tips on both sides to simulate wings, movement, openness, the movement and openness necessary to be a meaningful and relevant church and spiritual community in today's world of rapid change. Out of this valley or base rises a flame (some see it as something akin to a seed or bud or a drop of water or ?) representing Spirit (light yellow-gold). It's pointing upward to remind us of the aspiration in all of us to awaken and reach for the highest and best in life and in our spiritual community. Within this flame is a darker core representing the inner life and the unrealized potential and promise within all of us and in our community and world. It's purple-violet color not only for this part of the logo, but also as the color that outlines the entire logo, represents that which is deeply spiritual in us and in the universe. Then, out of this upward pointing energy-flame comes a spiral. A spiral is traditionally a symbol for such things as the doorway to life, or the rebirth and transformation that comes through living a spiritually centered life. It has other positive and powerful meanings. This transforming power of Spirit (spiral) is most evident when we are more connected to our inner life and world through prayer, meditation, and similar spiritual practices.
I've been looking at this logo for almost a year now, and I find it engaging and inviting. You may need to sit with it for a while to capture its many dimensions which could change over time and through reflection. Yet, at a glance I believe it is artistically appealing, spiritually meaningful, and is consistent with our teachings that are about supporting one another to aspire to live a fulfilling life with Spirit as our inspiration as well as being the transformative presence in our world and in our inner lives of prayer and meditation. All of this is takes place in this valley, a beautiful spot to share in this experience.
I know the dialogue and conversation will continue. This coming Sunday after the service, join in and be a part of the dedication of our new sign which is emblazoned with our new logo.
In Unity, Ed
Being Friends for One Another
September 16, 2011
Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.
- Helen Keller
Friends are precious. They come and go. The birth of new friendships is as sweet as the loss of friendships is bitter. Most all of us have had many of both. In the ebb and flow of human friendships, we at times seek permanence in friendship- a spiritual relationship that is unwavering and strong, one we can truly count on. It may be Yeshua, or Buddha, or Amma, or Yogananda, or simply the Presence of God, the All in All. You experience this quality of friendship as an enfolding presence that is with you in every step and breath. As the last line of the Prayer for Protection expresses it: "Wherever I am, God is."
Human companions and friends often are reflecting points of this Divine Presence. Notice how this is manifesting in your life. The Divine is making itself known to you through these friends. So, friendship is a way Divine Light becomes visible in order that each of us may know we never walk alone. This knowing is priceless. Even the souls that pass through our lives and move on leave a sprinkling of gold dust on our path.
Join with me in appreciating the gold that has been given to each of us through the intimate sharing of life's twist and turns with friends and the many shapes, sizes, colors, and sounds of Divine companionship befriending us daily whether as a memory or a tangible presence. Take a deep breath and let it in. Feel appreciation.
As Unity of the Valley, we are an extended family. As such, there are those of you that we don't see very often. I invite you and welcome you to join with all of us who will be gathering together this Sunday for our annual "Friendship Sunday" that includes our service at 10 am followed by our annual picnic/potluck at Tugman Park. This is also a wonderful occasion to bring a friend as together we make the Divine Presence more visible through our spiritual community.
love always, Ed
Long Live the Music
September 9, 2011
As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11, stand with me in the gathering winds of a shared vision that sees the emergence of a world free of hatred and terror and the consciousness that spawns such things. Pause and feel these prayerful winds with me for a moment. In these winds, I begin to hear the music that once again cures the temporary blindness the shadows of fear create.
Listening last night to PBS' "Great Performances" featuring the stunning presence and voice of eleven year old Jackie Evancho, I sensed a collective sigh that helps so many of us lean into life's sometimes maddening contrasts. This very young being was 17 months old on September 11, 2001, a day that will live in infamy. Today, the music of her voice, like the healing hands of a guardian angel, mends the muted spirits of wounded hearts and echoes the words of writer/priest Matthew Fox: "No beauty dies, no grace is lost, no warmth is forgotten."
So, wherever you are, as you read this, be still and know, be still and know that Fox is right. Beauty, grace, and the natural warmth of the human expression shall always prevail. Today, or this weekend, listen to your favorite music that opens you to beauty, grace, and warmth. Join in the circle of millions lending their spirits to tenderly hold in healing prayer all of those individuals and families directly affected by 9/11.
And, come to Unity this Sunday, 9/11, at 10 a.m. and share in the healing music, warmth, and prayers of a Taizé service which was an inspiration that came to Brother Roger of Taizé, France during and after the heartbreaks and suffering of WWII. We'll be looking for you. Long live the music and its power to shower us with the beauty, grace, and warmth in this world!
peace be with you, Ed
From the Rampart
“The miracles of the church seem to me to rest not so much on faces or voices or healing power coming suddenly near to us from afar off, but upon our perceptions being made finer so that for a moment our eyes can see and our ears can hear what is there around us always.” Willa Cather
Perched atop a hill in southwestern France is the tiny village of Rennes Le Chateau. Over the past century it has become a destination for pilgrims, pilgrims seeking insight into this village’s mystique and its legend of hidden treasure. I found myself there with Katherine walking slowly and tenderly upon this hallowed ground on a misty afternoon at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains.
At one point, I stood upon the rampart (a wall built for defensive purposes because of fear of attack) that had been built there long ago and gazed out upon the colorful villages scattered about like brushstrokes on the distant hillsides. Like here in Western Oregon, there were momentary breaks in the thick low lying clouds and the sun would add natural highlights. I found myself listening to the whispers in the wind and letting my sight dissolve into this visual kaleidoscope. I felt a healing power very near.
It is true. This presence and power is “around us always”. It emerges more frequently when you slow down. I mean really slow down. Practice what has been called the holy breath: Inhale for a slow count of seven, gently hold your breath for a slow count of three, exhale for a slow count of seven, and once again gently hold your breath for a slow count of three. Do this circulatory refining a minimum of three times. Notice how your senses cleanse and diffuse any tendency to strain.
This is like standing on top of your very own rampart and not behind it. Remembering to use the gifts and spiritual know-how that is provided in abundance, shifts your perception and your senses so that fears are not a wall that you hide behind. Rather your wall is now a high point from which you appreciate the full view of life that fear can't rule. You will then have taken action that allows the miraculous healing power of the Holy Breath to free you to see, hear, think, and feel in life affirming ways. This is your everpresent hidden treasure. Seek and you shall find.
be kind to yourself, Ed
August 2011
For Mary Magdalene
In the Provence region of southern France, Katherine and I made a side trip to the town of St Maximin la Ste Baume which was celebrating its annual feast of St Mary Magdalene. Within the walls of the great gothic cathedral there, several relics of Mary Magdalene have been kept for hundreds of years. While visiting the cathedral that afternoon, a procession began in which the skull of MM was paraded forward to a spot just behind the main altar and left there on display. We walked forward and stood in front of this holy relic which was contained in an ornate gold casing. I mused to myself, “Hmmm…the skull of Yeshua’s beloved Mary Magdalene.”
A silence naturally fell upon us. We stood with rapt attention. I felt in some way that the 1900+ years had faded into the eternal now. I sensed her presence in and around me—the apostle of the apostles. Jesus’ closest companion who, as legend and history describes, had fled Palestine for Egypt and eventually sailed to Gaul. She lived out her life with her family and followers in this region of hills and valleys stretching toward the sea, continuing to bring the message of love, forgiveness, and the inner heaven, to all who would listen.
Oh, dear Mary, come to us in spirit and show us the way, the way of love. May we all find respite in the heart of grace, courage, beauty, and truth that was your life’s example. I see your hand reaching out to take the hand of our beloved Yeshua reminding us that, no matter what, we are spiritually bound to discover and embody the gifts of both the Masculine and Feminine Divine. I leave you with this excerpt from Katherine’s recording from 2005 entitled “Mary Magdalene.”
http://www.aurorasong.com/_docs/listen_to_samples/marymagdalene_sample.mp3
Summer blessings to you, Ed
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