Monking Around

The visit by the Drepung Monks has ended -- at least in a temporal sense. But their visit is still with me in my thoughts. I am finding the experience to have "remnant effects" -- as many experiences do; otherwise, experiences would not be either instructive or transformative. But there was something about their presence that affected me in unusual ways. As I expressed to a friend, the leader of the delegation, Geshe Tsewang Thinley, affected me in a unique way in the impressions he made with the brevity of his presence.

Looking back on my anticipation of their arrival, I admit to some anxiety. "Will we be able to communicate?" "Will we provide ample resources for their stay?" "Will we gather enough of an audience to make their visit productive?" Not having attempted such a project before, I realized that we would be flying by the seat of our pants and that lots of volunteer help would be needed.

Thankfully, we had a number of volunteers step forward, one of which -- Armene B -- offered planning, volunteer coordination and hosting of the monks during their stay. Other volunteers provided lunch on each of the days, some provided contributions to cover food purchases and restaurant visits. And, of course, many people participated in the events, made cash contributions to their monastery and purchased products to support their efforts.  Thank you, one and all, for your support of their visit. I am told that their stay was very worthwhile. I know our community has been blessed in obvious and subtle ways -- even in ways not yet realized.

As I expressed in the closing ceremony on Monday night, I felt a deep connection with the one monk with which I spent the most time, Geshe la ("Geshe" indicates his level of attainment within the monastic community, "la" is an honorific). I said, "He has inspired me to do better." To do better -- in my relationships, in my ministerial work and in my personal spiritual work. He expressed a presence I can imagine Jesus expressed, each being a Light of the World.

In fact, each of the monks were Lights, unique in their expression, their individual skills and their personality. Some were more outgoing than others but each seemingly present in their interaction with each other and with those around them. They were focused in their work on their shared effort of the sand mandala and they were joyful in their leisure. During their lunch on the last day, they were comfortable enough to "let their hair down" and share lots of laughter about an interaction they had had with one in our community the prior evening (that's where the phrase "monking around" arose). While I am unable to appreciate what was so hilarious about that interaction (I was told they laughing about the person greeting them with "good morning" when it was late in the evening), they were genuinely entertained by it.  

Here were six people, steeped in their contemplative tradition, expressing their humanity in the most joyous ways. And present on Facebook (at least two of them, each of which has "friended" me)! Perhaps the most startling realization for me was their ever-present smartphone -- when they weren't kneeling over the sand painting, it was as likely as not they were on the internet, perhaps referring to a Tibetan-English dictionary, listening to podcasts in Tibetan, communicating with others (I'm guessing back at the monastery in India), or browsing the internet! Now I feel vindicated for my internet-centric lifestyle. :)

Betrayal to Blessing

We often look upon relationships as either "good" or "bad", "useful" or "wasted". We might view them as constructive or destructive, fulfilling or detrimental, often determining their value by the pleasure we seem to derive from them. It's only human nature to avoid those that seem to be bad, wasted, destructive or detrimental. Life is too short, right?

But what if the true purpose of every relationship has nothing to do with our human nature and everything to do with our divine nature? If so, we might find it useful to set aside our "human nature" criteria and adopt, instead, "divine nature" criteria. Without declaring that the Voice of God speaks through me (although I believe that is the case for all of us when we set our ego* aside), let's speculate as to what the "divine nature" criteria might be.

When Jesus is quoted as saying "the kingdom of God is in the midst of you" (Luke 17:21), I read that as meaning the awareness of God Presence is possible for each and every one of us, in which our nature is seeing with the eyes of God, seeing with the eyes of unconditional love. To realize that elevated state requires that we look upon our moment with the eyes of unconditional love. With that perspective, the criteria of "divine nature" reveal how to elevate our perspective to see and embrace more fully the God Presence in the moment. 

Even the relationships which are punctuated with lies or betrayals can be seen for what they are -- relationships that had, for a moment (or longer), participants that forgot their true nature, their divine nature. If we avoid or reject those relationships because of the lapse of awareness of one or more of the participants, we are declaring that nothing less than perfection in every relationship is acceptable. When is that achieved and where is the opportunity for growth?

At the same time, those "negative relationships" can also be seen as great opportunities for learning and for practice. When one can see beyond the feeling of being attacked (the ego's "proof" of our vulnerability and separation from each other and from God), we have made great progress is seeing with the eyes of unconditional love. In fact, when we view each relationship as a "trip to the gym", we can see the negative relationships as those exercises that challenge us the most and from which our greatest strength is gained; the positive relationships might be seen as a soak in the sauna, healing and nurturing but, by themselves, stimulating little gain in power. 

We don't have to search out those negative relationships but when they show up, we can celebrate! There are bountiful blessings hidden within them.

* from A Course in Miracles: ego -- that aspect of consciousness that insists upon separation from each other and from God

Quest for Certainty

I can imagine a tribe huddled in a cave deciding who is to pull watch that night. Several candidates are available, some of which have been known to fall asleep in the quiet, wee hours of the night, others have the reputation of being alert to every sound in the forest outside. Perhaps, in some very foreign, lost language, they ponder, "Who do we choose for tonight's watch?" The fact that a big grizzly had been sited near the cave in recent suns would have weighed heavily on their minds as they unanimously chose Argh, the most watchful one. Certainty increased their likelihood of survival.

That instinctive desire for certainty is, of course, present in our lives today. Which path is more certain for me to achieve my goal in this world? What education, which mate, which job, which stocks do I choose to ensure happiness, fulfillment and success? Certainty is usually, but sometimes unstated, a salient factor of our selection process. But to the extent certainty is not achievable, uncertainty is present. 

Perhaps more apparent than in any other human quest, the pursuit of a personal understanding of our spiritual nature is fraught with uncertainty. In a recent conversation with a friend of mine I was informed of my misguided ways -- that since I did not accept Jesus as my personal savior (as my friend's teacher defines it), I would not enter into heaven or know God in the afterlife. Furthermore, I was told, he could not imagine how we could possibly use the Bible as a basis of the teachings of our spiritual community since, having read the homepage of our website, he knew we did not accept the literal truth of "Scripture". Scornfully dismissing the validity of an individual's ability to interpret "Scripture", he stated we should rely upon other "more knowledgeable men" as the experts. It was a test of my patience, to be sure!

My friend achieved his remarkable success in the world through a disciplined application of reason and a powerful personal presence that proved very persuasive in his career. In his worldly affairs, certainty had been his guiding light. But in his "born again" transformation, it seems he has released his reliance on reason in the face of the uncertainty of his spiritual quest. To increase his certainty, he has chosen to accept the Bible as being literally true; thus, he is uninterested in the history of its formulation. Apparently disregarding its inconsistencies and inappropriate teachings in today's society (for example, on slave ownership), he leans heavily on only those passages he has been told are important, using the interpretations others have defined and ignoring the illogical conclusions arising from those inculcated interpretations. In his spiritual quest, certainty has become his blinding light.

Perhaps certainty is not the ultimate consideration of our spiritual quest. Follow the logic (sacrilege!) here: Certainty induces expectations. Expectations filter perceptions. Perceptions color our experience. Our experience informs our understanding. The logical conclusion is our quest for understanding of our spiritual nature is limited by our certainty. If our spiritual quest is to gain an understanding of our spiritual nature, then certainty must be released and uncertainty celebrated.

To the extent we are able to celebrate uncertainty, expectations will be released, perceptions will be less filtered, and experience will reveal a trove of lessons of who we are and of our relationship with the Divine. What could be more useful in our quest?

Unveiled in Vail

It's a beautiful, hot summer day in Vail, CO. Honored to be part of a wedding ceremony to be held at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola,  Linda and I have had the opportunity to mosey around Vail, perusing the shops ($225 for a western hat that would fetch, maybe, $80 in Denver), enjoying the beautiful gardens and planters kept so immaculately trimmed by the Vail city staff. All in all, a delightful visit.

Perhaps the beautiful scenery above and within the town is why the visitors seem to be very friendly. On the ride up the gondola yesterday to the wedding rehearsal I had the opportunity to meet two young couples visiting from New York City. Remarking on the ambiance of Vail Village and the friendliness of the people, one of the women said, "You know, I've always thought that I and my friends were friendly, but using this as a standard, I can see why people think of New Yorkers as rude." Continuing our ride to the top, I didn't think they were rude at all -- just friendly folks from the right coast, in my mind.

On my ride back down the mountain, I was blessed with meeting two "30-somethings", professional guys from Atlanta that were in town for a week with their wife and girlfriend (I'm assuming that was one wife for one fellow and one girlfriend for the other, but I didn't want to embarrass myself and ask for clarification). A fun, open conversation about everything from the pine beetle infestation to the fires of Southern Colorado to the apparent change in slope of the mountainside once snow covers it. Really, it was a great conversation! At the bottom, the conversation continued as we waited for the Village bus to take us back to Vail Village from Lionshead.

Once on the bus, being at one end of the line, seats were readily available (the buses have a good deal of space set aside to "standing only" -- imagine riders with skis or snowboards in hand). Grabbing one seat, at the next stop a family climbed on board with the alpha male's arm freshly bandaged. With his wife's insistence and with me telling him I wouldn't squeeze his knee, he consented to sitting down. The family had been up the mountain earlier in the day with rented mountain bikes. In an apparent show of bravado, the fellow had met the mountain with unfortunate results, a gash in the top of the forearm; the Village hospital was the beneficiary of that zero-sum game. But, once again, the whole family of five was full of joy and good humor. It was truly a delightful experience to spend a few minutes with them.

Of all those met and greeted, even of those walking down the streets -- and the shops, restaurants and hotel staff included -- I noticed only one scowl on the face of a young woman walking briskly down the street (perhaps in the midst of a lover's quarrel or maybe she just tried to buy a hat?).

So the question is, "Why all these friendly people?" Could it be that this is our nature, when taken out of the stresses of our day-to-day lives? That is, our true nature is unveiled when we set aside those things that we hide behind -- including our self-imposed stress! In the end, our stress is always self-imposed. So whether we're in Vail or Denver or New York City or Timbuktu (yes, even there), we can choose to unveil our nature and be the friendly beings we are designed to be. 

Bluish

I am blessed to be invited to officiate at a wedding this week. I attempt in each wedding to tie the colors of the wedding party together with a suit to blend with the groomsmen wardrobe and a tie to pull in the bridesmaids' colors. The bride is the daughter of a friend with whom I worked many years ago. The groom is from a land far, far away, the inhabitants of which speak a language called "Strine". But being "a man's man", I should have anticipated that when I asked him what are the colors of the bridesmaids' dresses, he would have answered as most men might; he said "bluish". Remarking to him, "Spoken like a man", I realized that, indeed, that might have been the way I might have responded!

Turning to my ever-present friend, G. Oogle, I queried, "shades of blue". Not to disappoint, G. gave me this handy resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Shades_of_blue. Men, you no longer have an excuse -- at least as far as blue is concerned.

Granted, I live with a very talented, color-educated woman. She could have answered with at least a dozen different names of shades of blue, red, green, grey or white. So perhaps I should be more patient with myself for anticipating something a bit more specific than "bluish". But it brings up a point -- many of the women I know are far more conversant with colors than I. Is this a gender skill trained in the secrets classrooms of females? Does it come from too much time in front of fingernail polish displays? Or is there a genetic component located somewhere on the Y-chromosome that predisposes women to be proficient "colorati"? When I walk through Home Depot I notice more women in front of the paint chip racks than men. Perhaps there's a "color magnetism" that causes the female navigation system to find and be interested in the various shades.

But wait! Every commercial printer chooses the ink shades for the printed products from a chart labeled PMS Colors. The mystery is solved! But I guess that skill comes with a price...

One Weird Trick

Ever noticed those small ads at the bottom or to the side of online articles that include the phrase "weird trick"? "A pro golfer reveals how one weird trick gets you a 20 yard longer, straighter drive." "One weird trick saves you a ton on car insurance." "A suburban housewife reveals one weird trick that makes the kids quiet down." "One weird trick reduces your weight by 30 lbs." Weird tricks must be fascinating to people because those ad writers can tell the number of hits their ads get, and that phrase keeps popping up.

So let me try it, "One weird trick ensures you have a happier, more peaceful life." Hey, this is easy! "One weird trick brings more joy to your life." Another one, "One weird trick makes your relationships more fulfilling and meaningful." Wow, I could go on, "One weird trick helps you be more productive and prosperous." Fantasies of a weird copywriter? Or maybe a copywriter that has absolutely no idea what he's talking about or perhaps is just outright lying? Maybe.

Or maybe not. What if there was "one weird trick" that did all that? Looking up the definition of "weird" at www.thefreedictionary.com we find, 'Of, relating to, or suggestive of the preternatural or supernatural'. This required that I look up "preternatural", 'Out of or being beyond the normal course of nature, differing from what is natural.'

Some would say that the trick I offer that would do all of the things I suggested above is 'unnatural', 'not normal' or 'superhuman'. So in that sense, 'weird' might apply. But the reality is that what I suggest is natural, normal (in the sense everyone can do it) and very human (I contend that it is our very nature). Moreover, it doesn't cost a thing. Perhaps that is why it is not common; no one has been able to patent it, profit from it and therefore, has not vigorously promoted it.

Certainly you'll see books written about it (spoiler alert: I've even written one), workshops conducted with it as a central theme and various scriptures repeatedly referencing it. But the weird thing about it is that few people practice it. I can confidently say that because the condition of the world testifies to its absence.

The one weird trick? Give unconditional love in every situation, in every circumstance, in every relationship. Without exception. In every moment.

How will you know if you're practicing unconditional love? You'll find you have no expectations of others -- you'll see them as they are, with no baggage. You'll celebrate their wholeness, regardless of whether they realize it or not. You'll have no expectations of the moment -- you'll rejoice in its richness. You'll be unencumbered by the "woulda's, shoulda's and coulda's", and able to focus on the moment, doing what you are called to do without distraction. And you'll be guided to the highest and the best for all concerned, led by love and expressing that love.

Some might even think you're weird.

Undeniably Biased

My relationship with our Christian scripture over the years has been an interesting evolution. Early in my life, I became a "scriptural skeptic" because I refused to believe much of the Bible because "it just didn't make sense". How could a loving God send his "only son" to be crucified for what others, before and after him, did? How could a loving God send flames and plagues on people that didn't "believe" even if they were kind, loving people? And how could an always-existent God be vengeful at one point and a loving Father at another. And "inerrant"? What did that mean when some of scripture obviously conflicts with itself -- compare Jesus' teachings and the book of Leviticus, for ample examples. The evolution of my objections is, frankly, difficult to put into a timeline since some of these conclusions were intuitively sensed early and my study of scripture during seminary brought these objections front and center. Add to this the many different writers from the many different periods of history, each with unique motivations for their message, that contributed commentary based upon their then-present circumstances to what we now call "the Bible"... I recall saying to the Chair of our Biblical Studies department one day after class, "I think I am learning too much about the Bible to believe in it." 

As I gained a greater understanding of the allegorical inclinations of the Hebrew writers, I began to appreciate the depth of scripture. I've come to appreciate, like the appearance of the surface of the lake, that literal interpretation of scripture hides the truth hidden deep within it -- truth represented by the hidden valleys and outcroppings of the bottom of the lake. As we look back on the intentions of the many writers of the various books, we must consider the cultural embrace and the prevailing worldview in which they were ensconced to extract the truth of their message. To illustrate that limited worldview, I use the example that in the time of the writing and editing of the Bible, spanning some 1300 years, the stars in the night sky were regarded as tiny holes in the dome of heaven through which the light of God shown. The twinkling of the stars was caused, so it was said, by angels in heaven dancing behind those holes. Their culture allowed slavery -- as long as the slaves were not of the Hebrew nation. Accepting that cultural bias today would present us with the conundrum, "just which nationalities are acceptable slaves?" We have obviously moved beyond that question -- at least most of us have.

Bishop John Shelby Spong grew up in the literalist tradition. As an Episcopal priest, he began his career with an inclination to interpret scripture literally. But as his understanding of scripture and his relationship with God evolved, he also came to view the cultural biases and limited worldview of Biblical authors as obstructions to his understanding of the truth of their messages. Much to the chagrin of the conservative Episcopalians, his evolving perspectives on scripture became a powerful influence on that tradition. As he rose in ecclesiastical rank, he was an ardent supporter of gay rights, the advancement of women in church leadership, and a strong liberal advocate within the church. So strong was his influence that his theologically liberal bias was a significant cause of the conservative Episcopalians breaking away to join Anglican Communions holding more conservative views (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_realignment). He has also been a prolific author of books interpreting scripture with a consideration of the worldview/cultural biases held by the various authors. See http://johnshelbyspong.com/. His newly released (and perhaps last) book, The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic, continues in his insightful and clear reorientation of our reading of the book of the gospels.

While Unity has long taught that John is the most mystical of the four gospels, Spong gives us an extensive commentary of the cultural/worldview perspectives out of which it grew. My study of Spong's writing continues during my sabbatical; I'm guessing our community will hear more about this in September (and perhaps a few "trailers" appearing in Drop by Drop). 

Yesterday I read a critique of an earlier work of Spong by a seminarian still entrapped by the literalists' views. I found his analysis of Spong's work to be accurate and his biases to be evident. As he made his points, one by one, my response was consistently, "yes, you're right -- and I agree with Spong". Recognizing that we each have biases based upon our experience, our worldview and our culture, we also need to recognize that we choose our biases, consciously or not. So which biases do you choose -- those that enhance your life or those that limit your life; those that bring joy to your experience or those that imprison you in fear and loathing? Isn't it a magnificent feature of the Divine Design that we can choose?

Get Sabbatical

After 14 years in ministry, I have been blessed with a three month sabbatical. Thanks to the team of volunteers and staff at Living Water Unity for stepping up so I can step out for the summer. Thanks also to a talented corps of guest speakers for stepping in to the Sunday lesson presentations to bless our community with their experience, perspective and wisdom. Thanks also to the Living Water commUnity for stepping forward to support the ministry in my absence. The energy of your presence fuels our community in many ways. Thank you all.

Two weeks into the sabbatical, I can attest that it is "working". When I awake each morning, I ponder the deep question, "What day is it?" The days are starting to ease one into the next without any pressing deadline (that's a foreboding word, isn't it?). Perhaps the enlivening value of the sabbatical is letting go of that word. But is a sabbatical really necessary for that release? Hmmmm....

While not adhering to a firm schedule, my intentions for this sabbatical are to install a sprinkler system at our house (I find relaxation and satisfaction in tangible tasks) and to explore several threads of thought. Those identified threads, thus far, include: 1) the emergence of the wisdom movement (re-establishing the value we place on the contributions elders make to our culture), 2) the cause/effect relationship of consciousness and experience, and 3) further Biblical exploration. These explorations look promising -- and I reserve the right to change my mind :). 

Growing God

Just the title, "Growing God", might make us queasy -- it's almost as if even listening to the words "Growing God" will cause the God of our childhood to smite us! When we think of God in the three omni's -- Omnipresence, Omniscience, Omnipotence -- we think there is nothing in which God is lacking, thus there is nowhere God can grow. To declare that God is growing, much less that we could have anything to do with that growth, is tantamount to saying that God is limited, an idea anathema to the Unity/New Thought student.


Sidebar: Have you ever noticed how the state of appreciation seems to be at least one of the desired outcomes of any experience we engage? Even if the outcome itself is undesirable, we strive to find something to appreciate about the experience and, if recognized, the experience "wasn't a total waste"? I think there is a clue to our relationship with the Divine that is hidden in that striving for appreciation in each experience.


We pick up from the first paragraph: If God is All Power, All Knowledge and Everywhere Presence, can there be anything that God is lacking, any deficiency for which God can grow to fill? Consider that God is ALL -- as we believe Her/Him to be. If He/She is One, then She/He lacks the experience of appreciation. Appreciation requires contrast, and contrast requires more than one: a subject (one to perceive) and at least one object to be perceived. But if God is One (the Subject), then where is the object to be perceived? Thus arose the motivation to cleave, born of the Divine Desire to experience appreciation, resulting in the two Expressions of the Divine -- God and God1. To convey God1's experience of appreciation to God, the two remain connected at a deep level, thus God1 shares its experiences of appreciation with God and is appropriately compensated (more on that in a bit). 


Yet God1 could only offer one perspective on God, so it was decided that God1 cleave again, resulting in God1 and God2, thus began what has become a Universe of different perspectives and experiences, the many expressions of God known as Fred, and Hilda, and Dorothy, and John.... each striving for the experience of appreciation regardless of the experience's outcome. Being connected to God, Fred conveys to God appreciation whenever it is experienced. As each experience of appreciation occurs, God benefits, adding to the store of appreciative experiences.


Have you ever noticed that when you experience appreciation, fully experience it, it feels like the experience of unconditional love? If not, then the next time you appreciate something, consider that you are adding to God that particular experience of appreciation. Rest in that awareness that you are growing God, adding to His/Her experience of appreciation. Then notice the unconditional love that flows back through your heart into your experience. It's like the 'read receipt request' you may sometimes place on an email to ensure the recipient has received the missive. That experience of unconditional love is your Divine Compensation for your deposit of appreciation in the God Bank.


Knowing you are an emissary of the Divine, on a mission to experience appreciation as much as possible so that you can contribute to God's experience of appreciation, does that change your desire to find appreciation in your every experience? And being duly paid each time by the return of unconditional love, is there any other compensation you demand?


Grow God, in joy.

Cultural Creatives: Our New Members?

The following is an adaptation of an article to be published in the June issue of Unity's Contact  magazine. This is, of course, similar to an earlier post but perhaps more adequately stated......

We are surrounded by a large and emerging group of people that share the values taught by Unity. These potential members of our spiritual community comprise a fourth to a third of the American population. According to several surveys of religious participation in America, nearly half of their respondents consider a “higher power” to be part of their lives but are religiously unaffiliated. If we could connect with a small fraction of this unaffiliated group that share our values, how large would our congregation be? What programs could we offer? What effect would our ministry have on the attitudes and conversations in your greater community? We estimate over 30,000 of these unaffiliated individuals who share our values reside in our five-mile service area. Our challenge, as with most Unity ministries, is “How do we connect with them?”

Described by Paul Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson in their book, Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People are Changing the World, the Cultural Creatives (CCs) have been identified by the Unity Identity Project as Unity’s most receptive potential audience. Arising from the activist movements of the 60’s and 70’s -- the human/civil rights, feminists and environmental movements and their associated groups – the CCs share a set of common values (see sidebar). While few CCs can claim to have been involved in those movements, most CCs trace the development of their values to the influence those movements had on them. Engaging the CCs in our ministries does not require we change who we are or what we teach. We just need to let them know we share their values!

Ray and Anderson emphasize the demographic profile of the CCs closely mirrors the US population, with the exception of education; CCs tend to be better educated than the population in general. Notice that the values shown in the sidebar match what most Unity ministers teach of personal empowerment and social responsibility.  We can certainly identify many people in our ministry that embody these values. Understanding the motivations and decision criteria used by the CCs will provide insight into what to offer and how to structure our programs. We enhance your programs for those of us already present and ease the introduction and integration of the CCs into our community.

For a synopsis of Unity-relevant characteristics of the CCs found in Ray and Anderson’s book, visit http://tinyurl.com/4sdjwyr. You may add your comments or relevant quotes from the book in this document. Please follow the instructions for updating and commenting at the beginning of this document so we all may be blessed by your insights.

Are You a Cultural Creative?

How many of these values do you share with the CCs?

q love of nature and deep caring about its preservation and natural balance.

q desire to see more action on the planet-wide issues of global warming, poverty and overpopulation

q active in supporting important causes

q willing to pay higher taxes or spend more money for goods if that money goes to improving the environment

q heavy emphasis on the importance of developing and maintaining relationships

q heavy emphasis on the importance of helping others and developing their unique gifts

q volunteer with one or more good causes

q intense interest in spiritual and psychological development

q see spirituality as an important aspect of life but worry about religious fundamentalism

q desire equity for women/men in business, life and politics

q concern for and support of the well-being and freedom of women and children

q want government to focus more attention and resources on education, community programs & environmental sustainability

q unhappy with the divisiveness of the political left and right

q optimistic about the future

q want to be involved in creating a new and better way of life

q concern for how big business generates profits by destroying the environment and exploiting poorer countries and disempowered individuals

q dislike the emphasis placed on consumerism and “making money”

According to Ray and Anderson, if you share ten or more of these values, you’re likely a Cultural Creative.

You have built a prison by your choice to not forgive – you are the only prisoner and you have the only key. Use it.

How often we think that our unforgiveness is somehow limiting the actions or the joy of the perpetrator of some perceived offense. Perhaps we think it somehow punishes the perpetrator. It doesn't -- it only limits our own joy and locks US in the prison. This is an easy lesson to learn if we only think it through.

Who defines "greatness"?

I was scanning my email a few minutes ago and happened upon an "invite" issued by a Facebook "friend" to attend an event by someone promoted to be a "North American master". I realized in that split second of reaction to the stated "credentials" that I do not place much credence in such monikers. The fellow may be very good at what he does, perhaps a master at his trade, and the moniker may even be something someone else pinned on him, but I wonder how effective such promotion really is...

Perhaps a relevant question is, "How much credence do YOU put on such promotional adjectives and why?"

I'm reading a book titled Branding Faith by Phil Cooke about this very topic. Maybe the reaction that I have to these reputed credentials is testament to my perception that these are not significant contributors to one's "brand" -- and if this is not contributing to the "brand" for this particular person, then why use it in a promotion? Or maybe it is an effective expression of this person's "brand" and I'm just an "odd case".

Whew!

It's been a while since I've posted. During that time I have been ruminating over a short piece that has been on my mind for the past 15 years. The book was started several years ago. Put on the shelf a number of times, taken down, dusted off, rewritten numerous times in the first several chapters but never getting to the end. I was grappling with the content of the book, not seeing what I had to say as deserving of a 250 page trade publication like so many authors were writing. Without that content length, I figured publishers would not want to waste their time.

Then along came Kindle. Obviously, Kindle has been around for several years but it recently came to my attention that it would be a great platform for shorter books. I noticed today that TED now has books published by its presenters on the Kindle platform in the genre called "Kindle Singles."

In any case, the awareness of the Kindle publishing channel gave me the motivation to finish the book. I wouldn't have to run the gauntlet of finding an agent, submitting the publication, waiting for an answer.... I could just finish the book, submit it for publishing and viola' -- a published author.

About 10 years ago I took a little workshop from Joe Sabah, a Denver-based proponent of professional speakers. He has a database of radio talk show hosts and suggests that authors get their works publicized through radio.  Apparently it is a "ready market" if you have something a bit out of the ordinary to talk about -- or at least a provocative way of saying ordinary things :).

Being published on the Kindle platform in a few days will give me the means of distributing the book without the upfront production costs of printing a book, make the distribution easy (via Amazon for the Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices), ease of modifying the book should I decide to add to it or change it after publication. Plus it can be priced in the $3 range to make it a easy to justify purchase.

The electronic publishing industry is going to revolutionize and democratize the authoring process!

So watch for it, "Joy: A Simple Choice" is coming soon!

Are You One?

Paul Ray and Sherry Anderson ten years ago wrote the book, "Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World". In it they describe the characteristics of that group within our midst they call the "cultural creatives" (CCs). Chances are you are one of them.

The values shared by the CCs, according to Ray and Anderson, are:

• Authenticity, actions must be consistent with words & beliefs
• Engaged action & whole process learning; seeing the world as interwoven & connected
• Idealism & personal activism
• Globalism & ecology
• Women's/children's rights
• Altruism
• Self-actualization
• Spirituality

Because of these values, CCs often feel alone in their worldview. Secular society has seemingly veered off course into a realm of "ME First" and profit-based values. Traditional religion serves very few of them because of what they consider to be its outdated mores and medieval/magical tenets. With no sense of belonging to a greater community, the CCs usually just "do their own thing" and live life as best they can. Sound familiar?

The good news is that there is a greater incipient community of CCs that are recognizing the value of coming together, sharing ideas, gathering an intentional circle of like-minded seekers and feeling safe and welcome, regardless of their beliefs -- and you can be part of it!

Living Water Unity is one such community. We have lots of opportunity to get to know each other, to be exposed to new ideas and to share our experiences with like-minded individuals. Yes, you might even run into an old friend or make a few new ones.

Our Wednesday evening programs, broadly titled "Sacred Encounter", are a few of the examples of new experiences in which you can explore YOUR worldview and test YOUR ideas in the laboratory of your own life.

Why Living Water Unity?

"Why should I care about whether Living Water Unity thrives or dies (apart from the personal connection offered with the many present and potential friends I have established here)?" Closely related to that question is, "How can I help this ministry thrive?"

A demographic study was made for our present location to understand our “market” more completely. The study was based on the 2000 US Census data (and updated in 2008 with estimates by the Census Bureau of changes to the data). Coupled with two rules of thumb used in the church growth consulting community and several other national surveys, we compiled the estimates of the potential audience of our ministry. The analysis is available for anyone with MS Excel or Open Office and an email address. Contact the church office for a copy (livingwaterunity@comcast.net).

Several national surveys conducted over the last 15 years have estimated the theological and religious opinions held by the US population. In one survey conducted by CNN and USA Today about 10 years ago (and substantiated in other surveys), about 40% of the adult population of the US say they they are a member of a church community (the survey stipulated attendance of at least once a month to be considered “a member” – no other commitment of affiliation was required). Of the population, more than 90% stated that their world-view included a “higher power” (no name of the Divine was specified). Where do the unaffiliated “50%ers” receive their inspiration to explore their relationship with that Divine Presence which is part of their world-view?

As we look at the contrast between new thought theology (as taught by Unity, Religious Science, Divine Science, Johnnie Colemon Ministries, etc) and mainstream/evangelical Christian theology, one salient difference that new thought students likely agree upon is that a theology of empowerment is taught in new thought communities and a theology of dependence is taught in mainstream and evangelical churches.  That is, on the one hand, “I have the power and responsibility to be in the awareness of the presence of Divinity all the time” (empowerment theology). On the other hand, 1) “Jesus must have interceded for me because I couldn’t redeem myself” and 2) “because I am naturally a sinner, the ‘grace of God’ is all that’s keeping me from eternal damnation” (dependence theology). The reality of this difference is not important – it is the perception of the reality of this difference that is critical to those considering affiliation with any given ministry. Why are the “50%ers” unaffiliated with a church? Obviously, there are lots of reasons, but one significant reason could be that they find the dependence theology does not work for them.  THOSE people could find the empowerment theology of new thought to be an effective way to explore their relationship with the divine AND more effectively construct their lives.

How many of the “50%ers” are there in our market area?  The market area is defined by two rules of thumb mentioned above: 1) a person will typically travel no more than 5 miles to try out a new church, 2) a person presently affiliated with a church (or ‘denomination’ such as Unity) will typically not travel more than 20 minutes to attend if the church moves or if they move. The following map shows the 5 mile service area associated with each closest Unity church (Columbine Unity, Unity Temple, Mountain Light Unity and High Country Unity), the approximate 20 minute commute range and the line marking the area within which the residents are closer to Living Water than to other Unity communities. This megaphone shaped area represents our marketplace.  Obviously, the “shadow” of Mile High Church of Religious Science affects this demographic study, and because of its extensive programs will draw congregants from a greater distance. But as we have recently seen, its size can also be a deterrent for some potential congregants.

Nonetheless, for purposes of this study, we can use the census data to estimate the number of people within our five mile service area (red circle above) or closer to our church than other Unity churches (green lines above) AND within the 20 minute commute (blue circle above).

The total number of families in the five mile service area and 20 minute commute (and outside the 5 mile service area) are 63,000+ and 131,000+, respectively. The total population is 195,000+ and 400,000+. How many “50%ers” are in the five mile area? 32,500 families and 97,500 people. Within a 20 minute commute beyond the 5 mile service area? 65,000 families and 200,000 people. This is a huge potential audience for our uniquely located ministry!

Back to the original question: why should we invest our efforts in continuing this community? Because we have an extraordinary opportunity to make our teachings available to a significant number of people that will find our theology useful and fulfilling. This was our founding minister’s motivation to get into ministry in the first place – and it could be your motivation to help this ministry thrive. Our ministry’s challenge, of course, is to “get the word out.”

Charles Arn, of the consulting firm Church Growth, Inc., states that within growing churches, over 70% of the congregants that have been in the church for more than one year were invited by a friend. Further, the typical member of a growing church met at least 7 new friends in the church.

Two keys to a thriving ministry are: 1) congregants make a habit of inviting friends that are unaffiliated with another church or find their other church unfulfilling, and 2) the church have programs in place that allow people to meet new friends.

How can you help Living Water Unity thrive? Perhaps these two words will inspire you: invite your friends and participate in its programs. Simply put: help others make new friends at Living Water Unity.

If Prayer Works....

OK, I'm going to step out on a limb here, with saw in hand...


I've noticed a great deal of prayer work going on (Facebook groups, email chains, news reports) to try to 'fix' the BP oil spill and heal the Gulf of Mexico's waters. So here's the question, "If prayer works, then why are we continuing to see those remote cameras monitoring the well-head showing spewing oil?" Is God asleep or otherwise not paying attention to our prayers? Or are we inept 'prayors'? Or perhaps it's that this spill is even too big for God to fix? Or maybe God is punishing us for our making an idol of 'profit'? Or.... (insert your own radical supposition here)


I'm in the camp that declares "prayer works". But I do not see prayer as a means of fixing circumstances. To assert that it would 'fix it' would be to declare that either a) my perception of events is better than God's, therefore my input is necessary for God to take corrective action on what was negligently overlooked, b) God somehow needs my prayerful energy to right the wrong, i.e. God's power is limited save my participation, or c) God doesn't care enough about us to pay attention to our 'problems', therefore my prayers are probably useless anyway.


In all the invitations to pray for the Gulf, I have heard no one, not even New Thought ministers, state a prayer such as, "Father/Mother God, guide us in our release of our addiction to oil. Help us reform our thinking to see a 'present' where we recognize the effects of our 'need for speed' and our 'need for the unusual' have on our precious home planet and the precious web of life in which we reside -- and thus, help us make our decisions on the use of our precious resources, not just on the cash we give up, but on the price that is paid by each precious resident of this web of life." That's not to say that no such prayers are being offered but I think you'll agree that the prayer hullabaloo is about 'fixing it'.


Prayer works when it addresseses what needs to be fixed -- our own consciousness. 


For an elaboration of this view, see 
http://livingwaterunity.org/picks/Documents/Prayer_as_a_Tool_for_Spiritual_Awakening.htm 

Reconciling the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine

As I edited last Sunday's talk video for the website I noticed that I repeatedly used the term "reconcile" when I spoke of assimilating the characteristics of the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine into our consciousness. After delivering the talk, I was somewhat puzzled as to why I had chosen that particular word -- I felt it might have been better to use the word "integrate".  But as I look forward to this coming Sunday talk, I realized that "reconcile" is exactly correct in the context I was using it.


The characteristics of the Divine Masculine and the Divine Feminine are complementary -- nurturing and transforming, for examples. One is to take what is and help it develop to the fullness of what it can be; the other is to take what is and change it, or to use a currently popular word in the business environment -- to "re-purpose" it (is that hyphenated or not?). Empathy and inspiring, compassionate and passionate, forgiving and asserting, etc. Fulfilling the feminine imperative will often take us along a different path than fulfilling the masculine imperative.


If we are expressing our Divine Wholeness, with the facilities of the feminine and masculine readily accessible to us in each moment, how do we decide which imperative to follow in a given situation?


Hmmmmm. Perhaps we'll find out on Sunday.....

The Key to Happiness

A wise old man was explaining to his grandson that there lives within each person two dogs, one dog that brings you joy and one dog that brings you pain -- and that they are in a constant battle for your attention. Give the dog attention and you will experience what he brings you -- joy or pain. The young man asked, "Which dog will win the battle?" The old man said, "The dog you feed." Have you found that to be true for you?


It seems to me that happiness is that way. In last week's blog I noted a definition of happiness as that state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. We choose in each moment, whether we care to admit it or not, what our experience of that moment will be.


We have both of those dogs, barking pain and barking joy, vying for our attention. We choose to feed one of those dogs at any given time. And we feed only one or the other in any instant of time. But each minute we feed one dog, we cannot feed the other.


The dog of pain thrives on anger, resentment, guilt, blame. You got anger in your heart right now? You're feeding the pain dog. The dog that brings joy eats only love. Your love nourishes only the joy dog.


Today you've got exactly the same amount of time as every other person on the planet -- 24 hours. Which dog are you going to feed this minute? If you feed one, you won't have as much time to feed the other. Which dog do you want to survive? Your choice.

The Pale Blue Dot

Were you a fan of Cosmos, the PBS series hosted by Carl Sagan? You might guess that I was a fan. But the most impressive thing that I have come across from the mind of Carl Sagan is played at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p86BPM1GV8M.


The image is a photo taken by the space probe Voyager, at the suggestion of Sagan, as it moved along its trajectory past Saturn and into the void of the far reaches of the Solar System and looking back at its planet of origin. The narrative is written and read by Sagan.

Every time I hear this, I am expanded and lifted.

In joy!

Niburu in 2012?

Alas, my expressed interest in astronomy is attracting some interesting questions. I was recently asked if I have seen "the approaching Niburu". The back-story: An archeologist, Zecharia Sitchin, wrote a book in 1976 called "The Twelfth Planet". Some have called it "Planet X", others have named it "Niburu" or "Nibiru". When the dwarf planet Sedna was discovered in 2003, some were sure it was the "fabled" Niburu. Observations have shown that Sedna is located well beyond the orbit of Pluto in a highly elliptical orbit -- about 75 times the distance from the earth to the Sun (that distance is known to astronomers as 1 Astronomical Unit or AU) at its closest approach and 975 AU at its farthest (it's about 90 AU from the Sun presently). Sedna has what is estimated to be a 10,500-12,000 earth-year orbit around the Sun. 


Another group of people are convinced that the imaginary Niburu is not the real Sedna, but is instead another planetoid or larger planet now on its way into the inner solar system, presently located at about the orbit of Saturn. The "planetary cataclysmists" would like to have us believe that Niburu's arrival in the inner solar system will make its closest approach to Earth on Dec 21, 2012. 


(Are we going to have to arrive at January, 2013, before people start to realize that the Mayans didn't continue their calendar past the end of their calculated epoch because they didn't yet have anything to say about the time that followed? Personally, I don't need a calendar showing a particular date unless I have something I want to plan for during that period. I'm just sayin'......) 


(For more "information" on Niburu, see http://www.logical2012.info/nibiru_p3.htm.)


Having just read the above website, my reaction is "Whew!" Remember the cartoon illustration of the bearded, scruffy-looking fellow carrying a sandwich board that said, "The end is near", with a piano shown in mid-air over his head? That was the image that came to mind as I read the above website.


How much mental effort do we waste entertaining doomsday scenarios such as the impending doom of 2012?  This Niburu story, of course, is an example some of us look at in curious amazement. But why should we be surprised that this 2012 doomsday scenario is a popular idea? A poll of Americans taken by CBS in 2004 showed that fully 55% believed that God created people in their present form as it is written in the Bible. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml)


But here's a question that hits closer to home: How much mental effort do YOU waste entertaining doomsday scenarios in YOUR life? A related question: How much mental energy do you drain away in the "coulda', woulda', shoulda's"?


I recently ran across the definition of happiness as the state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. When we are occupied with the doomsday scenarios and the less obviously distracting "coulda', woulda', shoulda's", we waste our mental energy that could alternatively be focused on the emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Those distractions, which most of us experience to one degree or another, rob us of that potential increment of happiness that could have been experienced in that otherwise wasted moment. (this paragraph deserves elaboration -- a topic for a future blog??).


Know you're blessed, all the time.