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March 13, 2011 – Finding The Joy


3/13/11 Reverend Susan Galvan, Community Life Minister, Unity of Walnut Creek

We can think of ourselves as a plain, ordinary wooden cup, not trusting oneself to have the wisdom or the knowledge to form our own judgments. Then we come to realize there is more to life than just “sticking it out” until death. We begin a journey of self exploration, building a new sense of self– bigger, more durable, shinier. Feeling empowered, we develop a highly polished self, like a shiny silver cup. Then we sense there may be more, a deeper level beyond self. We ask, “How can we be of service? What is our purpose?” But are we waiting for a telegram from God with our job description? If we listen, the still small voice inside asks, “Why not find the joy this time?” But service is hard work and it takes a lot out of you. How can joy and service go together? Discover that it isn’t so much what you do but a shift in your awareness. With a sense of gratitude, service is joyful. The joy becomes exuberance, like a bubbling fountain. Life has transparency. It is not obstructed by “stuff”. It rings, it has resonance, like a crystal goblet. But a crystal goblet is more vulnerable than a wooden or silver cup. Your vulnerability is your willingness to be open to the service of the divine.

Unity of Walnut Creek has changed. We now see the world beyond us, the divine beyond us. There is a flow back and forth from the outside to the inside and out again. Each of us as individuals can find a path of service to see through the transparency and see the divine in everything we do. The life we share here deserves the best we have to give joyfully. Find the joy this time. Pray–

Beloved Presence,
To Thee I raise my whole being, a vessel emptied of self.
Accept, Lord, This my emptiness, and so fill me with
Thyself – Thy Light, Thy Love, Thy Life –
That these Thy precious gifts may radiate through me
And overflow the chalice of my heart
Into the hearts of all with whom I come in contact this day,
Revealing unto them the beauty of Thy joy and Wholeness
And the serenity of Thy Peace
Which nothing can destroy.

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