God

August 16, 2015 – Giving is Abundance

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08/16/15  Rev. David McArthur

Giving Is Abundance

We get to play with creative spirit by giving—choosing where divine abundance goes. In a story Jesus told, wealthy men passed by the treasury and dropped in large donations from their abundance. A poor woman’s small gift “was all she had to live on.” She gave everything. As a woman, she represents our feminine, our feeling side, which was experiencing poverty, lack. Jesus, the Christ, the Atman, our one-ness with the divine, sees her act as a transition from a place of poverty to “It’s all God”, our consciousness expanding into this awareness.

One of the Five Pillars of Islam is giving as growth in spiritual awareness. It’s our true nature. Often young people haven’t gotten into adult patterns yet. A six year old walking to school with his mother passed a homeless lady with a sign “I’m hungry. Please help.” Without hesitation he took out his lunch and gave her half of his sandwich. It was a natural thing for him to do. The child says, “Of course. We’re all one. I can rectify this; I have and you don’t.”

A nurse helping with a food line somewhere in Africa saw a young girl get only a single slice of bread. The nurse knew it was all the food the girl would have that day. But she had to hide her tears when she saw the girl tear it in two and hand the larger half to her little brother. That’s who we are. Of course!

It feels good to give because we are experiencing the divine within us which we truly are. It’s the nature of the divine to give. No giving “when you get your act together”. We experience that divine presence in a very beautiful form moving through us.

And it comes back multiplied, blessing us. We don’t know how it will happen. On his way to work, a young man stopped to buy his lunch. The woman behind him was obviously very nervous and worried. So he paid the cashier and grabbed a single rose at the checkout. Giving it to the woman behind him he told her to have a good day. Later he was called to a meeting to meet a new corporate executive and it was the same woman! She was very thankful for his gift; this was her first day. You never know how you will experience the flow!

Sometimes you think you cannot give. A homeless man on the street was trying to care for some kittens but couldn’t find enough food for them. A man with a dog gave him some money and the homeless man explained he needed to find a better home for the kittens. So the donor took them to his vet. She was so touched she found the homeless man and gave him a part time job and a place to sleep.

God’s blessings flow generously through me. God’s blessings flow generously through me. God’s blessings flow generously through me. As we experience that it’s part of what we call fun!

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August 16, 2015 – Giving is Abundance

by

08/16/15 Rev. David McArthur
Giving Is Abundance
 
We get to play with creative spirit by giving—choosing where divine abundance goes. In a story Jesus told, wealthy men passed by the treasury and dropped in large donations from their abundance. A poor woman’s small gift “was all she had to live on.” She gave everything. As a woman, she represents our feminine, our feeling side, which was experiencing poverty, lack. Jesus, the Christ, the Atman, our one-ness with the divine, sees her act as a transition from a place of poverty to “It’s all God”, our consciousness expanding into this awareness.

One of the Five Pillars of Islam is giving as growth in spiritual awareness. It’s our true nature. Often young people haven’t gotten into adult patterns yet. A six year old walking to school with his mother passed a homeless lady with a sign “I’m hungry. Please help.” Without hesitation he took out his lunch and gave her half of his sandwich. It was a natural thing for him to do. The child says, “Of course. We’re all one. I can rectify this; I have and you don’t.”

A nurse helping with a food line somewhere in Africa saw a young girl get only a single slice of bread. The nurse knew it was all the food the girl would have that day. But she had to hide her tears when she saw the girl tear it in two and hand the larger half to her little brother. That’s who we are. Of course!

It feels good to give because we are experiencing the divine within us which we truly are. It’s the nature of the divine to give. No giving “when you get your act together”. We experience that divine presence in a very beautiful form moving through us.

And it comes back multiplied, blessing us. We don’t know how it will happen. On his way to work, a young man stopped to buy his lunch. The woman behind him was obviously very nervous and worried. So he paid the cashier and grabbed a single rose at the checkout. Giving it to the woman behind him he told her to have a good day. Later he was called to a meeting to meet a new corporate executive and it was the same woman! She was very thankful for his gift; this was her first day. You never know how you will experience the flow!

Sometimes you think you cannot give. A homeless man on the street was trying to care for some kittens but couldn’t find enough food for them. A man with a dog gave him some money and the homeless man explained he needed to find a better home for the kittens. So the donor took them to his vet. She was so touched she found the homeless man and gave him a part time job and a place to sleep.

God’s blessings flow generously through me. God’s blessings flow generously through me. God’s blessings flow generously through me. As we experience that it’s part of what we call fun!
 

 

August 2, 2015 – Pray and Forgive

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08/02/15 Rev. David McArthur
Pray and Forgive

Forgiveness is a part of the consciousness of the world. I want it to be a part of me. There are 2 parts in forgiving. We know how to heal the emotional hurt, although it’s not always easy. The other part is when we experience the hurt, the brain needs to blame the other person so it can protect us. The brain rejects and pushes back with resentment for that person. This is how we have evolved. It becomes a block in our spiritual growth, but we do not have to do this. We have wisdom. We do not have to carry the resentment the brain creates.

Mother Teresa: “When people ask me what advice I have for a struggling married couple, I say, ‘pray and forgive.’ For a young person in a violent home, I say, ‘pray and forgive.’ And for a single mother left with young children, I say, ‘pray and forgive.’”

I love the place where you pray for that other person. Edwene Gaines says forgiveness is a big part of opening to God prospering in our lives, but that also there’s another level of forgiveness prayer, which is blessing the other person. Once she was surprised to find she still had feelings against a former husband who had struggled with substance abuse. So she declared of this man, “I see you blessed and doing all you’ve ever dreamed of, peaceful and joyous on your way.” The very next week she got a letter from him (after years). He said he hadn’t appreciated her before, but now wanted to thank her, as she was part of his subsequent recovery and prosperity. He was now free from addiction and doing well. He included a check for $3000 that he had owed her but which she had given up hope of ever seeing.

A prayer that means a lot to me is to pray for peace and mercy. I don’ have time for justice. Let’s get into the wholeness of our spiritual being. I’m ready for karma to be over. I pray God’s grace, healing, and peace blesses you. I know when we harm each other it can be from the insensitivity we have in our “sleep” or from our pain. Whatever another goes through, I am for them to know God’s grace, healing, and peace. I pray God’s grace, healing, and peace blesses you. I pray God’s grace, healing, and peace blesses you. I pray God’s grace, healing, and peace blesses you.

And when we do it, guess what? God’s grace, healing and peace comes to us! God bless you!

August 2, 2015 – Pray and Forgive

by

08/02/15  Rev. David McArthur

Pray and Forgive

Forgiveness is a part of the consciousness of the world. I want it to be a part of me. There are 2 parts in forgiving. We know how to heal the emotional hurt, although it’s not always easy. The other part is when we experience the hurt, the brain needs to blame the other person so it can protect us. The brain rejects and pushes back with resentment for that person. This is how we have evolved. It becomes a block in our spiritual growth, but we do not have to do this. We have wisdom. We do not have to carry the resentment the brain creates.

Mother Teresa: “When people ask me what advice I have for a struggling married couple, I say, ‘pray and forgive.’ For a young person in a violent home, I say, ‘pray and forgive.’ And for a single mother left with young children, I say, ‘pray and forgive.’”

I love the place where you pray for that other person. Edwene Gaines says forgiveness is a big part of opening to God prospering in our lives, but that also there’s another level of forgiveness prayer, which is blessing the other person. Once she was surprised to find she still had feelings against a former husband who had struggled with substance abuse. So she declared of this man, “I see you blessed and doing all you’ve ever dreamed of, peaceful and joyous on your way.” The very next week she got a letter from him (after years). He said he hadn’t appreciated her before, but now wanted to thank her, as she was part of his subsequent recovery and prosperity. He was now free from addiction and doing well. He included a check for $3000 that he had owed her but which she had given up hope of ever seeing.

A prayer that means a lot to me is to pray for peace and mercy. I don’t have time for justice. Let’s get into the wholeness of our spiritual being. I’m ready for karma to be over. I pray God’s grace, healing, and peace blesses you. I know when we harm each other it can be from the insensitivity we have in our “sleep” or from our pain. Whatever another goes through, I am for them to know God’s grace, healing, and peace. I pray God’s grace, healing, and peace blesses you. I pray God’s grace, healing, and peace blesses you. I pray God’s grace, healing, and peace blesses you.

And when we do it, guess what? God’s grace, healing and peace comes to us! God bless you!

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June 28, 2015 – A Greater Love

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06/28/15 Rev. David McArthur
A Greater Love

This place that has been prepared for us by prayer and caring and it’s easier to enjoy the beautiful heart-field we are in when we are here. We do that for our families, too—create those heart-fields.

What’s challenging is when something disturbs this field. For example, when someone is in the pain of addiction it is so difficult to draw the boundary of safety and care for the family and say, “no, you have to take this elsewhere.” Such abuse often ends relationships, but there are times when, for self-care, a person has to say no.

In this pain when your love cannot care for the other there is a movement in spirit which shows there is a greater love. Dr. Emilie Cady, in How I Used Truth, tells of a time when someone in her life struggled with alcohol addiction. She went to Spirit and asked, “What do I do?” It took hours of surrender, but the answer was clear: “Lose him. Let him go… God is leading your friend in a way you cannot know. The Christ presence at the heart of every soul is working just as hard to bring your friend to it.”

I worked to heal a situation here with someone who was increasingly angry with me. My guidance said, “This is not yours. Let it go. Any more you do is co-dependancy. Lose her and let her go.” This raised my vision to that greater love/presence. Then the husband threatened my life and that of a board member. The board and I sought guidance and I have been so impressed with their care for me and particularly their love and compassion for these two people. That’s what we are here for, and it is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to care for our community. We called the police.

These difficulties call us to love and trust beyond what we see or understand. They open the door for us to step into forgiveness and go forward. It is so freeing. When these things happen my head wants to figure it all out, but we are being asked to step into that greater love for someone who is in conflict with himself.

The Prodigal Son “came to himself” and remembered he was a son of the father. That awakening is within each of us. When we touch it the judgments, right/wrong and the need to figure it all out just fades away. Who knows what is good and what is bad?

What we know is there is a presence, a greater love, in that person’s life and in ours. Know that. Keep opening to the awareness that “God’s goodness fills my life right now.” It’s beautiful, powerful, the very fabric of our lives. There are families here who have had to draw boundaries with someone caught in that pain. Hold for them, “God’s goodness fills your life right now.” We discover it in our lives and in others’ lives, and in those who don’t know. We discover it’s everywhere. “God’s goodness fills our lives right now.” Let that awareness fill us. Create a field which uplifts all of us way beyond what we know. For that I thank you!

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June 28, 2015 – A Greater Love

by


06/28/15 Rev. David McArthur
A Greater Love

This place that has been prepared for us by prayer and caring and it’s easier to enjoy the beautiful heart-field we are in when we are here. We do that for our families, too—create those heart-fields.

What’s challenging is when something disturbs this field. For example, when someone is in the pain of addiction it is so difficult to draw the boundary of safety and care for the family and say, “no, you have to take this elsewhere.” Such abuse often ends relationships, but there are times when, for self-care, a person has to say no.

In this pain when your love cannot care for the other there is a movement in spirit which shows there is a greater love. Dr. Emilie Cady, in How I Used Truth, tells of a time when someone in her life struggled with alcohol addiction. She went to Spirit and asked, “What do I do?” It took hours of surrender, but the answer was clear: “Lose him. Let him go… God is leading your friend in a way you cannot know. The Christ presence at the heart of every soul is working just as hard to bring your friend to it.”

I worked to heal a situation here with someone who was increasingly angry with me. My guidance said, “This is not yours. Let it go. Any more you do is co-dependancy. Lose her and let her go.” This raised my vision to that greater love/presence. Then the husband threatened my life and that of a board member. The board and I sought guidance and I have been so impressed with their care for me and particularly their love and compassion for these two people. That’s what we are here for, and it is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to care for our community. We called the police.

These difficulties call us to love and trust beyond what we see or understand. They open the door for us to step into forgiveness and go forward. It is so freeing. When these things happen my head wants to figure it all out, but we are being asked to step into that greater love for someone who is in conflict with himself.

The Prodigal Son “came to himself” and remembered he was a son of the father. That awakening is within each of us. When we touch it the judgments, right/wrong and the need to figure it all out just fades away. Who knows what is good and what is bad?

What we know is there is a presence, a greater love, in that person’s life and in ours. Know that. Keep opening to the awareness that “God’s goodness fills my life right now.” It’s beautiful, powerful, the very fabric of our lives. There are families here who have had to draw boundaries with someone caught in that pain. Hold for them, “God’s goodness fills your life right now.” We discover it in our lives and in others’ lives, and in those who don’t know. We discover it’s everywhere. “God’s goodness fills our lives right now.” Let that awareness fill us. Create a field which uplifts all of us way beyond what we know. For that I thank you!

 

June 21, 2015 – Principles of Abundance Part 3: Source

by


06/21/15 Rev. David McArthur
Principles of Abundance Part 3: Source

It’s wonderful to recall the blessing a father is! But in the Gospel of John, “I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” Jesus was speaking of a oneness, a spiritual divine presence he was discovering in himself. A giving Spirit. “Fear not…for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Imagine that divine desire to give. We tap into it as parents and grandparents.

One way to experience divine love is to open to abundance and let it flow into your life by opening to the discovery of your purpose. We have also looked at being co-creators, making choices to call what we need into our lives. Thirdly, today, we look at the experience of God as our source, as the provider of all we give and receive.

Last week Matthew Fox, quoting Howard Thurman, said “In the presence of God a human soul is stripped to its essence.” It is part of our journey of abundance. Look at your true core beliefs; discover the spirituality at the core of your experience. People came to Jesus with disease, a belief that the materiality of the body controls life, but he called forth the spirit of wholeness within them. With the loaves and fishes he overcame belief in lack by calling forth the spirit of abundance. And when people died he overcame death by calling forth the spirit within.

In the parable of The Prodigal Son, Jesus drew a beautiful picture of what is there. The father (God) is the source of all his sons’ abundance. One son asks for his inheritance. Without argument, “It is given.” The son goes to a far land. (Our perception shifts from our Father, God, to the world.) With his attention “out there” it leads to lack, even famine (fulfillment is not out there). He ends up hungry and full of guilt. So do we. We say, “I blew it. I am not worthy.” The son “comes to himself” (our growing consciousness within). He recalls his father. (We remember, “I am a child of the divine.” Divine is source, but we feel too guilty to let ourselves receive much.) So the prodigal son heads home. On seeing his son approach, the father goes out to him and embraces him. The son says, “I am not worthy,” but his father just calls for celebration. There is no punishment, no “pay it back later.”

You are loved. Source has no requirements of us, no limit put on it. All the mistakes we make are paid for in advance. Wouldn’t it be dumb for a god to send us out and not expect mistakes? We are here to learn and the tuition is paid! God holds for us the pattern of who we really are, and allows us to learn. When we let that in, we find that we are really blessed. We let love in. We let in abundance and health into this physical world. We let in the stimulation of our mental faculties. Emotionally we find peace and harmony and joy. At the spiritual level we have love. Know God is my source; I am richly blessed. God is my source; I am richly blessed. God is my source; I am richly blessed. And I know a secret that God knows: you deserve it!
 

June 21, 2015 – Principles of Abundance Part 3: Source

by

06/21/15 Rev. David McArthur
Principles of Abundance Part 3: Source

It’s wonderful to recall the blessing a father is! But in the Gospel of John, “I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” Jesus was speaking of a oneness, a spiritual divine presence he was discovering in himself. A giving Spirit. “Fear not…for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Imagine that divine desire to give. We tap into it as parents and grandparents.

One way to experience divine love is to open to abundance and let it flow into your life by opening to the discovery of your purpose. We have also looked at being co-creators, making choices to call what we need into our lives. Thirdly, today, we look at the experience of God as our source, as the provider of all we give and receive.

Last week Matthew Fox, quoting Howard Thurman, said “In the presence of God a human soul is stripped to its essence.” It is part of our journey of abundance. Look at your true core beliefs; discover the spirituality at the core of your experience. People came to Jesus with disease, a belief that the materiality of the body controls life, but he called forth the spirit of wholeness within them. With the loaves and fishes he overcame belief in lack by calling forth the spirit of abundance. And when people died he overcame death by calling forth the spirit within.

In the parable of The Prodigal Son, Jesus drew a beautiful picture of what is there. The father (God) is the source of all his sons’ abundance. One son asks for his inheritance. Without argument, “It is given.” The son goes to a far land. (Our perception shifts from our Father, God, to the world.) With his attention “out there” it leads to lack, even famine (fulfillment is not out there). He ends up hungry and full of guilt. So do we. We say, “I blew it. I am not worthy.” The son “comes to himself” (our growing consciousness within). He recalls his father. (We remember, “I am a child of the divine.” Divine is source, but we feel too guilty to let ourselves receive much.) So the prodigal son heads home. On seeing his son approach, the father goes out to him and embraces him. The son says, “I am not worthy,” but his father just calls for celebration. There is no punishment, no “pay it back later.”

You are loved. Source has no requirements of us, no limit put on it. All the mistakes we make are paid for in advance. Wouldn’t it be dumb for a god to send us out and not expect mistakes? We are here to learn and the tuition is paid! God holds for us the pattern of who we really are, and allows us to learn. When we let that in, we find that we are really blessed. We let love in. We let in abundance and health into this physical world. We let in the stimulation of our mental faculties. Emotionally we find peace and harmony and joy. At the spiritual level we have love. Know God is my source; I am richly blessed. God is my source; I am richly blessed. God is my source; I am richly blessed. And I know a secret that God knows: you deserve it!

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June 14, 2015 –The Future of Religion

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06/14/15 Dr. Matthew Fox
The Future of Religion

Ancient as the home is the temple… as the workbench is the altar… Older than written language is spoken prayer; older than painting is the thought of a nameless one… diverse symbols represent that which stands beyond and within. Yet…heart communicates with heart. —“An Eternal Verity” by Waldemar Argow

The question of our time is where are we going with religion? Since the Age of Enlightenment, effectiveness is the measure of everything. But even Einstein said there are 2 powers of the human mind—intellect and intuition, and not to overvalue the intellectual.

Howard Thurman, a great mystic and the genius behind the Civil Rights movement, wrote, “man builds his little shelters …his little altars, and worships his little gods.” But ultimately, each is a human soul stripped to its substance before God.

Are our altars too little? The altar is an archetype; it’s a focusing device. What altar are we taught to worship at today? Wall Street rather than Main street? The altar of human anthropocentrism? In California we are rediscovering how sacred water is. Let us learn how not to take water for granted. Maybe there is only one sin—“taking for granted”. Do we worship at the altar of the divine feminine/sacred masculine or at the altar of the toxic masculine? Rigid sexual roles or of sexual preference?

Rene Descartes, the father of Western philosophy, threw out the philosophy of aesthetics and beauty, of art, music. Our societies are controlled by our reptilian brain. The reptilian brain is win/lose and power trips. But when you wrestle with an alligator, there’s only one winner.

Thomas Aquinas said the reason for the universe was joy—God’s and ours. —That the noblest aesthetic is joy. Do you worship at the altar of joy? Or at the altar of addiction? Society is very good at selling addiction—drugs, sex, shopping. The alternative is the god of freedom. Aquinas said that God is the artist of artists. Every artist loves his painting, every singer her song. How could God, artist of everything, hate anything?

Do you worship the god of comfort and couch-potato-itis? I don’t believe Jesus ever said, “Blessed are the comfortable.” Act on your moral outrage, turn your passion into compassion; into a fire within. Aquinas said nothing great was ever done without anger, but we’re told to sit on our anger and eat potato chips ’til we burst. Meister Eckhart spoke of the “spark of the soul”, the manger inside of us where the Christ is born. It is yourself, your work, everything you do.

I’ve boiled the prophetic work of our time down to what I call the four E’s. First is Ecumenism. Unity has always been open to it. Ecology is an obvious E; for not so obvious reasons Economics is too. It is time we have an economy that works, not just for the 1%, but for all the two legged people, and all the four legged, and all that fly in the sky or swim in the sea. We are capable of an altar that large!

The fourth E is Education. Bring the intuitive brain back! Art, celebration, the joy of life and of creativity.

The new monasticism is to step from old religions and secular cynicism. We can all be contemplative, active spiritual warriors. Howard Thurman says we can move to a God as big as the universe and invite our hearts to grow as big as the universe, too. “God is delighted to watch your souls enlarge,” says Meister Eckhart.

Play

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June 14, 2015 – The Future of Religion

by


06/14/15 Dr. Matthew Fox
The Future of Religion

Ancient as the home is the temple… as the workbench is the altar… Older than written language is spoken prayer; older than painting is the thought of a nameless one… diverse symbols represent that which stands beyond and within. Yet…heart communicates with heart. —“An Eternal Verity” by Waldemar Argow

The question of our time is where are we going with religion? Since the Age of Enlightenment, effectiveness is the measure of everything. But even Einstein said there are 2 powers of the human mind—intellect and intuition, and not to overvalue the intellectual.

Howard Thurman, a great mystic and the genius behind the Civil Rights movement, wrote, “man builds his little shelters …his little altars, and worships his little gods.” But ultimately, each is a human soul stripped to its substance before God.

Are our altars too little? The altar is an archetype; it’s a focusing device. What altar are we taught to worship at today? Wall Street rather than Main street? The altar of human anthropocentrism? In California we are rediscovering how sacred water is. Let us learn how not to take water for granted. Maybe there is only one sin—“taking for granted”. Do we worship at the altar of the divine feminine/sacred masculine or at the altar of the toxic masculine? Rigid sexual roles or of sexual preference?

Rene Descartes, the father of Western philosophy, threw out the philosophy of aesthetics and beauty, of art, music. Our societies are controlled by our reptilian brain. The reptilian brain is win/lose and power trips. But when you wrestle with an alligator, there’s only one winner.

Thomas Aquinas said the reason for the universe was joy—God’s and ours. —That the noblest aesthetic is joy. Do you worship at the altar of joy? Or at the altar of addiction? Society is very good at selling addiction—drugs, sex, shopping. The alternative is the god of freedom. Aquinas said that God is the artist of artists. Every artist loves his painting, every singer her song. How could God, artist of everything, hate anything?

Do you worship the god of comfort and couch-potato-itis? I don’t believe Jesus ever said, “Blessed are the comfortable.” Act on your moral outrage, turn your passion into compassion; into a fire within. Aquinas said nothing great was ever done without anger, but we’re told to sit on our anger and eat potato chips ’til we burst. Meister Eckhart spoke of the “spark of the soul”, the manger inside of us where the Christ is born. It is yourself, your work, everything you do.

I’ve boiled the prophetic work of our time down to what I call the four E’s. First is Ecumenism. Unity has always been open to it. Ecology is an obvious E; for not so obvious reasons Economics is too. It is time we have an economy that works, not just for the 1%, but for all the two legged people, and all the four legged, and all that fly in the sky or swim in the sea. We are capable of an altar that large!

The fourth E is Education. Bring the intuitive brain back! Art, celebration, the joy of life and of creativity.

The new monasticism is to step from old religions and secular cynicism. We can all be contemplative, active spiritual warriors. Howard Thurman says we can move to a God as big as the universe and invite our hearts to grow as big as the universe, too. “God is delighted to watch your souls enlarge,” says Meister Eckhart.