Pooh

April 7, 2013 – Pooh and the North Pole – The Knowing Place

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4/7/13 Rev. David McArthur
Pooh and the North Pole — The Knowing Place

Pooh and I, Jesus, Lao Tzu and Krishna, share an amazing place. It’s a place all of us want, but we’re not sure where it is or even if we’ve gotten there! It always seems out of reach, not for ordinary people, but we’ve all gotten there many times. It’s The Place Of Knowing—the amazing experience where we actually know—we experience—the presence of the divine. But after we’ve been there we aren’t sure where we’ve been because the mind forgets. It doesn’t know what to do with the experience.

Winnie the Pooh called it the North Pole. (In stories, each character is part of ourselves, and speaks to our journey.) Pooh is the seeker. He is open. The whole gang goes off with him to find the North Pole. They sit by a beautiful stream to eat lunch. Roo falls in the water, and after much excitement, Pooh and Kanga hold a pole for Roo to grab and crawl out. Christopher Robin declares it is the North Pole. He represents the divine self that you are which, even though you didn’t know what you were looking for, has the full capacity to know when you have found it. That beautiful capacity to say, “This is what it is.” So they put a sign on it that says, “This is the North Pole.”

You probably do not find it in meditation or prayer, but in the middle of the dishes or doing something that needed to be done, like helping Roo. Suddenly you experience, you know, the goodness of God. You feel it is true. You’ve touched that very fabric of the Presence Itself. It is freeing. You can’t think it, but you can be it. You’ve been there, and you’ve forgotten, but a sweetness and gentleness lingers.

Eventually we do forget and think this stuff down here is what’s real. That’s where Christopher Robin has such a wonderful message—when you have found it, stop and put a sign on it. “This is my place of knowing. I feel all-loving goodness.” When you remember that feeling you remember that you know what is real. I Feel the All-loving Goodness. I Feel the All-loving Goodness. I Feel the All-loving Goodness. You do. You know it. Put that sign on it. You’ve found it, The Place Of Knowing, in you. You’ll be there again. You feel it because you are loved; you are that love!

August 19, 2012 – Pooh & Eeyore on Prayer

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8/19/12 Rev. David McArthur

On their way to see Eeyore, Pooh and Piglet stop at a warm place in the wood. “We’ll call this Pooh Corner.”  And using sticks piled up nearby, they build Eeyore a house, as they think he has none. At about the same time Eeyore knocks on Christopher Robin’s door. Even though he lived in the coldest, gloomiest part of the wood, he wanted to go home—but his house was gone! (Christopher Robin represents the Christ Spirit; the Hundred Acre Wood is His and He takes care of everything in it.) They meet Pooh and Piglet who want to show them the house they built for Eeyore. However, it soon becomes apparent to them that they had used the pile of sticks Eeyore had up until then called home. But look! See how nice this new home is! And Eeyore agrees that it is as warm and nice as they say. Is Eeyore in any of us? Do we build in an uncomfortable place just because we’re convinced it “had to be that way”? It might be the health thing, the relationship thing, or that chewing-on-yourself-inside thing.

The doctor told Mandy Hastings that even if her two year old son lives, he’ll be severely handicapped. “No,” she said, “he will be fine.” A gravestone had fallen over onto her boy’s head, and while she and her husband were waiting for lifeflight, she prayed. She says a peace swept over her and she heard, “Everything’s going to be fine. Matthew is in My hands.” Yes, she most likely began praying from fear, but she moved her attention off of the data pouring in (that her brain was using to figure out how bad things were). She moved from fear to that place of love and connection with divine presence and power. Look for that level that brings forth health and vitality. You don’t need to ask anymore for anything. It is there within you. You are that power, that force. The boy was home in two weeks, and is a happy, healthy teen today.

Take a glance at what you’re building. If it’s “not quite enough” or “just enough to get by” or “that’s just the way I am”—it is the Eeyore within you. Activate the greater potential within you through the experience of the love, the pure light of energy of the divine which you are. Build your house, and live, at “Pooh Corner”!

August 19, 2012 – Pooh & Eeyore on Prayer

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8/19/12 Rev. David McArthur

Pooh & Eeyore on Prayer

On their way to see Eeyore, Pooh and Piglet stop at a warm place in the wood. “We’ll call this Pooh Corner.”  And using sticks piled up nearby, they build Eeyore a house, as they think he has none. At about the same time Eeyore knocks on Christopher Robin’s door. Even though he lived in the coldest, gloomiest part of the wood, he wanted to go home—but his house was gone! (Christopher Robin represents the Christ Spirit; the Hundred Acre Wood is His and He takes care of everything in it.) They meet Pooh and Piglet who want to show them the house they built for Eeyore. However, it soon becomes apparent to them that they had used the pile of sticks Eeyore had up until then called home. But look! See how nice this new home is! And Eeyore agrees that it is as warm and nice as they say. Is Eeyore in any of us? Do we build in an uncomfortable place just because we’re convinced it “had to be that way”? It might be the health thing, the relationship thing, or that chewing-on-yourself-inside thing.

The doctor told Mandy Hastings that even if her two year old son lives, he’ll be severely handicapped. “No,” she said, “he will be fine.” A gravestone had fallen over onto her boy’s head, and while she and her husband were waiting for lifeflight, she prayed. She says a peace swept over her and she heard, “Everything’s going to be fine. Matthew is in My hands.” Yes, she most likely began praying from fear, but she moved her attention off of the data pouring in (that her brain was using to figure out how bad things were). She moved from fear to that place of love and connection with divine presence and power. Look for that level that brings forth health and vitality. You don’t need to ask anymore for anything. It is there within you. You are that power, that force. The boy was home in two weeks, and is a happy, healthy teen today.

Take a glance at what you’re building. If it’s “not quite enough” or “just enough to get by” or “that’s just the way I am”—it is the Eeyore within you. Activate the greater potential within you through the experience of the love, the pure light of energy of the divine which you are. Build your house, and live, at “Pooh Corner”!

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July 15, 2012 – Pooh Bear on Getting Unstuck

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7/15/12 Rev. David McArthur

The “gospel” of Winnie the Pooh tells us a lot about ourselves. When Pooh gets stuck in Rabbit’s front doorway because he ate too much, it’s like when we get stuck from our own best intentions, but blame someone else for our stuckness.  Stuck with relationship, with health, with money. However, your first step is knowing your are stuck. The second is turning to God for help, like Rabbit running to get Christopher Robin.

Step three is a point where you let go and figure out you can’t figure it out. You don’t get to—you already tried that. You did the math; you figured there’s no way out. And after all the disappointments, asking for what is impossible seems pretty foolish. What seems impossible by yourself is not to God! Let go. Ask in prayer for what you really need. Jesus demonstrated mastery by showing you need to be a co-creator. “The Father already knows. The Father will, if you ask.” Isn’t it time to be free? But you have to ask, to be willing to go to that place of sincere prayer, step four.

Lao Tsu wrote, “The master observes the world”– recognize you are stuck.
“but trusts his inner vision.”– turn to God, that beautiful inner wisdom that can guide you.
“He allows things to come and go.”– let go, and allow life to unfold.
“His heart is open as the sky.”– open to infinite possibilities of the Divine Presence that doesn’t buy into your limits. It is sincere prayer.

Most prayer comes from the head, as if Infinite Intelligence doesn’t know what you’re about. But God is good all the time, and letting go isn’t about right now, right away. It’s not about giving up, it’s about giving over—giving over to an intelligence which is part of you but you haven’t been using. God is good when you are stuck. God is good when you are figuring there’s no way out. God is good when you are feeling foolish but listening to what you are guided to do. And God is good when you are allowing it to unfold, open to infinite divine possibilities.

“But Christopher Robin looked at Pooh lovingly and said to himself, ‘silly old bear!’ “

July 15, 2012 – Pooh Bear on Getting Unstuck

by

7/15/12 Rev. David McArthur

Pooh Bear on Getting Unstuck

The “gospel” of Winnie the Pooh tells us a lot about ourselves. When Pooh gets stuck in Rabbit’s front doorway because he ate too much, it’s like when we get stuck from our own best intentions, but blame someone else for our stuckness.  Stuck with relationship, with health, with money. However, your first step is knowing your are stuck. The second is turning to God for help, like Rabbit running to get Christopher Robin.

Step three is a point where you let go and figure out you can’t figure it out. You don’t get to—you already tried that. You did the math; you figured there’s no way out. And after all the disappointments, asking for what is impossible seems pretty foolish. What seems impossible by yourself is not to God! Let go. Ask in prayer for what you really need. Jesus demonstrated mastery by showing you need to be a co-creator. “The Father already knows. The Father will, if you ask.” Isn’t it time to be free? But you have to ask, to be willing to go to that place of sincere prayer, step four.

Lao Tsu wrote, “The master observes the world”– recognize you are stuck.
“but trusts his inner vision.”– turn to God, that beautiful inner wisdom that can guide you.
“He allows things to come and go.”– let go, and allow life to unfold.
“His heart is open as the sky.”– open to infinite possibilities of the Divine Presence that doesn’t buy into your limits. It is sincere prayer.

Most prayer comes from the head, as if Infinite Intelligence doesn’t know what you’re about. But God is good all the time, and letting go isn’t about right now, right away. It’s not about giving up, it’s about giving over—giving over to an intelligence which is part of you but you haven’t been using. God is good when you are stuck. God is good when you are figuring there’s no way out. God is good when you are feeling foolish but listening to what you are guided to do. And God is good when you are allowing it to unfold, open to infinite divine possibilities.

“But Christopher Robin looked at Pooh lovingly and said to himself, ‘silly old bear!’ “

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