Spiritual Solutions

THE RESURRECTION

Easter Sunday. Read John 20:1-18.

Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Its inner meaning and spiritual significance is the awakening and raising to spiritual consciousness of the I AM in humankind, which has been dead in trespass and sin and buried in the tomb of materiality.

“I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” The resurrection is the raising up of the whole person – spirit, soul, and body – into the Christ consciousness of life and wholeness. This Jesus did. The tomb could not hold His redeemed perfected body temple. Resurrection is accomplished by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit.

Every time we rise to the realization of eternal, indwelling life, making union with the Father-Mind, the resurrection of Jesus takes place within us. All thoughts of limitation and inevitable obedience to material law are left in the tomb of materiality.

Jesus was born into the race thought so that He might reconstruct it in conformity with the divine law. He thus became our Way-Shower, our Saviour, our Helper.

Today the light of Truth is illumining my mind, and I rise up in the majesty of my divine sonship and proclaim myself to be the child of the Most High, free from all belief in sin, sickness, and death.

I affirm: “In unity with Christ I realize that I am resurrected into the life, light, and power of God.”

Questions:

1. What is the spiritual significance of Easter?

2. What is the resurrection?

3. How is resurrection accomplished?

4. Why was Jesus born into the race thought?

Christ within me is the resurrection and the life. Christ within me is the power that enables me to rise triumphant out of every trial.

About the Author of Keep a True Lent

Charles Fillmore was an innovative thinker, a pioneer in metaphysical thought at a time when most religious thought in America was entirely orthodox. He was a lifelong advocate of the open, inquiring mind, and he took pride in keeping abreast of the latest scientific and educational discoveries and theories. Many years ago he wrote, “What you think today may not be the measure for your thought tomorrow”; and it seems likely that were he to compile this book today, he might use different metaphors, different scientific references, and so on.

Truth is changeless. Those who knew Charles Fillmore best believe that he would like to be able to rephrase some of his observations for today’s readers, thus giving them the added effectiveness of contemporary thought. But the ideas themselves–the core of Charles Fillmore’s writings–are as timeless now (and will be tomorrow) as when they were first published.

Charles Fillmore was born on an Indian reservation just outside the town of St. Cloud, Minnesota, on August 22, 1854. He made his transition on July 5, 1948, at Unity Village, Missouri, at the age of 93. To get a sense of history, when Charles was eleven, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated; when Charles died, Harry Truman was President.

With his wife Myrtle, Charles Fillmore founded the Unity movement and Silent Unity, the international prayer ministry that publishes Daily Word. Charles and Myrtle built the worldwide organization that continues their work today, Unity School of Christianity. Through Unity School’s ministries of prayer, education, and publishing, millions of people around the world are finding the teachings of Truth discovered and practiced by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore.

Charles Fillmore was a spiritual pioneer whose impact has yet to be assessed. No lesser leaders than Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and Dr. Emmet Fox were profoundly influenced by him. Dr. Peale borrowed his catchphrase of positive thinking from Charles Fillmore. Emmet Fox was so affected by Fillmore’s ideas that he changed his profession. From an engineer, he became the well-known writer and speaker.

Charles Fillmore – author, teacher, metaphysician, practical mystic, husband, father, spiritual leader, visionary – has left a legacy that continues to impact the lives of millions of people. By his fruits, he is continuously known.

Remember, God is Blessing You, Right Now!

—————————————————–             

 Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over forty years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions.

Please feel free to publish this article in your blog or newsletter or share it with a friend, as long as you include this resource box.

 If you’d like to receive weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at Rich Words.

——————————————————   

Previous in series

Tweet This Post

MIRACLES

28th Day, Saturday. Read Matthew 14:15-36.

The first miracle in our consciousness is the transforming of the water of thought into the wine of thought, through introducing into the consciousness some of the “angels of God,” or true ideas.

In reality miracles are events that take place as a result of the application of a higher law to certain conditions.

God never performs miracles, if by miracle is meant a departure from universal law. Whatever the prophets did was done by the operation of laws inherent in Being and open to the discovery of every person.

By the power of his thought Elijah penetrated the atoms and precipitated an abundance of rain. Jesus used the same dynamic power of thought to break the bonds of the atoms composing the few loaves and fishes of a little lad’s lunch–and five thousand persons were fed.

Science is discovering the miracle-working dynamics of religion, but science has not yet comprehended the dynamic directive power of our thought. All so-called miracle workers claim that they do not of themselves produce the marvelous results; that they are only the instruments of a superior entity.

Jesus said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also.” As I go on in the exercise of spiritual faculties I shall strengthen them and understand them better and I shall cease to talk about anything as miraculous.

I affirm: “The clear unclouded mind of Jesus Christ dominates all my thinking, and I discern the omnipresent laws of Spirit.”

Questions:

1. Explain the first miracle in our consciousness.

2. What are miracles?

3. Does God perform miracles? Explain.

4. What do miracle workers claim?

I may consider the works of Jesus as miraculous, but He considered them the outcome of the operation of divine law. I, too, can use the dynamic power of right thinking and prayer to bring healing where healing is needed and blessings where blessings are needed.

Remember, God is Blessing You, Right Now!

—————————————————–             

 Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over forty years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions.

Please feel free to publish this article in your blog or newsletter or share it with a friend, as long as you include this resource box.

 If you’d like to receive weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at Rich Words.

——————————————————   

Previous in series Next in series

Tweet This Post

STRENGTH

7th Day, Wednesday. Read Matthew 4:1-11.

Strength is freedom from weakness; stability of character, power to withstand temptation. It is the force or power to do, capacity to accomplish. “The name of Jehovah is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Strength originates in Spirit; the thought and the word spiritually expressed bring the manifestation.

Jesus is the greatest teacher. He is the type that I am striving to follow, not only in spiritual culture and in mind culture, but in body culture. By faithfully studying and using the methods of Jesus I am bringing forth the very best that is in me.

Through Christ our mind and body have the power of using strength on various planes of consciousness. I affirm that I am steadfast and strong in thought and in deed, and thus I am establishing strength in soul and in body. I refuse to let the thought of weakness enter my consciousness, but always ignore the suggestion and affirm myself to be a tower of strength within and without.

Supreme strength as demonstrated by Jesus can be attained by one who trusts in Spirit and conserves his vital substance. The strength of Spirit is necessary to the perpetuation of soul and body and to the overcoming of death.

As I relax more and more and lift my consciousness to harmonize with the ever-present perfect Mind, I am invigorated and restored to stabilizing power. No harm can befall me. I am made strong through Spirit.

I affirm: “The joy of the Lord is a wellspring within me, and I am established in divine strength.”

Questions:

1. Define “strength.”

2. Where does strength originate?

3. How can we establish strength in soul and body?

4. Why is strength of spirit necessary?

I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. As I turn to Him in prayer, my mind is open to ideas that are strong and true, and I feel an inflow of strength.

Remember, God is Blessing You, Right Now!

—————————————————–             

 Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over forty years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions.

Please feel free to publish this article in your blog or newsletter or share it with a friend, as long as you include this resource box.

 If you’d like to receive weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at Rich Words.

——————————————————   

Previous in series Next in series

Tweet This Post

It was Ann Landers who said, “Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.”

Yes, we have to know when to let go. And more than that, we have to be willing to let go and then allow ourselves to do it. In Unity, we often say that we need to “Let Go and Let God.” So after being willing to let go and allowing ourselves to let go, it’s important to realize that we are letting it go – whatever it might be – so that God can bring about the right outcome through us. Or, as Meister Eckhart famously said, “Let God be God in you.”

In this article I’d like to expand on that idea with excerpts from an article by the late Mary L. Kupferle, Unity minister and author, titled Let Go! Let God’s Love Do the Work!, printed in the February 1988 issue of Daily Word magazine. I hope you will find it inspiring and helpful to you in the letting go process:

Let go, dear friend, and let God’s love do the work. Give up all striving and struggling to accomplish. Whatever has been difficult for you to handle, hard for you to release, or impossible for you to solve can be given to the loving Father. God’s love will do the work and bring about the healing, the answer, the blessing you cannot accomplish of yourself. Let love – God’s love – do the work!

God has created this beautiful universe and knows how to help you surmount any doubt or disbelief. God’s love has fashioned you and has given you wisdom that you can call on, unlimited peace that you can accept, and unceasing goodness that you can experience.

If you have been discouraged about a delay in receiving a physical healing, turn this specific challenge over to the love of the Father. Tell yourself, “I let go and let God’s love do the work.” Accept the help of that love. Let it think through you. Give up the belief that you must struggle and fight your Way through any challenge. Let the Father take over. Put all in the light of love. Again and again, let go and let God’s love do the work!

To help yourself begin the process of letting go and letting God’s love do the work, take a few minutes now and daily – as often as needed – to consciously assume a quiet, receptive state of being. You are physically quiet as you turn your thoughts to the Mater’s words, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow . . .” (Matt. 6:28), and relax every muscle of your body in readiness to receive.

Patiently wait upon the Father’s love as a growing plant waits upon the light of the morning sun. “Consider” how the rays of light and warmth enfold a plant and move down through the leaves and stalk into the roots within the soil. Think about the invisible working of the sunlight, reaching to the depths of the plant and encouraging its growth, strength, and unfoldment.

Realize that somehow, in some wonderful and miraculous way, the love of God is continuously flowing into your mind, emotions, and body, touching all with life-giving power and renewal.

Let go! Let God’s love do the work! Give that love an opportunity to work through you and your life and affairs. Take the time needed to “consider” again and again the miracle-working love of your Father. Continue until you find yourself accepting it more and more naturally. Results will speak for themselves. You will be encouraged to find new awareness of God’s presence and new comprehension of God’s spirit moving within you.

Do not try to understand how this is happening or the means by which the answers will follow. Just – for this time – be willing to accept being loved. Take no thought – just “consider” the presence and power of God’s love. Letting go, you will let divine love harmonize the feelings within your heart, the thoughts within your mind, the functions within your body, and the activities and relationships within your life.

Jesus gave his days and nights, words and actions, thoughts and feelings, prayers and teachings to the Father, knowing that the Father through miracle-working love could do the work freely. He gave himself mentally, emotionally, and physically to that same wonderful love and became the visible example of love in action that overcame every limitation of humankind. He came to demonstrate that this is what happens when we turn away from burdensome thinking and struggling to the quietness of letting go and letting God and His love do the work.

This same love is available to you now. Let this love supply strength and healing for your physical being. Let it satisfy your longings for inner peace and greater faith. Let God’s love dissolve your feelings of unsureness or need to grasp for wisdom. Let His love handle every challenge, every undesirable thought, every unwanted emotion, and every binding habit. Let go of believing that you must continue to struggle with yourself and by yourself. Instead, accept the great love of your Father. Let go, dear friend. Again and again, practice letting go and letting God’s love do the work.

The love of God is greater than any opposition, any appearance of evil, and any claim of limitation. The love of God is your safety, your security, your guide, your comfort, your assurance, your clear vision, your accomplishment, your peace, and your light for every path of life.

Take hold of this love, dear friend, in total assurance that God’s love will do the work. Let go! Let go! Let go! Let God’s love do the work! All you feel you have been unable to do, God shall accomplish. God’s love will do all that your willingness will let it do. Let God’s love reach into the very roots of your being. Let God’s miracles of love begin now. Let go! Let God’s love do the work!

Remember, God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

————————————————————
Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over forty years, invites you to enjoy more articles and/or subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, “Spiritual Solutions,” at www.spiritualsolutionsblog.com

Feel free to share this article in its entirety with a friend. You may also reproduce and publish this article if you also include this reference box. Thank you!

If you’d like to receive “Rich Words,” featuring weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at www.alanrowbotham.com
————————————————————
 

Tweet This Post

“There is sunshine in my soul today,
It is glorious and bright . . .

“O there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine,
As the peaceful, happy moments roll;
For I behold the Christ in every face
And there’s sunshine in my soul.”

So go the words of a long-time Unity joy song.

Yes, there is sunshine in your soul today, and all you have to do is tap into it and express it in your life. Let the sunshine radiate out from your smile and bless all whom you meet.

Jesus said, “You will know the Truth and the Truth will make you free.” (John 8:32) He is speaking of that which is eternally true; he is talking about a revelation of the depths within, giving rise to a perception that evokes a spirit of joy. Again, he said, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)

One of the great discoveries of human unfoldment is that happiness is not an effect . . . but a cause, and that a person is happy, not because of what did or did not happen, but because he or she is a happy person. Unity minister Eric Butterworth was fond of saying, “Within every person is the unborn possibility of limitless joy . . . and ours is the privilege of giving birth to it.” And it was Charles Fillmore, co-founder of the Unity movement, who said, “Life for every person should be a journey in jubilance.”

Certainly everyone wants to be happy, for it is the “summum bonum of existence.” But we have been deluded into thinking that it is to be found in things, experiences, and relationships. Indeed, that viewpoint is reflected in another sunshine song which goes something like this:

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine;
You make me happy when skies are gray.
You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you;
Please don’t take my sunshine away.”

A woman who was sick, burdened with financial crises, and troubled with discouragement, ran across these words in a Truth publication: “Until you are happy you will be neither healthy nor free.” “How can I be happy,” she thought, “when I have so much pain and trouble?” The words would not let her be. So she decided to test the idea.

Looking honestly at herself, she found that there were glaring defects in her disposition that needed correction. With effort, she began to live more calmly, to see life more clearly. She found other Truth ideas that suggested that God had implanted the spark of joy within each person, and that she had only to express joy to experience it.

The woman then discovered she could start the spirit of joy by simply “acting as if she were happy.” Now, this “act as if” practice can become a lure into sham and artificiality. It is valid only if it deals with the releasement of an inner power that is constant. You may act as if you are a child, or an expression, of God, for that is what you are. And you may act as if you are happy, for there is a bubbling fire of joy at the heart of you awaiting your commitment to express it.

The woman discovered an amazing thing. As she began to act as if she were happy, she began to feel happy, and the happier she felt, the stronger and healthier she felt . . . and thus the greater became her reasons for happiness. Before long her disposition improved, her affairs harmonized, and she was back in the fullness of life. And it all started the moment she realized that “until you are happy you will be neither healthy nor free.”

There is an important principle involved in this. We live in a world of rhythm and harmony which is limitless in potential, and each of us is limitless in the capacity to demonstrate a personal experience of that limitlessness. But we must become synchronized, and an important key is the bubbling forth of a jubilant spirit.

Begin every day with the insistent affirmation, “This is the day which the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” When you start your day in a happy spirit, with joy in your heart and a smile on your face, people respond. You leave a “mile of smiles” as you walk along, and all your business and social contacts are influenced by this contagion. Your day will be a day you can be happy about, because it is a day that you are happy in.

Here are some words from another Unity joy song to adopt as your own:

I let my light shine and the obstacles vanish,
I let my light shine and the light casts out fear,
I let my light shine and the radiance heals me,
I let my light shine and my way is made clear.
Son light is the Truth of my nature,
Son light is God shining through me,
I let my light shine, and my world is illumined,
I let my light shine and the light sets me free!

Remember, God is Blessing You Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

————————————————————
Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-nine years, invites you to enjoy more articles and/or subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, “Spiritual Solutions,” at www.spiritualsolutionsblog.com

Feel free to share this article in its entirety with a friend. You may also reproduce and publish this article if you also include this reference box. Thank you!

If you’d like to receive “Rich Words,” featuring weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at www.alanrowbotham.com
————————————————————

Tweet This Post

Today, Sunday, April 17, is the sixth Sunday in Lent and is known as PALM SUNDAY. Lent is the period of time during which we can prepare ourselves for the Easter experience.
 
Here is the message for the sixth Sunday in Lent:
 
 
Palm Sunday
 
Jerusalem is a symbol of love and peace. To go to Jerusalem is to arrive at an inner peace in our minds and bodies so that we may love and live as we were intended to love and live. Jerusalem is a state that follows many prayers, many realizations of spiritual power, many inner struggles, seeming failures, hopelessness – but only that we may turn from the outer self and find our own true God-self.
 
When God takes charge of the body through the action of the mind and heart, that release of all to the care and keeping of the unseen Power, we come into a new order of things. Our vitality is no longer wasted in fear, hate, turmoil, confusion, and war.
 
The people on that day, sang hosannas, spread their garments and branches of trees that Jesus might ride upon them. Yet in a few hours they would be crying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” How fickle is the outer world – and we give so much to it . . . There is a time when the outer self must be completely integrated in the God Presence within – “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.” This is the great and first commandment.
 
When this integration of man and God and God and man takes place, all things are possible – even the overcoming of the last enemy, death! We are quite sure such complete integration does not mean us, since we feel we are mere human beings.
 
Yet we cannot comprehend what could happen to us or what will happen to us. “Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” (I Cor. 2:9)
 
There is only one thing sure in the heart of man and that is, he must go on toward his good in any way he knows or feels with the assurance that at the end he will find there is only God, only Good, only Life, and always he has been in the care and keeping of the Eternal; and even before he started, his destiny was finished – for he is One with all power – God.
 
 
(This series of Lenten messages was first developed by Unity minister Dr. Sue Sikking, founder of Unity-by-the-Sea, Santa Monica, California, author of God Always Says Yes and Seed of the New Age.)
 
 
God is Blessing You, Right Now!
 
Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham
 
——————————————————————–
Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-nine years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions, at www.spiritualsolutionsblog.com
 
To subscribe for free weekday inspirational quotes, Rich Words, go to www.alanrowbotham.com
 
Feel free to share this article in its entirety with a friend.
——————————————————————–
 
                                                   

Previous in series Next in series

Tweet This Post

Today, Wednesday, March 16, is day number seven in the Lenten season. Lent is the period of time during which we can prepare ourselves for the Easter experience.
 
Assignment 7
 
There are many things in our world today that overwhelm us. There are situations and conditions of seemingly great evil, manifestations that we cannot understand with our human reasoning, things in our lives and relationships that haunt us with the question “why?” There are in our world today things that strike fear in our hearts and before which the strongest one trembles. Strength is to stand against the appearances of any time.
 
The Scripture reassures us that we belong to the One Power we call God and we as human beings have overcome or conquered “all such” for the power that is in us is greater than this that is in our world. (I John 4:4) It also tells us we are saved from these things “by grace.” (Eph. 2:8) If we are safe from the “things” of the world, we should find out how and be safe!
 
How do we get this grace? How do we use it? What is it? Grace means “beloved, dear.” So we must have the power because we are beloved, and dear, belonging to the One power that dwells in us.
 
Surely Jesus believed He was beloved and dear to the power within Him that He affectionately called “Father.” He also called this Power, “Our Father.” Jesus had power in the invisible far beyond modern man’s greatest achievement. We of this day and age are awed by the invisible realm of feeling and being and here in the invisible realm lies All Power!
 
In the realm of ourselves we have not found our authority. Our minds, bodies and emotions are an enigma to us. We live in the outer. We can only enter into our true being with the realization of feeling. Feeling is the Power.
 
You have been aware of your outer self for years. Have you thought of your body as feeling? Pinch your arm and you realize your body is feeling. Body and soul are merely two aspects of feeling. The body is not one substance and soul another, they are both our feelings.
 
Your response to everything in life is feeling. There is only feeling. We react to sight, hearing, touch, taste, or breath with feeling. Movement is feeling. Rest is feeling. Grace is feeling that you are beloved and dear to the power within. How do you feel?
 
 
(This series of Lenten messages was first developed by Unity minister Dr. Sue Sikking, founder of Unity-by-the-Sea, Santa Monica, California, author of God Always Says Yes and Seed of the New Age.)
 
 
God is Blessing You, Right Now!
 
Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham
 
——————————————————————–
Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-nine years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions, at www.spiritualsolutionsblog.com
 
To subscribe for free weekday inspirational quotes, Rich Words, go to www.alanrowbotham.com
 
Feel free to share this article in its entirety with a friend.
——————————————————————–
 
 

Previous in series Next in series

Tweet This Post

On the spiritual journey, it seems to me that we travel through three overarching phases.

The first is that of the seeker. There is a nudging from within, and a nagging feeling that there is something more to be discovered, so we start on the journey. We perhaps find confirmation and motivation in the words of Jesus, when he said, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8)

Ravi Ravindra, author of Pilgrim Without Boundaries, wrote, “The struggle to know who I am, in truth and in spirit, is the spiritual quest. The movement in myself from the mask to the face, from the personality to the person, from the performing actor to the ruler of the inner chamber, is the spiritual journey. . . . To keep the flame of spiritual yearning alive is to be radically open to the present and to refuse to settle for comforting religious dogmas, philosophic certainties, and social sanctions.”

And, in the words of Thomas Merton:

“In one sense we are always traveling,
And traveling as if we did not know where
we were going.
    In another sense we have already
arrived. . . .
    But oh! How far have I to go to find
You in Whom I have already arrived!

“In another sense we have already arrived.” And the Spirit of God is knocking on the door of our mind, as it says in Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; . . .” It is we who have to open the door of our mind and heart, and “if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

Thus we move into the second phase of our spiritual journey, that of awakening.

Lorraine Kisly, editor-in-chief of Parabola magazine, says  “. . . when a moment of awakening comes, it is clear that we are awakened. But to what? And for what? Pir Zia Inayat Khan makes a useful distinction for us. There are two types of awakening, one a sudden glimpse of hidden things which is pure gift and the other ‘a sustained inner capacity,’ an earned state.”

We are awakened to the Truth of God’s presence, the first type of awakening, the “sudden glimpse of hidden things which is pure gift.” Lorraine Kisly says that the gift comes to all without exception. It comes, as Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz tells us, as an “awareness of reality, awareness of something that is calling me, ‘Come closer, come closer.’”

The second type of awakening, “a sustained inner capacity,” an earned state, is more difficult, challenging.

Jesus describes the coming together of people into an understanding of God’s presence as a dinner party, a marriage feast. (Matt. 22:1-6) As you will recall, many were invited to the celebration, but not everyone chose to come. And that is true in our lives today, that not all of us choose to come to the celebration, and not all of us come to experience a heightened consciousness of the presence of God. We live in a mundane world and a mundane experience, so we do not come with open, receptive, and responsive minds.

Jesus said, in effect, that one of the hardest things to accept in our lives is a new idea. And he came to bring a new idea, a new idea of the kingdom of God that is available and accessible to us at all times. In fact, in the Gospel of Matthew, he reminded us of the words of Isaiah (6:9,10) when he said, “You shall indeed hear but never understand. You shall indeed see but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull and their ears are heavy of hearing. And their eyes have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts, and turn for me to heal them.” (Matt. 13:14-15)

In order to heal, we have to see with new eyes, we have to hear with new ears, and we have to feel with a new heart, a new openness of heart. That means changing, and this is one of the hardest things for us to do, to change. But in all the parables Jesus turns us around, and says that in order for something new to happen in your life you must change the way you look at your world, you must change the way you look at yourself. You must open your ears and your eyes and your heart to a new possibility that is already available to you, that is here now, and not sometime else but right here and right now.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tweet This Post

Jesus said, “If you are faithful in the small things, you will also be faithful in the large things.” So we must pay attention to the small things.

Prompted by the words of Jesus I decided to title my article Small Potatoes are the Tastiest. I remembered when I was a boy growing up in England during the Second World War. We had a victory garden. There wasn’t much food being imported into Britain at that time, so people created victory gardens where we could grow our own food.

In our victory garden we grew vegetables; we had potatoes, peas, beets and cabbage, and some fruit such as raspberries and strawberries. It was fun working with that garden, and I was the one to go out and pick the potatoes. I loved to pick them when they were very small, what we called new potatoes. I’d take up the potato plant and all those new little potatoes were hanging there; I would shake off the dirt and gather the new potatoes to take them in the house and wash them. Then we’d have them for dinner. And they were always the tastiest, especially with lots of butter on them.

The small potatoes were always the tastiest. And I thought, “That’s really true about life too; it’s the small things that are really the tastiest.”

I thought about some of the small things my parents did which they didn’t really think about but which affected my life and the direction of my life.

I thought about my mother, who would take us on picnics when my Dad was in the service and the country was at war. My mother would take us down to the bus station and we’d catch a bus for some distance then get off and go across some fields to a little stream near a small village to have our picnic. I can still see it. It always created in me a sense of adventure, of not being confined to one place because of what was going on around me. That was a seemingly small thing, but it was a real gift to me and has affected my life all the way through.

My Dad didn’t like to show his affection too much in an outward way. But one way he would do it is that we would wrestle; I’d grab him around the neck and we’d wrestle lovingly and he’d let me win. And I think that contributed to my love of the martial arts that I later went into and which in turn led into my spiritual path, and eventually into becoming a Unity minister.

It’s the small things we remember that really touch our lives; it’s the kind word, it’s the loving touch, it’s a loving glance, it’s an attentive listening, being present, just being there for us. It’s those things that make the difference.

There’s a true story about a young man called David who now is a Junior High School teacher. When David was a young boy, he loved throwing stones and one day he was in his backyard and he threw a big stone over the top of the fence. He heard a crashing sound, so he threw more stones over the fence, with a resulting crash of breaking glass.

A few days went by and the man next door came over; he was there talking to his parents when the boy came home from school. The parents were ashamed and disappointed in David. But the man said to them, “I’d like to bring David to my home to show him some things.” So the parents agreed to that and David sheepishly followed this man into the garden next door toward the shattered greenhouse.

David was wondering what was going to happen to him. But the man simply said to him, “Look, I want to show you these flowers. Look, these are gladiolus and they grow so tall and in so many different colors. Aren’t they beautiful? And these here are violets; these were my wife’s favorites; I miss her so much and whenever I look at these violets in the deep purple I remember her. These over here, these are orchids; they are difficult to grow but you’ve never really seen such a beautiful flower, you cannot believe your own eyes until you see that orchid and the different varieties with the exquisite shapes and colors these flowers produce.”

He stayed about an hour in the greenhouse showing the boy all the different flowers. Finally the man said, “O.K. David, you can go home now.”

David said, “I knew on that day that I was going to grow up and be a teacher, because this man had shown me how important it was to teach, to show, to share.” He said, “He could have yelled at me or done all kinds of things to punish me, but he didn’t; he just showed me his flowers and how beautiful they were.”

Those kind words made the whole difference in David’s life.

It’s the small potatoes that are the tastiest.

The keys of heaven turn on small things. Heaven is born on this earth in these small things: an hour in a greenhouse, the gift of a teddy bear, a small spark of hope, leaven, or a small seed planted in one’s mind that grows to become a Unity minister.

We are the agents of the Divine Spirit on earth and it’s up to us to awake to that possibility with us. We don’t have to do grandiose things; when we think of heaven it doesn’t have to be something dramatic or grandiose. It’s that which expresses in and through us and it’s born on earth through the small things that we do for others, for our world, and for ourselves.

God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

—————————————————–             

 Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-eight years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions.

Please feel free to publish this article in your blog or newsletter or share it with a friend, as long as you include this resource box.

 If you’d like to receive weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at Rich Words.

——————————————————   

Tweet This Post

In the Easter story, one particular image in the gospel of John captures me; it is the image of Mary weeping as she stoops and peers into the tomb. The body of Jesus has disappeared. But right there quite close to her, standing near her shoulder, is a figure simply waiting for her to turn around, to turn from the tomb to life.

How often do we find ourselves in situations where we think it’s all over, that there’s nothing and nowhere to turn? Yet all we have to do is look away from the problem, away from the darkness and from what seems to be; then we can see that which we thought was dead has risen and is still alive in us.

We hear the Easter celebrant declare, “He is risen! Christ is risen!”

But what does that mean? Is it only an event which happened over 2000 years ago? Or is it something which can happen in our lives today?

The truth is, Easter is all about life made new again. When we think it’s over, it’s not. We have a God that makes the impossible possible.

When the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, were flying their first airplane in 1903, an astronomer named Simon Newcomb was writing a thesis about the impossibility of being able to fly. He said, “There is no possible combination of known substances, known forms of machinery, and known forms of force that can be united in a practical machine by which men shall fly long distances through the air. It is impossible.”

You’ve got to be careful who you are listening to, and who you hang out with, because it can destroy your potential.

The Wright brothers’ father was a minister, who also founded the Union Theological Seminary. When he saw his two boys seemingly limited to working repairing bicycles, he decided to share with them his philosophy about the empty tomb and the ability to rise up into newness of life.

He said, “I shared with them my philosophy about the empty tomb and then I just stood back to watch them fly.” How wonderful it is to have someone who encourages us like that and then stands back to watch us fly, to see the potential within us take flight.

The truth is that the potential for triumph is still there, the potential to rise above limitation is still there.

In another version of the Easter story (in Matthew 28), we read that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (the mother of Jesus) went to the tomb. The stone that blocked the entrance had been rolled away and an angel sat upon it. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid.”

Not knowing what to do after the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples hid in a room together. They were depressed, they were down. Then Jesus appeared to them in the room and said, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe!” Don’t be afraid.

That’s the first thing to remember when things happen. Don’t be afraid!

Fear paralyzes our potential. We become stuck, we become rigid.

Fear breaks down our relationship with God, our trust in God. When we become fearful, we lose the sense of trust. We may say, “Oh yes, I believe in God.” But there’s a big difference between believing in God and trusting in God.

Doubts about our potential and doubts about God’s presence within us limit our possibilities.

What are you dealing with in your life right now? What situation is present in your life? There is never any situation that is beyond hope. There’s always hope, there’s always possibility, there’s always potential.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That’s a wonderful scripture to use as an affirmation. You may not know where to turn, but as you turn to the Christ within, as you turn to God’s presence, you are strengthened. And that which seemed impossible becomes possible.

Our God is a God who makes the impossible possible. We can come through all things. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” – through the presence and power of the living God within me. In any situation you face there is always a God-given solution available to you.

It is important to remind ourselves that even though all seems lost, the unexpected is always possible.

I’d like to share with you three action steps prompted by the Easter story:

1. Surround yourself with Easter-thinking people. Don’t get caught up with people who put you down, and don’t put yourself down. You can rise up over your limitations. Hang around with people who remind you of the potential that is always there. If you have to change your friends, do so, and let your friends be those who support you in your potential for growth.

2. Don’t be afraid; refuse to give up. On the Friday before Easter, the worst scenario happened. Jesus died. The disciples went back to their fishing; they didn’t know what else to do. Then three days later the unexpected happened. Jesus appeared to them. So refuse to give up; it’s always possible. Even death couldn’t stop God’s plan.

3. Rise triumphant. You were created to fly. You were created to soar, to rise up above any limitations, to soar above those situations that would hold you back and down. You were created in the image and likeness of God, you have the possibilities and potentials within you to rise triumphant. What’s keeping you from flying? Let your spirit soar!

God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

—————————————————–              

Tweet This Post