Tag: faith

Jesus The Rabbi

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I believe Jesus envisioned a time when religious authorities would shift from being protectors against the consequences of sin to become instructors devoted to opening the doors to the inner kingdom. As a scholar and teacher, this is the intended role of a rabbi.

A religion that is focused on saving people from sin is based on the need to protect a weakness. Here, the weakness is a distorted understanding of the true nature of God, the individual, and their inseparable oneness with God. Essentially, it is a belief in two powers—good and evil.

An educationally focused religious system will dedicate itself to developing strength. It acknowledges that God is the only power, and oneness with God is the ultimate truth. Translating this understanding into practical applications that have a positive impact on everyday life is the goal. This type of system explains the existence of evil, not as a power, but as a blockage of light, a misperception of the true nature of underlying reality. Instead of addressing the shadow, it seeks to bring light to the blockage that causes it. For instance, the practice of denial is not simply saying, “There is no shadow.” We acknowledge the shadow, but we see it as the effect of something that is obstructing the light. Denial is a deliberate act of withholding the power we give to this obstruction.

When people addressed Jesus as a rabbi, they acknowledged him as a scholar and teacher who had a unique grasp on the letter of Mosaic law. His special talent, however, lay in his capacity to shed light on the unity between man and God, and the transformative power this awareness brings to one’s life.

While religious tradition has always devoted itself to convincing people it could protect them from the consequence of their named list of sins, Jesus devoted his ministry to saving them from the greatest sin of all—spiritual ignorance. He pointed out that it is not the type of food that goes into the mouth that corrupts, but the words and actions that stem from a corrupt understanding of one’s relationship to God. Teaching this truth, I believe, was the sole purpose of his ministry.

I believe Jesus envisioned a time when religious authorities would shift from being protectors against the consequences of sin to become instructors devoted to opening the doors to the inner kingdom. As a scholar and teacher, this is the intended role of a rabbi.

A religion focused on saving people from sin is based on the need to protect a weakness. Here, the weakness is a distorted understanding of the true nature of God, the individual, and their inseparable oneness with God. Essentially, it is a belief in two powers—good and evil. I hope you can join us in Sunday’s exploration of Jesus The Rabbi, whose revolutionary approach went beyond teaching religious rules to teaching spiritual principles that could change lives. 

The Natural Prayer

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During my talk last Sunday, I discussed the topic of prayer and its perceived failures. After the service, a friend raised an interesting question regarding the purpose of prayer altogether. Raising such a question can help us reach a better understanding of prayer. If we treat it simply as a formula intended to invoke spiritual forces that we hope will influence outcomes in our favor, we miss the fuller scope of our involvement. We are, in fact, constantly in a state of what we might call a natural prayer, with our overall mindset as the primary influence. While we may use the tools of affirmations and denials to bring about change, it is ultimately our state of mind that determines the course and overall condition of our life.

The two main faculties we employ in natural prayer are faith and imagination. Here, faith is synonymous with expectation. The influence of expectation runs in our mind like a background program on our computer. It’s always working, but we don’t see it. What we see at the mental and emotional level are the images our faith generates through the faculty of imagination.

In his novel, The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho makes this observation:

“When each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.”

This attitude is the mindset that we want to pay attention to. When we expect each day to be the same as the next, we are training the creative power of our imagination to match our level of expectation. All things considered; this may seem reasonable. And, if we are content with the monotony of each day being the same as the next, why bother investing effort in fixing something that isn’t broken? If we are restless and dissatisfied with our life, it will be advantageous to recognize the good things that present themselves and raise our expectation and appreciation for these gifts that each new day brings.

Natural prayer does not center on a single aspect but encompasses our overall quality of life. It directs our awareness to each present moment, every individual we encounter, and any circumstance that calls for a creative resolution. We naturally raise our own expectations and the imaginative visions that these inspire.

When Prayer Fails

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Most of us can recall times when we prayed for something, and our desired answer came about quickly and in a way that worked out well for everyone involved. Other times, it seems our prayer goes unanswered. Are we doing it right sometimes, and wrong others? Or is there some other reason our answers are not consistent?

You may remember Jesus in Gethsemane, where he prayed three times for a different outcome, to no avail. James says our prayers go unanswered because we pray amiss. As a teacher of the art of affirmative prayer, it would not seem likely that Jesus prayed amiss.

The Gospel accounts tell us that Jesus’ prayer went unanswered because God had bigger plans for him. Does this mean God wants me to endure this pain because there is a bigger plan? Is this financial setback thrust upon me to force me to open my eyes to greater possibilities? Did this relationship crumble because God doesn’t want me to be with that person?

The most productive response we can have to apparently failed prayer is to take a hard look at how we think prayer works. Are we attempting to get God to act, or are we doing everything possible to align our thoughts, our expectations, and our actions with the outcome we desire? There is no single answer to this question. However, if you believe in the power of prayer, you will take it upon yourself to find your answer. If you’ve had no success implementing all the prayer techniques given to you through books and teachers, then it may be time to let go of these and embark on your own quest to understand this important practice. Jesus had his character sell all his possessions to buy the treasure-bearing field. We know what others teach about prayer. What do we say it is, and how do we successfully employ it in our situation?

The way is not always apparent, but this does not mean that the answer we seek is unavailable. Ask, seek, knock until the door opens. If you say I did these things and still nothing, then ask, seek, and knock again, and as many times as it takes to see the door open. Either you believe your answer is possible, or you do not. If you believe it is possible, then stay with it until it becomes your reality.

What if God was One of Us?

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To the Jewish mind of Jesus’ day, claiming oneness with God was a crime punishable by stoning. That the foundation of his message was oneness with God probably contributed to his conviction in the Jewish court.

With her 90s hit song, “One of Us,” Joan Osborne met with similar resistance from mainstream Christian groups. While the song takes a rather anthropomorphic view of God, it has the effect of bringing the abstract notion of God into the human experience. This is what we want to do. Many people picture God as having an existence somewhere in a distant realm. We want to think of God as the creative life force, the vital essence of every living thing. Most importantly, we want to think of God as centered at the core of our being.

If God was one of us, that would again put us in a place of separation. If God becomes a stranger on the bus, and I’m not on that bus, then I’m here and God is not. However, the purpose of engaging in such reflections is not to run aground in problems with literal interpretations. I consider the idea of God being present in my life at this moment, actively involved right on my level. How would I think of my life if this were true?

One near-death experiencer said he met a being of light whose telepathically transmitted voice he instantly recognized as the intuitive voice he’d heard all his life. What if we acknowledged the countless ways through which we are connected to God’s guidance and inspiration? Might we not pay a little closer attention to that stranger on the bus? This thought is a powerful point of contemplation: I am in God, and the full light of God shines through me and through all people and things in my life.

I did not ride with strangers on a bus this week, but I sat with some in a waiting room at the Social Security office. It occurred to me that each one had a unique story to tell, a journey that had brought them to that moment. As I waited for my number to be called, I thought how interesting it would be to have everyone share their story. While I refrained from suggesting this idea to the group, I silently offered each person a blessing, wishing them peace and success in their ongoing journeys. I will never know if this simple prayer had any impact. What I know is that the exercise prompted me to ponder a different question: What if God was all of us?

Return of the Steady State

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Astronomer Fred Hoyle (1915-2001) was a proponent of a theory of creation known as the “steady-state model”. It is interesting that he favored this theory over the “big bang”, though he was actually responsible for naming it. In a BBC radio interview, his use of the phrase, however, was intended as ridicule.

It has suddenly dawned on me that we can combine these two ideas, as they both represent principles that can help us understand the metaphysics of prayer and the manifestation process in general.

In his parable of the house built on rock and one built on sand, Jesus referred to mental conditions; one steady as a rock, the other shifting and as unstable as sand. The soul is the steady, unchanging rock. Our reaction to life’s events can quickly turn into an emotional roller coaster as shifting and as unsteady as sand. Let’s think of our soul as in a perpetual steady state of power and peace. Our perceptual response to negative people and conditions is like a big bang of emotion that explodes into the kinds of experiences that keep us awake at night.

Last week I talked about vaporizing the people and conditions that disturb us. Of course, this refers to a mental/emotional exercise. We hold a picture of the disturbing person or circumstance and we imagine love dissolving it. Traditionally this is called denial or release, but vaporizing the person or condition may be a bit more gratifying. On the screen of our imagination, we see the image of the problem area dissolve into nothingness. Through the power of unconditional love, we allow ourselves to feel the mental and emotional freedom and satisfaction of releasing the negative imagery into the nothingness from which it came.

We then forgive ourselves for going down that path in the first place. We also remind ourselves that we will not confront the person or condition unless and until we are given clear guidance to do so. The toothpaste is out of the tube, and we’re not going to try to put it back in. We’re going to vaporize it. We know we are successful when we can hold the situation in our mind and feel good that the proper resolution is forthcoming. When we attain this stabilizing condition of mind, we have returned to the steady state.  

How To Win the Waiting Game

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When Jesus told Pilate that his kingship was not of this world, the average reader assumes he was referring to the coming of the long-anticipated kingdom of God. To the mystic, he was referring to a different way of experiencing life here and now. Those who were waiting for the Messiah envisioned a fundamental change in the social and political world order. Jesus was talking about a change that could happen within one’s normal life. The key to his intended meaning is embodied in this verse:

“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20).

This passage is typically interpreted as Jesus pointing out that earth is not his true home and that those who follow him should not expect much in the way of earthly comforts. The mystic, on the other hand, understands that, unlike the fox or the bird, the human being is not bound by the strict parameters of instinct. There are no set outcomes, no place to lay our head. This is not a negative statement, but one intended to free the mind of restricting preconceptions.

The Jews of Jesus’ day were anticipating a Messiah, someone to dramatically change their life in ways they could not possibly do themselves. Jesus was telling them that their hope for a better life did not depend on divine intervention, that they could open themselves to new possibilities of experience right in the midst of their present life.

The Way that Jesus taught suggests that positive changes can come about in the most mundane of daily tasks. One can learn to find adventure in fetching the daily supply of water, plowing the field, or doing the wash. He had observed that those who constantly anticipate a better life rarely achieved it. The good is never good enough. The better life one imagines never quite arrives.  

We win the waiting game by realizing we do not lay our head in any anticipated better condition, but it is within all conditions that our highest good awaits. Jesus encouraged his listeners to lift their awareness to the miracle of the Presence of God found in every new moment.

From Religion to Spirituality

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Nearly all of us who have come into a more direct study of spiritual principles have some type of religious background. For whatever reason, we have stepped from that path and pursued one that is more suitable to our heart’s dictates. Throughout my career, I’ve heard hundreds of stories from people who have stepped away from the “safety” of their traditional background and embarked upon a path that may not be so well received by their former teachers.

What would cause us to do this? I think the answer lies in today’s subtitle. We are looking for spiritual authenticity. While it can be said that the teachings we’ve been given are true to the beliefs of the early church movement, something has prompted us to question whether they reflect what is actually true of Spirit. Jesus criticized the Pharisees with this quote from Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Matthew 15:8-9).

It has been pointed out that while all religions reference God, none can encompass God. A religion is a collective perspective intended to guide people safely through this maze of appearances we call life, and assure us the best outcome. All religions are based on the belief in separation. Either we are separate from God, or we are separate from our higher Self. But what happens when we grow past this given that we are separate from God or ourselves? What do we do with the revelation that the kingdom of the Father is spread out over the earth and men do not see it? (Thomas 113).

This is where our need for spiritual authenticity really kicks in. If God is present and centered within me, then how can I know and experience God? If my soul is complete now, how can I live from this completeness? If sin does not damage my relationship with God, how can I come to know this unconditional love in which I live and move and have my being?

I can search scriptures for answers to these questions, but I will not come to know the answers until I experience them for myself. Jesus advised to knock, and the door would be open. He did not go into detail about how this works, probably because he understood that each person’s relationship to God belongs only to them, that it isn’t something we find within the confines of a religious doctrine, but within the quiet center of our own heart.

Tapping Into the Mind of God

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It is becoming increasingly clear to a certain camp of physicists that omnipresent Consciousness is a fundamental element of the universe. This is not a new idea. “Panpsychism is the view that mentality [consciousness] is fundamental and ubiquitous in the natural world” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).” In the 19th century, panpsychism was the default philosophy of mind in Western thought. While the scientifically-minded will stop short of calling this God, we in the spiritual community have no problem doing so.

When we think of tapping into the mind of God, we start with the understanding that God doesn’t have a mind, God is Mind. The characteristics of God/Mind are life, love, power, and intelligence. All living forms express life, love, and power sufficient to their being. The tiny mouse is just as alive as the enormous elephant. Intelligence is the one characteristic that displays in distinguishable variations.

If intelligence is everywhere present, why isn’t the mouse designing quantum computers? Brain capacity seems to be the best answer. It’s like screwing a 40 or 100 watt bulb into the same socket. The 40 watt will not produce the light of a 100 watt, though they draw from the same source.

We are literally immersed in the intelligence of God, and we are designed to express it. This is particularly useful to know and visualize in our times of prayer. Affirming the light of intelligence guiding our way, healing our mind and body, or opening new channels of abundance raises our expectation (faith) of greater good to unfold.

Our body constantly carries out a combination of intricate functions that are far beyond our awareness, as if there are multi-universes transpiring within our single organism. We are literally permeated with the intelligence that knows how to carry out these important functions. The same is true of our larger body of circumstance. We may be fixated on the opening of a specific door while infinite intelligence is opening a window that we’re not even aware of. Affirming this possibility opens our mind to all possibilities. In truth, tapping into the mind of God is tapping into the greater resources of our own mind.    

Healing Light

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This week, the subject of healing has been raised a couple of times, a signal to me that it’s time to revisit this topic. Healing, like prosperity, harmony in relationships, peace of mind, or any desired condition, begins at a specific point that engages all our executive faculties, beginning with imagination and faith. Judgment, will, and elimination also play important roles, but imagination and faith are where we begin.

For many, the thing that occupies the imagination most is the problem we are experiencing. If we have a health challenge, we are likely to hold a picture of what is wrong. With the spiritual approach, we start with a picture of wholeness. At the soul level, we are whole. The soul, being energy, is not subject to physical illness of any kind. We can visualize the soul as a radiant light of wholeness shining through our body, permeating every cell from within. We imagine this light doing the work of love, dissolving that which is not for our highest good and attracting that which is.

We turn our faith to the truth of this picture by affirming something like this: The healing light of my soul is now cleansing all impurities from my body. This is where your judgment comes in. Declare that in truth, this healing process is indeed taking place. This is a true judgment.

What about your faculty of will? Do not try to force healing with your willpower. Simply be willing to accept that healing is now occurring. How do you engage your faculty of elimination? You engage this faculty by releasing all negative thoughts and images concerning this process.

You will benefit by setting aside a special quiet time to do this prayer exercise. You can also do it anytime throughout the day, even when you are busy doing other things. You do not have to memorize the affirmation to invoke your healing vision. In truth, your vision is the affirmation. Jesus said to believe in your heart that your desire is coming to pass, and it will be done for you.

Give thanks that your healing vision is now manifesting throughout your body.   

The Substance of Faith

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For many, a declaration of faith is an affirmation of belief in the truth of a religious system. When they say they have faith in God, they are likely referring to the concept of God portrayed in that particular belief system.   

Faith, as a faculty, is active even if we adopt no religious preferences. The atheist, for example, has faith that there is no God. Let’s look at this familiar statement from Jesus to illustrate the point.

Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Mark 11:23

The mountain, of course, can be any seeming unsurmountable challenge. We can just as easily have faith that nothing we say to the mountain will make any difference. How we exercise our faith, however, makes a major difference in how we behave and what we expect in terms of an outcome. The substance of faith is, therefore, our own attitude, our degree of expectation.

How do we know our degree of expectation? Our first response is usually the best indicator. If there is doubt in our heart, it will show itself immediately. Like the man seeking healing for his son, we say, “I believe, but help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Faith pointed in two different directions is better described as hope. Hoping a thing works out is not the same as releasing all doubt.

We may wonder if our faith affects the way conditions unfold. While there is no record in the Gospels of mountains being cast into the sea, there are plenty of instances where a person’s long-standing condition of ill health changed by their change in faith. For twelve years, a woman suffered with an issue of blood that was cured the instant she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. The faith and money she had previously put in the medical help of her day was apparently diluted with doubt. As she made her way through the crowd to Jesus, her doubt disappeared, and the full force of her faith took over. For the first time in twelve years, her expectation was in her wholeness, and her wholeness is what came through.

We should not concern ourselves with how the substance of faith will manifest, only that it will.