Are You Living It?               Sunday, June 27, 2021 Taizé

Sherri Dotter, RScP, with Lucinda Alton, RScP, Prayer Practitioner

Call to Awareness – 3 Bells

Opening Prayer – Lucinda will set the intention to open heart and mind, welcoming whatever is to be awakened today.

Introduction – Sherri

Good morning. I’m Sherri Dotter and I am a Prayer Practitioner here at Mystic Heart Spiritual Center. Welcome Home to our Beloved Community, and Welcome Home to your own Mystic Heart. I thank you for joining us this morning for our Taizé Meditation.

For the next hour or so, I invite you to let go of all that has come before this moment…begin by taking a slow, deep, cleansing breath…and fully arriving in the here and now. Gently close your eyes and allow yourself to relax…body, mind, and spirit…allow yourself to be completely still. Relax into the peace that lies within the stillness.  All is well.  Allow that feeling of peace to hold you as the music carries you into the meditative tone of Taizé.

Chant – Love Breathes Through Me by Narayan and Janet

Sherri – This year’s theme is Connection… in June we are giving our attention to Tending the Dream. And this week I ask the question “Are you living it?” Exploring further, I looked up the definition of the word Dream.  The definition that resonated with me was “a cherished aspiration, ambition or ideal” and “something notable for its beauty, excellence, or enjoyable quality”.

So let’s go back in time when, as a child, or teen we were typically asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?”.  That focus was common, centered on acquiring something or someone.  “Getting” married, “having” children, “finding” a good job, “buying” a house.  Maybe a profession, the education we would need to be successful in that profession and then the grades we would need to obtain to get accepted into that educational institution.  We also understood that this would give us the money we needed to support our life….to attract the right mate…to buy things…to ultimately buy happiness. I chuckle to myself right here because the plan sounded so simple and for most of us, we began to execute it without question because culturally it seemed that this was just the way things were.  There didn’t seem much choice in the matter…just that we needed to choose our life’s path as soon as possible and then get busy attaining it.

The definition that matches this type of dream is “a state of mind marked by abstraction or release from reality”.  The small “r” reality that is the perception that separation actually exists.  That we are separate from our good, our God and one another.  We, as a society, often seek escape from this reality and we enter a Dream not of an ideal life but the mesmerizing, hypnotic dream that is the obtaining of things…even the obtaining of people.  The gross material acquisition that is valued in our culture.  But most of us, and probably all of us here were somewhere on that path and woke up from that “Dream”. We began to realize that there was something more.  A greater Reality (with a capital “R”)…something bigger than ourselves. That it was good, that it was All Good, that it was Love itself.  Upon further study, Spiritual Practice, and prayer, we came to know that to give of this infinite good and eternal love, It expresses by means of us.  Yes You!  And the most wonderful Spiritual Principle, is that you are unique individuation of this Presence.  You are Unique. You are the only one that can bring your particular expression of God to this experience we call life.  You have a gift that only you can share.  You make a difference in this world. You matter. The lyrics in the song God in Everyone affirms:

Let me be an instrument, Guided by and heaven sent

May these grapes of pain ferment, Alchemize to Love’s content

Ever be a sacrament, Knowing God is my intent

As we allow Spirit to take our pain and transform it, we begin to recognize our gifts.  When our intent is to express Spirit by applying our gifts, by making good use of them, we ourselves become a sacrament. In other words, we are a means of Divine Grace, the very avenue through which love flows.

Musical Meditation– God in Everyone Gary Lynn Floyd

Sherri

Tending the Dream is living a life that more and more fully expresses your gifts.  So, when I asked “Are You Living It?” I am really asking, “Are you expressing and giving of your gifts to serve others?” “Are you living a life that is more about the “giving” and less about the “getting”?  Let’s reflect on this.  What would happen if we gave less attention to what we are not getting from our partner, our boss, our friends, our children, our parents, our minister and we began instead to give attention to giving these same people our gifts?  Would we see a shift in our life?

SILENCE – 2 Minutes – Bell

Sherri – The word Tending is worth reflection.  As a verb, tending means “regularly or frequently behave in a particular way or have a certain characteristic” and “to move, direct or develop one’s course in a particular direction”.  It also has the meaning “to pay attention, to apply oneself to the care of, to act as an attendant, to serve.  And finally, to cultivate or foster” and an archaic meaning ‘to Listen”.  So, I think of this theme as pointing to the idea of consistently moving towards our Ideal, our best version of ourselves. To be attentive, supporting and nurturing of this movement towards our ideal life, our Dreams.  What we ideally want for ourselves and our loved ones and ultimately what we want for everyone and everything.  And this only happens by means of us, by allowing the strength and grace of Spirit to transform us and our lives…and by sharing our gifts with every person we come into contact with. Helpful questions to ask yourself in any given moment is “What God quality, essence or attribute is yearning for expression in this interaction?”  “How can I increase my expression of Love, Life, Peace, Joy, Courage, Authenticity or Compassion right now?”

SILENCE – 2 Minutes – Bell (Lucinda)

Lucinda – Meditation

Close your eyes and allow yourself to relax into your chair.  Feel the chair taking your weight as you allow yourself to open to the loving peace in the room.  In your mind’s eye, you see a door.  You get up and exit through that door – and find yourself standing in a forest glade.  You feel a cool refreshing breeze caressing your skin as you head down the path.  As you walk, you find yourself thinking about the God quality that you wish to embody next.  As you reach the edge of the woods, you find yourself standing on the edge of your world.  And you watch as you go about your day practicing that God quality.  What does this look like?  How do you feel as you watch?

Silence – 3:00

It’s time to come back into the room now.  When you are ready, open your eyes and remember how that felt.  And remember to express gratitude for what you have been shown.

Thank you, God, for everything…

Please affirm with me that our thoughts, words, and actions align with our deepest spiritual intention, and that we are all inspired daily to give full expression to the gifts given us.  The light of our souls shines brightly as we express powerful spiritual qualities in this world.

Sherri – Invitation to Practice

Moving from our Meditation, we enter into another form of Spiritual Practice by enjoying a time of contemplation, reflecting on each quote to inspire our Dreams…to discover our Gifts.

• I am guided by the same intelligence and inspired by the same imagination which scatters the moon beams across the waves and holds the forces of nature in its grasp. Ernest Holmes
• The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt
• Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears. Les Brown
• The greatest achievement was at first, and for a time, a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities. James Allen
• A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities. R. R. Tolkien
• Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself. Mark Twain
• Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams. Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Nature, like a kind and smiling mother, lends herself to our dreams and cherishes our fancies. Victor Hugo
• Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity. Khalil Gibran
• Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream. Laozi
• Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. Composed by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, sung by Judy Garland
• But we are born to be happy, to be abundantly supplied with every good thing, to have fun in living, to consciously unite with the Divine Power that is around us and within us, and to grow and expand forever. Ernest Holmes

Musical Meditation – One with the Divine Gary Lynn Floyd

Sherri – Moving into Celebration

In a state of deep knowing that we are The Hands and Heart of God, let’s take a moment, closing our eyes, for our Joyful Practice of Envisioning a Love-Soaked World, a world impacted and transformed by all of the good we are doing, individually and collectively…Visioning together…a world that is peaceful, joyful, abundant, and free…where the Earth is in perfect balance, respected and cared for by all beings everywhere…where everyone has plenty of nourishing food to eat, a warm and comfortable home, access to medical care, opportunities for education and creative contribution, and a sense of belonging…a world in which every being is valued for his or her inherent Goodness, Beauty, and Perfection…a world in which every being is accepted and valued for his or her uniqueness within that perfection…

a world created by our willingness to practice Radical Love and Compassion, Integrity, Forgiveness, Kindness, and Generosity.

Let this Vision become crystal clear in your heart and mind. Feel it…know it…within you and all around you. Trust and know that there is no lack or limitation in God…and with humanity as Its hands, feet, voice, and heart, all things are possible.

Now hold onto that Vision…and let it bring a smile to your face and Joy to your heart as you gently bring your awareness back to your body…to your senses…to the atmosphere in the room. As you feel ready, allow your eyes to gently open and take in whatever is before you.

Holding a shared Vision is a powerful form of prayer. We are building our belief…we are building our Faith.

Please join me in this affirmation by repeating after me …We are writing a new story…We are doing it here…We are doing it now…And so it is!

Thank you for joining me in this Powerful Practice every week. Together, we are practicing the possible through prayer.

We are so grateful to be a part of this Beloved Community. Mystic Heart is an Independent Spiritual Center that is self-governed by Community Agreements and is free to grow and change according to the needs and desires of its members and friends. If you’d like to know more about our philosophy, we have a full description printed in our monthly bulletin. Also, I am or any Practitioner is always happy to answer any questions you may have.

Also, in case you didn’t know this about us, we are serious about our celebrations. We love having fun.  Celebration is a vital part of our Mission and our Spiritual Practice. We understand that by celebrating the Good in our lives, we bring more of it into our experience. I celebrate you and your choice to be here this morning. It is only in community with others that we come to know who we are.

Sherri – Blessing for the Offering

Each Sunday, we offer you the opportunity to share your financial Good, in support of the Work we are doing in the world. You can go to mysticheart.org to use our Donate Button or to find our mailing address.

We also have a Gracious Giving Program for those who would like to make a heartfelt monthly commitment of support so that we can more effectively plan for our growth and our monthly spending. I would be happy to give you more information.

As we move into this time of giving, please feel the Truth of these words, and say with me allowed if you choose, and know how much we appreciate your gifts:

As I awaken to the God within me and all around me, I see Abundance everywhere I look. I consciously step into that flow of Abundance by this act of giving. I bless this gift, sending it forth to heal and prosper. It is evidence of my deep faith. It does good work in the world and blesses all of Creation. I give from a consciousness of Abundance! And so it is! Amen!

Coming to know that EVERTHING WORKS TOGETHER FOR OUR GOOD, allow your pain, disappointments or fear to transform…to discover your gifts and your purpose…to serve others. And to find Music in the Meaning…

Video – Music in the Meaning Gary Lynn Floyd https://youtu.be/2BhNjFghpME

Lucinda opens the brief Gratitude Prayer, Sherri closes.

Lucinda, Prayer Practitioner

If you are new with us today, please consider filling out an information card so that we can reach out. If you’d like prayer support, we also have prayer request cards and envelopes for your privacy. All of the Mystic Heart events and activities are listed in your bulletin, so feel free to take it with you. To continue the celebration, there is food and fellowship next door immediately following the service.

So let’s stand and sing our closing song.

Closing Song: Love Be with You by Lainey Bernstein, RScP & Gary Lynn Floyd