Welcome to Day 24 of the Lenten Season. As I sit, I hold each of you close, knowing that this season of release and renewal, of making space for continuing growth, is bearing fruit in your life, as it is in mine. My prayer is that each of us knows the Truth of Who and What we are, with deep faith in our inherent process of evolution and expansion; and that we surrender to that Process as it has Its way with us.
We are less than three weeks from Easter Sunday. In New Thought and Mystical Traditions, Easter is a celebration of the newness of every moment, and of the new possibilities and opportunities present in every day of our lives. It offers an opportunity, with its preceding season of Lent, to fast from all that no longer serves us, and to feast on the Goodness of Life. In case you have not been taking part on Sundays, let me do a quick review. The word Lent derives from the Anglo-Saxon and is the word for spring, which is a verb meaning to lengthen. The season of Lent begins in the spring when the days become noticeably longer. In recent times the celebration of fasting and feasting has been a 40 day cycle to honor the 40 days of prayer and fasting that the master teacher Jesus spent in the wilderness, dealing with the temptations of mind and body. The number 40 is sacred in many wisdom traditions, and is a symbol of spiritual completion, of the time it takes for a new state of consciousness to be reached. It means that we stay with our practice for as long as it takes. The Season of Lent, and its culmination on Easter Sunday, is a season of spiritual growth, a time for progressive unfoldment, for the dying off of old habits and patterns, and the soul’s resurrection as new life expressing, and as the expansion of awareness and the raising of consciousness.
It seems to me that, in the past year, we (as a human family) have had a major shift in our awareness. So many of the things we took for granted…such as the freedom to safely gather with friends and family, or as a Spiritual Community…have become much more precious to us. Many of the things we thought we needed seem less important now; and some of the ways we were spending our time have shifted. These changes may seem small in the grand scheme of things. But don’t fool yourself – each and every one of these adjustments is part of a much bigger story. Each of us who becomes more conscious leaves a permanent imprint on the Evolutionary Unfolding of the Cosmos. What we do and how we live matters!
I have invited each of you to be a part of our New Life Blooming Easter Taize Service, either online via Zoom or in person as space permits. In order to make the ceremony personal and interactive, I have asked each of us to reflect on which patterns of thinking and behavior might be getting in the way of our being our highest version of ourselves. As often happens, I first developed the ideas for Easter, then spoke my request on Sunday. Next, I sent a formal invitation to the community this morning. Of course, I had to chuckle when, only after all of this was complete, I opened a selection of Devotionals as part of my prayer time this morning. Here is what I found.
First, in 60 Days of Prayer, published by Guidepost Magazine, today’s reading was from the book Isaiah. It said, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Chapter 43, verses 18-19) In the follow-up commentary, it advised that each of us “make it a daily practice to check the thoughts and actions for barriers that block you from having a closer relationship with God. Let go of what is impeding you from living your best full life and go forward on the path (It) clears for you.” I love synchronicity!
Next, I opened Unity’s Release and Renew, and at the bottom of an article about releasing old feelings of bitterness, I found a quote from the book of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 18: “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” What is this saying? Jesus was advising his disciples that whatever they allowed to limit or restrain them, as physical beings on earth, would send a corresponding message of limitation into the universe. (Jesus spoke Aramaic. Interesting that the Aramaic word for heaven means the universe.)
Finally, opening the Science of Mind Magazine to today’s reading, in the final two paragraphs of an article called Staying Tuned, it said, “It is also important to stay tuned to what may be getting in the way of expressing your highest and best. Maybe it is a lack of forgiveness. Maybe it is being attached to a certain outcome that didn’t happen. Maybe it is being angry because something did not go your way.” Maybe it is actually a pattern of thinking or behavior, rather than one specific incident. Do you find yourself criticizing others, even mentally? Do you have a habit of thinking that you could or would do things differently, or better? Do you have a tendency toward pessimism (even if you call it realism)? Are you always waiting for the next shoe to drop? Do you assume that your life will never be better than it is right now? The article went on to say, “Whatever it is, be aware that it is causing discord in your life. Then retune by becoming still and knowing that God lives, moves and has Its being as you. Stay tuned to the Goodness of life.”
We all have such patterns. I invite you to take the time to reflect. When you have identified the pattern or patterns that are creating the greatest stumbling blocks, write them down in order to acknowledge their presence; set a conscious intention to do some spiritual work around their release. If you want support in this process, send me your intentions in an email and I will make them a part of the Release Ceremony on Easter Sunday. And then set your sights on the Spiritual Truth that will set you free! Affirm that you are Perfectly and Intentionally made, as is everyone else! Know that there is a seed of Divine Perfection in everyone and everything, no matter the appearance! Place your faith in the Goodness and Abundance of Spirit, and in the presence of that Goodness and Abundance in your life! Speak Truth to Power, with Power, trusting in the Loving and Lawful Presence to respond in kind.
I trust that each of you is called to this Work. And as we listen to, and answer the call, we are lifted to new heights, individually and collectively. I look forward to walking this journey of New Life Blooming with you. I’ll keep my eyes open for your intentions.
May we all come to know the essence of who we are and why we’re here.
May we all be well…stay in touch…know our Unity…and thrive!
And may we know the Absolute Beauty and Wonder of this Grace-filled, once-in-a lifetime day…
