Building Your Spiritual Bank Account

Sunday, August 7, 2022 Conscious Conversation

Lucinda Alton, RScP, with Sherri Dotter, RScP

The following is the outline Lucinda prepared to guide the Conscious Conversation. You may view the video with subtitles on our website or on our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKHQkXXdy17s2Ubpe3b46sw.

Opening Songs:

Welcome to the Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
One Big Family, written by Robin Hackett & Gary Lynn Floyd
Chant: Love, Serve and Remember, by John Astin

Sherri – Invocation

Lucinda – Welcome and Global Connection

Hello, I’m Lucinda Alton, Prayer Practitioner at Mystic Heart Spiritual Center. And I want to welcome you home.

Please close your eyes if you are comfortable doing so. Let’s begin by taking a deep breath…and releasing it. Let go of anything that has come before this moment and anything that will be coming afterward. Please join me in recognizing that we are all connected to each other. Each of us a perfect manifestation of the One. In your mind, see the web that connects us. A gossamer web, a delicate looking web that is unbreakable. Humans, plants, animals…we are all connected in the mind of God. You allow your point of view to pull back and you begin to see that the web is filled with bright sparkling lights. We are a Global Community made up of countless bright sparks of light. Each of us a point of God’s radiant light. Each point individual, each different than any other point of light. And the absence of even one of those points would dim the overall light. I stand in awe and gratitude as I contemplate this web within the mind of God. We are, each and every one of us a point of energetic light in the mind of God.

Feel this connection that we have to each other as we share a heartfelt intention for our time together.

Introduction

The theme for this month is: The Six Pillars of a Spiritual Life. And today for our Conscious Conversation, we will be discussing “Building Our Spiritual Bank Account.”

As I think you all know, Ernest Holmes has written a lot of books and articles. One of my favorites is actually a transcript of one of his radio programs, “Your Spiritual Bank Account.”

His idea is simple:

“How would it be if we all opened up a spiritual account with the Bank of Life itself? And realizing that we are drawing on the Infinite, see to it that each day we are depositing enough hope, happiness, and faith to more than meet any emergency that can possibly arise. The wonderful part about this proposition is that we know Life contains all these things and it wants to give them to us. It is intended by the Divine scheme of things that we should have them.”

The question is, how do we build this Spiritual Bank Account?

Discussion led in Q&A format

Spiritual Study, Meditation and Affirmative Prayer

Using Reverend Diana’s descriptions, let’s talk about the Six Pillars of a Spiritual Life.

Spiritual Study – building understanding through reading, study, investigation, and reflection.

Meditation – consciously putting ourselves into a state of communion with the One.

Affirmative Prayer is being in communion with God. Recognizing that the energy of God flows through each of us as His manifestations.

Spiritual study as opposed to studying for a test. This is studying and contemplating the thoughts of spiritually minded authors it. Internalizing it so that we know how we feel about it. What would be some examples of spiritual study? Maybe taking classes? Attending Sunday Services?

Affirmative prayer makes a statement, supplication prayer makes a plea.

And why meditate? In this context, what does meditation do? Meditation puts us into a quiet, sacred space where we can listen and hear what God is saying to us. It is also helps to give us clarity.

Circulation, Sacred Service, Celebration

Circulation – is our relationship to the flow of life through balancing giving, receiving, asking, forgiving and gratitude.

Sacred Service is the practice of serving God by serving others without expectation of reward or of a specific result.

Celebration is the practice of seeing, experiencing, and rejoicing in the Presence of the Divine in one another, in all of creation, in all conditions, everywhere, all the time!

Circulation: our relationship with the flow of life through giving and receiving. Tithing is a part of this. The flow is circular. So what I send out by giving I receive back. But here is the funny thing about that. It comes back to me in the ways that are the most useful for me. What might be a good example of this? For me, there was a time when a friend of mine could not afford to buy Easter baskets for her kids, so I put baskets together for each of them. In return, I got to see their pleasure and enjoyment. I felt kind of like I got a lot more than I gave.

Sacred Service – serving God through service to others. What does that mean to you? For me, it can be as simple as a smile. When I am doing anything for someone else and remembering that that person is God in manifest form.

Celebration: Community, having a good time with each other.

Putting it all together

With regard to our spiritual bank accounts, Ernest Holmes said:

“We shall earn the ability to draw on this bank through constant meditation and prayer (do your spiritual practices) and communion with the Infinite, using statements in our meditations similar to the following: “God is love and all the love there is mine now. I shall endeavor to see something lovable in everyone I meet, in every situation I find myself in, and as I do this l shall accumulate a great storehouse to be deposited in my bank. And then when some experience comes along which seems unkind or unlovable, I shall be able to write a check on my bank of love which will cover every liability of hate or of unkindness.”

Each time you do your spiritual practices, you are making a deposit to your spiritual bank account. I also want to emphasize that a strong gratitude practice is also a great way of making a deposit into your spiritual bank account.

For your homework this week, take a little extra time to acknowledge how you feel as you are doing your spiritual services.

Closing Prayer

Meditation: Bank Vault Meditation

Love-Soaked World

Keeping your eyes closed if you are comfortable doing so, please join me in envisioning a love-soaked world. A world where each person’s needs are met daily. A world where each person has choices in each area of their lives, and each person knows they have choices.

A world where each person is valued for exactly who they choose to be, where each person knows that their choices are not final. A world where differences are celebrated. A world of peace and joy.

A world where each person is born knowing that they are loved.

Music: When I Pray, Daniel Nahmod

Offering and Blessing

Offertory – Blessing for the Offering

Each Sunday, we invite you to join in the celebration of the work we are doing in the world by sharing of your financial Good, should you choose to. And we are definitely in awe of your generosity.

If you are at home, 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, let these words come from your heart, knowing the Power of your word; and please feel our deep appreciation for 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 offer this gift freely in the spirit of Love, blessing and 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!

Offertory Music: Think about sacred service as you listen to Nimo Patel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJhZ64BvvFU

Prayer and Invitations Sherri

Mark your calendars now…

Wednesdays, August 3 – September 7, 3:00-5:00 pm. The Power of Myth: A Video Discussion Gathering with Prayer Practitioner Chris Johnson. Drop-ins welcome!
Tuesdays, 3-5 pm – Michael Bordeaux’s Book Club will be starting up again on September 13^th, rather than August 9^th. He will begin a fun, thought-provoking and moving novel, Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo.
Wednesday, September 14^th– November 30^th from 2:00 – 5:00 pm, Diana will be offering Divine Audacity, the first of her Conscious Evolution Series. This class will be offered in-person and on Zoom and is appropriate for anyone wanting to grow!

As always, more details are in your bulletin and on our website.

Save the Dates!

Fall Family Campout: Saturday September 24 to Tuesday September 27, 2022. The cost is $75 per adult; $40 per teen (13–17); $25 per child (5–12); and no charge for tots from 0-4 years of age. Cost includes all meals and camp fees; Junior Mystics children’s program supervised by Traci is also included.
Second Annual Spring Family Retreat at Coram Ranch: Thursday through Sunday, April 20-23, 2023. The cost for the 3½ days, including housing, seven wholesome meals, and all retreat supplies is $225 per adult, $125 per teen 13–17, $50 per child 5–12, and no charge for children 0-4 years. Cost Includes all meals and a Junior Mystics Children’s program led by Traci Roberti.

As always, if you need prayer support, I am available today. If you would like to meet with a Prayer Practitioner, you will find our contact information on the back of your handout.

You could also fill out one of the cards on the fireplace. There are envelopes there as well. And you can put them on the silver tree.

If you are new with us and would like to be informed of what is happening here at Mystic Heart, you will find a card on the fireplace that you can use to be added to our mailing list. We will never sell your information.

Closing Songs

A Soul’s Blessing, written by Chris Johnson
Love Be with You, written by Lainey Bernstein, RScP & Gary Lynn Floyd

Bank of Love, Celebration, Circulation, Meditation, Prayer, Sacred Service, Six Pillars of a Spiritual Life, Spiritual Study

Conscious Conversation