Every Day is a New Beginning
Sunday, June 30, 2024
Lucinda Alton, RScP, with Sherri Dotter, RScP.
Video Chapter Index
| 00:00 | Taizé | Clicking on a chapter link will play the segment in a new YouTube tab. Your link to this page will remain open in this tab, but the video will play in the new window. Clicking on the Play arrow in the video screen above will play both Taizé and the Conscious Conversation on this page. To make the picture bigger, you may click the full screen icon in the lower right corner:  To cast the video to your Smart TV, click the Play on TV button:  . Also, we now have Closed Captioning available! To access Closed Captions, start the video and click on the CC icon next to the gear in the lower right of the video screen:  |
| 20:20 | Guided Meditation | |
| 41:54 | Conscious Conversation |
Taizé
Lucinda Let us follow the sound of the bell into the Stillness Within……3 Bells
Sherri – Opening Prayer
Lucinda – Good morning…if you’re new with us here this morning, my name is Lucinda Alton, and I am a Prayer Practitioner at Mystic Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Independent Interfaith Community that teaches Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality. We open our doors in welcome, trusting that you will be led to the Guidance and Wisdom of your own Mystic Heart. We begin our Taizé with Musical Prayer.
Taizé Chants
- Welcome Home to Your Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- One Breath at a Time, written by Karen Drucker
Lucinda – Moving more deeply into our Center, we feel gratitude for the gifts we are given this day… taking a long, slow, deep breath in, filling your heart with love…and as you exhale, releasing that love into the world… Now slowly inhaling a deep sense of Peace… and exhaling, sharing Peace with all that is… Abiding in the Presence of the One…
Remember with me now that all of Creation is the expression of Spirit… the body of God… Each of us is a unique thread in the beautiful tapestry of Life… A strand of consciousness weaving in and out of one another to reveal the splendor of our Unity… This morning, we connect in consciousness with each other as human family, and with our Global Community… with our plant and animal siblings… with our Mother Earth, her waters, her minerals, her mountains, her weather… with our Grandfather Sky, his clouds, his stars, his planets, his galaxies… All expressions of The Infinite Nature of Spirit… each absolutely necessary to the whole…
As we acknowledge that we are all of One Essence, One Substance, One Source, we grow in compassion, empathy, and understanding. Firmly grounded in this awareness, we recognize that all that we offer into the world in thought, word, or action, affects the Whole.
With our hearts and minds consciously centered in Spirit, our collective prayer and meditation leave an imprint of Compassion and Kindness on human evolution, and on the world, for all time. Take a moment to experience the Grace we are radiating…
This month, our contemplations are centered in New Beginnings, and this morning’s reflections encourage us to contemplate the fact that Every Day is a New Beginning.
Louise Hay said “Today is a day for you to begin creating a joyous, fulfilling life. Today is the day to begin to release all your limitations. Today is the day for you to learn the secrets of life. You can change your life for the better. You already have the tools within you to do so. These tools are your thoughts and your beliefs.” Your thoughts and your beliefs are your tools. But in what way? How do we use these tools?
During Practitioner training, we were told that we pray to change our own minds. In his book Secrets of the Lost Mode of Prayer, Greg Braden spoke of an experience he had while in a drought in New Mexico. A native friend of his “prayed rain.” He visualized being in rain. He could feel the rain on his body, he could feel his bare feet in the mud, he could smell what the rain smelled like on the walls of the village. And he felt deep gratitude for the presence of the rain. He used a form of prayer to change his own mind….to experience the rain as already present.
Earnest Holmes said There is a Power around you that knows and that understands all things. This Power works like the soil; it receives the seed of your thought and at once begins to operate upon it. It will receive whatever you give to it and will create for you and throw back at you whatever you think into it.
When we use the form of prayer Braden spoke of, we use that Power. When we use affirmative prayer, we speak our words into that Power, knowing that they are already coming into manifestation.
But it goes deeper than that. Louise Hay and Earnest Holmes both spoke of our thoughts. We know that each of us in God in manifest form. The energy of God flows through and as each of us. God knows our thoughts and God always says yes.
This is why we do our spiritual practices. We meditate, we pray, we journal. We release those thoughts and beliefs that are no longer serving us. And as we get clearer on the inside, our world reflects the new thoughts and beliefs.
It takes dedication on our part to get to a place of love and clarity…to a place of certainty. To get to a place where we can experience that which we desire in our mind’s eye.
This is not to say that we don’t acknowledge current appearances. We do. And we are not trying to release those appearances. We are not in any way power into them. We are accepting new appearances. For me, I start each day with gratitude for what I have. And I go from there. As the day goes by, I make the best choices I can. And sometimes I don’t like the results of those choices. The good news is that each day is a blank slate filled with endless opportunities for make new choices. As Buddha said, “”Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”
One thing we must remember that we each control our own experiences and responses. We are each on our own journey. So, I cannot pray for change for another person without their permission.
Sherri – Guided Meditation
I invite you to close your eyes if they are not already closed…take a deep slow breath in, breathing in love…slowly let your breath flow out, breathing out peace…breathing in peace…breathing out joy…In your mind’s eye, see yourself standing in front of a door…you open the door and step out, finding yourself standing in your favorite place…How does this feel?…What can you smell?…What do you see?…After a minute, you can feel the presence of someone else. You are not frightened…You turn and find yourself facing yourself…Your image asks you what would make your life feel better…It doesn’t have to be big…take some time and allow yourself to experience what that would be like.
Silence – 3:00
Today is a new day…What choices could you make today to bring the better experience into fruition…Remember, you can always make a different choice if you want to…Remember also to ask yourself is this change is in your highest and greatest interest…and if it is in the highest and greatest interest of everyone else concerned…You realize that it is time to return to the door and come back into the room.
Lucinda – Even though it sometimes it might not feel like it, we do always have choices. There will be times when something we pray for doesn’t happen. That is the time to sit in prayer and ask why? Is this the best thing for me? Is this the best time for this to happen or might there be something else that needs to happen for me. Sometimes God has an experience in store for me that I couldn’t have imagined for myself. For me, the most important thing is that any change in my life happens in the highest and greatest way for everyone concerned. It is important that when we sit in prayer and ask questions, we listen for the answers – even if they are not what we want to hear. Also to remember that sometimes the answers can come a couple of days later.
I know that each of us is loved and supported by the Presence that lives within us. Each day is a blank slate, waiting for us to make choices about how it plays out. We do have choices and our greatest tool are our thoughts and beliefs.
Let’s close in prayer… Holding this prayer as the Truth for all who reach out…please know this Truth for yourself, trusting that in our Oneness, it is True for all beings. Wholeness is forever being revealed…
God, thank You. Thank you for this beautiful new day. Thank You for the new beginnings You provide in every moment. My body is filled with praise and thanksgiving for the love and grace, You give. You are always there supporting me in my highest and greatest interest. You have placed wonderful people in my life. Each and every one of them is a blessing. Thank You for those special people, and for the community that we have formed. And I am deeply grateful for your support both in my new beginnings and in the new beginnings for Mystic Heart. I know that each change that happens is an opportunity for me to learn and grow and I am deeply grateful for that.
I know that all of the new beginnings that are taking place are happening with grace and ease, and flow smoothly as they progress.
Speaking my word into law and knowing that they are already coming into being and with deepest gratitude, I say thank you, Father, Mother, God
And so it is
Musical Meditation
- Morning Has Broken, by Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)
Lucinda
I invite you to Come back into the awareness of your body…notice the atmosphere in the room, and when you feel ready, gently opening your eyes and allowing your gaze to take in whatever is before you.
Feel free to look around and say good morning to everyone who is here celebrating with you this morning.
This is your Spiritual Family…one of your support systems. These are some of the people who care about you, and who are there for you.
Love Offering
As we close our Taizé Meditation, we offer the opportunity for you to share your financial good in support of the work we do in the world. If you’re joining us online, you can find a Donate Button and our mailing address at mysticheart.org. We thank you in advance for your gifts. And we call to mind the words of Helen Keller…life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
Offertory Video
- New Day, by Danny Gokey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TrKXehB0pg&list=PLh6LSvEdFAl7Nw8NUW7LZYvAlyBodixdj&index=2
Lucinda – Blessing for the Offering
Feel free to grab a cup of something warm next door and meet us back at 10:30 for a Conscious Conversation. We’ll bless you on your way with A Soul’s Blessing.
Taizé Closing Song
- A Soul’s Blessing, written by Chris Johnson
Conscious Conversation
Sherri – Opening Prayer
Lucinda – Good morning and welcome, or welcome back…and welcome to those joining online. If you’re new with us here this morning… my name is Lucinda Alton, and I am a Prayer Practitioner here at Mystic Heart. We are an Independent Interfaith Community that teaches Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality. We open our doors in welcome, trusting that you will be led to the Guidance and Wisdom of your own Mystic Heart.
Opening Music
- Welcome to the Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- One Big Family, written by Robin Hackett & Gary Lynn Floyd
- Opening Up (in Sweet Surrender) by Rainbow Spirit, Oregon
Let’s take a creative journey…calling upon the full power of both mind and heart…engaging the body…and joining with one another in the imaginal realm, in service to the creation of a Love-Soaked World.
See and feel with me now, a world in which all inhabitants of this planet live from our Highest Potential… Kindness, Generosity, and Compassion… Peace…Cooperation.
In this new world, all people honor and care for one another, for all of the life forms that share this beautiful planet with us, and for Mother Earth Herself.
We remember that we are connected to all of Life… that we are dependent on the planet to sustain us, and on one another.
By aligning our every thought, word, and action with our vision, we are creating a world in which all people are well-fed… have the safety and comfort of the home of their choice and a deep sense of purpose and belonging. A world in which health, education, and healthy relationships are supported by social systems grounded in Integrity, Compassion and Wholeness.
Valuing every being for its uniqueness… we practice living truly Authentic lives where vulnerability is celebrated… there is no need to defend or protect. The work we are doing within ourselves shows up as a world free of hatred and violence.
We recognize the abundance that surrounds us… greed is a thing of the past, as generosity flows freely in every direction, and all beings gratefully receive all that is needed to live physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually fulfilling lives.
The planet and its beings thrive like never before as we learn to recognize the sacred in everyone and everything… and we walk in reverence and gratitude for all that we have been given.
We maintain this Vision day by day, moment by moment; we align our actions with our Vision, living these changes first in our own lives, with our families, friends, and neighbors… and one neighborhood, one community at a time, a new world is being born. In this process of profound change, this Beloved Community stands as an open and welcoming place for all who seek support, belonging, Family.
By the power of our deep faith and inspired action, this prayer is acted upon, answered even as it is spoken, for Spirit knows our heart’s desire and intent. In full expectation of its Graceful unfolding…we release our prayer to the Creative Power and Intelligence that I call God… to the One that gets it done… Let It Be!… Amen!
Bringing awareness back to the body, to the room, to this beautiful life, and to the amazing beings who share this space with us this morning…look around to say good morning to your Spiritual Family.
Our theme this month is New Beginnings, and the topic of Conversation today is Every Day is a New Beginning.
This morning during Taizé, we talked about how we can make new choices each day. We covered a quote from Louise Hay in that we can make changes and that our tools are out thoughts and beliefs. We also talked about a form of prayer from Greg Braden.
I would like to talk more about Greg Braden’s Mexico Experience. They were in the middle of a drought and a native friend had invited him to a stone circle to “pray rain.”
“I wasn’t prepared for what I saw next. I watched carefully as David removed his shoes, gently placed his naked feet into the circle, and honored the four directions and all of his ancestors. Slowly, he placed his hands in front of his face in a praying position, closed his eyes, and became motionless. Oblivious to the heat of the midday desert sun, his breathing slowed and became barely noticeable. After only a few moments, he took a deep breath, opened his eyes to look at me, and said, “Let’s go. Our work is finished here.” Expecting to see dancing, or at least some chanting, I was surprised by how quickly his prayer began and then ended. “Already?” I asked. “I thought you were going to pray for rain!” David’s reply to my question has been the key that has helped so many to understand this kind of prayer. As he sat on the ground to lace up his shoes, David looked up at me and smiled. “No,” he replied. “I said that I would pray rain. If I had prayed for rain, it could never happen.” Later in the day, David explained what he meant by this statement. He began by describing how the elders of his village had shared the secrets of prayer with him when he was a young boy. The key, he said, is that when we ask for something to happen, we give power to what we do not have. Prayers for healing empower the sickness. Prayers for rain empower the drought. “Continuing to ask for these things only gives more power to the things that we would like to change,” he said. I think about David’s words often, and what they could mean in our lives today. If we pray for world peace, for example, while feeling tremendous anger toward those who lead us into war, or even war itself, we may inadvertently be fueling the very conditions that lead to the opposite of peace! With half of the world’s nations now engaged in armed conflict, I often wonder what role millions of well-intentioned prayers for peace each day may be playing, and how a slight shift in perspective could possibly change that role.
What do you guys think about what he is saying here?
Looking back at David, I asked, “If you didn’t pray for rain, then what did you do?” “It’s simple,” he replied. “I began to have the feeling of what rain feels like. I felt the feeling of rain on my body, and what it feels like to stand with my naked feet in the mud of our village plaza because there has been so much rain. I smelled the smells of rain on the earthen walls in our village, and felt what it feels like to walk through fields of corn chest high because there has been so much rain.” David’s explanation made perfect sense. He was engaging all of his senses—the hidden powers of thought, feeling, and emotion that set us apart from all other forms of life—in addition to the senses of smell, sight, taste, and touch that connect us to the world. In doing so, he was using the powerful and ancient language that “speaks” to nature. It was the next part of his explanation that touched my scientific mind, as well as my heart, and truly resonated with me. Following the prayers of rain, he described how feelings of thanks and appreciation were the completion of the prayers, like the “amen” of Christianity. Rather than giving thanks for what he created, however, David told me that he felt grateful for the opportunity to participate in creation. “Through our thanks, we honor all possibilities, while bringing the ones we choose to this world.”
How do you think that this way of praying would work in your life? Would you be comfortable using it?
What other forms of spiritual practice do you think would help in making new choices? Looking for meditation, setting intentions, making a concrete move(we actually put the house up for sale)
Are there any areas in your life where you would like to see change?
I would also like to talk about the Louise Hay quote from this morning:
“Today is a day for you to begin creating a joyous, fulfilling life. Today is the day to begin to release all your limitations. Today is the day for you to learn the secrets of life. You can change your life for the better. You already have the tools within you to do so. These tools are your thoughts and your beliefs.”
These tools are your thoughts and your beliefs. How do you guys feel about this?
Looking for some discussion around the fact that your thoughts are heard even when you are not in prayer. And that your unconscious beliefs are not necessarily in your best interest.
Emmet Fox said, ““Each day is a new life. Each moment is really a new life. What we call memories are really present thoughts. What we call anticipations are really present thoughts. No one has ever lived in any moment except the present.”
Do you agree with him? How does this affect our choices. Looking for something like we are constantly making choices – both big and small.
Let’s close in prayer…
Today is a new day. A blank slate waiting for my choices – both the conscious ones and the unconscious ones. I know that I am loved and supported in my choice making. Knowing this, I listen for the still, small voice that sometimes warns me about a choice I’m about to make. I strive to become clearer about what is the still, small voice speaking to me and what is ego speaking to me.
When I have prayed for something, I listen and watch for answers. I am aware that sometimes I get an answer that I wasn’t expecting. I then either refine my choices or make new ones.
I am deeply grateful for the new beginnings taking place both for me and for Mystic Heart.
Speaking my words into law and with deep gratitude for all the blessings I have received, I say thank you Father Mother God, and so it is.
Take a moment to allow your awareness to return to your body, to this space, to this beautiful gathering…welcome back.
Lucinda – Love Offering
I 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.
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 budget and plan for our growth.
Offertory Music: Blessings on Blessings, by Anthony Brown & group therAPy https://youtu.be/p58HS6h3l10?list=PLh6LSvEdFAl7Nw8NUW7LZYvAlyBodixdj
Sherri – Blessing for the Offering & Invitations
- The Mystic Heart Book Club is meeting on Tuesdays from 3-5 pm. We are enjoying great discussions as we read Conversations With God, Book 1.
- Please consider joining us on Wednesday for our weekly work session on the new building. Gather at 1:00pm in the new location to lend a hand. Wear your grubbies!
- Fast Track to Wellness will gather this week in Sacred Service. Join us Thursday from noon – 2:00pm.
Mark your calendar…
- Mystic OAKS will be going on adventure to Lavineyard Farms in Whitmore California on Saturday, July 13th …meet to carpool at 9:00 am, or meet us at the Farm at 10:00. Bring a picnic lunch, tour the farm, and gather a bundle of Lavender to take home. Cost: $9/person.
- Please join April Jimenez-WinterSky, Saturday, July 20th from 11am to 1:30pm for part 2 of the Dancing the Wheel Workshop. Suggested donation: $20 Snacks will be provided.
There is more information available in the June Bulletin and online soon.
Information Cards if new people
Prayer Requests: I am available after service for prayer, or fill out a prayer card and I will get your request to our Prayer Team for daily prayer – We invite everyone to help us make a private space for prayer here in the Sanctuary by joining us next door for lunch.
Closing Song
- Love Be With You, written by Lainey Bernstein, RScP, & Gary Lynn Floyd
©2024 Mystic Heart Spiritual Center, All Rights Reserved
Permission is granted to duplicate for non-commercial educational use only.
All rights to music performed remain with the copyright owners.
Diana Johnson’s music is © by Barefoot Angel Publishing, ASCAP.
Chris Johnson’s music is © by SeaJay Music & Publishing, ASCAP.