Finding Support in Balance Sunday, June 20, 2021 Taizé
Lucinda Alton, RScP, with Sherri Dotter, RScP, Prayer Practitioner
Call to Awareness – 3 Bells
Opening Prayer – Sherri will set the intention to open heart and mind, welcoming whatever is to be awakened today.
Introduction – Lucinda
Happy Father’s Day! My name is Lucinda Alton. 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 and balance to hold you as the music carries you into the meditative tone of Taizé.
Chant – Love Breathes Through Me by Narayan and Janet
Lucinda –
This year’s theme is Connection… in June we are giving our attention to Tending the Dream. Today’s meditative journey will serve to remind us of the importance of Finding Support Through Balance.
As we begin the journey back to normal or whatever our “new normal” will look like, it is important that we find a sense of balance to carry with us. Let’s take a moment to let ourselves sit in the here and now and really feel what that means. What does it mean to feel like you’re in balance within yourself?
Shamanic healer Jane Seaman describes balance as “a feeling, a knowing and sense of oneness or unity”
As the breath settles into its own natural flow, gently allow your awareness to leave the breath and move within, to the Silence…to the Wholeness…to that feeling of balance within you…to the eternal nature of your being, where you feel and know your Oneness with the Peace, Power, and Intelligence back of all that is. We are attuning ourselves to a higher vibration, expanding our awareness, aligning our humanity with our Divinity… Imagine that you are a part of a web. A never-ending web where each individual is a bright point of light against a velvety whole. We are all bound together as One, and yet we are each an individual spark of Divinity. Each and every spark is important because without even one spark of divinity, the Whole is somehow dimmed. Each and every one of us has something vital to add to the whole.
Each and every one of us is a combined force of both masculine and feminine energies. Ernest Holmes said that Spirit is the Father-Mother God because It is the principle of Unity back of all things. The masculine and feminine principles both come from the One. Spirit is all Life, Truth, Love, Being, Cause and Effect; and is the only Power in the Universe that knows Itself.…
Where the feminine principle can be characterized as the unconscious, the growth medium, the nurturer, the masculine would be the thought, the seed, the framework which supports the growth. I am not speaking of men and women in the world. Cultural Mythologist Carol Winter says,
Our culture has had a long heritage of associating the feminine principle with what it means to be female and the masculine principle with what it means to be male. As a result, both men and women have traditionally been locked into rigid, culturally defined gender roles that have not been helpful for anyone who wishes to live a more meaningful, creative, and soul-making life.
I am speaking of the masculine and the feminine that live within each of us.
In the Kybalion, The Three Initiates state that: Mental Gender may be explained in a few words …The Masculine Principle of Mind corresponds to the so‑called Objective Mind; Conscious Mind; Voluntary Mind; Active Mind, etc. And the Feminine Principle of Mind corresponds to the so‑called Subjective Mind; Sub‑conscious Mind; Involuntary Mind; Passive Mind, etc.
Musical Meditation– Father of My Soul Daniel Nahmod
Lucinda
Ernest Holmes speaks of the Creative Medium: Like the creative soil in which seeds are planted and from which plant life grows, the Soul of the Universe is the Creative Medium into which the Word of Spirit falls and from which Creation arises. We must be careful not to think of Soul and Spirit as separate; for they are really two parts, or aspects of the same thing, each being Self-Existent and Coeternal with the other. The simplest way to think of the World-Soul is to think of It as we would the soil in which we plant seeds.
Today, let’s consider Male Principle – the active mind. The Sower of seeds. The part of ourselves that plants the thought seeds in our mental garden. When we think positive thoughts, we are planting seeds for positive outcomes in our lives. But when we plant less than positive thoughts …we get less than positive results.
As we go about our days, what kind of thoughts are we unconsciously allowing to be planted.
Craig Hamilton, Spiritual Evolutionary says “Stay true to your deepest intuition that an extraordinary and miraculous life is possible.” Let that thought be the kind of thought seeds that you plant in your mental garden.
I taught a gratitude class where I had my students watch for the “everyday miracles” that life presents us with. This practice begins with being in the present moment. Watch for those ordinary things that happen that make you happy. A nice sunrise or sunset. A visit with the grandchildren. The laughter and excitement of your own children. Being grateful for these ordinary experiences is one way of planting beautiful thoughts into your mental garden.
Being in the moment is the best way to notice the ordinary moments. And you can let gratitude for these moments bring more moments like this. The more attention you pay to the kind of seed you plant in your mental garden, the more likely you are to find yourself living a happy peaceful life. When you start planning your future – dreaming your dreams for your best possible future, gratitude is a great place to start from.
SILENCE – 2 Minutes – Bell
Lucinda
Lena Schmidt from the Chopra Center states:
As with all seeming dichotomies in life, balancing both within you is necessary. Find the qualities that resonate with your essence and experiences aside from society’s expectations. Consider what aspects of the sacred masculine and sacred feminine (potentially as opposed to traditional cultural conditionings of the masculine and feminine) resonate with you in various areas of your life. Imbalance occurs when you focus on, or value, one type of this sacred energy over the other. Show up as the best version of yourself by balancing the different energies within you.
Being the best version of you means accepting who and what you are in this moment. It means saying I am enough as I am right now.
When we are aligned within ourselves, we are much better prepared to handle any curve that life might send at us.
This is not to say that we no longer need support from others. It means that reaching out for help and support is not a weakness. It means that we have accepted the awesome beings that we are, and we are strong enough to accept and give support as needed.
SILENCE – 2 Minutes – Bell
Lucinda – Meditation
In this contemplative atmosphere, let’s contemplate: “And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
In your mind’s eye, you find yourself standing and facing a door. Go through the door and you find that you are on a spiral path. You follow that path and find that you feel more and more peaceful with each step you take. When you reach the center of the spiral, you find yourself facing a luminous being. Somehow both male and female, this being says, “I am your higher Self.” Spend time with this Self. Hear any messages there might be for you.
Silence – 3:00
With deep gratitude for this time of contemplation with Spirit and our Beloved Community, we remember that we are always growing, always stretching to become our next yet to be.
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.
Lucinda – Invitation to Practice
As I take this meditation into my week, I look for those times in my life when ordinary moments happen. I pause and allow myself to enjoy those times and I express deep gratitude for them.
Each time we express gratitude, we are building an energy to attract more good things, and so I look for things to be grateful for.
I am grateful for the love and support that surrounds me at all times – whether I am aware of it or not. And I spend more and more time being aware and bringing that love and support more deeply into my daily life.
I am grateful for the joy and laughter. I take the time to fully enjoy something that gives me joy and makes me laugh.
I am grateful for my spiritual family and the opportunities that I receive to be in service – to give and receive loving support from each one.
I am grateful for Reverend Diana and Chris for their untiring efforts in keeping Mystic Heart together no matter what happens in the outer world.
I am grateful for life.
In closing, I know that there is only God. I know that everything that is exists through and in the mind of God experiencing life through each of us. I take a moment to appreciate the truly intricate perfection of the balance of the Sacred Feminine and the Sacred Masculine and the fluid – free flowing dance as these energies support and work with each other in the flow of creation.
I know that God is forever moving forward and so am I. I open my heart and accept gentle guidance as I grow and evolve. I release fear and embrace faith that I am moving in the right and perfect direction for me. And I watch in wonder as my world grows and evolves around me.
Speaking my word aloud and knowing that it is already true, I say thank you, Father, Mother, God. And so it is. Amen.
Musical Meditation – I am grateful Karen Drucker
Lucinda – Moving into Ceremony and Celebration
In a state of deep knowing that we are The Hands and Heart of God, let’s take a moment, with eyes still closed, 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 affirming …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.
Lucinda – 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 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!
In celebration of Father’s day today, please enjoy this father and son duo.
Offertory Video – It’s Only Love with Rev. Andy Anderson and his son Ben
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13smGiYBUqE&list=PLHm34fy_fypRRehMB_WxmGGzbUY9ABGHi&index=
Sherri opens the brief Gratitude Prayer, Lucinda closes.
Sherri, 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 written by Lainey Bernstein, RScP & Gary Lynn Floyd
Close of Service