Free YourSelf!
Sunday, July 5, 2026
Sherri Dotter, RScP, with Lucinda Alton, RScP, & musician Marsh Brodeur.
Video Chapter Index
| 0:00 | 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:  |
| 17:04 | Guided Meditation | |
| 40:22 | Conscious Conversation |
Taizé
Call to Awareness – 3 Bells
Lucinda – Opening Prayer
Sherri – Good morning, if you’re new with us here this morning, my name is Sherri Dotter, Prayer Practitioner in service to Mystic Heart. Let’s begin our Taizé Experience this morning with a couple of deep breaths… letting go…settling in… fully arriving in this moment… and joining our voices in musical prayer.
- Welcome Home to Your Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- Nothing Can Separate Us, written by Linda Webb-Khakaba
Sherri – We settle more deeply into Taizé…sitting for a moment in the silence…sensing our Oneness with our Global Community…envisioning a Presence, an Intelligence, a Sentience, surrounding and infusing our planet…seeing and feeling ourselves to be filled to overflowing with that Presence…each of us, one spark, shining with Spirit’s Radiant Light…acknowledging every human as an expression of that same Light…each one glowing with the Light of Spirit…every creature, every plant, every rock and grain of sand…the soil…the water…the clouds and wind…the heavenly bodies…all expressions of the Sacred, enlivened by the Divine Spark…there is no telling where my Light ends and yours begins…We are One.
Sensing our Unity, we acknowledge our role as conscious, self-reflective beings…we commit to caring for one another…for all life forms…for the planet that sustains us all.
Rooted in our Oneness, we center our hearts in our theme this month, Free to Be!, and today we explore what it is to Free Yourself.
Yesterday, millions of people across our country gathered to celebrate Independence Day. Flags waved, families came together, barbecues were lit, and fireworks filled the evening sky, reminding us of a remarkable moment in history when our nation declared its freedom 250 years ago.
I find myself wondering if there is another kind of freedom that deserves just as much celebration. Not political freedom. Not financial freedom. Not even physical freedom. I began thinking about spiritual freedom—the kind of freedom the world can’t give you and the kind of freedom the world can’t ever take away. It is the freedom of consciousness.
What if the greatest prison isn’t made of steel? What if it isn’t political? What if it isn’t even physical? What if the greatest prison is believing you have no choice?
I invite you to sit with that question for just a moment because I think many of us have unknowingly handed away one of the greatest gifts Spirit has ever given us. We say things like, “I have to.” “I can’t.” “That’s just who I am.” “My family has always been this way.” “That’s my personality.” “I don’t have a choice.” But do we? Or have we simply become so identified with our conditioning that we no longer recognize the quiet freedom that has always been present?
One of the beautiful teachings of Spiritual Principle is that every person possesses spiritual authority. Spiritual authority is not domination. It is not power over another person. It is not getting our own way. Spiritual authority is our inherent Divine capacity to consciously choose the thoughts, attitudes, values, and actions through which Spirit expresses as our life. Sit with that for a moment. Spirit has entrusted every one of us with the sacred freedom to choose the consciousness from which we will live. No one else can make that choice for us.
Now, that doesn’t mean life is always fair. It doesn’t mean we choose every circumstance. It doesn’t mean suffering isn’t real. But it does mean that something within us remains forever free. Across the threads of the world’s faith traditions, we find this same truth expressed in different ways. Jesus continually chose forgiveness over retaliation. The Buddha chose awareness over unconscious reaction. The Bhagavad Gita teaches us to act from our deepest Self rather than from fear or attachment. The Tao invites us to flow with Life rather than resist it. Indigenous wisdom reminds us to walk gently upon the Earth, to live in right relationship with all our relations, and to make choices that honor not only ourselves, but the generations yet to come. Different languages. Different cultures. Different centuries. Yet they all point toward the same profound truth: our deepest freedom is an inner freedom.
One of the most extraordinary examples of this comes from Nelson Mandela. For twenty-seven years he lived behind prison walls. Twenty-seven years of someone else deciding when he would wake up, where he would sleep, what he would eat, and where he would walk. Yet somewhere during those years something remarkable happened. He realized that while others could imprison his body, they could not imprison his consciousness. They had authority over his circumstances, but they never had authority over his soul. Years later, as he walked out of prison, he understood that if he carried bitterness with him, he would still be imprisoned. His freedom began long before the prison doors opened. It began the moment he reclaimed his spiritual authority.
Another beautiful witness to this truth is Viktor Frankl. While imprisoned during the Holocaust, Frankl observed that although nearly everything could be taken from a human being, one freedom remained—the freedom to choose one’s response. Really take this in… Between what happens and who we become, there is a sacred space. Within that space, Spirit has placed freedom. Within that space, Spirit has placed choice. Within that space, Spirit has placed spiritual authority.
Lucinda – Guided Meditation
I invite you now to gently close your eyes, if that feels comfortable, and simply become aware of your breath.
Without changing it, notice that each breath arrives as a gift. You didn’t earn it. You don’t force it. Life is already flowing through you.
Allow your body to soften. Relax your shoulders. Unclench your jaw. Feel the support beneath you. There is nowhere to go and nothing you need to accomplish in this moment. Simply be here.
Now bring to mind a situation in your life where you’ve felt stuck. Perhaps you’ve been carrying a worry, a hurt, a disappointment, or an old story about yourself. Simply notice it without trying to fix it.
Now imagine placing that story gently in your open hands. Look at it with kindness, not judgment. Then quietly ask yourself, “Is this story choosing my life… or am I free to choose again?”
Take a slow, deep breath.
Imagine that with each inhale, the Presence of your Beloved Holy One fills your heart with wisdom, courage, and peace. With each exhale, release the belief that you are trapped, powerless, or defined by your past.
Feel a spaciousness opening within you. In that spaciousness there is no pressure. There is only invitation.
Hear these quiet words spoken within your own heart:
“You are free.” (Pause)
“Choose Love.” (Pause)
“Choose forgiveness.” (Pause)
“Choose trust.” (Pause)
“Choose again.” (Pause)
Rest for a few moments in the awareness that spiritual authority has always lived within you. It has never left you. It has patiently waited beneath fear, beneath habit, beneath every old story.
Allow yourself to rest in this simple truth: you are not merely reacting to life. The Divine is expressing through you, one conscious choice at a time.
Take one final deep breath, carrying this awareness as we rest in three minutes of silence with this final question…
“From what consciousness will I choose to live this week?”
Silence – 3:00
We open our hearts and souls now in deep receptivity, as Sherri continues to share her Divine Gifts of Presence and Love… knowing that the more you open a way for the imprisoned splendor, the more you Free Yourself…
Sherri
During our meditation, perhaps you noticed something that cannot easily be explained with words. Perhaps you noticed that there was a moment—a brief, quiet moment—when you weren’t caught in your past, your future, or your circumstances. You were simply present. And in that presence there was spaciousness. There was peace. There was awareness. That spaciousness is where our spiritual authority becomes available to us.
I don’t believe spiritual authority is something we acquire. I believe it is something we awaken to. It has always been there, quietly waiting beneath our fears, our conditioning, our old stories, and our habitual reactions. It is the Divine Presence expressing as us, continually inviting us to remember who we really are.
One question has become so important in my own spiritual life. Whenever I find myself uncertain, whenever I notice fear beginning to take over, whenever I feel myself becoming reactive instead of responsive, I return to one simple question: ‘What would Love Do Now?’ And I want to refine that even more to ‘What would Love Choose Now?’ And it’s Not, ‘What does fear choose?’ Not, ‘What does my ego want?’ Not, ‘What does my old story expect?’ But simply, ‘What would Love choose Now?’
That question doesn’t always give me an immediate answer, but it always returns me to my spiritual authority. It reminds me that I am not merely reacting to life. I am participating in Life. Freedom rarely arrives with fireworks. Most often, freedom arrives quietly in the moment we realize that another choice is always available.
Tomorrow morning, before you check your phone, before you listen to the news, before your mind begins replaying yesterday, life will quietly ask you one question: From what consciousness will you live today? Will it be fear? Will it be scarcity? Will it be judgment? Or will it be trust, compassion, and love? Every answer becomes your freedom. Every answer becomes your practice. Every answer becomes another opportunity for Spirit to express through you, AS You.
Every moment of awareness becomes another step into freedom. Perhaps that is the deepest freedom we celebrate today—not the freedom to control life, but the freedom to choose the consciousness from which we live it.
Let’s anchor these Truths in prayer. Know this as True for you, as I speak it for myself.
I recognize that there is One Infinite Life, One Divine Presence, expressing Itself as all creation. This Presence is freedom itself. It is love expressing, wisdom unfolding, compassion flowing, and Life continually revealing more of Its own perfection. There is nowhere that this Presence is not, and there is no one outside of It.
Knowing this, I recognize that this same Divine Presence lives fully as each one of us. We are not separate from Spirit. We are not victims of circumstance. We are expressions of Infinite Life, created with the sacred gift of spiritual authority. Within each of us lives the Divine capacity to choose, to awaken, to respond with wisdom, and to allow Love to guide our lives.
Today I affirm that every false belief that says, ‘I have no choice,’ gently falls away. Fear releases its grip. Old conditioning no longer defines us. Limitation no longer tells our story. We awaken to the freedom that has always been present within us. We choose compassion over judgment, courage over fear, forgiveness over resentment, and trust over doubt. We allow the wisdom of Spirit to guide every decision and every relationship. We remember that every loving choice reveals more of the Divine expressing as our lives.
Musical Meditation – Ripple, by The Grateful Dead
With a heart overflowing with gratitude, I give thanks for this sacred freedom. I give thanks that Spirit continually invites us to choose again, to love again, and to awaken again. I give thanks for this community and for every person walking with me on this path together. I know that as each of us lives from our spiritual authority, we become a blessing to one another and to the world.
And so, with complete faith and joyful expectancy, I release My Word into the Creative Law of Life, knowing it is already accomplished.
And so it is! Amen!
I invite you to bring your awareness gently back into this space…allowing the eyes to open…taking in whatever is before you…sending a little love to the beautiful beings sharing this time and space with you.
Love Offering
As we prepare to close our Taizé Meditation, we offer the opportunity for you to share of your financial good in support of the work we do. Circulation is a Sacred Practice that supports your Mystic Heart.
It is by your generous gifts that we can continue the Good Work of supporting you and engaging in the greater Community.
If you’re joining us online, at mysticheart.org you can use a Donate Button, a Venmo QR code, or our mailing address to make your contribution. We thank you in advance for your heartfelt generosity.
A couple months ago, I saw Jeff Tweedy at the Cascade Theatre. He is well known for his band Wilco. He started the Jeff Tweedy band because he enjoyed playing with his two adult sons and their friends that all live on the same block. They play in their garage studio because they love the freedom just to be together. Please enjoy…
Offertory Music Video – Feel Free, by Jeff Tweedy
Sherri – Blessing for the Offering
Now, let us bless one another with music as we close out our Taizé with
Marsh & Congregation – Taizé Closing Song
- A Soul’s Blessing, written by Chris Johnson.
Conscious Conversation
Lucinda – Opening Prayer
Sherri – Welcome or welcome back…Thank you for joining us this morning. If you’re new with us here this morning, my name is Sherri Dotter, and I am a Prayer Practitioner in service to Mystic Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Independent, Interfaith Community that teaches Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality, tracing the common threads of Truth that run through all the world’s great spiritual traditions. Our job is to point you inward, to the Wisdom that lives within your own Mystic Heart.
Let’s get our Conversation started with some upbeat music and give our bodies a chance to move!
Chris Johnson, Rev. Diana, and Marsh Brodeur – Opening Music
- Welcome to the Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- One Big Family, written by Robin Hackett & Gary Lynn Floyd
- Prayers for Freedom, written by Sarah Nutting
Sherri – Just a reminder, My Beloveds, to affirm our Love-Soaked World together …When I say, ‘To these Blessings,’ you respond with ‘We Say Yes!”
Let’s take a deep breath, move into our hearts, and direct our Creative Energies toward our Vision of a Love-Soaked World…where all humans are living from their deepest Wisdom and Generosity, and their most Loving nature…thoughtful of the impact their thoughts, words, and actions have on one another, the community, and the planet…a world without greed, where there is abundance in having enough…where nutritious food, clean water and air are readily available to all beings…
…where warm, comfortable, and affordable housing is a given…where all beings feel a sense of safety, belonging, and contribution…To these blessings, we say Yes!
Ours is a world where mental/physical health, education, and healthy relationships are ensured by social systems grounded in Integrity, Honesty, and Wholeness…where all beings work and play at whatever feeds their soul and are well compensated for their Service…where authenticity and vulnerability are not only welcomed, but celebrated…where the Peace we cultivate within ourselves shows up as a world free of violence, hatred, or indifference…ours is a world where the Love that we are here to share is given freely to whomever our hearts are called to love…where we have moved beyond all lines of separation, and live as one human family, caring for one beautiful planet with the reverence she deserves. To these blessings, we say Yes!
We recognize that transformation is an on-going process, and especially in times of great change, people benefit from working, playing, and simply being together. And so this Community stands as an open and welcoming place for all who seek support, belonging, and a sense of Family. …it redefines Church as a place of Self-Discovery, Authenticity, Kindness, Radical Inclusion, and Love. To these blessings, we say Yes!
It is by the Power of the Great Mystery moving through each one of us that this prayer is acted upon, answered even as it is spoken…as one by one, we live into and from this Vision, it cannot be otherwise. And so it is with deep faith, profound gratitude and great Joy that I release my Word to… the One Who Gets It Done…And so it is!…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…
There has been a shift in energy… We have just created a ripple of Grace that has made an imprint of Peace, Love, and Re-Creation. It is done…and you were a part of it. Doesn’t that feel good?
Our theme this month is Free to Be!, and the topic of Conversation this morning is Free Yourself. This morning during Taizé, we explored the idea that the greatest prison may not be made of steel or concrete. It may be the belief that we have no choice. I’d like to continue to explore that revelation.
When I think about freedom, I realize that most of us immediately think about circumstances. We think about having enough money, enough time, good health, healthy relationships, or living in a country where we are free to speak our minds. Those are all precious freedoms, and we should never take them for granted. But the wisdom traditions invite us to look even deeper. They ask a different question: What if true freedom begins long before our circumstances change? What if freedom is first an inner experience?
One of the foundational teachings of Spiritual Principle is that each of us possesses spiritual authority. I love those two words because they shift everything. Spiritual authority is not authority over another person. It is not domination. It is not control. It is not insisting that our way is the right way. Spiritual authority is our inherent Divine capacity to consciously choose the consciousness from which we will live.
Think about that. Every single day we are making hundreds of choices. Some are obvious. Most are invisible. We choose whether to remain offended. We choose whether to forgive. We choose whether to judge. We choose whether to become curious. We choose whether to trust. We choose whether to live from fear or to live from Love.
The interesting thing is that many of those choices no longer feel like choices because they have become habits. We react before we become aware. Someone says something that hurts us, and before we know it, we’ve already decided what it means. Something unexpected happens, and within seconds our mind has created a story. We tell ourselves, ‘They don’t appreciate me.’ ‘I’ll never get ahead.’ ‘Nothing ever works out.’ ‘I’ve always been this way.’ Those stories become so familiar that we mistake them for reality. But are they? Or are they simply old choices that have been repeated so many times they now feel automatic?
One of my favorite teachers, Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith, often reminds us that we are not here simply to survive our lives. We are here to awaken. Awakening means becoming conscious enough to notice the moment before the old pattern takes over. That’s where freedom lives.
I think that’s what Viktor Frankl was pointing toward when he wrote that between stimulus and response there is a space, and in that space lies our freedom. What a beautiful image. Between what happens and how we respond there is a space. Sometimes it is only a second. Sometimes it is only a breath. But in that sacred space we remember something. We remember who we really are. Not our conditioning. Not our fear. Not our old story. Not our ego trying to protect itself. We remember that we are expressions of the Divine. And from that remembrance, we choose. That is spiritual authority. It is not about controlling life. It is about allowing Life to express through us consciously.
During Taizé, I spoke about one of the questions that has become central in my own spiritual practice. Whenever I find myself feeling reactive, defensive, or uncertain, I try to pause and ask one simple question: What would Love Do now? And I refined it to ‘What would Love choose now?’
I’ve discovered that Love almost always slows me down. Love helps me listen before speaking. Love helps me become curious instead of defensive. Love reminds me that another person is also carrying hopes, fears, and wounds. Love reconnects me with my spiritual authority. And I’ve discovered that Choice empowers me. The replacement of the word “Do” with the word “Choose” reminds to linger in that liminal, sacred space between the initial stimulus to my response to it. It reminds me that I am making a choice and not necessarily “doing” anything. Some of my wisest responses are to remain sacredly silent.
Perhaps that’s why I believe one sentence summarizes today’s message better than anything else: The greatest prison is believing you have no choice. Because the moment we remember that another choice is possible, the prison door begins to open.
Now let’s move into our interactive part of our Conscious Conversation with our first question for you…
- Can you think of a time in your life when you believed you had no choice, only to discover later that you actually did?
- What old story or belief most tempts you to give away your spiritual authority?
- By asking yourself, ‘What would Love choose now?’ what do you think changes inside of you before you even make a decision?
- Who has modeled inner freedom for you? What did you learn from watching them respond to life? This can be anyone, an author, a person in history, even a fictional character, that has inspired you.
- As you think about the week ahead, where is Spirit inviting you to reclaim your freedom by making one conscious, loving choice?
As we listen to one another, something becomes beautifully clear. Freedom is rarely found in one dramatic moment. More often it is discovered one choice at a time. It is choosing patience when irritation seems easier. It is choosing forgiveness when resentment feels justified. It is choosing curiosity instead of judgment and hope instead of fear. Those quiet choices become the architecture of a free life.
We often imagine that spiritual authority means having all the answers. I don’t believe that. I think spiritual authority is simply trusting that the Divine Presence within us is always inviting us toward what is true, loving, and life-giving. We may not always hear that invitation perfectly, but we can always pause, become present, and choose again.
Perhaps that is why I love the question, ‘What would Love choose now?’ It gently returns us to our deepest identity. It reminds us that we are more than our conditioning, more than our habits, and more than our past. Every conscious choice strengthens our awareness that Spirit is expressing through us, AS us.
So as you leave today, remember this: tomorrow morning life will ask you the same question it asks every day: ‘From what consciousness will you live today?’ May we answer with courage. May we answer with compassion. May we answer with Love. And in doing so, may we discover that the greatest freedom has been within us all along.
Let’s close in prayer…
I recognize One Infinite Life, One Divine Presence, expressing as every person, every creature, and all of creation. This Presence is freedom itself. It is wisdom, compassion, creativity, joy, and love forever unfolding.
I know that this same Divine Life lives fully as each one of us. We are not powerless. We are not abandoned. We are not defined by our past or limited by our fears. We are expressions of Spirit, entrusted with the sacred gift of spiritual authority. Within us is the freedom to choose the consciousness from which we will live.
I affirm that each of us awakens more fully to this truth. Fear gives way to faith. Blame gives way to responsibility. Resentment yields to forgiveness. Confusion is replaced by clarity. We choose thoughts, words, and actions that reflect the Love, wisdom, and peace of the Divine.
I give thanks for this beloved community and for every opportunity to practice freedom in everyday life. As we reclaim our spiritual authority, we become instruments of healing, compassion, and hope in the world. Our lives become living demonstrations of the truth that Love is stronger than fear.
With deep gratitude I release this prayer knowing that it is already active, already unfolding, and already complete. And so it is. Amen!
Take a moment to allow your awareness to return to your body, to this space, to this beautiful gathering…welcome back.
Love Offering
Thank you so much for joining me here today. We’re going to bring this part of the morning to a close, but before we do, we’d like to invite you to join in the celebration of the work we are doing in the world by sharing of your financial Good. 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 Venmo QR code.
We are an independent, self-supporting organization, and your financial gifts are what make it possible for us to do our work and provide this beautiful and safe space to gather. We thank you in advance for your generous hearts and gifts. We acknowledge and give thanks for the Infinite Abundance of Spirit moving through you.
Please enjoy our Offertory Music, Already Gone by Eagles. Some of you went to the Mosquito Serenade last month and enjoyed an Eagles cover band and I felt this song would be relevant for us today, especially the for third verse, which is my favorite:
Well, I know it wasn’t you who held me down
Heaven knows, it wasn’t you who set me free
So oftentimes it happens that we live our lives in chains
And we never even know we have the key
Offertory Music – Already Gone by Eagles
Lucinda – Blessing for the Offering
Lucinda – Invitations – all regularly scheduled classes and groups are taking place this week. You can see them on the slide and find out more in the summer bulletin or online.
Watch your email or get on the WhatsApp Group Chat for more information this month. There is a new Summer Bulletin, so be sure to take one home.
Information Cards
Prayer Requests: I am available after service for prayer, in our beautiful Prayer Room or fill out a prayer card and I will get your request to our Prayer Team for daily prayer.
Closing Song
- Love Be With You, written by Lainey Bernstein, RScP, & Gary Lynn Floyd
©2025 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.