Honoring the Journey
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Rev. Diana Johnson, Lucinda Alton, RScP, & Chris Johnson, RScP.
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:  |
| 21:45 | Guided Meditation | |
| 44:37 | Conscious Conversation |
Taizé
Rev. Diana – Call to Awareness
We follow the bell to the stillness within… 3 Bells
Lucinda – Opening Prayer
Rev. Diana – Welcome…if you’re new with us here this morning, my name is Rev. Diana Johnson, and I am the Pastor and Spiritual Director of 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.
Dalton – Taizé Chants
- Welcome Home to Your Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- Nothing Can Separate Us, written by Linda Webb-Khakaba
Rev. Diana – Grounded in a deep sense of gratitude for the many gifts of this day, let’s settle into a moment of stillness…taking a couple of slow, deep breaths…letting go of all that has come before this moment…allowing the breath to dissolve any thoughts or concerns…relaxing the body…allowing your awareness to move into the heart space…allowing yourself to rest there giving yourself the gift of Presence…feeling content in this moment as you ground yourself in this moment…becoming Peaceful as we breathe together…sensing how the breath connects us to everything and everyone…all humans, all creatures…the plant life, rocks and sand…every drop of water…the stars and planets, and out from there to infinity…all that exists, no matter how large or small is an intricate and irreplaceable part of the One Life. Take a moment to feel the breath connecting all that is.
As self-aware, self-reflecting beings, we know it is ours to rise, in awareness and in action…to walk in greater Integrity, Joy, Peace, and Beauty than ever before…and to use the gifts that we have been given for the Greater Good of All.
It is time to use our discerning minds to choose and create Harmony, so that Wholeness might be revealed. It is time to use our power of imagination consciously, allowing it to lead us to action in creating the world we want to leave our children.
And it is time that we Honor the Journey we are here to make…the Journey that we call our life.
In every world tradition we find stories of people called to explore places and people that are unfamiliar…to journey into the unknown. These are archetypal stories that point to a greater Truth…that each of us is doing the same. Every one of us gets up in the morning and faces a new day, a new set of circumstances…and as much as we like to think we know what the day will bring, we do not. Like Abraham, Moses, and the Buddha, we are Called to walk in unfamiliar territory…we are prompted by the Voice of Spirit…Called to this Sacred Journey…for a purpose.
There are some who would say that this Spiritual Journey we have chosen to walk requires us to have certain beliefs…belief in something bigger than ourselves, by whatever name we give it…believing in the existence of Spiritual Principles…believing that our actions in this life will impact our experience when this life ends. And that may be part of the story. Rather than belief, I would call this a Journey of Faith. Wherever we place our faith, we each have faith in something…our lives bear witness to where our faith lies.
The Journey image is a rich and powerful metaphor. To be on a journey is to be in motion, moving from place to place…there is constant change. A Journey involves our whole being…body, mind, heart, and spirit. It requires thought and action…requires us to follow a particular path or way, rather than wandering aimlessly about, although sometimes we might feel like we’re wandering.
A Journey requires a departure from what is known…a willingness to step into the unfamiliar. And it requires faith that, in the end, we will find our way Home.
The word faith, from either the Hebrew or the Aramaic, contains three facets…three ways of relating, to God and to one another. The first aspect is trust; the second, loyalty; and the third, seeing. To gain clarity, we can consider opposites…seen through this lens, doubt is not the opposite of faith.
Rather, the trust aspect of faith is opposed to anxiety…we can judge our level of trust but the amount of anxiety we experience. When we trust in Spirit, or in one another, we are at Peace. (Pause)
Again, looking at opposites, the loyalty aspect of faith is opposed to infidelity…we can judge our loyalty by the degree of unfaithfulness we demonstrate. When we are devoted to a life in Spirit, or loyal to another being, our relationships are Harmonious.(Pause)
The seeing aspect of faith has to do with our perspective…our way of viewing reality…the whole of what is. Do we view life as hostile or threatening? Is everything and everyone out to get us? Are we waiting for the other shoe to drop? Or, do we view the whole as indifferent? If either of these is our way of perceiving the world, we will likely feel the need to self-protect…to seek security…we will be focused on ourselves and our well-being.
There is another way to view reality, and that is to see
the whole as gracious, nourishing, and supportive of life, to see it as that which has brought us into existence and continues to nourish us…This attitude is still very much aware that the flower fades, the grass withers, that we all die. But to see reality as supportive, gracious, and nourishing creates the possibility of responding to life in a posture of trust and gratitude. (Days of Awe and Wonder, Marcus Borg)
The Master Teacher Jesus often spoke of the importance of faith. And when he did, he used a verb tense that we don’t have in English…a tense that implies the act being spoken of is occurring continuously…no beginning, no ending…he taught that we were to be forever faithful, no matter the appearance, and that our faith would reveal our Wholeness.
We are on a Journey of Faith…of learning to trust and be trustworthy, with God and one another; of practicing loyalty and devotion, for God and our fellow beings; and of seeing the world…reality…Spirit…as gracious and supportive. Each of us, in our own ways, are fulfilling this purpose. There is no wrong way to walk this journey…there are no accidents.
Chris – Guided Meditation
Our spiritual evolution is often referred to as a path, a pilgrimage, or a journey… Rabbi Yeshua and Lao Tzu both called it The Way… and though we have guidance from those who preceded us, ultimately we each must choose our own path… Along the way we change and grow into more of who we really are…
Yogi Berra advised, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it…” It sounds a little goofy, but it may be teaching us not to hesitate too long in choosing… to commit fully to our path… to release the road not taken… to let go of the what ifs, and focus completely on the way we have chosen… grateful for Divine Guidance…
As we share our three minutes of Silent meditation, I invite you to call to mind a decision you have second-guessed… one that makes you ask, “what if?…” Remember, the path you chose brought you here… by the Grace of Spirit… Now, gently let go of the road you didn’t take… and transfer that energy to the journey that you are on…
Silence – 3:00
Mark Nepo wrote, “To journey without being changed is to be a nomad. To change without journeying is to be a chameleon. To journey and to be transformed by the journey is to be a pilgrim…” We Honor the Journey by accepting that our path has brought us here, and that where we are is Perfect…
In profound gratitude for this time of Holy Communion with our Creator and with our Beloved Community, we open our hearts to Rev. Diana’s continued Taizé message, allowing ourSelves to be inspired and empowered… to fully release all that we did not choose, and to completely embrace and Honor our Journey, just as it is…
Rev. Diana – It is time that we Honor the Journey…what is the meaning of honor? It means to show great respect…to keep an agreement…to fulfill an obligation. Many of us are uncomfortable with that word…obligation. The Latin takes us to its original meaning…the fulfillment of a promise.
And what of the Journey? The Sacred Gift of Life that we have been given.
So Honoring the Journey means showing gratitude and great respect for this life that we’ve been given, and for every step along the way. It means caring for this Body Temple, the vehicle by which we do God’s work on earth. It means keeping our agreements, fulfilling our promises with life, and with one another. And it means learning to see reality as supportive, gracious, and nourishing.
Each of these aspects of Honoring the Journey takes practice…for all of us. It is no easier for me than it is for you. Each of us stumbles and hits the ground hard sometimes. Each of us gets back up and tries again…always with more awareness, more care and understanding, and a greater capacity to love and compassion than before the fall. We gain in strength and integrity within ourselves and in our relationships; and we sense a more profound alignment with our Creator, revealing the Hidden Wholeness that was there all along.
Join me in prayer, knowing this as Truth in your own being.
Closing Prayer
The Light of Spirit shines brightly in this place.
The Love of God is palpable in this moment.
I feel and know the Presence of the One Source of all Life.
By whatever name I call It, I Am, and can only be, an expression of Its Goodness and Light.
There is nothing else.
Here is what I know…this One that I call God is forgiving.
As I forgive myself for any mistakes or confusion, so am I forgiven.
This One that I call God is supportive, forever using all things for Good.
This One is a Gracious God, pouring an unending stream of blessings into my life.
I Am humbled by Spirit’s generosity and self-givingness…that I Am the recipient of so many gifts…this life being the greatest of all.
I Am, have always been, and will always be, nourished by the God’s Grace, and for this I Am most grateful.
No matter the circumstances that every new day brings, I hold the Truth before me.
My Spiritual Journey has nothing to do with attaining Union with the Divine, and everything to do with accepting the Truth…I Am, and have always been, Holy.
I Am, and have always been, Whole.
Enlightenment does not mean increasing the Light within me, but rather, accepting, knowing, and living that Light into the world.
And so I do…I shine the Light of Love and Devotion into my relationships.
I shine the Light of Integrity and deep Faith into every corner of my life.
I Honor the Journey, listening for the deep Wisdom that lives within me.
I find within me the Humility, Courage, and Strength to walk in Truth.
Thank You, Spirit, for this day, and for Blessings too numerous to name…those gifts that I would call beautiful and graceful, and those that challenge me to grow in character, resilience, faith, and love.
I walk in reverence and gratitude for Your Masterful Creation, and for Your Powerful Presence and Guidance in my Life. Laying it on the altar of my heart, I rest, knowing that my prayer is answered before it is spoken. And So It Is! Amen!
Rev. Diana – 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 are there for.
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. And we thank you in advance for your gifts.
As a way of remembering our Vision for a Love-Soaked World, Dalton has a song for us this morning.
Dalton – Offertory Music
- Earth, written by David Roth
Rev. Diana – 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
Dalton – Taizé Closing Song
- A Soul’s Blessing, written by Chris Johnson
Conscious Conversation
Diana – Good morning and welcome, or welcome back…welcome to those joining online. If you’re new with us here this morning… my name is Rev. Diana Johnson, and I am the Pastor 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.
Dalton – Opening Music
- Welcome to the Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- One Big Family, written by Robin Hackett & Gary Lynn Floyd
- One God, written by Linda Webb-Khakaba
I invite you to once again, move into the imaginal realm, bringing all of your senses and feeling into the creation of a Love-Soaked World.
Know with me now that we are creating a world where all humans embody and live from the Qualities of Spirit…Love, Kindness, Generosity, and Compassion…and from this way of being, I feel the presence of a deep sense of Joy, Contentment, and Sufficiency. It’s palpable.
In this more conscious world, all people honor and care for one another, for all of the life forms that share this beautiful earth, and for the 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.
Being true to our generous nature, we give of ourselves freely, offering the gifts that are uniquely ours. With all needs met for every person, each one is free to share time and talent in ways that feed the soul.
By our every thought, word, and action, we’re creating a world in which all beings are well-fed…have the safety and comfort of home and a deep sense of purpose. And belonging. We are so grateful that health, education, and healthy relationships are supported by social systems grounded in Integrity, Compassion and Wholeness.
Every being is finally valued for its uniqueness…we practice living Authentic lives where vulnerability is celebrated…there is no need to defend or protect. With Love, Generosity and Kindness guiding every human heart, our world is free of hatred and violence. We recognize the abundance that surrounds us…giving and receiving flow 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 see the sacred in everyone and everything…we walk in reverence and gratitude for all that we have been given.
We maintain this Vision day by day, moment by moment; we are not swayed by appearances. Each of us works to align our actions with our Vision, living these changes first in our own lives, with our families, friends, and neighbors…and a new world is being born. In this process of profound change, this Community stands as an open and welcoming place for all who seek support, belonging, Family.
By the power of our deep faith, this prayer is acted upon, answered even before it is spoken, as Spirit knows our heart’s desire and intent. In full expectation of its Graceful unfolding…
…we release it to the Creative Power and Intelligence that I call God…to the One that 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…look around to say good morning to your Spiritual Family.
Our theme this month is Divine Union, and the topic of Conversation this morning is Honoring the Journey. I’ll give a really brief recap of Taizé this morning to give us a jumping off point for our Conversation…
We started by looking at Journey as a metaphor for life, and we said that this life is a Journey of Faith…that we all place our faith somewhere, and according to our faith, so do we experience life. We talked about faith as trust, as opposed to anxiety; as loyalty, as opposed to unfaithfulness; and as seeing…or the way we view reality. We may see it as unfriendly, as indifferent, or as gracious and supportive. And the lens we are seeing through affects our experience.
Today, I’d like to turn a corner and look at the idea of the Journey as A Divided Life. Let me share a quote from Parker Palmer’s A Hidden Wholeness to help me explain:
Thomas Merton claimed that, ‘in all things, there is a hidden wholeness’…in the human world, Merton’s words can, at times, seem like wishful thinking. Afraid that our inner light will be extinguished, or our inner darkness exposed, we hide our true identities from each other. In the process, we become separated from our own souls. We end up living divided lives, so far removed from the truth we hold within that we cannot know the ‘integrity that comes from being what we are.’
We long to feel our wholeness, but dividedness often seems the easier choice. Again, from Parker Palmer:
A ‘still small voice’ speaks the truth about me, my work, or the world. I hear it, and yet act as if I did not. I withhold a personal gift that might serve a good end or commit myself to a project that I do not really believe in. I keep silent on an issue I should address or actively break faith with one of my own convictions. I deny my inner darkness, giving it more power over me, or I project it onto other people, creating ‘enemies’ where none exist.
Let’s put this into your own words. What does living a divided life look like in your life?
Are you aware of the division as it is occurring?
Why do you suppose we do this?
Returning to Parker Palmer:
I pay a steep price when I live a divided life – feeling fraudulent, anxious about being found out, and depressed by the fact that I am denying my own selfhood. The people around me pay a price as well, for now they walk on ground made unstable by my dividedness. How can I affirm another’s identity when I deny my own? How can I trust another’s integrity when I defy my own? A fault line runs down the middle of my life, and whenever it cracks open – divorcing my words and actions from the truth I hold within – things around me get shaky and start to fall apart.
Looking back at some of our examples, how does living a divided life affect us personally?
How does it affect our loved ones?
How does it affect our world?
What can we do to begin to heal the division?
In the book of Matthew, Jesus says that “The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” The eye is sometimes called the window to the soul. “If thine eye is single”…if we can heal the division between who we pretend to be and who we actually are, “the whole body shall be full of light.”
Honoring the Journey means working to heal the division between the two, to reveal the Hidden Wholeness that is ours by Divine Birthright…made in the image and likeness of our Creator…all of us.
Wholeness does not mean perfection in the relative sense. It means embracing our feelings of brokenness as a normal and integral part of life…trusting that every life has ups and downs, every person has success and what feels like failure, and knows both joy and sorrow…it means using the darkness, when it comes, as a seedbed in which new life can be born. And it means celebrating and giving thanks when the Light returns.
Let’s close in prayer, knowing the Truth for each one of us.
Closing Prayer
There is one, and only one Source, one Life.
By whatever name I call It, I Am, and can only be, an expression of Its Perfection and Light.
There can be no division in the One, and so, there is no division in me.
I Am Whole…perfect in all of my imperfection.
I Am a complete and intentional expression of God, just as I Am, and just as I am not.
I allow the Truth of this message to permeate every part of my being.
My Spiritual Journey has nothing to do with attaining Union with the Divine, or repairing what is broken in me…there is nothing broken, nothing missing, nothing I need to get or to gain to become Whole.
My Spiritual Journey has everything to do with accepting the Truth…I Am, and have always been, Holy.
Great Spirit has spoken, “You are my child, in whom I Am well pleased.”
I accept this as True and allow it to be enough.
I do my part to embody this Truth, and to shine it into every corner of my life.
I shine the Light of Love and Compassion into my relationships.
I shine the Light of Generosity to those who need a helping hand.
And by shining my Light, I leave the world a little bit more beautiful than I found it.
I dedicate myself to this Journey of Faith.
I Am Guided by the deep Wisdom that lives within me.
I find within me the Courage and Strength that it takes to walk in Truth.
Thank You, Spirit, for this day, and for Blessings too numerous to name…those gifts that I would call beautiful and graceful, and those that challenge me to grow in character, resilience, and faith.
I walk in wonder, in reverence, in deep humility and gratitude for Your Masterful Creation, and for Your Powerful Presence, Wisdom, and Guidance in my Life. Thankful for all of it, I rest, knowing that my prayer is answered before it is spoken. 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
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.
In celebration of Love, Dalton has another song to share…
Dalton – Offertory Music
- Connected by Love, written by Charlie Nimovitz
Lucinda – Blessing for the Offering
Invitations
- The 2024 Spring Retreat has been cancelled due to lack of registration. Now that we have a space, we will try again next year. Rev. Diana will be reaching out to each one who registered in the coming week.
- The Mystic Heart Book Club meets on Tuesdays are back for the final week of The Delight in Being Ordinary. They will take the remainder of April off and reconvene on May 7th with a new book…to be determined by the group this week.
- Fast Track to Wellness is meeting on Thursday from noon to 2 pm.
- Metaphysical Bible meets on Thursday from 3-5 pm with Practitioner Chris Johnson. Drop-ins are always welcome.
- Hawaiian Spirituality: a Common Threads Meditation with Jill Matthews
- Thursday, April 18th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm – Suggested donation $10.
- The Master Gardener Garden Fair at the Redding Public Library, Saturday, April 19th from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm.
Looking Ahead…
- Prayers in the Wind with Ellie Thompson, Saturday, May 4th,10:00 am – 1:00 pm. This is a Prayerful Play Shop where each participant will create a unique set of Prayer Flags. Contact Ellie for more information, or to reserve your seat. Suggested Donation: $20 – Snacks provided.
There is more information available in the April Bulletin…take one home with you. And check out our amazing website.
Information Cards if new people
Prayer Requests: I am available after service – We invite everyone to help us make a private space for prayer here in the Sanctuary by joining us next door for lunch
Dalton – 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.