Loving, Feeling Loved
Sunday, June 1, 2025
Rev. Diana Johnson, IM, RScM, with 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:  |
| 25:01 | Guided Meditation | |
| 44:07 | Conscious Conversation |
Taizé
Call to Awareness – 3 Bells
Sherri – 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 Mystical Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Interfaith Community that teaches Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality. I pray that you will be led this morning to the Guidance and Wisdom of your own Mystic Heart. We begin our Taizé Meditation with musical prayer.
Rev. Diana & Chris – Taizé Chants
- Welcome Home to Your Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- Greater Good of All, written by David Roth
Rev. Diana – Grounding ourselves to sense our connection with all that is, allow the chair to take all of your weight, feet resting on the floor…notice how you feel today…how your body feels…what’s happening in your mind…notice how your breath is flowing…and whatever the breath feels like, begin to slow it down…let it go silent…feel the belly rise, then pause at the top…and let a slow breath out. Again, inhale…pause…and release. Let your whole body relax. Let a wave of calm flow over and through you.
Take a moment now to feel where your body touches the chair…become aware of the sturdiness of the earth beneath you, and how it supports every aspect of you. From this grounded awareness, imagine roots, like the roots of a tree, flowing from you deep down into the ground beneath you…rooting down through the floor, into the earth beneath you, and spreading out far and wide. Allow these roots to connect all the way down into the center of the planet…feeling the energy that lives there, and drawing that energy up through the soles of your feet, travelling up through your legs and thighs, up your spine and into your heart space, continuing up the spine and out through the head…
…and now moving it back down, from the atmosphere above you, down through the head, the body, all the way back into the earth…allowing it to ground you…to connect you with the Sacred Mother.
This deep rooting connects you with the earth, and with everything that lives on Her, within Her, and beyond Her…with all humans, and all other creatures…with the plants…the rocks and grains of sand…and with every drop of water…with the heavenly bodies. All that exists, no matter how large or small is an intricate and irreplaceable part of the One Life, all dancing together in this cosmic mystery. Sensing this intimate connection is the closest we may ever get to the direct experience of God.
As human expressions of Divinity, we are given the powers of self-reflection and choice. In return for these precious gifts, we use them wisely, caring for our brothers and sisters, human and otherwise…caring for the Sacred Mother as she gives of her nourishment…doing no harm, and aiding in the transformation happening in our world.
This month we contemplate what is required if we are to make A Return to Love…and we reflect on what it means to truly Love and Feel Loved.
What is Love? Some might define it as an emotion, as a sentimental feeling that is directed toward another person or thing. Others might define it as the strongest kind of preference…a powerful attraction…or a feeling of deep connection with and support of another. I would like to suggest that Love is so much more than these…that it is the Self-Givingness of the Creator…the very act of Spirit’s becoming all that is…the very act that gave, and continues to give life, to each one of us, and to all that exists.
If Love in the Absolute is the Essence, Substance, and Process of Creation Itself, and if I Am made in the image and likeness of that, then human Love is simply an extension of God’s Love by means of me and you. There is nothing sentimental about Love from this perspective. Love is a verb…an action…
…and an action that we have to choose, just as the volitional aspect of God chooses to experience Life as each one of us, and as every other form of existence.
Father Richard Rohr speaks of the tradition of the heart…the mystical tradition that uses the heart of Christ as a point of devotion. He suggests that the correspondence between us as humans, and God as All That Is, is Love…”Love not merely as sentiment or feeling, but Love as the generative Power that overcomes death…Love as self-donation, (self-givingness)…Love as welcome of the other, whomever that other may be…Love as the gravitational force that binds all things together…Love as the fire that burns clean and as the balm that heals…Love as the vision that sees the integrity of both part and Whole…Love as Source and end and the path between.”
Love is a wellspring from which we all may drink. We may approach that wellspring from different paths…from our own life’s experiences…but Love Itself is available to all of us…it is part of the fabric of our being…it is our Nature. Author and activist Valerie Kaur offers that “Love is a sweet labor, a fierce and bloody and imperfect life-giving choice that we make.” And if love is a labor, then love can be taught…it can be learned…and it can be practiced.
It has been said that “(We) will be judged according to our ability to Love.” (Fr. Carlo Carretto) We are not speaking of some kind of judgement by a force outside of ourselves. Rather, of a responsive Universe that returns to us what we give…we are speaking of reaping and sowing. The Master Yeshua taught this principle clearly and succinctly in the Parable of the Sower. And much later, in the book of Galatians, Paul wrote: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. He who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.”
…In Buddhism, sowing and reaping are metaphors for actions and their consequences, specifically relating to the law of karma. Actions, whether positive or negative, are like planting seeds, and the results of those actions are the harvest.
In shamanism, the concept of reaping and sowing manifests as the idea that actions, rituals, and choices have consequences, both positive and negative, that will eventually return to the individual or community.
And so, as we choose Love as our way of being, and make it our Practice to cultivate Love in ourselves, in our relationships, and in our interactions in the world, we are met with Love in return. The Rabbi Jesus taught that “as you give, it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over…”
What if we struggle with the idea of unconditional love…were not raised by loving parents, in a loving family or household? What if, despite our Loving Nature as humans, we find it difficult to see through the eyes of Love? Where do we begin our Practice? Some might suggest that we begin with learning to love ourselves…that all Love begins with self-Love and acceptance. This is one way to approach the cultivation of Love in our lives, and may prove valuable. On the other hand, it can lead us to become lost in self-absorption.
St. Bonaventure, in the 13th Century, had another suggestion that we might find useful: “to work up to loving God, start by loving the very humblest and simplest things, and then move up from there…don’t start by trying to love God (that is too abstract), or even people (that can prove to be difficult as a first step). Love elements and rocks first, move to trees, then animals, and then humans. Now God is only a short leap away.” I might take this one step further…to see the elements and rocks, trees and animals as expressions of God in form…
…to practice seeing every person, in all of their diversity and imperfection, as an intentional and irreplaceable expression of God…and to look in the mirror and offer yourself the same Grace.
Chris – Guided Meditation
In many ways, the primary pursuit of most humans is the longing for Love… It is deep in our nature to want to care deeply for another… and to desire to be Loved ourselves… Love is a Divine Gift… and learning how to give our Gift purely… and how to receive it from another… is a lifetime of work… perhaps many lifetimes…
When we contemplate the great saints who have shown us Unconditional Love, we may feel overwhelmed… how can we live up to their example?… Those saints were not born with a mastery of Perfect Love… When Rabbi Yeshua learned Unconditional Love, he became the Christ… learning to Love, Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha…
The Hindu practice of Bhakti Yoga is the path of Love… In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna tells us that devotion to the Unmanifested Spirit is exceedingly difficult for embodied beings… our Love doesn’t seem to land anywhere… as human beings, we yearn to feel that our Love is received… That’s why we practice Loving with one another…
There is no difference between human love and Divine Love in essence… only in depth and capacity… The Love we share is a reflection of the Infinite Givingness of Spirit… and the reflection gets clearer the more we practice Loving Unconditionally… Over time we all have become more loving… more compassionate… more inclusive…
All expressions of Love have their origin in God… However imperfect or unskilled my expression of Love, it is still a Divine Gift… As we share these three minutes of silent contemplation this morning, I invite you to bring to mind someone or something that is easy for you to love… you just can’t not love them… It may be a pet… a child or grandchild… a flower… or a work of art… Let your Love for them flow through you… and out from you… Notice the Divine qualities of that Love… it is Spirit flowing through you…
Silence – 3:00
O Divine Beloved, thank you for this Gift of Sacred Love… thank you for the myriad opportunities to be a channel to bring your Love into the world… and for this Beloved Community of loving saints who share your Love with me… May we always remember that Love is a Spiritual Power that is Infinite… You are the Source… we can never run out…
Love operates according to the Law of Circulation… the Law of Giving and Receiving… someone has to set the cycle in motion… We often wait, hoping to receive Love so that we can return it… but in that waiting, no Love circulates… It behooves us to risk giving our Love first… even if only out of enlightened self-interest…
As Taizé continues, we give Rev. Diana our full attention… and we receive her Love and Wisdom with open hearts and minds… We allow ourselves to be transformed and expanded… enhancing our capacity for Loving, and Feeling Loved…
Rev. Diana – Loving, Feeling Loved…this has little to do with anyone outside of you. It is about redefining Love as God’s Infinitely Giving Nature and accepting it as your Nature. It is about accepting that there is a Power and a Presence forever giving of Itself to you, through you, as you. You are most dearly Loved. The most natural thing in the world is for you to serve as a conduit for that Love…to allow it to move through you and out into the world.
If it isn’t feeling natural for you right now, have faith…lean into my faith…know that anything that is part of your very Nature can be uncovered…all Truth can be revealed…is being revealed. With time, attention, self-compassion, and Grace, the Love that you are is coming to Light in the world. It is the way of evolution…it is the action of Spirit and shall not be stopped…maybe slowed by our choices but never stopped.
Let’s anchor this knowing in prayer:
There is one, and only One Life, forever expressing as all of creation.
I take a moment to let that sink in…I Am, you Are, an individualized expression of that One Life.
We are not separate from the One that created and continues to create all that is…and we are not separate from one another.
This sense that we are somehow separate is what the Hindus and Buddhists call Illusion…not that the world and everything in it isn’t real in the physical sense, just that everything we perceive as separate in dependent on, even entangled with, everything else…
Forever entwined, part of the fabric of eternity.
Accepting this as Truth, I am humbled by my smallness and my greatness.
The Love that I express in the world will not, by itself, heal the world.
But until I live my life in, from, and as Love, the world can never be Whole.
I dedicate myself and my life to Love…to self-givingness…to empathy and compassion…to seeing outside of myself and giving what is called for in every moment. I am forever engaging with this question…What would Love do now?
Musical Meditation – What Would Love Do Now? by Eddie Watkins, Jr.
Rev. Diana – I trust and know that as I give, so do I receive. I open myself to the gifts of Spirit, in full faith that every need is known and met.
Thank You, Spirit, 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 reverence, awe, and deep gratitude for Your Powerful Presence and Wisdom in my Life. Thankful for this time of Communion in Community, I rest, in deep faith that a prayer spoken is a prayer answered. I release this prayer trusting that God knows my heart and responds in kind. I get out of the way, simply letting it be. And So It Is! Amen!
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.
Rev. Diana – 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.
Offertory Music Video – Return to Love by Andrea Bocelli & Ellie Goulding
Blessing for the Offering
Rev. Diana & Chris – Taizé Closing Song
- A Soul’s Blessing, written by Chris Johnson
Conscious Conversation
Sherri – Opening Prayer
Rev. 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 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 come together each week to be reminded of the Wisdom and Guidance that live in our own Mystic Hearts.
Rev. Diana & Chris – Opening Music
Welcome to the Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
One Big Family, written by Robin Hackett & Gary Lynn Floyd
It’s All There Is by Andy Anderson
Rev. Diana – Let’s keep that Powerful Energy going and growing as we join in the Sacred Practice of envisioning a Love-Soaked World.
Feel and know with me a world in which all humans are living from their deepest Wisdom, their most generous and Loving nature…thoughtful of the impact their thoughts, words, and actions have on one another, on the community, and on the planet…remembering that every thought, word, and action does have an impact…does leave an imprint…
This is a world where all needs are met gracefully and easily because we have learned to live according to our generous nature…where all beings have plenty of nourishing food…warm, comfortable, and affordable housing…a sense of safety and belonging……where mental/physical health, education, and healthy relationships are ensured by social systems grounded in Integrity and Wholeness…where honesty rules the day…
In this world of our creation, all beings work and play at what feeds their soul and are well compensated for their Service…are valued and respected for their inherent Goodness…where authenticity and vulnerability are welcomed and celebrated…where the Peace we cultivate within ourselves shows up as a world free of hatred or violence.
Feel and know with me now, a world without greed, where generosity is the norm…where every being receives all that is needed for a full and contented life.
By the Power of our collective intention, powerful imagining, and inspired action we are writing a new story…we are creating a world that works for all beings. We grant no importance or power to appearances, knowing that transformation is underway here and now. Whatever it may look like, we know that all is always being turned to Good. And so we walk in gratitude, respect, reverence, and humility, acknowledging the sacred in everyone and everything…planting seeds of Peace.
It is through our hands, feet, hearts, and voices that positive change is happening as we align our actions with our Vision, living these changes in our own lives, with our families, friends, and neighbors. 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, and Love, as we are Guided to the Truth that lies within every heart.
By the Creative Power of our deep Knowing, clear Vision, and inspired Action, that this prayer is acted upon, even as it is spoken. In full acceptance of its Reality, and with the deepest gratitude, we release our 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…look around to say good morning to your Spiritual Family. Take a moment to really see one another.
Our theme this month is A Return to Love, and the topic of Conversation this morning is Loving, Feeling Loved. If you were here for Taizé this morning, you will remember what was said…that Love is the Self-Givingness of the Creator…the very act of Spirit’s becoming all that is…
…That if Love in the Absolute is the Essence, Substance, and Process of Creation Itself, and if I Am made in the image and likeness of that, then human Love is simply an extension of God’s Love by means of me and you. There is nothing sentimental about Love from this perspective. Love is a verb…an action, and an action that we have to choose.
We spoke of Love as a generative Power that overcomes death…as welcome of the other…as the gravitational force that binds all things together…as the fire that burns clean and as the balm that heals…as the vision that sees the integrity of both part and Whole…as Source and end and the path between. I suggested that Love is available to all of us…it is part of the fabric of our being…it is our Nature. And it can be taught…it can be learned…and it can be practiced.
There was a lot more packed in this morning, and you can take a look on the website if you’re interested, but that’s where I’d like to begin our Conversation this morning.
What is it that makes you feel Loved? (when someone helps me with something, or offers to, without needing to be asked; when someone hears what I am saying or needing clearly; when someone takes the time to write a note or plan an outing as a surprise)
How do you let others know that they are loved? (I do things for them; I listen for what they want/need; I say I Love – I tend to give Love in the ways I best receive it)
I’ve read that each of us has a couple of Love Languages, one that is predominant, and at least one that is clearly secondary. Are you familiar with the idea of Love Languages?
Is anyone familiar with the five Love Languages proposed by author Gary Chapman?
Words of Affirmation – encourage, appreciate, affirm, empathize, or listen actively.
Quality Time – uninterrupted conversation, focused attention, creating space.
Physical Touch – hugs, kisses, hand holding, gentle touch.
Receiving Gifts – being thoughtful, acts of kindness, making someone a priority, speaking purposefully.
Acts of Service – going out of your way to help another, showing follow-through on offered tasks, doing something to lighten another’s load
Which Love Language do you suppose is your primary?
How about your secondary?
Do you tend to offer Love the way that you best receive it?
So, shouldn’t we be able to determine how another will feel loved if we pay attention?
10:57 Love Languages as we are talking about them falls into the realm of psychology, which is part of who we are…body, mind, spirit…no separation. I’d like to take this topic a little deeper.
Do you suppose that we might have a Spiritual Love Language?
What might some of our Spiritual Love Languages be? How do we know?
Blogger Sarah Vincent suggests that, “To begin to understand your spiritual love language(s), it is helpful first to ask yourself some questions about your spiritual life. Not all the answers will be binary—many of these answers can exist on a spectrum, and it’s even O.K. for your answers to change depending on your mood! Not every question has to resonate with your experiences, but you may find them helpful to think about while working to get a deeper understanding of your spiritual habits and preferences. (And these questions are meant more for your contemplation than answering out loud, unless there is something you want to share.
When you pray, do you prefer to do so in silence or with some background noise? In solitude or as part of a crowd? In nature or indoors?
Does your spirituality feel rooted in rationality or emotion? Do you find yourself praying more in words or in feelings?
Do you prefer to pray or practice your faith in stillness or in action?
Do you find yourself more frequently bringing your desolations or your exaltations to prayer? (Your wins or losses)
Is there a saint, spirit, or spirit guide to whom you have a particular devotion?
Do you feel strongly connected to and grateful for your life and for creation?
Vincent suggests at least seven ways of expressing Love for God and feeling loved by God, the Mystery, Great Spirit.
What do you think those might be?
Going to church or other spiritual gathering; individual or silent prayer; meditation in nature; music and art; charity work and volunteering; reading scripture; and learning and teaching.
Can you think of others? (sharing spiritual insight with friends or partners; studying together; working together in Sacred Service; sharing in Spiritual Community)
There are infinite ways to feel God, so don’t feel limited to these seven languages. Every person on earth will have a different experience of their spirituality and a unique relationship with God, or the gods.
Do you think that Great Spirit has a Love Language? At the risk of anthropomorphizing God, how do we know we are Loved by Spirit?
(They created us, gave of themselves to express as us; they give of themselves in meeting our needs, as a parent might; they have instilled in us specific qualities and a divine purpose; they offer or express as spiritual Principles for our use; they prompt us from within, and if necessary from without, to grow into our best selves)
In the New Testament, John confirms the importance of expressing love through actions and not just words. He says, “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” May our every thought, word, and action show the Love that we are.
Let’s anchor this knowing in prayer:
There is one, and only One Life, forever expressing as all of creation.
I take a moment to let that sink in…I Am, you Are, an individualized expression of that One Life.
We are not separate from the One that creates all…and we are not separate from one another.
This sense that we are somehow separate is what the Hindus and Buddhists call Illusion…not that the world and everything in it isn’t real in the physical sense, just that everything we perceive as separate in dependent on, even entangled with, everything else…
Forever entwined, part of the fabric of eternity.
Accepting this as Truth, I am humbled by my smallness and my greatness.
The Love that I express in the world will not, by itself, heal the world.
But until I live my life in, from, and as Love, the world can never be Whole.
I dedicate myself and my life to Love…to self-givingness…to empathy and compassion…to seeing outside of myself and giving what is called for in every moment.
And I trust and know that as I give, so do I receive.
I open myself to the gifts of Spirit, in full faith that every need is known and met.
Thank You, Spirit, 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 reverence, awe, and deep gratitude for Your Powerful Presence and Wisdom in my Life. Thankful for this time of Communion, 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.
Tying in with our theme, please enjoy…
Offertory Music Video – Little Bit of Love, by Jack Johnson, John Cruz & Friends
Sherri – Bless the Offering
Sherri – Invitations
- The Mystic Heart Book Club meets every Tuesday from 3-5 We are beginning A Politics Next of Love by Marianne Williamson this week.
- A Return to Love Book Study meets every Wednesday from 11am – 1 pm. Please have a copy of the book in some form if you plan to attend. We are starting with the last part of Chapter 6 this week.
- Fast Track to Wellness meets every Thursday from noon to 2 pm. This week is Community Cooking and we’ll be preparing Fava Bean Hummus.
- Metaphysical Bible meets every Thursday from 3-5 pm. We are currently reading The Gospel of Mary Magdalene.
- June Fun Raiser…Tie-Dye to your Mystic Heart’s content! This Saturday, June 7th, 10:30 am – 2:00pm. Come prepared…bring a white 100% Cotton garment and a favorite beverage if you’d like. All materials provided. Cost is $25/person. RSVP and payment are required in advance.
Looking Ahead…save the date:
- Dive and Survive: The Second Spoke on the Wheel Please join April Jimenez, Saturday, July 12th from 11am to 1:00pm.There are more details in the June Bulletin. Contact April for more information. Suggested Donation: $20 Snacks will be provided.
- It’s time to start clearing out those closets and cupboards, and cleaning out garages and sheds in search of no-longer needed, gently-used items. Mystic Heart will be holding its Summer Parking Lot Sale on Friday, July 18th from 7:30am – 3:00 pm. You can bring items in beginning Sunday, July 6th after the Sunday Gathering. More details to come.
- New Clairvaux is holding the 19th Annual Blessing of the Grapes in Vina, July 26th, 2025. Join Mystic OAKS as we take part in this beautiful celebration. There is no cost to attend the event. There are more details in the June Bulletin. Contact Chris Netto or Rev. Diana to sign up.
There is more information available in the June Bulletin…take one home with you. And check out our amazing website, compliments of Chris Johnson.
Information Cards if new people
Prayer Requests: I am available to pray with you after the service.
Rev. Diana & Chris – 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.