Peace as a Starting Place
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Rev. Diana Johnson, IM, RScM, with Lucinda Alton, RScP, Chris Johnson, RScP, & musician Dalton Fitzgerald
Video Chapter Index
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| 25:13 | Guided Meditation | |
| 52:45 | Conscious Conversation |
Taizé
Rev. Diana – Invite the Bell 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 Mystical Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Independent Interfaith Community. We teach Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality. It is my sincere desire that you find a sense of Home here, and that you are Led Home to the Guidance and Wisdom of your own Mystic Heart.
Today is the second Sunday of Advent on the Christian liturgical calendar. We light a candle each week of the Advent Season to bring our awareness to a particular quality of the Divine…a quality that infuses many of the world’s traditions, and that we seek to embrace in our own lives. The white candle in the center is the God candle…the Spirit by which and from which all of creation comes into being. This week we light the first purple candle of Hope, or Faith, and add the second purple candle, representing Peace. We understand that Peace is our natural state…but Peace can only come to our world as we hold Peace in our hearts and minds…as we live as Peaceful beings, in Peaceful homes, neighborhoods, cities, and countries.
(Lucinda lights the candles.)
We are also celebrating Bodhi Day today…the Buddhist holiday that commemorates Siddhartha Gautama’s enlightenment experience. We celebrate the life of the Buddha, in gratitude for what he brought to humanity…an awareness of Cause and Effect, its effect on an awakening soul, and a greater understanding and acceptance of suffering as a part of a human life.
And this coming Tuesday, December 13th, is the Feast of Santa Lucia, the Christian day of feasting that commemorates the life of Lucia of Syracuse, an early4th century virgin martyr. Legend has it that she brought food and aid to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs. She wore a candle-lit wreath on her head to light her way and leave her hands free to carry as much food as possible. We celebrate the Feast of Santa Lucia, in gratitude for her beautiful example of Generosity and Sacred Service. May we do our best to walk in the footsteps of such beings…may our lives, too, serve as examples of Goodness.
No matter the tradition you practice, this a time of stillness, of quiet, but mindful and watchful waiting for what is yet to come…for the physical light to return…and for what is to be born in us, and in our lives.
Now let your body, mind and soul be completely at ease, becoming absolutely still as you allow yourself to be taken by the meditative tone of Taizé…allowing the words and music to fill and wash over and infuse you…
Dalton – Taizé Chants
- Welcome Home to Your Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- In My Awakening, written by Karl Anthony
Rev Diana – I invite you to join me in resting back and trusting the unknown and a way to find the deep Peace that dwells within…that Peace that is a starting place…connect with your body and how it’s making contact with the chair…feel its support…grounding yourself in the breath…Breathing in Peace…and with every out breath, letting yourself feel the support of the earth…Allowing the face to soften, releasing the forehead, the muscles around the eyes, the jaw…letting the tongue rest in the mouth…
…being aware of the shoulders, and as you breathe out, letting the shoulders soften…bringing attention to the chest and belly…allowing them to release and soften on the next exhale…noticing your arms and hands, and letting them grow a little heavier, releasing tension, as you breath out. Feeling your legs and feet…releasing…softening…and letting go as you exhale…breathing in Peace and allowing the whole body to soften and release its weight even more onto the earth with every out breath.
As we continue in the flow of meditation, we acknowledge our connection with all Life. Seeing with the inner eye, sense with me now a global web of consciousness, each of us a point of Light, all connected across the planet…all beings, who in this moment, are sitting in meditation or prayer, or attending their own sacred services…all of us, acknowledging the Presence of the Divine…consciously connected by our common purpose…feeling the collective intention that brought us here…feeling the deep communion with that which is greater than we can ever know or understand…feeling the impulse to grow and evolve that’s awakening within us…
And now expanding our awareness, and sensing that same Light shining in and from every human…no matter what they may be doing this morning. Moving beyond our human family, we acknowledge every creature as an expression of Light…every plant, every rock and grain of sand…the soil and the water…the clouds…the heavenly bodies…all expressions of One Light, of One Life.
We know that there is no separation between us…we feel our inherent connectedness. As one human family, we acknowledge our personal responsibility and our role as caretakers…in Sacred Service to one another…to all life forms…and to the planet that sustains us all.
Grounded in our Oneness, we acknowledge this season of peaceful acceptance of what is, even as we have hopes and dreams for the future…even as we place our faith in Healing and Wholeness, and in a more beautiful life for the earth and her beings. This is an important capacity if we are to find contentment in our lives.
With the rapid changes happening on our planet, and in our society right now, it is more important than ever that we learn to practice equanimity. Many of us are being faced with big life questions and decisions…navigating huge changes…shifts in job or career, endings in close relationships, moves from one home to another; our big life’s question may center around a recent loss, a sense of fear or sadness and how and when it will become less…what we can do to assist in the healing; it may be about trying to figure out the future…what should I do, or what will the future bring? These are challenging circumstances for all of us. The Buddha taught that no human life was without suffering.
I offer a tool for us to consider this morning. In the words of Buddhist Teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh:
Don’t try to figure out the answer by thinking about it. In thinking over a question again and again, we do not generally arrive at real Wisdom, but we easily tire ourselves out, and get even more confused or anxious. These deeper life’s questions cannot be resolved at the level of the mind, but must be entrusted to a deeper part of our consciousness…consider this big question as a seed, planted in the soil of your mind and let it rest there.
Mindfulness Practice in our daily lives provides the sunshine, water, and other nutrients that the seed needs to sprout, so that one day it will rise up on its own…in its own time. Our answer will become clear, without a doubt. But, we must leave the seed down in the soil of our mind, and not keep digging it up to see if it’s growing roots. It won’t grow that way.
It’s the same with a deep or troubling question. We ask our deeper consciousness to take care of it and let go of our worrying about it. Then in our daily lives, we practice calming, resting, and coming home to ourselves in the present moment. This will help the seed of our question ripen naturally and authentically. This cannot be rushed or forced. We can trust that the seed is down there, being tended by our deepest consciousness. One day it will sprout into a clear answer.
Chris – Guided Meditation
The focus of the second week of Advent is Peace… and today, Rev. Diana invites us to consider Peace as our starting place… We often think of Peace as the end result of our spiritual practice… if we meditate and pray consistently, our inner life will be more serene… we will eventually feel peaceful in our hearts and minds…
But what if we could begin our sacred work centered in Peace?… Starting from a perception of wholeness… that nothing is wrong… that everything is perfect just as it is… This doesn’t mean that we don’t work to make things better… it simply means that our sacred service is performed with a tranquil heart…
In the Gospel of John, Rabbi Yeshua says, “My Peace I give to you… not the peace the world gives, but my Shalom… my Peace…”[i] The world may give us temporary cessation of conflict… but true Peace comes from perceiving the inherent wholeness of Life… its essential goodness… This is why he taught us not to judge by appearances…[ii]
The Universe is dynamic… ever evolving… constant transformation is its natural state… and this relentless change can feel like the opposite of Peace… We dislike not knowing… what is going on… how things will turn out… we can never really know… but we can have faith in the Divine Order guiding the process…
Faith that everything is unfolding for the highest good of all allows us to accept that we don’t know… and to become more comfortable in our not knowing… Faith that Life is always for us and never against us gives us Peace… As we enter into our three minutes of shared, silent meditation this morning, I invite you to grow your faith in the Divine Order underlying all things… your trust that all is well… and that all shall be well… and feel the Divine Peace that passes all human understanding…[iii]
Silence – 3:00
Abwoon d’bwashmaya… Mother and Father of all of Creation, we give thanks… Thank you for the Divine Order that guides our ongoing evolution… and the evolution of the planet… Thank you for these saints gathered here in Beloved Community… may we always be grateful for and generous with our mutual love and support…
Last week’s focus on Faith has prepared us to receive this week’s gift of Peace… Without faith, the Universe looks random… unpredictable… maybe even scary… With Faith, we trust that Life is a benevolent, generous Divine Gift… the blessing that it truly is… Faith gives us the courage to face the unknown…
We open our hearts now to receive the blessing of Rev. Diana’s continued meditation this morning… allowing it to inspire us… and to strengthen our faith… so that we may be encouraged to embrace Peace as our Starting Place…
Rev. Diana – In his book, The Wisdom of Insecurity, Alan Watts writes that:
When we are clear and sure about what we are doing, we are less open to the many possibilities available. But when we let ourselves hang out in the space of not knowing, there’s enormous potential, and life could unfold in enumerable ways. So rather than avoid and fear this place of uncertainty, we can embrace it, and all its gifts.
The invitation this morning is to dwell more and more comfortably in the midst of not knowing, awkwardness, and confusion. This creates space…leads us to Peace…helps us to touch into something deeper than overwhelm or sadness. As we practice getting more comfortable with discomfort, we find that while the external situation may not have changed, we have changed in relation to our situation.
It is important to accept that, in a sense, our culture, our society, is dissolving. We are collectively entering the chrysalis, and structures we have come to rely on, and identify with, are breaking down.
We are in the cocoon, and we don’t know what the next phase will be like. This may be true in our individual lives, as well. To be willing to surrender to the unknown in our own lives is essential to our individual healing, and to our collective learning as we move through this time of faster and faster change, disruption and breakdown.
We close our Taizé in prayerful mindfulness meditation. Settle into the Peace that forever dwells within you. Breathe. Now calmly bring to mind some question or challenge you might be experiencing right now, and the pull you may be feeling to resolve it. Without trying to figure out an answer or a solution, see this question or challenge as a seed that you are entrusting to the soil of your mind, down in its depths. Just allow it to lie there…peacefully…quietly. Let yourself rest into the unknown, letting yourself reconnect with the feeling of being held by the earth…held by the Presence. Give the seed of your challenge or suffering permission to take the time it needs to ripen into an answer, or a healing. Trust your own Deeper Wisdom, the Light within you, to show you the way when the time is right.
Dalton – Musical Meditation
- May Peace Prevail, written by James Twyman
Rev. Diana – We continue with mindful breathing, guided by these words:
Wisdom and Compassion are withing me. I have faith. I Am at Peace.
Divine Light is within me. I have faith. I Am at Peace.
Breathing in, Wisdom and Compassion are within me.
Breathing out, I have Faith.
Breathing in, Divine Light is within me.
Breathing out, I Am at Peace.
I trust that the capacity for awakening is my True Nature…I place my faith in this. I let myself breathe and open to the Truth of my own ability…to access Presence, Wisdom, Patience, Ease, even in the midst of uncertainty. I can do this. Trust, Resilience, Wisdom, is my nature. I have Faith.
And so it is! Amen! Sathu!
Coming back into the awareness of our bodies…our senses…the atmosphere in the room, we open our eyes and allow our 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 you if you need anything.
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. 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 gifts. We acknowledge and give thanks for the infinite abundance of Spirit.
As we honor the Spiritual Practice of Circulation, Dalton has another song to share in honor of Bodhi Day.
Dalton – Offertory Music
- Metta Prayer, written by Tienne Beaulieu
Rev. Diana – Blessing for the Offering
Dalton – Closing Song
A Soul’s Blessing, written by Chris Johnson
Conscious Conversation
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 Mystical Heart Spiritual Center. We are an Interfaith Community that teaches Universal Principles and Practical Spirituality. In this month of Celebrating the Return of the Light we are giving our attention to the Season of Advent, and to the many celebrations of Light that happen throughout cultures and traditions all over the world.
Today is Bodhi Day, the Buddhist holiday that commemorates Siddartha Gautama’s enlightenment experience. We celebrate the life of the Buddha, in gratitude for what he brought to humanity…an awareness of Cause and Effect, its effect on an awakening soul, and a greater understanding and acceptance of suffering as a part of a human life.
And this coming Tuesday, December 13th, is the Feast of Santa Lucia, the Christian day of feasting that commemorates the life of Lucia of Syracuse, an early-4th-century virgin martyr. Legend has it that she brought food and aid to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs. She wore a candle-lit wreath on her head to light her way and leave her hands free to carry as much food as possible. We celebrate the Feast of Santa Lucia, in gratitude for her beautiful example of Generosity and Sacred Service. May we do our best to walk in the footsteps of such beings…may our lives, too, serve as examples of Goodness.
No matter the tradition you practice, this a time of stillness, of quiet, but mindful and watchful waiting for what is yet to come…for the physical light to return…and for what is to be born in us, and in our lives.
Let’s get our Conversation started by joining our voices in song and giving our bodies a chance to wake up!
Opening Music
- Welcome to the Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- One Big Family, written by Robin Hackett & Gary Lynn Floyd
- Song – I Release, and I Let Go by Rickie Byars
Rev. Diana – Let’s take a moment to feel the Presence of Spirit in the body…the Life moving through…the Love filling you up…and join me in our Sacred Practice of Visioning for a Love-Soaked World.
…where all humans are embodying and living from their Highest Selves, their deepest Wisdom, their most generous and Loving nature…honoring and caring for one another, and for our beautiful planet as the Sacred Home that sustains us.
Feel and know with me, a world where all needs are met…where all beings have plenty of nourishing food, the safety of a warm and comfortable home……where mental/physical health, education, and healthy relationships are ensured by social systems grounded in Integrity and Wholeness…where all beings work and play at what feeds their soul and are well compensated for their Service…This is a world in which all beings are valued and respected for their inherent Goodness and Light…where authenticity and vulnerability are not only welcome, but celebrated…where the Peace we cultivate within shows up as a world free of hatred or violence.
Feel and know with me, a world where greed is no more, where there is abundance in having enough…where generosity is the norm…where every being receives all that is needed for a full, rich, and contented life.
By the Power of our collective intention and powerful imagining, we are writing a new story…we are creating a world that works for all beings. We know that our Good Work is bearing fruit. We pay no mind to appearances, knowing that all is always being turned to Good.
We walk in gratitude, respect, reverence, and humility as we recognize the sacred in everyone and everything…there is a general sense of thriving…authenticity is valued…vulnerability is celebrated…and it is Good.
We have come to understand that it is through our hands, feet, hearts, and voices that positive change happens. And so we choose to align our actions with our Vision, living these changes in our own lives, with our families, friends, and neighbors…a new world is being born. As this paradigm for living changes, this Community stands as an open and welcoming place for all who seek support, belonging, a sense of Family.
By the power of our deep faith, clear Vision, and inspired action, this prayer is acted upon, answered even as it is spoken. In full acceptance of its Reality, and with the deepest humility and gratitude, we release our Word to the Great Mystery that I call God…we release it to the One That Gets It Done…
And so it is!…Amen! Sathu!
Let’s take a moment to bask in that creative and powerful energy…look around to say good morning to your Spiritual Family…some of the people who care about you…people you can count on when you need a hand.
If you were with us at Taizé this morning, you know that our topic of Conversation this month has been What Are We Waiting For. At this morning’s Taizé, we used Peace as a Starting Place as our point of reflection. We acknowledged that this is a season of peaceful acceptance of what is, even as we have hopes and dreams for the future…even as we place our faith in Healing and Wholeness, and in a more beautiful life for the earth and her beings.
We said that with the rapid changes happening on our planet, and in our society right now, it is more important than ever that we learn to practice equanimity…that many of us are being faced with big life questions and decisions…navigating huge changes…and we looked at the Buddha’s teaching that no human life was without suffering.
I offered a tool for us to consider as we move through this Season of Light. Finally, I shared a quote from Buddhist Teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh:
Don’t try to figure out the answer by thinking about it. In thinking over a question again and again, we do not generally arrive at real Wisdom, but we easily tire ourselves out, and get even more confused or anxious. These deeper life’s questions cannot be resolved at the level of the mind, but must be entrusted to a deeper part of our consciousness…consider this big question as a seed, planted in the soil of your mind and let it rest there.
To complete the Taizé, we were invited into a Mindfulness Practice to help us navigate through life’s difficult changes or decisions. That brings us up to speed. It was a powerful gathering…if you missed it, you can look it up online in the coming week. But for now, I would like to pivot to another related topic…The Light within the Darkness.
I’ll start by sharing some reflections from Franciscan Father Richard Rohr:
Read Preparing for Christmas, pages 4-5
Let’s pause there. What is the difference between self-assertion and self-surrender?
Let me repeat a sentence: “…any happiness that is demanded from life never becomes happiness because it is too narcissistically and self-consciously pursued.” What does that mean to you?
Do you agree?
Read Preparing for Christmas, page 5.
Thoughts? Do we resist the struggles in life? Does this create more struggle?
The Buddha taught that pain is a part of life, but suffering or struggle is optional. He defined suffering as resistance to what is.
Read Preparing for Christmas, page 6.
What does he mean by making room inside us?
Fr. Richard leaves this section with a contemplation question: What attachments in your life can you let go of to make more room for Spirit? You may want to take that question into your reflections this week.
I have one more related section that I would like to share with you.
Read Preparing for Christmas, pages 26-27.
How is surrendering to the darkness real transformation?
Read Preparing for Christmas, page 27.
He’s talking here about Spiritual Bypass. What is Spiritual Bypass?
How is it less than helpful?
Read Preparing for Christmas, page 28.
Isn’t that a beautiful metaphor for the Birth of Jesus story…the narrow birth canal of God into the world – “through the darkness and into an ever-greater Light”?
Fr. Richard leaves us with one final reflection:
“In what parts of your life are you trying to push away darkness instead of living with it as a teacher and transformer?”
And remember the first… “What attachments in your life can you let go of to make more room for Spirit?”
Is there anything else that wants to be spoken right now?
Closing Prayer –
I share with you in closing, the prayerful mindfulness meditation we spoke during Taizé. For those who heard it earlier, you may notice a deeper experience or revelation the second time through.
Settle into the Peace that forever dwells within you. Breathe. Now calmly bring to mind some question or challenge you might be experiencing right now, and the pull you may be feeling to resolve it. Without trying to figure out an answer or a solution, see this question or challenge as a seed that you are entrusting to the soil of your mind, down in its depths. Just allow it to lie there…peacefully…quietly. Let yourself rest into the unknown, letting yourself reconnect with the feeling of being held by the earth…held by the Presence. Give the seed of your challenge or suffering permission to take the time it needs to ripen into an answer, or a healing. Trust your own Deeper Wisdom, the Light within you, to show you the way when the time is right. (Pause)
We continue with mindful breathing, guided by these words:
Wisdom and Compassion are withing me. I have faith. I Am at Peace.
Divine Light is within me. I have faith. I Am at Peace.
Breathing in, Wisdom and Compassion are within me.
Breathing out, I have Faith.
Breathing in, Divine Light is within me.
Breathing out, I Am at Peace.
I trust that the capacity for awakening is my True Nature…I place my faith in this. I let myself breathe and open to the Truth of my own ability…to access Presence, Wisdom, Patience, Ease, even in the midst of uncertainty. I can do this. Trust, Resilience, Wisdom, is my nature. I have Faith.
And so it is! Amen! Sathu!
Welcome back! So good to have you with us this morning…such a blessing to have time with Spiritual Family. Time is our greatest gift, and it does not go unnoticed that you are sharing your greatest gift with me…with us.
Love Offering
Each Sunday, we 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 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 gifts. We acknowledge and give thanks for the Infinite Abundance of Spirit.
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.
As we engage in the Sacred Practice of Circulation, I invite you to consider this important holiday question:
Dalton – Offertory Music
- Earth, written by David Roth
Lucinda – Blessing for the Offering
Rev. Diana – Invitations
- The Mystic Heart Book Club meets on Tuesdays from 3-5 pm. We are reading Conversations With God, Book 2 by Neale Donald Walsch.
- Fast Track to Wellness Club meets on Thursdays from 3-5 pm. This week we are having a Community Cooking for Health and Wellness day. Please rsvp if you plan to attend so that we can all be prepared.
- Metaphysical Bible Study meets on Thursdays from 3-5 pm. We are reading The Gospel of Thomas.
- 12 Days of Kindness…continue to bring in gloves and hats, instant coffee packets, and hot chocolate packets. We’ll gather here on Saturday, December 14th, to do some baking and packaging of home-baked goodies. We’ll put the bags together after lunch on December 15th.
Mark Your Calendars…
- Share the Light – Join Mystic Heart for our annual Candle Lighting Ceremony on Wednesday, December 18th, 6:30-8:00 pm. This year’s celebration brings lots of music, a bit of message, and closed with our ritual of Sharing our Light with the world. We will have child care this year for this Sacred Time.
- New Classes Coming Up… slight changes to start dates…
- Emotional Intelligence & Prayer, (10 weeks) beginning Wednesday, January 15, 10:00am – 1:00 pm. Bring a sack lunch if you wish 😊Required books: Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves & Can We Talk to God by Ernest Holmes. Cost: $125/10 weeks or $15 per week.
- Shadow and Story, (10 weeks) beginning Thursday, January 16, 6:00 – 9:00 pm. Required books: The Dark Side of the Light Chasers & The Secret of the Shadow by Debbie Ford & This Thing Called You by Ernest Holmes. Cost: $125/10 weeks or $15 per week.
- Metaphysical, Allegorical Bible Survey, (15 weeks) beginning Wednesday, January 15, 2:00 – 5:00 pm. Required books: The Hidden Mystery of the Bible by Jack Ensign Addington, The Power of Parable: How the Fiction by Jesus Became the Fiction of Jesus by John Dominic Crossan, & Revelation: A Metaphysical Interpretation by James R. D. Yeaw. Cost: $200/15 weeks or $15 per week.
- Connecting the Hoop, Saturday, Janary 18th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Please join April Jiménez for the Sacred Wheel Workshop that brings us back to the time of Winter, and of Deep Connection and Inner Knowing. This is a four-hour workshop, and will include a Sacred Cacao Ceremony. Lunch will be provided. Your RSVP and purchase of a ticket in advance is required for this event, as food and other supplies will need to be prepared. Tickets are available today. The cost is $30. Please contact April or Rev. Diana for more information, or to purchase your ticket.
- Namasté Café has been moved to Friday, Janauary 31st , 6:30 – 9:00 pm at the Mystic Heart Gathering Place. Join Mystic Heart for its first Open-Mic Night. Mark your calendars…tell your friends.
There is more information available in the December Bulletin and on our website.
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.
Dalton – Closing Song
- Love Be With You, written by Lainey Bernstein, RScP & Gary Lynn Floyd
Notes:
[i] John 14:27
[ii] John 7:24
[iii] Philippians 4:7
©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.