The Rest is Up to You
Sunday, July 24, 2022 Conscious Conversation
Rev. Diana Johnson, with Sherri Dotter, RScP & Chris Johnson, RScP
The following is the outline Rev. Diana prepared to guide the Conscious Conversation. You may view the video with subtitles on our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKHQkXXdy17s2Ubpe3b46sw.
Call to Awareness – 3 Bells
Opening Prayer – Sherri
Opening Music
- Welcome to the Mystic Heart, written by Diana & Chris Johnson
- One Big Family, written by Robin Hackett & Gary Lynn Floyd
- Chant – Prayers for Freedom, written by Sarah Nutting of Ma Muse
Rev. Diana
Feeling enlivened and connected by the joining of our voices, we take a moment to acknowledge our Oneness with Spirit, and with our Global Community… envisioning a web of Consciousness that surrounds and infuses the earth… seeing yourself as a brilliant point of Light in that web… acknowledging that each and every person carries that same Divine Light, each shining their own unique way…and now extending our awareness to every creature, every plant, every rock, every grain of sand…all of the soil…and all of the water, radiating with Spirit’s Light…take a moment to feel how the Light that you are is enmeshed with the Light that I AM…with the Light of all beings. We are connected…one Light, one Life.
We intend and know that our time together this morning benefits the Whole.
We acknowledge our responsibility to one another as human family, and as caretakers of the earth.
Whether you choose to share your thoughts as we join in Conscious Conversation, or whether you choose to listen deeply…or maybe a little of each…let’s jump into our topic for today: The Rest is Up to You.
Rev. Diana
How many of us in this room get plenty of rest?
How many feel like they could use some rest now? No sleeping, please…
The Master Teacher, Yeshua, said, “Come unto me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
What is this rest that he spoke of?
Who is this me of which Jesus spoke? (God, our Divine Human, inner Wisdom)
Resting in God…what does that mean? (Congregation)
Does resting in God mean getting away from our burdens and troubles?
Does it mean getting the rest that our bodies desire when we are tired?
Does it mean the rest that comes from having weathered some kind of storm and still being around to tell the story?
Yes, yes, and yes.
God’s rest means all of these things, but it means so much more.
Did you notice that all of the things I mentioned have a negative tone? Burdens…troubles…storms…exhaustion…
God’s rest goes so much further than these conditions.
In The Sacred Yes, Rev. Deborah Johnson is listening for the voice of Spirit. The Voice says,
My Rest is whole and complete within itself. My Rest is not about getting away from anything; my Rest is about coming to me. My Rest is that place of restoration where your mind, body, and soul are rejuvenated, revitalized, simultaneously.
Here’s the good news – we don’t have to be at a place of exhaustion to receive this kind of rest.
This Rest is not about relaxation, sleep, slumber, or inactivity. We can find this Rest in the midst of a hectic or busy schedule. It is not what is outside of us in our world that opens us to God’s Rest…it is what is inside.
God’s Rest is about being at Peace… it is a state of being… a condition of consciousness that is continuous… a prayer without ceasing.
God’s Rest infuses every thought, word, and deed.
A state of being encompasses our whole person – our physical states, our emotional states, our spiritual states. It is who and what we are in the world.
We take it with us wherever we go.
Buddhist author John Kabat-Zinn wrote a book years ago called Wherever You Go, There You Are. This title speaks to a state of being.
What if Jesus was calling the people of his time to pay attention to their states of being? Maybe he was offering them a transcendent place in consciousness to which they could ascend…a place to Rest.
But notice, he said, “Come unto me and I will give you rest.” We must also come.
This implies action on our part, right?
Oh, not again!
What does it mean to come to God, or a Higher Power or Inner Wisdom?
Do you think it could be reminding us to go to God first? Check in with Higher Power first? Connect with our Deepest Wisdom first?
Speaking again through Rev. Deborah, Spirit tells us:
To come means that you seek all resolutions from me. To come means that you arrive of your own free will, without depending on pain and discomfort to needle you along. To come implies conscious will, choice, and volition, on your part. To come means that you are choosing to yield your will, to synchronize your will with my Will, so that your will and the Divine Will become One. To come is to realize and to accept that the burden of having all the answers and solving all the problems is not on your back. To come takes humility as well as courage.
Humility and courage…what is humility?
True humility recognizes that our physical bodies alone don’t have all the answers. True humility says it is the Father within that does the work…it is the Highest Self that is most closely connected to Source, it is Source Itself, that moves through each one of us. That is true humility.
And what about courage?
This comes from the Middle English word corage, and it means heart.
So when we come to God, we are in a state of heart-felt surrender.
“Come unto me all who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Are we ready, right here and now, to Rest? I invite you to take a moment to settle into that place of Rest as we open to the deep Truth that we can always make the choice to Rest in God because God is not outside of us…God is Life Itself, experiencing what it means to be human…living and moving and being by means of each one of us…where I Am…where You Are…God Is…
Song: God Is by Faith Rivera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQD0335aAbY
Let’s just take a moment to let that soak in…
One of the most crucial areas to investigate on the path of self-discovery is what it is we really want.
Don’t our wants change from day to day, depending on our moods, depending on what the world brings our way?
I’d like to take a few minutes to look at what we really want…what are the desires of the heart?
This is a great privilege…you know that, right? In many places in the world, there are people who are bound by the level of suffering, the level of lack they experience in their daily lives. We don’t have to look very far from home to find people who are living in the depth of pain, lack, hardship.
All of us sitting here know where our next meal is coming from. We know where we will be sleeping tonight and that we will be warm and dry and comfortable. Take a moment now to just feel a deep sense of gratitude that this is so. (Pause)
Allow that sense of gratitude to be one of the ways that we Rest in God. (Pause)
With our hearts fully opened by our deep sense of gratitude, we are going to move into the Spiritual Practice of Deep Inquiry.
I will begin by asking a question, followed by silence. In the silence, you are invited to Rest in God, listening for what It has to say. I will ring the bell, then ask another question, followed by more silence. At the end of the practice, three bells will signal the beginning of Chris’s Guided Meditation.
Please know that within every question is a fully formed answer. You have only to let it come…to become receptive to the Still Small Voice… to be willing to hear what your Deepest Wisdom has always known.
Please feel free to close your eyes if you are comfortable doing so, and allow your bodies to relax into your chairs. Allow your focus to rest on your breathing for a few seconds, as you allow your breath to find its own natural rhythm and flow…
Here is the first question…What do I really want? (1 minute)
Bell
What will that give me? (1 minute)
Bell
What do I really want? What is the longing of my heart and soul? (1 minute)
Three bells
Chris – Meditation
21st century life can be hectic… There is so much to do… work to finish… people to visit… sights to see… vacations to take… If we are not mindful, we may easily be swept away… Outside forces seem to be pulling at us from all sides… beckoning us to go here… do that… But constantly chasing after fulfillment can be exhausting…
Sometimes the most empowering spiritual practice we can do is simply to slow down… disengage from the hustle and bustle around us… Withdraw our attention from the outer world, and focus on our inner world… The world will function just fine for a while without our participation… Let us take time to enter the innermost sanctum of our heart…
The psalmists sang, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him[1]….” and “Truly my soul finds rest in God[2]…” and “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty[3]…” The prophet Jeremiah said, “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls[4]…”
We are ever at the crossroads… we make choices ceaselessly… Thomas Kelly said, “In periods of relaxed listening and expectancy the silence within us seems to merge with a creative silence within the heart of God and we hear Eternity’s whispers, and we become miracles of Eternity breaking into Time…”
Recall now the questions Rev. Diana posed… What is the deepest yearning of your heart and soul? … What is Spirit desiring to experience through you now? … What will your life be like when this desire is fulfilled? … Remembering that it was the Divine One who planted that desire within you, let us enter the Sacred Silence and rest in God… Let us listen within our heart for the still small voice… Be open to the answers you receive… Allow yourself to be guided into Divine Fulfillment…
Silence – 3:00
As we gently shift our attention back to this time and place, we give thanks for this time of rest in Spirit… Grateful for the clarity and inspiration received from that Divine Spark within us, we allow our inspiration to guide us into a life of greater and greater fulfillment… Thank you, God, for everyone and everything…
I invite you to know with me now that Spirit is moving powerfully through each of us, and through our Beloved Community… Individually and collectively, we are a powerful spiritual influence on our world… As we evolve in consciousness, the benefits of our growth ripple out, blessing the entire world…
With open, receptive hearts we give thanks for Rev. Diana’s continued inspiration, knowing that God is always giving us access to their unlimited abundance… And aware that the Universe gives us all we need… and that the rest is up to us.
Rev. Diana
And now together, we anchor our knowing in prayer…our Oneness with the Divine gives us the Spiritual Authority to speak our Word in full Faith that our prayer is already being answered.
I Am so grateful to know, to the core of my being, that God Is all that is…there is nothing else. By whatever name we call that Higher Power, It is the Essence, the Substance, and the Process of Life unfolding.
I Am so grateful to know that if God is all that is, then each of us is a perfect and intentional expression of the Divine. In my own unique form, I Am not all of what God is, but I know beyond all questioning that God is all that I Am.
I feel so blessed to know that I can Rest in God any time that I remember to make that choice. No matter the circumstance, I can choose Peace…I can choose Love…I can choose Joy, Beauty and Light.
I Am so grateful to know that every question comes complete with a fully formed answer…and whether or not it is the answer I was expecting or hoping for, I accept and surrender to my soul’s deepest wisdom.
As each of us opens our minds and hearts, we are doing our part to create a Love-Soaked World. Together, we envision a world in which we are Called to a higher state of Awareness and Action, individually and collectively…a world where every being discovers and lives from their Authenticity and Spiritual Authority. “We envision a world where personal responsibility joins with social conscience” in every area of society (Edward Viljoen); a world that is peaceful, joyful, abundant, and free…where all humans practice loving kindness and care for our planet with respect and intention.
We envision a world where all needs are met…where all beings have plenty of nourishing food, the safety of a warm and comfortable home… medical care, education, healthy relationships, right livelihood, creative contribution, and a sense of justice and deep belonging…a world in which every being is valued for its inherent Goodness and Light…where the Peace we cultivate within shows up as a world free of hatred or violence.
We feel and know a world without greed, where there is abundance in having enough…where every being, as a precious creation of God, is deserving of all the blessings life has to offer, and receives those blessings willingly and gratefully. With humanity serving as the vessels through which God’s blessings flow, there is no reason we cannot have such a world. And so, we know that it is taking form as we speak our Powerful Word.
As we consciously choose to place our faith in the Goodness of our Source, and offer our heartfelt Vision, the world has been changed…right now…in this instant…and I give thanks.
I am so grateful for all who are here today in community, and for the commitment to Spiritual Growth and evolution that each one brings. I am grateful for how far we have come, individually and collectively…for the many ways we serve our greater community, and for the growth we are experiencing as a Spiritual Community. As we grow, so may we serve more and more people, and in greater and greater capacities.
Knowing the Power of prayer, I release my Word to the Loving and Lawful Presence that I call God, with complete faith in Its immediate action. I let go and let God…and so it is. Amen!
Musical Meditation – What Kind of World by Daniel Nahmod
Rev. Diana – Affirmation for the 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 also have a Gracious Giving Program for those who would like to make a heartfelt monthly commitment of support so that we can more effectively plan for our growth. You can find more information on our website.
As we move into this time of giving, hold these words close to your heart and know how much we appreciate your gifts:
As I awaken to the God within me and all around me, I see Abundance everywhere I look. I consciously step into that flow of Abundance by this act of giving. I offer this gift freely in the spirit of Love, blessing and sending it forth to heal and prosper. It is evidence of my deep faith. It does good work in the world and blesses all of Creation. I give from a consciousness of Abundance! And so it is! Amen!
Offertory Music Video – Look for the Good, by Jason Mraz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPq2Vo3yWIk
Sherri – Blessing for the offering
Sherri – Invitations
Mark your calendars now…
- Wednesdays, August 3 – September 7, 3:00-5:00 pm. The Power of Myth: A Video Discussion Gathering with Prayer Practitioner Chris Johnson. Drop-ins welcome!
- Tuesdays, 3-5 pm – Michael Bordeaux’s Book Club will be starting up again on September 13th, rather than August 9th. He will begin a fun, thought-provoking and moving novel, Breakfast With Buddha by Roland Merullo.
- Wednesday, September 14th – November 30th from 2:00 – 5:00 pm, Diana will be offering Divine Audacity, the first of her Conscious Evolution Series. This class will be offered in-person and on Zoom, and is appropriate for anyone wanting to grow!
- Fall Church Family Campout at Sue-Meg State Park. September 24th – 27th, 2022. Children’s program with Traci included. We need a deposit by August 1st and payment in full by September 1st so that we can be certain we have enough folks to cover our costs.
- 2nd Annual Spring Retreat at Coram Ranch in Shasta Lake. April 20-23, 2023.Children’s program with Traci included.
As always, more details are in your bulletin and on our website.
Sherri – Prayer Invitation
Closing Songs:
- Soul’s Blessing, written by Chris Johnson
- Love Be with You, written by Lainey Bernstein, RScP & Gary Lynn Floyd
Endnotes:
[1] Psalm 37:7 (David)
[2] Psalm 62:1 (David)
[3] Psalm 91:1
[4] Jeremiah 6:16