Church of One Love

What We Can Learn From The Animals

As we remember our soul connection to the natural world on Pet Blessing day, we bless the animals that come into our lives to teach us.  They give lessons in love, care, and nurturing, responsibility, oneness, and non-resistance, and –ultimately--loss.  

Prayer or Blessing?

Prayer is often about what we want from life.  Blessing can be about what we bring to life.  We are all “blessings to the world,” as the song says—but how much more so when we are intentional with our blessing?  Can we truly bless life on purpose? Do we have that power?  Instead of “What’s in it for me,” we can practice, “What’s in it FROM me?”

Let Go Into the Mystery

When we live life in  box—with defined, clear edges, reasons, absolutes, we limit ourselves (and try to limit God) to a level of our human understanding.  Our perspective is small and centered in the self.   But to allow mystery—to rest in the process of life as a whole, rather than focus on the singular events we see and think we can define—is to open to being happy even when conditions do not seem to dictate it.  

Heaven is Now or Never

If not now, when?  If not me, who?  The life of the Spirit allows joy and  contentment without needing conditions to be perfect.  So why do we keep piling up our “good works” and denying “bad?”  What reward do we think will come in any time other than this, right now?  If heaven is now--how, then do we live in it?

Change or Transformation, Which?

To change is to do something different—or do the same thing differently.  Yet, when we change we can always go back to old behaviors.  Transformation is when we become something different.  A butterfly can never go back to being a caterpillar.  In what ways are you changing?  Have you noticed any transformations in your life?

The Freedom of "I Don't Know"

Magic, wonder, anticipation, openness, opportunity for awe are just a few of the gifts that come when we let go of “knowing.”  Expertise is not wisdom.  Expertise is what we can acquire through much practice, but wisdom is something we “become” after years of experiencing the results of our practice—expected and unexpected.  This week we explore the wisdom and the blessings that come from not knowing.

Remember the Sabbath & Keep it Holy

As I compose this theme, I am about to embark upon my Sabbatical (a word that comes from the same root as “Sabbath” ), having very little idea of how I will experience this time apart.  I am excited, nervous, and expecting the unexpected—knowing that there will be challenges and gifts, both-- which will serve to further my growth as a spirit “being human,” and as a minister.  In my first week back I will share with you some of the gifts and “growth opportunities” from this time I have promised to “keep holy.”

Rev. Rick Horsey: Is That All There Is?

One of the main questions in life is why human beings tend to choose chaos over happiness? We seem to do this even when we say we know better. We will examine this duality using the thoughts of spiritual thinkers to look even deeper!

Rev. Michael Gott: The Courage to Change

     God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

     The courage to change the things I can,

      And the wisdom to know the difference.

 

The Serenity Prayer has been a source of comfort and clarity for many people from many walks of life for the last century. Its origins may go further back that. The genius of this simple prayer is that it reveals to us that we cannot control all the conditions of the world around us, and yet there will be things we can change, indeed that we are called by Spirit to change. Once we have been granted the wisdom to know what is ours to do, how do we summon the courage needed to change?

Nancy Cox & the Prayer Partners: Our Pathway to Prayer

Join us as Nancy and the Prayer Partners discuss how our prayers progress from childhood forward.