Unity of Farmers Branch (Formerly The Church Of One Love)

This is a question we rarely ask ourselves, and may seem obvious on the surface.  But knowing—realizing—our true nature can help us to live with more integrity and the courage of our convictions. Seeing clearly some of the false things idols which our ego tries to form its identity helps us to let go of that which does not serve us. All this adds up to a life of freedom and authenticity.

My mentor and spiritual teacher Chris Chenowith used to say that a true test of the spiritual life is how you handle a delayed flight or a flat tire. In other words, how we comport ourselves not when things are going well, but when we are challenged.  The world today seems to be challenging us in ways unprecedented in our lifetimes.  How do we respond to the human world with spiritual wisdom?   (hint: It’s an inside job)

There is disagreement (debate?)  among spiritual teachers whether anger has a place on the spiritual path.    Some consider it a positive motivating factor.  Some say that the ultimate goal is to get rid of anger altogether.  I take a more practical approach.  Anger, desirable or not, seems to be a fact for most of us.  So when we come face to face with our own anger what do we do with that.  When we find ourselves here—where do we go from here?   

Rev. Melinda and your team of dedicated prayer partners will bring a special *Taize-style service of prayer, silence, inspirational readings and music to fill our tanks with prayer. We come together in this way to BE—as a community—a prayerful presence in the world, helping us to realize our vision of humanity’s awakening to the truth of who we really are: One love, one light, one life—living through each of us. *The Taize community was established in 1940 as a refuge for Jews fleeing Nazi occupation. It uses chanting and silence to promote reconciliation between divided faiths.

Are we broken?  Yes and no.   We don’t require “fixing,” but most of us are also not living the fullest expression of who we are.  We seem to suffer from Spiritual dysmorphia—not being able to perceive ourselves as we truly are. We are always whole—we can’t always see it, but our pain, our difficulties, our challenges provide us a way into seeing ourselves differently. Could this be the key to finding our way “back” to wholeness? 

We explored the concept of how we teach love a few weeks ago at length.  We do it by loving people.  Yet, it has been said that we can only love others to the degree we love ourselves.  Teaching only love for ourselves is also something we can only do by experiencing it and becoming an example of it.  How do we do this? 

We talk about how our Prayer Partners “pray peace “each night at 7.  What does it praying peace mean, and why don’t we “pray for peace” instead?  There is a quality of being that we bring to everything in our lives that belies anything that we say or do.  How can we begin to bring that quality of “being” into all our “doing” so that we become more effective in our professed desire to “teach only love?”

Prayer is a cornerstone of this church and of our individual spiritual lives.  Why do we pray?  How do we pray?  Is it to get something we already have?  To get God to pay attention to us?  Or is it to align ourselves with something greater so that we experience this life more fully, more gently, more graciously?

We have been exploring our familiar affirmations, taglines and well -used phrases in an effort to imbue them with new meaning—to make them more intentional.  This week we will explore how and why we do what we do in the service, in classes, etc.  How do the elements of the service—singing, reading, sharing a message, listening, offering, singing some more—serve us? Why take classes?  Why volunteer?