Sunday Message for October 24, 2021

THE PERFECT CENTER TOP TEN

Prayer: Sit with relaxed but erect posture, both feet on the floor, hands open and receptive in your lap. Close your eyes.

"I'm here, God. Waiting, listening, open. Empty me of fear, worry, and inner chatter. Allow me to rest and rejoice in your presence."

Use your breath to create a sense of peace and letting go into God. Breathe deeply, slowly, calmly, starting with several cleansing breaths that end in an audible sigh. As you fill your lungs and exhale, feel the tension in your muscles-your entire body-flow out with the air. Continue to breathe in a regular, natural rhythm from your abdomen rather than your chest.

Focus on breathing God in, breathing all else out until you feel calm and centered.

Continue paying attention to your breath as you focus your body, mind, and spirit on the reality that God is present and that you are here with the intention of loving and being loved by God.

Thank you God, Amen

"As you grow in understanding as to who you are, where you came from, what the purpose of your being is, and how you are to fulfill the purpose for which you are intended, you will become a more and more perfect center through which the Creative Spirit of Life can enjoy Itself."^a

Today is our final Sunday to look at the beautiful quote from Genevieve Behrend.

And in our final look at it, I want to offer you my Top Ten List of things to remember as we travel the road of becoming a more and more perfect center through which the Creative Spirit of Life can enjoy Itself.

If we live by this Top Ten List we will be well on that road, that's for sure.

Because we have a lot to cover, let's jump right in.

10. LIVE THE SACRED SEVEN SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
10. Live the Sacred Seven Spiritual Practices
This was an entire month's theme some time ago, so I won't dig deep into them, but let this serve as a reminder of the spiritual practices we hold most sacred.
Meditation
Visioning
Affirmative Prayer
Affirmations
Visualization
Selfless Service
Tithing - plus 2 more to Make it the Divine Nine!!
Forgiveness
Gratitude

9. LIVE ON PURPOSE
9. Live on Purpose

Behrend says we must "fulfill the purpose for which you are intended." And what is that purpose? We like to make it so complicated, but it isn't. I'm going to tell you your purpose right now. Are you ready? Lean in. Cup your ear so you can really hear this. Open your heart so you can really get this!

Ready?

Your purpose is to be your most authentic version of you.

As Meister Eckhart, a thirteenth-fourteenth century philosopher, theologian, and mystic, said it this way: "Let God be God in you."^b

Your purpose is not linked to a specific career - or to doing a particular "this" - or to achieving a certain "that."

It's simply about becoming your best possible "you!"

It's about growing, stretching and learning how to freely allow yourself to express yourself - so you can confidently, generously, intentionally share your love, thoughts, ideas, creativity, inspiration, and highest vibration with as many people as you can.

Let me say this again: You don't need to do a particular job - or accomplish a particular goal to live your purpose.

Your purpose is always about what you can bring of your most authentic, one-of-a-kind, best self to this planet.

And it's an important purpose. Because both this planet and your soul need you to radiate your most optimum love, peace and happiness - in thoughts, words, and actions.

And let it be OK when the way in which you express your life's purpose changes.

8. LIVE IN THE NOW
8. Live in the Now

Mark Twain: "I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened."^c

Live in the now - it's where your connection to Source is!

7. LIVE AS AN EXPANDED RECEIVER
7. Live as an Expanded Receiver

In order to make the impact we want, to be the Perfect Center of God Operation, we must expand our capacity to receive!!

What if we shifted from the push that can often come with creation to becoming a true, total open receptacle to receive all that the Universe has to offer us . . . inspiration, insights, wisdom, abundance, health, love, connection, joy, growth, meaning.

Receiving is an energy that is crazy attractive and expansive! It just calls in our good!

6. LIVE TO PROVE THESE TEACHINGS
6. Live to Prove These Teachings

In Getting The Clear Realization, F. B. Whitney writes: "Your ability to demonstrate Truth is commensurate with your spiritual convictions. The truth about health must be so all-absorbing and so dominating that you cannot conceive of anything but health. To the degree that you can conceive of disease as a reality, even as a possibility, to man, to that extent you weaken your ability to demonstrate and to manifest health.

"Jesus considered sin, disease, fear, and poverty as having no intelligence, no presence, and no power in the spiritual and real order of things..

"The ministry of Jesus consisted in freeing men from a belief in external powers and adverse presences and in showing that external powers and adversaries are but self-inflicted beliefs that are powerless and nonexistent because they are not founded upon the truth of God.

"Truth is man's salvation, because it frees him from the old order of things. This order comprises beliefs that man is material, susceptible to sickness and death. Jesus is Savior because his teaching saves men from themselves, from their ignorance, and from the malicious delusions of the race. Through him, worldly wisdom with all its attendant fables and traditions is replaced by spiritual understanding. Jesus knew that right understanding always meets every human need.

"If you feel that your faith is weak, seek to know more about the thing in which you want to have faith. When you have the conviction that the thing is absolutely true, you will find yourself standing loyally and faithfully for it."^d

5. LIVE INTO THE NEXT STEP
5. Live into the Next Step

Whatever your inner guidance tells you to take. Take it! And, heed the wisdom that I received on a lovely card recently: "Since all great journeys start with a single step, you should probably have on a cute pair of shoes!"

4. LIVE TO STRETCH
4. Live to STRETCH

Rev. Ali Benjamin shared this acronym for STRETCH, which I think is just brilliant and it's #4. Start Thinking Radical Evolutionary Thoughts Creating Harmony^e (or Heaven or Happiness or Health or the Harvest or Heroism or Heartlight).

We are New Thought after all. When have you actually had one! A new thought about yourself? Your life?

Here are three powerful "stretching" questions:

Could this be for me? What if this could be easy? Is this thought I'm having about myself really true?

3. HONOR YOURSELF CONSCIOUSLY AND OFTEN
3. Honor Yourself Consciously and Often

What is it your heart actually desires? What do you really want? What do you love? Do that!!

2. ALLOW YOURSELF TO GRIEVE
2. Allow Yourself to Grieve

Matthew Fox: "When your heart breaks, the whole universe can come through."^f

But we have to do our grief work.

1. CREATE SACRED COMMUNITY
1. Create Sacred Community

Paul R. Gockel writes: "Sacred communities provide the peace of mind that we are not alone. They allow us to share a spiritual energy with each other and experience the awe and wonder as a community. These communities draw together the unity of our being, faith, and spirit. Each individual brings something to share with the entire community, and this sharing binds the community together. These sacred communities have the power to connect people not just physically, but also emotionally and spiritually.

"We need to open ourselves and be vulnerable to the spirit and the needs of others so that we can become fully human. Our sacred communities are special places that act as a portal to the spirit world, a thin space between humans and the divine.

"We rise above all the pain and suffering COVID-19 is causing by extending our hearts and souls to each other, standing together in small and large communities for one purpose - to care for each other's needs. We gather as special sacred communities that have compassion, understanding, and mindfulness for each other's experiences. We need to continue to listen with an open mind and heart to each other's stories. Listening is a powerful tool for loving one another."^g

So those, my friends, are the top ten ways we can live Genevieve Behrend's quote.

There is Hopi Elders Prophesy that I want to leave you with this morning. It goes like this:
"You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered . . .
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader."

Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said, "This could be a good time!"

"There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.

"They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are torn apart and will suffer greatly.

"Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above water. And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, Least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.

"The time for the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word struggle from you attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

"We are the ones we've been waiting for."^h

And so it is and so we let it be. Amen