I approach every event of my life and everything in it with a great sense of practicum. Though I like contemplating on the affairs of the world, events, people’s character or my behaviour, at the end of the day, my question stays the same: So, how am I going to use this for my upliftment and growth? I am not willing to brood over or judge the ‘unfairness’ of life: I KNOW that there are no coincidences and each life event offers an opportunity to gain greater awareness of my existence.
This is why I like observing different spiritually infused or religious celebrations. Today we are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, in the Jewish tradition.
Some information on Rosh Hashanah:
The two days of Rosh Hashanah usher in the Ten Days of Repentance (Aseret Yemei Teshuvah), also known as the Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim), which culminate in the major fast day of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Days of Awe represent the climax of a longer process. Starting at the beginning of the previous month, called Elul, the shofar is traditionally sounded at the conclusion of the morning service. A ram’s horn that makes a trumpet-like sound, the shofar is intended as a wake-up call to prepare for the Tishrei holidays. One week before Rosh Hashanah, special petitionary prayers called Selichot are added to the ritual. Rosh Hashanah itself is also known as Yom Hadin or the Day of Judgment, on which God opens the Books of Life and Death, which are then sealed on Yom Kippur.
The prayer book for the High Holidays is called the Mahzor. Three unique sets of prayers are added to the morning service during Rosh Hashanah. These are known as Malkhuyot, which address the sovereignty of God, Zikhronot, which present God as the one who remembers past deeds, and Shofarot, in which we stand in nervous anticipation of the future.
Each of these sections culminates in the blasts of the shofar, the most potent symbol of the holiday. The shofar is alluded to in the most memorable Torah reading for the holiday, the Akedah or Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22). The story and the shofar serve as reminders of the covenant between God and the people of Israel, carrying with them the message of sacrifice, hope, and continuity.
This is the time of year during which we are to atone for both our individual — and on Yom Kippur, our communal — sins committed over the course of the previous year, before God literally closes the books on us and inscribes our fates for the coming year. God’s rule over humanity and our need to serve God are stressed time and again over the course of the holiday.
Yesterday I found myself talking about a film called Das Leben der Anderen – see the film here CLICK – and the time of my life during the socialistic regime in Hungary. I heard myself ‘blame’ the Russians for overtaking our land and our lives. I found myself enraged again about the atrocities we had to endure.
Then it suddenly occurred to me that it is not only a far, far away past that upsets me but none of it actually exists any more.
Why am I so upset then?
I grew up at a time of terror. We were threatened for our lives at every turn. You had to watch out not to become suspect of any wrong-doing, or you may have been reported to the ‘Stasi’. Every perceived wrong-doing could be punished by imprisonment or death.
I learnt to live with dread. I became neurotic but daring. My response to fear was to challenge those threatening and punishing me. Until one day, I decided that I had had enough and fled.
Except that I took the now innate dread with me. Unknowing, I now held the threatening shadows inside myself. They never ceased to scare me, day and night. So, I continued running trying to flee the shadows.
I daringly conquered all the obstacles and challenges of my life. But I failed to notice that I lacked courage; the courage to face the one ‘enemy’ that generates all the anxiety that has been lurking in my veins.
I have tried it all. I tried to fix it and forgive it. Neither could I let go of the memory of the terror I once lived. It has become part of the vivid tapestry of who I am.
What I must do, however, is face it with courage that stems from my loving embrace. I want to find the compassion within myself that holds me while I look into the eyes of the terror and say ‘I love you, regardless!’
Learning from living systems is a core part of Transition practice. This allows us to put Life (and how life operates) at the center of every decision and every action. Groups that adopt regenerative, living-systems approaches are better able to work towards their vision, with less conflict, burnout and overwhelm. Join the webinar with Sarah Spencer on August 22nd, 2024!
So, I am reading a novel. It is for fun. Because of my ministerial studies over the past 6 years, I have mostly read serious and study related books. So, now that I am approaching the end of my studies, I have given myself permission to read just for fun. I like crime stories particularly those that is mixed with a bit of romance. It is important for me that it is light hearted and fun. It is also important that it is engaging and the characters are interesting and relatable. I have chosen Amanda Quick’s (pseudo name) novels.
I like her books. They are witty and engaging; they are not too violent and they have wonderfully complex characters. I must admit that the rather explicit sex scenes got me by surprised but I realized that there are hardly any TV shows or major films without at least one explicit sex scene. So, I concluded that this is the fashion these day. Most of her books take place in the regency era in England.
The book I am reading right now, Mischief, – a rather interesting title for a book that has not much mischief in it, in my opinion – has two main characters: an earl and a lady of little means. They are a married couple who need to untangle some mystery and series of crimes. The story is interesting but I am more fascinated with the two main characters who display wonderfully human characteristics.
If you have access to any form of modern technology, you already know that you are continuously bombarded with other people’s opinions on everything from religion to politics to relationships to cooking to heaven-knows-what-else. It can feel overwhelming just trying to cope with the overload of information, let alone the torrents of passionate emotions that all forms of media seem to love to promulgate; and that’s not even factoring in trying to figure out who is telling the truth and who is lying. Personally, the stress of dealing with all this is why I spend at least one day a week completely disconnecting from my cell phone and all electronic communications and screens.
In addition to “input overwhelm”, we are also bombarded with horrific and terrifying acts of senseless violence, such as what we witnessed just this past weekend. Being human, such things frighten us. Of course we want to do something to help, but we seem so small and insignificant that we feel powerless to effect any real change, so incapable of making a difference in anything of real importance.
So much is unfolding at the national and international levels of our world that we can be engulfed by our distress in the face of it all; but the truth is, that is not where you and I exist, and that is not where we carry on our daily lives. Where we really live is in our own day-to-day world: our family, our friends, our work places, and our own neighborhoods. That is what impacts us directly, and that is where we can make a difference. You and I do not decide who becomes our next President. You and I are not in charge of ending the ceaseless conflicts taking place all over the globe. We have no power to fix the economy. We cannot make people stop using drugs or hurting one another. “The world” doesn’t even know – and will likely never know – that we were even here.
“Forget the nonsense of there and here, race, nation, religion, starting point and destination. You are soul, and you are love.” Rumi
Though Unity – A Positive Path for Spiritual Living – is not an interfaith spiritual movement, it mostly finds its roots in Christianity it integrates practises from different other spiritual traditions, I personally like celebrating different religious events and rituals because I believe that all paths leads to God. I find that each celebration offers an opportunity to observe the inner movement of Spirit and helps us expand our relationships with the Divine Presence.
“All religions, all this singing, one song. The differences are just illusion and vanity. The sun’s light looks a little different on this wall than it does on that wall, and a lot different on this other one, but it’s still one light.” Rumi
Ashura, is an Islamic religious celebration that was originally requested by Mohammad. It commemorates Moses’ parting of the sea for his followers and the following gratitude-filled fasting and meditating.
Mohammad was a great prophet and spiritual teacher who taught similar messages that of Moses and Jesus about Spiritual Love and Devotion to the Divine Presence. This Love and Devotion is beautifully reflected in Rumi’s poetry. Though Rumi was not a Muslim, he belonged to the followers of the mystical tradition of Islam called Sufism.
When I look at a religious tradition, event or celebration, I imagine that it was created a long time ago to support a group of people to move into closer personal relationship with the Divine – the source of all Life.
As I observed Ashura, I was not fasting, I simply spent some time in meditation and contemplation yesterday: I imagined the parting of the sea as the opening of human consciousness as a result of following the teachings of a ‘master teacher’. In my understanding, Moses, Jesus, Mohammad and many more through human history were great spiritual teachers of ‘master teachers’ who carried the same message of spiritual Love for God, self, and others.
Moses lead ‘his nation’, the followers of his message, into a new level of consciousness, to a level of Freedom from a fear-based consciousness that generates the madness of the physical world. By remembering we move into Gratitude; as a result of our personal efforts and God’s Grace we are freer and therefore at a more joyous and abundant place within ourselves.
Why don’t you spend some time today in Meditation and Gratitude remembering all that is the result of your spiritual efforts and God’s ever present Grace in your life. You may want to make a list of these so you can always be reminded. 🙂
On the 29thof June, the Christian Churches celebrates the life and martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul who were both guardians of Rome.
Thoughts on read and reflect – please find reding below
Who or what is the two pillars of your inner church? Can you imagine that Paul and Peter represents qualities or powers that hold your inner life or your spiritual life? What qualities can you name that you think supports your spiritual journey?
Also consider the following: In Unity we identify 12 Powers that we inherently have and we can consciously develop to have a fulfilling inner and outer life. As you can see, Peter represents the Power of Faith.
In what ways can you see your Faith in your individualized Soul and in the Divine Power that is the source of your Soul to be one of the pillars of your inner life or spiritual life?
Muslims celebrated Eid al-Adha on the 17 June. I have been busy so I did not have time to look into this celebration at the time. When I did, I realized that it is a rather important ‘holiday’ because it celebrates our devotion to God.
This celebration finds its roots both in Christian and Muslim traditions.
In my understanding, Abraham’s story of Genesis 22 is about total surrender to God’s Will and relinquishing our own will through Faith. This spiritual idea is usually very scary for most people because of a misconception. God is not ‘another human’ whom we give our power over when we give up our own will. God is a source of Love energy that guides us through our own Spirit. When we give up our will, we actually give up the will of our Ego and place it over to our Spirit that is in constant connection with the Love Energy Source we call God.
The Ego is in constant fear and self-protection, therefore it is in separation. Our Spirit – a personalised spark of God – is in constant Oneness with the Divine Presence or God.
“If you put Buddha, Jesus Christ, Socrates, Shakespeare, Arjuna, Krishna at a dinner table together, I can’t see them having an argument.”
“In meditation, I can let go of everything. I’m not Hugh Jackman. I’m not a dad. I’m not a husband. I’m just dipping into that powerful source that creates everything. I take a little bath in it. It’s not just finding quiet; it’s finding bliss. And that is natural, that is for everybody. You see it in babies, you don’t have to teach it to them. We somehow forget. And what meditation has done for me, and for Deb, and the kids, is to get us back to that thing we’ve forgotten. Which is, it is our birthright to be happy, to be alert, to actually connect with people in a real way.
I meditated before I hosted the Oscars, I meditate before I go on stage, I meditate in the morning and lunch time. When I’m on a film set, the energy is finer, and the decisions you make are more authentic, and you’re more able to listen to other people. It has helped me in every way. Immeasurably. Meditation is all about the pursuit of nothingness. It’s like the ultimate rest. It’s better than the best sleep you’ve ever had. It’s a quieting of the mind. It sharpens everything, especially your appreciation of your surroundings. It keeps life fresh.”
~ Hugh Jackman
When we don’t forgive and let go of the past, we keep on re-living it.
It means that each time we are in a ‘similar’ situation to the event that once caused us distress, we keep on re-living it by being reminded of that event in the present. Until we forgive and let go of what happened in the past, our responses are tinted with the emotions generated in the past.
For example, if you had a challenging relationship with your father, it is likely that you will bring many emotions and beliefs you created as a result of that relationship about men into every relationship you have with men. You cannot see them for who they are because you place some of the beliefs and emotions created in the past on your eyes like a pair of tinted glasses.
Forgiveness is something I call Grace-Tool for Self. Forgiveness is not about judging others’ actions and graciously ‘forgiving’ their wrong-doing. In the process of forgiveness we move through different stages until we arrive to a new level of freedom.
First, we need to accept what happened just as it was. We need clarity on it. We connect with God or the Divine Presence and embrace the experience just as we had it, as we remember it. We simply accept that this event occurred and that we were part of that experience. No blaming, no shaming.
I am aware that it is easier said than done, but without this first part of the process, forgiveness cannot happen. What you want is to remove the emotional charge from the event.
This is what I do: I say to myself: I can see clearly what happened. This… and this… and this … happened. I stop blaming myself and others in this situation. I am ready to let it all go so I can become freer in myself and happier in my life experiences.
When you feel, that you are aware of and in total acceptance – not making it right or justifying! – of that particular event that you wish to forgive and release, you can move into forgiving.
Forgiving has two parts:
We must forgive our participation and contribution to the event that occurred, first. I look at where I judge myself for creating the experiences for myself. I also look at the feelings and emotions I generated during the event and forgive them. I use this sentence and fill in the end until I feel complete. “I forgive myself for judging myself for …” I look at different aspects of my ‘contribution’ to this event and my experiences of this event. I keep on doing this until I feel that the emotional charge start to dissipate.
The second part is the letting go part. I consciously move into detaching myself – mostly emotionally – from the event. I look at others’ participation, and what I blame them for. Then I consciously release the way I see their actions and participation to my destress. With that I leave the past event behind me. I say to myself: (in case someone else is involved in this event) I do not know why you did (…) and why you said (…). It is yours to handle. I acted to the best of my abilities at the time. I detach myself from this event on all levels: mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. I accept what happened. I stop feeling a victim. There is nothing to fix or change with this event any more. I release trying to justify or making it right for myself or others. I stop blaming myself (and you). I love myself and accept myself (and you). I release all this into the Light of Spirit and ask for total Healing.
By Grace-tool, I mean, that when forgiveness actually happens is not up to us. It is not a decision we can make. We need to keep on doing the forgiveness process until we feel the weight shifted. It is a bit like peeling an onion. When it does, we will experience a change in our responses, feelings, and actions. It is the result of forgiveness-being-done.
Until then, until the forgiveness takes place, we need to keep on going back to the past event and all the emotions, thoughts, feelings and action related to that event and keep on consciously embracing, forgiving and releasing them.
If you need support with the Forgiveness Process, please get in touch. In Loving, Rev Kudlik
Anything can be interpreted metaphysically, and by doing so, we can become aware of what stands between us and God or the Divine Presence. Every time we release or heal a blockage we become freer, happier, and lighter.
When our life is ‘challenging’ or we are facing problems, we can sit in the silence and look at what’s happening. Then, we can start ‘interpreting’ the information in terms of messages or learnings. The Spirit of God constantly communicates with us through different means such as life events.
We are always asked not to place any ’emotions’ or ‘attitude’ on the event, instead, look at it as ‘message’. When we react, we do not see clearly.
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthian 13:12 NLT
It is important to understand that we are not to manipulate or ‘get rid of’ the experience by gaining clarity of the messages. The message is there for us to learn, grow and move into greater freedom in ourselves and a deeper connection with the Divine Presence.
When we use metaphysical interpretation for any life events, we can get in touch with the key to moving though it and releasing it. Then we will surely find ourselves at a better place in our life.
Let me give you an example. I have a client who is often constipated. He has an obsession with regular bowel movement and often has trouble with his digestive system, stool and bowels to the point that he distorts facts and requests to have an enema to relieve his self-imposed constipation.
Louis L Hay suggests to ask oneself the question “What is it that I cannot digest?’ when it comes to digestive issues. In my observation, food and the digestive system are also related to nurturing or the lack of. Bowel movement and shifting stool is about releasing unwanted and poisonous elements from our system. Having issues in that area may suggest difficulty in letting go of fossilized, unsupportive thinking patters and belief system. Additionally, requesting that someone else ‘fixes’ the problem suggests an inability or unwillingness to deal with issues at hand.
Constant problems in this area suggests to me that the problem started in childhood around nurturing which was not healed so it became somewhat ‘indigestible’ and became and acute problem. I often find that people with digestive and weight issues have a problem with self-nurturing through eating healthier and taking care of their bodies in a loving manner.
Acute digestive system related issues also suggest difficulty in letting go and releasing a particular past events. When that occurs, we drag the past into the present and we ‘react’ from the pain and fear of the past to an event in the present.
SUGGESTIONS
If it was me, I would start both an inner and outer healing process through meditation, prayer and developing new and healthier habits. I would have a conversation with a therapist, a coach, or a pastor so to gain deeper understanding of what I am dealing with from the past. Then, I would use my prayer time to consciously, forgive and let go of thoughts, beliefs, and emotions associated with that past event or series of events. I would find meditations that help me move through a forgiveness process that is often the key to issues around lack of nurturing. At the end of each meditation and prayer session, I would give it all up and release it all into God or the Divine Presence, asking for support with my process and being lifted higher into greater health and freedom.
At the same time, I would look into – with the support of a coach, therapist or pastor – developing loving ways to nurture myself both inside and out.
Pentecost Monday, also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit, and most commonly as Whit Monday, is a holiday that is celebrated the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast that is determined by the date of Easter. Whit Monday specifically represents the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, also marking the resumption of Ordinary Time after Easter.
The name “Whit Monday” actually comes from the English name for one of the three baptismal seasons in Pentecost, being “Whitsunday”. The origin of “Whitsunday” itself is generally believed to come from the white garments that used to be worn by those newly baptised on this feast.
In my understanding, the Holy Spirit is the ‘guide’, the ‘connecter’, the covenant between the individualized soul – which is a spark of God – and the Divine Presence . The energy that we call God or theDivine Presence is our source of being but we not able to connect with it because we have ‘turned away’ – often called sinned or errored – from our source.
Imagine that you always look downwards – which we actually do – instead of looking upwards that would enable us to connect with God.
The Holy Spirit is our covenant, it connects us seekers with the Divine Presence through various means such as ‘hunches’, inner experiences, unexpected events and more.
In a way, God, realized that the souls living in each human being had gone dormant because of their downward gazing state. So, God ‘sent’ a covenant, the Holy Spirit, to help the souls finding their connection back to God.
Enlightened masters, such as Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Mohammed, etc. were ‘carriers’ of the Holy Spirit because of their deep connectedness with the Divine Presence. In their teachings they extended the gifts of the Holy Spirit onto those who were attracted to their teachings.
The Holy Spirit has different names in different traditions but the functions are the same.
Below is a quotation from Charles Fillmore, one of the founders of Unity. Please remember that this text was written in the later 1800’s by someone who was raised in the Christian faith but was later inspired to create a spiritual movement that embraces all religions, all faith, all races and other spiritual movements.
Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter and is when Christians remember the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – which is how Christians understand God, and is the means by which God is active on Earth.
“…behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city (Jerusalem) until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:29)
Metaphysically reading this quote, we are promised to be blessed with a deeper relationship with the Divine Presence as long as we stay in connection within through meditation and prayer. I often heard ‘Jerusalem’ described as an inner place, similar to an inner sanctuary, where we can always commune with God. So, we are asked to stay in meditation until we are ‘clothed from the high’, until we feel one with the Divine Presence.
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Acts 2:1-4
The promise of the Pentecost can be understood as a fulfillment of our hard work. We have spent the 40 days of Lent releasing our limitations, than we moved into different celebrations of Easter and Gudi Pavda, then we moved into contemplation over Passover, then the people of the Orthodox faith celebrated Easter, a lifting of the Spirit higher after having released some of its burdens or karma, and finally we have arrived to the week of the Pentecost starting today: the moment when we receive the blessings of the Holy Spirit which is freedom in being a unique expression of God as we are.
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Messiah, as though Yahveh God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Messiah, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20)
In Unity we look at events and spiritual texts through the lens of metaphysics. Metaphysical interpretation means that we look behind the words and look for the messages, the learning, and the teaching in it.
I always ask, what does this event or sentences mean to me? How can I use it for my upliftment and growth?
I never judge or diminish anything just because I am not familiar with it.
I love looking at the different spiritual and religious celebrations and texts and use them for my daily spiritual practices. I use them to inspire me.
Each celebration gives me an opportunity to learn more about the people and the beliefs. We are all part of the Divine Presence regardless of our beliefs. Understanding others better gives me an opportunity to become a more compassionate human being.
In this short podcast, I talk about what I love about Unity and how I see it embraces all people and offers a spiritual home for anyone regardless of faith, culture, race, etc.
In a way, Unity is regarded a ‘protestant movement’ because it finds its roots partly in Christianity. Unity’s forefathers, the Fillmores, created the Unity Movement combining the theology of different Christian, Jewish, Arabic and Eastern traditions.
So I started a series on introducing different faiths and traditions to show you how Unity embraces them all in a way that it can provide a home for anyone regardless of beliefs, culture, religion, race, etc.
INTRODUCTION These are many different approaches to the Oneness with God or the Divine Presence, don’t let words mislead you! Everyone is right! All faith and spiritual movements, religions included, were created by a group who were in search for God following the example of someone inspiring.
We must always remember that everyone is in search for God in their own way. It is because what we call God is an energy source that is pure Love and Compassion amongst many other wonderful qualities.
Everyone wants to be Loved unconditionally, however, that kind of Love only exists in the realm of the Spiritual. No human being can love another person unconditionally. It is because of our own personal limitations and karma (issues to learn or let go of). Our vision is blurred by these therefor we cannot see anyone in their purity of Spirit.
What we can do is to have compassion; compassion for self and others, knowing that regardless how it may look, we are all in search for our best selves and for God’s Living Loving Spark within.
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It is important to mention, that one of the most relevant element of Gnostic Christianity to Unity is that in philosophical thought, logos (“word”) was the principle of rationality that connected the highest god to the material world. In Unity, you will find that we place emphases on the words we use. We create positive affirmations and so-called denials to elevate our consciousness.
Personally, among all Christian traditions, I feel the closest to Gnostic Christianity. I highlighted parts of the text below that felt meaningful to me.
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Antient Christianity – The Gnostics
Gnostics: those who embody the highest ethical and spiritual values, such as temperance, diligence, humility, chastity, generosity, etc. and who can at will have personal experience with divinity.
Self-awareness is KEY to spiritual development and Self-Love
We all see the world through a filter that was mostly created in our childhood until about the age of 7. We created this filter as part of our self-protection. Most of us are not aware of this ‘mask’ or layer of personality because we often believe that this is who we are. Except that this is not true.
Who we are in our essence, this beautiful unique being, is often hidden behind the ‘mask’. Becoming aware of the different facets of the ‘mask’ or Ego can help us heal the wounds that created the ‘mask’ in the first place and recover our true identity.
In this podcast I talk about the different levels of self-awareness and how to go about gaining correct self-awareness. I also mention different ways to approach becoming aware of mask and limitations. I talk about the Enneagram system.
– sorry about the quality of the podcast, the filtering process diminished the quality 🙁 –
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
The dwelling place of God is ‘within’ man. As we walk the inner journey of meditation and contemplation, we start feeling the Loving Presence of the Divine dwelling with us and guiding us throughout our lives.
Revelation 3:21 ESV
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
As we remove the barriers and limitations from our consciousness, as we conquer our own fear based ego, we start becoming aware of the presence of God, and we will feel as if we were sitting in the presence of the Divine all the time.
A couple of years ago, I was interviewed by a lovely host on self-love. it is one of my favourite topics because I grew up with being taught how to hate myself. The society I grew up in was condemning and judgemental. People believed that by pointing out your faults would make you a strong and capable human being. Well, I don’t think it worked because at the age of 21 I had a nervous breakdown. This experience made me look for ‘other ways’ of becoming a strong and capable human being. I found that self-love does the trick! 🙂
Listen to our discussion and let me know what you think.
This morning I was thinking about confidence. We regard confidence as one of the most desired personality trait but we fail to notice how confidence was built in the first place. Does your sense of confidence come from a place of ‘fear’ and self-defence? Or does it come from a place of ‘knowing who you are’ and connectedness of Spirit?
Listen to my thoughts here and let me know what you think.
In a way, Unity is regarded a ‘protestant movement’ because it finds its roots partly in Christianity. Unity’s forefathers, the Fillmores, created the Unity Movement combining different the theology of different Christian and Eastern traditions.
So I started a series on introducing different faiths and traditions to show you how Unity embraces them all in a way that it can provide a home for anyone regardless of beliefs, culture, religion, race, etc.
I found this fascinating and rather thorough article on the Protestant Churches. I hope you find it revealing!
Christianity was born out of the teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. More specifically, his disciples began to spread The Gospel, or ”good news,” of Jesus after Jesus was crucified and resurrected. After Christianity had spread for centuries, Christians began to disagree on certain minute theological beliefs. These disagreements spawned different denominations or branches of Christianity. Each denomination slightly differs from the next based on each one’s theological beliefs. Such disagreements include different beliefs on baptism, the means of salvation, and God’s sovereignty.
The Protestant Churches
Protestantism was born in response to what many saw as the rigid teachings and traditions of Roman Catholicism. The spark that began the Protestant flame was Martin Luther’s “95 Theses,” critiquing the legalism within the Roman Catholic Church. Martin Luther was a monk who had extensively studied the Bible and Christian tradition. In his view, Roman Catholicism was the antithesis of Christ’s teachings of salvation through grace alone because Roman Catholic church leaders were selling indulgences as absolution to sin. In addition, Luther believed that Roman Catholic leaders were abusing their power and that they had lost focus on the gospel of Christ. After Martin Luther tacked his “95 Theses” on the door of the Wittenberg Castle church, Catholicism would be permanently divided.
I created this document as part of my Unity Ministerial training. I read Rev Roach’s book and made notes on my observations on how the 5 Principles of Unity is compared to the theology of the main stream Christian Churches.
Notes
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31
This chapter seeks to understand Christianity and Jesus through the lens of Unity’s five principles. Rev Roach looks at how each Unity’s principle understands or differs from the traditional Christian perspective.
As part of Christian history, it was interesting to learn that only 4 of the original 45 gospels made it to the final version of the New Testament and by 325 A.C. Jesus was clamed to be fully God and fully human by the Council of Nicaea. After the Great Schism in 1045 which was mostly about the disagreement on the Holy Trinity, the Christian churches shattered into numerous divisions in 1517 when Marin Luther placed the 95 Thesis on the church door of Wittenberg. Part of this thesis was about the nature of Jesus.
These are many different approaches to the Oneness with God or the Divine Presence, don’t let words mislead you! Everyone is right! All faith and spiritual movements, religions included, were created by a group who were in search for God following the example of someone inspiring.
We must always remember that everyone is in search for God in their own way. It is because what we call God is an energy source that is pure Love and Compassion amongst many other wonderful qualities.
Everyone wants to be Loved unconditionally, however, that kind of Love only exists in the realm of the Spiritual. No human being can love another person unconditionally. It is because of our own personal limitations and karma (issues to learn or let go of). Our vision is blurred by these therefor we cannot see anyone in their purity of Spirit.
What we can do is to have compassion; compassion for self and others, knowing that regardless how it may look, we are all in search for our best selves and for God’s Living Loving Spark within.
Because the Unity Movement finds its roots in Christianity I decided to start investigating different aspects of Christianity and see how relevant they are to Unity today.
We have just celebrated Orthodox Easter. I have been investigating the differences between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.I found this amazing article. I have copied out some of the article that I found interesting. You can read the entire article HERE (CLICK)
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ORTHODOX AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES
These are many different approaches to the Oneness with God or the Divine Presence, don’t let words mislead you! Everyone is right! All faith and spiritual movements, religions included, were created by a group who were in search for God following the example of someone inspiring.
We must always remember that everyone is in search for God in their own way. It is because what we call God is an energy source that is pure Love and Compassion amongst many other wonderful qualities.
Everyone wants to be Loved unconditionally, however, that kind of Love only exists in the realm of the Spiritual. No human being can love another person unconditionally. It is because of our own personal limitations and karma (issues to learn or let go of). Our vision is blurred by these therefor we cannot see anyone in their purity of Spirit.
What we can do is to have compassion; compassion for self and others, knowing that regardless how it may look, we are all in search for our best selves and for God’s Living Loving Spark within.
Because the Unity Movement finds its roots in Christianity I decided to start investigating different aspects of Christianity and see how relevant they are to Unity today.
Eastern Orthodox vs. Roman Catholic
Modernly, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches remain separated with key doctrinal differences between them. The primary theological difference is that the Catholic Church believes the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father to Jesus Christ the Son, and the Orthodox Church believes the Holy Spirit proceeds only from God the Father. The second major theological difference is that the Catholic Church believes the Pope has supreme authority over the Christian faith, while the modern Orthodox Church has no doctrinal authority. Aside from these key theological differences, modern religious practices and beliefs vary between the two churches. For example, the Orthodox Church allows for divorce, while the Catholic Church does not.
The primary organizational difference between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches is the question of Papal Primacy. The Catholic Church believes that the Pope is the bishop of Rome and heads the Catholic Church. Papal Primacy is a doctrinal belief concerning the respect and authority that all Catholics and members of the Catholic Church must afford the Pope due to the belief that he has primacy jurisdiction over the governance of the church.
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Below I placed a video that advertises Spiritual Playdate, a self- and spiritual-educational organisation in the USA. I love the concept and what they offer. <3
At Unity we take spiritual playdates a step further and address spiritually infused topics as well as personal management topics, listed above. We offer an educational program that comprises elements of creative adventures, self-management education, community building, both online and in person for those living in European Time zones.
The Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ (also called the Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, Ascension Day, Ascension Thursday, or sometimes Holy Thursday commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. It is one of the ecumenical (shared by multiple denominations) feasts of Christian churches.
Ascension Day is generally observed on a Thursday, the fortieth day after Easter.
Ascensiontide refers to the ten-day period between the Feast of the Ascension and the Feast of Pentecost.[4] The Sunday within that period may be referred to as the Seventh Sunday of Easter or the Sunday in Ascensiontide.
The Latin terms used for the feast, ascensio and, occasionally, ascensa, signify that Christ was raised up by his own powers, and it is from these terms that the holy day gets its name. In the Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Communion, “Holy Thursday” is listed as another name for Ascension Day. William Blake’s poem “Holy Thursday” refers to Ascension Day;
Forty days from the day he rose from the grave, Jesus ascended into heaven. Here is how Luke described the event:
Therefore, when they [the disciples and the risen Christ] had come together, they asked Him saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Now when he had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight…” (Acts 1: 4-9 New King James Version).
“And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'”
For Christians it is a very important feast because their faith says that for just as Jesus went into heaven, so will all Christians. Those who are dead will rise first; those who are living will be caught up to meet him in the air, according to Paul, writing to the church at Thessalonica. This is called the rapture. With this hope in mind, Christians sometimes conclude their meetings with the words, “Come Lord Jesus.”
I look at the Bible and all spiritual texts from a metaphysical point of view. In my understanding, Heaven is on Earth if we are able to ‘ascend’. As we lift ourselves higher by letting go of the burdens of misconceptions and error-thinking, we release what holds us back from experiencing God’s Love and Care for us, which is actually being in Heaven.
Yes, we can ascend just as Jesus did but not through him. If you can accept Jesus as your guide, someone you can relate to and feel connected to, you can use his teachings to lift yourself up and move into Oneness with the Divine or God.
Jesus’ ascension is the ‘example’; we can do what he did; he was Loving, Forgiving, Accepting; he held nothing against himself or others; he worked on his shortcomings, faced his fears; and he was a humble servant, a great teacher. By living life following his example, we can ascend to a higher level of consciousness and experience Heaven on Earth, before dying.
I am from Hungary. Today is a particularly painful day for me because of the people who were murdered as a result of antisemitism and hate-based violence during the Second World War in Hungary. Most of the murders were carried out by the fascist Arrow Cross Militia. When I think of that, I feel ashamed.
I also know that in order to heal, we must forgive and let go. We must find compassion in our hearts for ourselves and for others.
Tonight and tomorrow we Remember by lighting a candle and moving our focus from paint to peace and loving.We acknowledge the painful losses and we move our attention towards healing and Oneness. What we focus on is what we get.
It is time to heal. It is time to bring Peace and Loving to the places where it hurts. I would like to invite you to spend the day focusing into and contemplating on lifting our consciousness out of the sphere of separation that wants retribution and revenge into Oneness that carries Compassion for all.
It is time to heal, it is time to forgive, it is time to Love through Compassion for self and others.
Never again can only be reached through love and compassion, not by blame and hatred.
When is Yom HaShoah?
Yom HaShoah is observed on the 28th of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, which usually falls in April or May in the Gregorian calendar. In 2024, Yom HaShoah is honored from sundown on May 5 through sundown on May 6.
Observing Yom HaShoah
Yom HaShoah gives the Jewish community and others space to reflect together on the immeasurable loss wrought by the Holocaust. Many communities observe Yom HaShoah with presentations from Holocaust survivors or their children, and—through their stories—living reminders of the exclamation, “Never again.”
The Shoes on the Danube Bank Memorial in Budapest, for the thinking and tenderhearted person, is also one of those places that will stir the heart to the very soul. You see, this memorial was created to honor the Jews who were killed by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen during World War II.
Jews were ordered to take off their shoes and to stand at the edge of the river. The evildoers then shot the Jews in the head and their bodies fell into the river where the current carried their bodies away.
Not unlike the German Nazis, the Arrow Cross Party was a highly nationalistic party whose objectives were to purge Hungary of those who were not descended from the region’s ancient Magyar tribes. Between the Arrow Cross Party, and later the invading Nazis, it is estimated that up to 600,000 Jews lost their lives through outright murder in Hungary, or later being shipped to German concentration camps.
Recently I was asked why I approach spirituality from a coaching point of view. The answer is simple: You cannot know God until you know yourself. Coaching and personal development workshops/seminars are great tools to become aware of ourselves: who we are and who we are not. They are extremely important to differentiate!
Below is a blogpost I posted on another site of mine back in February. It is about the importance of self-awareness or the knowing of self in God.
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Be a more effective leader by understanding the three horizons of self-awareness.
The stories we make up Stories are the foundation for how we make sense of the world. We could call these judgments or beliefs as well. Imagine that you get cut off by a car on the highway. In an instant, you might feel a flash of anger. Now imagine that you pull up next to the car and notice that the situation is different from what you expected. Maybe the driver is a teenager, obviously flustered and trying to concentrate. Maybe the driver is older but in the backseat is someone who, it appears, is injured. In either case, your stories about the situation would be updated in an instant.
For better and worse, our stories form the basis for how we make sense of the world. They are our thoughts, and they help us explain how the world is, how someone else is and how we ourselves are.
To get greater self-awareness around our stories, I find it’s best to simply start writing them down. Going back to a dedicated journal or notebook, start to articulate all the stories you’re making up, trying to get curious about how true they are. In the example, one story could have been, “This person is selfish,” and another could have been, “I feel angry because I’ve been disrespected.”
Source article:How to Develop Self-Awareness and Become a More Conscious and Effective LeaderSource (click)
The above, once again, reminded me of the importance of developing self-awareness. Self-awareness, however, is not only important for CEOs so they become more efficient, everyone can greatly benefit from understanding who they are and what they truly want in their lives.
Self-awareness is a skill to be learnt. As children we are discouraged to observe ourselves and know ourselves. Instead we learn to defend our wounded parts with a false-self called the Ego.
I have been walking the journey of self-awareness and God-awareness for quite some time now. Over 20 years. I started my enquiry when I went to university, asking myself the question: Who am I? At that time, I thought that psychology held the answers to all my questions. Later, I attended various personal development and self-help courses to move from learning to applying. These seminars – Insight Seminars – helped me move beyond a mental understanding of myself and start healing and experimenting with newly discovered parts of me. Finally, I found a spiritual path – actually it is a combination of many paths – that supports me to connect with my higher-aspects, the Divinity in me that allows me to move beyond the mind and the physical. It helps me express and live a part of me that is part of ALL, that allows me to be in contact with the Divine presence, an energy field that encompasses it all. It makes me feel powerful and limitless.
Coaching assisted me to bring all this together. I keep on ‘working with myself’ as I call it on all levels, so I can keep on clearing up the clutter that hinders me from experiencing and expressing my Divinity whose source is God.
“Examine yourself & understand who you are… Whoever does not know self, does not know anything. But, whoever knows self, has acquired the knowledge of the universe.” Jesus, Book of Thomas (Gnostic Gospels)
“Knowing others is intelligence, knowing yourself is true wisdom.” Lao-Tzu
There are many useful tools that can support us to regain connection with ourselves. My coaching sessions and courses that are infused with spirituality based on Unity ideas, will take you on an artistic, creative and fun adventure within. At the end, you will arrive to a place of clarity and self-acceptance.
This weekend we are celebrating the Orthodox Easter. It is another Holy Celebration that gives us the opportunity to turn within and connect with the Divine Presence.
Every celebration and rituals regardless of the religion or spiritual path give us the opportunity to lift ourselves higher, release and let go of limitations that do not serve us any longer. the Orthodox Easter is no exception.
First, I was interested in finding out more about the differences between the Orthodox and the Catholic Churches. See my findings further below.
The Orthodox Easter
How can you use this celebration for your upliftment and growth?
Known as Pascha, the Greek word for “passover,” Easter in the Orthodox Church celebrates “the eternal Passover from death to life from earth heaven.” Great Lent, the church’s strictest time of fasting, takes place for 40 days, ending eight days before Easter on Lazarus Saturday—when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, according to Eastern orthodoxy. Palm Sunday and Holy Week follow, with continued fasting until Easter. Orthodox Easter always follows the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Raising Lazarus from the dead. I would like to invite you tocontemplate on the metaphysical meaning of ‘raising the dead’ or ‘being risen from the dead’. What does it mean to you? How do you see that being applied to your own life? What do you think you can do to ‘raise yourself from dead’?
I am looking forward to your answers! 🙂
What are Orthodox Easter traditions?
Going to church is obviously an important part of the celebrations and important services start from Good Friday.
The most important prayers are in the early hours of Easter Sunday when celebrations begin, church bells ring and fireworks and crackers go off to mark Christ’s resurrection.
After the fasting of Lent, traditions often revolve around food.
In Greece, Orthodox Christians traditionally eat roasted lamb on a barbecue spit and Tsoureki, a sweet Easter bread.
They also break their fast with a traditional soup called Magiritsa, which is made of lamb, rice and dill before the main feasting begins on Sunday.
Serbian Orthodox families traditionally enjoy appetizers of smoked meats and cheeses, boiled eggs and red wine. The Easter meal consists of chicken noodle or lamb and vegetable soup followed by spit-roasted lamb.
In Russia Orthodox Christians break their fast with a traditional Paskha Easter cake.
As in the western Church, eggs are a symbol of Easter and of new life. At Easter, eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross for the redemption of all men.
What do you think about trying some of the traditions? I find that practicing rituals offered by different faith help me stay open and accepting towards others’ ideas, thinking, beliefs or even ideology. What do you think?
Eastern or Orthodox Church traditions revolve around food and feeding so I will check out and see if I can make a Paskha Easter cake 🙂
Some interesting information
Major Differences in the Orthodox vs. Catholic Churches
Modernly, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches remain separated with key doctrinal differences between them. The primary theological difference is that the Catholic Church believes the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father to Jesus Christ the Son, and the Orthodox Church believes the Holy Spirit proceeds only from God the Father. The second major theological difference is that the Catholic Church believes the Pope has supreme authority over the Christian faith, while the modern Orthodox Church has no doctrinal authority. Aside from these key theological differences, modern religious practices and beliefs vary between the two churches. For example, the Orthodox Church allows for divorce, while the Catholic Church does not.
According to the Bible’s New Testament, Jesus Christ was crucified by the Romans around A.D. 30, died on the cross on a Friday and was buried in a tomb outside of Jerusalem. Three days later, on Sunday, Christ rose from the dead, according to Matthew 28: 1–10
Non-Orthodox Christians celebrate the resurrection each year on Easter Sunday, the culmination of the 40-day season of Lent. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with Holy Week, which includes Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus’ humble entry into Jerusalem, Maundy Thursday, honoring the Last Supper, Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified and Holy Saturday, the time of transition between the crucifixion and resurrection.
Why Orthodox Easter and Easter Are on Different Days
Known as Pascha, the Greek word for “passover,” Easter in the Orthodox Church celebrates “the eternal Passover from death to life from earth heaven.” Great Lent, the church’s strictest time of fasting, takes place for 40 days, ending eight days before Easter on Lazarus Saturday—when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, according to Eastern orthodoxy. Palm Sunday and Holy Week follow, with continued fasting until Easter. Orthodox Easter always follows the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Many historians, citing 8th-century monk and Anglo-Saxon scholar the Venerable Bede in his “The Reckoning of Time,” believe Easter’s etymological name comes from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility, who was often portrayed in drawings surrounded by hares and was believed to be worshiped during pagan festivals. Anglo-Saxons also reportedly referred to the month of April as Eostre-monath.
Orthodox Christians, who believe faith is inseparable from the church, follow the Julian calendar when it comes to celebrating Easter Sunday. The Julian calendar was established by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. and is based it on the solar cycle—Earth’s revolutions around the sun.
Orthodox Easter takes place between April 4 and May 8, following the first full moon after Passover. Orthodox Easter always falls after the Jewish celebration of Passover, because, according to the New Testament, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ took place after he entered Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. In 2024, Orthodox Easter occurs on May 5.
Georgian vs Julian Calendar
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII instituted the Gregorian calendar to correct inaccuracies in the Julian Calendar. The new calendar added leap years to correct an 11-minute miscalculation that caused seasons to become out of sync with the calendar, thus pushing Easter away from the spring equinox. Under the Gregorian calendar, churches established Easter to be held on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. In 2024, Easter is celebrated on March 31.
Much of the world came to officially recognize the Gregorian calendar, but Orthodox churches, primarily in Greece, Cyprus, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria and others, continue to observe Easter according to the Julian calendar.
To better understand this, one needs to go back to 325, the year in which the first Ecumenical council, was held in Nicaea and convened by Emperor Constantine. It was intended to unify the Eastern Churches and find points of agreement between the different rites. Convergences were found, but each community insisted on its calendar.
“The first thing that the council decided was not to align our celebration with the Jewish Passover,”
“The Jews follow the lunar calendar for their Passover. The idea is not to celebrate it simultaneously,” he added.
This principle is also applied by the Orthodox, with one key nuance: The celebration must always fall after the Jewish Passover, never before it. “In the Gospel, Christ is crucified at Passover and resurrected three days later. So it makes sense,”
The second rule that the Council established 1700 years ago is for all Christians not to celebrate Easter before March 22. That’s where the problem lies for Orthodox Christians this year: March 31, the date on which Catholic Easter falls, is March 18 in the Julian calendar. That means it falls before March 22. Hence, the Orthodox cannot celebrate Easter on that date, unless they break the rule decided at Nicaea (now Iznik, in Turkey).
Father Ibrahim Saad, representative of the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Saida, Elias Kfoury, explained that “in this case, we move it for one month, using the following full moon as a basis.”
For 2024, Orthodox Easter is supposed to be set on April 28. So why is it on May 5 instead? Father Saad explained “We moved it because the Jewish Passover is celebrated until April 30,” recalling the first rule set by the Council.
“Several popes have called for Easter to be unified, and more and more people are in favor of that,” he said. To make such a change, many more ecumenical councils will be needed.
Throughout history there have been mavericks. Both women and men who chose out of playing a pre-defined role for the macho-male and the ‘damsel in distress’ type of woman became outcasts in some way or another. They ended up being loners of a sort.
In this audio, I am talking about the MAVRICK kind of relationships and what it takes to be a partner in such a relationship.
The meaning of PASS-OVER comes from the story of the plague that took all the first born babies in town but those children whose house were marked – by lamb’s blood painted on their doorstop – and thereby saved from the plague. The plague passed over these houses.
Let’s imagine for a moment that this story is a parable of the soul’s journey. What do you think PASSOVER means in terms of our spiritual journey in spirit?
To remember the story, you can watch this clip from the Prince of Egypt.
READ MORE
Over 3,000 years ago, a group of Jewish people called the Israelites were being kept in slavery by the ruler of Egypt called Pharaoh.
A man called Moses went to see Pharaoh many times to ask him to let them go, but Pharaoh refused.
Moses told him that if he did not release them, God would make plagues happen to the Egyptians. But Pharaoh did not listen, so the plagues came.
These ten plagues included the River Nile turning to blood, frogs covering the land, insect infestations, animals dying, the Egyptians getting skin diseases, complete darkness for three days and the first-born child in Egyptian families being killed by the angel of death.
God is said to have told Moses to tell the Israelites to paint lamb’s blood on their doorposts.
This way, the angel would know that Jewish people lived there. It would pass over that house and not kill the first-born child.
This is where the name Passover comes from.
For the last plague, even Pharaoh’s own son was killed. He summoned Moses and told him to take the Israelites out of Egypt immediately.
Finally, after more than 200 years of slavery, the Jewish people were free.
As a minister I find it essential to walk my talk so to speak. So I am goin to post here my 8-day Passover Journey through the various TASKS I put out for you.
TASK1
Watch the extract from ‘The Prince of Egypt’ below. Then, I would like to invite you to give the story a new meaning by adapting it to your life and circumstances.
What is it that has enslaved you so far and you want to become free from?
How are you going to part the ‘red sea’ of you fears (or what enslaves you)?
How are you going to call upon the Divine to support you to become free?
What are you going to do during the next 8 days to support yourself to get free?
My answers
I see the parting sea as God’s Grace..
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8;
King James Version
I ask to be released and I am given. But I must be persistent and humble in my asking. I am also protected from my own fears and demons who appear like the pharaoh’s army always chasing me and ragging me back down. But as long as I focus, I meditate and I pray I am led out of my own misery.
What is it that has enslaved you so far and you want to become free from?
A sense of unexplainable guilt and obligation. I often feel that there is a sense of obligation behind my altruistic actions. I would like to serve freely or not serve at all.
How are you going to part the ‘red sea’ of you fears (or what enslaves you)?
My fear is that I would be punished if I do not meet my obligations. I often assume more obligations that is truly mine and I still fear punishment. I will consciously keep on stepping back and wait to be called upon instead of stepping in assuming obligation.
How are you going to call upon the Divine to support you to become free?
I have spent some time in meditation today consciously releasing my sense of guilt and obligations back to the nothingness asking God to lift me higher so I can become free of them.
What are you going to do during the next 8 days to support yourself to get free?
I will keep on meditating and praying for forgiveness and release, and will keep on stepping back releasing the assumption that it is all my duty.
Passover is a week-long (8 days) reminder of hard-earnt freedom. We are asked to contemplate on the meaning of FREEDOM for us. When do you feel FREE? What makes you feel FREE? This week can be an opportunity to contemplate how you can support yourself to be freer in who you are as a unique expression of the Divine.
Below is a list of various activities that people do during the week of Passover. As mentioned before, the first two night (evenings) are spend with contemplating on the ‘passing over the red sea’, a parable from the Old Testament in the Bible. Yesterday, I invited you to contemplate on the metaphysical meaning of the story and answer questions around the meaning of ‘freedom’ for you.
Today, I want to invite you to chose a ‘task’ for each day of Passover from the list below. I would like to encourage you to bring an element of the spiritual to each of the task you do by which you can support yourself to move into greater freedom in yourself.
Cleaning
During Passover Jews refrain from eating chametz, food with leavening such as bread, cookies, or pasta. Before Passover begins, families will clean their homes to clear out the chametz. (Jews refer to leavened items, which must be discarded from the home before Passover, by the Hebrew term “chametz” (pronounced “HA-metz” and also spelled “chometz.”) It includes anything made with grains like wheat, oats, rye barley and spelt.)
Clean your house off leavened items can be seen as cleaning our consciousness of ‘thoughts’ that fester. What thoughts and emotions do you allow to fester in your consciousness that causes you fear or harm? Is there something you often worry about? Eliminate these thoughts by giving them up to God (the Divine), consciously releasing them by affirming that
“I release you into the nothingness where you came from! I stop worrying about … now. I am grateful for your service but now I am OK without you! I love you and release you. I am at peace knowing that I am centered in the Care of the Divine Presence.”
Eating Matzah
During Passover, you’ll probably eat matzah, a cracker-like bread substitute representing the bread that didn’t have time to rise when the Jews fled Egypt. Learn to make your own matzah (CLICK).
How about making some plain food over the week? How about not indulging in heavy dishes and just keeping your food simple and basic. We often eat process food that are full of chemicals because they go through a complicated laboratory-like system before it gets on your table. Make your own food this week. Bless your food this week. There were times when food was scarce and every bite was a grace-filled blessing of nourishment. Make eating your food a spiritual event 🙂 during Passover and see what happens.
“I bless with food so it can nourish my body and keep it healthy and strong. I release all condemning thoughts that I harbour about my body’s imperfections. I love my body with this food.”
The Seder
The seder, held on the first one or two nights of the holiday, consists of a festive meal, the retelling of the Exodus story, and several other rituals and traditions, like finding the afikomen (a piece of matzah hidden during the ceremony), singing songs like “Dayenu,” and opening the door symbolically for the prophet Elijah.
Provocative questions on relevant topics to help bring your Seder to life.
The Haggadah tells us to adapt our Seder to the various attitudes of the people we find present around the table. The “wise son” receives wisdom, the “evil son” receives sharp confrontation, the “simple son” is taught the ABC’s of Judaism, and the “one who doesn’t know how to ask” is engaged in dialogue that will open him up.
Questions that provoke discussion about relevant topics can help bring your Seder to life. Here are some questions for your Seder table that you can pose yourself or discuss with others over the week.
When dipping the Karpas into salt water: Has anything ever happened to you which seemed bitter at the time but later turned out to be sweet?
When breaking the middle matzah and hiding it for later: What is a “hidden” aspiration that you have, i.e. something that you have postponed for later in life but you plan/aspire to one day get to?
When speaking about how the Jewish people were sent down to Egypt: How have the hardships in your life helped you become a more compassionate person?
When speaking about the harsh slavery: In our day-to-day lives, do we really love what we do or are we more like slaves to our work or lifestyle?
The word Mitzrayim (Egypt) resembles the Hebrew word for constriction. What is your personal Mitzrayim? What is holding you back the most?
When speaking about the plagues: Are there signs in our life pushing us to change that we are just refusing to see?
Are there signs around us that God exists? What are they?
If you knew for certain that God would help you succeed, even through miracles, what new endeavor would you take on?
When speaking about jumping in the Red Sea: What have you done recently that defied your fears and you stepped out of your comfort zone?
When singing Dayneu: What are the gifts in our life that make it all worth it?
When reciting Hallel: If you could fully express gratitude to someone in your past who really made a difference in your life, who would it be?
When eating matzah: If you could eradicate laziness from your life and live with complete discipline, what could you accomplish?
During the seder, families will read from the Haggadahto tell the story of Passover and pass down the traditions and lessons of the story to their children, relatives, and friends. In Hebrew, Haggadah means “telling.” This book is basically a guide for the seder and includes prayers, blessings, songs, and information for how the seder should be performed. Families everywhere add their own personal touches to make the script of the Haggadah their own.
MAKE YOUR OWN HAGGADAH
What is a Haggadah?
The word haggadah comes from the same root as “to tell” in Hebrew. The haggadah is meant as a guide to the entire Seder. A good one will serve as a follow-along reader for you and your guests, taking them through each step with instructions, explanations, talking points, ideas for further reflection, and, of course, all of the texts you will be reading, singing, or discussing.
Why should I make my own haggadah?
As you can see from the above, there is nothing at all unusual about authoring custom-made haggadot. The whole objective of the Seder both as a didactic and an experiential endeavor is to get people to participate, ask questions, formulate opinions, and generally interact with the Seder experience. Another wonderful aspect of making your own haggadah is that the copies you use at the Seder can double as Passover gifts for your guests to take with them as both a memory of the special time you will have spent together, as well as for future use for years to come.
If you are not Jewish, you can create the Haggadah around any themes that are meaningful to you. The main message of Passover is ‘Freedom from Slavery’. You can choose any story around this message from the Bible or any other source that inspires you and make a Haggadah.
Haggadah is a booklet that you make yourself using pictures, text, colouring, writing, painting. Haggadah can be seen as a reminder of the Passover story as you interpret it. (you can chose another story, if you like). The questions above can guide you and you are invited to contemplate on the meaning of ‘freedom’ for you as you create your own Haggadah.
Opening the Door for Elijah
On each table there is a goblet of wine called “Elijah’s Cup.” During the meal someone will open the door to welcome the prophet Elijah, exemplifying the line from the Haggadah “Let all who are hungry, come and eat.”
Every Passover, Jews set an extra cup of wine on the dinner table and open the door for the enigmatic prophet Elijah, hoping he will enter. An evolving symbol of hope and redemption in Judaism over the centuries, Elijah’s return is said to mark the Messiah’s earthly arrival.
What does the Bible tell us about Elijah?
He first appears as a zealous prophet for God. There’s something wild and primeval about him. He’s totally committed to monotheism. [Elijah’s name means “Yahweh is my God” in Hebrew.]
In that period, [9th century BCE], a good number of the Israelites were wavering in their faith. King Ahab of Israel really wanted to have it both ways, worshiping the Israelite God and [the Canaanite god] Baal.
So Elijah was out to defeat idolatry, but he didn’t entirely succeed. Dejected, he asked God to take his life. He went to Mount Sinai where he had an encounter with God, and God said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
In the Book of Kings, Elijah is taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, in a fiery chariot. In the book of Malachi [the final prophetic book in the Bible], it later says Elijah’s going to announce the End of Days. So, the rabbis assume that he’s taken alive to heaven. But, for the rabbis, he’s too extreme. So, he gradually becomes depicted in rabbinical texts as a compassionate hero. He’s still zealous, but now he’s zealous to right wrongs. He’s zealous to help the poor. He can’t stay away from Earth when somebody is in trouble.
We all need a version of Elijah at your ‘table’ or in our life. Zeal – dedication and enthusiasm – is a quality we all need in order to move through life’s challenges. You are encouraged to invite or, if you already have them, enhance these qualities in your life. What can you do to become more zealous and enthusiastic? What changes do you need to make and where? Apart from being a zealous prophet, Elijah is also a symbol of hope and redemption. In my observation, we all have areas of our life where we can do with more hope. In meditation, invite God/the Divine Presence to fill that area of your life with Hope and Love. Visualize pouring these qualities in and feeling you up. Observe the sensation and ensure that you take these with you all day, every day.
We become freer by releasing what does not work or what does not serve us any longer.
Singing “Dayenu”
Many families will sing “Dayenu” during their seder. The word dayenu means “it would have been enough.” This joyous tune celebrates the many blessings God bestowed upon the Jewish people during their exodus from Egypt in ancient times.
While listening to this fun song, I invite you remind yourself of the wonderful things that are present in your life. Be grateful and celebrate the many blessings that are present and by doing that you will shift your focus from lack to abundance. Focusing into abundance of blessings and goodness frees us from worry about lack and drama.
In Unity we chose to celebrate, integrate and welcome people from all faith. Personally, as a minister, I like celebrating along with different traditions because I believe that each spiritual tradition, custom or celebration offer an opportunity for us all to look to the Divine Presence and move into deeper communion with IT.
From the 22nd to the 29th of April we are celebrating Passover or Pesach. I would like to invite you to walk this 8-day Passover journey with me doing something different each day – see my next post on the possible activities list – that may support your spiritual unfolding and build a deeper sense of awareness of your connectedness to the Divine Presence.
Today, I am going to introduce what Pesach is… (read more below)
Then, I would like to invite you to watch this clip from the animated film called The Prince of Egypt and/or read the passage in the Bible about the freeing of the Jews.
Then, I would like to invite you to give the story a new meaning by adapting it to your life and circumstances.
What is it that has enslaved you so far and you want to become free from?
How are you going to part the ‘red sea’ of you fears (or what enslaves you)?
How are you going to call upon the Divine to support you to become free?
What are you going to do during the next 8 days to support yourself to get free?
Tomorrow, I will post a few activities that you can do over the next 8 days to support yourself in your ‘Passover transformation’.
Pesach starting on the Evening Of Mon, Apr 22, 2024 till Mon, Apr 29, 2024
SHORT INTRODUCTION
Passover falls on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan (late March or April). Depending on your tradition, you might celebrate Passover for seven days, while others observe the holiday for eight days.
Passover is both agricultural and historical in origin. Also known as Chag haAviv, the “Festival of the Spring,” it reminds us of the early spring harvest in the former land of Canaan, now Israel. Much more commonly recognized for its historical significance, Passover is also known as Zman Cheruteynu, “The Season of Our Freedom.”
The name Passover is symbolic of the Angel of Death “passing over” the Jewish homes while killing the first born of the Egyptians, the last of the Ten Plagues before Pharaoh let the Jews go.
What is Pesach?
Pesach, or Passover, is an 8-day Jewish holiday during the Jewish month of Nissan- at the beginning of spring. ‘Pesach’ means to pass over, commemorating the miracle God performed for the Jewish people enslaved in Egypt, where He passed over their homes during the 10th plague that killed the firstborn of every Egyptian home.
Any chometz (food made of flour and water that was allowed to rise) is removed from the home, and matzah (flat, unleavened bread) is eaten instead. Maror (bitter herbs) is eaten to remember the brutal conditions that the Jews lived in.
The history of Pesach
The celebration of Pesach is based on the story of Exodus, when God saved the Jewish people from the cruel Egyptian rule and ultimately brought them to the Land of Israel. The story begins when the Egyptians enslaved the Jewish people, forcing the women, men, and children to perform back-breaking labor every day. They were vicious and cruel, enacting new laws to make the lives of the Jews increasingly miserable.
The king of Egypt, Pharaoh, even decreed to kill every Jewish male newborn when he had a dream that a Jewish man would redeem the Jews from their bondage. Ironically, his own daughter Princess Batya saved Moses, a Jewish baby floating in the Nile river, and brought him to her father’s palace.
Batya raised Moses in the palace of his greatest enemy until he ran away. One day, God revealed himself to Moses in a thornbush and sent him as a messenger to Pharaoh, ordering him in the name of G-d to let the Jewish people go. Pharaoh refused, so G-d inflicted the people of Egypt with the first plague- all the water in the land turned to blood for a week.
Pharoah begged Moses to end the plague, promising to release the Jewish people. But as soon as the plague ended, Pharaoh changed his mind and did not relent. So God brought the second plague – millions of frogs all over Egypt. This repeated itself 10 times, with each plague lasting a week). Here are the ten plagues: blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, death of the animals, boils, hail, grasshoppers, darkness, and the death of every firstborn.
Pharoah suddenly realized that he was the firstborn of his family and would therefore die imminently. He ran to find Moses in the middle of the night and ordered him to round up all the Jews in Egypt and leave the country immediately. Thus, the Jewish people were released from their decades of cruel slavery and ultimately were appointed as God’s chosen nation at Mount Sinai in the desert.
How is Pesach celebrated?
For the entire 8 days of Pesach, Jews may not own or consume any chometz. This is because when Pharoah urged the Jewish people to leave Egypt, they were in the middle of baking bread. They flung their doughs over their shoulders and hastily walked out of the land. The bread jostled on their backs as they walked in the hot sun, which didn’t allow them to rise. The dough resulted in matzah, which Jews eat instead of bread during Pesach.
Today, the homes are cleaned extensively to ensure no trace of chometz. Many people use the opportunity of Pesach cleaning to ‘spring clean’ the house simultaneously. There is a special ceremony on the day before Pesach where the final search for chometz takes place, and all remaining foods are burnt.
On the first two nights of Pesach, the family hosts a ‘seder,’ where the Haggadah – the story of the Exodus from Egypt- is read. Several rituals during the seder include eating the maror, eating matzah, drinking four cups of wine or grape juice, and discussing the story in great depth.
In the Kali Yuga, the wars are within us wherein Rama is our Sou, Sita is our Mind, Hanuman is our life force (prana) and Ravan is our ego.
Ravana (Ego) takes over Sita (Mind) which makes Rama (Soul) restless, To harmonize Mind and Soul, one needs to meditate and breath Hanuman in complete awareness. Once the harmony is established, Rama and Sita reunite and ego is destroyed.
SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE
Today, as part of Rama Navami Hindu Celebration, we are invited to find and observe the light within and observe its presence though out many senses. We are asked to be present in our experiences throughout the day and observe, how the light that resides within.
At this link CLIK HERE you can read the beautiful story and the spiritual significance of this celebration.
The rituals and customs associated with Rama Navami vary from region to region throughout India. The day is marked by reciting from the Hindu epic Ramayana which narrates the tale of Rama. Vaishnava Hindus celebrate the festival by visiting temples, praying, fasting, listening to spiritual discourses and singing bhajans or kirtans (devotional songs). Some devotees offer worship to Rama like an infant by placing an image of him in a cradle. Charitable events and community meals are also organized. The festival is an occasion for moral reflection for many Hindus
It is believed that Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, created the world on this day. Therefore, this day is considered auspicious and is celebrated as the beginning of a new era.
***
Another day to have fun and celebrate. 🙂 The Hindues celebrate Sukhladi or Gudi Padwa (this celebration has many names) on the 9th of April with gifts and decorations.
Every celebratory event is an opportunity to cheer up and have fun. The world is full of drama and gloom. When I am invited to celebrate, give thanks, be marry and joyous, I take the opportunity.
Let’s celebrate that we are healthy, we live in abundance of opportunities, we are free to make decisions for ourselves, and we are loved (at least by one person, yourself). Let’s make it a day of joy, fun, laughter, even if it is difficult because of circumstances. One laughter is more than none. One smile is more than none. Remembering of one nice thing is better than none. Making a day count by peeping out of the drama and the craze, will make your day. I guarantee that.
More information on Chaitra Sukhladi
In 2024, the date of Chaitra Sukhladi is April 9. Chaitra Sukhladi is celebrated with much fervour and enthusiasm in Maharashtra and Karnataka. On this day, people wake up early and take a ritualistic bath. They then decorate their homes with rangolis and flowers. People also offer prayers to Lord Brahma and perform puja rituals. They wear new clothes and exchange sweets and gifts with family and friends.
In Maharashtra, people prepare a special dish called Shrikhand-Puri on this day. In Karnataka, people prepare a dish called Holige, which is made of jaggery and lentils. The festive spirit is high during Chaitra Sukhladi, and people come together to celebrate this day with great zeal.
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
In UNITY we believe that Sin is only an error in our thinking. The Night Power or Laylat al-Qadr is an opportunity to meditate, pray and affirm our connectedness with the Divine Source. Our ‘sins’ are forgiven because we surrender our will – eg. through fasting – and allow our consciousness to be lifted higher.
Mohammad Prophet was a spiritual teacher similar to Jesus who brought forth spiritual laws (suggestions) for the seeker to attain a deeper relationship with the Divine. Mohammad suggests that after having practised abstinence for over 20 days during Ramadan, we now have arrived to The Night Power, that we can use for further stretching our limits. By using the night for meditation and prayer we can expect our reward in attaining a higher level of consciousness.
We must remember that attaining a higher level of conscious has physical implications as well. It is not only an inner experience though often it starts with that. As we lift our gaze or our consciousness higher, our physical experiences start reflecting our becoming more loving, accepting, kinder, embracing and more. It maybe difficult to imagine but as we become more vulnerable through being more in touch with the Divine, we generate and attract more ‘positive’ experiences for ourselves.
It is worth remembering that the spiritual path is not only an inner journey. As we evolve spiritually we also evolve in the physical.
The Night Power
Laylat al-Qadr, Islamic festival that commemorates the night on which God first revealed the Qurʾān to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Jibrīl). It is believed to have taken place on one of the final 10 nights of Ramadan in 610 ce, though the exact night is unclear.
Sunni Muslims believe that Laylat al-Qadr occurs among the odd-numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan (21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th). Some scholars opine that if a Friday night occurs on an odd numbered night, the night is likely to be Laylat al-Qadr.
source: Britannica
The Night of Power (Arabic: لیلة القدر, romanized: Laylat al-Qadr; also rendered as the Night of Destiny, Night of Decree, Night of Determination, or the Precious Night), is, in Islamic belief, the night when Muslims believe the Quran was first sent down from heaven to the world and also the night when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad would usually practice spiritual retreat (Iʿtikāf) during the last ten days of Ramadan, awaiting the Night of Power, fasting and praying throughout the night, and abstaining from sexual relations. He urged his followers to do the same. According to one hadith, Muhammad said: “Whoever stands [in prayer] during the Night of Power out of belief and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1901)
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
In Unity we always look for a deeper or a metaphysical meaning of events, texts, and celebrations.
When we look at Easter we see the upliftment of our consciousness to a higher level as a result of fasting or withdrawing from the worldly to the spiritual.
On Easter Monday, we celebrate a kind of renewal and a clearer and deeper understanding of our spiritual journey through release and forgiveness. We are joyful and merry. We feel lighter because we released faulty ideas, misconceptions of who we truly are and who God is for us. (read about how I see God here CLICK)
During the days between today (Easter Monday) and Pentecost there will many spiritual observances from different traditions that we can use for our spiritual upliftment and growth. We can observe these 50 days by making the time to meditate or pray daily, focusing into the Divine Presence, reading uplifting spiritual material, and acting kindly towards ourselves and other.
Lets’ see if as a result of our efforts what happens on the day of Pentecost!
What is Pentecost and what does it have to do with Easter?
The name comes from the Greek word pentekoste which means fiftieth. Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a major festival in the Christian church, celebrated on the Sunday that falls on the 50th day of Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles – while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles – and other disciples following the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2), and it marks the beginning of the Christian church’s mission to the world.
The events of Acts Chapter 2 are set against the backdrop of the celebration of Pentecost in Jerusalem. There are several major features to the Pentecost narrative presented in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. The author begins by noting that the disciples of Jesus “were all together in one place” on the “day of Pentecost” (ἡμέρα τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς).[27] The verb used in Acts 2:1 to indicate the arrival of the day of Pentecost carries a connotation of fulfillment.
There is a “mighty rushing wind” (wind is a common symbol for the Holy Spirit) and “tongues as of fire” appear. The gathered disciples were “filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance”. Some scholars have interpreted the passage as a reference to the multitude of languages spoken by the gathered disciples, while others have taken the reference to “tongues” (γλῶσσαι) to signify ecstatic speech.
In Unity we do not suggest an understanding of God. We strive to support everyone to seek out their personal meaning of God and to create a personal relationship with the Divine that serve their upliftment and growth.
INTRODUCTION
They say that ‘all roads lead to Rome’. The same way, there are as many approaches to God as many people there are on the Earth. In my understanding, everyone is attempting to move back to Oneness with God or the Divine Presence that I call ’being in the Loving’ whether they know it or not.
In my observation, every person tries to create a relationship with whatever they believe God is depending on what they were taught and how they see themselves.
I learnt distinctively different ideas from different people. As a result, I first became an atheist and then as a result of that, I started to look for ‘my version of God’.
God is not a separate being, or an old guy looking down on us from Heaven judging our decisions in life. As a result of my journey ‘looking for God’, I realized that God is simply a loving being, an energy source that keeps on lifting us up and out of the drama and madness we, humanity, have been creating for ourselves through our collective thinking for ions of time.
In my experience, as we meditate or commune with this loving energy source we start peeking out of the fear-driven craze and start seeing the greatness and the goodness that is ‘beyond’.
DIFFERENT INFLUENCES
The Banned God
The utopistic socialist regime that I grew up in created a rather odd predicament with regards to God. Though religious acts were discouraged and if still practised punished with ostracism, churches were kept intact and Catholic religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas were held. We were nevertheless dissuaded to attend any of these events or suffer the consequences.
We, as children, were taught that there was no such God that the churches talked about – they were liars – and we should worship our political leaders – flesh and blood perfect specimen of a human being – especially the main leader of the socialistic party that we called ‘Big Brother’.
God as a Father Figure
My grandmother needed a father figure because she never had one. What I gathered from observing her, her relationship with God was ambivalent. After having lost her second husband, she lost her relationship with God with him.
I think the Bible made her assume that God was a male character, and that he was like a good Father to all his children. Through her words, God was a loving father whom children can run to for shelter when hurt. He was protective and fair.
Because what my Grandmother communicated to me about the God she knew, when I first went to the church I went there to beg God to protect me from the abuse, I was experiencing at the time. I was looking for a father figure.
It was disappointing to learn that God does not show up in your school to tell the abusive teacher off. I understood there and then that God is not a substitute for an absent father.
God as a Prosecutor
My great-aunt, my grandmother’s cousin, was a bigot Catholic and was on a mission for a while to turn me into a Roman Catholic, except my grandma would not have it. She was a Calvinist.
My great aunt’s God was a Prosecutor. We were to fear God who was always angry because we were misbehaving. God had a ‘whip’ called the Devil who, we were told, would come and take us to Hell if we were naughty.
My great aunt in her dread of her righteous God was a goodie-two-shoes who condemned everyone who did not believe or behaved as she thought was right. She wasn’t a nice person. Nevertheless, she believed that her God approved of her behaviour because she was doing the right thing.
In her relationship with God, she lived in fear of an entity that would punish her if she wasn’t a good girl. She was convinced that she was one of God’s messengers whose job was to ensure that others also follow God’s orders and were on the right path. As a psychologist it was her mission to bring all lost souls that landed on her ‘couch’ to the God of the Roman Catholic Church. She was in some ways a prosecutor herself because she believed that those who did not see things the same way she did were all sinners. She taught me that we should be grateful for our suffering because in our suffering we are closer to God.
My great aunt’s idea of God made me scared of God and wanted nothing to do with a vengeful God.
The Buddhist no-God
There was a moment when I thought that I had enough of the confusion around God and looked for a path with no God. Though Buddhists have many deities they do not actually have a God concept. Buddhists strive to attain Nirvana, which is a level of consciousness, total freedom of desire but it is not an alternative to God.
At first, I was relieved that I did not deal with others’ idea of God, anymore. I loved the meditation sessions on ‘nothing’, the focus on striving for ‘thoughtlessness’. I found a sense of freedom in that.
Soon, however, as I progressed in my meditation, I started to face a sense of ‘lack’. I felt a sense of being and connectedness in my meditation but I could not place the sensation anywhere.
In a way, the Buddhist no-God-ness helped me to look for and find ‘my God’ and create the kind of relationship I wanted with God.
The Sufi God of Fire
After my Buddhist adventure, a friend who in my experience had a deep and personal relationship with God, introduced me to Sufism. I started to read poems by Rumi, learnt about Shams de Tabrizi, Rumi’s teacher. Then I ran into a book called ‘Love is a Fire’. The writer of this book talked about a kind of meditation that I had never heard of before: looking for fire and passion in meditation. She talked about an intimate and personal relationships with God that was new to me. So far, I had only met people who had a concept of God rather than an experience. As I was reading the book and practising the Sufi type of meditation, I started to feel a movement of ‘unexplainable’ energy that was strong and lively, with a burning sensation as it showed up within my consciousness.
I loved it! The first time God was not someone else’s concept but my own experience.
MY KIND OF GOD
I prefer calling God ‘Divine Presence’ or ‘the Source’ because the word ‘God’ is corrupted by different religious ideas that I cannot relate to.
God as Loving
This experience I mentioned above and that I still have today, is passionate and fiery. I understood later that my ‘burning like’ sensation in meditation was not the result of reading the book but because of the essence of who I am. I am fiery and passionate.
My relationship with God
And so is my relationship with God. I talk to the Divine Presence, but I still do not see God as a person. For me God is an energy field of pure Loving that is alive and is in constant movement.
As I step into this field, into Oneness, and connect with this Divine Presence, my Essence gets energized which becomes the foundation for my connection with God.
God is a vibrant presence in my Life, not only in my meditations but in my day-to-day living. I sense God all the time.
Interestingly I do experience the Divine Presence as the ‘Father’ and also as the ‘Prosecutor’ but very differently from that of my family members. God as ‘a Father’ to me means that God cares about me, I am important, if I listen, I can hear ‘him’ guiding me through the wilderness of life. God is also ‘a prosecutor’ means that I am held responsible for my experiences through my free will. My thinking, my emotions and my actions create my reality. If I want to have different experiences in life, it is not the Divine who would bring it forth, I am to think, feel, and act differently. How to bring that change about is a whole other story. God in his Goodness, however, wants me to learn my lessons and free myself from my limitations. I call it ‘tough love’.
Most of all, however, my relationship with God is like the relationship between a sport team/person and its cheering squad. God is always on my side cheering me on! Similarly to Rumi, in my inner experiences, God sometimes shows up like a goof-ball dancing and singing to make sure I don’t lose faith when time gets rough. Our relationship is constantly evolving as I am evolving, opening, and becoming into my True Being.
In Unity we do not suggest an understanding of God. We strive to support everyone to seek out their personal meaning of God and to create a personal relationship with the Divine that serve their upliftment and growth.
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
This is the video recording of the Spiritual Communion Service we held at Unity Daily Word UK. Rev Kabelo Letebele from Unity Johannesburg, South Africa, started the service whereas Rev Kimerie Mapletoft, Director of Silent Unity, UK introduced the program. Main speaker: Rev Ildiko Kudlik, UNITY EUROPE
(Please note that some of the songs are not shown in the program because of YouTube Copyright laws. Pls find the entire program and the songs below. )
EASTER SERVICE
Candle Lighting
I would like to ask you to light a candle or switch on a Candle App on your phone. As we light this candle, we remember that we have a light just like this within us. It is the unique essence of who we are. As we light the candle, we connect with this deeper part of ourselves and connect with the Divine Presence.
This song is to remind us of our loving relationship with the Divine/God.
The Lenten Journey
The Lenten Season is a 40-day journey of release and purification. We are getting ready to embrace a higher level of consciousness.
I walk the Lenten journey yearly now.Every year I am offered a different ‘main theme’ to work on. This year, my main learning seems to be ‘going with the flow’. I am leaning to release struggle and embrace neutrality and total acceptance of what is.
It is especially challenging for me because I am a ‘controller’. I want things the way I want them. My ideas are often flawed and limited. My life is way greater than what I can comprehend and therefore I don’t really know what’s best for me. I know what I want, and I struggle to get it because I often move ‘against’ the flow of Life. All my struggles would cease if I could just let it all go and move into Divine Order. (which is not a pre-destined fate or apathy!)
Silence and Contemplation
I would like to invite you to listen to this short mediation and contemplate on your own personal Lenten Journey: What was it like? What have you discovered? What have you become aware of? What are the major ‘let go’s’ this year?
After listening to the meditation stay in the Silence for a while.
Forgiveness
Often as a result of looking at our shortcomings, we find ourselves wanting and so we judge ourselves. We think: “I shouldn’t have …”
I would like to invite you to remember or to read the part of the Bible that depicts the Crucifixion story in the the New Testament.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’30 Then
“‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’[b]
31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[c] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[d]” (NIV Luke 23:26-43)
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43
This sentence to me is a sign of total acceptance of what is and forgiveness.
Silence and Forgiveness
Now, I would like to invite you to listen to this short meditation on Luke 23:43
After you listened to the meditation you may want to stay in the silence and remember the different things you judge yourself for, then just say:
I forgive myself for judging myself for …
Resurrection
What do you think the resurrection story about?
Can you imagine that Jesus’ resurrection story is something that happens inside of us? Jesus’s story can be understood as the story of our own consciousness. As a result of having walked the Lenten Journey, having forgiven our ‘sins’ (by sin we understand our shortcomings and error thinking) we find ourselves on a higher altitude, on a higher level of consciousness, and in greater Oneness with the Divine Presence as well as in greater Loving within ourselves.
Song and Silence
I would like to invite you to experience ‘this higher altitude’ by listening to this song.
As we listen to the next song, I would like to invite you to close your eyes and experience being lifted …
After the song, stay in the Silence for a while.
Thank you listening and spending this time with me. I hope you found the meditations and songs uplifting. I wish you a blessed Easter Holiday.
At the link below, you can find the audio recording of all the Rules. You can randomly choose one and contemplate on it. It may bring you some insight or something to let go of today.
*
ESTER SUNDAY, the Holy Week
Today, we are releasing any attachment to our physical life and embracing God’s Love for us.
Today, as we release the ultimate attachment which is to our physical life, we remember that our souls continue their spiritual journey aft er death but that our human lives are on an upward trajectory while we are here.
Today we celebrate all that the Easter story means to us. In resurrection we realize that we have risen to a new level of consciousness on our journey of enlightenment.
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!
Today we affirm: Today I let go of all attachments and arrive to a higher plain.
Holy Week in the Christian year is the week immediately before Easter.
Holy Week begins with the commemoration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednesday), climaxing with the commemoration of the Mystical or Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Holy Week concludes with Christ’s rest in death and descent into hell on Holy Saturday.
Christians believe that Jesus rested in death from the ninth hour (3 pm) on Good Friday until just before dawn on Sunday morning, the day of his resurrection from death, commonly known as Easter Sunday.
Holy Week liturgies generally attract the largest crowds of the year. Many Christian cultures have different traditions such as special liturgies or services, floats, sculptures or live reenactments of Christ’s life, his arrest and crucifixion (also called the Lord’s passion, the Passion of Christ or Passion of Jesus)
Looking at the ‘story’ above, what do you think this week could be about in terms of ‘Lifting one’s consciousness?’
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
At the link below, you can find the audio recording of all the Rules. You can randomly choose one and contemplate on it. It may bring you some insight or something to let go of today.
*
Today, we are releasing fear of change and embracing God’s Love for us.
Today, our LENT booklet invites us to release release fear of change by embracing the idea that change is inevitable.
“The first step is to get in tune with the Infinite,” Eric Butterworth wrote in his essay “How to Overcome Fear and Worry.” We can take a gentle, cleansing breath to get in touch with the indwelling presence of God. As we do this, we release fear and embrace change wholeheartedly.
Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Today we affirm: I am willing to release all limiting thoughts and know change as my divine birthright
Holy Week in the Christian year is the week immediately before Easter.
Holy Week begins with the commemoration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednesday), climaxing with the commemoration of the Mystical or Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Holy Week concludes with Christ’s rest in death and descent into hell on Holy Saturday.
Christians believe that Jesus rested in death from the ninth hour (3 pm) on Good Friday until just before dawn on Sunday morning, the day of his resurrection from death, commonly known as Easter Sunday.
Holy Week liturgies generally attract the largest crowds of the year. Many Christian cultures have different traditions such as special liturgies or services, floats, sculptures or live reenactments of Christ’s life, his arrest and crucifixion (also called the Lord’s passion, the Passion of Christ or Passion of Jesus)
Looking at the ‘story’ above, what do you think this week could be about in terms of ‘Lifting one’s consciousness?’
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
I have a confession to make. Sometimes I grumble. Sometimes I’m irritated by having to wait in long lines or by the driving habits of others…and I grumble about it. Sometimes I’m less than pleased by getting the flu or having the aches and pains that come with an aging body…and I grumble about that. Sometimes I’m impatient with bureaucracy and paperwork and glitching websites and endless waits on hold, trying to reach an actual person to talk to…and I grumble about it. And sometimes I just grumble about life not being exactly the way I want it to be.
C.S. Lewis wrote, Hell begins with a grumbling mood, always complaining…but “you” are still distinct from it. But there may come a day when you can no longer stop. Then there will be no “you” left to criticize the mood or even to enjoy it, but just the grumble itself, going on forever like a machine.
We all know people like this: people who have a sour outlook on life and communicate that dissatisfaction in each and every encounter they have with others. How much do you enjoy being around that type of person? Probably not much.
So, how can I make sure that my occasional grumble about something specific doesn’t become all there is of me? I have a secret weapon: gratitude. Gratitude is the opposite of grumbling. It’s paying more attention to what we have than what we don’t. It is the appreciation of what we have while we have it. It’s remembering who we are, the souls we love, and all the other blessings we have in our lives. Gratitude is what brings joy and contentment into our lives, and helps us grasp the deeper meaning in all that we experience: love.
In my family and social circle and spiritual community, I know people who cannot see, who cannot walk, who live in poverty, who have lost a spouse, who have serious medical conditions, who have faced financial ruin, and in general have circumstances and conditions that anyone else would label as devastating – and yet they have risen above them. They talk with enthusiasm about how grateful they are, and instead of focusing on their afflictions; they ask how others are doing and radiate compassion and kindness toward them. And in every single case, they were able to do that because they practiced gratitude instead of grumbling.
So, today, this day, while we may experience some situations that are less than optimal, we can make them worse – by grumbling – or better, by practicing gratitude. I don’t know about you, but today? Today I’m choosing gratitude.
A moment of Grace by Rev Steven McAfee @ONEBYONE COMMUINTY
Re McAfee is a pastor at Unity Fort Wayne Spiritual Centre. See the March Program below
Reach Rev McAfee for his programs at onebyonecommunity@gmail.com
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
At the link below, you can find the audio recording of all the Rules. You can randomly choose one and contemplate on it. It may bring you some insight or something to let go of today.
*
Good Friday, the Holy Week
Today, we are releasing blame and embracing God’s Love for us.
Today, as we release blame we remember the words of ultimate forgiveness:
“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34
Also, instead of reading clever words on how to release blame I would like you to image hearing these words inside of you:
forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing
Then move your attention to different events and people in you life so far who may have hurt you. When someone’s name appeared in your consciousness simple do as you are told:
forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing
(Please, remember, we are not forgiving the act but the error in their consciousness)
Then start remembering events where you were at fault, and people who have hurt. Once again do as you are told:
forgive them (him/her); for they (s/he) do not know what they (s/he) are doing
(Here we are forgiving our blame, our judgement against ourselves)
Today we affirm: Today I let go of blame and view every experience in the light of understanding
Holy Week in the Christian year is the week immediately before Easter.
Holy Week begins with the commemoration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednesday), climaxing with the commemoration of the Mystical or Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Holy Week concludes with Christ’s rest in death and descent into hell on Holy Saturday.
Christians believe that Jesus rested in death from the ninth hour (3 pm) on Good Friday until just before dawn on Sunday morning, the day of his resurrection from death, commonly known as Easter Sunday.
Holy Week liturgies generally attract the largest crowds of the year. Many Christian cultures have different traditions such as special liturgies or services, floats, sculptures or live reenactments of Christ’s life, his arrest and crucifixion (also called the Lord’s passion, the Passion of Christ or Passion of Jesus)
Looking at the ‘story’ above, what do you think this week could be about in terms of ‘Lifting one’s consciousness?’
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
At the link below, you can find the audio recording of all the Rules. You can randomly choose one and contemplate on it. It may bring you some insight or something to let go of today.
*
Maundy Thursday, the Holy Week
Today, we are releasing anger and embracing God’s Love for us.
Our Lent Booklet invites us today to release anger because it can can consume us, and yet to let it go we must willingly acknowledge its presence. If we attempt to bypass that step on the journey, we allow anger to color our perception of every area of life.
Today is Maundy Thursday, a day when we remember the Last Supper. Jesus was a man who could get angry when he wanted to make a point, but not that evening. He humbly washed the feet of his disciples, even Judas.
I love the story of the feet washing. I cannot imagine a more humble act of loving.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. NIV John 13:1-17
Today we affirm: My actions and thoughts are fueled by love
Holy Week in the Christian year is the week immediately before Easter.
Holy Week begins with the commemoration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednesday), climaxing with the commemoration of the Mystical or Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Holy Week concludes with Christ’s rest in death and descent into hell on Holy Saturday.
Christians believe that Jesus rested in death from the ninth hour (3 pm) on Good Friday until just before dawn on Sunday morning, the day of his resurrection from death, commonly known as Easter Sunday.
Holy Week liturgies generally attract the largest crowds of the year. Many Christian cultures have different traditions such as special liturgies or services, floats, sculptures or live reenactments of Christ’s life, his arrest and crucifixion (also called the Lord’s passion, the Passion of Christ or Passion of Jesus)
Looking at the ‘story’ above, what do you think this week could be about in terms of ‘Lifting one’s consciousness?’
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
At the link below, you can find the audio recording of all the Rules. You can randomly choose one and contemplate on it. It may bring you some insight or something to let go of today.
*
Today, we are releasing negative thinking and embracing God’s Love for us.
Our Lent Booklet invites us today to release negative thinking that is often brought on by the ‘negative news’ coming from the world.
It is challenging not to get caught up in the craze of the world that lives on drama and negative thoughts. Troubling events in the world are a reality, yet instead of focusing on the negative, we can choose to turn our thoughts to the beauty and wonder that exist everywhere.
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.—Proverbs 16:24
Today we affirm: I focus my thoughts on the goodness and beauty in the world.
Holy Week in the Christian year is the week immediately before Easter.
Holy Week begins with the commemoration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednesday), climaxing with the commemoration of the Mystical or Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Holy Week concludes with Christ’s rest in death and descent into hell on Holy Saturday.
Christians believe that Jesus rested in death from the ninth hour (3 pm) on Good Friday until just before dawn on Sunday morning, the day of his resurrection from death, commonly known as Easter Sunday.
Holy Week liturgies generally attract the largest crowds of the year. Many Christian cultures have different traditions such as special liturgies or services, floats, sculptures or live reenactments of Christ’s life, his arrest and crucifixion (also called the Lord’s passion, the Passion of Christ or Passion of Jesus)
Looking at the ‘story’ above, what do you think this week could be about in terms of ‘Lifting one’s consciousness?’
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
At the link below, you can find the audio recording of all the Rules. You can randomly choose one and contemplate on it. It may bring you some insight or something to let go of today.
*
Today, we are releasing drama and embracing God’s Love for us.
Our Lent Booklet invites us today to release drama that we often generate as a result of our unsettled mind. We can find that our thoughts that stem in fear end up in drama.
The more we align our hearts and minds with God, the more we are given clear direction. Fear and drama fade away.
Breathing in slowly and mindfully, slowing to stillness, and filling ourselves up with gratitude pulls us away and frees us from inner and outer drama.
Today we affirm: I release drama and extend peace and love to all
Holy Week in the Christian year is the week immediately before Easter.
Holy Week begins with the commemoration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednesday), climaxing with the commemoration of the Mystical or Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Holy Week concludes with Christ’s rest in death and descent into hell on Holy Saturday.
Christians believe that Jesus rested in death from the ninth hour (3 pm) on Good Friday until just before dawn on Sunday morning, the day of his resurrection from death, commonly known as Easter Sunday.
Holy Week liturgies generally attract the largest crowds of the year. Many Christian cultures have different traditions such as special liturgies or services, floats, sculptures or live reenactments of Christ’s life, his arrest and crucifixion (also called the Lord’s passion, the Passion of Christ or Passion of Jesus)
Looking at the ‘story’ above, what do you think this week could be about in terms of ‘Lifting one’s consciousness?’
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
When you let go of who you are, you become who you might be. Rumi
I have been contemplating on this a lot: What is the greatest ‘let go”? What is the hardest to release for us all?
I came to the conclusion that it is our own self-image. We, all, are convinced that we are who we think we are. It is a mistake.
We build our image as a result of our upbringing, we build it in defence of what we perceived as threat. Our image is like a mask that covers up our true identity.
So, why is it so hard to let it go? It is because we are afraid that if we release the mask, we become vulnerable. Plus, most of us believe that the mask is our true self.
How to do it then? The only way to give up the mask is to receive something in return, something greater than what the mask could provide. The mask provides false security.
So what provides real security?
Nothing does.
However.
When we move into the silence and start aligning ourselves with the Divine Presence, we start releasing all that that stands between our individual Spark and God. The Mask is one of these hindrances. Like peeling an onion we release aspects of ourselves that do not serve us any more. In return we become aware of who we truly are in our Essence. And with that, we start feeling safe in ourselves and in the Arms of the Divine.
Everything I have written above comes from personal experience. I had to deal with a great amount of insecurity as a child. As a result, I created a mask, an alter-ego, who was always strong and capable, whom I could always rely on, who will keep me safe in a violent and cruel world, a fighter.
But the worrier does not give up its dominion very easily. It took me a considerable amount of time to release this false image and allow myself to live who I truly am: a goof-ball. 🙂
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
At the link below, you can find the audio recording of all the Rules. You can randomly choose one and contemplate on it. It may bring you some insight or something to let go of today.
*
Holy Monday the Holy Week
Today, we are releasing doubt and embracing God’s Love for us.
Our Lent Booklet invites us today to release doubting that undermine our outlook on life, our confidence, even our relationships. When doubting, we question our own judgment and our faith in the Divine (or God or the Source).
In order to release doubting we must doubt the doubt, so to speak. We must examine them and question them. As we connect to our own inner wisdom, we challenge the doubt by asking: Is this really True? What am I afraid of?
But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.—James 1:6
Today we affirm: I am in tune with my own inner wisdom.
Holy Week in the Christian year is the week immediately before Easter.
Holy Week begins with the commemoration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednesday), climaxing with the commemoration of the Mystical or Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Holy Week concludes with Christ’s rest in death and descent into hell on Holy Saturday.
Christians believe that Jesus rested in death from the ninth hour (3 pm) on Good Friday until just before dawn on Sunday morning, the day of his resurrection from death, commonly known as Easter Sunday.
Holy Week liturgies generally attract the largest crowds of the year. Many Christian cultures have different traditions such as special liturgies or services, floats, sculptures or live reenactments of Christ’s life, his arrest and crucifixion (also called the Lord’s passion, the Passion of Christ or Passion of Jesus)
Looking at the ‘story’ above, what do you think this week could be about in terms of ‘Lifting one’s consciousness?’
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
Just to keep it simple, we may want to use the Festival of Holi, a ‘night and day’ to ‘colour up’ our life. We can focus on vitality, a new season is coming bringing an opportunity to make things anew.
So what could colours bring into our life? What difference could colours make during the day? What colours do YOU want to focus on? Can you surround yourself with this colour?
Experiment with them and see what experiences they create for you! What experiences anew have they brought into your life? Let me know! <3
What is HOLI? India, renowned for its lively festivities. From the early celebrations of Mahashivratri to the vibrant climax of Holi, this month is brimming with happiness. Beyond symbolizing the onset of spring, Holi embodies rejuvenation, good fortune, and positivity.
Holi falls on March 25th, preceded by Holika Dahan on March 24th
Holi is one of the most famous festivals. It is a festival of colors, celebrates spring with with powder. It symbolizes righteousness, featuring stories of Krishna, Radha, and Lord Shiva. The event represents unity, fertility rituals, and a triumph of good over evil, it commemorates the victory of Vishnu as Narasimha over Hiranyakashipu.
It also celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna.
Holi, with its vivacious colors and festive fervor, unites people in a jubilant celebration of harmony and happiness. As the festival draws near, India eagerly anticipates the joyous revelry heralding the arrival of spring.
It is also an invocation for a good spring harvest season. It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (full moon day) falling on the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna.
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
“A life without Love is of no account. Don’t ask yourself what kind of love you should seek, spiritual or material, divine or mundane, Eastern or Western. Divisions only lead to more divisions. Love has no labels, no definitions. It is what it is, pure and simple. Love is the water of life. And a lover is a soul of fire! The universe turns differently when fire loves water.”*
*
Palm Sunday, Start of the Holy Week
Palm Sunday is celebrated as Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem when his followers waved palm branches and shouted hosanna.
The ultimate letting go
In the final week of Jesus’ life, which we commemorate as Holy Week starting today, we see him letting go in all the ways we have discussed: letting go of ego, of others’ approval, of worry, of fear, and of needing to be seen as right. We also see him letting go of outcomes, letting events unfold without his interference, trusting in his highest good.
How hard can it be, right?
Love has no labels, no definitions. It is what it is, pure and simple. Love is the water of life. And a lover is a soul of fire! The universe turns differently when fire loves water. Rule 40
Today’s rule reminds us again the real meaning of Love. I seems to me that Love that encompasses everything we are and everything we are surrounded with, may mean something different to us all. Depending on our Karmic lessons and our individual circumstances, we may experience God’s Love differently. Most people I know identify this ‘Love’ with freedom. I can relate to that. Some calls ‘Love’ ‘kindness’, some ‘acceptance’. I am realizing now that Love maybe the ultimate letting go.
But letting go of what?
I think it is control. Control stems in fear. Fear is what Love isn’t. Jesus’ story is our ultimate ‘letting go’ story. You may not believe that Jesus was a human being at some point in history, and it is just fine. Can you the greatest spiritual journey in his story? Can you see this story as a reminder that in order to get closer to our most precious Essence that is of the Divine, we must let go of everything that isn’t; everything that isn’t Love.
The rules finished with Palm Sunday. We are welcomed to the house of ‘Love’ where we are asked to spend a week contemplating on the real meaning of Love for us and what it is that is not Love that we are asked to let go of.
Every day, we can spend some time, any time in silent contemplation on what it is that I need to let go of so to get closer to myself and God? When you find something, just say, I let you with compassion. I am no longer afraid of you.
“Trying to control the world? I see you won’t succeed.
The world is a spiritual vessel And cannot be controlled.
Those who control, fail. Those who grasp, lose.
Some go forth, some are led, Some weep, some blow flutes Some become strong, some superfluous, Some oppress, some destroyed.
Therefore the Sage, Casts off extremes, Casts off excess, Casts off extravagance.”
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
“While the part change, the whole always remains the same. For every thief who departs this world, a new one is born. And every decent person who passes away is replaced by a new one. In this way, not only does nothing remain the same, but also nothing ever really changes. For every Sufi who dies, another is born somewhere.”*
Today we affirm:I observe my world in the light of love
Today’s rule remined me of the cycle of life and death and how little time we are allowed to deal with our karma or our learnings in a single life-time. It also reminded me of the timelessness of Spirit, the Essence of who I am. Though, this form, this body I am inhabiting is finite, my Soul lives on leaving this mortal place with my last breath.
Though the cycle of life maybe somewhat scary, the infinity of my existence is comforting.
What did you discover by contemplation on this rule and Lent reading?
in Loving and with many Blessings, Rev Kudlik
Please note that though I may use ‘him’ or ‘his’ pronouns to talk about God/the Divine, it is only because the English language does not have a gender neutral pronoun. ‘They’ sounds odd to me to use and ‘it’ sounds lifeless.
In my understanding Purim celebrates two things: overcoming and gratitude. I look at the Bible as a source of inspiration the teachings behind the stories. The stories in the Bible happened so long ago that nobody knows how much of it had actually happened.
In Unity, we interpret the stories and take the learnings from them.
Esther’s story for me is about knowing that God is always at work: as we face our challenges, stand up for oneself in the face of dire circumstances, and overcome inner challenges, we can start seeing God’s ever present support. Finally, we can move into gratitude for the support we have received.
How to use celebrating Purim for your benefit?
Similar to celebrations from other traditions, we can simply take the time to contemplate on the messages and teachings, we can spend some time in the silence to become aware of inner errors, ‘fight them’ which means let go of them, and become grateful for triumphing over our own challenges.
Most of all however, we can use the time to become consciously aware of God’s Presence in our life, the way we are supported from behind the scenes; and we can express our gratitude to the Divine Presence for His never ceasing Love and Care for us.
What am I going to do?
I will spend the evening to meditate and contemplate on areas of my life where I feel unsupported by God, where I feel I am being let down and left to my own divides. I will also look at where I am in error, why I feel this way. Finally, I will spend the day to observe the ‘behind the scene’ support God provides me with. Finally, I will move into Prayer on Gratitude for all the ‘hidden’ support and guidance I receive that I am be oblivious of.
What is Purim?
Shushan Purim is a unique day in the cycle of Jewish holidays. Purim is the only holiday whose date depends on where you happen to celebrate it. For most of the world, Purim occurs on the 14th of Adar. However, if you happen to reside in Jerusalem or the city of Shushan (where the story of Purim took place), or any walled city, Purim is on the 15th of Adar. Therefore, the observance is called “Shushan Purim.”
Queen Esther then instituted the holiday of Purim for the day after the Jews were permitted to defend themselves. It is an important distinction for the holiday. Purim does not celebrate a military triumph. It celebrates the day of “rejoicing and feasting” that followed. That is why Purim is on the fourteenth day of Adar, not the thirteenth.
We must be careful to be clear about why we are celebrating. Real joy is not about triumphalism. We do not rejoice over the death of Haman. Rather, our best celebrations are always about gratitude. We wait a day after our temporal victory and rejoice. We celebrate by laying down our weapons and taking a bag of cookies over to our neighbors’ homes.
“While the part change, the whole always remains the same. For every thief who departs this world, a new one is born. And every decent person who passes away is replaced by a new one. In this way, not only does nothing remain the same, but also nothing ever really changes. For every Sufi who dies, another is born somewhere.”*
*
Today, we are releasing judgement and embracing God’s Love for us.
Our Lent Booklet invites us today to release judgment and choose to observe life from a higher point of view. I notice when I engage in judgemental conversations and I consciously choose to b a witness to love and well-being in our beauty-infused world.
I expectantly look for acts of loving-kindness, I also watch for opportunities to be a blessing because I know that where I focus is where I am going.
if I’ve criticized myself, focusing on past errors or goals not met, I now let go of self-judgment and embrace self-love.
The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:9
Today we affirm: I observe my world in the light of love
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
“It is never too late to ask yourself, “Am I ready to change the life I am living? Am I ready to change within?” Even if a single day in your life is the same as the day before, it surely is a pity. At every moment and with each new breath, one should be renewed and renewed again. There is only one way to be born into a new life: to die before death.”*
Today we affirm:I serve from a loving, willing heart, knowing God is my Source for all I need.
Obligation is a biggie for me. I have acted out of obligation most of my life. I still do sometimes. I need to be careful. Each time I am asked to do something, or I am chosen to do something, I say ‘Hurray! Yes, I am gonna do it! Except that I forget to check if I can do that or not; if I wanted to do it or not.
There is an ‘unceasing should’ inside of me. When in doubt, ‘Mr Should’ steps is telling me affably, that ‘ You ought to do that, that is the right thing to do, you know!’ Each time I say ‘No, it is not for me!’, there is a little voice inside of me saying: ‘You could have done it, why did you refuse, it is really not nice of you, you know!’
This is my ‘obligation-blame/shame’ Game.
It is never too late to ask yourself, “Am I ready to change the life I am living? Am I ready to change within?” Even if a single day in your life is the same as the day before, it surely is a pity. At every moment and with each new breath, one should be renewed and renewed again. Rule 38
Today’s rule is spot on again. Am I ready to change the life I am living? I so hope I am! There is aspects of my life that is really tiresome and a ‘Debby downer’. I keep on finding myself in situations where I act from the same place of fear and misunderstanding and the results are obviously the same. Every time I stay YES to an obligation that is not aligned with who I am, I drag myself down into self-pity and anger. Every time, I do not take the opportunity to change – e.g. say NO – I am letting myself down.
It is time to release obligation and serve myself first with a loving heart …
What did you discover by contemplation on this rule and Lent reading?
in Loving and with many Blessings, Rev Kudlik
Please note that though I may use ‘him’ or ‘his’ pronouns to talk about God/the Divine, it is only because the English language does not have a gender neutral pronoun. ‘They’ sounds odd to me to use and ‘it’ sounds lifeless.
“It is never too late to ask yourself, “Am I ready to change the life I am living? Am I ready to change within?” Even if a single day in your life is the same as the day before, it surely is a pity. At every moment and with each new breath, one should be renewed and renewed again. There is only one way to be born into a new life: to die before death.”*
*
Today, we are releasing feeling obligated and embracing God’s Love for us.
Our Lent Booklet invites us today to release feeling obligated and saying ‘yes’ before we think it through. When responding quickly and without considering what our ‘yes’ entails, we try to please or take advantage of a situation.
Every situation brings an opportunity to know ourselves a bit more. When I awaken to the dilemma I have created, I am called to forgive myself and own up to my errors.
When I turn within to my Higher Self and to God, I become aware that I am worthy no matter what. I stand humbled to know that others can and will come forth to do what needs to be done. I do not need to feel obliged to do it all. – Rev. Peggy Konkel
Today we affirm: I serve from a loving, willing heart, knowing God is my Source for all I need.
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
As you can see below the Fast of Esther revolves around Esther success as a result of fasting. Please the story of Esther below.
This time we are observing numerous ‘fasting’ traditions in the Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions. Probably not by accident.
We seem to be asked, from every angle, to retreat from life events and move into the silence. Fasting is rarely about food, though most traditions focus on the physical aspects of spiritual observations.
In my view, most significant spiritual teacher requested their followers to ‘fast’ on being engaged in daily activates and spend more time with the Divine in silent contemplation. The Fast of Esther seems to be one of these times with a specific focus on ‘overcoming challenges’ as a result of fasting.
Today, I would like to invite you to spend some time in silent contemplation on what challenges would you wish God to support you to overcome?
Spending time is the silence or in silent contemplation will result in receiving inner guidance of what to do next or it may reveal some aspects of self that needs to be released in order to ‘succeed’.
Read about Ester’s story
Esther is a prominent figure in the Old Testament. In the Bible, Esther was the Jewish wife of the Persian king, and risked her own life to save her people from an antisemitic royal advisor. The Jewish holiday of Purim celebrates Queen Esther’s story… Source
Book of Esther, book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. It belongs to the third section of the Judaic canon, known as the Ketuvim, or “Writings.” In the Jewish Bible, Esther follows Ecclesiastes and Lamentations and is read on the festival of Purim, which commemorates the rescue of the Jews from Haman’s plottings. The Book of Esther is one of the Megillot, five scrolls read on stated Jewish religious holidays. In the Protestant canon, Esther appears between Nehemiah and Job. In the Roman Catholic canon, Esther appears between Judith and Job and includes six chapters that are considered apocryphal in the Jewish and Protestant traditions.
The book purports to explain how the feast of Purim came to be celebrated by the Jews. Esther, the beautiful Jewish wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I), and her cousin Mordecai persuade the king to retract an order for the general annihilation of Jews throughout the empire. The massacre had been plotted by the king’s chief minister, Haman, and the date decided by casting lots (purim). Instead, Haman was hanged on the gallows he built for Mordecai, and, on the day planned for their annihilation, the Jews destroyed their enemies. According to the Book of Esther, the feast of Purim was established to celebrate that day …
Fasting is associated with some pivotal moments in the Purim narrative. One such moment is when Esther approached King Ahasuerus without permission in an effort to intercede on behalf of the Jewish people. Before she went to the king, she fasted for three days, and asked that all the Jews fast as well.
Another dramatic turnaround occurred on Adar 13 (the default date for the Fast of Esther), the date that Haman had set aside for killing the Jews. Instead the Jewish people soundly trounced their enemies. This triumph was accomplished while the Jews were fasting, as they prayed to G‑d that they be successful.
“God is a meticulous dock maker. So precise is His order that everything on earth happens in its own time — neither a minute late nor a minute early. And for everyone without exception, the clock works accurately. For each, there is a time to love and a time to die.”*
Today we affirm:I live a life of vibrancy and joy.
Today’s rule is so ‘precise’ again. Whatever I experience at any given moment in time is in perfect order, or in Divine Order. Only attitude makes it hard. When in apathy for example, though it maybe hard to see, it is simply a choice that we make in response to what is happening in our lives.
If we could just move into the flow of life allowing it to bring forth the different experiences we ‘need’ to have, they would pass quicker and we could move to greener pastures. But because we fight life by placing ‘judgements’ and ‘attitudes’ on our life experiences, we are actually holding onto things we do not want.
When I am upset about an experience I am having, by being upset about it, I am actually lengthening the time, this experience is staying in my life by keep on feeding this experience with a ‘negative attitude’ (anger).
Every moment offers a choice. The best choice however is knowing that all is OK, and by not resisting what is going on in our lives, we actually let it pass quicker.
What did you discover by contemplation on this rule and Lent reading?
in Loving and with many Blessings, Rev Kudlik
Please note that though I may use ‘him’ or ‘his’ pronouns to talk about God/the Divine, it is only because the English language does not have a gender neutral pronoun. ‘They’ sounds odd to me to use and ‘it’ sounds lifeless.
“God is a meticulous dock maker. So precise is His order that everything on earth happens in its own time — neither a minute late nor a minute early. And for everyone without exception, the clock works accurately. For each, there is a time to love and a time to die.”*
*
Today, we are releasing apathy and embracing God’s Love for us.
Our Lent Booklet invites us today to release apathy because it derives us of the ability to see the beauty before us or feel the love shown to us. We feel separate and alone. Reconnecting with life can seem hard work and may to come quickly.
Yet, we must remember that the Divine Presence is everywhere present, even in our apathy. We are not to fight it but move through it. We are not to judge it but move though it. We must stay willing to get to the other side by questing for faith and being willing to engage with life again.
Sufi mystic and poet Rumi – the Lover of Life and God – reminds us to live each moment to the fullest, with an open heart, despite the circumstance. A Persian poet, scholar and theologian whose works have become popular worldwide for their spiritual and mystical insights, Rumi’s words of wisdom are timeless and can help us navigate the complexities of life with greater understanding and compassion. Source
Today we affirm: I live a life of vibrancy and joy.
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
“This World is erected upon the principle of reciprocity. Neither a drop of kindness nor a speck of evil will remain unreciprocated. For not the plots, deceptions, or tricks of other people. If somebody is setting a trap, remember, so is God. He is the biggest plotter. Not even a leaf stirs outside God’s Knowledge. Simply and wholeheartedly believe in that. Whatever God does, He does it beautifully.”*
Today we affirm:The fear of lack has no power over me. I am blessed.
Fear of lack is a ‘biggie’ for most of us. It is for me. The world teaches us competing to gain the upper hand, so to get more of the limited resources available to us. It is so easy to buy into this belief. By being grateful however we can ‘contra-act’ to this belief. As I move my attention from lack to gratitude for everything, I release myself from the prison of worry created by lack-thinking.
This World is erected upon the principle of reciprocity. Neither a drop of kindness nor a speck of evil will remain unreciprocated. Rule 36
So, the more I focus into Gratitude, the more I move into reciprocating Gratitude.
What did you discover by contemplation on this rule and Lent reading?
in Loving and with many Blessings, Rev Kudlik
Please note that though I may use ‘him’ or ‘his’ pronouns to talk about God/the Divine, it is only because the English language does not have a gender neutral pronoun. ‘They’ sounds odd to me to use and ‘it’ sounds lifeless.
“This World is erected upon the principle of reciprocity. Neither a drop of kindness nor a speck of evil will remain unreciprocated. For not the plots, deceptions, or tricks of other people. If somebody is setting a trap, remember, so is God. He is the biggest plotter. Not even a leaf stirs outside God’s Knowledge. Simply and wholeheartedly believe in that. Whatever God does, He does it beautifully.”*
*
Today, we are releasing fear of lack and embracing God’s Love for us.
Our Lent Booklet invites us today to release the fear of lack knowing that there is more than enough for everyone, me and you included.
There is no room for thoughts of lack in my consciousness. There is endless possibility within me and I want to see that manifest. I open my inner eyes and mind to tap into this good, and I demonstrate abundance in my life, world, and affairs now.
As I affirm that I am blessed, I move into the knowing that ‘what is for me, will not pass me’. I focus on the abundant experiences, I blessed with, with Gratitude in my heart.
Today we affirm: The fear of lack has no power over me. I am blessed.
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
“In this World, it is not similarities or regularities that take us a step forward, but blunt opposites. And all the opposites in the universe are present within each and every one of us. Therefore the believer needs to meet the unbeliever residing within. And the nonbeliever should get to know the silent faithful in him. Until the day one reaches the stage of Insane-I Kamil, the perfect human being, faith is a gradual process and one that necessitates its seeming opposite: disbelief.“
Today we affirm: I replace bitterness with betterment
And all the opposites in the universe are present within each and every one of us. Therefore the believer needs to meet the unbeliever residing within. And the nonbeliever should get to know the silent faithful in him. Rule 35
It is the same with everything. There is two side to each coin. Where there is bitterness, there is betterment as well. The believer must meet both. We live in a world of duality and until we reach stage of Insane-I Kamil, the perfect human being, we are evolving through realizing and embracing it all.
When we say in Unity, that we release something, it does not mean that we reject it. Though we use the word ‘denial’, we do not mean that we deny the existence of something. We simply state there there is another side to the coin that we want to bring forward and we release ‘experiencing’ what does not serve us.
Everything, night and day, good or bad, health and illness exist in our world of duality. We simply strive to move higher into greater Oneness with the Divine, leaving duality behind.
What did you discover by contemplation on this rule and Lent reading?
in Loving and with many Blessings, Rev Kudlik
Please note that though I may use ‘him’ or ‘his’ pronouns to talk about God/the Divine, it is only because the English language does not have a gender neutral pronoun. ‘They’ sounds odd to me to use and ‘it’ sounds lifeless.
Today we celebrate St Joseph, Jesus’ father: a holy man, the spouse of Mary, earthly father of Jesus and a hard-working carpenter.
I found this lovely text below on St Joseph that remind me how little we appreciate ‘the father’. The father we had may have came in many shapes and forms. The Divine Prescence that we often call Holy Father, or The Father (with capital letters) does act as a caring and loving person in our lives if we allow ‘him’ to do so.
Many of us many not have had the biological father that we wished for. At the same time, if we take a close look at our lives, we can probably find male figures who acted as ‘fathers’ in our lives. We are provided with what we need, the substitute father figure included, as long as we are open to the idea the Divine Grace that is constantly with us.
Today, as we celebrate St Joseph, I wish to honour those man, my biological father included, who acted as fathers in my life though in different capacities.
My grandfather who was not biologically related to me because he was my grandmother’s second husband, was the man I considered my father. He was a man of ‘tough love’ but he cared for me deeply. Sadly, he died when I was about 7 years old.
Soon after his death, my music teacher showed interest in my musical abilities and took me under his wings. He acted as a father to me because his involvement in my life went much deeper than a relationship between a teacher and a student. He shaped my character and took care of me when I was neglected because of different family problems at home.
In my late teens, my first serious boyfriend, who was about 10 years older than me, showed me the value of hard work and taught me many life lessons such as ‘minding my own business’ that I still value today.
Later in my twenties and thirties, many men showed up in my life in the form of collaborators, bosses, friends, etc. who helped me grow and evolve both personally and spiritually.
I am grateful for you all, gentleman! You all had an enormous impact on my life. I bow in front of you with gratitude and honour in my heart. Without you, I would not be the person I am today. I want you all to know that I love you and respect you!
⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆
” In the Bible, he is referred to as a “just man,” which was considered a high compliment in his time. It also meant that he was willing and open to do whatever God asked of him, including taking Mary as his wife, despite her unusual – and blessed pregnancy (Matthew 1:19). He also loved and cared for Jesus. There also is a reference that St. Joseph was a descendant of King David.
St. Joseph protected his family, heeding the Lord’s direction, which came in a series of dreams and messages from angels.
Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter titled “Patris Corde” in Latin. It translates to “With a Father’s Heart,” in which the pope describes St. Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father, a father who is creatively courageous, a working father and a father in the shadows.
… the Holy Father said we are able to see more clearly the importance of “ordinary” people who exercise patience and offer hope daily. These people resemble St. Joseph, “the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence,” who played “an incomparable role in the history of salvation.” Source
Here you can find some 10 little known facts related to St Josef. CLICK
“In this World, it is not similarities or regularities that take us a step forward, but blunt opposites. And all the opposites in the universe are present within each and every one of us. Therefore the believer needs to meet the unbeliever residing within. And the nonbeliever should get to know the silent faithful in him. Until the day one reaches the stage of Insane-I Kamil, the perfect human being, faith is a gradual process and one that necessitates its seeming opposite: disbelief.”*
*
Today, we are releasing bitterness and embracing God’s Love for us.
Our Lent Booklet invites us today to release bitterness because there is no good reason for doing this. Not even righteous indignation merits retaining bitterness. Bitterness maintained means refusing to unshoulder a useless, debilitating burden. Until we drop the burden, betterment is blocked.
We feel lighter the moment we choose to let go of bitterness. No longer are we mistreating ourselves with the heavy burden we created. Rev Michael Jamison
As we realize that we are alone punishing ourselves by retaining what harms us and now we can evict it.
See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled. Hebrews 12:15
Today we affirm: I replace bitterness with betterment
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
“Submission does not mean being weak or passive. It leads to neither fatalism nor capitulation — just the opposite. Real power resides in submission, a power that comes within. Those who submit to the divine essence of life will live in unperturbed tranquility and peace even the whole full World goes through turbulence after turbulence.“*
Today we affirm: In the middle of chaos, by the power of my Spirit, I declare: “Let there be light.
Everyday life surrounds us in a swirling chaos, and it’s easy to fall into the grip of our ego’s fears and confusion. Remind yourself each day of your intentions and spiritual purpose. Meditate, find your center, look closely at yourself, and don’t let go of your intention until it feels centered inside yourself. Deepak Chopra
Those who submit to the divine essence of life will live in unperturbed tranquility and peace even the whole full World goes through turbulence after turbulence. Rule 34
Well, not sure what else to say. There is only one way out of the chaos through meditation and connecting with the Divine Presence in the Silence.
I have a lot of chaos in my life. I live an overwhelmingly complex life with many challenges and little time for God. The chaos is in my head. I let the world dictate what I should think about myself and and how to meet my needs.
Today, I am releasing all chaotic thoughts and emotions into the nothingness asking for Divine intervention and guidance, so I can live and more peaceful and aligned life. Thank you.
What did you discover by contemplation on this rule and Lent reading?
in Loving and with many Blessings, Rev Kudlik
Please note that though I may use ‘him’ or ‘his’ pronouns to talk about God/the Divine, it is only because the English language does not have a gender neutral pronoun. ‘They’ sounds odd to me to use and ‘it’ sounds lifeless.
“Submission does not mean being weak or passive. It leads to neither fatalism nor capitulation — just the opposite. Real power resides in submission, a power that comes within. Those who submit to the divine essence of life will live in unperturbed tranquility and peace even the whole full World goes through turbulence after turbulence.“*
*
Today, we are releasing chaos and embracing God’s Love for us.
Our Lent Booklet invites us today to realize that chaos in our lives is the result of our thinking. When facing chaos in our lives, it is necessary to review our thoughts and feelings. if they are not in agreement with the greatest desires in our hearts, we need to change those thoughts and feelings that caused and empowered the chaos.
Our Lent booklet invites us to look for the blessings in the chaos in our life; accept the opportunity it is giving us to be transformed.
What blessings and learnings are there in your personal chaos?
I really love today’s affirmation. Such a lovely invitation to connect with the indwelling Spirit and bring the Light forth by affirming : Let there be light!
Today we affirm: In the middle of chaos, by the power of my Spirit, I declare: “Let there be light.”
Personally, I think it is important to find the True meaning behind the word ‘LOVE’,understand it and experience it as a Spiritual Quality inherently within us.
I am going to walk this 40-day Lenten journey contemplating on the True meaning of Love, Divine Love, Spiritual Love for me by experimenting with the 40 rules and quotes from the Lent Booklet. Every day, between
the 14th of February and the 28th of March 2024,
I will post a ‘rule’ from the book ’40 rules of Love’ and an a release idea from the book ’40 days of Let go, Let God – Lent 2024′ by Unity.org. Then, we will contemplate on it and share about it in the UNITY EUROPE Facebook Group (CLICK HERE).
either reading the daily blogposts I create – SEE THEM HERE (CLICK) – or joining the FACEBOOK GROUP (CLICK) where I am going to share my writings and daily contemplative questions. I will also post a short video/audio material on the daily posts. (click on the buttons below to join)
Every Road leads to God if it is a road of Love, Compassion and Charity. Each culture and faith has its own traditions and celebrations that were originally created so to enable the seekers to find their path to God. Ramadan is one of these traditions.
Ramadan
Ramadan begins on the night of Sunday, 10 March, and continue through Tuesday, April 9, ending in the celebratory Eid al-Fitr.
I found a few lovely tips that we could all follow to observe Ramadan. Following these simple tips can remind us of the core message of Ramadan (which is rather similar to Lent): It is a time for reflection, withdrawal from the world by not indulging in pleasures like eating, turning your attention within and celebrate your connection to the Divine Presence.
Come and join me by posting your EID CARD each day expressing in drawing and writing what you are most grateful for ‘today’ (each day) in our FACEBOOK GROUP
“While everyone in this World strives to get somewhere and become someone, only to leave it all behind after death, you aim for the highest stage of nothingness. Live this life as light and empty as the number zero. We are no different from a pot. It is not the decorations outside, but the emptiness inside that holds us straight. Just like that, it is not what we aspire to achieve but the consciousness of nothingness that keeps us going.”*
The wise man is one who knows what he does not know. Lao Tzu
Live this life as light and empty as the number zero. … It is not the decorations outside, but the emptiness inside that holds us straight. … Just like that, it is not what we aspire to achieve but the consciousness of nothingness that keeps us going. Rule 33
Today’s rule reminded me again of the importance of ’emptiness’. I have been told many times that the spiritual journey is mostly about unlearning and releasing. This Lenten Season – all Lenten Seasons – is a great opportunity to unlearn and let go.
This emptiness however does not give me a sense of ‘hunger’ but rather a sense of calmness. The less I strive to become someone or do something ‘great’, the more contented and at peace I feel. The world only offers me some temporary pleasures most of which I can live without. I am recognizing simple pleasures that are unattached from worldly neediness. Gardening for one.
Buddhists believe that true happiness comes with complete detachment. The moment when we stop striving and needing, we arrive to a peaceful place of nothingness. The consciousness of nothingness provides me with with a sense of joy, peace, and satisfaction knowing that all I need to do with ‘flow with Spirit’.
Though it sounds mystical, it is actually rather practical. Flowing with Spirit means staying aware of the present moment, engaging with what’s in front of me, and being contented with a ‘good day’s work’ just as it has been.
What did you discover by contemplation on this rule and Lent reading?
in Loving and with many Blessings, Rev Kudlik
Please note that though I may use ‘him’ or ‘his’ pronouns to talk about God/the Divine, it is only because the English language does not have a gender neutral pronoun. ‘They’ sounds odd to me to use and ‘it’ sounds lifeless.
