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| Wednesday Meditation: 7:00 PM Table Talk Thursday: 12:00 PM Sunday Service: 10:45 AM Sunday Social: 12:00 PM
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| | | | Our
WINGS group met in the UCC Cafe on Tuesdays for many years. Now that
we're sheltering in place, the group really misses sharing their
inspiring weekly studies.
Since our WINGS group leader, UCC Certified
Truth Teacher, Cynthia Mackey, began to send out weekly emails to the
group, we asked if we might share her messages with our entire email list so that more people could enjoy
them.
You're very welcome to send questions or positive comments to
Cynthia at: info@unityofclearwater.org. |
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Hi, Everyone!
I hope this week’s email finds you healthy and well and that you had an enjoyable and socially distanced Labor Day weekend. As many of you know, there is a presidential election on the horizon and, as a retired social studies teacher, I am always interested in national as well as global events. As some of you may also know, I am not a big user of social media. I have never had a Facebook or Twitter account. That is not to say that I do not enjoy the fact that the internet provides great access to information of all types.
At this point, some of you may be saying, “Hmm. Where is she going with this? The answer is that I have no intention of making any political statements, so you can give a sigh of relief. What I do want to talk about today is a great chapter in Charles Fillmore’s book, Prosperity. Because of social media, we have exposure to so much information that it can be overwhelming. However, Jesus gives us some help with discernment. The title of the chapter is Overcoming the Thought of Lack. However, the key word I want to focus on is “thought.”
The first two paragraphs compare first the kingdom of heaven and then our individual minds, to a large fishing net. The net is cast into the sea and brings forth all that flows into the net. This can include usable fish and other seafood, but can also include many unusable items. If the story were adapted to modern times, we might expect that to include plastic bottles or aluminum cans, along with good fish that might make a delicious dinner. It is the job of the fisherman to sort the usable into vessels and cast away that which is not good (hopefully into the nearest refuse and recycle bins and not back into the sea).
Charles Fillmore goes on to explain in the second paragraph that our minds are the same kind of net for catching all kinds of ideas. However, it is our “privilege and duty under divine law” to separate the “good from those that are not good.” In another of Jesus’ parables, He explains the process as the “separation of the sheep from the goats.” The sheep represent the “good, obedient (to divine law), and profitable thoughts” and the goats represent the “stubborn, selfish, and useless thoughts.” He continues that “each must handle his/her own thoughts and overcome them by aligning them with the harmony and order of divine thought.” According to Fillmore, “the mind of the Spirit will guide you in perfect ways, even in the minute details of your life.”
What I took from this is that when ideas or information come to me, I want to ask for divine discernment as to whether this idea will contribute to my health, happiness and wellbeing. Will it bring more love, understanding and compassion into my life? If the answer is yes, then it is a “sheep” thought and, if not, it is a “goat” thought and should be discarded. If I am praying each day and spending time in the silence and filling my mind with positive ideas, it will be much easier to discern ideas based on spiritual principles and not be distracted by outer appearances.
These are challenging times, but this is an excellent chapter containing far more than I can include here. So, if you have the book, Prosperity, please read Lesson Twelve in its entirety. And when you are on social media platforms, always be alert to the source of information. I always told my students to “check their sources.” I have great faith in our shared capacity for discernment!
I miss everyone and always enjoy hearing from you, even if it is just a quick “hello”!
Peace, Love and Spiritual Discernment,
Cynthia
I have not been out walking in the daylight very often lately, due to the dangerously high heat index. If I do take a walk, it is later in the evening after the sun goes down, so I am using pictures from my travel photo file. I miss travel, but enjoy sharing some of my photos with you!
Today’s photos come from a small village on the northern coast of France named Honfleur. These are the collection of boats (mostly sail boats but they could be used for fishing) from both angles in the little harbor. All French coastal villages that I have visited are similarly set up whether it is on the northern English Channel coast or on the Mediterranean coast, they cut a little safe harbor into the middle of the town. Make your mind a “safe harbor” for your “sheep” thoughts! |
| | | | | | | Your Weekly Affirmation:
“GOD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY LIFE, AND I AM POWERFUL IN EVERY PART.”
THANK YOU, GOD! |
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