View this email online if it doesn't display correctly
|
|
|
|
| Movie Discussion Group (Zoom): Mon, 2:00 PM
WINGS Book Study Group (Zoom): Tue, 12:00 PM
Wednesday "Faith Lift" Meditation: 7:00 PM Table Talk Thursday (Zoom): 12:00 PM
Exodus Class (Zoom): Thur, 3:00 PM
Sunday Service: 10:45 AM
Sunday Social (Zoom): 12:00 PM |
| | | | |  |
Hi Everyone,
I hope everyone had a nice Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s Day has kind of been co-opted by the romantic love folks, but I believe it is a day to celebrate love period –all of love! It is actually a Christian holiday sanctioned by the early Roman Church as a feast day, but, like many Christian holidays, it was placed on February 14 to coincide with a pagan holiday in order to perhaps override the pagan holiday. This is what happened with other holidays, like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter, all of which get the “date” for their holiday from pagan holidays celebrated for centuries before on those dates. Ok, enough, history teacher; let’s get to the real importance of talking about love!
The Daily Word reading for February 14 contained something I thought was a very powerful affirmation: “I hold you in my heart.” The text goes on to remind us that sharing love and loving thoughts is “a wonderful way of discovering and responding to the divinity alive in every heart.” We can do that by seeing the best in everyone who touches our lives. This can be our family members, our friends, co-workers, strangers we meet, or our beloved pets. This can be folks with whom we disagree! It is easy to love those who love us and perhaps much harder to love the person wearing the shirt that supports the other team, policy, religion, or whatever!
This took me to Eric Butterworth’s book Celebrate Yourself! He has a very relevant chapter there entitled, “Be a Center of Love.” This chapter could have been written yesterday, rather than over thirty years ago. He is reminding us to draw our circle of love largely, to include more people and groups of people, rather than less. Butterworth says that when, “you become judgmental, no matter what you say you stand for, you are on the side of the problem.” He asks us to dissolve our concerns in quiet meditation and in our “mind’s eye, draw a circle around the whole scene, including ourselves.” Within this “circle of love” we can visualize differences being dissolved and openings being made to understanding and communication. However, he cautions against trying to tell others what is “right,” but rather working with our own vision to see people and things rightly. The great project is to change our own consciousness or maybe, more correctly, to allow God to “change our consciousness, dissolve our prejudices and heal our fears.”
If we become a center of love, we will become a positive influence in our relationships, families, church, and communities. Eric Butterworth challenges us to become centers of love and enough centers of love in our cities and states will evoke wise actions by our leaders, helping people to become more unified. “Enough centers of love around the world will build bridges of communication and peace. Love is the answer.”
I would highly recommend reading the whole chapter in Celebrate Yourself! It is very timely and inspiring! So, let’s go forth this week expanding our circle of love to include more folks! Holding others in our hearts! I will be doing this, and I challenge you to join me!
|
| | If you'd like to join us on Zoom, the login info is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81007092426?pwd=SlUrRzU3MWhpZEx2bW96NTNlbW1tZz09
Meeting ID: 810 0709 2426
Passcode: 865284
Peace, Love and More Love,
Cynthia
Today’s photos are from two different places the first are a couple of Valentine photos – reminding me that for me true romance begins with a good cup of coffee, lol. And the second two are from my trip to Venice they are of a wonderful morning gondola ride – with coffee of course! |
| | | | | | | | | | | Your Weekly Affirmation:
“I LET GO AND GO WITH THE HEALING, STRENGTHENING, RELEASING FLOW OF LIFE.”
THANK YOU, GOD! |
|
|
|
|
