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October-December, 2014

The One About Death

by Rev. Stephan Mead, O.M.C.

As the day of July 3rd, 2014 began, all nine Mead siblings were present (occupying bodies) and accounted for. A few hours into the day, that was no longer the case.

Coincidentally, all of us were in the Seattle area that day. On Wednesday, the 2nd, there was a family gathering and my brother from Chicago and sister from the San Juan Islands had flown in. No one suspected it would be the last time as a family we’d all be gathered together.

Very early the next morning, younger brother Joey suffered a massive and fatal heart attack. As the information flowed from sibling to sibling to gather at the local hospital, I had to sit down and quiet my mind. “How could this happen? This should not have happened! What’s the deal with this God? Of all of us, he shouldn’t be the one to go first!” In that first nano second of receiving the news, these were some of my thoughts.

“How” or maybe more accurately, “what” should be my response to this information be? I was investigating what my beliefs about death were. Do I really believe there is no death, as the course teaches? Did I think any of my other brothers and sisters would be interested in my opinion about death? (In answer to that question, I was certain they wouldn’t be!) Could I be a voice of peace in this highly emotional time?

In Chapter 19 of the Text of ACIM we are told, “The body no more dies than it can feel. It does nothing. Of itself it is neither corruptible nor incorruptible. It is nothing.” (T-19.IV.C.5:2-5) As I looked at this passage, I felt very peaceful, and, no way was I going to vocalize my thoughts about death.

I asked the Holy Spirit how I might be helpful during this sad time, and the answer I received was a memory of Ken Wapnick I had heard some years ago on a video, saying, “above all, don’t be weird!”

In the conversations with my family as they were waiting for the funeral home people to arrive ( I was the only sibling not present at the hospital, as I was sitting with one of Joey’s dearest friends), I was able to talk on the speaker phone about how pleased mom and dad must be to now have Joey with them. That remark inspired a few more comments like, “can we assume Joey went to heaven?” And, “will Joey rat us out on some of the stuff we did since mom and dad passed?” There were still plenty of tears, but the mood seemed to shift.

A bottle of scotch — then a couple more — were brought into the hospital room to toast Joey, “Bon Voyage!” (Joey was never one to pass on a toast if it was scotch!)

Even now, a month later as I write this, still with some tears, I don’t believe Joey went anywhere, we simply connect and communicate through the mind and heart that we share, as we always have. And I know from my own experience with ACIM that this kind of change in perspective is possible, because this is what I am experiencing! What most likely would have been seen as a depressing, bitter and terrible event can be experienced as a family unifying time of love and joy. And yes, sadness too.  Joey, I know you’ll understand why Nancy and I toasted you with coffee instead of scotch! (smile)

Rev. Stephan Mead, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light minister living in Seattle, Washington.
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2014, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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October-December, 2014

Playing Our Part

by Rev. Paula Richards, O.M.C.

In an old Star Trek the Next Generation episode, there is a scene where the character, Deanna Troy (who plays the wise counselor on the spaceship), along with two other characters, are forcefully thrown onto their backs as the result of an explosion. In a documentary about the show, Marina Sirtis, who plays Deanna, tells how she insisted on playing her own character in the scene, rather than using a stunt person. She relates how she broke her tailbone as a result of the fall and how painful it was.

Later, when she saw the scene played out on film, she discovered that the three characters were so tiny in relation to their surroundings, that you could hardly even tell who they were! She went through a lot of pain for nothing.

I think we are a lot like Marina. Instead of being happy with our Oneness with God, we decided that we need to prove ourselves — to break out and play our own individual roles, our own characters. As a result of our imagined “fall” from God, we have each experienced a lot of pain.

As we become more spiritually aware and learn to step back and watch the “movie” we think we are starring in, we begin to see how tiny, fragile, and indistinct we are as individuals. We will finally remember that our true power and joy comes from our Oneness with God, not from our separate roles.

 

 

Rev. Paula Richards, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light minister living in Lowell, MA.
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  Website: http://www.spiritrisingministries.com

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October-December, 2014

Condemnation Injures Me; Forgiveness Sets Me Free

by Rev. Linda Wisniewski, O.M.C.

I asked Holy Spirit to lead me to a Workbook lesson that is needed for my highest healing and greatest good. Consistently, I was guided to Lesson 198 in the Workbook: “Only my condemnation injures me.” The first sentence in that Lesson is: “Injury is impossible.” Wow! If that is true, why did I fall and break my hip?

Then sentence three says: “If you can condemn, you can be injured.” Wow! What was going on in Linda’s mind before the so-called injury? Well, Linda was very angry at her Irish Setter puppy which was a rescued dog. She blamed the puppy for her unhappiness.

The puppy is a big strong rambunctious, energetic dog that kept trying to jump on Linda, even after two different training session classes. Linda believed the puppy could knock her down and cause an injury. Linda wanted to give the puppy to a friend who loved Irish Setters, but her husband was very attached to the puppy and didn’t want to give him up. So Linda became angry and was condemning of her husband and believed her husband was choosing the dog over her. Linda also felt guilty for having these feelings.

So is it any surprise that with all this condemnation and guilt that Linda then projected onto her body, she fell and injured herself with a broken hip?

The Course teaches us that the body is neutral. It can neither feel pain or pleasure. What isn’t neutral is our thoughts. Linda feared she could be hurt. Linda believed her body was fragile. Linda believed she was guilty for having angry thoughts. Unconsciously, Linda believed she deserved to be punished and the body was the receptacle of the punishment.

Sentence 2 in paragraph 1 of this Lesson states: “And yet illusion makes illusion.” So what does this mean? Illusion is a mistaken belief, a thought. It isn’t real. The thought that we could separate from God and make a body to hide from God are all illusory thoughts. These thoughts are fearful thoughts and lead to guilt and the belief we deserve to be punished. These beliefs play out in the illusion in myriad ways. In Linda’s story it seems the belief in guilt is projected onto the body and the punishment is injury, pain and sickness.

Lesson 198 goes onto say: “Condemn and you are made a prisoner. Forgive and you are freed. Such is the law that rules perception.” (2:1-3)

Perception is a belief, an opinion. It is not a fact. And, if it is not a fact, it is not true. It is not real. So, through forgiveness, these thoughts can be corrected by One who knows the Truth — the Holy Spirit, which is the Voice for God.

The Truth is we are a Creation of God’s Love. Love never condemns and there is no guilt in love. We can’t be harmed. If I believe I can condemn and believe I am guilty, then I am believing I have a separate will from God.

Lesson 193 is also helping Linda to learn:

“Forgiveness is the only road that leads out of disaster, past all suffering and finally away from death [and injury].” (4:1)

“How foolish to believe you can attack.” (7:6)

“How mad to think that you can be condemned, and that the Holy Son of God can die!” (7:7)

“Do not forget today that there can be no form of suffering that fails to hide an unforgiving thought.” (9:5)

“Nor can there be a form of pain forgiveness cannot heal.” (9:6)

“Accept the one illusion which proclaims there is no condemnation in God’s Son and Heaven is remembered instantly.” >(10:1)

So I might have a broken hip but what I am learning is that:

“There is no condemnation in him.” (me) (12:1)

“He is (I am) perfect in his (my) holiness.” (12:2)

Thank you Holy Spirit for using this experience of a broken hip to remind me of my innocence, my holiness, and that:

I am not a body, I Am free. (W-pI.199)

I cannot suffer, be harmed or condemn because Love, which created me, only Loves and only extends. This is True Creation. This is our Holy Self.

Only condemnation can injure me.

Only forgiveness can set me free.

That is my function while in the dream and that is my release from the dream.

Rev. Linda Wisniewski is a Pathways of Light minister living in Plymouth, WI. Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

© 2014, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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October-December, 2014

Forgiveness Offers Everything I Want

by Rev. Peggy Rivera, O.M.C.

Last year my husband decided that we needed to bring his parents to our area to live so we can look after them. I was happy to do so because I believe strongly in caring for our parents as they get older. However I was a little apprehensive because I have had a rocky relationship with them.

At one point we had gone for twenty years without speaking at all. One day we made up. It happened in the twinkling of an eye. She apologized and then I apologized. Then it was done; we were good again after all those years.

Today I remind myself every quarter hour of the gifts I receive for forgiveness. “Morning and evening do we gladly give a quarter of an hour to the search in which the end of hell is guaranteed.” (W-pI.122.10:1)

“Open your eyes today and look upon a happy world of safety and of peace. Forgiveness is the means by which it comes to take the place of hell.” (W-pI.122.8:1-2)

“Forgiveness offers everything I want.

Today I have accepted this as true.

Today I have received the gifts of God” (W-pI.122.14:3-5)

The gifts of God I have received are so beautiful, I see my mother and father-in- law in a different way than I ever could have before studying the Course. I feel so joyful when I am visiting them, taking them their lunch everyday. My old ego thoughts were more judgmental; I felt victimized and unacceptable. I thought they would never think I was good enough for their son. I felt like I was compared to his previous girlfriends. My mother-in-law once told me that she didn’t know how I got her son because he preferred blondes. Boy that really got me because at the time I was a brunette and my younger sister was a blonde who I had felt compared to all of my life.

Looking back now I can see how my ego kept me in turmoil with my perceptions of unworthiness. Regardless of what they may have been thinking, it was my projections that kept me unhappy. I realize that when I give fuel to those thoughts, I create a prison for myself and others. How can I have happy, loving relationships if I am projecting all my guilt and self loathing onto others? I am going through a wonderful healing process now.

I enjoy being with my husband’s parents and they are very loving towards me. It really amazes me how transformed my life has become. There isn’t anything that I need to face alone anymore. Holy Spirit is there guiding me every step of the way and I feel the Love of God all around and through me. “Forgiveness offers everything you want.”

Rev. Peggy Rivera, O.M.C., is a Pathways of Light minister living in Palm Bay, Florida Email:7seas@bellsouth.net Website: http://www.rev.priveralifeministries.com

© 2014, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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