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Sunday Message for December 31, 2006
New Year’s Eve
Well, it’s New Year’s Eve! We have
a whole year behind us and a whole year ahead of us. What’s it like
to be standing on this edge between years? What was last year like? What
will next year be? Ready to step into something new? Ready to give
up something old?
THE REPORTS ON SADDAM HUSSEIN
Yesterday Saddam Hussein was executed. This
is part of the old year. How do you feel about it? Rev Tom
Shepherd wrote an article on it that I would like to tell you about. AOL
has an article from the AP wire service which says in part, “The
execution came 56 days after a court convicted Saddam and sentenced him
to death for his role in the killings of 148 Shiite Muslims from a town
where assassins tried to kill the dictator in 1982.”
That same report has a prayer about Saddam from an Iraqi leader, Sheik Sadralddin
al-Qubanji, a member of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
This is the prayer:
“Oh, God, you know what Saddam has
done! He killed millions of Iraqis in prisons, in wars with neighboring countries
and he is responsible for mass graves. Oh God, we ask you to take revenge on
Saddam.”
The report also says, “Before the hanging, a mosque preacher in the Shiite
holy city of Najaf on Friday called Saddam’s execution ‘God’s
gift to Iraqis.’”
REV SHEPHERD’S STORY
Rev Shepherd wrote that this story reminded him of
an early childhood memory from 1953:
Josef Stalin was dying. The doctors gave him a few hours or days to live. Rev
Shepherd was 5 years old, just a kindergartner.
He remembers his Pennsylvania Dutch grandmother and grandfather talking about
the approaching death of
“Stallion,” as they called him. Tom Shepherd asked who this Stallion guy was, and they said he was
“our enemy.” Tom said that he hoped he would die soon. It
made perfect sense to him – your enemy was expendable. Tom’s grandmother
had lived through the Great Depression, two World Wars, and the anti-communist
Korean War and Berlin Airlift. Yet, his gracious grandmother corrected
him and said that they should not pray for anyone’s death, even an enemy
as rotten and nasty as Stallion.
Josef Stalin was nasty, really nasty. Saddam was an amateur cutthroat
compared to him. Stalin is said to have boasted to Churchill at Yalta
that he had to kill about 10 million people to get Russia under proper control. Naturally,
Stalin was Saddam’s hero.
And yet, despite their worthiness to receive the hate-prayers of millions,
Rev Shepherd says that he must agree with the teachings of his German Reformed
Church upbringing, shown by his grandmother, and not fall prey to a consciousness
of revenge.
And as Unity students, we need to remind ourselves that even Stalin and Saddam – even
these two worthless, no-good people – had the Divine Spirit within them.
We also need to be conscious that, for a lot of people, this is extremely difficult. How
hard it would be to let go of revenge-thoughts if someone you loved were a
victim of Stalin or Saddam. And yet, releasing the need for revenge does not
mean forgetting the offense
or pardoning the offender. Justice
is better served coolly and calmly, without the heat of passion. Saddam
received his due for crimes committed. Even those opposed to the death penalty
can admit that he deserved some kind of maximum punishment.
Many people talk about Karma, but I’m not certain that there is such
a thing as “bad karma.” Bad karma would mean that there is
some kind of actual power that exists in negatives. If evil is the lack
of good, the most we can say about “bad karma” is that it provides
another opportunity to learn a missed lesson. So I suspect that Saddam
has some serious work to do, Stalin even more.
A second century Christian teacher, Origen, said, “God is so gracious
that everyone will be “saved” in the end, even the Devil.” Saved
– the Greek word also means healed. Made whole. Transformed by
the renewing of the mind.
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS – EMMET FOX
Since we are at the end of the year 2006, this is
a good time for us to take stock of the blessings we have received during
the year. As we look back over the year, we can see that there was
many blessings “in disguise” which we would have recognized
at the time had we gotten behind the appearance to the reality of God.
In taking stock of your answered prayers, do not rehash old difficulties, problems,
and grievances. Remember this is to be an inventory of the good you have
received, not a rehearsal of past mistakes.
Then, when you have counted your blessings, if you feel that you could have
done better, take a step farther.
Businesses take inventory not only to find out what goods they have on hand,
but also to see if they can improve their business through more judicious merchandising.
Likewise, in your spiritual inventory, you should use it as a basis for making
further progress. You can take a step forward by asking yourself:
1. When a problem arises do I “Golden Key” the situation by seeing
God where the trouble seems to be?
2. Have I gotten rid of anger, fear, and resentment?
3. Have I forgiven everyone whom I think has injured me?
Jesus made this one of the cardinal points in the Lord’s Prayer. We
are to ask God to forgive us as we have forgiven others.
If you put these things into practice, then next year at this time your spiritual
inventory will reflect the differences, for there will be many more blessings
to count.
Thomas Troward told us that we can gradually grow into any condition we desire. But
first we must make ourselves into the type of person who would have that condition. And
we do that through developing an habitual mental attitude.
So if you wish to have prosperity in 2007, start today to think like a millionaire. Do
you wish 2007 to be filled with loving relationships? Then start today
to think like a lovable person and forgive all those people you have resented
in the past.
2007 can be the year that we finally take responsibility for our spiritual
good; the year we finally empower ourselves to move into joyous living. It’s
all in the attitude. It’s all within your mind to do.
HONORING ALL RELIGIONS
So in honor of 2006, and to honor the coming year
2007 – let us take a moment to put out a peaceful thought into the
global consciousness. Let’s drop all resentments and bless
all people on this planet by letting our light shine forth into all hearts
and minds.
This candle that I now light, stands here before us to remind us of Jesus who
said: “I am the light of the world.” - (Matthew 5:14) "You are
the light of the world." - Let your light shine. -- (John 1:4) "In him was
life, and the life was the light of all people." And so I light the Christ
Candle…
“In our mind’s eye we now visualize our Mother Earth, radiant with
Light from within and a star in the heavens of our Universe. And we perceive
the Light of the Holy Spirit, guiding the unfolding expression of Peace upon
our Planet.”
“This Light of the Holy Spirit radiates to all light bearers and visionaries
now working for peace upon our planet, illumining their minds and hearts with
love.”
“Here, in the Silence, we behold this Light of the Whole Spirit of God,
and we draw our Light from its flame. With unconditional love, we feel its
radiance quicken and illumine the Light that shines within the hearts of all
its children who honor the path of Hinduism as they walk in gentleness toward
the goal of peace.” And so I light the candle for Hinduism…
“And within our hearts and minds, we feel the great OM of Spirit, as
it invites us home to our true nature, fills us with deep and abiding peace.”
“United in love with our Hindu brothers and sisters, we acknowledge the
Truth of their teachings. We remember words from their scripture that ask, "Without
meditation, is there peace? Without peace can there be happiness?" Easily and
joyously, we meditate on the Peace of God, shining now within us and within
all people.”
“Blessed by the Power of God’s light, we now feel the flame of
Truth illumining and blessings its children who follow the teachings of Buddha
in their quest for peace. ‘There is no happiness greater than Peace.' The
Buddhist teachings remind us of this, and within this holy instant, we feel
the tree of life blossoming forth in the fullness of its fruit as Spirit, Soul
and Body rejoice in our Oneness.” And so I light the candle for Buddhaism…
“And now the light of God moves once again, quickening the flame of radiance
as it rejoices in the holiness of love and peace that brightens the hearts
of those who look to Confucius for their understanding and wisdom.”
And so I light the candle for Confucionism…
“His words remind us of the power of peace, for he shared, ‘Seek
to be in harmony and live in peace.’ And so the yin/yang of Spirit is
awakened to its full power within us; the masculine/feminine sides of our nature
reach out to one another, and we know the balance of true peace, expressing
as unconditional love for all life.”
“I am the Light of the World,’ the presence of God within us now
reveals. And this light stirs once again in its expanding glow as it lights
the flame of Peace that shines in the hearts of all who look to the prophet
Mohammed for their inspiration.” And so I light the candle for Mohammedism…
“The mood and crescent of a new day lift our awareness upward toward
Allah, and we hear these words from the Koran: ‘God will guide men to
Peace. He will lead them from the darkness of war to the light of peace.’ This
light of peace is brightly shining now within me, and within all people as
we rest into its brilliance and let go of all fear.”
“Once again the radiating presence of God acknowledges the Light that
shines in all faiths, quickening the Light that glows now in honor of all those
who look to the faith of their fathers, who walk the path of Judaism.” And
so I light the candle for Judaism…
“And we see the ascending and descending triangles of God’s love
and spiritual power combining into the perfection of the Star of David as our
hearts open to the revelation of Truths given the prophets of old. ‘When
a man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at Peace
with him.’ The scripture is made real within us as we transform
all fear and resentment into the purity of God’s holy Light.”
“Bathed in spiritual power, we are aware once again of the movement of
the Holy Spirit, as the Light of Infinite Love now illumines and blesses all
those who walk the path of Christianity, honoring Jesus as their Way Shower.” And
so I light the candle for Christianity.
“‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children
of God.’ Love and light stream into our consciousness to confirm
the Truth of these words. We now cross out all belief in limitation and disharmony,
resurrecting into a new understanding of the transforming power of this Light.
We rest in stillness to allow the Goodness of God to fill us now.”
“And the Light of God now illumines the Light of all visionaries and
peacemakers upon our planet, acknowledging their work, regardless of the name
they use to honor their Creator. We light our last candle for all the other
religions in our world.” And so I light the candle for all unnamed religions.
“All faiths, all light bearers, all who seek to express love to one anther;
the Holy Spirit blesses them all. And we feel the expansion of Light illuminating
all the world - all the universe - as we affirm within the depths of our own
hearts, let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”
So, let’s all conspire to pray for all the Saddams
and Stalins of humanity. Lets pray that all anger and greed be replaced
by faith, hope and love as all humanity releases their Christ-nature. Let
the good future awaiting humanity be the image which draws us forward as
we release all thoughts of revenge and live instead by the binding power
of justice and love.
Let’s pray: Loving Father, into your hands and keeping, I now place
all of my affairs, every situation, every task and care, fully knowing I can
neither fail nor fall. I am in your sure protection as your love encircles
all. I let go of worry, fear and uncertainty. Let thy holy benediction
be outpoured as I believe. In a spirit of love, peace, health, prosperity
and victory I move forward into 2007. And so it is. Amen
REFERENCE: Rev Tom Shepherd’s Mid-Week Message; Emmet Fox Resource Center, January 2007 newsletter
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Last updated December 31, 2006
