Unity Church of Castro Valley
Sunday Message for February 10, 2008
What Am I
Last week we talked about God and what it is. We explored the idea that God is individual to each of us. This week we explore a question that is as old as 'what is God.' We will be talking about 'What Am I'? Not WHO am I - which is a totally different question. Who am I is usually answered with a bunch of labels. I am a Minister, a Mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend. Who am I has to do with who I am in the world.
What I Am has to do with what I am after I throw away all the labels. So think about it - what are you?
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his essay History:
There is no great and no small
To the Soul that maketh all:
And where it cometh, all things are;
And it cometh everywhere.
I am owner of the sphere,
Of the seven stars and the solar year,
Of Caesar's hand, and Plato's brain,
Of Lord Christ's heart, and Shakespeare's strain.
This is what we are. This is our heritage. We are all that and more. But we have to discover it for ourselves. We have to get rid of all the labels we have placed on ourselves and get down to what we really are. This takes some real inner searching.
OUR SELF-RECOGNITION
We are the result of evolution. God created us in His image and likeness, then stood back and let us unfold into what we were intended to be. And since we are intelligent, we must have evolved from an Intelligent God.
In looking at how we evolved, we can see that it was necessary for us to reach a point of self-choice and then be left alone to discover our own true nature. God did not want to create a mechanical man. He gave us self-choice and free will and allowed us to discover ourselves.
If you look at Nature's forces, you know that they have always existed. But for us, they exist only after we have discovered them and learned how to use them. Ernest Holmes wrote, "Electricity was a reality in the universe when Moses led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but neither Moses nor any of his followers knew anything about it."
This is true of all natural laws. They have always existed, but we have to understand them before we can use them. So Life waits for our discovery of natural laws, our discovery of ourselves, and our discovery of our relationship to God.
The principle of any science is invisible. It is theoretical just as our idea of Spirit is. No one has seen God. No one has seen Life. What we see is the manifestation of Life. No one has seen Intelligence; we experience It. No one has ever seen Causation. We see what It does and deal with Its effects. We do not see Beauty. The artist feels beauty and characterizes it as best as he can. The result of his effort is what we call beautiful. We do not see Life. We experience living. Causation is invisible.
FIRST DISCOVERY
In our evolution, the first great discovery man made was that he could think. This was the day when he first said, "I am." This marked his first day of personal attainment. From that day forward, man became an individual and had to make all further progress himself. From that day he had to work in conscious union with God as Life.
The basis from which we are evolving is Infinite. Behind us is the Great Unknown but not the great unknowable. As a result of the discovery that we could think, plan, and execute, we have built up a great civilization. We have seen that Nature works through us in order to work for us.
We have harnessed electricity, made steam do our bidding, conquered the air, built cities, made the desert bloom, and have thrown the lines of our commerce around the globe. We seem to have possessed the earth during this process, even though little attention has been given to that still, small voice which said, "Man, know thyself."
LENT
And what better time to undertake the task of knowing yourself than right now during Lent. The Spiritual Preparation for Easter, known as Lent, started last Wednesday, which was Ash Wednesday.
Lent is a time for inner reflection and for renewal. It is a time to let go of the past and to discover new ways of being blessed. But most of all, Lent is the time of preparation for spiritual resurrection and transformation. This is something only you can invite into your life.
As you learn to look within and to know yourself better you will find that you have a higher calling. And you will find that God equipped you with the wisdom and strength to follow your guidance to spiritual change.
This is the ultimate goal of participating in Lent. We can leave the old behind us and accept the new. If you are merely willing you may become a new person as you accept yourself as a beloved child of God.
If you wish to follow Lent day by day as you grow and open up to your calling, pick up one of the Unity booklets in the bookstore. Or if you wish to have a more in depth study pick up Charles Fillmore's book Keep a True Lent.
WHAT AM I CALLED TO DO?
(Exodus 3:4) 'When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."'
Now you may not have a burning bush as Moses did - but you can still ask yourself, "What is God calling me to do? What unique blessing do I bring to the world?"
Think about the things that make you unique, the skill and talents that you have. Think about the strengths and characteristics that you have within you. Because I can assure you that as a child of God there is a divine plan for you life.
Lent is the perfect time to let go and reflect on what it means to be a child of God. It's the perfect time to drop all your labels that define who you are, and concentrate on what you are. To do this you need to search within your heart for direction. To do this you need to let the wisdom of Spirit guide you on your path in life. Give thanks for the traits and skills that make you the special person that you are. You have a unique role to fulfill so be open to the direction of Spirit in whatever way it comes to you.
Throughout this sacred season of Lent, remember to keep your focus on God. Take time to go within, to listen for the call of Spirit. Focus on what is important to you in your spiritual life and allow your divine path to unfold. Know that as you do this, you will feel closer to God. Know too, that you life will transform in powerful ways.
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 3:4
REFERENCE: Science of Mind textbook Ernest Holmes; History an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Last updated
February 10, 2008
