Unity of Farmers Branch (Formerly The Church Of One Love)

When we want to take right action in the world, we must first become truly aware of what is going on—to understand what the problem or challenge really is. When we become aware of discomfort, we tend to jump to take whatever action we think will most quickly relieve our immediate suffering. Too often that action leads us to ever more suffering down the road. Effective action is always only possible following a period of acceptance and understanding of the nature of the challenge. Only when we have accepted reality as it is--life on life’s terms—can we then take effective action. (we call this the 3 A’s: Awareness, Acceptance, Action)

On this, International Day of Peace—we celebrate the founding ideals of the United Nations: to promote peace, end conflict, and foster global cooperation to build a peaceful and sustainable world. These are global ideas, but work on the personal level as well. In fact, peace will only ever happen globally when it first happens person to person as we communicate with others in non-accusatory, non-violent , kind and loving ways. When we find the natural peace deep within us, we become living examples of peacefulness in the world.

Throughout history humankind has believed in Truth, only to find out that it was, after all, not really True. Is it possible that we really do not know anything for a fact? What and where is our guiding star, or is there such a thing? We seem to have been on an evolutionary journey to discover what God is, only to see it slide away from us more often than not. Let us take a look at where we have been, where we are, and imagine what might be. Can we be open to an uncertain and unclear future, or is it all an illusion?

Is that a suit of armor? Can you take it off? As humans we hurt and then we try to protect ourselves from it ever happening again. Unfortunately, we cannot build walls (or wear suits) that close our hearts only to what is painful. A closed heart is a closed heart. So how do we navigate a world where to keep an open heart feels too painful, but to close it and live in the mind would make us cold and unfeeling? How can we find balance—safe ways to wear only our own skin?

What is with this “praise and worship” that traditional churches do? Does the thought of "praising" offend? What even is “praise?” or “worship?” Does praising something make us somehow lower than the object of our praise? Does God “need” it? Or do humans have a need to express praise? What in your life today might be calling for awe, wonder, gratitude, NOTICE?

Are you paying attention to your messages? Checking your Earth-mail? Checking in with yourself? Being open to the many messages and all the different guises messengers take puts us in communication with the angels—literally!

Do we make “soul contracts” with each other? Is there truly a reason we meet the “random” people we do, have the particular experiences of life, make the synchronous connections we make? Do they (or can they) all lead to our soul’s growth? Are they part of a larger plan? Are we in on it? Let’s explore these questions and take look at life as if it were a school whose curriculum we might help design.

Just as the future can only be met from the place of the present moment, the past too, can be met right here right now in the present--has value in helping us to understand how it shaped and may still affect us in our present. Let’s learn to look, learn, then forgive and let go. A wise person once said, “There’s nothing wrong with looking at the past—as long as you don’t stare!”

In a time when so many feel overwhelmed or unseen, encouragement is more than a kind word—it’s a powerful ministry. This message explores how Spirit calls us to build each other up, how simple acts of encouragement can transform lives, and how each of us can be a light in someone’s darkest hour. Drawing on biblical examples, personal stories, and practical insights, this uplifting talk reminds us that sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is simply show up and speak hope.

Most of us would love to know what’s ahead. We have all kinds of questions? Will I be happy? Healthy? Alone? More spiritual? Aging gracefully? Insecure? All these anxious questions are about maintaining the illusion of control. We think if we know what’s coming we can prepare for it. Since we can never know what will happen in the world, the only way to be ready is to prepare our inner selves to meet with whatever comes. Will we meet it with love, peace, equanimity? Or fear, resistance, complaint? The answers to our futures are found in the only place that really exists: the present moment.

We love to think of ourselves as independent, but the truth is we are all inextricably connected in- and as- the One. Physically, we cannot survive without each other and without the resources of Mother Earth. In fact, we have become so specialized that in a literal sense we depend upon each other for almost everything—the intricate processes of providing for our daily needs of food, water, medical care, transportation, shelter, clothing, information, education, entertainment and more. And, as divided as we seem to be as a culture, the truth is we evolve together or not at all.

…is that we all have it to a degree. To be ignorant is to NOT KNOW. And none of us can know what we don’t know until we know it. Confused? As we own our own ignorance, it can help us to have true compassion and empathy for those we might otherwise judge and condemn. And one of the greatest gifts of admitting to ignorance is that we can then develop the sacred quality of Beginners’ Mind—in which all possibilities exist. Ready to explore your ignorance?

We hear a lot about the gifts of the “Divine Feminine,” and find that our masculine structures are often spoken of today in denigrating terms. This is not about anything being wrong with the masculine, but about our being out of balance in expressing these divine energies. The Masculine Principle is both Divine and Beautiful: the other side of the same holy coin. Our wholeness lies in finding balance between the two sacred energies—not opposites but polarities. This week let’s explore the beautiful aspects of the Divine Masculine, and the possibly surprising gifts we receive from the Father…and maybe even our own Dads.

3. We Co-create with God; 4: We commune with God; 5. We express as God. Since God IS the oneness in which we live and move and have our being, and we are all individuations of that One, we have the power to create our experience of life as part of that vast divinity. We do this by directing our thoughts, by immersing ourselves in the truth of our being, aligning our focus and purpose, and by taking action that supports the creation of the world we wish to see.

1. God is Good, and God is all there is; and 2. We are that—the very substance of God is our substance, meaning our very essence is God, and is good. These statements are in alignment with COOL’s tenets of oneness with God and with each other, yet regardless of our belief in our ultimate oneness, it is a constant challenge for us to see the world, other humans, God itself, as ultimately “good,” when the evidence of our eyes could lead us to believe in an opposing force--what the world calls “evil.” Let’s explore the deeper meaning of these foundational principles—leading us to a discussion of the absolute vs relative; of polarity vs opposition.

Throughout history, mankind’s evolution has been slowed or even stopped by the belief in the certainty of facts that were known to be TRUE, but turned out not to be so. This is clearly true in the spiritual and religious world. Today, we will use a few current events and a Biblical story to see how our definition of God was formed from ancient literature, and how we can transcend those old beliefs through the use of metaphysical concepts hidden beneath the literal words.

Mother to child is maybe the most intimate and important of relationships, which does not mean that it is easy or comfortable—often just the opposite. Yet, we all have at least two mothers: we are offspring of Mother Earth, and we are children of our own mothers. While Divine Mother is the perfection of the feminine principle in us, it was a very imperfect, very human woman who gave each of us birth into this human form. Learning to be in healthy relationship with ALL the mother energy in our lives helps us to better understand who we are, and as we do so, we come to realize the rich (often hidden) gifts we have received.

Most of us began a conscious spiritual path because we wanted more understanding, inner peace, joy, wisdom, and love in our lives. This is right and good... AND there is more. As we grow in love, peace, joy, service, we also grow the world in those things--even more when we make a conscious intention to do so. Our spiritual practices help us to explore and come to know the depths and edges of ourselves, and a wider attitude enables us to be of service to the whole of humanity—to come to know ourselves as not separate from anyone else.

Overcoming the ego is often touted as our greatest task on the spiritual path. Yet, to be human is to have an ego; it is an inevitable part of life on planet earth. Are we really here to get RID of our egos? Or to put them in their proper place—not as rulers of our lives, but as servants to Spirit?