Moving to a New State & This Sunday at Joyful Living Church

Moving to a New State:


If you were with me on Sunday, you may remember my talk on forgiveness. (If you were with me, I ask for your indulgence, as some of this may be review.)

As you know, Edwene Gaines, author of The Spiritual Laws of Prosperity, will be with us this Saturday, March 24, starting at 10 a.m., for her "Prosperity Plus" Workshop. One of the four spiritual laws she highlights in the book is forgiveness, suggesting that if we are experiencing a financial challenge, the quickest way out of it may be through forgiveness.

Now, you may be thinking "I'm fine, thank you---no one in my life needs to be forgiven." Really? Parents, children, oil companies, ex (or current) spouses, ex (or current) employers, the church you grew up in, yourself? Any of those strike a cord?

This is big stuff, because in the Science of Mind textbook, Ernest Holmes says "from self reasons alone, if from no loftier reason, we cannot afford to find fault, to hate, or even to hold in mind anything against any living soul! The God of Love cannot hear the prayer of the one who fails to love."

The point is that the Universe (God, Spirit, our Higher Power) works in love, joy, passion, order, and in the moment. We can miss out on the connection if we are in regret, resentment, anger---in other words, the need to forgive.

Forgiveness is absolutely not logical. Your ego will tell you all the reasons why the person (or even yourself) doesn't deserve forgiveness. And maybe they don't. But withholding forgiveness is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die.














This Sunday at Joyful Living Church:


You probably remember the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem that is celebrated on Palm Sunday. Looking back on the events that are mentioned in the New Testament, this big celebration and parade was completely out of character for Jesus. My perception of him was that he was a quiet person, with a great sense of humor, full of compassion and understanding for others. He was just out doing what he was doing.

But he agreed to do this celebration thing, because that was what had been fortold about him. In fact, in Zechariah 9:9, (in the second to the last book in the Old Testament) we read "...he is righteous and a Saviour, lowly and riding upon an ass, upon a colt the foal of an ass." And in all four accounts of the event, in the New Testament, it is written that this would happen "so that what was said by the prophet might be fulfilled."

Many of us carry old beliefs based on what someone told us: about how life is, who we are in relationship to Spirit, etc. But what has really been written about us?