A Reflection/Prayer Treatment for the Miracle We Are

A Reflection/Prayer Treatment for the Miracle We Are

~ Bishop Durrell

It has taken billions of years for the unique expression of Life that I am to be made manifest. 

Light and energy, sound and star dust, minerals and atoms have all cooperated and conspired to show up as me. The same is true for us all. 

The universe is vast, and compared to it, I am nothing. 

And yet, the universe is vast, and I am an integral part of it, and as part of the vast universe, I am amazing. And so is every person I bring to mind today. 

Someone met someone, somehow, and they had a child who grew up to meet someone, somehow, and they had a child who grew up to meet someone, somehow, and they had a child…until I showed up. How many random, chance encounters took place to make me possible? How many sperm tried to reach how many eggs before one reached one and fertilization occurred and somehow that fertilized egg evolved into the thing that would become me? Randomness after chance encounter after lucky break after disappointment after biological process after ideal circumstance after human effort all merged and combusted into powerful creativity and from the flames of happenstance this phoenix arose!

How many ideas shared over millennia are now part of my consciousness? How many bodies have returned to the earth which provides nurture and sustenance to support more bodies that return to the earth which provides nurture and sustenance to support more bodies…?

How many artists, musicians, architects, farmers, philosophers, inventors, medical researchers, film makers, explorers, loving aunts and adopted children and good neighbors and geniuses and storytellers and peacemakers have contributed to the world that I have inherited? And how lucky am I that I get to contribute to and benefit from this world?

Do I call any of that God? I have done, but I don’t always. However, the marvel of it all is amazing and, in my estimation, sacred, divine even. I bow before the mystery. I am humbled by and grateful to the larger life that gives expression to my life.

Of all the planets and all the stars and all the solar systems and all the galaxies in the ever-expanding universe (which is almost 14 billion years old, at least, and may actually be eternal, without beginning or end, without cause or creator) …You and I are here on this rock, and we know we are. We are aware. We are conscious. Surely conscious life is rare in the universe. Even if 100 planets have it (and we don’t yet have evidence that they do), in the grand scheme, 100 isn’t very many. But we’re here, on one planet in one solar system in one galaxy, and we know that we are. With or without myth, with or without poetry, with or without religious vocabulary, that is awesome.

And so, my fellow miracles, my fellow unlikely events, my fellow self-aware life-forms (rare as we are), I remind you that you are part of grand and glorious realities. In the language I embrace, you have sacred value. I hope that brings you hope today, or peace, or joy, or comfort, or strength, or courage, or relief. Whatever blessing you need, you deserve it and I hope it comes to you in the best way possible; afterall, in a universe where you and I show up, almost anything is possible. And so it is. (dw)

A Nontheistic Understanding of Divinity & Prayer

Sunshine Cathedral Daily *Spirit & Truth Reflection

April 29
On this day in 1968 The musical "Hair" opened on Broadway.

dear god
Rev Dr Durrell Watkins

“…God has become for many progressives an ‘inner voice’, a ‘presence
within the human consciousness’ that underpins life and enables humans
to live well, justly and compassionately…Prayer is more like thinking
things through with God in mind…than addressing a God ‘out there’ with
needs, worries, fears, and hopes.” James Veitch

New Zealand theologian James Veitch gives a clear understanding of
how some of us understand words like “God” and “prayer.” Rather than a
cosmic judge, a Santa Claus for adults, or a puppet master pulling the
strings to make things happen in our lives, God is the word I use for
ultimate reality, beauty, mystery, infinite love, the energy of life, “a
presence within the human consciousness.” And when I am focused on
the many aspects I name with the single word “God”, I am praying and
such prayer often leads me to discover, create, attract, or move toward
amazing blessings in life.

As I ponder the meaning and mysteries of life, I am worshiping; I
am praying. And so it is.


*Spirit & Truth is Sunshine Cathedral's daily devotional magazine

Sharing a Colleague's Wise Words (about Privilege)

“Talking about privilege is difficult, if it makes you uncomfortable that's probably a good thing. Growth is uncomfortable. Let's all examine the places we have privilege. Are you white? Are you able-bodied? Are you not trans? Are you a man? Are you straight? Are you financially comfortable? Are you well educated? These aren't things that should make you feel shame! But if you are in these categories (especially if you are in most of these categories) please have some awareness about those whose lives are complicated simply by not being you.” Rev Jakob Hero (MCC minister/hospital chaplain)

Reflection: St Francis

"My God and my all." St Francis of Assisi 
St Francis' affirmation makes for a very convenient spiritual exercise. We can use the phrase "My God and my all" as a Lectio Divina exercise...(1) Reading or reciting the phrase slowly, then (2) meditating on what the phrase means to us or what a word or part of the phrase brings to mind for us, then (3) asking questions of the insight that has come to us (dissecting it, deconstructing it, probing it, arguing with it, trying to see it from a variety of angles), and then finally (4) releasing it all while slipping into deep Silence beyond discursive thinking.
"My God and my all."

Another way to use St Francis' phrase is as a mantra. Simply say over and over for several minutes non-stop, "My God and my all, my God and my all, my God and my all, my God and my all, my God and my all..." Soon, we'll find ourselves in a meditative state letting the words wash over us while our deeper Selves simply commune with the Infinite. The words may plant themselves deeply in our subconscious minds where they will later sprout as spiritual insight or profound optimism, or they may simply serve as a screen to keep out distracting thoughts so that we can immerse ourselves in abundant peace.

Finally, St Francis' statement can serve as a simple theological observation. Believing that Life is infinite, that the Life-force is omnipresent and enfolds, flows through, and expresses as every life, that the "Ground of being" is the All-in-all (and All-as-all), that there is one divine, universal Presence and Power which many of us call "God," can be simply summed up in the words, "My God and my all." It is a simple and still powerful reminder of supreme Omnipresence, the Light within all life, the Source of life that includes all life, that fills all space and is everywhere fully and evenly present. As we often say, "there's not a spot where God is not." But before our catchy rhyme, St Francis said, "My God and my all."

Today is the Feast Day of St Francis. Often we use this day to give thanks for our pets and for the opportunity to care for them and we wish them long lives of contentment. We think of animals because Francis is said to have honored all life and to have ministered to animals as well as people.

Beyond the tradition of blessing animals, let's remember that Francis was a simple cleric who saw and served God in all life. He was aware of the Omnipresence and remembering him today can help us acknowledge and commune with the Omnipresence as well.

There's not a spot where God is not.
My God and my all!

 - Durrell Watkins,  MA, MDiv, DMin

The Prayer of Compassion

This was one of those days when I kept receiving information about the struggles others are going through.
When I feel concern or compassion for someone, I tend to pray.

By "pray" I don't mean that I am trying to get the gods to notice someone they had previously overlooked, nor do I mean that I am trying to persuade a cosmic dictator to show kindness that he/it/she otherwise would not be inclined to show.

Prayer for me is more of an artistic practice, a way of expressing hope and concern, of allowing myself to feel united with the person for whom I pray, and a way of releasing my own sense of helplessness by doing "something."

Such prayer might be lengthy, flowery prose.
Or, it could be short one line affirmations or declarations of compassion and care.
Or, it could be a moment of silence, just holding a person (or persons) in mind, letting the silence wash over me and imagining it extending to them as a blanket of comfort.
Or, it could be an active imagining, a visualization of the person being cared for, safe, content, and renewed.

Whatever the form of the prayer, what I am really saying, to myself, to the universe, and to the human family is that I realize we are all somehow connected, and I want to inject optimism or compassion or goodwill into the lifestream we all share.

These moments of prayer almost always bring some sense of comfort to me.
I hope that comfort reaches the ones for whom I pray as well.
And sometimes, it actually seems as if such prayers contribute to some form of healing, growth, recovery, reconciliation, strength, learning, or breakthrough.

So, tonight as I come to the end of my day, I remember those whose needs were brought to my attention.
I remember one whose pet companion died.
I remember one who lost her father after a brief illness.
I remember one who lost his father after a lengthy illness.
I remember one who is struggling to become sober.
And another.
And another.
I remember one who is having medical tests.
I remember one who is living with a difficult secret.
And another.
I remember one who has been without work for a while now.
I remember one who has struggled with physical pain, loss, financial difficulty, and depression for many, many years.
I remember one who is summoning the courage to come out of a self-imposed isolation.
I remember one who is recovering from an illness.
And another.
And another.

I'm honored that so many people dare to share their burdens so that they might be lightened.
I'm honored to be one who can remember, who can care.
And so I do remember these who expressed need, concern, or sorrow today.
I wish each one health, happiness, security, fulfillment, and peace.

These are my prayers. I release them to the perfection of divine right action.
Amen.

Autumn

September 22nd was the first day of Autumn. I barely noticed. Here in South Florida where trees are always green, and where 90 degree days last well into the Fall, and where I wear short-sleeved shirts year round, the seasons sometimes sneak up on me without warning.

Still, as I look out of my office window to see a gentle breeze causing the leaves on a palm tree to dance here in the land of perpetual summer, I am mindful that this really is a new season and it represents a time of harvest. Harvest is the result of what we’ve planted earlier in the year. The Autumnal Equinox reminds me to look at the harvest in my own life showing me what I have been planting in the fertile ground of my own consciousness.

The habits I have developed have led me to where I am.

The thoughts I have been thinking have contributed to my current reality. The feelings I have consistently entertained have helped create the world I’m seeing today. The relationships I have nurtured, the choices I have made, and the investments I have made in myself and in others are paying off in my experience of life.

In other words, the seeds I have been planting have produced the harvest of my life. Now I get to look at the produce of my mental fields, and if I like it, I should continue planting the same seeds. If I want more of the same, I should plant more of those psychic seeds. If I want something else, then I should consider making different choices, changing my attitudes, or thinking differently.

As this new season begins, let’s examine the harvest of our lives. And let’s decide if the mental and emotional crops we have been growing are what we really want. If there are changes we’d like to see, we can remember that change begins with us and with the seeds we plant in consciousness from now on.

Bright Blessings!

Rev. Durrell Watkins
Sunshine Cathedral

The Problem With Resenting Others When They Prosper

“Whenever you hear that someone else has been successful, rejoice. Always practice rejoicing for others--whether your friend or your enemy. If you cannot practice rejoicing, no matter how long you live, you will not be happy.” - Lama Zopa Rinpoche

The 10th Commandment says, “Do not desire your neighbor’s [possessions]…” It is one of the wisest commandments in my view. The first commandment smacks of insecurity. It portrays a god who is afraid that “His” devotees will jump ship and start admiring other gods. In the panentheistic view that I hold, there is one infinite
Source (called in our culture “God”) and this “ground of being” is in all life and all life is in It. There is no Other to fear.

The second and third commandments are related to the first, demanding a certain reverence for God as God was understood in the community that produced the Decalogue. The fourth commandment also is meant to honor the deity but it lends itself to an interpretation of much needed self-care. It may be more relevant than the three that precede it.

The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth commandments are common sense rules that can be summed up in the Golden Rule (treat others the way you would like to be treated).

But the tenth commandment gives us an important insight that we may need to learn and relearn throughout our lives; and learning it can make us much happier.

You see, we have often believed there was not really enough good to go around. We become resentful or jealous or angry or bitter when someone does what we thought we wanted to do, or when they get what we thought we wanted to have. We forget that we live in an abundant universe, and there is no shortage of possibilities. We don’t need to resent our friends (or even our enemies) when they appear to be blessed. Our good will not be delayed by someone else’s; but our good can be delayed by our resentment of others.

Do not covet your neighbor’s abundance, because there is still plenty of Universal Good to supply your needs. When someone recovers from illness or financial difficulty or when someone is promoted or complimented, rejoice! Seeing our neighbors’ blessings is a message to us that blessings still exist and still are available. Our neighbor’s good fortune is a witness that ours may be at hand. But
resenting their opportunities will only close off our hearts from receiving our own.

St. Paul said, “Rejoice…always!” Not just when we win, but every time Good is made manifest in anyone’s life. As we celebrate Good whenever it shows up for anyone, we are actually inviting it into our own experience, and it will respond to our invitation.

Coveting builds a consciousness of lack, which then produces more lack. Instead, be glad whenever, wherever, and for whomever Good is made manifest; such rejoicing builds a consciousness of abundance, which will then bring abundance into our experience.

I wish you many blessings!

--durrell

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
1. Have no other gods (than the “LORD” or “YHWH”, sometimes called
“Jehovah”).
2. Do not have images of other gods.
3. Do not use the divine name (“YHWH”) in vain.
4. Honor the Sabbath day.
5. Honor your parents.
6. Don’t murder.
7. Don’t commit adultery.
8. Don’t steal.
9. Don’t lie against someone in court (“You shall not bear false
witness against your neighbor”)
10. You shall not covet…

A Question About The Power of Decision

Question: "I have decided things...over and over again in my life that, try as I might, do not come to fruition. I have concluded that...[something] on a much stronger sub-conscious level...is saying, 'Oh, no, it's not that simple. You AIN'T gonna get that!' What do you think I should be doing to circumvent this dynamic?" - Keith from the Internet

Answer: Conviction seems to be the key. A strong desire, a heart-felt wish may be enough sometimes to push us in the right direction, but not always. A decision involves feeling. My favorite example of how the subconscious works is the unathletic kid terrified in the outfield that a ball will come his way. Sure enough, the ball is heading right for him. He extends his mit and says over and over to himself, "don't miss it; don't miss it!" He wants to catch it. He tries to catch it. He even tells himself to not miss it. Hasn't he decided to catch the ball? His subconscious doesn't think so...Even though he extends his arm, wants to catch it, and instructs himself to not miss it...what else is present in the picture? Fear. He's afraid that he will miss it, and that fear is stronger than his hope. What happens? He misses the ball, or catches it only to immediately drop it. His "feeling" was that he would probably embarrass himself or let his team down or fail...and the feeling is what instructed his subconscious which obeyed the instruction perfectly.

Why do diets fail? Why can some people never learn to parallel park? Why are some people completely baffled by math of any complexity? Why can't someone remember phone numbers or ever get ahead financially? Aren't they trying hard? Of course! Don't they want to improve their performance? Of course! But deep down (and sometimes not even all that deep) they are afraid that they can't, and that fear...the FEELING...is what programs the subconscious mind which then directs the performance.

When we can "feel" successful...when we can "feel" that we are on the right track or that we can accomplish our goal or that we are already on our way to victory...the feeling almost always steers us in the desired direction. So, when we "decide" on a thing, what is the feeling that accompanies it? If we feel certain, confident, even enthused about it...it's probably just a matter of time! But if we feel afraid, doubtful, anxious...then failure is as likely as success, and if the fear is strong, failure is even more likely.

We're told over and over by the consciousness experts...Thought + Feeling = Demonstration. The idea or wish or hope or initial attempt is really a "thought," and thought alone won't do the trick. But when we have a clear picture/idea/plan/goal and that picture is accompanied by the feeling of success, that's when the mountains start to move.

When I have wanted something very badly, but was afraid that might be out of my reach, I have usually either not achieved my goal, or I was able to achieve, could hardly believe it, and then lost it. But when I have wanted something, and knew that it was mine to have/do/be, and felt as if it were already real for me, it has almost always been made manifest in my experience. Desire is the beginning, but feeling must be added to lead to demonstration.

When the mind has two competing thoughts/feelings (I want this/I'm afraid I can't do/have it), it tends to go in the direction of the negative thought/emotion. That's why we use self-talk, inspirational literature, motivational stories, prayer, meditation, visualization, etc. to reduce the negative thoughts and emotions. The kid who "knew" he would catch (or hit) the ball, more often than not, did. The kid who "hoped" he would catch the ball while being afraid that he really wouldn't, usually didn't (the same story is told about playing darts, golf, performing in a piano recital, taking a test in school...what is being performed doesn't matter...the principle is the same). It's the same throughout our lives.

Of course, no one gets everything they want every time they want it...there is no genie in a bottle in life that grants our every wish on demand. But, what we have a consciousness for we usually wind up experiencing. People who have a prosperity consciousness seem to have money growing on trees in their back yards. People with a health consciousness are rarely sick and their kids and pets are rarely sick and when they pray for sick people they often get better. People with a success consciousness usually win at every game and business venture they attempt. People with a consciousness for relationships make friends every day and date with ease (or if they are partnered, live joyously with their significant other).

There is probably something in your life that you do effortlessly...you just know that you have that gift or skill, and 9 times out of 10 when you attempt it, it works out brilliantly. What is it? Art? Finding great deals on cars you want to buy? Creating things (arts/crafts/websites, whatever)? You expect to succeed at it, you FEEL perfectly capable and your experience validates the feeling/expectation. Now, if you could get that same feeling of joyful expectation in another area of life, you'd probably have the same kind of success in that area! The clear idea + the strong feeling = results.

Basically, I think you're right. On a subconscious level, we tell ourselves "that isn't going to work," and then it doesn't. So we consciously tell ourselves that it will work, even that it IS working until the subconscious feeling believes it and then demonstrates it. If that doesn't work, then we use our prayer and meditation to activate the imagination...imagining ourselves experiencing the success we desire and even feeling the joy of having it work out. It's all make believe at that point, just a game of pretend...but the subconcious doesn't care. Once you "feel" it, the subconscious mind believes it, and once it believes it, it goes to work to make it happen. So, use the affirmations to reprogram your thinking, but also use the imagination to summon the "feeling"...because once the thought couples with the feeling, demonstration is on the way.

--Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div.