For Sunday July 31st, 2022

Hello, and a gracious good day to all of you. As we sit in meditation we may wonder what we're trying for. There are various explanations ranging from 'watch your breath' to 'don't fall asleep.' About our desire to quiet the mind J. Krishnamurti writes, "Meditation is the understanding of desire, not the overcoming of one desire by another." Food for thought right there, eh?

But an anonymous 14th century mystic explains that ordinary thoughts and earthly concepts must be buried beneath a "cloud of forgetting," while our love must rise toward a God hidden in the "cloud of unknowing." The idea that we must peer through a "cloud of unknowing" in order to more fully connect with our Source seems appropriate and relatable.

May we sit this evening with the awareness of this cloud and the need to peer through it. May our progress be well-suited to our lives. May the world benefit.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday July 24th, 2022

Hello all, the writer Martha Beck has mentioned the phrase 'extinction burst' in her blog <https://marthabeck.com/2022/07/outlasting-the-extinction-burst/>
It details how when previously learned behaviors no longer provide the expected rewards they can intensify before finally ending, much like a child's tantrum.

As the world moves toward the authentic power of the heart and people realize their own sacredness, as well as of the Earth, it frustrates those who seek to serve themselves through external power; financial, military, political, psychological. They may increasingly employ the old patterns of external power to achieve their goals in a classic extinction burst. Ms. Beck suggests that we have to outlast them. We do so by holding our center, being compassionate and observant.

 
May we sit this Sunday evening in our loving selves, compassionate, observant, engaged but not enraged. May we hold a steady love amongst the storm. May the future be held in all our hearts.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday July 17th, 2022

Hello and a gracious good day to all, we're told by many sources that we must love God with all our heart and soul. And, since God is One, everything which exists materially, from the tiniest subatomic particles to the farthest galaxies, and even our favorite belly button lint, is an expression of God. This brings up the question from the song, "What if God were one of us?"

Recognizing the heady thrill of our human tendency for judgement, can we really, even if only for a moment, love all? It could be life-changing.

May we sit this evening to drop all judgements in favor of love. May we take a look beyond ourselves – and truly see us.

Thank you all,

Richard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USR3bX_PtU4 

For Sunday July 10th, 2022

Hello to all, as we navigate the currents of life, the storms and the tides, remember to bring forth the pearls.

 
We may find ourselves easily buffeted by the political and social upheavals of our time, as well as personal trials and tribulations. But if we peer clearly into our calmer depths, we can find beauty growing amongst the weeds.

This evening may we find some calm, ask the Benevolent Universe for guidance, and see what comes into view. Perhaps it will be a thing of great value.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday July 3, 2022

Hello everyone, we clearly face myriad political, financial, and environmental challenges in this life. The solutions to all of these share a common facet – compassion – as in 'what is best for all concerned?'

We can't all have every solution but we can ask, "How would I live if I was exactly what was needed to heal the world?" This brings the personal responsibility for being loving right up front.

 
For this evening let us focus on that which is available to us all, being loving. May we take on the challenge of loving everyone we meet, if only for one hour, or one day. Releasing our typical judgments, we may simply love them as they are, knowing they are on their path, as we are.

Xapis,

Richard