For Sunday October 2nd, 2016

Hello everyone, ten years ago a gunman walked into a small Amish schoolhouse in rural Pennsylvania and began shooting children, finally killing himself. The shooter's funeral was a very small, private affair until a large number of Amish appeared. The Amish formed a partial circle around the funeral scene then began emanating love.

Whatever anger, fear, or retribution they may have felt was set aside in recognition of the abject pain experienced by all, and the much needed healing power of love. While no one would ever wish for such devastation in their community the relationships formed in the healing afterward are priceless to those involved. 

May we sit this Sunday in search of where we need healing. May we forgive. May we offer love. Whatever our current position and attitude, may our future be brighter than our past.

Respectfully,

Richard

http://www.npr.org/series/4516989/storycorps

For Sunday September 25th, 2016

Hello everyone, we live on this Earth in relationship, relationship to each other, relationship to our environment, relationship to ourselves. When seen correctly these relationships are our greatest mirrors because the way we look at anything tells us exactly who we are while observing. Whether we look upon something or someone with anger, fear, paranoia, or love – that is exactly where we are at that moment.

Whether we believe our internal justifications for how we see things or whether we use them as a process of self-examination, of measuring how far we are from being unconditionally loving, will make a huge difference in our spiritual evolvement.

May we sit this evening for self-honesty, courageous, unflinching, and always in search of the greatest overall loving perspective. 

Respectfully,

Richard

For Sunday September 18th, 2016

Hello everyone, the ancient phrase "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me" is the backbone of spiritual life. Whether we are working on personal psychological obstacles or world spiritual transformation it releases responsibility from our small ego-self, freeing us to be clear channels for the Divine. 

Spirituality can make good use of bodily-incarnated humanity when we are clear. We can be excellent conduits for passing energy from the spiritual to the physical.

May we sit this Sunday for our clarity. May we set aside our biases, our obstacles, all of our thinking. May we hold a knowingness of perfection beyond ourselves. May we simply be within it.

Respectfully,

Richard

For Sunday September 4th, 2016

Hello everyone, due to our common human frailties we get caught up in judging, comparing, ignoring, disliking, mistrusting, and even hating. And yet our highest calling is also our most difficult – Love one another. 

The change we want to see in the world, the long prophesied spiritual transformation, is dependent upon loving one another.  

Please understand that we may disagree with others while loving them but love them we must. 

May we sit this Sunday for the insight and self-honesty to see where we may miss the mark. May we find the strength of heart to love when we are disappointed. May brittle lines soften toward Oneness.

Thank you,

Richard

For Sunday August 28th, 2016

Hello everyone, it has often been said that extreme times call for extreme measures. Or stated in other words, the more intense the difficulty we find ourselves facing, the more intently we must search for a loving response. Whether we're staring at an unwanted election outcome or a life-changing medical issue, our spiritual responsibility is to respond from an honestly loving intention. 

To do so requires a deep self-honesty and a true compassion for others. The ability to love outwardly - no matter what - rather than become absorbed in and distracted by our own internal processes is essential.

May we sit this Sunday for the strength and courage to see our own frailties clearly, and set them aside. May we sit for the ability to focus intently on the depth of compassion, and allow its true expression. May we ask that Divine will be done within us and outside of us. And may we find the Grace which carries us through.

Reverently submitted,

Richard

For Sunday August 21st, 2016

Hello everyone, watching people as we approach our national election we find anger, mean spirited humor, unyielding beliefs and attitudes, and massive mistrust. Not only would this election benefit from media literacy that we may see through the numerous spin tactics in use but it also cries out for the ancient phrase "Blessed are the Peacemakers."

Those who speak quietly, who search for wisdom, who see a human family artificially divided by itself are too often lost in the din of rolling, tumbling, ambitious political rancor. 

May we sit this Sunday for the peacemakers. May we give them our hearts. May we give them our time. May we find them to be ourselves.

As Above, So Below,

Richard

For Sunday August 14th, 2016

Hello everyone, all of our lives, the difficulties, the wonderfulness, the chaos, the charming, every minute and second of our lifetime is intended to be a pathway toward rediscovering the truth of Love and the beauty of our spiritual origin.

May we sit this Sunday the 14th for ourselves. May we find our inner beauty. May we connect with our Source. May Divine will be done within.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday August 7th, 2016

Hello to everyone, as has been taught for thousands of years, this life is a temporary flickering image, a thin shadow of a far greater reality. What are casually sown seeds in this life become a harvest of intensity later on. As we watch political dramas unfold we can see that those who strive for tremendous responsibility are often the least aware of this lesson.

May we sit this Sunday for their hearts to open beyond the distractions of their positions. May they see a greater plan at work. May their Divine connections be strengthened, and ours as well.

Thank you,

Richard

For Sunday July 31st, 2016

Hello everyone, here's a quote from Edgar Cayce - "Unless each soul entity makes the world better, that corner or place of the world a little better, a little bit more hopeful, a little bit more patient, showing a little more of brotherly love, a little more of kindness, a little more of long suffering – by the very words and deeds of the entity, the life is a failure; especially so far as growth is concerned. Though you gain the whole world, how little ye must think of thyself if ye lose the purpose for which the soul entered this particular sojourn."

May we sit for the honest exploration of ourselves and our motives in our lives. May we sit for the betterment of ourselves. May we sit for the betterment of all with whom we interact. 

Thank you,

Richard

For Sunday July 24th, 2016

Hello everyone, political seasons have a tendency to lean our society toward being drunk on emotion. In our desire to possess and control political outcomes maturity and balance, i.e. humility, the key to emotional sobriety, gets lost.

So our current situation is to be drowning in information, gorging on emotional rhetoric – and starving for wisdom.

Therefore, may we sit this evening for what may be termed as 'love outgoing' or 'loving outwardly' no matter what the end result may be. May we petition God for divine guidance. May divine will be done for all.

Humbly thankful for each of you,

Richard

Addendum for Sunday July 17th, 2016

Hello everyone, it seems one doesn't know in which direction to pray sometimes, with a political convention coming up and shootings happening at an alarming rate. Still, cry if you must - then pray - then act, as in the ancient decree, "Love one another." 

In difficult times can you find the true depth of, "Be the change you want to see in the world"?

In Reverence,

Richard

Lifetime happiness, a TEDx talk

Hello all, Barbara Whitfield just sent this out and I thought I'd pass it along. I found it quite beautiful.

https://youtu.be/8KkKuTCFvzI

For Sunday July 17th, 2016

Hello everyone, the recent killings of black people at traffic stops; white cops at a peaceful march; and party-goers in Nice, France bring to mind a comment from Tom Sawyer, who was the inspiration for this list. He had been talking about a book, "The Works of Invisible Helpers" by Amber Marie Tuttle. The book details incidences of disembodied entities, or invisible helpers as she calls them, coming to the aid of living humans. 

The psychic interventions she describes by these invisible helpers are surprising, loving and numerous. If you read the book you need to make some concessions for her rural, agrarian background but Tom validated the instances and championed her loving, sensitive abilities. 

So where's the connection? After a lengthy talk about the book Tom gave one last, brief comment, "Now is the time for 'visible helpers' to be at work."

The implication being; there are people living today who have the potential to do the same work. 

May we sit this Sunday for Nothing. May we release all thoughts, emotions, reactions, and beliefs. May we simply Be. And may God's will be done.

Thank you,

Richard