As I settle in to write this, the sun is shining through the trees and it is a glorious morning in Maine. I enjoy the opportunity to connect with you in this way. Summer is almost here, and school will be out within a week or so… it doesn’t get much better than this! The calendar has some great events coming in the next few weeks and more will be added.
This Friday, join our community and Todd Glacy as he provides music to sing along with, meditate with and bring healing energy to us and our world. It begins at 7 p.m. Todd will also be our speaker on Sunday, bringing his wisdom and music then as well.
The message on Sunday, June 5 was a message from the book The Third Coming by Rev. Jim Rosemergy. The focus was on “spiritual awakening.” I asked to see a show of hands of how many people had experienced a “spiritual awakening” and many hands went up in the room. One story I used is found in John 3:1-10, when Nicodemus went to Jesus in the night, wanting to know how it was that Jesus was able to do the things that he could. He said, “no one can do these signs that you do, apart from the presence of God.” Jesus in turn said to Nicodemus, “You must be born from above. The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.” Jesus is telling Nicodemus that to be born of the Spirit is to awaken spiritually.
Jesus uses the example of the wind because we do not know when a spiritual birth or awakening will happen, just as we don’t know when the wind will begin to blow. We can’t see it, nor do we know where it is going. Neither do we know where our spiritual awakening will take us.
I shared two other spiritual awakening stories that were very different, but with the same result. The first was Alcoholic Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson’s story. He shared his experience of transformation and had the thought, “You are a free man.” He went on to start AA with Dr. Bob, and we know the rest of that story.
The second was a wonderful, subtle message about awakening spiritually. It is called “The Thief.” The takeaway from this story is: Whatever you are doing to be aware… don’t go unconscious, stay awake, stay aware. The choice is yours!
I opened the talk with a portion of the Oration on the Dignity of Man by Renaissance philosopher Pico della Mirandola in 1486. If you are interested to learn more, Google “Oration on the Dignity of Man.”
If you missed the service, you could watch it here. You can also bask in the meditation given by Rev. Barbara Kowalska.
Have a blessed week!
You are a blessing in my life,
Rev. Patricia Bessey
