A universal assembly for true discernment
In this program, Reverends Jacquelyn Eckert and Glen Ganaway review and discuss A Course In Miracles from a non-dual, interfaith perspective. The two of them discuss the main themes and key principles of the Course and how they are lived in our shared lives.
In this program Anne Blanchard facilitates one of the core practices of the Awakening Together community. This program provides an opportunity to be in community with others who will to find that place of no-place, that attention to our natural attentiveness, that innate humanness that can often be overlooked. Anne Blanchard facilitates this program on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30 – 8:30 am ET/5:30-6:30 am MT by leading participants through gently guided Being Aware of Awareness meditation.
All are warmly welcome.
Join us on Sunday, April 18, 2021, at 7:30-9:00 pm ET when Ron Raitz will interview Paul Hedderman in our Awakening Together Satsang Program.
Paul has exceptional clarity and a rather unconventional presentation style. Paul writes:
Like it or not, you are what you are looking for. And, I’m telling you, your head does not like it. It would much rather become what you are, than be what you are. … This is like a painting where no paint is applied. It bleeds out. You are in the gallery. You’re surprised seeing its effects. It’s beautiful. Begrudgingly you have to admit you’re traveling lighter. It’s obvious, you had nothing to do with it. That’s the hard pill for it to swallow. It really wants to have something to do with it but it knows that it had nothing to do with it, finally.
Basically in a way, it just moves aside and takes its humble position as the Toyota, not the driver. It doesn’t mean you don’t take care of the Toyota. It’s got its value and you maintain it, but it’s not worshipped or thought about everyday. It’s not going to be the chariot of the gods. It will get you to the store for food. — From “On Having Never Left: Volume 1 The Unfinished Works of Paul Hedderman”
If you would like to submit a question to Paul and can’t watch the interview live, you can suggest one in advance via this link: Submit Questions Here
We previously had Paul as a Satsang Guest in 2017. That Satsang interview can be found here.
For more information about Paul Hedderman, visit his website: ZenBitchSlap.com
Paul Hedderman’s Books:
Under A-Rest
The Escape to Everywhere
On Having Never Left – Volume 1 The incomplete works of Paul Hedderman
Day 93 AssignmentThis evening (or tomorrow morning):
Watch the following 18 1/2-minute video.
Tomorrow:
As a reminder, NTI Mark is a fictional story that provides helpful symbols. Our role is to derive meaning from the symbols, and then live from the example provided by those symbols.
I am reminding you of this today, because today’s reading in NTI is quite a bit different from the way the stories are told in the Bible. In the Bible, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and is hailed as king by crowds of people. The next day, he wakes up hungry. The Bible says:
Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. ~ Mark 11:12-14, 20-21
That fig tree “withered from the roots” and died.
After cursing the fig tree, Jesus went to Jerusalem. This is what happened next:
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ ~ Mark 11:15-17
Why does NTI tell the story differently? Because, NTI Mark is a fictional story that provides helpful symbols. Our role is to derive meaning from the symbols, and then live from the example provided by those symbols. So, NTI changes the story in order to provide us with an example we can follow and model ourselves after.
What about the story as it is told in the Bible?
The morning after Jesus rode into Jerusalem and was hailed as king, the Bible says:
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. ~ Mark 11:12
As we know, Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights in the desert and refused the ego’s temptation to turn stones into bread. But on this day, Jesus sees a fig tree in the distance and, even though it wasn’t the season for figs, he gets so angry at the tree for not having fruit that he curses it, and it dies. Doesn’t it seem a bit unusual that physical hunger would have such a strong effect on him?
It’s interesting to note that “hungry” has more than one definition. The obvious definition is “feeling the need for food,” but notice some of these other definitions:
Having a strong desire or craving; grasping
Strongly motivated as by ambition; power-hungry
Extremely desirous, avid; hungry for recognition
It’s possible that thoughts of grandiosity entered into Jesus’ mind as he rode into Jerusalem the evening before, and so the next morning he woke up “hungry.” It’s also possible that he was beginning to sense the threat of arrest, and he was upset by thoughts about that. Whatever the case may have been, it appears he was not immediately alert to his thinking. He was temporarily deluded by his thoughts, and that’s what led to the outbursts with the fig tree and in the temple courts.
In NTI, Jesus doesn’t make the same mistakes that he made in the Bible. NTI provides us with a role model that we can emulate when we notice wrong-minded thoughts in our minds. However, the Bible story is helpful too, because it can be helpful to realize that even Jesus made mistakes. That point-of-view can help us forgive ourselves when we are not quickly alert to our thoughts.
Your mind is changing
as your Heart rises into awareness.
Listen to your Heart.
Follow your Heart.
It leads you beyond the world
to the truth of what you are.
~From our Holy Spirit
All there is, is What Is. Just as it is.
Realize there is no separation.
Then there is peace that is beyond understanding.
Perfect Brilliant Stillness.
Beyond the individual self.
Stop focusing on words and concepts.
Look where the pointers point!
Be still.
Realize Perfect Brilliant Stillness.
Just as it is.
This enlightened book study, which isn’t a book study at all, is led by Regina Dawn Akers.
In this program, we watched and discussed a selected TED talk. TED talks follow a unique format. Speakers at TED events have a maximum of 18 minutes to share their messages, which are delivered in highly polished, succinct speeches. TED talks are delivered by people from all walks of life on a multitude of subjects. A great many of these talks are about the insights gained by ordinary people–insights gained through extraordinary experiences or based on their contemplation of the ordinary events of their lives. Either way, their insights are genuine—not based upon theory or dogma, but experience.
The speaker is Shveitta Sharma. The Ted Talk is called, “Disconnect; Listening to Your Inner Voice”.
This group was facilitated by Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert.
Kate shares her experience as she goes about the business of giving up her ideas about herself and the world on her journey toward purification and awakening. Kate shares with wisdom and humor and allows us a glimpse into the beautiful and sometimes messy blossoming of life examined with an eye on Truth.
Revs. Glen Ganaway and Yolanda Mapes, who are interfaith ministers, share a delightful, funny and inspiring hour of A Course in Miracles. Come join in on the fun, the laughs, and the music while unlearning the ego through the lessons and chapters of ACIM. You can find out more about the Mighty Companions on their website: www.themightycompanions.com
Weekly Sunday Gathering with Rev. George MaddoxTitle: “Roll the Stone Away; Going from Death to Life”
Description: Rev. George shared about how the Easter story is a template for awakening.
Reading: Sherry Daves read The Way of Mastery, pg. 184 starting at “Accepting the Resurrection for Yourself” to the end of the chapter.
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