My dear friends and readers,
I started blogging the inspiration I'd been gaining from studying and praying the Lord's Prayer - and the spiritual sense of it as understood by Mary Baker Eddy - over 3 years ago. It has been an amazing voyage of discovery and inspiration.
But it is time for me to stop blogging and focus more on living the truth of the Lord's Prayer. Not that I haven't already been doing that as best I can. But it feels natural for me to stop now and talk less and live more.
My study has been so wonderfully life-changing for me! I have learned so much about Jesus' prayer and it's power. And even though I've been praying this prayer all my life, these last 3 and a half years have been so revelatory! There is just SO MUCH in the Lord's Prayer to listen to and practice. Just 62 words, but such powerful words! Mrs. Eddy stated that, understood in its true spiritual sense, the Lord's Prayer can heal anything.
It has been a complete joy for me to companion with this prayer and share the inspirations I've gained from studying it and praying it with you all. I have tried to be as clear and sincere in doing that as I possibly can.
So I hope you also have enjoyed the journey. And may the Lord's Prayer continue to help you, and heal you, and bring you closer to God.
With great gratitude,
- Mark
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Give us this day our daily Communion
"Give us this day our daily bread."
Give us grace for today; feed the famished affections.
"And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."
And Love is reflected in love.
Give us this day our daily experience of the Christ, of God-with-us. This is our Bread of Life - our true communion!
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, because it is the life-changing inspiration of that all-forgiving Love that is God, being lived as love in our daily lives - that is our communion Wine. This is the blood of Jesus, the blood of the Lamb.
Jesus reflected the forgiving love of Love of the Christ so completely that it pays all debts, heals all wounds, awakens and saves all sinners that accept Him - and follow Him.
While Jesus literally gave his life blood on the cross, it was his complete and utter sacrifice that exposed that crime - and all evil - for what it is: powerless. His resurrection proved that. The heavy stone of hate that the world rolled over his tomb, still could not keep Love from rising Him in triumph.
His body - His all-healing Truth - is our Communion Bread of Life.
His blood - His all-forgiving Love - and is our Communion Wine.
"Take, eat." and "Drink ye all of it."
Give us grace for today; feed the famished affections.
"And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."
And Love is reflected in love.
Give us this day our daily experience of the Christ, of God-with-us. This is our Bread of Life - our true communion!
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, because it is the life-changing inspiration of that all-forgiving Love that is God, being lived as love in our daily lives - that is our communion Wine. This is the blood of Jesus, the blood of the Lamb.
Jesus reflected the forgiving love of Love of the Christ so completely that it pays all debts, heals all wounds, awakens and saves all sinners that accept Him - and follow Him.
While Jesus literally gave his life blood on the cross, it was his complete and utter sacrifice that exposed that crime - and all evil - for what it is: powerless. His resurrection proved that. The heavy stone of hate that the world rolled over his tomb, still could not keep Love from rising Him in triumph.
His body - His all-healing Truth - is our Communion Bread of Life.
His blood - His all-forgiving Love - and is our Communion Wine.
"Take, eat." and "Drink ye all of it."
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Let the Hallowed Name and Nature of God shine as you!
"Hallowed be Thy name."
Adorable One.
Nothing can silence the gifts that God gives each of us. Why? Because we are not "personal authors" or "priveleged originators" as much as we might like to think so. No. We are His reflection. Can you imagine standing in front of a mirror and ever seeing your reflection do something you're not doing? No. But way too often we (or at least I) seem to be doing what *I* want to do and what *I* think is right or important or better or whatever. When that ego shows up, you can be sure you're falling for the Adam dream.
Mrs. Eddy puts it this way: "Whatever indicates the fall of man or the opposite of God or God's absence, is the Adam-dream, which is neither Mind nor man, for it is not begotten of the Father. The rule of inversion infers from error its opposite, Truth; but Truth is the light which dispels error. As mortals begin to understand Spirit, they give up the belief that there is any true existence apart from God."
"...give up the belief that there is any true existence apart from God." Can you do that? Are you willing to do that? Is it a little scary? That's OK. Just be open to the idea. That's the first step. And remember that God is Love itself and so very approachable. He moves you with intuitions of good. He nudges you with whole and healthy and holy inspiration. He draws you with the warmth of His Light. He awakens you with His Truth. He guides you with His Word. He heals you with His Love. And He is everpresent. As close as your own thought. As Jesus said, "...the kingdom of God is within you."
Do you realize this? Do you know what it means? Have you accepted this? The kingdom of God is within you - right now! You are His spiritual image and likeness, right now! He is moving in your heart, soul, mind with intuitions of peace, with inspirations of joy, with feelings of spiritual power.
Are you listening?
He is always moving within us to act and do and make and create and to manifest His Light. He is always inspiring us to make His presence felt, to make His power known, to reflect His warm and beautiful glory. And this feeling comes from the very core of our being, from Soul, the source of all art and beauty and music and form and outline and color. These are ways His Light is made manifest. Your so-called "personal ego" has nothing to do with this manifestation. You are His perfect reflection made manifest.
Let it shine!
Hallowed be the Name of God, of Life, Truth, Love!
Adorable infinite One!
Adorable One.
Nothing can silence the gifts that God gives each of us. Why? Because we are not "personal authors" or "priveleged originators" as much as we might like to think so. No. We are His reflection. Can you imagine standing in front of a mirror and ever seeing your reflection do something you're not doing? No. But way too often we (or at least I) seem to be doing what *I* want to do and what *I* think is right or important or better or whatever. When that ego shows up, you can be sure you're falling for the Adam dream.
Mrs. Eddy puts it this way: "Whatever indicates the fall of man or the opposite of God or God's absence, is the Adam-dream, which is neither Mind nor man, for it is not begotten of the Father. The rule of inversion infers from error its opposite, Truth; but Truth is the light which dispels error. As mortals begin to understand Spirit, they give up the belief that there is any true existence apart from God."
"...give up the belief that there is any true existence apart from God." Can you do that? Are you willing to do that? Is it a little scary? That's OK. Just be open to the idea. That's the first step. And remember that God is Love itself and so very approachable. He moves you with intuitions of good. He nudges you with whole and healthy and holy inspiration. He draws you with the warmth of His Light. He awakens you with His Truth. He guides you with His Word. He heals you with His Love. And He is everpresent. As close as your own thought. As Jesus said, "...the kingdom of God is within you."
Do you realize this? Do you know what it means? Have you accepted this? The kingdom of God is within you - right now! You are His spiritual image and likeness, right now! He is moving in your heart, soul, mind with intuitions of peace, with inspirations of joy, with feelings of spiritual power.
Are you listening?
He is always moving within us to act and do and make and create and to manifest His Light. He is always inspiring us to make His presence felt, to make His power known, to reflect His warm and beautiful glory. And this feeling comes from the very core of our being, from Soul, the source of all art and beauty and music and form and outline and color. These are ways His Light is made manifest. Your so-called "personal ego" has nothing to do with this manifestation. You are His perfect reflection made manifest.
Let it shine!
Hallowed be the Name of God, of Life, Truth, Love!
Adorable infinite One!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Forgive us our debts...
"Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."
And Love is reflected in love.
The need for forgiveness is eliminated when you accept, understand, and (most importantly) live the meaning of "Love is reflected in love."
The Love that is God has no sense of debt, and no sense of being a debtor. In Love's infinite grace, there is only an awakening to the debt-free atmosphere of Love! Love that holds no grudges. Love that doesn't keep score. Love that never says "you owe me!" Love that sees only love in everyone and everything in the universe.
And this Love is not a state of oblivious weakness, covering a multitude of sins. No. It is a "law of annihilation" to everything unlike itself. Like Light eliminating darkness, it is unopposably powerful.
And this is the way God forgives: the Light of His Love annihilates all sense of debt or thought of tresspass or any kind of owing or owning. Love sees only its own perfect reflection - love. Divine Love is abundant, free, unconditional, universal, all-embracing, without judgement, without measure, without price.
So imagine that. Live love like that. Like the old Persian mystic Hafiz once wrote:
"Not once has the sun ever said to the earth: You owe me.
Imagine a Love like that!
It lights up the entire world!"
And Love is reflected in love.
The need for forgiveness is eliminated when you accept, understand, and (most importantly) live the meaning of "Love is reflected in love."
The Love that is God has no sense of debt, and no sense of being a debtor. In Love's infinite grace, there is only an awakening to the debt-free atmosphere of Love! Love that holds no grudges. Love that doesn't keep score. Love that never says "you owe me!" Love that sees only love in everyone and everything in the universe.
And this Love is not a state of oblivious weakness, covering a multitude of sins. No. It is a "law of annihilation" to everything unlike itself. Like Light eliminating darkness, it is unopposably powerful.
And this is the way God forgives: the Light of His Love annihilates all sense of debt or thought of tresspass or any kind of owing or owning. Love sees only its own perfect reflection - love. Divine Love is abundant, free, unconditional, universal, all-embracing, without judgement, without measure, without price.
So imagine that. Live love like that. Like the old Persian mystic Hafiz once wrote:
"Not once has the sun ever said to the earth: You owe me.
Imagine a Love like that!
It lights up the entire world!"
Monday, November 22, 2010
All there really is...
"For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever."
For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All.
All that is really here is the presence of Mind.
Hallelujah!
All that is really here is the depth of Soul.
Hallelujah!
All that is really here is the breath of Spirit.
Hallelujah!
All that is really here is the joy of Life.
Hallelujah!
All that is really here is the power of Truth.
Hallelujah!
All that is really here is the warmth of Love.
Hallelujah!
All that is really here, right now, is the light of God.
Hallelujah! and Amen!
For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All.
All that is really here is the presence of Mind.
Hallelujah!
All that is really here is the depth of Soul.
Hallelujah!
All that is really here is the breath of Spirit.
Hallelujah!
All that is really here is the joy of Life.
Hallelujah!
All that is really here is the power of Truth.
Hallelujah!
All that is really here is the warmth of Love.
Hallelujah!
All that is really here, right now, is the light of God.
Hallelujah! and Amen!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Forgive us as we forgive others...
"Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."
And Love is reflected in love.
When you pray this verse, have you ever thought about this little word "as" before?
"As."
In this verse, I think it can mean two different things:
As = at the same time
As = in the same way
So, to take the first meaning: if you forgive someone now, you are also forgiven now.
And if you take the second meaning: if you forgive someone completely, you are also forgiven completely.
It can also mean that if you only "kind of" forgive someone now, then you are also only "kind of" forgiven now. And if you forgive someone only partially, then you are also only forgiven partially.
Think about it.
And consider how important then it is to forgive as God does: completely now. Only then are you truly living in your natural state. Because as His likeness, His Love forgiving you is always reflected in your love forgiving another.
And Love insists on being reflected!
And Love is reflected in love.
When you pray this verse, have you ever thought about this little word "as" before?
"As."
In this verse, I think it can mean two different things:
As = at the same time
As = in the same way
So, to take the first meaning: if you forgive someone now, you are also forgiven now.
And if you take the second meaning: if you forgive someone completely, you are also forgiven completely.
It can also mean that if you only "kind of" forgive someone now, then you are also only "kind of" forgiven now. And if you forgive someone only partially, then you are also only forgiven partially.
Think about it.
And consider how important then it is to forgive as God does: completely now. Only then are you truly living in your natural state. Because as His likeness, His Love forgiving you is always reflected in your love forgiving another.
And Love insists on being reflected!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
See what Love has prepared for you
"Give us this day our daily bread."
Give us grace for today; feed the famished affections.
How many powers are there? How many do you think are governing you? Is there a power called hunger? Is there a power called thirst? Is there a power called lust? anger? sorrow? or digestion, circulation, sleep, breath? or how about politics, the economy, or even the weather?
It sounds crazy, but in spiritual reality there really is only one power. And that is God.
And Christ Jesus proved this repeatedly, by stilling storms, feeding the multitudes, redeeming sinners, healing the sick and raising the dead. He even paid his taxes - courtesy of a fish!
One of the most beautiful things about Jesus' life is how vividly he shows us the all-encompassing unconditional Love that is God. He embodied that so completely that he changed the lives of everyone he encountered. He proved repeatedly that sin is not desirable, that sickness is not inevitable, and that death is not final!
So what if you just stopped for a moment. Just stopped worrying and fretting and wondering about what's next. What if you just occupied this very moment right now and just asked God, Divine Love itself, to show you what He has prepared for you. No arguing, no whining, no stressing, no fretting, no doubting. Just that childlike expectancy that looks up to its Parent with a complete openness to Love.
Spend today practicing that expectancy. If you are worrying about something difficult, offer it up to your Father-Mother God and just listen for the intuitions of good that come back to you. Persist in your expectancy and your listening! And then, be sure to be open - completely open - and you will see what Love has prepared for you.
Today.
"For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever."
For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All.
Give us grace for today; feed the famished affections.
How many powers are there? How many do you think are governing you? Is there a power called hunger? Is there a power called thirst? Is there a power called lust? anger? sorrow? or digestion, circulation, sleep, breath? or how about politics, the economy, or even the weather?
It sounds crazy, but in spiritual reality there really is only one power. And that is God.
And Christ Jesus proved this repeatedly, by stilling storms, feeding the multitudes, redeeming sinners, healing the sick and raising the dead. He even paid his taxes - courtesy of a fish!
One of the most beautiful things about Jesus' life is how vividly he shows us the all-encompassing unconditional Love that is God. He embodied that so completely that he changed the lives of everyone he encountered. He proved repeatedly that sin is not desirable, that sickness is not inevitable, and that death is not final!
So what if you just stopped for a moment. Just stopped worrying and fretting and wondering about what's next. What if you just occupied this very moment right now and just asked God, Divine Love itself, to show you what He has prepared for you. No arguing, no whining, no stressing, no fretting, no doubting. Just that childlike expectancy that looks up to its Parent with a complete openness to Love.
Spend today practicing that expectancy. If you are worrying about something difficult, offer it up to your Father-Mother God and just listen for the intuitions of good that come back to you. Persist in your expectancy and your listening! And then, be sure to be open - completely open - and you will see what Love has prepared for you.
Today.
"For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever."
For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All.
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