Oliver Wendell Holmes and “Our Father”

The great Supreme Court Justice stated: “My religion is summed up in the first two words of the Lord’s Prayer, Our Father.” The truth of our relationship with the miraculous summed up succinctly. Of course, there will always be sad exceptions, but aren’t we truly at our best when our children are involved? The concept of a cruel and despotic ruler of the Heavens imbued with all the evil and capricious tendencies humans unfortunately have shown when placed in positions of ultimate authority is destroyed finally and forever by this simple and revolutionary truth about our relationship with God, “Our Father.” As the Great Carpenter taught: If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:11).

So fearlessly ask Him who has all power and knowledge for direction, for intuitive understanding of the seemingly confusing vagaries and injustices of life. Holding steadfast to the belief, in our heart of hearts, that Our Father’s love is boundless, unencumbered by human limitation, frailty and fear, beyond any human’s ability to truly measure or fully comprehend, simply miraculous.

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Music to God’s Ears

What we think upon, grows. The thoughts we dwell on will be out pictured in our lives. Period. When we dwell on lack, perceived injustice (real or imagined), resentment or any of the other hundred forms of fear clamoring for our attention, we attach them to our consciousness as surely as a barnacle to a pier piling. Though no one would say they wish to suffer, to believe we can think negatively but expect to receive the opposite is a subtle form of spiritual insanity.

Now, it would be a poor principle indeed if it did not work in the reverse. When we dwell on the positive it will then be out pictured in our lives. Prayer is causative, so always pray in the affirmative, the positive. Never begin a prayer with “I need” or “I want” for this only reinforces the perceived lack. Consider instead: Divine life brings well-being to every part of my body when our health is less than optimal. God is the giver of every good gift, ready to supply my every need when desiring greater prosperity. These examples are borrowed from Emmet Fox, the wording not nearly as important as the set of our heart as we say them, but they have served me well for many years.

Remember to be gentle with yourself when in prayer, pray with a feather. In the future when finding yourself starting a prayer with I need or I want, and you will for we all do from time to time when fear is upon us, laugh and thank God that you know Him better. Laughter in the face of fear is music to God’s ears and the gentleness with which we treat ourselves in His name a demonstration in true faith. 
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Earnestly Seek

“Every thought is made up of two factors, knowledge and feeling.” What do you believe? We all believe in all sorts of things. Ford is better than Chevy, Yankees better than the Red Sox, my grandkids are cuter than yours are all examples of thoughts/opinions based heavily in feeling rather than knowledge, except the one about my grandkids of course. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, Hawaii is an island, two plus two equals four are all examples of knowledge/facts with little feeling or passion attached. Heated discussions have and will take place concerning the “knowledge” of the former, yet probably never concerning the latter.

Clearly without passion nothing happens. Living on the Spiritual Basis is a passionate way of life, tempered with truth. Not someone else’s truth but your truth arrived at by scientific prayer and meditation. For we have learned to read with our eyes but study with our heart. We listen with our ears but hear with the Divine Presence within avoiding the temptation to mortgage our future on any one teacher or interpretation. The Great Carpenter taught we are all connected to the Father, not requiring any intermediaries to establish this bond since it is ours by right of birth, a teaching that turned the world on its head, forgotten by many. So read spiritual books and study teachers that strike a chord with you but keep your own counsel in the “secret” place of your heart. When questions arise seek out those who have touched you and consider their words in meditation and if you find their counsel rings true and is just, incorporate it in your life. The right answers will come if our own house is in order, but this requires us to remain willing and open to all spiritual experience, remember “the realm of Heaven is roomy, all inclusive, never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek.”
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The Law Of Forgiveness Ascendant

The true key of our freedom lies in forgiveness and we forgive not for the other person’s sake, but for your own. Can you think of a single spiritual teacher that has not made this point? Without forgiveness no real spiritual progress can ever be made. When we fail to embrace forgiveness we lock ourselves into a circular path which inevitably leads back to the same difficulties clothed in different garb, again and again. Living on the Spiritual Basis requires forgiving not only in word and deed, but in our heart, breaking the cycle, but how?
When we hold onto an old hurt, justifying the feeling for any reason, we chose to stand outside the sunlight of the Spirit, placing ourselves in the shadow of resentment and fear, morbid reflection ascendant. By embracing any justified anger our thinking becomes stale, stagnant and unhealthy; by throwing open our heart to forgiveness we are rejuvenated. The course here is clear; when negative thoughts appear in our consciousness, we immediately treat them with prayer asking to be shown how we can be of service to the person we are seeking to forgive. Becoming willing in Spirit sets us free. To be very clear, God will never place us in a position to be harmed if we are about His business, so forgive free of the fear of being spiritually harmed further. By taking the contrary action to what the World and our carnal mind would have us do, we raise our consciousness and stand in the sunlight of the Spirit, clean, rejuvenated and free, the Law of Forgiveness fulfilled.
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Spiritual Education

Sometime back I attended a “concert” performed by second graders. To be kind, they were less than perfect in their performance but performed exactly as second graders would be expected to. Had they been High School students their instructor’s competence would need to be questioned and rightfully so. We would never expect a group of seven-year-old students to perform at the level of students more than twice their age.
The truth is we always demonstrate where we are. So, if new to the path of Spiritual Living never fret or attempt to demonstrate beyond your current understanding, for just as second graders grow into High School students, we mature Spiritually as well. Continue on, day by day, practicing the spiritual principles you understand and currently accept, trusting that your spiritual growth is assured as long as you remain diligent and willing to grow, for in so doing we begin to comprehend serenity and will know peace in purpose regardless of where we are in our long spiritual education.
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Another Practical Demonstration

Though many remain in denial of this truth, there are rules, or laws if you prefer, that govern our thinking, applying equally to everyone at all times. They are impersonal, always in force and cannot be appealed. The Law Of Subconscious Activity is one of these. Being impersonal “This law is true for both good and bad ideas. This law, when used negatively, brings sickness, trouble, and failure; and when used positively, brings healing, freedom, and success. We give the orders-the subconscious does the work.” Emmet Fox.

We cannot, do not control the thoughts entering our consciousness. We do control the path we follow after becoming aware of a discordant thought however. When a negative or fearful thought floats up from our subconscious our immediate response determines our future. We must train ourselves when confronted with these discordant thoughts to turn immediately to thoughts of God; His Love, His Power and His Guidance. In so doing the Law of Subconscious Activity works for us, not against.

Practical demonstrations always carry more weight than mere words, so begin by observing the faces of the people in your life. What do you see in the countenance of those who engage in gossip, hurtful or negative words and action? Compare them with those who are consistently kind, supportive and positive. The truth of this lesson is as plain as the look on your face.

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Demonstrating Serenity in Action

Unlike physical exercise where working harder can produce greater results, the converse is true spiritually. The reason for this is simple: The Miraculous does the work, not our mental “muscle.” No amount of will power has ever added a single ounce of lasting spiritual weight to anyone. Having chosen to live on a new basis, the basis of trusting and relying on a power greater than ourselves, we don’t “work” on our problems or difficulties for we have turned our will and our lives completely over to the care of God. Having chosen to live on the Spiritual Basis we know today a Power Greater Than Ourselves is the doer, not us. 

What is required of us, just like physical exercise, is consistent action in purpose, so we pray when prayer is indicated, meditate regularly and serve those suffering in spirit from a place of joy, the joy found in helping another without expectation of acknowledgement or personal gain. Turning to Him who has all knowledge and power when filled with fear and doubt, our demonstration in faith to relax and take it easy, for all mental working should be relaxed, gentle, and unhurried for mental hard work defeats itself remembering: “We have ceased fighting everything and everyone, we have to” in so doing we become more efficient, effective, a light set upon a hill, an attraction to those in need of help and solace, a demonstration of Serenity in action.

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Running The World

Difficult problems often feel as if they have a life of their own. Hard as we may try, we work through them but the next thing we know they are back in the forefront of our consciousness, dominating our thoughts. One of the most insidious ways this happens is through outlining. The world teaches us to think things through, weigh pros and cons, talk it out, but just as “the grouch and the brainstorm are the dubious luxury of normal men” so is outlining. It usually starts out innocently enough but in short order we begin outlining how a situation or trouble should work out, in essence telling the universe how to solve our problems, assuage our fears, on our terms of course. It doesn’t work, does it and it only succeeds in building up expectations and as a wise man said “the level of our serenity is directly proportional to our expectations.”

Living on the Spiritual Basis we place our expectations in God’s hands, the burden on His shoulders, so when you find yourself outlining stop as soon as you become aware and thank God for knowing Him better. Quiet the mind by repeating some simple set prayers like: “Be still and know that I am God”, “There is no power greater than God” or simply “God is with me” are some I employ.

When I ran the world I outlined constantly, for it needed my help. Living on the new basis I leave the running of the world, and my life, in God’s hands for He does a much better job of it than I ever did, for today I know in my heart of hearts that “God is with me.”

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Indignation and A Simple Course of Action

Has someone ever said to you (or perhaps you have said to someone) “don’t think like that?” It is one of those silly things we say to one another without having really thought it through. In the same vein as “a watched pot never boils”, yes it does, every single time and without the origin understood for context it is just nonsense. As soon as we are told not to think about something the first thing we do is think about it. No? OK, don’t think about oranges…. How did you do? We are powerless over the thoughts which float through our minds eye; however we choose the action upon becoming aware of said thoughts. Oranges are not much of a problem, but there exists in all of us a voice of discord and negativity embedded in the subconscious that is constantly looking for a reason to be upset, outraged or indignant. The origin of the voice is secondary, the action we choose to take paramount. Having embarked on Living on the Spiritual Basis the action is to turn from the lower to the higher by way of prayer, meditation and service.

Our course of action is simple: when a negative thought is persistent engage in some distracting activity such as a phone call to a friend inquiring about them (do not speak of the negative thought), an engrossing book, exercise, meeting with likeminded people over coffee, etc. If possible, find a way to be of service. Nothing relieves us of the bondage of self, and all negative thinking binds us in self, as intensive work with others. The key is to substitute positive thinking and action for the negative thoughts. Simple but not easy, when we begin this way of living it will feel clunky and somewhat uncomfortable, remember the first few times you rode a bike? But as long as we are diligent, in time, it will become second nature.
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Soaring Over Fear

“There is only one way to make spiritual progress…prayer” Emmet Fox. So, the question is not what to do but how to do it. “If your intuitive nature is well developed, you will seldom need to use formal statements at all. This is excellent-for who will trouble to climb a ladder when he is strong enough to leap over the wall?” Emmet Fox. Living on the Spiritual Basis a constant conscious contact with God is the result. However, few of us always feel the connection. Remember the camel’s nose and the tent? Our connection typically dims when we fail to see the camel’s nose (fear) slip under the tent flap (our consciousness) until it is too late and since a camel lacks reverse, once its head is in, it is coming in all the way.

So when we find ourselves staring fear in the eye, familiar structured prayers are a life saver. Kinda like that old friend who is always there when you need them. The Lord’s Prayer, the powerful “Be still and know that I am God”, the Serenity prayer are some of the old friends which quickly come to my mind. Another suggestion, that always works, is keep it simple. God already knows what is in our heart and exactly what we need before we need it, so simple heart filled prayers have great power. Remember, God is always present for it is His nature. When we lose sight of Him it is because we closed our eyes, prayer restores our sight and soon we are soaring again.


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© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved

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