Center for Spiritual Living Midtown

The idea that we are constantly being tested by God is one of the most limiting ideas the human race has ever bought into. While it’s true that most of us encounter some kind of suffering during our life, it’s time that we stopped seeing that suffering as something noble or necessary, because Life is not an adversarial relationship. We are not here to fight against our desires, or to suffer great pain so that we can become more spiritual. We are not here to deny our own sexuality, to stay poor, or to give up everything we own so someone else can think better of us. We are here to understand our true relationship with God, and our true relationship with Life. And there is no reason at all why we can’t enjoy ourselves immensely while we’re doing it.

How easy it is to jump forward in time from 2AM to 3AM when Daylight Savings Time begins. Many of us would like to jump forward in time to be in a career we have always wanted, a relationship dreamt about, a better financial situation, and a slimmer body, as easily done as it is to set the clock forward one hour. It seems like such a huge chasm of where we stand today in our lives, and where we want to be at a future time. Being in this teaching reminds us that that chasm is really only one thought wide...so we learn to choose greater thoughts to bring the chasm together between where we are, and where we want to be.

Many teachers have told us (Dr. Holmes included) that everything starts out as an idea. They tell us that, but it's actually not quite true. The reality is, everything starts out as God. Then it goes through the process of expressing God, and ends up being God in some physical form. That is the spiritual explanation of the creative process...from "the nothing that is everything" to "the something that is just part of everything." Energy to form, spirit to body, idea to thing. That's how this Center started, and that is why it continues to grow and thrive today. We aren't confused about what has been created. We know exactly what has happened over the past year. We aren't "buying a building," or "growing a congregation"; we're nurturing an idea. We're practicing Principle in everything we do, learning together how Life supports us as we live in accordance with the Laws of our being.

The practice of mental science is not something that works well by being forced. It also does not depend on the force of will or even the power of deep concentration. Too many people come to this teaching, try it for a month or two, and then walk away because they think it's too hard. That's a shame, because it shows they never really understood it. They never quite realized that this teaching is not magic, or supernatural. Its power lies in the intelligent use of the proper mental and spiritual tools to take advantage of basic spiritual laws.

The challenge we face, at every stage of our life, boils down to this: Who should we love; what is the best possible way for us to demonstrate our love; and what is the best possible way for us to receive love? Those are the ways love moves. If we can manage to find the answer to those three questions, at any given time, depending upon where we happen to be in our own life in terms of our age, gender, relationship status, sexual orientation, emotional needs, social interests and level of sexual desire --- all the areas where love comes into play --- everything is going to be just fine. We’ll have all the support, all the friends, all the lovers, all the attention we need. But for most of us, it's easier said than done.

In almost all endeavors in life we are to go forward, but in religion we need first to retrace our steps back to the source and then move forward. Let us realize that we can replace the primitive laws of force, bigotry, hatred and violence with loving kindness, meekness, understanding and forgiveness. Every other attempt to usher peace into our world has failed. The practice of Jesus’ teachings is the answer for human ills. This Galilean prophet’s simple and direct message was free of theology, doctrine, and dogma. He had no intention of starting another religion nor was he the founder of Christianity (Churchianity) as we know it today.

Therefore, let us join and participate together in demonstrating Jesus’ principles and teachings in our daily living. This will bring peace and heaven on earth for all of us.

Etta James in a song stated she wanted a Sunday kind of Love, a love that lasts past Saturday night. I am going to explore not only the Sunday kind of Love she is speaking about, but also the Saturday night kind of Love she is speaking about as well, and end speaking about a kind of Love even better than those two..... A Love that lasts even beyond a Sunday kind of Love.

If we intend to shape or to re-shape our life, the only tools we really need are our mind and our heart. But having them isn't enough; we also have to know how to use them. We use our mind to choose what we want to create, and we use our heart, our passion for Life, to put the power behind our thoughts.  We've all got the ability to do this. So if we want to get good at this creation thing, we need to practice using what we've got.

The only difference between spiritual laws and the laws of physics that we use to create things is that we think only physical laws are real. But metaphysics and quantum physics are showing us that the laws of the invisible universe, the mental and spiritual universe, are just as real as the laws we use in the visible world. They will always do what they are designed to do for anyone who uses them intelligently. We don’t have to earn them. We don’t have to beg for them to work. And they aren't being hidden.

Basics 2: This Thing Called “YOU” Rev. Paul Gonyea

Musician - Eric Larkins, classical guitar

When the Master Teacher Jesus supposedly said, 'I am the Way and the Truth and the Life,' what he was really saying and demonstrating was, 'This is the power you have. I am showing you the way you need to think and live and believe.' He was telling us that finding a better way to live isn’t about praying for God to show up and fix things; it’s about recognizing that this Power we call God is already here, and that we are its vehicle.