Greg Mackie's Blog Archive December 2005
December 24, 2005
Christmas is upon us, and so I would like to share my favorite Christmas passage in the entire Course:
Watch with me, angels, watch with me today. Let all God's holy Thoughts surround me, and be still with me while Heaven's Son is born. Let earthly sounds be quiet, and the sights to which I am accustomed disappear. Let Christ be welcomed where He is at home. And let Him hear the sounds He understands, and see but sights that show His Father's Love. Let Him no longer be a stranger here, for He is born again in me today. (W-pII.303.1:1-6)
As we celebrate the birth of our elder brother Jesus two thousand
years ago, let us also remember to celebrate the birth of Christ
within ourselves. "It is in your power to make this season holy,
for it is in your power to make the time of Christ be now"
(T-15.X.4:1).
Merry Christmas everyone!
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December 17, 2005
In my blog entry for November 4, 2005, I mentioned that a group I belong to had begun a six-week experiment in living a life that is carefree-the life that Jesus, both in the gospels and in the Course, calls us to live. In a nutshell, the idea is that we are normally beset with worries and cares about how we're going to get our needs met, but we can be free of these cares because God cares for us. This letting go of self-concern then frees us to care for others. The members of our group supported each other in trying to live out this teaching day to day. While I can't say that I'm totally carefree now that the six weeks are up, I'm happy to report that the experiment has been rewarding.
Several "carefree" practices have been particularly helpful for me. One is a practice that the Course would put in the "response to temptation" category. Whenever a particular situation brings up a lot of worry and anxiety, I'll say to myself, "I can be carefree in this situation." There's something about simply reminding myself that I have a choice about how to feel that really shifts my mind. I find myself saying, "Oh, yeah. I really could be carefree right now, couldn't I? Why worry?" (Believe it or not, my wife and I used to live on a street called "Why Worry Lane." Seeing our street sign every time we came and went was always a good reminder.)
Another helpful practice is one I got from Robert, who was my practice partner during this experiment. The practice is essentially to say, "The Holy Spirit is in charge of the big picture, so I leave that to Him; my job is only to ask Him for my part in His plan and do it." This is based on Course passages like the following:
The plan is not of you, nor need you be concerned with anything except the part that has been given you to learn. For He Who knows the rest will see to it without your help. But think not that He does not need your part to help Him with the rest. (T-20.IV.6:1-3)
This practice is helpful because it reminds me that being carefree doesn't mean "the Holy Spirit's in charge, so I don't have to do anything at all." This misinterpretation can easily lead me to neglect what the Holy Spirit has actually given me to do-He's got it handled, my ego tells me, so I can just flop on the couch and watch the game. Instead, being carefree means that I trust in His overall plan and I trust in my ability to carry out the part He assigns to me. "We do not doubt our adequacy for the function He will offer us" (W-pI.186.4:2). In practice, this means letting go of concern about the larger plan, frequently asking the Holy Spirit what my little part in the plan is, and carrying out the part He gives me with a spirit of joy and confidence.
I've also gotten a lot of mileage out of finding "carefree" applications of the Workbook lessons I'm working with. I've found that the whole "carefree" idea crops up again and again in those lessons, as it does throughout the Course. For instance, in Lesson 348, we read the following:
Father, let me remember You are here, and I am not alone. Surrounding me is everlasting Love. I have no cause for anything except the perfect peace and joy I share with You. What need have I for anger or for fear? Surrounding me is perfect safety. Can I be afraid, when Your eternal promise goes with me? Surrounding me is perfect sinlessness. What can I fear, when You created me in holiness as perfect as Your Own? (W-pII.348.1:1-8)
Notice the carefree spirit here. I can be free of anger and fear because I am surrounded by love, safety, and holiness. I can be free of worry as I go through my day because, as the next sentence says, "God's grace suffices [me] in everything that He would have [me] do" (W-pII.348.2:1). I can be free to experience the perfect peace and joy God shares with me. And, as the next lesson says, this freedom puts me in a position to give to others: "Father, Your gifts are mine. Each one that I accept gives me a miracle to give" (W-pII.349.1:4-5). In other words: I can be carefree because God cares for me, and this enables me to care for others.
I still have a ways to go before I can say that I'm truly carefree on a consistent basis. I have good days and bad days. But as a result of this experiment, I feel like the whole idea of being carefree has become a powerful new tool in my "problem-solving repertoire" (W-pI.194.6:2). In my group, we've decided to keep the experiment going beyond the initial six weeks. I'm looking forward to it. Respond to this post
December 8, 2005
Several days ago, I was stuck in the Christmas doldrums, the state of dazed weariness I sometimes fall into when the barrage of the season gets to be too much. I'm a homebody who likes peace and quiet, so for me the Christmas season can be pretty overwhelming. There's so much hustle and bustle and stress and sensory overload that I find myself wanting to crawl into a cave until it's all over. Sometimes I think bears have the right idea.
But on Tuesday morning, I came upon the day's lesson, "I can be free of suffering today" (Lesson 340). This is one of those lessons that encourages us to shoot for the whole enchilada-complete awakening for the entire Sonship-right here and right now. "This day is holy, for today Your Son will be redeemed" (1:2). The time of salvation, the whole purpose of our earthly existence, is now at hand: "I was born into this world but to achieve this day" (1:6). Since this is the day of liberation from all suffering, Jesus calls us to rejoice: "Be glad today! Be glad! There is no room for anything but joy and thanks today" (2:1-3). Now, I don't think Jesus necessarily expects us to awaken completely from the dream this day-there wouldn't be any further lessons or a Manual for Teachers if this were the case. But I do think he wants us to recognize that complete awakening is possible at any time, so why not shoot for it today? Even if we don't go all the way, aiming for the loftiest goal possible instead of a more modest one will get us a lot farther on the journey.
I felt inspired by this lesson, so I decided to really go for it on Tuesday. The heck with my Christmas doldrums-I could be free of suffering today. With this goal in mind, I really threw myself into practicing this lesson according to the practice instructions the Course itself gives us. I had a refreshing morning meditation (and another peaceful meditation session before I went to sleep that evening), did my hourly remembrances, reminded myself frequently of my goal throughout the day, and used lines from the lesson whenever I found myself sinking into that Christmas funk. I got a lot of mileage out of one simple line: "Be glad today! Be glad!" I wasn't a victim of the season. I could be glad if I really wanted to.
This practice really paid off. I'm pleased to report that I had a truly happy day. Now, I can't say that I was totally free of all suffering. As I'm sure you've already noticed, I didn't fully awaken from the dream. But my mood was far better than it had been earlier, so much better that the transformation truly felt miraculous. And this didn't come from any external change at all. The Christmas rush swirled all around me as before. My mood shifted from weariness to joy simply because I committed myself to mentally practicing the realization that freedom from suffering could be mine this very day.
Through this experience, I relearned something I've learned many times before but have found all to easy to forget: Course practice really works. It can shift my mind like nothing else can. I want to remember this throughout this holiday season and beyond. I want the joy that comes with release from suffering, and in the Course I have the means to find the joy I seek. Respond to this post
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