The Circle of Atonement - Dedicated to A Course in Miracles
Daily Reading
Workbook Lesson:Lesson # 35—My mind is part of God's. I am very holy. [more] Lesson Index.
Lesson & Reading Plan Calendar
Today's Inspiration: Two minds with one intent become so strong that what they will becomes the Will of God. For minds can only join in truth. (W-185.3:1-2)
2012 Workbook Class
Free Workbook phone class: The Circle is pleased to offer again, for 2012, an ongoing Workbook phone class, taught each weekday morning at 10 a.m. ET by teachers from the Circle Course Community. We have three new teachers, with four returning teachers from 2011. New members are welcome to join in at any time. If you are interested, please email us at workbook@circleofa.org. These classes are being recorded for those who can't join in at the appointed time.
Comments from the 2011 class: "The discussion and sharing has been so valuable." "The sense of community created by the phone-in class was remarkable." "I am truly a different person." "All of you are so great and so full of wisdom!" "This year has been the best in my study of Course since I started in the late 80's."
New Workbook Commentary: Commentary on Lesson 36: My holiness envelops everything I see by Robert Perry. Let's talk about "holy." It is a word that we tend to want to tone down. Students tend to want to quickly redefine it: "Holiness is wholeness." I think that really strips out its meaning. Holiness in the dictionary is most often equated with sanctity or saintliness.
Robert's Blog
Is backward causation really possible? (February 2, 2012)
The other day, a friend asked me if I could find those passages in the Course that talk of us being able to send miracles backward in time. It's a fascinating topic, one that at first seems impossible. I mean, the past has already happened, right? And whenever you talk about going back and affecting the past, you get into weird contradictions. Read the rest of this entry »
Prayer Ministry
Prayer Ministry: Do you need prayers? Click here to receive healing and blessing prayers for all of the significant events and situations of your life.
A Better Way Newsletter
December/January Issue of A Better Way #114 by Robert Perry. In this issue of A Better Way, we have an article by Robert entitled "Should the Course Community Actually Be United?" In it, he responds to the voluminous feedback we received in response to his previous article, "Could the Course Community Actually Be United?" In the current article, Robert draws from the Course material to make the case that Jesus wants us all to join in one interpretation of his words. Let's continue the discussion! Click here to read A Better Way.
New Articles
There Are No Accidents by Robert Perry. Where do the events of our lives come from? In this study of relevant passages, Robert concludes that there are three explanations offered by the Course for where the events of our lives come from. These three seem different, yet they converge on a single crucial idea.
The Ten Commandments and A Course in Miracles by Greg Mackie. My fiancée, Patricia, who has a Mexican Catholic background, recently asked me what the Course says about the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were an important part of her faith growing up, and she wanted a Course perspective on them.
Reverse Projection: "As You See Him You Will See Yourself." by Robert Perry. We are all familiar with projection, whereby our self-perception becomes our perception of others. But are we aware that the reverse of that, in which causation travels the other way, is also a major plank in the Course's system? In this article, Robert explores "reverse projection," in which our perception of others determines our perception of ourselves.
Violence Has Dramatically Declined — Why? by Greg Mackie. It is a truism that we live in violent times. With the daily reports of crime, war, and terrorism screaming from our newspaper headlines, television sets, and Internet news sites, who could possibly suggest otherwise? Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker does suggest otherwise. In his new book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined, he uses statistical and historical analysis to demonstrate that, contrary to conventional wisdom, worldwide violence has in fact declined dramatically over time — so dramatically that we may well be living in the most peaceful period in human history. I find his arguments largely convincing, and naturally my thoughts turn to how this good news might be viewed from the perspective of A Course in Miracles.
Who's Minding the Mind? by Greg Mackie. A Course in Miracles claims that underneath our surface beliefs and motivations, we have a deep pit of dark, unconscious beliefs, motivations, and drives that are the real engines running our lives. We believe we murdered the Son of God in ourselves, and that we are so vile we would kill ourselves if our true nature were revealed to us. An underlying motivation in our love relationships is to take vengeance on past partners by extracting "love" from our current ones, who inevitably become targets of vengeance themselves. We have a relentless unconscious drive to accumulate guilt and punish ourselves with pain and death, all to serve the insane goal of keeping God's Love away from us. How can such dark drives be running our lives without our knowing it? It's difficult to imagine. Yet recent scientific studies leave the door open for the Course's account of our lives, for "the new studies reveal a subconscious…that is far more active, purposeful and independent than previously known."
Integrated ACIM
In our online copy of the entire text of A Course in Miracles, each section and paragraph contains links to all the articles and commentaries of ours that reference that section or paragraph. In all, it contains over 6,700 such links. Therefore, if you need clarity on a particular statement in the Course, you can just go to that place and click on the "related articles" link. If you want clarity on a certain section or lesson, you can go there and click on the "commentary" link. Links in green are available to everyone. Links in red are to commentaries and articles available in our various reading programs and the Circle Course Community. You must be subscribed to the program to access the links in red.
Our Purpose
Our purpose is to be a bridge into the profound and unparalleled wisdom of A Course in Miracles. We clarify the Course's often difficult language in order to make possible a deeper understanding of its teachings. We then help you put those teachings into practice, explaining how to apply them in your everyday life.
Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says. It also grows out of our years of dedication to walking this path ourselves and to helping others walk it. Our deepest desire is to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world.
As a student working with the Circle of Atonement you will be able to count on us for daily companionship and support. We are here to help you with both the theory and the application of this priceless teaching. You need never feel alone in the process. Based on the feedback we have received, we believe that our support can save you years on your journey back to God.
The Missing Piece
About
2,000 years ago Jesus offered a revolutionary message to the world
which, even now, has not been fully grasped. The church quickly
institutionalized his radical teachings into an organized religion
about worshipping him, obscuring the true meaning of his
transformative message. It is our belief that Jesus has appeared
again to humanity in the pages of
A Course in Miracles to
frame his ancient message for contemporary ears. As the authentic
voice of Jesus, A Course in Miracles provides the crucial
"missing piece" that supplies the healing Jesus
originally intended for the world. An important part of our mission
here at the Circle of Atonement is to ensure that Jesus'
vital message will never be lost to the world again.
Read our piece,
"The Promise of the Course: A Statement of Intent".
