Opening Reading & Meditation (Goodness) Rev. Christine Emmerling 10/1/2023
Today I’m sharing from Living the Infinite Way by Joel Goldsmith.
In contemplative meditation, the student transcends the desire to tell God anything. He contemplates the sun, moon, stars, and tides – all growing and living things – remembering that the heavens and the earth are filled with everything of which man has need. He beholds all things as emanations of God, showing forth God’s glory, God’s law, and God’s love for his children. In this quiet, peaceful state reassuring words of scripture are fulfilled: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee... In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths.”
Contemplating God and the nature of God’s work reveals an infinite law governing this universe, filling us with a peace that eliminates anxious concern. How useless it would be to pray for the Southern Cross to rise in the sky, or to pray for the tides to come in or to go out? Would it not be sinful to pray for flowers to bloom, when, before our very eyes the mystery of life is unfolding, disclosing, and revealing itself effortlessly?
The great prophets of old saw that man need do nothing about these great miracles except behold them, enjoy them, and be grateful that there is an infinite Wisdom and a divine Love that has created all these things for Its own glory. This really means for your glory and for mine, because God’s only existence is as you and as me!
As we engage in this spiritual activity of beholding God at work, day in and day out, we are brought to a state of consciousness where thought, of its own accord, slows down and finally stops. Then one day, in a second of silence, the activity or presence of God announces Itself to us, and we know that the kingdom of God is within us.
Meditation
We shall now move into a meditation on Goodness. Let us turn inward to our holy temple. Now bringing our attention to our breath breathing in deeply the Love of God, and exhale slowly releasing love. I invite you to take these words in to embody them.
The Divine Presence of God is here now and everywhere present. This Presence is all goodness, therefore all is good. I am an emanation of God, I am one with this Presence of goodness, therefore all that I am is good. This whole body, every atom and cell is goodness expressing life.
I am a shining light of radiant pure goodness.
All that I am is Good.
I Am Good. (Repeat)
The entire universe is an outburst of God’s goodness into expression. Every star bright and beautiful and all the darkness in-between is made of this same pure goodness. Every cosmic body is of this same goodness. Our own planet from its core to the sky above is all purely good. All living creatures and all things are of this same holy substance of goodness. I live in a world of holy goodness. Now silence.
Let us take a moment to let the joy of gratitude fill our hearts. Thank you Divine Presence for these moments of Oneness. So it is, Amen.
I invite you to bring your attention back.
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