Feed or be fed?

Feed or be fed?

As we discussed the three spiritual needs of people I was struck with a couple of questions.  Where do those needs come from?  Embedded theology?  How do we meet those needs?  What is ours to do in meeting those needs from a ministerial perspective?

First, the basis of these needs are so vast it is difficult to postulate the source.  The religious tradition we grew up in would certainly be one of, at least, influence. Whether we embraced the beliefs are not, we have the possibility of carrying over preferences or expectations for our church and minister.  For example, I have heard a number of New Thought followers express a yearning for rituals.  If we consider aspects of our services to include music, for instance, these could fulfill these desires. 

The need of new ideas or perspectives on familiar ideas is often cited to be a missing element in a more traditional church.  These disillusioned souls come into our ministry looking to not necessarily topple their existing theology.  More often it is to refresh their thinking.  They are attracted to the “New” part of our teachings. I consider this an unspoken basic for our services and lessons.

Another essential of our ministries is to demonstrate what we propose in our mission values and purpose statements.  If we as in Unity describe ourselves as “practical”, we must offer principles to apply in life.  Platitudes are very shallow.  It is easy to say God is good and everywhere present.  However, it necessary for us to reveal this in a deeper way and propose useful messages.

These spiritual needs can be met just in a Sunday service alone.  I propose that we also provide the possibilities of meeting them in every other aspect of our ministries, such as classes and social activities. 

We are not in the business of “force feeding” the masses (no pun intended).  However, we are here to offer ways to access the Divine, in us and all around us.  While we in the ministry want to encourage spiritual growth, I believe we also are to provide the conduit rather than obstacles for that growth.  Oh, and by the way, this may be my embedded theology!  Always taking hacks at the Holy!  Blessings!

My basic belief about God is that God is energy.  This energy is neutral.  It is present in everything and everyone at all times.  Merriam-Webster.com offers this definition of energy as dynamic quality:  the capacity of acting or being active <intellectual energy>; usable power.  Wikipedia says this about energy- “It is impossible to give a comprehensive definition of energy because of the many forms it may take, but the most common definition is that it is the capacity of a system to perform work.”

 We as observers of the energy have an effect on the course. We cannot directly observe energy, only the “results.”  God is different for each person given we each have our own theology and therefore God may take many forms.  I consider an example of a vengeance God of the Hebrew Scriptures to be a reflection of the consciousness of the writers.  Yes, God is the capacity to perform work.  And, yes, we are this capacity also, given this energy is in us.  I find God in the spaces.

Sin is in the observation.  When we see the energy as a negative, it goes in that path.  Therefore, the resulting manifestation of the energy is in compliance.  Salvation is the changing of the direction to a positive route.  This is the meaning of the saying that we change the world when we change our minds.  There is no inherent “evil.”  We create or manifest the bad with our thinking.  I view evil as the opposite of “live.”  In other words, in “evil,” it (a person or thing) is not living and growing.  My interpretation of prayer is the act of connecting into this field of energy and allowing it to inform my thinking and feeling.  And finally, I must practice this connecting when living in a world that has a choice.  I personally do not want a shrinking anti-living world.  My practice is to reassure myself and others that we can have a world that works for everyone.  Heaven is not a physical place, but a level of consciousness, as is Hell.

A church is a support for people to practice remembering that God is good and always available to us.  It provides the teachings and community to empower everyone in the congregation to grow spiritually.  This implies that it is not merely a place for people to be told their truth, but where they can safely discover for themselves the Truth, meaning the changeless principles that allow us to experience a life of growth, abundance and understanding.  In this community, with our without walls, they can connect with others in this pursuit, hearing others, speaking, learning, expressing, and trying out theologies.  While I am saying this, I realize that a church has a commitment to teach their theology, but also I maintain that it has a duty to allow conversations and explorations as to the viability of those teachings.  As Thomas Paine said “It is error only, and not truth that shrinks from inquiry.”