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Archive for September, 2012

As We Forgive

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 11, 2012| Leave a Comment »

   As we repeat the Great Prayer intelligently, we are suddenly caught up and grasped as though in a vise, so that we must face this problem of separation from God. We must extend forgiveness to everyone.
Notice that Jesus does not say, “Forgive me my trespasses and I will try to forgive others.” He obliges us to declare that we have actually forgiven, and he makes our claim to our forgiveness to depend upon that.Who could be so insane as to endeavor to seek the Kingdom of God without desiring to be relieved of his own sense of guilt? We are trapped in the inescapable position that we cannot demand our own release before we have released our brother.
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts(Psalm 139:23).
Release today, our brothers and sisters with forgiveness; and rise up, freed of our own guilt. Wash away today, that which binds us to our own judgement; and forgive all. This is our personal Emancipation Proclamation. Claim it, proclaim it and live in the Eden waiting for us TODAY.
Released,
Z gardener
Author’s note: Today, let us remember those lost on 9-11, their loved ones and the first responders who still suffer each day. Remember our men and women in uniform who are still rooting out this evil.
But also, let us remember the everyday citizens who stood up to terror and rose from the ordinary to the legendary. Neil Young put best it in his 9-11 anthem “Let’s Roll”. That song was inspired by the phone calls made from Flight 93. Proof to any cynic that people are good, and capable of making the ultimate sacrifice for others. The lyrics and link are below.   Peace, Z

 

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Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us (Matthew 6:12).
This clause is the turning point of the Prayer. It is the strategic key. Having told us what God is, what man is, how the universe work, how we are to do our own work, what our true nourishment or supply is, and the way in which we can obtain it, he now comes to the forgiveness of sins.
The forgiveness of sins is the central problem of life. Sin is a sense of separation from God, and is the major tragedy of human experience. It is, of course, rooted in selfishness. It is essentially an attempt to gain some supposed good to which we are not entitled in justice. It is a sense of isolated, self-regarding, personal existence; whereas the Truth of Being is that all is One. Our true selves are at one with God, undivided from Him, expressing His ideas, witnessing to His nature. Because we are all one with the great Whole of which we are spiritually a part, it follows that we are one with all men.
Evil, sin, the fall of man, in fact, is essentially the attempt to negate this Truth. We try to live apart from God. We act as though we could have plans and purposes and interests separate from Him. All this, if it were true, would mean that existence is not one and harmonious, but a chaos of competition and strife. But, of course, it is not true, and therein lays the joy of life.
In this passage our forgiveness from God is linked to our forgiveness for others. If God forgives us “as” we forgive others, then the way we forgive directly affects our forgiveness from God. This raises a tough question. Are we forgiving others “as” we would have God forgive us? Would we be willing to accept the same level of forgiveness from God that we give to others? Do we show mercy to those who offend us as we would want God to show us mercy? The fact is we can”t have it both ways. I f we are harsh, unforgiving and judgmental, then we should expect to be judged and treated the same way.
Now is the time to let go of all those grudges, resentments and judgements against those who have hurt or wronged us. This day we can claim mercy and forgiveness for ourselves by giving it to others. Each day we can live in harmony with God and those we touch by freely offering forgiveness and mercy. Then we will be in communion with God and those around us as we walk in the garden God created to share with each of us.
In forgiveness,
Z gardener

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Our Daily Bread

Posted in Good Morning, tagged , on September 5, 2012| 1 Comment »

     In speaking of the “bread of life,” Jesus calls it our daily bread. The reason for this is very fundamental—our contact with God must be a living one. It is our momentary attitude that governs our being.
…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation(2 Corinthians 6:2).
The most futile thing in the world is to seek to live upon a past realization. The thing that means spiritual life to you is your realization of God here and now.
Be thankful for yesterday’s experience, knowing that it is with you forever in the change of consciousness that it brought about, but do not lean upon it for a single moment for the need of today. The manna in the desert is the Old Testament prototype of this daily nourishment. The people wandering in the wilderness were told that they would be supplied with manna from heaven every day but they were on no account to try to save it up for the morrow. When, notwithstanding the rule, some of them did try to live upon yesterday’s food, the result was pestilence or death.
So it is it us. The art of life is to live in the present moment, and to make that moment as perfect as we can by the realization that we are the instruments and expression of God Himself.
What a wonderful blessing it is to be able to live in the present. Free from past guilt and future anxiety, we can live in a forgiven and hopeful present, regardless of the outer circumstances of our lives. With this freedom comes the responsibility to make each present moment one of joy and gladness in communion with God and God’s children. If we waste these moments with anger, doubt or fear, then we have abrogated our call to live in faith and grace for that moment.
So today, let us govern our attitudes is response to God’s desire for our best good. Let us be the loving, hopeful and enthusiastic gardeners that God created us to be. Let us treasure every moment as a non-recurring gift that can not be repeated or stored away for a rainy day. Let us spend each moment as if it were our last. Then we will find ourselves in the Eden God meant for us to have here below.
Being today,
Z gardener

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The Giver of Our Bread

Posted in Good Morning, tagged on September 4, 2012| Leave a Comment »

People think of their supply as coming from certain investments, or from a business, or from an employer, perhaps; whereas these are merely the channels through which it comes, God being the Source. A particular channel is likely to change, because change is the cosmic law for manifestation. Stagnation is really death; but as long as you realize that the Source of your supply is the one unchangeable Spirit, all is well. The fading out of one channel will be but the signal for the opening of another.
In its inner and most important meaning, our daily bread signifies the realization of the Presence of God—an actual sense that God exists not merely in a nominal way, but as the great reality; we can rely upon Him to supply all that we need to have; teach us all that we need to know; and guide our step so that we shall not make mistakes. This is Emanuel, or God with us.
But my God shall supply all your need…(Philippians 4:19).
All we need to tap into the ultimate supply is to rely on God, believe his word and act according to his will. This means, of course, sublimating our will and desires to God’s. That is easier said than done. But just as it is easier listening to music than playing it; the music of God attracts us then we are motivated to learn how to play it. The more we practice our music and our spirituality, the better we get, and the easier it gets. Then, we can share this beautiful music with others.
So, when we turn to God for our needs, they are met and we learn how to receive them and share them with others. This is how we live in the garden God created for us, and how our music draws others to the garden.
Playing God’s tune,
Z gardener

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