Ocean of Life

“Whether I am a small or a big wave of being, the same Ocean of Life is behind me.” Paramahansa Yogananda

Oceans are vast. Oceans are deeper that one can tell from looking at the surface. An ocean is a home for all kinds of creatures, and it provides food for even more creatures. Oceans are life-giving. The ocean connects all life within it, supports life within it, interpenetrates all life within it. The ocean is one with all the life it houses and sustains. No matter what a crab or a star fish or a sponge knows about the ocean, no matter what those creatures believe about the ocean, no matter how they understand their relationship to the ocean, the ocean remains faithful to them, inseparable from them, nurturing and sustaining them always. Isn’t the Source of our lives, the Substance of All That Is, the All-in-all… no matter what we call It (and most of us probably call It “God”), isn’t It as faithful, as present, as nurturing as the Ocean? Isn’t God the Ocean of our Lives in which we live and move and have our being? Doesn’t God surround us and fill us and connect us with all Life? Isn’t this Good News?

Yours in shared service,

Durrell+

Sowing & Reaping

Healing Rays: A Progressive, Positive, Practical Weekly Reflection
by Durrell Watkins

“Often we hear someone say, ‘I will do it when my ship comes in.’ And I always like to ask, ‘Did you send one out?’ In other words, as you give, you receive; as you serve, you benefit.” Irwin Gregg

We are already well into autumn. Soon, the Liturgical Year will begin again with Advent and not longer after that there will be the Season of Lent. Advent and Lent both remind us about service, stewardship, worship, and daily prayer. But the truth is those disciplines benefit us year round! When we volunteer for ministries or social service, when we contribute generously and consistently to the place where our spirituality is nourished, when we give to other good causes, when we gather with others for a shared experience of worship, and when we enter into the Silence each day to commune with the God of our understanding, we are sowing seeds of love and hope, and those seeds are bound to take root and return to us an abundant harvest of fulfillment and joy. As we give, we receive. As we serve, we benefit.

Following Our Star

Healing Rays: A Progressive, Positive, Practical Weekly Reflection
by Durrell Watkins

"...the star is seen to be our star. It is the star of Jesus but he came that we might see it as our star." Albert Grier

Magi, the story goes, saw a star and followed it to a life-giving and life-changing experience. In ancient times, it was believed "new stars" appeared when special people were born. We may not take the story literally. After all, we must surely have doubts that an actual star rested only a few feet above a dwelling place like the Texaco star sign elevated near a gas station! But as an allegory, the story may be very true. The story tells us that as we seek and follow the light of Truth, wherever it may come from and wherever it may lead, we will find ourselves discovering what is empowering, life-giving, nurturing, and joyous for our lives. The magi represent the divine Wisdom within us, leading us always to seek and follow signs that point toward our greater Good. The star of Jesus, the Epiphany star is our star...the symbol of our spiritual growth and evolution.

Knowing Who We Are

Healing Rays: A Progressive, Positive, Practical Weekly Reflection
by Durrell Watkins

"[Human-beings are] Life and Intelligence expressed." Myrtle Fillmore

Have you ever noticed that we tend to think of people in the past (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Socrates, Buddha, Jesus, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sojourner Truth, etc.) as being "great". But we think of ourselves as being insignificant. Or, because we feel insignificant, we pretend to be great, exaggerating our accomplishments and taking credit for things we didn't really do. Or, we allow ourselves to believe that we are pretty good, but our neighbor or enemy or "those" people are evil, nefarious, beneath contempt.

In reality (divine Reality), we are ALL an expression of the One Life, the Infinite Intelligence. If we don't know or believe this Truth, then we may not live up to our enormous potential, but that doesn't change who we really are. We are (ALL) children of God. The divine Spark we see in Dr. King or Mother Teresa is also in us. Once we really see it in ourselves, then we'll tend to see it not only in the heroes of the past, but in all people. And when what we see is divine, what we experience will more often be divine!

Spiritual Resources

Sunshine Cathedral is now offering three new resources to help you on your spiritual journey. The first is a book called A Treatment A Day: a book of and about prayer. The second is a book called Progressive, Positive, & Practical Encouragement for Spiritual Leaders (recommended for clergy and lay leaders of churches of every size). The third is called Fairy Dust: Using Affirmations to Unlock the Magic of Life. They are available here. A limited number of copies are in the bookstore at church, and A Treatment A Day is also available at Amazon.com.

Mothers of God

Healing Rays: A Progressive, Positive, Practical Weekly Reflection
by Durrell Watkins

"We are all meant to be mothers of God, for God is always needing to be born." Meister Eckhart

Christian mystic Julian of Norwich is known to many of us for her affirmative prayer, "All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." But of course, her profound and deep spirituality offers us a wealth of insights. Once she wrote, "God is the true Father and Mother of Nature and all natures that are made to flow out of God to work the divine will, will be restored and brought again into God." We may notice that even in the middle ages, Julian knew that God wasn't limited to a Y chromosome! But we also see her faith that Good flows out of God, and the Good we share is an offering back to God. When we believe in our sacred value and share that optimism and goodwill with the world around us, we are expressing the Goodness of God. And when we express God, we are actually offering our best back to God. We are here to give birth daily to divine potential! Isn't that good news?

Spiritual Resources

Sunshine Cathedral is now offering three new resources to help you on your spiritual journey. The first is a book called A Treatment A Day: a book of and about prayer. The second is a book called Progressive, Positive, & Practical Encouragement for Spiritual Leaders (recommended for clergy and lay leaders of churches of every size). The third is called Fairy Dust: Using Affirmations to Unlock the Magic of Life. They are available here. A limited number of copies are in the bookstore at church, and A Treatment A Day is also available at Amazon.com.

You Are the Power

Healing Rays: A Progressive, Positive, Practical Weekly Reflection
by Durrell Watkins

"Know that you are the power you're looking for." Louise Hay

Most of our discontent comes from feeling separated from our "Source." You may imagine your Source to be the human family, or the universe, or the interconnecting web of all existence. You may call your Source "spirit" or "Goddess" or "God." How we imagine It and what we call It isn't as important as our awareness that we are connected to It. When we feel connected to Source and we feel its currents of energy flowing through us, then not only do things tend to go better for us, but even when there are challenges or setbacks, we tend to handle those disappointments with more courage, hope, and grace. The Power of Life is expressing in, through, and as us. We are individuations of the Whole, and when we remember that, we have all the empowerment we need. Right where we are, the power of life is; It's part of us and it is expressing as us. Let this thought renew your hope today.

(Reprinted from March 16, 2009)

Learning to Let Go

Healing Rays: A Progressive, Positive, Practical Weekly Reflection by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div., D.Min.

"My work has taught me that any pain or struggle is a signal to relax and let go. Pain and struggle are signs you are holding on to a fear, judgment, expectation, doubt or some other self-limiting thought." — Dr. Robert Holden, Shift Happens: Powerful Ways to Transform Your Life

We all are familiar with stress. But our stressful situations are often made worse by our own attitudes. Situations can be difficult, but our attachments and our "shoulds" and our resentments and our fears all keep us tied up in emotional knots. The result is we get tired, cranky, and we become less effective. Dr. Holden assures us, "The best things in life happen when you dare to let go! How good is romance when you let go
and trust... How attractive you are when you let go and relax! How effective at work are you when you let go and give yourself fully! Letting go inspires creativity, intimacy, laughter, balance, abundance, and peace."

Our attempts to control life will leave us exhausted and dissatisfied. But when we let go of our judgments and allow ourselves to be present to what is, we find we are part of creating something wonderful, dynamic,
exciting, fun, and miraculous. And when we are having THAT experience, stress is suddenly nowhere to be found. Let's let go today and be present to the possibilities that exist for us; let's be part of the joy
of being our best selves, now.

(Reprinted from February 19th, 2008)

Durrell+

© Durrell Watkins, Sunshine Cathedral, 2009

Good News Is Still Needed

Healing Rays: A Progressive, Positive, Practical Weekly Reflection by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div., D.Min.

"With God, I can do all things! But with God and you and the people you can interest, by the grace of God, we're going to cover the world!" Aimee Semple McPherson

In the last few weeks, I have been bombarded with prayer requests by people who have discovered they have serious health challenges. In this same time, people have spoken to me about their struggle to reconcile sexuality and spirituality. Finally, during this same period of time, I have received what I affectionately call "hate-mail" from Internet viewers who say that our message of inclusion and affirmation is not only wrong but offensive to God. It's been an interesting few weeks.

What all this communication (both the requests for support and the unkind accusations) tells me is that we are very much needed! There are people who still struggle to believe that God loves them just as they are. There are people who are facing difficult realities and who are making life-changing decisions and they need hope and wisdom and loving community as they face their circumstances. And, there are misguided souls who continue to spread hate and fear as they insist that God shares their prejudices. Whew. We have lots of work to do.

Of course, in Reality, we are all made in the divine image and we are all connected in the universal Web of Existence. Because this is true, there is hope and encouragement for everyone. But who will share this good news? Those of us who have been liberated by it! So, let's continue to support our church with time, talent, and treasure. Let's continue to pray for all who are on our prayer list. Let's continue to invite more and more people into our faith community. Let's develop our daily spiritual practices and let's keep Sharing the Light with the World!

Durrell+

© Durrell Watkins, Sunshine Cathedral, 2009

Intention + Commitment = Success

Healing Rays: A Progressive, Positive, Practical Weekly Reflection by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div., D.Min.

“Let us waste no further time looking for the secret of success or the key to happiness. Already the door is open and whosoever will may enter.” Ernest Holmes

When we think of a great human being, who comes to mind? Mother Teresa? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Nelson Mandela? Each was talented and intelligent to be sure; but what seems to be the greatest contributor to the difference these people made is their willingness to give their all to something they believed in. A full commitment to something larger than them is what made these people great.

When we set a clear intention to do something and make a full commitment to it, the Universe seems to conspire with us to guarantee our success! The all-inclusive, interconnecting Spirit of Life is always willing be our partner in any venture that is motivated by goodwill and that is fueled by our clear intention and total commitment.

It is better to set a goal too high and only achieve 80% than to set a goal too low and achieve 100%. The 80% of the grand goal will usually prove to be more than the 100% of a modest goal. Let’s believe in ourselves, set lofty goals, commit to those goals, and trust the Power of Life to support us as we pursue them. We can overcome obstacles and achieve wonderful results in our lives.

Durrell+

© Durrell Watkins, Sunshine Cathedral, 2009

Remembering Hiroshima

Today is the 64^th anniversary of the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima. From that attack, about 144,000 people were killed (about half from the initial blast, the others from wounds and illnesses that resulted from the blast). Over the next few decades, hundreds more would develop cancer or leukemia as a result of the radiation from the attack. Most casualties were civilians.

I am glad that no other war has ended in nuclear holocaust; and I do hope that nuclear weapons will never again be used.

I’m not writing to defend or condemn the actions of a war that took place decades before my birth. I know the Japanese Empire was given an ultimatum before the attack was launched and I know that Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor is what officially drew the U.S. into WW2. I’m not interested in rehashing the rationale for the use of such deadly force at Hiroshima; nor am I interested in trying to discern if in the end such action was ethical or necessary. What’s done is done.

What I do want to do today is honor the lives of innocent people lost in every war. I want to acknowledge the horror of Hiroshima, the brutality of war, and the sacredness of human life. And, I want to express an on-going wish for peace in the world and a constant desire for the day to come when conflicts can be settled by means other than violence.

For those who lost their lives at Hiroshima in 1945… Rest in peace.
For all who have lost their lives because of any war at any time… Rest in peace.
For those who risk their lives in service of their country… May you never be unnecessarily placed in harm’s way.
And for our world that longs for peace, justice, and stability… May an Abiding Peace bless us and keep us, now and always. Amen.

Choosing Our Destiny

A Progressive, Positive, Practical Weekly Reflection by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div., D.Min.

“We build our future, thought by thought,
For good or ill, yet know it not.
Yet so the universe was wrought.
Thought is another name for fate;
Choose then thy destiny and wait,
For love brings love and hate brings hate.”
— Henry Van Dyke

My grandmother was an elementary school teacher. But she didn’t become a teacher in the conventional way. She didn’t go from high school to college and start teaching at 22. She got married at 17 and decided to go to college two years later. It was during WW2 and there was a teacher shortage. She entered a special program that allowed one to get a teaching certificate without a degree. She went to college for one year and then started teaching. Of course, after the war, the state raised the standards for teachers so that within a few years all teachers were required to have a Bachelor’s degree again. However, those who had received the non-degree certificate where allowed to keep teaching (but they were paid less than degreed teachers).

My grandmother decided she wanted to complete the degree, so every summer for 10 years she went to school until finally she did complete her Bachelor of Science in Education degree. Her sister got her degree in the exact same way and went on to earn a Master of Education degree, and their brother earned a Bachelor’s degree and two Masters’ degrees after serving as a pilot in WW2. All three retired from the profession of teaching.

What’s the point of this bit of family nostalgia? Just that these relatives demonstrated to me that achieving goals may not be quick or easy, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t possible. We may have to find creative ways to achieve our goals. We may have to wait years before our dreams are fully realized. But deciding on a goal, believing it is possible and remaining committed to it until it is realized however long it takes is the recipe for ultimate success. By choosing to be committed, optimistic, and determined and by not giving up too soon, we may find that we are able to do exactly what we had always wished was possible. As it turns out, most of what we wish for really is possible. Our job is to “choose then [our] destiny and wait…” Let’s keep moving forward toward our goals!

Durrell+

© Durrell Watkins, Sunshine Cathedral, 2009

God Sees Goodness

A Progressive, Positive, Practical Weekly Reflection by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div., D.Min.

“Thou, God, seest me perfect.” The Upanishads

It makes me sad to see people trying to earn God’s favor. The Creative Power of Life expresses through us. It doesn’t merely put up with us; It needs us. We are how the divine Presence knows Itself. We are how It expresses Itself. God doesn’t look at us from far away and see sin and depravity. God looks at all of creation as we might look in a mirror; and God smiles approvingly at the beautiful reflection.

We make mistakes, of course. We don’t always remember our divine potential. We don’t always live in the power of Love that we are. But the truth of our being is that we are enough. Transcendent Life expressing in, through, and as us is always enough. We are good enough. And as we embrace this truth, we experience more hope, more joy, more freedom in our lives.

Let’s pray this week, “Dear God, you see goodness when you see me. May I see that same goodness and live into it and trust its truth now and always. Thank you, God! Amen.”

Durrell+

© Durrell Watkins, Sunshine Cathedral, 2009

Are We Enough?

A Progressive, Positive, Practical Weekly Reflection by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div., D.Min.

“I know that I am enough. There may be religions and philosophies that agree with me, but that’s not why I am enough. I am enough because I was born to express life, and life is always enough.” Dr. David J. Walker

We have goals, of course (and we need them). And we are proud of our achievements (and rightfully so). But let’s not let our achievements define us. There are times when we have false starts or when we make mistakes or even when we fail. Are we no good at such times? Of course not! We’re the same people we were in the times of success, accomplishment, and celebration. We can keep our trophies polished and admire them from time to time, but we learn good lessons from the mistakes, and we bounce back from the failures, and the disappointments don’t last forever (and sometimes they turn out to be blessings in disguise). The point is there will always be ups and downs. We can appreciate the ups, but our value doesn’t depend on them. We are Life in expression, at all times. In good times and bad times we have sacred value and enormous potential. We are enough. When we believe that, the ups won’t leave us conceited and the downs won’t leave us in despair. At all times, we are enough. And that’s enough to know, isn’t it?

Avoid Desperation

A Progressive, Positive, Practical Weekly Reflection by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div., D.Min.

“Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” Jesus, Matthew 6.34

Have you ever been desperate? Perhaps you were looking for a lover, or even just a date. But you were so anxious about finding someone that you actually spent more time worrying about not finding someone than meeting new people. People aren’t attracted to desperation. But, once you “gave up”, and relaxed, suddenly people started noticing how attractive some of your qualities are. People noticed that you are funny, or charming, or kind and they wanted to spend more time with you. Some of them probably asked you out, or you asked one of them out and they joyously accepted the invitation. That’s actually a very good life lesson — whether we are dealing with health, finances, career, friendships, or any other issue, it’s important to remember that desperation only attracts more desperate conditions. Hope, peace, confidence… these attitudes attract the more harmonious conditions we deserve and desire. When desperation starts to sit in, try to relax. Don’t worry about what could go wrong down the road. Meet the day at hand with hope and confidence. Desperation isn’t helpful. Hope, however, is.