Have you ever been asked to promote something that you did not know much about?  It can be very challenging.  Over the years, because of my position in education, I have been asked to “get behind and sell ideas” to a staff or a group of parents.  And many times those ideas were being given to me during an hour presentation in such a way that I wasn’t even 100% sure of what they were – much less how to promote them so that everyone would be applauding and saying Yeah Rah Tootie!  It was a tough gig at best.

This Sunday we will be taking about a type of Sale or Promotion that was shared during the Sermon on the Mount.  That particular Sermon was given by Jesus to a group of persons who had been following him and listening to his messages.  They were intrigued with a man who seemed to not be caught up in the rules or the policies and procedures of the Jewish way of life – but was truly living his life in full integrity – knowing who and what he was and coming from that space.  He made no apologies for his words, his thoughts, his emotions, or his actions.  He spoke from a place of true authority and promotion of something that was much greater than he was.  Although he was a part of all that he spoke about and wanted everyone who heard him to be a part too.

The Sermon On The Mount is the longest piece of teaching from Jesus and has been one of the most widely quoted elements of the Gospels.  It includes the Beatitudes and the Lord’s Prayer along with the Golden Rule and many other familiar teachings.  Many followers of Jesus the Master Teacher believe that the Sermon on the Mount contains the central tenets of Christianity.  And — quite interestingly it does contain two statements about who we are as humans on this planet that many times we brush over and do not see the full significance of what Jesus was actually telling us.

Jesus shared two analogies, which we will unpack on Sunday.  He stated that there were similarities between us as humans living in communities with Salt and Light.  He was encouraging us through these two analogies to promote ourselves in this life — Not to honker down and be a lowly worm.  You are the Salt of the Earth and You are the Light of the World.  During the next few days, begin noticing what you are noticing.  What is salt for?  What has it been used for over the ages?  What is light for?  What has it been used for over the ages?  Where in my life am I aware of the qualities of salt and light?  Are they similar in any way?

Joining me this Sunday is the amazing Jill Sissel with her talents and skills.  She will definitely be adding “flavor” to our Celebration Service on Sunday through the process of Shining her Light.   See you in a just 3 days!  Don’t forget our LOVE YOUR CHURCH DAY on Saturday – starting around 1:00.   Live in the Blessings.

Namaste’, Rev. D

“If we want to be ‘People of Vision’ – We must be careful of what we see.”  These words are oh, so true and were written by Dr. Judy at least 12 or 13 years ago.  At the time we were a spiritual community on fire with a dream to have a church building on some grounds where we could create many different kinds of experiences.  So we had spent time dreaming – visioning together.  We had plastered words all over sheets of paper.  We had created all of the ideas and spent time sifting through all the words and thoughts to begin creating something brand new for ourselves.

Were there struggles at the time to “be careful of what we see?”  Why yes!  There were persons who told us, “You can’t do it!”  And each and every time those words came out of someone’s mouth – the words were associated with some sort of “lack and limitation.”  A sense of, ‘not enough’.  And as Susan Gorrell stated about us many times – “We were the little church that could!”  Did the dream manifest quickly?  Well no – It took time – time for our leadership to get on board first – and then the majority of our congregation to believe.  It took us bringing in people like Paula Languuth Ryan to work with our leadership and make us recite over and over, “I’m Big. I’m Big.!  And look at us in November of 2015.  We have created the dream that was visioned and spoken by so many.

We have a building and grounds – and – we are still calling ourselves “little” and seeing lack and limitation.  Because we are not seeing the beauty of what has happened over those 12 – 13 years.  We are not focusing on all the lives we have touched.  All the people who have come through our doors and gotten just the message they needed or the support to begin really living their lives in a different way.  We are not focusing on the persons who are living and breathing and having their being inside a new creation because we told them – We Believe In You!

On Sunday Morning we have another opportunity to come together and support each other, first in a Celebration Service that will be spectacular.  “That” you can always count on.  Great Music from our Praise and Worship Team and Unity Unleashed.  Special Music by Carol Grace Anderson.  An inspirational talk by me entitled, “There Are No Gaps in Infinite Good.”  And then if that is not enough we have a Chili Cook off lunch; great sharing in a Congregational Meeting; and a time to look to the future of Unity of Music City.