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Rooted in Spirit - United in Love |
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Pleasant Valley Church of Religious Science |
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Horn of Plenty As we head into the holday season, watching autumn turn to winter, often we become introspective, inward bound and inclined to spiritual hibernation as the days grow shorter. This is a time where we are led to reflect on our blessings and to share our bounty. Many of our holidays, and particularly Thanksgiving, have their origin in agrarian culture. The harvest, time for reaping what we have sown, is a literal experience where the consequences of our behavior are clearly seen. Preparation, propagation, fertilization, irrigation and cultivation are directly reflected in the quality and quantity of the harvest. In our Spiritual life effects are seldom so clearly connected with causes. But, the Science of Mind tells us that our outer experience is the direct result of our inner beliefs, and that if we want to take a mental inventory, we need only look around us for a concrete demonstration of our beliefs. It follows, then, that if we wish to change the quality of our life - our finances, health relationships, work and play-the place to apply our effort is in the area of our thoughts, attitudes and beliefs. A perfect symbol to carry in mind as we go about the work of transforming our mental landscape is the Horn of Plenty. This is a symbol with which we are all familiar from our earliest memories’ days. Show any child a picture of the Horn of Plenty, pouring forth its bounty, and ask him to name the Holiday. Thanksgiving! So, it seems we have a preprogrammed symbol of plenty with which to work our mental "magic". Each week in our Offertory Affirmation we announce that "God is the Source and Substance of My Supply". I ask you to form a mental picture of the Horn of Plenty resting in your heart, for this is the place where we connect with one another, with life and with Spirit. Embrace this image and allow it to reveal and pour forth rich and vibrant symbols of prosperous living. In whatever form abundance reveals itself to your mind, let this image fill your heart to overflowing, and silently intone the words "Thank You". Let this attitude of gratitude fill your heart, your mind and your life, for nothing so predisposes us to enjoy a life of abundance as does a consciously and deliberately cultivated attitude of Thanksgiving. And thus we see that in this important aspect, our lives today are really little different from our forebears whose fortunes were tied so closely to the land. We truly do reap the harvest of our thoughts, words and deeds. The most powerful a tool for paving the way to a bountiful harvest is simple gratitude. Our church is a wonderful demonstration of the power of hearts and minds working to create an open, compassionate spiritual community. Reverend Patrick |
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