Bishop Spong met us at the door of his home and warmly welcomed us into what turned out to be a comprehensive survey of the state of the Christian Church in America in the second decade of this century. Bishop Spong had as one of his mentors the English Bishop John A.T. Robinson whose liberal understanding of the state of the church in the middle of the last century gained world wide involvement with his book God Is Dead. Bishop Spong has done much the same thing with his writings and with major effect.

In his book, Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers In Exile, what is remarkable is not his beliefs themselves, but that an Episcopal bishop would be the one to embrace and espouse them. Spong has become a trumpeter in the battle of beliefs, not just in the Episcopal communion, but in the realm of Christian faith in general in this country. His books are bestsellers and are in turn, presumably, read by those who, whether they agree or disagree see that in some way, Spong is involved in setting the agenda for the Church. This book, as the admitted “summation of his life’s work” tells every reader what the complete Christian agenda will be, for the next few years at least.

What this interview will allow you to see is the heart of the man and his compassion for those suffering the ills of our age, and his love for the church. At 80, he is stunningly alive and awake and using his life to bring the original Christian beliefs out the 15th century and the grips of 20th century fundamentalists and into the post modern techno-understanding of the 21st century.

Enjoy

Transcript
Hi, today is Friday, June 14th, 2013. This is Flag Day, and it’s appropriate because, if you’re like me, over the last couple of weeks you might feel like you’ve been rocked by the news and the information that we’ve been dealing with. The business of the surveillance that we’re living under, apparently by choice, the whole question of what’s been going on with Syria, and all the other problems at least make me feel like we are just spinning in our tracks.

Now, one of the things that’s interesting about that is, that John Kenneth Galbraith, who was an economist and a social commentator, said, in the mid of the last century, that we are becoming, and by now we are, “A nation of consumers and not a nation of citizens.” Somehow or another in our rush to consume all the wonderful things that come our way, we have somehow forgotten what it means to be a citizen. To take responsibility for what our country does and what we do within our country. So that when we’re hit by all this stuff that involves citizenship and government, and we feel like we can’t have any impact on it.

Part of the responsibility for that is us. By focusing on consuming stuff, and you remember right after 911 we were told, “Everything’s OK folks, go on back to bed, just go shopping.” But the truth is we have got to wake up as citizens. Now, the first thing that happens when you start to wake up as a citizen is, you discover that there is more than enough stuff out there to me really negative about. It is overwhelming. And being negative only attracts more things to be negative about. That’s fine for some people. There’s some people that have a valid reason to be negative, and on top of that, they balance out the scale, but that’s not for you and that’s not for me.

Our job is to be light workers. To carry the light into any situation in which we find ourselves. I saw an article the other day and it was talking about how some environments are toxic, and they’re toxic because only maybe one person just lives in a world of anger or fear, or conflict, and they become a carrier. And everybody else in that environment winds up having the same problem as the carrier does.

It is also true that you and I, when we focus on the light and we intend to bring light into everything we do; you and I are carriers that can affect, and infect any situation we’re in and make it better. Now, I don’t think any of us, certainly not me, are going to be able to change the environment we’re in by taking specific actions or protesting this or that. But as citizens alone, just that. We have a responsibility to see to it that we’re informed, and that we do the very best we can. And part of that means that wherever there is hatred, we sew peace. Wherever there is darkness we bring light. Wherever there is doubt, we bring hope. And the list goes on and on but what I’m trying to say, and you understand what I’m trying to say is that our job is to not flag or falter on the question of bringing light to every situation and there’s so much going on right now that needs somebody, and that’s you and me, to shed light and say to each other and the world, wait a minute.

There is another way of looking at this. There must be and there is another way. And if we start just with that premise, which by the way is the initial premise of the course of miracles. There must be a better way. If we start there, then we open the door to possibilities that others can’t see because they are consumed with negativity. It’s up to you and it’s up to me.

We’re the people that we’ve been waiting for. We’re the people who are going to solve the problem. And we’re the people who are responsible. So I’d like for you to think about this. This is not a mumbo-jumbo thing. This is not pie in the sky, this is reality. We must take control of our role in all of this and we must do it now, and we must do it consistently. There are plenty of people out there who want to go to war. Who want to cause problems, who want to exclude somebody from everything. All that’s all set in place, but what isn’t in place are the people like you and me who are ready to say, wait a minute; let’s see if we can live this thing through in light. Let’s see if we can do it together without excluding anybody. Let’s see if we can actually find a new way to solve the problems that seem to engulf and devour us.

Now, here’s something to think about. The problems we have, as Einstein said, cannot be solved at the level at which they were created. And all the people that are reflecting and reacting to the negativity around us, are simply stuck on the level where the problems are created. But you and I have the opportunity to look out and say, you know what, there must be a better way. Let’s go up a level, and let’s find the genius’s among us who can understand this and show us the way to make the changes that must be made.

This is a really critical time. Things are changing, they will change, but it’s not a given that they’re going to change automatically or it’s going to be for the positive. That remains to be seen. So for this week, eginning today on Flag Day, think a little bit about what it means to be a citizen and not a consumer. To be a light worker, rather than a negative carrier, and think about what it would mean if you and I and all of us working together were to discover that there are solutions to all of these problems on a higher, different, better level of consciousness. It’s here, it’s possible, it’s happened before, and it can happen again. If we wake up and stay awake, and show other people that by being awake we make a significant contribution. So that’s what I’d like for you to think about. That’s what I’m going to be thinking about, and I thank you for listening. We’ll see you next time.

Jack Burch is a scientist and a new author. The New Trinity is his first book and was fifteen years in the making. He brings a wealth of powerful thought to this completed project and he answers the questions that are increasingly on the minds of thoughtful people. How do you get past the increasingly irrelevant expressions of the organized religions and into the world of pure spiritual thought?

Jack shows the way in this book and he gives us a true sense of his humility and brilliance in this interview.

Jesus added, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” The truth behind that statement is whatever we do to anyone we do only to ourselves, because our SELF is all there is. There is only one SELF. It is you and you are the Universe. You are a drop in the ocean that is the Universe. That may seem complicated, and if it is for you, then take some time to think about that this week, this month, or for the rest of your life.

James Allen in his 1891 book, As A Man Thinketh, says: “The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors; that which it loves, and also that which it fears; it reaches the height of its cherished aspirations; it falls to the level of its unchastened desire, and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own.”

Vivekananda, the great 20th century mystic, says this: “It is thought which is the propelling force in us. Fill the mind with the highest thoughts, hear them day after day, think them month after month. Never mind failures, they are quite natural, they are the beauty of life, these failures. Hold the ideal a thousand times and if you fail a thousand times, make the attempt once more. The ideal of man is to see God in everything. But if you cannot see Him in everything, see Him in one thing that you like best , and then see him in another.”

Now ask yourself, alone and with your highest honesty, “What do I repeatedly think about? What do I long for? What do I really want in life?”

Then look around at the illusion of your life that you alone have created thus far. Do you really want a world that is filled with fear? Do you really want weapons to kill others with because you feel threatened? Do you really want to constantly worry about your material progress? Or, would you like to live in a beautiful garden and be the gardener? Would you like to experience love all the time and say goodbye to anger and fear? Would you like to have a solid hope for the future and your safety in it? Would you like Peace?

Since you are the creator of your life, you are a victim only of your thoughts, and not circumstances. You choose your thoughts and how you will handle everything that comes your way. What comes your way are the circumstances that reflect what you believe and what you repeatedly think about. If you want your circumstances to change and get better, there is a relatively painless way to make that happen: Change your mind.

In 1983 I had the opportunity to spend an hour alone with Pandit Gopi Krishna, the great fully enlightened teacher of the power of Kundalini. Toward the end of that hour I asked Gopi Krishna, “What do I need to do to be enlightened?” He looked me straight in the eye and said: “Just this. Everyday, as often as you can, just think about God, and God will take care of everything else.”

I immediately believed him and set about to make that the center of my thoughts. Now, thirty years later, I can see how that one thought has shaped and blessed my life. God did not put us here to suffer and live in fear, despite how some religious dogma says otherwise. We are here to be God’s creatures growing into a world of love, and the secret is so simple it is easy to pass it by.

Jesus said it beautifully: “Seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”

Change your mind today and see what happens tomorrow!

This is Chuck’s regular Notes video and it features the work of Vivekananda and LIVING AT THE SOURCE.

“Hi this is Chuck and this is Notes From the Masters Class. This week I’ve been reading the works of Vivekananda, in a book called Living at the Source. He died at age 43. He was in this country twice and that was in the late 1800′s and early 1900′s. He created a firestorm of thought and change everywhere he went.

And here’s something that just sticks to me so easily: ‘When man has seen himself as one with the Infinite Being of the Universe, when all separateness has ceased, when all men and women, all gods and angels, all animals and plants and the whole universe has melted into that oneness, then all fear disappears’.

I’ve had several experiences in my life where I have learned, actually very pleasantly, that as I began to understand that we are all connected to each other. Regardless of whether you are animals, plants, or people. I have learned that, and I am learning it in little tiny pieces. But what I discover is, that when I let that happen, there is no fear. There is no fear.

One of the things that is important to me is, I have also learned that when I make any decision based on fear, it’s always the wrong decision. Always. Because fear is anticipating something that isn’t real. Now that does not say you throw caution to the wind, or you don’t be concerned about what is going on, but the response is not fear. Fear is a way for us to withdraw ourselves from the situation, withdraw ourselves from other people, and to avoid conflict. And yet as Vivekananda goes on to say, it is conflict that makes all the difference. It creates the movement that we need to go from one level to the next level. Fear makes us run away and hold ourselves apart. And this is what Vivekananda said about that. ‘I am thoroughly convinced that no individual or nation can live by holding itself apart from the community of others. And when ever such an attempt has been made under the false ideas of greatness, policy, or holiness, the result has always been disaster to the secluding one.’

What I take away from this is that we have been living in this country for the last 12 years under fear. Somehow or another we have let it be created for us. We have let it be created in ways that have really released our rights. We have released our sense of power in changing things. And most importantly, we have become afraid of each other. And it is not working. It is disastrous.

Imagine the situation that we are in politically right now. People cannot even talk to each other. Because they are afraid, because they think something is going to happen to them that they don’t want. We are all one. Our founding fathers were not stupid when they said ‘E pluribus unum’, one from many. So, not only is that a good political idea, but spiritually it is the truth. We are one with the universe. We are one with each other. And we are one with God. Think about that for a while. Next week we will deal with something else. Take care.”

John has spent his whole life seeking answers to his questions about Consciousness. In his first book, The Consciousness Paradigm, John reports on the answers he has found so far. This interview is a revealing look into the man behind the book and also a discussion of the most important findings. John Smotherman is an attorney and in his book he details how, by reading the classics and other instructional materials, he gained a new level of consciousness and a new life. This is a humble man who, by his life and writing has given us a true give for the directing of our lives.

The complete video is now available to members only. If you are a current member please log in here.

If you are not yet a member you can learn more about our membership program by clicking the link below.

Learn More!

Hi, this is Chuck, and this is this week’s edition of Notes from the Masters Class. A long time ago a friend of mine, who in fact is a master, told me something that has stood me well my entire life, and that’s this. The road is easy for those who have no expectations. The road is easy for those who have no expectations.

I don’t know about you, but from the time I was a kid, beginning probably at Christmas time, I’ve had expectations of everything. I’ve had expectations of what was going to happen, what wasn’t going to happen, what I’d get, what I wouldn’t get. My life has been filled with expectations. And even today, with all the work I’ve done, I catch myself having expectations. The problem with expectations is that it puts you in a position where you actually think that you’re going to control or change or manage what’s coming your way. That does not work, because no one, and I repeat no one can predict the future.

Right here on my computer I’m going to read you something. It says, “I am in joyful anticipation of the serendipitous and synchronistic experiences of life. So it be, and so it is.” What that says to me is that the great way is easy for those who have no expectations. But it’s also true that to be anticipating the serendipity and the synchronicity and the spontaneous things that happen in your life is much more fun. Much more fun.

What I’ve learned is this. The past is actually gone. You can’t remember the past anymore than you can remember what happened a thousand years ago. You cannot return and get that information out. It’s multi-level and it is done with. The future’s just the same way. You can’t go forward into the future and come back with any kind of memory or anticipation or expectation or anything else that will, in some way or other, tell you about the actual nature of your future. All you’ve got, all any of us have got is this moment right now, and I’m aware that I am in this moment as I am speaking to you. I am also aware that you’re in this moment as you are listening to what I say.

So here’s the secret from the masters. The minute you start to create expectations you assume that you’re going to be controlling what’s going on. It does not work. It hasn’t worked, and you know that. And it’s not going to work, I know that. So the best that we can do, and it’s a pretty good best, is to let all those expectations go and say, “You know what? Whatever is coming to me is exactly the right thing, and it may be very different than I could even think about expecting. But it’s not something that I am going to have to deal with until it occurs, because the only moment there is, is the moment we have right now.”

There’s no future. There’s no past. There’s just now. And just now whatever you might have expected has already happened. We are in this moment together. It’s all we’ve got, and it is full of incredible possibilities that we can’t even anticipate or think through, and yet here they are in our midst. So again, one more time. You might keep this in your mind the next time you have a whole set of expectations about how things are going to go.

The phrase is this: The road is easy for those who have no expectations. That’s stood me in pretty good stead for a long time, especially when I have a lot of expectations, and I hope it will guide you through your next advanced period of expecting exactly how things should go. They go exactly as they are intended to go. All is well. The universe is in complete and perfect order. I thank you for spending this time with me today, and I’ll see you next week. Bye.

Penny Kelly addressed the March combined meeting of Austin’s IONS and INACS organizations. We loved what she said! She has had a remarkable journey starting as an Engineer at General Motors and progressing through medical and physics courses and she currently is a powerful witness to what we all need to know about consciousness. Along the way she had the essential Kundalini experience described by Gopi Krishna. (See the two-part interview with Gene Kieffer elsewhere on this site.) This is a remarkable woman with a wealth of material for the advanced seeker.

The complete video is now available to members only. If you are a current member please log in here.

If you are not yet a member you can learn more about our membership program by clicking the link below.

Learn More!

Now, if you really thought about that, you really believed, and if it really was true, then it makes sense to say, “Well, if we are in control of this, if this is going according to our idea of creation, and we have somehow or another been given the power to do this, then wouldn’t it make sense to get as good an illusion as possible to live in and to have that be your life? ” It would be for me. It would make a lot of sense.

Let me just give you some insight and some facts and big figures. Since 9/11, and including 9/11, there have been a little over 3,000 people killed in this country as a result of terrorist attacks. During that time, there have been less than 30 terrorists involved, including last week’s event at Boston. We don’t think that this is a small number, but it’s an incredibly statistically small number when you compare it with all of the people who have been killed since 9/11 by gunshot wounds. It’s a huge number. It’s 300,000 people. Interestingly enough, a significant portion of those people have been killed by suicide. Apparently, guns are still the weapon of choice when it comes to suicide.

So if you’re thinking about this, and I have been, then you realize that this big number of people that have been killed by gunshot, including the suicides, somehow or another were living their lives in total fear. That transfers to us when we become fearful of a terrorist attack or really anything else. If we are really creating this illusion that we’re living in, there is no place for fear. There’s no reason for fear. We’re here. We are eternal, and we are going to survive here until we choose to leave here. But everywhere you look, there is evidence that justifies our fear.

I was always surprised when I moved to Telluride. I thought this was probably the safest place in America. There was one road in, and it was the same road out. There were no stop signs. There was one stop sign, and there were no traffic lights. There were no chain food stores. There was a tiny, little community of 2,200 souls. Yet, these people, who were so safe that people wouldn’t even know where Telluride was, were equally as fearful as the people who lived in downtown Manhattan. Somehow or another, this fear thing, against all common sense, grabs us when we least expect it and most don’t want it.

So I’m going to suggest to you something that I am working on myself. Jerry Jampolsky, in his book “Love is Letting Go of Fear,” said that you can’t have or experience love and fear at the same time. That’s the same kind of thought that Einstein said when he said, “You cannot be preparing for war and trying to create peace.” They are mutually exclusive. So if fear and love are mutually exclusive, then we might as well begin to look at the things that we can do that express love. By the way, we all have love for each other, some for a few of each other and some for all of each other. But that love cements the idea that we are all one and not just with the humans. I mean the whole thing.

This is all one seamless piece of reality-illusion that connects us on a cellular level, on a neurological level with each other, with this planet, and with this universe. If we knew for certain, and we can, that we are going to be eternal and we’re going to be eternal because we are consciousness, and consciousness is going to be eternal. If we knew all that, then we would say, “Well, wait a minute. Let’s just go ahead and change all the things that we are afraid of.” The way to do that is you can’t change a system by resisting it or trying to tear it down. The way you change a system is create a better system that people will come to. Margaret Mead said, “New technology always replaces old technology. No exceptions.” So it must be true that new ways of looking at the world and expressing love can and will and do replace fear.

So I’d like to suggest something to you. Run a little exercise. The exercise is keep a notepad, and on this side say to yourself, “Well, what are the things that I seem to be afraid of on a daily basis? What am I looking at?” On this side, look at all the ways that you know you can overcome those fears. Now, imagine living in Telluride, Colorado at 10,000 feet with 2,200 souls on 9/11, and they’re never going to be touched by anything. Yet they were equally afraid as the people were in New York. That fear was not justified. It was not necessary. It was simply a response, an illusion to a situation that happened 2,000 miles away. We do not need to carry the world’s fear with us. When we do carry it, we carry such a load that we can’t see anything else.

The only way to change this thing is to make up our minds, one at a time, one day at a time, one hour at a time, one breath at a time that we are not going to see fear. We’re going to see love. This week, just give us a little thought. Keep that list and at the end of the week ask yourself, “What happened? Was I able to change anything?” If you were, I’d like to hear from you. In fact, if you were, you can call me on Skype. That’s ChuckRobison on Skype. We’ll record your conversation, and we’ll play it as part of the Masters Class because it’s very important. That’s it for this week. Thank you very much, and I’m glad you were here. Bye.