Sunday Celebration Service, July 25, 2021
Today’s Transformation in the Church & in the World
The Gospels of Mark and Matthew both begin the ministry of Jesus with the word, “repent.” Over the centuries, “repent” took on a moralistic, dualistic meaning in standard Christianity. The word “metanoia” from the original Greek was unfortunately mistranslated to “repent,” while “metanoia” is more aptly translated into English as, “change your mind.” The spiritual practices of Jesus’ ministry encouraged all of us to change our minds, and to see that the kingdom of God is at hand. It is regrettably odd that the original teachings of Jesus morphed into a religion resistant to change, stuck and staid in a standard way of doing things, while staring in differing directions to see a world of opposing viewpoints. Changing our mind is not simplistic nor merely making a new decision. Instead it consists of seeing the world in a whole new way. Jesus proclaimed a message to the world of positive thought, and hope. His church founded as a small group of individuals with transformed lives would go on to change the course of history.
In the early years of Unity there was a great desire to return to the roots of Christianity. The spiritual movement sought to change the minds of individuals through the power of prayer, and centering in stillness. A more positive hopeful present was the “metanoia” lived and practiced amongst the early Christians. The pioneers of Unity pivoted their spiritual practice toward the church’s earliest teachings, and Unity’s aim was to demonstrate the life and ministry of Jesus.
So much of our world and our lives have shifted vastly in the past year, never mind what has changed in the last decade. Two millennia after the life of Jesus, in our changed world, we are all called to change our minds, and view life through the eyes of Oneness and transforming love. Living in the truth that the kingdom of God is at hand is sometimes challenging, yet the spiritual pathway of the Master guides us to change our minds.
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