Sermon for October 16, 2011

Comm-Unity On the Hill Congregation, Washington, D.C.*

Rev. Robbins S. Hopkins, Ed.D.

Thank you for asking me to speak.  It is delightful to be here this morning. The question I am exploring today is, “What is authentic prayer”?  Just plain and simple, authentic prayer is prayer that works.  It is prayer that brings results. It is prayer that produces energy shifts.  Authentic Prayer is powerful business.  Well then, how do we accomplish this?

The Bible has a few things to say to us about prayer.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds ….” (Philippians 4:6-7).

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Ephesians 6:18).

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26).

The week before Hurricane Irene, exactly 7 days before it hit this area, we decided last minute to book a house in North Carolina for the week for my husband and myself.  We have been going to the beach in August for 41 years and we realized we were not going to go because none of our family were free to join us.  We discussed this at length and decided to make a reservation and take a weeks’ vacation just for us. That felt very wonderful, celebratory in fact! One day later, we realized that there was a Tropical Storm in the Atlantic. We thought, we had better arrange for trip insurance in case something more serious became of this storm. We called for the insurance and were told that we could not get insurance now because there was a named storm in the Atlantic, specifically now called IRENE.  So, my energy was very focused on this storm not only because of this reservation but also because I had been going to the North and South Carolina coasts literally all my life except for 4 years when were lived overseas.

So the prayers began in earnest.  Every time I went into prayer, I got the feeling I was simply nipping at the heels of Hurricane IRENE. I did all the things I usually do in working at the global level but I could not feel any shifts in energy which is how I know the prayers have been effective.  One day about the 4^thday into the prayer effort, I finally asked in sacred space, “How do we do this?” I was feeling overwhelmed and completely under effective.  Someone had shared with me that the Hurricane itself covered an area as large as Arizona.  This left me totally amazed.  I could feel the power and strength of Irene when in prayer and something I called powerful fury but I did not know how to address it in prayer.

To continue reading this sermon, follow this link to the full  text.  http://www.robbinshopkins.com/sermons/authentic-prayer-and-global-healing/

*Comm-Unity on the Hill, through November 2011,  meets in Hearst Hall on the grounds of National Cathedral at the corner of Woodley Ave. and Wisconsin Ave, NW in Washington, D.C. Services are weekly on Sundays at 10 A.M.  

As of December 4 we will be moving to 10 and G Street, N.W. to join First Congregational Church of Washington D.C. in jointly shared space.  Services here begin at 1 PM on Sundays.  Comm-Unity can be reached at cothdc@verizon.net or  703-379-4450 . All are welcome.

** This sermon was preceded by a guided meditation for the congregation.

When we are on a conscious spiritual journey, sooner or later we spend time in Silence. But this is just the beginning of our potential journey.

In search of peace by Bindaas Madhavi

After Silence, we may need to spend time on imbalances in our field.  This can happen when our “quiet time” results in tough, yucky stuff appearing on the scene.   Thoughts and feelings which are out of balance, unpleasant, heavy or unprocessed do frequently show up.  Unsettling issues are a part of our dialogue with the Greater Whole.

This is the Divine Presence talking with us about what we need to focus on  to remain in balance. Unsettling feelings are not the result of being in Silence. They are the result of our seeking inner peace! When we go into Silence we are seeking peace, balance, wholeness and centeredness.  If we have unresolved issues with a co-worker, a spouse or a friend, we are likely to have them pop up after a period of sitting in Silence.  In fact, many people never go into the Silence for this very reason.  They are afraid that issues they do not want to look at will show up.

Guess what?  Unpleasant issues, thoughts and feelings are ALREADY in our energy field, draining us of our Light and life force energy!  They are already causing imbalance.  Just because we are not thinking about them, does not mean they go away.  In fact, because we are trying to “resist” them, they are even more demanding of our attention. The quickest way to resolve any unpleasant issue is to work in sacred space with our unresolved thoughts and feelings which are causing us stress or anger. 

Anyone want to join me at the beach for a good conversation? by Stuck in Customs

It is easy to say well “she should do this” or “he would be a whole lot happier if …”. However this will never bring resolution to an imbalance affecting us.  These responses are actually a  form of gossip and can perpetuate and expand the imbalance.  As long as we focus on what others could or should be doing, we miss the lesson for ourselves.  We are the ones who  have to take the steps to re-establish inner peace for ourselves. Then others sense a shift in us and they are also affected by our coming into greater balance.

Coming into balance and inner peace is our part of the partnership with All That Is.  No one else can do this work for us. The more we engage in this self-work,  the more expansive our inner peace becomes. It begins to permeate our entire being and all our affairs for the positive.  If this is hopeful or of interest to you,  keep seeking and you will find exactly what you are meant to discover.  There are infinite ways to undertake a work out process from Silence to release.   Here is one you might try and adapt for you own purposes.

Step by Step by Alice Popkorn

WORKING OUT with DIVINE PRESENCE–  When we notice charged feelings and thoughts, causing imbalances, one option is to work them out within a sacred space, through writing to Divine Presence and then letting the imbalances go.  Here are some steps towards that goal.

1.  Open a sacred space in which to work.  This gives us access to Divine wisdom, energy, love and support even when we are writing by ourselves. ( See Note A, for ideas of how to do this.)

2.  The letter

• Get a journal solely for these writings and date each letter. Sign your name as you would in any letter.
• Address the letter to Dear God/ Beloved Oneness/ Perfect Love/ Great I AM/  Mohamed/Mary/Jesus/Buddha/Saint Germain/Ascended Masters, etc.
• Keep this journal in a safe place where you are sure no one will find it or read it.

3.  Explore the specific situation around which you have strong feelings which is causing you imbalance.

• Begin by writing about your feelings.
• Write as clearly as possible and with total honesty.
• Include thoughts as well as feelings about the situation.
• Write as much as you can until you feel really done.
• Sign your letter each time you finish for the day

4.  Ask in the Silence what fears and blocked energy you are carrying which are manifesting as imbalanced energy specifically related to you journal topic.

• Specify the fears and other blocked energy in the journal as notes after your letter.

5.  Go into a space of stillness and call for the sacred flame (within all of us) to consume all blocked energies you have identified which are causing turbulence and imbalance in your energy field from their originating source in this lifetime or from any previous life form you have taken.

• If forgiveness comes to mind forgive self and others completely.

6.  Give thanks for the healing support and vibration clearing of your energy field.

7. Continue to write about this imbalance as long as it remains in your consciousness following this process each day you write about it.

• Every time you enter into stillness for clearing, healing energy will consume the low vibrating thoughts and feelings separating you from Peace.
• You are only responsible for your own feelings. If you change, others involved in your situation will be profoundly affected as well.
• Take as much time on the issues as you need, knowing that your desire and intention for Inner Peace will be completely supported.

NOTE A:  Here is one way to open sacred space.  ” I call forth my Highest “I AM” Self , the Angelic Host, the Ascended Masters (Jesus/Krishna/Mary/Mohammed/ Moses/St. Ignatius/Buddha ,etc.), the Nature Intelligences, Cosmic Light Beings of the Universe, Divine Ancestors and Divine Physicians  to help me hold this sacred healing space.  I may then say, “Spirit of the Living God/Great Oneness /Divine Wholeness/Holy Spirit, come forth into this space dedicated to wholeness and balance.  My thanks.”

Peace, joy and health can only be obtained by entering into one’s Silent self.   However, while trying to get to a state of Silence, we often we have to face issues that are unresolved, problems we are struggling with and feelings we do not want to feel.

Enlightenment by h.koppdelaney

This stops many a person from meditating, being in Silence or lying in shavasana ( corpse pose)  on a yoga mat.  The key here is to stay with the Silence while releasing all connection you have with the issues entering and swirling around your mind. One way to think of this is to allow the ideas,  thoughts and issues that show up to pass across your “mind screen” and out of your focus.  A mantra, a point of vision like a candle or attention to breath can help to bring our focus back to Silence.  A mantra might be,” I am One with All That Is”, or “I am God’s  Beloved Child”. With enough detachment from our mind’s issues, thoughts, problems, and people, one can move past the monkey mind to a place of no thought while in stillness.  This however does not come quickly to some.

When I first began to try to meditate sitting up,  I would sit with my back next to an old black walnut tree.

At the Feet of an Ancient Master by Premasagar

One day when I was wrapped in a sarape, covered with a hat and gloves and determined to “have my own time”, I thought, is this really what I am doing?  By then, the snow was coming down rather steadily but that tree and I had bonded so I sat until I was completely snow covered.  I felt a certain peace in doing that because, I so desperately needed time for Silence, even if it was snowing.  When I could get to that tree, I felt welcomed because of having put all else aside to go into Silence.  I did not really know what I was doing but I knew I had to show up and be still and let the Silence guide me into greater Peace.  Bit by bit, step by step I was led into the Silence until that state increasingly stayed with me through the day, through my work, through my creating and through my pain.

Here is what I have learned along the way.  We can’t be in stillness and Silence if we don’t show up.  The first step in meditating is to show up with the intention for Silence and stillness. Another step is to select a place dedicated to enter into Silence.  It may be in a corner of a room or it may be a favorite chair or a special tree or garden.  The place has to be a haven for the time you intend to meditate.  The major challenge though is to continue to come to Silence,  even when your last experience was of the mind churning with thoughts.

One can think of this process as training the mind, like one would train a dog to obey.  For most non-meditators, the mind runs willy-nilly all over the place, most of the time. As you begin to sit in the quiet, with the intention to connect to the Greater Whole, the Oneness, you have to let the thoughts pass through without picking any of them up and without giving any of them attention. In the beginning this may be all you do for months.  Then one day, you will come out of mediation and realize that you have “lost time” when you were not conscious of sitting in the Silence.  This is the golden feeling of peace and balance.  As we begin to have a glimpse of this, there is nothing in the entire universe that can touch us this way.  We have created the time and space for peace in our lives.

Collective meditation by Premasagar

Meditating in a group is easier for most people than meditating alone.  This is because as we gather in a group,  there is more energy focused on meditation making it easier to enter into that energy flow.  However, you can simulate this by setting the intention to meditate with those of the Highest Light around the globe who are meditating at the same time you are.  You will be connected energetically with those meditators and it is often easier to get into the flow than trying to meditate alone.

In our lives we get very attached to what is going on with our friends, family, job and affairs. We have opinions, ideas, concerns, conflicts, solutions running around in our heads constantly.  Meditation is a time to check out of the dailyness of our lives and seek Peace for a few moments while remaining conscious of being awake.  It is like taking an energy nap to renew yourself.  However, unlike sleep, meditation trains the mind to be still in the midst of chaos,  and this expands into the very fabric of our lives. Over time, as we begin to be able to detach from our mind’s daily drama while in meditation, we increasingly do detach from the drama  in our daily lives as well. When our mind gets used through Silence and stillness to our letting thoughts and feelings pass us by, we learn to increasingly remain non-attached to all outcomes in our lives as well.  This enables us to increasingly hold the space for the Highest Benevolent Outcome for everything we are involved in all areas of our lives.

In Ray’s efforts to learn to meditate he kept coming up against his feelings about work which were not positive. This would throw him out of a peaceful state, again and again. He became very frustrated with his efforts to meditate. When this happens, we are being led to attend to the negative feelings that are coming up.  It is not that we are “failing”  in our efforts to meditate, it is that we need to attend to these negative feelings.   Here are some ways to do this:

• 1. Out loud, say “I release all these negative thoughts and feelings I am carrying about work, totally and completely”.
• 2. In a journal, write out all the negative thoughts and feelings you have about work and the costs and benefits to you of holding onto these.  Decide which thoughts and feelings you are going to keep, which ones you are going to let go of and what further actions you are going to take.
• 3. While you are coming out of your state of Silence and stillness, call forth you sacred inner flame and command it out loud to consume all your blocked emotional, mental, thermal( self-protective) and spiritual energy from their originating sources which are manifesting as these thoughts and feeling about work in the present.  All that can leave you energy field today will go.

Buddha is a Bridge by h. koppdelaney

There is nothing in the world like Silence for healing and for guiding us to balance.  Our thoughts and feelings create the imbalances and the balances in our lives. The more we are in Silence and stillness, and attend to the imbalances surfacing there, the more balance we will manifest in our lives.  Silence trumps everything we think we are for a glimpse of the peace and stillness within, which is who we truly are.

For nearly a year, I have been working with a group of folks to publish a newsletter on conditions and areas of the globe needing prayers.  We have over 85 people getting this newsletter through email.  Recently I was asked how I pray for global healing and what my thoughts are about such processes.

NASA Blue Marble by By NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

As our bodies indicate imbalances in the form of infections, viruses, diseases and pain, so Mother Earth indicates her own set of  imbalances when unseen energy is out of balance. Our globe is a vibrant alive organism much as our bodies are vibrant alive organisms. Global imbalances  manifest as violence, corruption, terrorism, war, poverty, epidemics, economic instability, air, earth and water pollution, ethnic hatred, religious hatred, subjugation, slavery, sexual trafficking, volcanic eruptions, tectonic plate shifts, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes and many other imbalances.

When the unseen energy of a given city, state,  nation or a continent is out of balance, Mother Earth visually indicates imbalances at the physical level of the Earth.  All global imbalances no matter how deeply flawed or seemingly intractable can be affected by prayer.  Our prayers can directly affect the re-balancing of  chronic imbalances around the globe.

How do we as a people, for example, heal from prejudice, hatred and subjugation of those different from ourselves? We have ethnic and religious hatred the world over.  Each geographic area of the world has its own form of hatred and darkness history unique to that area of the world manifesting as ethnic hatred, prejudice and subjugation.  However at the root of all hatred and violence against others are humanly created thoughts, feelings and fears which we may have carried for centuries passed down from generation to generation.

Through the calling in of Divine Presence, we can clear the old stagnant, gnarled energies of the past and present.  All fear, thoughts and feelings which are out of Right Relationship with All That Is, can be cleared beginning with us. Even centuries of blocked fear and blame can be cleared through our partnering with God for our people now living around the globe.  Our prayers can hold the intention for global peace and healing in infinitely powerful ways.

The blue flame by Artnow314

To begin any and all healing prayers, I open a sacred space with Divine Beings including the Angelic Host, Ascended Masters, Highest Divine Cosmic Light Beings, Divine Ancestors, Divine Physicians and Nature Intelligences.  I then listen.  I work with the Sacred Flame image of the Divine Presence.  This concept is helpful for consuming all blocked, humanly created energy manifesting as global imbalances.

Let’s take the energy of  hatred between Jews and Christians as our example of imbalance in the Americas. Here is one way to pray for this clearing.  I say these prayers out loud to give more power to their form in our earthly dimension.

Sunset Flames by Brian Auer

Sacred Flame, come forth in all your power.  Clear all blocked emotional, mental, thermal(self-protective) and spiritual (fear and doubt) energies originating from the 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21st centuries now manifesting as the energies of hatred between Christians and Jews in the Americas. Clear all blocked emotional, mental, thermal and spiritual energies,  back through all time and space manifesting as the peoples of the Americas, attracting hatred energy to themselves between Jews and Christians.  Let there be full Forgiveness, Peace and Love with regard to these imbalances.   And So It Is.  Our thanks, Amen.

Sometimes I am then guided to take these same prayers to the rest of the globe. I work with six geographic areas as given by Divine Presence in supporting me in global prayer.  The other five areas of the globe beyond the Americas which I work with include Africa, Europe and Eastern Europe, India and China, [Russia, Middle East and Asia], and [Oceania, Oceans and the Poles].

When I complete this process,  I go back and ask if these geographic areas are in Right Relationship with All That Is in regards to the energy of hatred between Christians and Jews for this day.   If not, I continue until there is Right Relationship indicated for the day with the issue being addressed.  When balance for a given day is indicated, healing at the physical level can begin.

Let’s use the AIDS epidemic in Africa as our next example. This is one way to call for the clearing of the old compromised and blocked energies which are fueling the present imbalances we see as the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

Sacred Flame, come forth in all your power.  Clear all blocked emotional, mental, thermal(self-protective) and spiritual (fear and doubt) energies originating from the 18, 19, 20 and 21st centuries now manifesting as the AIDS epidemic in Africa.  Clear all blocked emotional, mental, thermal and spiritual energies,  back through all time and space manifesting as the peoples of Africa attracting an AIDS epidemic to themselves.  Let there be Balance, Healing and Wholeness with regard to the AIDS epidemic in Africa and So It Is.  Our thanks.  Amen

The core blocked energies from the past for a government, nation, condition or group of people contribute to the visible imbalances in the country or region in current times.  If these old patterns of energy are cleared back through centuries, then the present imbalances can clear.  I ask how far back the imbalances go and usually I get a century. If you are not sure, pick a century and call for the clearing from that century forward. Anything we do to clear the present of old blocked energies from the past allows for balance to be restored.

Apophysis-Globe by HocusFocusClick - Johanne

All clearing of this sort will contribute to balance.  So, whatever you do will be helpful. When we work in Divine Space with Divine Beings our prayers can be significantly amplified and are therefore more powerful than if we think we are working as lone individuals.  When we pray in earnest from our hearts, all that is needed is provided and so we are truly contributing to the greater whole within the world.

Let us hear from you.  May powerful praying be actualized by us all!!

Good Friday is here and Easter is upon us.  Regardless of the religious or spiritual path you have taken, there are lessons for all of us from the Easter story.  God was sending all of us lessons about life and death those many years ago. There is eternal life. There is no death.

Easter Morning, Crosby Beach by stringberd

This is hard to grasp because in this dimension, people appear to “die” and they seem to “disappear”.  This does not however mean that people do actually “die”, pass into nothingness and cease to exist. They simply change dimensions. Truly, this is how the plan goes.

In 2004, I was with Joao de Deus, John of God, at his spiritual healing center in Abadiania, Brazil.  I had been working as a spiritual healer for approximately 10 years in varying ways. In Brazil, I was learning how to differentiate between Divine Spirits I was working with on the other side, in my healing practice.   I was sitting in the current room with about 75 others in 90 plus degree weather. We were all in prayerful Silence to help raise the vibration of the healing center so others could receive the healing energy they needed.

The attendants in the current room announced that Jesus’ energy was entering the space. Suddenly, a radiant Being of immense stature,  at least 9 feet tall, was directly before me.  It would have been impossible to miss this because my whole body was being penetrated by the Presence.

Light of Eternity by Loci Lenar

I heard a strong and clear voice directly in front of me say, “You are never again to question that you have come to heal others.”  That was it. Short and sweet. Then the radiance left from in front of me.

The words and energy enveloped my whole body and my consciousness.  I began to sob uncontrollably.  I knew in my heart that no one in the world could have possibly known that I was still questioning that I was here to heal.   I had not even acknowledged this out loud to myself. However, in my heart, I was feeling great uncertainty about my work as a spiritual healer.  Only one of immense Knowing could have possibly known this secret I was holding onto.  I finally got that Jesus was alive, knew me intimately, and had a clear directive for me.

What exactly does it mean to have eternal life? At the most basic levels, it means that no one dies and fades away, we simply change states of being as we enter other dimensions of life.  Imagine that everything we know about being One with God stays with us when we pass out of body.  Also, there is clear evidence that when we come back into body, unresolved feelings and thoughts in our souls show up again for us to respond to.  Things like fear of death, fear of failure, fear of betrayal, or shame and guilt are some of the feelings that can follow us from previous times in body. We literally get all the chances we need to let go of thoughts and feelings which separate us from God.

When I am in meditative space, deep Silence, I work with the Ascended Masters and Angels.  This has been going on most days for 17 years in this lifetime.  Ascended Masters are very much alive and they have all been in body many, many times.  Angels and Ascended Masters are eager to work with us, support us, guide us, talk with us, help us hold Sacred Space and help us discover Peace that is beyond all understanding.

So take a leap of faith.  Open your mind and heart to the possibility that there is eternal life and there is no death. The Truth is, we are really eternal.  However, we can choose to embrace this or not, as we have free will about what we choose to think is true. The message of Easter is about this for all peoples.

raising Lazarus by Martin LaBar

In the Bible, we have the story of Lazarus raised from the dead and the story of Jesus raised from the dead among others.  In one case, Lazarus returned to his body and was seen by many others, immediately.  In Jesus’ case, he did not return to a body that other’s immediately recognized, though he was eventually recognized by those who loved him deeply.  Whatever we take to be true from the scriptures, the message is that there is no death.  ”FEAR NOT”.

What would your life be like if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are eternal?  Can you imagine the freedom, the license you might give yourself to really live, to love and to receive love? What if you knew that you have all the time and support you need to learn the lessons of the Oneness which are all around you?  Can you imagine giving yourself another real chance to know God? After all we are One with Divine Energy, have been, and will be, for evermore.  What are we waiting for, really?

This Easter story of Jesus was given to us so that we could “get” things not ordinarily experienced in this dimension. People actually saw Jesus after he died, in the flesh. Through working with the Divine Beings of the other side, I can say without a doubt that there is eternal life for every one of us.  Additionally, if we seriously get our act together and hang out with Divine Love Energy in the Silence now, we will be shown how we can leave a whole load of unhelpful stuff here this time around.  We will be shown how we can leave anger, loss, fear, suffering, resentment and unforgiveness here and not take it forward with us into the Light when it is our time to pass over.   Further, if we set down our fear, rage, shame and guilt now, we won’t continue to attract more of this into our energy fields again. This change can begin almost immediately. This allows our souls to heal and balance.

The strong and clear message from centuries from all our prophets, messiahs, avatars, mystics, rishis and yogis is, and continues to be,  “drop the dark stuff“, “get to know God better” !!   The dark feelings are not real, in the sense of  lasting, though charged thoughts can seem very real at times.  These tough feelings are with us PRECISELY so we can clear them away and experience Peace and Balance from now into all our futures.  God is all Light. We have to drop the darkness to know God personally. Fear of death is one of the most powerfully charged dark engeries, we hang onto. Take a step towards trusting that we are truly eternal.

Your own knowing about life and death will come in ways uniquely perfect for you. You have to open to that knowing however.  Enter Silence, and sit with All That Is, God, the Deep Silence.  That is where the mysteries of life are shared.  Happy Spring.