Back to the Garden: Recent Episodes
Tommy de Leon
Back to the garden is a podcast dedicated to the inquiry of philosophical/theological questions and topics that have challenged mankind since the time man reached self awareness. The aim is to aid those in search for a better understanding of man's role and purpose in the universe. My starting point I share with Socrates: I am the wisest man in the world, for I know that I know nothing. Welcome! tomas (tommy) deleon
Unity has Five Basic Principles that summarize our entire philosophy, our theology.
In her book about the Five Principles, Rev. Ellen Debenport writes: "As well as offering tools for daily living, The Five Principles suggest answers to the great questions of existence that humans have been asking since the dawn of conscious awareness."
The Five Principles are:
1: God is absolute good, everywhere present.
2: Human beings are created in the image of God and our very essence is divine; therefore, we are inherently good.
3: Human beings create our life experiences through our thoughts and our beliefs.
4: Through affirmative prayer and meditation, we align with God (Source) and bring out the good in our lives.
5: I do and give my best by living the truth I know. I make a difference.
If we were to express these in a concise manner, they might be something like this: GOD IS, I AM, I think (create), I pray (align), I act!
Based on these principles, Unity's view of God, man and our "relationship" is quite different from that of traditional Christianity.
In particular, the concept behind second principle. Of this idea Ralph Waldon Emerson wrote: the greatest revelation is that God is in every man.
In this episode, we examine principle #2: Human beings are created in the image of God and our very essence is divine; therefore, we are inherently good.
These next two weeks, Unity Spiritual Center Georgetown will be conducting new membership classes. In order to become a member of any Unity center it is not necessary to believe any particular dogma or creed. We do this for a specific reason. We teach and appreciate an open mind, and an open heart. We do so because we know that every moment is a new moment, and every day our consciousness expands as a result of the experience of the day.
Unity co-founder, Charles Fillmore, never wrote down anything for the first twenty years of Unity’s existence. His reasoning was: the person I am today, is not the person I will be tomorrow. He knew that to hold a steadfast set of beliefs was, and is, a limitation contrary to life’s unlimited nature.
Eventually, he was persuaded to compile some kind of “theology” for the sake of passing on this new understanding of the relationship between God and Mankind. A number of books were written as a result of this effort. It was part of the birth of the New Thought Movement.
Many years later, Connie Fillmore Bazzy, great-grand daughter of Charles, was asked if she could summarize Unity teachings for a Daily Word article back when she was the president of Unity school in Kansas City. She came up with five principles that since have become the cornerstone of our teachings.
These Five Principles are:
1. God is absolute good, everywhere present.
2. Human beings are created in that image of God and our very essence is divine; therefore, we are inherently good.
3. We create our life experiences through our thoughts and beliefs.
4. Through affirmative prayer and meditation, we connect with God and bring out the good in our lives.
5. I do and give my best by living the Truth I know. I make a difference.
In his book: Meeting Jesus (Again) for the First Time, biblical scholar and professor, Rev. Marcus Borg presents us with a different view of one of the most influential people in western civilization.
We, in the west, have all “met” Jesus. The image we have of him is largely dependent on the religious, or non-religious, background we come from. The book presents us with an overview of these images as well as a view from the scholars.
One review notes: “In this small, but eloquent and learned book, Borg directs his readers, especially those who have found no meaningful image of Jesus, away from confessed doctrines about Jesus (what the gospels and the churches say about Him) and toward a relationship with the Spirit of God.”
In Unity we believe there is a major difference between the life and teachings of Jesus, and the story created about Jesus which ultimately became tradition.
According to Rev. Borg, the traditional view of Jesus, as the "Christ of Faith" the only Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, was a view Jesus would have found foreign.
Rev. Borg aims to present us with a new image of Jesus not commonly known. Jesus as a teacher who’s central purpose was to show us how to know God as an experiential reality.
Join me this episode as we meet Jesus (again) for the first time.
This episode I will cover the first of a two-part series on a book by Unity Minister Robert Brumet titled: “Birthing A Greater Reality, A Guide For Conscious Evolution”. The conversation continues with the questions: where are we (spiritually), where are we going, and how do we get there?
Brumet’s book is divided into three sections. Chapters 1 and 2 focus on the big picture of who we are and our history. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 parallel this approach, but the focus is on the personal level. Chapter 6 integrates our understanding of global evolution with the wisdom derived from our personal transformation.
In the book Rev. Brumet brings up the ideas of three very influential authors/philosophers: Henri Bergson, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and Ken Wilber. Influential that is, if you are familiar with them.
I would like to believe that we are at the point of birthing a greater reality for our community and those whose lives we touch. Our fundamental belief is that there IS a greater reality, and we must ever be open to the awareness and expression of that consciousness. Unity offers a distinctly unique approach to spirituality. Our open-mind and open-heart approach puts us in a receptive mode towards that end.
Join me for this episode as we continue to explore ways to ever expand our awareness as individuals and as a humanity into a higher reality.
This episode is based on two ideas. The first is the concept of integral theory as developed by American Philosopher and mystic, Ken Wilbur. The second on a book by Rev. Paul Smith applying the integral approach to Christianity. The title is: “Integral Christianity, The Spirit’s Call to Evolve.”
From Ken Wilbur (the innovator of integral thought) comes this: “The word integral means comprehensive, inclusive, non-marginalizing, embracing. Integral approaches to any field attempt to be exactly that—to include as many perspectives, styles, and methodologies as possible within a coherent view of the topic. In a certain sense integral approaches are “meta-paradigms” or ways to draw together an already existing number of separate paradigms into a network of interrelated mutually enriching perspectives”
In simple English, it means taking existing points of view and bringing them together to form a BIGGER, broader point of view! Basically, it’s making a bigger puzzle using smaller puzzles.
From the forward, by Jim Marion, comes this: “[Rev. Smith’s book] sets forth the evolutionary stages of human spiritual development. It also explains the three stages of human spiritual development as well as the three standpoints through which humans experience the reality of God”.
In his introduction to the book, Rev. Paul says, “We all wear glasses, our glasses are our worldview. The lens through which I now look at Christianity had not taken shape and did not have a name 50 years ago…. What if there is a Christian path that more closely follows Jesus than many of us have seen in the past? What if it is possible to hear the continuing voice of the Spirit as Jesus promised?”
I think we can all agree that the keynote to life is change. Everything is nature tells us that change is the only constant. We understand this intellectually. However, when change comes rapidly, or at too big of a scale, we usually find ourselves questioning the meaning and purpose of the change. Certainly these are difficult and trying days we are all currently experiencing. The changes are major and many are questioning this period of transition. The key to coping with this difficult time is to turn our attention to the larger picture. To discover that a major life transition is an opportunity for transformation, and that transformation is an opportunity for spiritual rebirth. In this episode, we will discuss ways in which to deal with the changes around us.
A Few Minutes in the Garden is a series based on short talks aimed to address specific theological subjects or commonly used phrases. It is geared towards inquisitive thinkers who can't help but ask "How exactly does that work?".
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This past week our nation put preventive measures into place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. One of the biggest measures was decreasing large crowd gathering. Many activities were canceled and others provided online option. Another measure we can always take for healing is prayer. Prayer, what is it? How does it work? Unity uses “affirmative prayer.” Rather than begging God for what we desire, this method involves connecting with the spirit of God and asserting positive beliefs about the desired outcome. Affirmative prayer is the same method of prayer Jesus taught when he said, “So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).
Metaphysicians believe that thoughts transmit magnetic energy and this energy attracts other energy of the same frequency. Whether we are conscious of it or not, our thoughts are transmitting energy that is attracting more of the same. When we remain focused on our intentions, we will draw those things into our lives.
We know that our consciousness make a difference and one of the greatest gifts Unity offers is to stay positive and pray.
I invite you to join in the following prayer or one of your own choosing.
We know that God is a Love that has no end and a Power that knows no bounds. God’s healing power of Divine Life is restoring, healing, and revitalizing our world in this very moment. We let go of any fears or anxieties, and we affirm that all are safe, healthy, and protected. We bless all those who support us in maintaining vibrant radiant health. We express Divine Life in all we think, say, and do. We bless our global family with radiant health, peace of mind, and abundant love.
Is God really "our father"? If God is, then what does that mean theologically? When we refer to God as our father, what kind of imagery comes to our minds? I feel fairly safe in saying that for most people the image that comes to mind is that of a larger (much larger) version of ourselves. We refer to this image as the Supreme Being. It is all powerful, all knowing and everywhere present, but it is "a being" nevertheless. One problem with this vision is that it creates an image of God which is like us, and the Bible clearly states that it is we who are like God. Another problem with this image that it separate us from God. God is something else which, of course, means we are not really like it. So if indeed, as Scripture says, we are the image and likeness of God, what does that mean? Christian tradition tells us that God is Love and God is Spirit. Christian tradition also tells us that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. How is it then that God can be three "things" and yet still be One God? Think about this for a moment: If God is everywhere, then God is everything, and if God is everything, then we are all one and the same thing. This episode I will examine and propose to you the simple idea that not only is God partite in nature, we are as well, and both are ONE with all.
The last two times I've spoken, I have talked about the Spiritual Tools we have in our Spiritual Toolbox. We say that we are not human beings seeking "a spiritual end to our lives". That instead, WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS, first and foremost, and what is happening is that we are having a human experience. Because most people see ourselves as primarily human, our focus has been on the human experience as the foundation of reality.
This is fundamentally flawed and along with this error in focus, comes an error in perception. We perceive ourselves to be helpless victims in an alien universe. As such, our goal becomes future based instead present based. Consequently we lose out on the opportunity to make this human experience a wonderful and rewarding one.
On this episode, I will start a new series to help us re-focus our attention. I will be using a book by Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. called "Inner Peace for Busy People; 52 Simple Strategies for Transforming Your Life". In this book Dr. Borysenko offers us simple techniques, much like our Spiritual Tools, to help us maximize our human experience in the here and now.
Let me ask you a question. How many tools do you have in your spiritual toolbox? If you're like most people, you have one: prayer. That's a very good spiritual tool to have, but it's only one. Did you know you actually have fourteen spiritual tools? Imagine the kind of life you could build if your spiritual toolbox had fourteen tools in it, and you actually used them on a consistent basis? The truth is we all have access to these tools, most of us are just not aware of them. As a result, we don't use them and our lives manifest in some, not so pleasant, ways. In this episode, we're going to cover some of these tools. Build a better you! Build a better life!
"What is God?" is the first episode of a three part series exploring the nature of God, man, and the universe. For most, God is defined as a super being who micro-manages the universe: a story told by ancient man. In truth, any definition of God is simply a reflection of man's limited understanding of what God is. This episode explores the nature of God not as a being, but as "being-ness" itself.
Have you ever wondered how everything came to be? In this episode, tommy discusses the allegorical interpretation of the Garden of Eden in attempt to answer two fundamental, philosophical questions: who we are and what we come from.