Minister's Message
Let's Start at the Very Beginning
There is a space in each of us that yearns for fresh starts and new beginnings. We want a "do-over" or Mulligan. So, we love birthdays, anniversaries, and the New Year. Each of them promises us that we can start afresh – that the slate is clean and we can begin anew to build the life of which we have dreamed.
When I was little, my Mom and I used to visit Oscar and Marjorie Moon - they were surrogate grandparents of a sort, and I loved our trips to see them. Oscar was retired, but he still puttered around in his shop, making wondrous creations, and one of them was a chamois-covered chalkboard eraser. It was a good 15" across, with handles on the back, and you could clean a wide swath across the chalkboard in just a single motion. It picked up chalk dust much better than the standard felt ones, so the board came out looking almost new.
I used to love helping my Mom in her classroom at the end of the day, and the chalkboards were my favorite chore. It was so great to see all the marks and shadow images removed when I used the big eraser. Her board always looked so much better at the beginning of the day than most of the other teachers’ boards. It felt like you could learn better with a clean board like that - no old stuff hanging around from yesterday - or last week!
The New Year reminds us that we can clean away the dust and shadow thoughts of the past. Our minds are the chalkboard, and our consciousness is the eraser - if we choose to use it well.
A hundred years ago, Judge Thomas Troward reminded us that "Principle is not bound by Precedent." What he was saying was that the creative force of the universe does not care what happened last year, last month, or even yesterday. It doesn’t matter what dust or ideas preceded this moment. This moment - right here - right now - is new. There has never been another one like it. There will never be another like it.
Each fresh and new moment is waiting to be lifted up into the miraculous by our fresh and new attitude about what is possible. We are the chooser, whether it is January 1 or August 20. We decide what good will come, by determining to live more fully and more presently in each moment.
The theme for this year is "Lean Forward Into Your Life." When you are present to the moment - when every moment is new - when you have no idea what the exact outcome will be - you start leaning forward with anticipation and expectancy. Let us engage this year with the passion and joy that it deserves.
Whatever has gone before, whatever the last year gave or took, right now is the only time you have to live. Right now is your chance to choose the life of your dreams. Attend a service. Take a class. Make a friend. Volunteer to help. Your life will be richer for it.
Blessings and Love - Linda