Join Rev. Bil and Rev. Cher for a powerful message based on the story of the walk on the road to Emmaus, where the risen Jesus appears to two travelers. Discover the metaphysical meaning of this story, and how you can experience an Emmaus Moment in your life. You will leave with practical ways to transform your spirituality and experience deeper relationships. To prepare, you might want to read the Biblical account, found in Luke 24:13-35.

There are two ways to get to the top of an oak tree. You can climb it, or you can sit on an acorn! Both are perfectly viable, but one is definitely faster. The other takes the patience of Job! Likewise, there are two ways to move through the Lenten season: Fasting or Feasting! Both are legitimate expressions of spiritual growth, and from a spiritual perspective, we recommend doing both. We just put a little different twist on it.

Let’s start by clarifying exactly what Ash Wednesday is.

Ash Wednesday signifies the first day of Lent, and it occurs on a different date each year, depending on when Easter falls — which is also different each year. Just wait – it gets more confusing! The date of Easter is determined by the date of the Pascal Full Moon. This full moon does not correspond to any astronomical event, but is a historical artifact determined from tables. Once the date of Easter is set, Ash Wednesday falls forty-six days (forty days not counting Sundays) before Easter.

Why is it called Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance. The ashes used are gathered after the Palm Crosses from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are burned, and mixed with the Oil of the Catechumens (one of the sacred oils used to anoint those about to be baptized. This paste is used by the priest who presides at the service to make the sign of the cross, first upon his own forehead and then on each of those present who kneel before him at the altar rail. As he does so, he recites the words: “Remember (O man) that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19).  Ashes are viewed throughout Christian history as a symbol of humility and sacrifice for those who wear them.

This is the traditional view, which focuses on sinfulness, sorrow, unworthiness, and repentance.

The Spiritual Perspective

From a spiritual perspective, it is all a little different! Ash Wednesday represents our resolve to deny the power of outer appearance which creates the belief in separation from our True Nature. Throughout the Lenten season, we choose to “FAST” from self-defeating thoughts, choices, attitudes, and beliefs, and FEAST on our affirmation of our oneness with God.

We prefer to substitute sacred oil in place of ashes. By placing a sign of the heart on our forehead with oil, we acknowledge our commitment to cross out error and become one with the Truth of us. We also believe we are living the scriptural teaching of Jesus, when He advised His followers (in Matthew 6:16-18):

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

The Metaphysical Interpretation

When our intention is to fast from error thoughts, we will lose face if our abstention is only a façade.  The point is not about whining and demonstrating how difficult it is for you to perform your fast. Rather, a true fast means consecrating the whole body, mind, and soul from a consciousness of love so that our inner cleansing aligns our total beingness with the pattern of perfection that is within us.

From a spiritual perspective, Lent goes beyond Easter. Lent is a spiritual retreat forward, a time of preparation, cleansing, and completion as we fast from error thoughts and feast on our relationship with the Christ within. True Lent is a lifetime of fasting from anything and everything that we allow to separate us from our Christ Nature. So fast from fear and doubt. Fast from worry and thinking you don’t measure up.

You are put here to enjoy life. Use this Lenten season to discover the Kingdom, the power, the rightness within you. You can do it because it’s in your spiritual DNA.

About the Authors: Combine a flair for the dramatic, a deep understanding of metaphysics combined with the teachings of Jesus, and a zest for ministry, and you have defined Revs. Bil & Cher Holton, the dynamic duo who serve as co-ministers for Unity Spiritual Life Center, Durham, NC. This exciting couple bring their love for Truth Principles to everything they do, and work together to create a center that lives its vision and mission in everything it does.They are prolific authors, and share their metaphysical and spiritual principles through their website: http://www.TheMetaphysicalWebsite.com

Check out our special Ash Wednesday Fasting/Feasting Meditation.

This week, Rev. Cher will explore the Unity perspective of Lent, and share the metaphysical interpretation of Fasting and Feasting. She will also offer a few powerful practical adventures you can use to experience dramatic change in your life, opening new channels of spiritual enrichment, peace, and prosperity.

This week, Rev. Cher will continue the LOVE theme for February by looking at the Two Great Love Commandments. You will get a deeper, metaphysical interpretation of Luke 10:27. You will also leave with practical techniques to put these two great love commandments into practice in your life, and experience abundant peace, joy, and prosperity at a whole new level.

I am totally convinced that it is a whole lot easier to love other people than it is to love ourselves! Ever notice how often we just cut ourselves down, find every little thing wrong, and never give ourselves credit for who we are?  Even when someone compliments us, what is the usual tendency? For example: “What a great looking sweater!” We reply, “Oh, this old thing? You’ve got to be kidding! I was thinking of giving it to Good Will!” Talk about a slap in the face of the person giving the compliment!

There is plenty of scripture to support the importance of loving ourselves. Matthew 5:14, Jesus tells us: “You are the light of the world.” He goes on (v. 16) to say, “Let your light shine that others can see your good works glorify your father which is in heaven.” This means, metaphysically, that when we live, move, and have our being from that elevated level of  spiritual consciousness, we cannot hide our oneness with Spirit, because by our very nature, we radiate the Christ light from within. When we allow the Truth of who we are to underwrite everything we do, everyone around us  notices our divine nature, and wants to know more!

Luke 17:20-22 has Jesus responding to a challenge by the Pharisees, who demanded to know when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus said, “The coming of the Kingdom of God isn’t something you can see. The Kingdom of God is within you.” From a metaphysical perspective, this is saying that our human self (the Pharisees) keep looking for answers “out there,” when in Truth, our Higher Self lets us know that the Kingdom of God — our oneness, our Christ Consciousness — is within, readily available and accessible. We are God expressing at the point of us!

If we could even begin to grasp the incredible Truth of who we really are, there would be no way we could ever put ourselves down again! Our job — our challenge — our ADVENTURE — as Truth students and Truth practitioners, is to look beyond the outer appearance  . . .  to really look deep into the depths of the Truth of who we are, and claim our Divinity. Because if we aren’t loving who we are, it’s really tough to be sending love out to others.

Let’s count at least three ways! Love yourself enough to use these spiritual adventures for the week (and beyond) to help you connect with your Christ Self:

Love yourself enough to set aside Personal Quiet Time.

Setting time aside daily for personal prayer and meditation will connect you with the inner core of who you really are, allow you to rejuvenate, and let your light really shine!

Love yourself enough to speak kindly to yourself (Glamour Grammar)

Each morning, pick a different letter of the alphabet and create a powerful, positive word that begins with that letter. Then add the words I AM in front of it to create an affirmation. Next, create a sentence that begin with: Because I am … [and fill in your word ...], I … [and identify an action you are able to do because of this attribute]. (Examples: A: Awesome! I AM awesome! Because I AM awesome, I am able to do everything that is mine to do with ease and grace. C:  Creative. I AM creative. Because I am creative, I find  lots of ways to express my talents that bring me satisfaction as well as income.)

Love yourself enough to take a daily dose of Love Potion 3:16.

Love Potion 3:16 reflects the message of John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

From a metaphysical perspective, John 3:16 says: God, as Absolute Good, is Divine Love personified in, as, and through each of us, as the Christ Principle. (Only Begotten Son). When we come into that awareness (believeth) of our Oneness, we move beyond the illusion of separation and duality — and see through the world of appearance — (shall not perish) and remain eternally one with our Christ Self (have eternal life).

We like to refer to this passage as Love Potion 3:16, because it reminds us how important it is to come into that awareness of ourselves as Divine, as worthy — To move beyond the illusion of separation, and stay connected with our Christ Nature! So we need to take a healthy dose of that awareness every day, and live from that place of Oneness.

(Here is a spiritualized version of that old classic, Love Potion #9, entitled Love Potion 3:16, written by Rev. Cher Holton)

This week, Rev. Cher will continue the LOVE theme for February by sharing the value of loving ourselves. Learn why that negative self-talk we all fall into could be considered blasphemy, and hear the metaphysical interpretation of several scriptures that all share the theme of loving ourselves. You will leave not only with a deeper understanding of the Truth of who you really are, but you will have a few practical techniques to use to help you enrich your spiritual journey and attract abundance and love into your experiences.

This week, Rev. Cher will share the importance of recognizing that Love really is a decision ~ a decision that cical techniques to help you make love the harmonizing factor in your life, magnetizing abundancean change your life! She will be metaphysically interpreting Luke 6:27-36, and sharing some pract, joy, and inner peace.

This week, Rev. Cher will be metaphysically interpreting Mark 11:23, and sharing a powerful HEART formula you can use to  guarantee you are living life from your heart center, to experience the absolute highest and best in everything you do!

This week, Revs. Bil & Cher will use strip mining as a metaphor, and share practical strategies to help you stop strip mining your Divinity.  You will receive new insights into Luke 11:24-26, and discover two practical ways you can dramatically enrich your spiritual experience and your life.

Related articles

• Our 2012 Theme: Connecting With Your Christ Self (unityspirituallifecenter.org)

There is nothing – No Thing – ‘out there’ that can separate us from our good or the good we can do. There is nothing – No Thing – that can dampen our love for the Truth except our love for error.

Let’s put the concept of NOTHING – NO THING – in perspective. It is critical for understanding how well-connected we are to Spirit. The powerful concepts of Omnipresence, Omni-potence, Omniscience and Omni-activity have two incredible things in common.

• They all start with the syllable “OM.” Om stands for the Christ as us, the I AM Presence embodied as us. It signifies our indivisible connection with the God of our understanding.
• These three ‘omni’s’ also have the “ni” in common. Ni is short for nihil which signifies nothing. So you see, there is nothing – No Thing – under heaven or earth that can separate you from the all knowing, everywhere present, all powerful, everywhere active nature of God expressing in, through, and as you!

When you come to know that eternal truth, your life will be transformed forever! You will walk more confidently … sleep more peacefully … and live more fully. There is nothing – ‘NO THING’ – that can separate you from the life you want.

Not your past. Not your childhood experiences. Not your bad experiences. Not your most ingrained habits. Not your lost opportunities. Not the old tapes running through your head. Nothing – No Thing – can separate you from your good … except your disbelief in Truth principles and your doubts of your worthiness.

In this moment, re-affirm your worthiness by acknowledging your Oneness. You are God expressing at the point of you … so you have the very nature of the Omnipresence, Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omni-activity of God expressing in, as, and through you. Let your light shine!