Jacob's May 2021 Newsletter

Spiritual Companion

May Newsletter 2021

Pandemic Prayers

Oh Holy One, Sublime spirit, All-knowing One, be with us all at this extraordinary time of living with Covid-19 and its variants.
We are now brought together in this pandemic as never before, all humanity together. We need You as we need each other, for both the divine and human are now joined in a new way. We are blessed to be reminded anew of this union, with You and with each other. Hold us in your Heart of hearts, as we hold our dear companions in our hearts. We remember, we learn again that every moment is precious. Every breath we take is a gift that we appreciate as never before.
Even as we breathe together, we now must grieve together, for our losses are many. Our elders - our mothers and fathers, the wise ones - are taken from us too soon, and we can’t hold them and touch them as they go: more loss. And so it is with our people of any age. These goodbyes are both horrible and unfair; it is not how we - and they - wished it would be. So we wail and cry and You listen. Thank you.
Please stay with us.

Prayers such as the above, meditations, and teachings, as well as two children's stories, are available for listening on the free app Insight Timer. The best way to hear them is to open Insight Timer then type my name into the search button. Over 11,000 people have listened to
Peter the Blue Truck.

Insight Timer

https://insighttimer.com/jacobwatson

http://insig.ht/jacobwatson
http://insig.ht/jacobwatsonI'd like to share an excerpt from recent writing by my long-time friend and colleague, Gus Jaccaci, Social Architect

Vermontumental Idealism:
Town Meeting Articles on Energy and Love
The New England town meeting is over 400 years old, having been founded upon on this continent by the first Puritans who came here from Europe. Civil and spiritual gatherings have evolved into the strongest and most all inclusive participatory acts of creative democracy anywhere in the world today.
Chapter 1
We assert that love is a truly dominant reality.
Love is the only known reality fast enough in action and meaning to be sufficient to make it's natural power guide humanity to our next full stage of maturity and evolutionary fulfillment.
Article: Love will save us.

I recently concluded teaching classes, through the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Foundation, for students in Guatemala and Brazil, as well as in France, Peru, Argentina, Mexico and Portugal.
I said to students in our final class, (in our newly created Beloved Community) I hope and trust you learn and integrate these basic ideas:

1      We must take any teaching first and foremost for ourselves, try it on, use it in our own lives so that later - that night at the family kitchen table, or next month at work, or next year with a friend - when we speak it is not playing a role, but it is with our own authentic voice; the words and feelings are yours.
2   Every wound, even trauma, can be healed, especially when you deepen your understanding of healing. While we cannot change our history - what happened to us - we can change how we respond to our history, and therefore to whatever happens to us in our present and future.
3   Our emotions and feelings are natural, and as we identify them, become aware of them, and express them safely, doing so heals us and opens up and cleans out pathways to our spiritual dimension.
4   When we develop love and compassion for ourselves, it is natural to love and be compassionate with other people.
5   The spiritual traditions and their perennial wisdom are available and accessible to us as never before.
6   Every second we can be aware of and make choices about what we think, feel and express, all of which make an immediate difference to ourselves, to others, and to the world.
7   We always have a choice of how we respond to our environment and what is happening to us: we can react with fear or we can respond with love.
8   Personal growth work is healing, transformative then connective.
9   Death is a part of life; life is preparation for death. Every day is an opportunity to let go and be grateful.
10 Change always happens. Attachment and aversion are not helpful.
11 Beauty and joy are always available to us.
12 Your own interpretations of and learnings from these teachings are especially valuable.
13 A small group of passionate people can create a chaplaincy school!

I have a new shipment of my book Enso Morning: Daily Meditation Gifts, and will gladly send you an autographed copy for $24.95 which includes free shipping. Order by email below.

I was recently interviewed by Michael Naylor, of the Maine Enneagram Center for Transformation and Well-Being: https://enneagrammaine.com/

Available on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myU5nmCaB-o

The Wisdom of the Type Two

I write these Spiritual Companion newsletters on an occasional basis, whenever I have ideas and writing I'd like to share with you. I welcome your responses by email. (address below)

Ongoing Enrollment for Fall 2021www.chimeofmaine.org 

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Rev. Jacob Watson · 41 Glenwood Avenue · Portland, ME 04103 · USA