Day 1 given on January 14, 2016:
Day 2 given on January 21, 2016:
Day 3 given on January 28, 2016:
Day 4 given on February 4, 2016:
Day 5 given on February 11, 2016:
Day 6 given on February 18, 2016:
2014 Series:
The New Foundation is offering a 2 year independent study—One person asked me for this and 2 others have shown interest—with a credential (not ordination or LUT) to start Unity study groups. Would like to stream some of them and the first one I would like to stream is Relationships in the Bible: a six week course on Thursdays starting Jan. 14-Feb.17 7-8:30. Note: this class was originally offered in 2014, and the video for that class is shown below.
Twenty six years ago, Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth premiered on public television. Campbell's series electrified the American consciousness with a new awareness of the power of religion. He especially resonated with men and their spiritual journey.
Marika and I had just started our family, we had two small children and we learned from The Power of Myth that the stories we carry in consciousness will inevitably play out in the lives of our daughters. Our girls are now grown and starting families of their own. But I continue to be grateful for Campbell and for Bill Moyers; they helped me become a better father.
Eleanor Fleming now brings us Relationships in the Bible. Eleanor's class will be small and informal. But her message is much the same as that of Joseph Campbell:
- Relationships in the Bible are also relationships that exist within us. We typically know them as: the Creator and the Created; Mother and Father; Husband and Wife; Brothers and Sisters; Master and Servant; Teacher and Disciple; Friend and Adversary.
- These relationships exist for the purpose of integrating the various fragments in consciousness into wholeness (the power of myth).
- We must go beyond awareness and integration with a commitment to spiritual practices to support that awareness until our thinking, attitudes, decisions and behavior is brought forth as a living expression in daily life (the power of ritual).
The purpose of this class is to develop appreciation for the many relationship stories in the Bible and how all these relationships exist within us. Some of the relationships we will consider are: The Creator and the Created; Mother and Father; Husband and Wife; Brothers and Sisters; Master and Servant; Teacher and Disciple; Friend and Adversary. These relationships exist for the purpose of integrating the various fragments in consciousness into wholeness. There will be examples from both the Old and New Testaments.
The Bible is the basic textbook of Unity and was the basis of every Sunday lesson of the Fillmores. It chronicles the evolution of the soul from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible is His story and, therefore, our story, and by learning this language of the soul, we are able to validate our experiences along the path, and gauge where we are in terms of our relationship to God. The Bible can only be understood by those who arrive at that place in consciousness at the place where the authors were when they brought forth their messages. A contemplation method called lectio divina will be offered.
As in any language, there is a vocabulary and a grammar and after these first six sessions you will have a basic framework that will allow you to continue your interpretation of the Bible on your own. In this first session, there will be a sheet on What Is the Bible, quotes from Charles Fillmore, and introduction to basic metaphysical concepts such as the nature of God, our relationship to God, and the trinity. There will also be an introduction to the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary and the Revealing Word, the former containing the meaning of names and places and the latter, common nouns. After all the tools have been introduced, we will go to the Bible and read the Creation Story in Genesis 1 and metaphysically interpret it and for each of the weeks that follow, we will work with another of the allegories of Genesis. If there is sufficient interest we will continue with more courses in different sections of the Bible.
If you are interested in taking this class, please pre-register with Eleanor at reveleanor@newfoundationunity.org. For those who need SEE credit, perfect attendance is required and completion of all homework assignments. Hard copy syllabi are available.
