The Sequence of Creative Order

“The Bible states, as other sacred writings do, that humankind reproduces the Creative Order on a miniature scale. Jesus said, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. What could this mean other than that we as individuals are not separate from the Original Creative Cause? It is upon this premise (which seems somewhat abstract, but is simple enough if we do not become confused by the thought that it must be too profound) that the Science of Mind is based.

"Let us then state it in more simple terms, after this manner: We are centers or points in a Cosmic Universal Consciousness which is the Origin of all things. On the scale of our individual lives, we reproduce the Divine Order in Its entirety. This does not mean that we are God, but we find in Psalm 82:6: I have said, Ye are gods, and all of you are children of the highest. The whole Divine nature is reproduced in us, but we are ignorant of the fact. Our thought is creative, but in our ignorance, we use it destructively."

Dr. Ernest Holmes
Living The Science of Mind

Alquimia Center for Spiritual Living, Lima Peru

Dr. Edward Viljoen, author of The Power of Meditation, talks with Practitioner, Gladys Gonzales-Vigil Zorrilla about her work with Science of Mind in Peru, Lima

http://www.alquimia.edu.pe/proximos-inicios/

Video by Tim Omi of www.Spirit.Tours

Interpretation by Julie Burns

To see this video on YouTube, click here.

Direct Contact with the Infinite

A colleague once said, “there is no off switch, so stop looking for it.” He was referring to our direct contact with the Divine and the futility of thinking that we can escape it. This is, he said, both the good news and the bad news. The good news in that we don’t have to struggle to maintain contact with something that we are permanently part of; bad news, in that every thought we think, every word of blessing we speak, everything about us, is our personal use of the Creative Genius of the Universe. In other words, we have ultimate freedom to use the spiritual power of creation in any way we wish, but we can never step out and away from being part it.

In Acts 17:28, Paul expressed the ideas by saying, ‘For in God we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your poets have said, ‘We are God’s offspring,” explaining also that the God who made the world and everything in it is not far from any one of us.

This is an essential idea for us to consider this month when we study Spiritual Laws. We do not have to reach for the spiritual laws that govern our world but to use them mindfully, with the full understanding that we can never be separated from them.

Warmly,

Edward Viljoen

Photo by Connor Wells on Unsplash

Building Your Tomorrow Today

“LIFE IS an adventure in which we never know what is going to happen just beyond the turn of the road. But too often our today is filled with regrets over the past. If we could convince ourselves that the limitations of the past need not be carried into the future, what a happy outlook we should have.”

Dr. Ernest Holmes, Living the Science of Mind

Photo by Alexander Lam on Unsplash

Good Work in the World

A few nights ago - I’m losing track of days of the week - I was in Cusco, Peru with a group of almost 30 religious scientists, including Rev. Liesa Garcia and some of her community. We had just returned from seeing Machu Picchu and other amazing and mysterious sites with Spirit Tours.

Because we have a Science of Mind community in Lima, we contacted Gladys Gonzales Vigil, RScP the founder and director of the Alquimia Center for Spiritual Living (http://www.alquimia.edu.pe/) to let her know we would be in her country.

It turns out that the last day of our pilgrimage in Peru was Gladys’s birthday. She flew to Cusco with her daughter (also a practitioner) and her granddaughter to meet our community and tell us about the extraordinary work she is doing in Latin America by teaching Science of Mind.

We were fortunate to have live, simultaneous interpretation by Santa Rosa Practitioner Intern, Julie Burns (who interprets our Sunday messages for Spanish audiences around our world).








We learned that under Gladys’s direction many hundreds of students annually are introduced to our core curriculum, with a special focus on empowering women who have been sexually assaulted (primarily by close family members.)





Later, we took Gladys’s family to dinner where she told me in detail how she teaches our curriculum. She wanted me to know that no part is the Science of Mind curriculum was compromised or omitted and that her Center is staying faithful to the teaching and our vision of a world that works for everyone.

Happy Birthday, Gladys, and thank you for the work you are doing to help humanity awaken to its Spiritual magnificence.

I’ll have a partial video of her interview available and online when I have time to edit it.


Edward Viljoen


If you would like to join me on a spiritual pilgrimage to Eastern Bali where we will be studying Hinduism’s ten ancient guides for modern successful living, the Yamas and Niyamas, please visit https://spirit.tours/tour/essence-bali-retreat/

February – Self-Awareness is Not Enough

Sunday, February 4

What is Religion?

Religion, Ernest Holmes writes, is our attitude toward God. “This attitude is based on our concept of the relationship which exists between God the Universal Spirit and humankind, the individual spirit. If we believe that God is some far-off Divine Being from whom we are isolated, we shall give up in despair or our entire endeavor will be in seeking a reconciliation and reunion with this Divine Being.”

Religion, then, may be thought of as the practices we engage in that link us back to the truth of our being, that we are one with the Living Spirit, an intimate, close, personal, presence. Without a deep sense of what this Spiritual Universe means to us, it is difficult to pray effectively.

This Wednesday, February 7, I will begin the free eleven-week class series based on Ernest Holmes’s It’s Up To You, in which we will explore the practical application of Science of Mind to help us explore our relationship with the spiritual universe and thereby bring more joy into our world.

All are welcome, no registration required.

Warmly,

Edward Viljoen

Thinking Affirmatively

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Ernest Holmes, our founder, writes in Living the Science of Mind, “There is a Power for Good in the Universe greater than you are, and you can use it.” He writes that we are connected to each other by this invisible and creative force and that by learning to use it effectively we can bring about5 more peace in our world.

Wednesday, January 31, is when we are celebrating the Season for Nonviolence with a keynote address by Kazu Haga a Kingian Nonviolence trainer based in Oakland, California. Born in Japan, he has been involved in many social change movements since he was 17. He is the founder and coordinator of East Point Peace Academy and is on the board of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, PeaceWorkers, and the OneLife Institute.

Starting in February, I will be offering a free eleven-week course based on Ernest Holmes’s book; It’s Up To You. All are welcome, no registration required. Classes begin at 7 pm on Wednesdays.

Warm regards,

Edward Viljoen

Science, Superstition, and Common Sense

Sunday, January 21, 2018

If you would you reading along with the topics for this year’s Sunday messages you can find the assigned pages from Living the Science of Mind on our website, www.cslsr.org, under Service>2018 Speakers and Topics.

This week’s reading addresses the tendency humankind has to be superstitious and the impact of focusing negatively on habitual thought patterns. It suggests that we turn from this tendency, and consciously cultivate a new body of thought by daily saying to ourselves something like this:

I am not bound by the superstitions of the human race. I no longer fear God or the Universe in which I live. I have implicit confidence in the Supreme Good, and I permit It to flow through me and to bless everything I contact.

This Wednesday at 7 pm, Dr. Kim Kaiser completes his series of free classes on how to use the Science of Mind. All are welcome.

Warm regards,

Edward Viljoen

Science of Mind – Using it

Sunday, January 14, 2018

In Living the Science of Mind, Ernest Holmes writes “Spiritual Power is of no particular value to us until we use It. We must not only be conscious of this Power; we must be actively conscious of It. This is one of the first lessons we learn in spiritual science.”

To be actively conscious of the spiritual powers that surround us means that we have a relationship with it. Better still, it means that we accept that we are part of the spiritual universe and that when we think, we give direction to Its creative nature. Not only do we participate in creation, but we can also be guided by it when we take the time to listen to it and feel its presence in everything.

We must have a deep acceptance of the Divine Presence, and out of the power generated in this realization speak our word of prayer with complete conviction.

To learn more about The Science of Mind and how to use it in your life, consider attending the free classes taught each Wednesday evening by Dr. Kim Kaiser.

Warm regards,

Edward Viljoen

What is Science of Mind

Sunday, January 7, 2018

2018 Marks the 100 year anniversary of teaching Science of Mind in the world. We are celebrating this milestone with the year-long theme, Living the Science of Mind. Each week we will suggest a reading from Ernest Holmes to help focus our study of this beautiful teaching that helps us accept that our thought is creative because of what is alive in us.

On page 1 of Living the Science of Mind Dr. Holmes writes:

“The Science of Mind is intensely practical because it teaches us how to use the Mind Principle for definite purposes, such as helping those who are sick, impoverished, or unhappy. Each one of us should learn to become a practitioner of this science, a demonstrator of its Principle, a conscious user of its Power. Power already exists, but the existence of Power is of no particular value to us until we use it. We must not only be conscious of Power, but we must be actively conscious of it. This is one of the first lessons we learn in the Science of Mind.”

To learn more about The Science of Mind and how to use it in your life, consider attending the free classes taught each Wednesday evening by Dr. Kim Kaiser.

Warm regards,

Edward Viljoen