[acimlessons_list] LESSON 276 - October 3

Mon Oct 4 06:13:34 EDT 2004

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+ COMMENTARIES ON LESSONS FROM THE WORKBOOK OF A COURSE IN MIRACLES
+ by Allen Watson, with Practice Summaries by Robert Perry, 
+ of The Circle of Atonement
+ Visit our website at <http://www.circleofa.com <http://www.circleofa.com/>
>
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LESSON 276 - October 3

"The Word of God is given me to speak."

PRACTICE SUMMARY

(See also Part II Introduction)

COMMENTARY

The phrase the Word of God in ACIM is defined here as "My Son is pure and
holy as Myself" (1:2). In another place it is said to be, "I am as God
created me" (W-pI.110.11:4-6). We were created by this Word; as in the
Bible, He spoke, and it was so. "God said, 'Let there be light,' and there
was light." Even so, God spoke, "My Son is pure and holy as Myself," and the
Son, pure and holy as God, came into being. God's thought of us was (is) His
creative act of Fatherhood; it stands unaltered and unalterable. I cannot
change my Self, I cannot make my Self other than God created me.

"Let us accept His Fatherhood, and all is given us" (1:5). Hearing His Word
is accepting His Fatherhood, accepting that we were created in His Love and
can be no other than what He created us to be. It is to accept the Atonement
(M-22.1:6), the unassailable fact that I--that is my true Self and not my
ego image of myself--am as pure and as holy as God Himself.

"And it is this that I would speak to all my brothers, who are given me to
cherish as my own" (2:2). What I want to communicate to my brothers and
sisters is that they all share this innocence with me. My grievances, my
judgments, or my criticisms communicate guilt. My forgiveness communicates
their innocence. Father, show me how to communicate the Atonement today;
show me how, in word and deed, to speak the Word of God: "You are as pure
and holy as God."

This clearly relates to the lead-in page on the Christ. "Christ is God's Son
as He created him. He is the Self we share..." (W-pII.6.1:1-2).

"This is the only part of you that has reality in truth. The rest is dreams"
(W-pII.6.3:2-3).

What is the Christ? (Part 6)

W-pII.6.3:4

"The rest is dreams. Yet will these dreams be given unto Christ, to fade
before His glory and reveal your holy Self, the Christ, to you at last"
(3:3-4).

I am prone to think, "OK. Christ is the only real part of me. All the rest,
the stuff I think is really me most of the time, is just dreams. But these
dreams seem very, very real to me. What the heck do I do about all these
dreams?" The answer is in three words; the dreams are "given unto Christ."
The Course constantly is asking us to do this in varying forms; it speaks of
our bringing our darkness to the light, of bringing our fantasies to
reality, our illusions to the truth. We, in our confusion, cannot see the
truth about ourselves, or about others, because we are blinded by our
illusions. The Holy Spirit was created for us to see the truth on our behalf
until we can see it for ourselves (T-17.II.1:6-8). He represents Christ for
us, in us. We bring our dreams to Him, and He translates them into truth
(see 4:1).

In practical terms this means that when I become aware I am seeing from an
ego standpoint, from a perspective of separation and attack, I need to
become quiet, and gently expose these beliefs to the Holy Spirit within my
mind. I need to tell Him, "This is how I am seeing things. Show me how You
see them. I am willing to see them differently."

Our natural (read "egoic") response when we discover dark thoughts in our
minds, thoughts like anger, jealousy, self-pity, and despair, is to hide
them, unless we are so blind as to totally identify with them and justify
them. Embarassed at our mis-thoughts, we attempt to sweep them under the rug
and pretend they are not there. This does not dispel them, it merely causes
them to go underground. For instance, in speaking of the ego's hatred, the
Course teaches that we seek special love relationships to offset our hatred.
It says:

"You cannot limit hate. The special love relationship will not offset it,
but will merely drive it underground and out of sight. It is essential to
bring it [the hate] into sight, and to make no attempt to hide it"
(T-16.IV.1:5-7).

Hiding our unpleasant thoughts is really denial. It leads inexorably to
projection, in which we see our own hidden thoughts being played out by
others, and seemingly gain ego points by guilting the other people. When we
are upset by the sins and mistakes of other people, this is exactly what is
happening (T-17.I.6:5).

When, instead, we make no attempt to hide our own ego, but willingly bring
it to the light within us to be dispelled, it is dispelled. We don't have to
understand how this happens, because we do not do it; the Holy Spirit does
(T-17.I.6:3,4). All we need be concerned about is being willing to have it
happen. When the illusions which are hiding the truth are dispelled, our
holy Self, the Christ, is revealed to us at last (3:4).

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+ Commentary by Allen Watson
+ Practice Summary: Robert Perry
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+ of Atonement (Vol. 1 reprint due by end of 2004, write us for info)
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