A Season for Change

I don't like the word repent.  I'm not sure when this started.  It could have been as a child when I watched the movie Polly Anna and Karl Malden was yelling from the pulpit about repenting.  Or it could have been when my childhood Priest was talking to my Sunday school class about repenting, oblivious to the fact that his cigarette ashes were falling on the clean floor.  Or maybe it was when I was at a school friend's funeral several years ago and the minister took the opportunity to preach for 20 minutes about sinners and repenting.  I guess it was the sum of all these occurrences that left a bad taste in my mouth when I would say or think repent. Of course, that was before I walked into a Unity church.

In Unity repent is "a reversal of mind and heart in the direction of the All-Good, God." (The Revealing Word)  In Webster's Dictionary one definition is "to change one's mind about some past action, intention, etc.."  True repentance means the change of the mind and all its contents from materialism and reaching for spiritual things.  In order for us to build a spiritual consciousness, we need to rid our minds of the beliefs and habits of our lesser nature.

Unity uses denials and affirmations as tools for removing error beliefs and building the consciousness with Truth.  Through denials and affirmations we are releasing the thoughts which prevent our conscious alignment with the divine idea of life, and affirming the thoughts which promote such an alignment.  Denials and affirmations change our perspective within and without.  We look at ourselves as children of God; inheriting God's gifts of love, peace, joy and happiness.  Our outside world looks different, too.  We don't "sweat the small stuff" as much and look at the world through a larger lens.  Our perspective has changed within our being and our surrounding world.

The Lenten season is A Season for Change.  It's a time for releasing and renewing; a time for spiritual growth and enlightenment.  As we release (deny) what no longer serves us and renew (affirm) the glory of God within us, we repent or change our perspective. We realize that God, the Almighty, is everywhere present in our lives at all times.

Take the time to change your perspective or repent this spring.  You will feel the changes within and see the changes without.  God's Love and Light will be your constant companions.

Namaste