Episode 51 - The Beatitudes: Happy Are the Spiritually Humble
The Beatitudes are the first eight statements of the famous Sermon on the Mount. They present a revolutionary set of ideals that focus on love and humility rather than force, power and status. The first one is about being spiritually humble. In this episode we reveal that spiritual humility is the fundamental basis of spiritual living. When we live in partnership with Spirit, heaven consciousness is the result.
NOTES:
We are entering an eight-week series on the Beatitudes, which were the first statements in the famous Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:3-12
The Beatitudes are a series of stated conditions with results or promises. Blessed are _____ .
Blessed means:
Happy – a current state of happiness
Divine joy
Fortunate are those
Or Congratulations!
The very first statement is confusing...but it sets the stage for the others.
Poor in spirit is not physical poverty. It is having a humble heart and living with a recognition of the need for Spirit. It is a state of surrendering personal will. We will refer to this as Spiritual Humility.
How do you know when you are NOT in a state of Spiritual Humility? When you...
Think I am Source (or someone else is)
Make decisions with brute force thinking
Are arrogant about our spiritual prowess
Think I am ‘already there’
Are willful about outcomes
"To be poor in spirit means to have emptied yourself of all desire to exercise personal self-will and what is just as important to have renounced all preconceived opinions in the wholehearted search for God. It means … if necessary, to jettison in fact anything and everything that can stand in the way of your finding God." Emmet Fox in The Sermon on the Mount
The Kingdom of Heaven is the promise. It is a state of consciousness.
Christ(God in man) consciousness
Truthor Oneness consciousness
Harmonywith Divine Mind
Dialogue Questions
What does spiritual humility mean to you? What is your experience of it? How has it been important in your life? What is the result?
Share a time when you realized that spiritual humility was the fundamental basis for your spiritual life? How does this play out in your life today?
How do you make yourself spiritually humble? What are your practices?
What is your understanding/experience of the Kingdom of Heaven or its absence?
NOTE: During our dialogue, Molly shared that she performs a Sufi body prayer as a way to establish Spiritual Humility every morning. For those who are interested (I attest to this practice!) here are instructions:
Sufi Body Prayer
“I step into the embrace of the Beloved...” Take one step forward with the right foot, then bring the left forward to meet it.
“…to receive and to give.” Cup hands in front of heart, then exrend forward as in a gesture of giving
“I put behind me all the worldly concerns and egoistic thoughts.” Bring hands back, palms facing forward, at shoulder level, elbows bent.
“I open my heart.” Place hands over heart center.
“And offer thanksgiving and praise.” Lift hands and arms upwards, while also looking up.
“I surrender to You.” Bow at the waist, sliding hands down thighs to the knees.
“That I may do Your will.” Drop to knees and touch forehead to the ground.
“Now and always.” Sit up and back on heels, hands resting on thighs.
“At one with You.” Touch forehead to the ground again. Stand and take one step back to original starting place. Repeat the entire cycle three times.
This really is an amazing prayer, and because it involves the body, it WILL center you. In step 7 you will find that your heart is positioned below your head. The physical experience of that is hard to describe, especially if you are head-centered like I am. It dramatically shifts perspective. Try it!
Closing Thought
More than anything else, I want to experience God, the Source of ALL, more deeply. My spiritual quest is my life journey. As I travel the path, I put what I learn into practice. I incorporate spiritual truths into my consciousness and they become the foundation of my life. I surrender myself -- my personal will, my opinions and judgments, my attachments -- and allow the grace of Spirit to inform, supply and walk with me.