Creation

Opening Reflections

All that is in heaven and earth gives glory to Allah.

He is the Mighty, the Wise One.

His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. 

He ordains life and death and has power over all.

He is the first and the last, the visible and the unseen. 

He has knowledge of all things.

(Quran 57:1)

Scripture Reading

The source of all creation is pure consciousness...

pure potentiality seeking expression from

the unmanifest to the manifest.

And when we realize that our true Self

is one of pure potentiality,

we align with the power 

that manifests everything in the universe.

In the beginning

there was neither existence nor non-existence,

All this world was unmanifest energy.

The One breathed, without breath,

by its own power,

Nothing else was there.

-The Rig Veda (1)

Moment of Reflection

Scripture Reading

In the beginning was the word, 

and the word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made;

without him nothing was made that has been made.

In him was life,

and tha life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness,

but the darkness has not understood it.

-Bible, John 1:1-5

Moment of Reflection

Sermon

After years and years of trying to please other people's

images of what you should be, after attempting different

kinds of rebellion and trying to find who you really are,

you finally give up and accept other people's images

of what you are. But, there is something inside you that longs 

to be free; it is always telling you,

"This is not who I really am. This is not 

what I really want. " 

You are not free to be who you really are

because you are trapped by images of what 

you think you should be.

Your whole point of view of your whole reality

is based on what you believe you are,

but what you believe about yourself is just a concept. 

It is knowledge, but knowledge does not mean it is truth. 

Knowledge only means it is what you know. (2)

-Ruiz, 2000

Memory Verse

In the beginning God [Allah] created the heaven and the earth...

And God [Allah] saw every thing that he had made,

and. behold, it was very good.

Bible, Genesis 1:1, 31

Closing Prayer

Loving Father and Creator of all we come to you today deeply grateful for your creation. As we look around us we are amazed at the greatness and majesty of all that you have made. Nature around us speaks of your greatness - the vast expanse of the sky, the mountains, trees, lakes and streams speak of your great design. You have given us such beauty in the colors of the rainbow, the beauty of flowers and fields. Words cannot adequately express the magnificence of all you have created. We join in praise with the writer of the psalms when he says, "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth." May we show our love and reverence to you, our Lord, by caring for all that you have created. We humbly give you praise and thanks. Amen

(1) Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, (San Rafael, CA: New World Library, 1994), 8-9.

(2)Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements Companion Book, (San Rafael, CA: Amber-Allen Publishing, 2000), 17-18.