Wayne
Manning My wife, Janet, and I have fallen
in love with Auburn. We knew that might happen when we first saw it, in
January of 1995, in the rain. Our lives then took us from Columbus, Ohio
to Fair Oaks, and a ministry in Sacramento. We visited Auburn now and
then, with a growing affection for the ambiance, the energy, and, most of
all, the people. Then in 1999 we were offered the posts of co-ministers at
Unity of Auburn. We commuted for the fall and winter, but couldn’t
resist the call, and moved into our wonderful house on Robie Point in May
of 2000. I say all this to point out one of
the concepts we place a lot of emphasis on in Unity, and that is spiritual
guidance. There are other terms that mean almost the same thing, like
intuition, hunch, and insight. But to call the process “spiritual
guidance” highlights the all-important idea that there is a greater
dimension to our experience on the planet than the common four of length,
breadth, depth, and time. That greater dimension is difficult to talk
about in our “three dimensional language” but it has to do with the
More Than, the Total Surround, the Field, or the Kingdom of God, to use
some interchangeable labels. All I can legitimately speak from,
of course, is my own personal experience. My experience leads me to
believe that there is some element of truth to this idea, however poorly I
describe it. I say this because my experience with hunches has been
inconsistent, sporadic, and unpredictable. Being intentionally open to
wisdom and guidance from that spiritual dimension has been much more
consistent and helpful. That’s how we got to Auburn,
Janet and I, and that’s how we try daily to do ministry and live our
lives. And, of course, we don’t always get it right! Our human minds
still must interpret what the guidance is. We have found, though, that our
lives are more satisfying and rewarding, if not altogether predictable, by
consciously asking God (that’s the term we use) about this or that and
then really listening and watching for responses. Responses come in many
different forms, from “accidentally” reading something that informs
the question, or hearing something in a conversation that applies, or in a
dream, or in prayer and meditation. It is a practice that, combined with
common sense, can’t hurt and often helps. We recommend it! In addition to practicing
spiritual guidance in our individual lives, we can also use the process in
concert, as a community. One of the things I love so about Auburn is its
local politics and politicians, both city and county. It grieves me to see
how little compassion we show at times for these people, both elected and
appointed, who give tremendous amounts of time and energy, often for
minimal compensation, and who often receive a disproportionate share of
anger, blame, and uninformed opinion. I recommend this practice to our
public servants as they consider matters that affect us all and make
decisions that shape our future. It doesn’t have to be a religious
thing, if that is bothersome to a specific individual. It can be a
philosophical position that agrees with the concept that there is wisdom
available in the collective conscious and it is possible to tune into it.
The labels aren’t important, but the results are. Those who practice
appealing to this level of wisdom (and I’m certain some already do) will
find that decisions still must be made with the intellect, by
understanding the issues as fully as possible. More importantly their
decisions will be informed even more by the heart, which can add new shape
and breadth and depth to the decision making process. I recommend this practice to the
rest of us as we communicate with our public servants, both in presenting
our ideas and desires and in our reactions to decisions made and positions
taken. A simple “God, how would you have me say this?” can do wonders
for our choice of tone and language in our letters and face-to-face
conversations! And it is our tone and language that often determines how
well we are heard, regardless of our knowledge of the issue itself. The year just past has been a good
one overall for Auburn, in my estimation. It also had some times of
contention and stress that might have been better relieved had we all
asked the equivalent of “God,
what would you have me think/say/do about this?” And then been willing
to listen for the wisdom and guidance that I am convinced is always there,
waiting for our attention. We have a clean slate ahead in 2002. The year will be what we make of it, both as individuals and as a community. There are some folks who believe that West Virginia is “almost Heaven.” I think it’s really Auburn. Heaven peeks through here all the time. It can do more than peek if we are willing to make it so.
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