[acimlessons_list] Lesson 353 - December 19

Sat Dec 18 10:17:28 EST 2004

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ 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/>
>
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lesson 353 - December 19

"My eyes, my tongue, my hands, my feet today 
Have but one purpose; to be given Christ 
To use to bless the world with miracles."

PRACTICE SUMMARY

(See Part II Practice Summary and also Part II Introduction)

COMMENTARY

These last ten lessons (not counting the final one) represent the state of
mind to which the Course seeks to bring us. In this lesson we see the final
outworking of the Course's thoughts about the body. Not that the body
becomes ignored, despised or neglected, but rather that its every part be
used to bless the world with miracles. The body is not attacked or
belittled; rather, it is given a new purpose, shared with Christ.

"Father, I give all that is mine today to Christ, to use in any way that
best will serve the purpose that I share with Him. Nothing is mine alone,
for He and I have joined in purpose" (1:1-2).

In Heaven our function is creation, something that apparently we can't quite
fully understand until our mind awakes to Heaven, but here our function is
the pure reflection of creation: the giving of miracles, the extension of
forgiveness. You might say our function here is recognizing creation, since
to forgive is to acknowledge my brother as God created him, and not as I
have made him through the projection of my own guilt.

Let me, then, as much as in me is, this day join myself with Christ's
purpose. Let me give my hands, my eyes, my tongue, my feet to him. Why not
silently pray and, very specifically, do exactly that. "Father, I give my
hands to Christ today to be used only for the purpose I share with him: to
bless the world with miracles." Then repeating the same thing for other
parts of my body. Remember this thought through the day and renew your gift
to Christ, calling your mind back to its true purpose every time you can
remember.

"Thus has learning come almost to its appointed end. A while I work with Him
to serve His purpose. Then I lose myself in my Identity, and recognize that
Christ is but my Self" (1:3-5).

When we have reached the point where we truly have given everything we have
to Him to be used for His purpose, we have almost completed the curriculum.
All that is left is to stay a little while longer, serving His purpose,
sharing the light with minds that still are clouded . This is almost
descriptive of an avatar, an enlightened master who is on earth only to
serve those not so far along.

When that time of service is over, I will "lose myself in my Identity, and
recognize that Christ is but my Self." The ego self will dissolve and
disappear; the individual will cease as a separate thing--which it never was
in reality--and expand into the One Self of Christ. Nothing will be lost in
this process except our separateness.

My heart, do not despair if this seems far beyond you now. It is far nearer
than you dare believe. You are much more than you think you are. Simply, in
gladness, give yourself to this purpose. The Holy Spirit will provide the
means. Be willing simply to move in this direction, and do not judge how
near or far you are, how easy or how difficult you think the way. Simply be
willing for it to be. Be not anxious or restless if it seems to elude you;
restlessness is only a delaying tactic. Rest, my heart. Trust. Angels watch
with you, awaiting the birth of the Christ in you. Have no fear. Rejoice!

WHO AM I? (Part 3)

W-pII.14.2:1-3

"Our use for words is almost over now" (2:1). Throughout the Workbook, words
have been used to instruct and inspire us, and we have used the words given
to us in our practicing. When we are truly ready to "graduate" from the
Workbook and its level of training, we will be ready to leave specific words
behind. We will be ready to spend our days in constant communication with
the Holy Spirit, with no need for any special saying to act as a trigger, to
entrain our minds along the lines of the Course, because, at that point, our
minds will be fully trained. We will habitually practice holy instants and
spend time often each day renewing our minds in God's Presence.

Few, if any, of us are truly at that point. I know, regretfully, that I am
not. I have not followed the training program given to us faithfully, and so
I still need more training, in which the use of words is still essential. I
still need the crutch of words; or a better analogy than "crutch"--training
wheels. I will be repeating the Workbook again next year. Not with
reluctance or with a sense of defeat, oh no! I have made a great deal of
progress in this last year, I think. The lessons stick with me during the
day much better than ever before, and my mind does remember to apply them in
response to "temptation." Not always, but more frequently.

"Yet in the final days of this one year we gave to God together, you and I,
we found a single purpose that we shared" (2:2). Surely this is one of the
goals of the Workbook, that we would come to realize that we share a common
purpose with Jesus; we are saviors (see paragraph 3). We have begun to
remember, not only our own guiltlessness, but our purpose, what we were
created for: to extend love to others, as God created us by extending His
Love.

"And this, our gift, is therefore given us" (2:3). <Because> we have learned
that we are here to give blessing to the world, blessing is given to us.
Because we have learned to forgive, we receive our own forgiveness. This is
the law of love. This is the way love works.

When the training goal of the Workbook is fully achieved in us, we have not
only found our own individual salvation, we have found that our salvation
lies in bringing release to others. We are saved by saving others; forgiven
by forgiving others; healed by healing others. "I will be healed when I let
Him teach me to heal" (T-2.V(A).18:6). 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Commentary by Allen Watson
+ Practice Summary: Robert Perry
+ Available in book format from The Circle
+ of Atonement (Vol. 1 reprint due by end of 2004, write us for info)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ The Workbook Commentaries are Copyright 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003 by The 
+ Circle of Atonement, P.O. Box 4238,
+ W. Sedona, AZ 86340.
+ All rights reserved.
+
+ Please notify us of any intent to use them beyond the scope of this 
+ e-mail list; write to info at circleofa.com.
+
+ WWW: <http://www.circleofa.com/>
+ Email: <info at circleofa.com>
+ Back Issues Lesson Archive: <http://www.circleofa.com/curwkbk.html>
+ or <http://five.pairlist.net/pipermail/acimlessons_list/>, click "Date"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To unsubscribe from ACIMLESSONS_LIST send email to
acimlessons_list-request at circleofa.com with "unsubscribe" as the subject

To unsubscribe from ACIMWKBK_LIST send email to
acimwkbk_list-request at circleofa.com with "unsubscribe" as the subject

For more information about unsubscribing, subscribing, and changing settings
for your subscription, send an e-mail message to the same address with the
word "help" as the subject. You can also change your subscription options by
visiting the list website:
<http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/acimlessons_list> OR
<http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/acimwkbk_list>
Scroll to the bottom to change your personal options. 
____________________________________________

Tell your friends to subscribe. They can simply send an e-mail message to
<acimwkbk_list-request at circleofa.com> with the word "subscribe" in the
subject, changing "acimwkbk" to "acimlessons" if they want only the
commentaries, without member discussion.
_______________________________________________

Please support the Workbook commentaries! Make a donation to the Circle:
<https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=info%40circleofa.com&item_name=donat
ion+to+support+Workbook+commentaries&image_url=http%3A//www.circleofa.coion+
to+support+Workbook+m/images/main_title.gif&return=http%3A//www.circleofa.co
m&cancel_return=http%3A//www.circleofa.com&cn=Note+to+the+Circle&tax=0&curre
ncy_code=USD>
(If clicking the above link does not work, try copying it and pasting it
into the address field of your web browser, and clicking on "Go".)
_______________________________________________

Portions from Clarification of Terms, Copyright 1975, Psychotherapy:
Purpose, Process and Practice, (c) 1976, The Song of Prayer, (c) 1978, are
copyrighted by The Foundation for "A Course in Miracles," 41397 Buecking
Drive, Temecula, CA 92590.