[acimlessons_list] Lesson 361--December 27

[Allen Watson]

Lesson 361

"This holy instant would I give to You.
Be You in charge. For I would follow You,
Certain that Your direction gives me peace."

PRACTICE SUMMARY

FINAL LESSONS

PURPOSE: To receive the gift that God promised His Son. To dedicate your
mind to following in the way of truth and leading your brothers there.
To forgive the world and so hasten the ending of the dream that God
appointed.

MORNING/EVENING QUIET TIME: as long as needed

* Use the words only at the beginning, and only to remind yourself you
are trying to go beyond them.

* Leave the rest of the lesson to the Holy Spirit. Put Him in charge.
Whatever you need, be it a thought, a word, or stillness and
tranquility, He will give it to you.

HOURLY REMEMBRANCE

No specific instructions

FREQUENT REMINDER

No specific instructions

RESPONSE TO TEMPTATION

No specific instructions

COMMENTARY

(I will be doing commentary on the "Final Lessons" and "Epilogue"
sections intermingled with the daily commentary for the next five days,
since the actual lesson is the same for all five days.)

So we come to the final lessons of the year. Today and for the next four
days we have the same lesson, which gives us the very simple directions
by which we are to live the rest of our lives. The intent of the
Workbook is to aid us in forming the very habit portrayed by this
lesson: To give each instant to the Holy Spirit, asking Him to be in
charge, committing ourselves to follow His direction in everything,
knowing that He always leads us towards peace.

The Introduction to this simple lesson ("Final Lessons") is one that we
would do well to read each day for these five days. Each day as we read
this over, along with the lesson, we follow the reading with a time of
quiet in which we seek a holy instant of communion with our Father and
His Voice.

We are not seeking for words; "Our final lessons will be left as free of
words as possible. We use them but at the beginning of our practicing,
and only to remind us that we seek to go beyond them. Let us turn to Him
Who leads the way and makes our footsteps sure." What we are seeking is
that communion with Him. We open ourselves to the experience of peace.
We give our lives to Him, asking to be directed in "all our thoughts to
serve the function of salvation." We are here to remember God through
forgiving our brothers, through sharing His reality with everyone.

We are as free of words as possible in these times of practice, and yet
"...if I need a word to help me, He will give it to me. If I need a
thought, that will He also give" (W-pII.361.1:1-2). He will give
whatever I need. Sometimes there will be words; sometimes, thoughts. And
sometimes, nothing but "stillness and a tranquil, open mind" (1:3). We
present ourselves to Him and wait for Him to give whatever we need. We
do not tell Him what we need; we leave that to Him.

Each day we can begin like this. And during the day, often, whenever we
can, we stop and once again renew the set of our minds, our
determination to make no decision by ourselves, without Him. These
lessons have been "a beginning, not an end" (Epilogue, 1:1). They have
trained us in a practice that is meant to continue for the rest of our
lives until our entire life has become a holy instant.

Whenever you can today, remember these words and repeat them: "This holy
instant would I give to You." He will never fail to hear us.

    COMMENTARIES ON LESSONS FROM THE WORKBOOK OF A COURSE IN MIRACLES
    by Allen Watson, with Practice Summaries by Robert Perry
    The Circle of Atonement--Visit our website at <http://www.circleofa.com>

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+ Practice Summary: Robert Perry
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Portions from Clarification of Terms (c) Copyright 1975, Psychotherapy:
Purpose, Process and Practice, (c) 1976, The Song of Prayer, (c) 1978, are
used by permission of the copyright holder, The Foundation for "A Course in
Miracles," 41397 Buecking Drive, Temecula, CA 92590.


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