[acimlessons_list] Lesson 065--March 6

[Allen Watson]

    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>

Lesson 65-March 6

COMMENTARY

What I noticed as I read today's lesson was the last sentence of the first
paragraph. Read it over now, paying careful attention to the "two phases" it
mentions (1:7).

Some of us may be yet having trouble with the first phase, which is
accepting that our role in God's plan is to join with Jesus in bringing
salvation to the world. It isn't a simple matter. To say, "My job is to heal
and be healed," requires a major shift of mind for most people. To see
ourselves as the light of the world is not something that comes easily to
us. That is why several preceding lessons have dwelt on that fact, and why
it will come up again in later lessons.

This lesson presents a second phase, one that advances beyond simply
recognizing the redemptive nature of our function. It adds the thought that
this is our <only> function (1:2). It makes it very plain that to completely
accept our divinely ordained role, we must not allow any of our
self-appointed goals to remain in competition with it. God gave us this one
goal, and no other. The others did not come from Him but from us, and all of
them in some way compete with and detract from this one.

As I go through my day, let me watch how my "trivial purposes and goals"
interfere with my pursuit of this one goal. How much of my day do I spend
playing "Trivial Pursuit"? I can watch it in the simple practice proposed
for the next several days, spending a small but substantial period of time
to meditate upon what the lesson teaches (3:1). The lesson asks me to make
this a definite part of my schedule, rather than just doing it whenever I
have time (4:1-3). The idea is to give my practicing priority over
everything else. Doing so will bring up the very issue addressed by this
lesson: the way in which my other goals compete with the goal given me by
God. It will mean <disciplining> myself to practice-and teaching us mental
discipline is one of the long-range goals of the Course (4:4).

Notice that these two components of what it means to embrace our function
are called <phases> and not <steps> (1:7). A step is done all at once; a
phase extends over a longer period. In my understanding of the Course, the
matter of recognizing <what> my true purpose is can come fairly early in my
journey; however, relinquishing all my lesser goals until I have no goal but
God will most likely be an extended process. At the start, we have no idea
how many competitive goals we have set up for ourselves. It takes time to
discover them and even longer to relinquish them all. Today is only a
beginning, but the more seriously I take this idea, the more effective
today's practice can be.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are the personal interpretation
and understanding of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the
copyright holder of A Course in Miracles(r). The author, Allen Watson, and
the book entitled A Course in Miracles, are responsible for the information
and teaching herein.

Portions from A Course in Miracles (r)(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.

The Workbook Commentaries are Copyright 1995, 2001, 2002 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 email list;
write to info at circleofa.com.




    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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+ Commentary by Allen Watson
+ Practice Summary: Robert Perry
+ Available in book format from The Circle
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+ The Workbook Commentaries are Copyright 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003
+ by The Circle of Atonement,
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+ All rights reserved.
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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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