Exactly a year ago, in a quiet online Zoom ceremony officiated by my dear friend, mighty companion, and mentor, Jackie Simpson, and witnessed by my family and a few close friends, I became a Commissioned Minister with Living Church Ministries.
Here is a song that my friend Sean Michael composed and sang at the ceremony which truly represents the essence of what being a minister is to me. The title is Love is the Answer to Everything.
Here is a video of a Punjabi devotional song (with English subtitles) that I selected to conclude the ceremony which also captures the core reason why I felt ready to become a minister.
In becoming a minister, I did not feel any desire to add another title to my name. 🙂 But I did have a strong inner calling to go deeper with my commitment to God, or Love, Light, or whatever name we would give to that place within us that is our true Self- beyond the external mask of our superficial personality selves. For me, being a Reverend is about an experience of reverence- a state of devotion, adoration, love, and deep respect.
From medicine to ministry
Over the past few weeks, along with each of you, I too have witnessed all that has transpired with Coronavirus. As of this writing, all public schools in Rochester, NY, where I live, have been closed indefinitely and there is an official state of emergency. Most public gatherings at churches, temples, and synagogues along with concerts and other public events have been cancelled or postponed. When my son and I went to do some grocery shopping, he commented on how the parking lot was atypically quiet for a Saturday evening. He said it felt like the eerie calm before the storm as we walked in the store- noticing the shelves empty of canned goods, butter, bread, pasta, and of course the infamous toilet paper gone missing!
If we look at how other countries such as China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea have been affected by Coronavirus, we certainly may experience worry, concern, and perhaps even alarm. But my purpose today is not to share epidemiology, quote statistics, talk about good hygiene or social distancing and other preventative measures- which are of course important.
Today I want to speak to you about how this experience is calling forth in me the desire to step more strongly from medicine into ministry. This deep reverence for healing inspired me to write my book, Physician, Heal Thyself: A Doctor’s Journey from Medicine to Miracles. Here is an excerpt from the book that I feel can really help us heal through what the WHO has officially called a pandemic:
“Throughout this book, I share what an inward journey of healing can look like while we negotiate an outer challenge. If you are facing a mental and/or physical health issue, I am not suggesting that you discontinue any treatment or stop working with your health care practitioner. Rather, as you read this book, you will come to see that all therapies can be used by our inner teacher for healing. There is a plan for healing with specific steps for each one of us. Yet to hear these steps, we need to get out of our own way and learn to deeply listen to the inner guide within our hearts. I sincerely desire that this book may serve as a bridge to strengthen your connection to your inner guide, for it is this joining that creates healing.”
To help facilitate this connection to the place of peace, love, and rest within us, I feel inspired to offer group Zoom sessions starting this week. I will be offering them daily at the same time as listed below for the next few weeks starting on Wednesday.
Zoom online groups
The purpose of these sessions is to help us see beyond the specifics of our outer challenge so we can engage in the inner healing work that is needed. I like to call this process a mind dig- where we expose all those beliefs that are limiting our experience of peace, health, and joy. All symptoms of illness are simply a deep call for love. I invite you in joining with me and our brothers and sisters in our communities everywhere in answering this call for love with love. I know that in our joining we can allow for a deep transformative healing with miracles lighting our path and much joy and peace in our hearts. You need not have any background in A Course in Miracles to join. Everyone is welcome. Here are the details:
Wednesday March 18th @ 11am to 12:30pm EST
You can join via this link: https://zoom.us/j/8433334653
Meeting ID: 843 333 4653
(If you prefer to join via phone, please email me, and I can send you more details how you can do that.)
These sessions will be recorded. If you cannot attend, but have a specific question, please email and I will try to address the question and you can listen to the recording later.
These sessions are offered freely in the spirit of service. If you feel a spark to support me in this very important healing mission, you can donate as you feel inspired.
If you want to explore my book further, you can read a free preview here on Amazon with option to buy.
*Buddha image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay
