"Spiritually Speaking" by Rev. Carla Golden

Roger Ebert and Reincarnation

When you think of Rogert Ebert, chances are you think of movies. Roger has been a movie critic for many years in Chicago. I used to watch his show every week when I lived there. He and Gene Siskal were a great team. Sometimes I would agree with Roger and sometimes my views would more closely match those of Gene's.

Well, back in July, Roger Ebert wrote a very interesting article about reincarnation in his "Journal" or blog. The article was "The Quantum Theory of Reincarnation". I found it to be fascinating. Roger, like most of us, has evolved in his thinking over the years and I'm sure that his physical challenges have had an impact on his views of life, death and spirituality.

Anyway, take a few minutes and read what he has to say. http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/07/everymans_guide_to_quantum_the.html

Feel free to share your comments.

"The Cove" - An Important New Movie

A very important documentary film opened last week in LA and NY. I am looking forward to seeing it. Here is what I have read:

"The Cove,"is a must see for anyone who cares about the planet. Winner of audience awards across the world, including Sundance, "The Cove" follows a team of activists and filmmakers as they infiltrate a heavily-guarded cove in Taiji, Japan.

The movie is about a small town with a big secret and you can be one of the many people who are going to be moved by this film and pushed to action. The single most powerful thing everyone who sees "The Cove" can do is to spread the word.

"The Cove" will be opening at other cities this weekend.

Click hereto see where "The Cove" is playing near you.

To learn more about the film and how to take action, please visit TakePart.com

http://www.takepart.com/thecove/

"Individually we make a difference. Collectively we transform the world."  Elizabeth Haugen

Creating from Within

My husband and I recently rented the movie "Charlotte's Web" which I really enjoyed. In the movie, based on the book by the same name, Charlotte is a spider who creates elaborate webs with a message about a little runt pig, Wilbur, in order to save him from becoming pork chops. It is a lovely movie in and of itself, but it got me to thinking of how, like Charlotte the spider, we humans also create the web of our lives from within ourselves.

Many people think that creation is something that takes place in the outer--something we do. But creativity and creation comes from within us. We create from the consciousness that we have developed and it is then expressed out in the world.

Our webs of abundance are created through the development of our inner consciousness, made up of our thoughts and feelings. It involves our faith and our feelings of worthiness. If we doubt our worthiness of this prosperity, we short-circuit the process.

We are always creating through our consciousness. What we create is up to us. If we hold thoughts of lack and poverty, we create more of the same. Perhaps you recognize the same concept that is taught in the movie, "The Secret." Yes, the "Law of Attraction" and what we call the "Law of Mind Action" are very much the same. They are both about how our consistently held thoughts, beliefs and emotions create our experience in life.

What kind of web are you creating for yourself? Are you happy with it? If not, then it is helpful to take a look at your consistently held thoughts, beliefs and emotions.

Man of the Year

My husband and I went to see the movie "Man of the Year" with Robin Williams. I am a big fan of Robin's and I really enjoyed this movie. "Man of the Year" is about a comedian that is encouraged by his audience to run for president. I won't give away any key points of the story so as not to spoil it for you.

This movie is not just funny, which you would expect from a movie with Robin Williams. It has some touching scenes as well and a lot of truth to it. And what I really appreciated was how William's character approached his campaign with such honesty--putting aside the party politics of Republicans and Democrats and speaking the truth about what was going on in the country -- not what he thought would get him elected. It felt like a breath of fresh air and I found myself wishing he really was a candidate for office.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of politics. But I do care about my country. I want people in office who will look out for the country and not just pander to the largest contributors to their campaigns. Large corporations have bought off many candidates. The big oil companies have infiltrated Congress and the White House.

I care about the environment and the development of alternative sources of energy. But as long as politicians remain puppets of the oil companies these alternative sources will remain as back burner concerns.

Jesus said that we must "be in this world but not of it." He did not mean that we shouldn't participate in the election process. I believe that Jesus would have encouraged us to participate, but to come from a consciousness of love and understanding. What we see now in the media is candidates taking pot shots at each other and Rush Limbaugh mocking Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's tremors.

I encourage you to become educated about the candidates running in your area. If you don't know anything about the candidates, check your local newspaper. Generally they have done a lot of research on the candidates and will endorse the one that they feel is best qualified.

If you're thinking about not voting--please, don't stay home. We live in a democracy, a country where we have the opportunity to decide who will make decisions for us. If you stay home, your voice will not be heard. And your voice is important.   

Conversations With God -- The Movie

A SPIRITUAL CLASSIC opens in the U.S. this Friday, October 27

Neale Donald Walsch's story is that of a down-and-out man who becomes a spiritual messenger and bestselling author. Adapted from his books that inspired and changed the lives of millions worldwide, CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD, tells the true story of how Walsch (brilliantly portrayed by Henry Czerny) who, at the lowest point in his life, asks God some very hard questions. The answers he gets become the foundation of an internationally acclaimed book series that has sold over 7 million copies and been translated into 34 languages.

“An incredibly emotional journey.”
--Deepak Chopra

Watch the trailer: www.cwgthemovieonline.com

“This movie is a marvelous illustration of how a life can transform, from something so seemingly hopeless to something miraculously good."
--Marianne Williamson

My husband and I went to see the movie "Conversations With God" last month when it previewed here in Kansas City. I had read the first book that Neale Donald Walsch wrote and was anxious to see his story played out on the screen. It is a beautiful story that will give hope to many. Walsch was at the screening of the movie along with Roger Simon, the producer. He is a very humble man. You can tell he is really in awe of all that has happened to him over the years.

Watch the trailer and then go see this film. It is important that we support these spiritual movies and give Hollywood a message if we want to see more of them. Please tell your friends as well.

Here is a link to the trailer: www.cwgthemovieonline.com

The Movie "An Inconvenient Truth"

I went to see the movie "An Inconvenient Truth" last weekend, as did many other people. No one spoke after the movie ended. Some of us sat quietly in our seats thinking about what we had seen and processing the emotions. Others filed out silently. But all of us were moved and shaken by what we had seen.

The documentary is excellent as a movie and it is marvelous from the standpoint that it serves to educate people about something that is important to all of us--the future of the planet we inhabit. There is a lot of information given to us in the movie--charts and graphs, but it is done in such a way that we are not bored or feel like school children. This is a multi-media presentation that people will find enthralling and shocking at the same time. And Al Gore is humorous and self-effacing. We get a better understanding of him as a person, his depth and his life-long mission.

I encourage everyone to go see this movie. It reminds us that we are in charge of our futures. We have the ability to make choices. How we choose to live our lives today will determine how our grandchildren and their grandchildren will live theirs. Don't dismiss this movie as a ploy to get Al Gore elected as president. That would be a big mistake and like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We don't have the right as residents on this planet to play around with the home that we inhabit. We borrow it for 70-80 years and then pass it on to other generations. It is time to put aside politics, self-interest and greed and do what is right.

Log on to www.climatecrisis.net and see where the movie is playing near you. Read about it, see it, tell your friends about it, and then begin to do something. What can you do? The web site will tell you how you can live your life in support of a healthy planet.

One thing that they don't tell you but as a New Thought minister I feel is a must: focus positive energy on this situation. Believe that we can change the situation, visualize a healthy planet in your meditations and see a healing light surrounding our earthly home. Remember that our thoughts create. If we believe that all is hopeless, then we will begin to create that as our outcome. Instead, focus on the truth that we are creative expressions of God energy in the world, and through our prayers of love and peace, we will not only change our attitudes and those of others around us, but as a result, we will help to heal the environment that reflects our consciousness. It's all about consciousness.

The Da Vinci Code

Well, friends, I saw The Da Vinci Code yesterday with my husband. I had heard mixed reviews about the movie but regardless, I found it to be very entertaining. And the information included is factual, for the most part, according to the Biblical research that has been done. I think that people will find it fascinating how the symbols of pagan religions ended up in Christianity.

The Catholic church has called for a boycott of the film and that seems rather funny. The Catholic church, with all its power, is afraid of a 2 1/2 hour movie and its ability to affect people's faith. Yes, the movie portrays the Catholic church in somewhat of an unfavorable light--but it is mostly Opus Dei, a mysterious off-shoot that receives the focus. The movie does point out the history of the Catholic church in trying to maintain control of the beliefs of its followers, but control has been a central theme of religion for centuries.

The history of how the Bible was compiled is shared in the movie and this is good, in my opinion, although it may be disconcerting for Christian fundamentalists. For those who believe that the Bible is the literal word of God written on stone tablets, the movie will probably be seen as heretical. For most modern believers and Bible scholars, the story of how the books of the Bible were chosen to be included will not be a shock. We live in an age where politics is involved in everything, and that has surely been true of the Catholic church and most churches. That a group of somewhat prejudiced men got together and decided to include books that presented a patriarchal and male dominated view of Christianity does not surprise me at all. Does it you?

As far as the idea in the movie that Jesus was married and had children...well, we shall never know if that is true or not. But my question to all believers is this--what does it matter? Jesus was human as well as divine. Would it have made him any less of an inspiration to us if he had loved someone so deeply that he chose to marry her and have a family? We all must come to our own conclusions about Jesus--who he was and what he meant to us. But regardless of what we believe, I think Jesus would have liked us to follow his teachings to the best of our ability. And perhaps that is what we should focus on and not spend a lot of time arguing about movies.

The Bible--Truth or Fiction?

The movie, "The Da Vinci Code" is stirring up all kinds of controversy and the pope, along with many Christian fundamentalists, are upset. Why is this, after all, it's only a movie?

My belief is that it puts people into a questioning mode, and let's face it, the Catholic church in particular does not want its followers to question what is and is not true. They have always preferred to be the intermediary between God and the people. That has been the case for all religions over the centuries. If people didn't go to the priests and ministers for wisdom they might be without a job. Before people learned to read, the clergy were necessary to read and explain the Bible. Now people can read and interpret for themselves.

I believe that there is nothing wrong in questioning. We were given brains and intelligence and yet some churches insist that we check our brains at the door and accept some information that absolutely makes no sense and doesn't agree with what we know based on scientific knowledge. For instance, the creation story. Are we to believe that the earth and all creation was accomplished in six days and then God had to rest? Well, if God is all powerful, all knowing and everywhere present, then I don't think so. Now the Bible and it's Old Testament stories are only around 3,000 years old at the most, and yet we know that the earth is millions of years old. Also, if you read Genesis, you'll note that there are two stories about the creation of mankind. Which do you believe? And why are there two? The first is Genesis 1:26 and the second is Genesis 2:7 after which woman was created, supposedly from Adam's rib--Genesis 2:22. Now if you're going to take the Bible literally, don't you wonder about how the population grew when you only had one couple, Adam and Eve, created by God? Remember the sons of Adam and Eve--Cain, Abel and Seth? We know that Cain killed Abel; but Cain and Seth got married. Did you ever wonder where their wives came from? The Bible doesn't explain that.

Also, in the creation story, the Bible says, "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..." Who was God talking to? And who is Us?

How do I explain all these inconsistencies and mysteries of the Bible? Well, I don't take everything in the Bible literally. I believe that much of the Bible is made up of allegories and parables and not meant to be taken literally. They are stories created to teach us lessons and reveal a deeper truth.

I'm going to see "The Da Vinci Code" on Friday so I'll share my thoughts about the movie after that. But remember everyone...it's only a movie!

The Family Stone

My husband and I went to see the movie "The Family Stone" recently. We had expected to see a comedy. It certainly had its funny moments, but it also had much depth and heart, and I found my eyes tearing up several times.

Watching the Stone family in the film, I was struck by how our families provide us with the opportunity for healing. We come together and bump up against each other, create friction, and if we open ourselves to it, have meaningful dialogue and interaction that can break down walls. By our communications with our family members we come to know them better and ourselves better as well.

I was always amazed at how easily I slipped back into the role of child when I went home to visit my parents. My father would speak to me at times as if I was still a teenager and I would find myself feeling hesitant and unsure of myself. It was as if I entered a time tunnel and was back in high school again.

My older brother and I are very different and we don't agree on too much. When we get together, there is always the debate over politics. We go at it for awhile and he loves to push my buttons. I am now able to observe myself as we peck at each other--my face flushed, heart beating fast, and I chuckle to myself at how I let him get under my skin.

If you haven't seen "The Family Stone", I recommend it. But do put a couple of tissues in your pocket.