A Walk with God, Nurturing Body, Mind, and Soul by Rev Teresa Stuefloten, M.Div. 2/2/2025

Sunday Service 2-2-2025

Divine Science Statement of Being:

God is all, both invisible and visible. One Presence, One Mind, One Power is all. This One that is all is perfect life, perfect love, and perfect substance. We are the individualized expression of God and ever one with this perfect life, perfect love, and perfect substance. And so it is!

Opening Prayer:

Let us pray, Divine ones, we come together today in Thanksgiving, grateful for the loving hearts who are gathered here to celebrate life and move more deeply into the knowledge of who we truly are as Spirit. We ask that this time together will be a blessing in our lives and in the world. We open our hearts to all beings everywhere, seeing the divinity of each one and celebrating the life we share, as we are one. Amen

Reading:

I have a reading for you today from the January 30

Divine Science Daily Study by Rev. Radth Youngman, Ph.D. in Croydon, Victoria, Australia, entitled,

IN MY DEEP SPRING OF WISDOM, I FIND PEACE

Amongst indigenous Australians, dadirri is inner deep listening that recognizes the deep spring of wisdom inside us. Aunty Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Bauman, an Aboriginal elder from Nauiyu in the far north of Australia, has written:

When I experience dadirri, I am made whole again. I can sit on the riverbank or walk through the trees; even if someone close to me has passed away, I can find my peace in this silent awareness. There is no need of words. A big part of dadirri is listening.

A “deep spring within” is a brilliant metaphor for the Divine Presence. Australia is said to be the driest inhabited continent on earth. Water is its most precious asset, an asset that is sometimes hard to find. The aboriginal peoples of Australia were able to find water and survive in this inhospitable place aided by the practice of dadirri.

When practitioners of Divine Science seek Truth by listening in the silence for the still small voice within, they are employing dadirri (deep listening) to seek the wellspring of life.

In the words of Aunty Miriam-Rose, “I believe the spirit of dadirri that we have to offer will blossom and grow, not just within ourselves but within all.”

--Proverbs 18:4 The words of a man’s mouth, (the words of a woman’s mouth), are deep waters;

The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.

Meditation

Now I invite you to get comfortable for a short time of meditation, closing your eyes and focusing on your breath. Gently follow your breath as you breathe in and out, not trying to change your breath, just feeling every part of the breath, the coolness of the in-breath and the warmth of the out-breath, as the breath brings you into the present moment. Nowhere to go, nothing to do, just resting in the present moment. Just be here now. In the present moment everything is fine.

I invite you to entertain the idea that you are a miracle. Say to yourself, “I am a miracle. I am a miracle.” I am made in the image and likeness of my Creator. My soul is one with my Creator. When I agreed to incarnate on this earth plane, two tiny cells came together to begin to create my physical body. Those cells divided and continued to divide, according to a miraculous Divine Plan, creating organs, muscles, tissues, all according to a Divine blueprint. My body was formed in my mother’s womb according to a miraculous Divine blueprint. My brain, heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, muscles, arms, legs, skin, hair, all forming according to a miraculous Divine plan. As this miraculous body formed into the infant form, my consciousness slipped into this physical body to begin an earth plane life of living, learning, and growing spiritually. I am a miracle. As I was born into this physical world, I was cared for by other Divine Expressions in the form of my family members. I grew physically and learned to love, to laugh, to roll over, to crawl, to walk, and to run. I went out in the world to learn, make friends, and grow to adulthood. And all the while my physical body continued to grow and change according to the Divine plan. I am a miracle. Though I have an ego to function in the physical world, my soul is still my true identity, and always will be. I am a miracle. Tune in to your heart and feel that miracle. I am a Divine miracle. I am a Divine miracle. I am a Divine miracle. Now rest in your heart for a minute of silence.

Having rested in the silence of your heart, I invite you to bring yourself back to the room you are sitting in, feeling gratitude for the silence, and for the knowledge that you are a living miracle, God in expression.

A Walk with God, Nurturing Body, Mind, and Soul

Rev Teresa Stuefloten, M.Div.

Today I am going to talk about walking with God in the highest way, nurturing our body, mind and soul. Our Divine Science Statement of Being, which we read earlier, says “God is all, both invisible and visible.” God is our body, God is our mind, God is our consciousness, and God is our Soul. God is this visible world, every part of it, and God is the realm we go to when we leave the physical body. Our life, wherever we are, is a walk with God. We are always walking with God, even when we are not consciously aware of it. How can we consciously benefit from and enhance our walk with God?

God is the Life Force that animates us and our world. We are Divine expressions, made in the image and likeness of God, our Creator. If we want to maximize our God connection in our walk with God, we need to take care of our body, mind and soul. How do we do this?

Let’s start with the physical body. We are currently incarnated in a physical body for a limited period of time, a physical lifetime. Most of us don’t know when this physical lifetime will end and we will transition back to the other side. But we all will leave the physical body at some point in time and return to the Spirit realm. Some people have an unexpected exit from the physical body through an accident or injury. We can certainly use safe practices to try to minimize this risk, driving safely, using safe practices when using tools or climbing ladders, paying attention to uneasy feelings of intuition, and other safety practices, but some accidents are not within our control.

It is important to do all we can to foster a healthy body. It’s hard to pray and meditate deeply when we’re sick or suffering from the effects of a disease on the physical body. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women worldwide. Stroke is the second most common cause of death. Diet has a big effect on these diseases. Something that is within our control is what we put into our body, what we eat, our regular diet. A diet high in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol, too much salt and sugar, too much processed food, and lack of physical activity are the leading causes of disease. 

Most of us have heard about eating our fruits and vegetables every day. The recommendation is a minimum of 5 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables per day. This is the recommendation of the American Heart Association and the Center for Disease Control. That equates to 1.5 - 2 cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables per day. Not eating enough fruits and vegetables puts you at risk for diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers, as well as constipation and other digestive issues. The CDC says the healthiest fruit is a tomato. Did you know that tomatoes are fruit? And spinach is the top leafy green. It contains numerous antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that guard against cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Spinach supports eye heath and may protect against macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss. And spinach helps to keep our mind sharp. One study found that people who ate a cup a day of spinach had the cognitive ability of people 11 years younger! That’s a good reason to be like Popeye and eat your spinach! Collard greens. kale, broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, beets, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, Brussels sprouts, corn, and pumpkin are all recommended for the nutrients they contain, as well as all dark leafy greens. Avocados are high in healthy fats, and olive oil is a healthy oil to use. Fresh fruit and vegetables have live energy that nourishes the physical body in the highest way. Overly processed foods have dead energy that may fill the belly, but does not nourish the physical body.

Whole grains, beans and nuts are recommended for protein. Limit or eliminate meats high in saturated fats, and eat more fish, which contains omega-3 fatty acids that can help reduce inflammation. Reducing intake of salt, sugar and alcohol is very beneficial to our physical body. And get some physical exercise, moving your body every day.

We can think of eating as an act of worship. We thank God for the food we are supplied with and choose healthy food to honor the Divinity that is our true identity. We thank God before consuming the food, honoring the Divine that created us. Through healthy choices we give thanks to the Divine and promote a heathy body for a long life in this earth plane, giving us plenty of time to awaken spiritually to who we truly are at the core, and to do what is ours to do in this physical lifetime.

What we put in our mind is equally as important in our walk with God as what we put in our body. Thinking positive thoughts, reading positive words and watching positive shows feeds our mind with uplifting thoughts. Pay attention to your habitual thoughts. Are you affirming the blessings in your life? Are you able to see the good in your life? Do you think lovingly about others in your life? Are you able to see the good in others? Or are you thinking negative thoughts of lack, limitation, frustration, anger, envy, fear, resentment and hate? Rev Mark’s favorite saying was, "Positive Thinking = Positive Results.” Our habitual thoughts affect the quality of our life. Positive thinking leads to a more positive life.

What you watch on TV and in the movies matters. Are you feeding your mind with horror, murder, troubles, racism and other negative images? Even the news is sometimes not healthy for our minds. What you read matters, too. Are you habitually reading and watching what is troubling in the world? Yes, we need to know what is going on in the world, but we can limit how much of it we take in. Have you ever noticed that if you keep the evening news on, the same negative stories are repeated? If you have heard it once, you are informed. Watching the negative news stories over and over leads to an exaggerated sense of danger in the world, out of proportion to reality.

The same is true of the email and the postal mail we receive from political organizations and charities. If you are like me, your inbox is full of doomsday predictions and requests for donations to fight injustice and doom. I do believe in actively working for justice, helping to protect those who are being persecuted and doing my part, whether that means donating to organizations, volunteering, or speaking out about injustice. The Bible is absolutely full of so many verses about feeding the poor and helping those in need that it is clear it is essential:

Proverbs 19:17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

Proverbs 22:9 Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

Matthew 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.

Proverbs 31:20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.

Proverbs 28:27 Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.

Proverbs 14:31Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.

Luke 14:13 … when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you.

Luke 3:11…“Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”

1 John 3:17-18 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, (oh woman) what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

These verses are only a small sampling of what the Bible has to say about helping the poor and the oppressed. So it is clear that it is our duty to do our part to help the poor and the oppressed. When we give, we give with a positive attitude and a cheerful mind. Then giving is uplifting and benefits our state of mind and emotions.

And we can limit or unsubscribe to excessive email from political and charitable organizations so that the amount we receive is not bringing our mind into a negative state and overwhelming us.

And finally, what are we feeding our soul in our walk with God? We are each a Divine Expression, one with the Divine One who created us. We can experience our oneness with God in meditation and prayer. Meditation and prayer are food for the soul. In meditation we quiet our mind and commune with God. We are lifted up in consciousness. God leads and guides us in meditation. We may not hear words, but silently God is communing with us in our heart and in our consciousness. When we need guidance, it is there. It may be a feeling of confidence in which way to go in a decision. It may be a feeling of joy as we think about a certain action or a solution. It may just be a quiet peace in our heart as we contemplate a certain action or a solution to a problem.

In Matthew 7:7-8 Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” The asking, seeking, and finding are done in prayer and meditation.

In prayer we affirm our oneness with God and know we are supplied with all we need in every moment, including material things and perfect health and wholeness. This is our birthright as Divine Expressions, and we affirm it is so.

In meditation, we get quiet, tune out the outside world for a time, tune in to God, and listen in the quiet. There are many methods to begin quieting our mind as we go within. An easy way to start is to follow our breath, in and out, paying attention to every part of our breath, the coolness of the in-breath, as we breathe in the room temperature air, the warmth of the out-breath, as we breathe out the air that has been warmed by our physical body. We can feel the sense that the breath is filling the belly on each in-breath, feeling both the coolness and the fullness, and then just letting the breath gently move out. We can turn out attention to the forehead, the spiritual eye, feeling the sense that the breath is entering and exiting through the forehead. Or, alternately, we can feel the breath entering and exiting through the crown of our head. As we do these practices with the breath, our mind begins to get more quiet, coming into the present moment. Then we can just sit quietly and listen within, keeping our eyes focused on the forehead or the top of the head. If we hear an inner sound, we can focus on that sound, listening to it. The vibration of Om, the primordial sound, is heard within as we are quiet. If our mind wanders and we realize we are thinking of other things, like what we are going to do after meditation, or some problem that needs to be solved, or all of the million things the mind goes to, we just return to following the breath to again quiet the mind and return to the silence. Sitting in meditation for a set period of time we have committed to, such as 10 minutes or 20 minutes, prevents us from just jumping up when thoughts intrude. We train our mind to get quiet, and to return to the quiet of meditation when thoughts interrupt. The silence is full, so very full of Divine Love, Divine peace, Divine Joy, Divine Light, but you have to stay long enough to go deeply within in Divine communion to experience it.

Committing to a daily practice of silent meditation is most effective. If you think you do not have time for meditation in your day, consider how much time you spend on social media, surfing the web, watching TV, and other things that you may be able to cut back on to carve out 10 or 20 minutes to meditate. As you meditate regularly, you will discover the benefits of meditation in your life. Studies show that meditation reduces stress, improves memory, increases attention span, enhances willpower, improves sleep, decreases pain, lowers blood pressure, reduces anxiety and depression, and leads to greater compassion for yourself and others. And best of all, meditation deepens your walk with God. 

Gratitude is an important practice that benefits us on all levels, uplifting our heart and our consciousness. Complaining and criticizing, which we can be prone to on the human level, brings us down and makes us feel dissatisfied with ourself and our life. Gratitude lifts us up. Seeing the good in the people in our life and giving love and appreciation to them lifts us up, and lifts them up. When we are grateful for our life, the people in it, and all of our blessings we feed body, mind and soul. Gratitude leads to increased happiness, a sense of well-being, reduced anxiety and depression, resilience, optimism, lower blood pressure, better sleep, stronger immune system, reduced pain, better self-esteem, improved relationships with others, better decision-making ability, and more creativity and productivity. When we are grateful, we see with God’s eyes and understand with God’s heart. Gratitude is an essential practice in our walk with God.

Time spent in nature is also supportive of a healthy mind and body. Take a walk in nature, on a trail, in a park, or in the countryside. Breathe and notice the birds, squirrels, and other creatures. Listen to the wind rustling the leaves in the trees. Breathe and feel gratitude for life itself.

So, in summary, feeding our physical body by making healthy diet choices, feeding our mind positive things, and feeding our soul by engaging in regular prayer, meditation, and gratitude all lead to a deeper, more satisfying walk with God.

Rev Christine Emmerling gave a talk on Prayer the Divine Science Way on January 19, 2025 and a talk on Meditation the Divine Science Way on January 26, 2025. These talks are posted on our website, communityofinfinitespirit.org and on our Facebook page and our YouTube channel, Community of Infinite Spirit, if you would like more information.

Now we have come to the Divine Loving, Healing, Gratitude portion of our service. We give gratitude for that which is ours to give and for that which we have received.

I invite you to say our Community of Infinite Spirit Gratitude Prayer with me now:

Divine Love flowing through me, Blesses and Multiplies,   

All that I have, All that I Give, and All that I Receive.

Divine Spirit we are grateful for all of the blessings that you pour into our lives continuously, especially the blessing of the gift of Divine Love. We are loved unconditionally just as we are. As we open ourselves to receive, we see the blessings that are poured out upon us. We have only to open our consciousness in willingness to receive, believing in the Truth of abundant Divine supply, giving into the flow, as we open our hearts and our consciousness to receive. Gratitude for our blessings opens the space for more blessings to flow in to us and we affirm that we are so blessed. We are so grateful for every blessing, no matter how small. We share the Divine love we receive with others joyfully, knowing we are one with all Life. We are one heart and one mind. We lift up in prayer all of those affected by severe weather, natural disasters, accidents, illness, conflict, division, war, homelessness, oppression, and the senseless violence in our world, seeing Divine love and compassion coming forth to heal broken hearts and supply all needs abundantly. With deep Faith we know that we are always supported by the Divine, and we give to assist others. We wish True Divine Love and all perfect Divine Blessings for everyone. May all be healthy and happy, may all be peaceful and free, may all prosper and thrive, and experience the auspicious blessings of this life. And so it is. Amen.

Now I invite you to join us in the healing prayer circle, feeling the connection with loving hearts everywhere, as we lift up all of humanity, heart to heart, in this healing circle.

This healing prayer treatment is from Rev Mark, in memory of the blessing of his ministry:

Take a deep breath, hold it a second, and let out slowly….

Let’s do that again, take a deep breath, hold it a second, and let out slowly…

One more time, take a deep breath, hold it a second, and let it out slowly…

Surrender into the moment… No more hard work… no more struggling… just effortlessly doing the things God intended for you…You are the salt of the earth, the light in this world, created in the image and likeness of God… You are spirit. You are an eternal being… You are a unit of pure consciousness… Dive deep into the ocean of Divine waters… Bathe yourself… Let all of your being be drawn into the the deep, clear, rejuvenating Divine water…May those Divine waters fill you with everlasting joy…May you forever rejoice in God in your life…May your light so shine that those in your life, those near you, (and those far away) become uplifted and remember their light and let it shine…May the week ahead and all of the days of your life be lived in the presence of Faith, Hope, and Love….May you be happy… May God bless you and give you grace, that you are successful in all of the good works you do…And so it is. Amen

Have a wonderful week! Remember to live in the light of awakened consciousness, seeing the good coming forth in each day! Remember Rev Mark’s motto, “Positive Thinking = Positive Results.” See the good that is always there if you will only look.

Take time each day to go within in prayer and meditation, connecting with the Source of Divine Love.

Namaste’ The Divine in me sees the Truth of the Divine in you!