A Course of Love Virtual Conference

November 27, 2018
by Michael
comments 28
Course Ideas

It can be hard to explain just how or why a particular source of wisdom moves us as it does. Challenges with anxiety and self-doubt earlier in my life, coupled with a deep-seated desire to make contact with what—at least in glimpses—was a loving universal reality, led me to A Course in Miracles (ACIM). This book was extremely helpful to me because it clarified sources of confusion I hadn’t previously been able to understand. I studied it on my own for something like fifteen years—off and on. While the philosophy was never far from my attention, I drew closer to it in some times than others, like an orbiting moon.

The basic idea of ACIM is that we don’t properly understand or interpret our experience, principally because we misunderstand who we are. It’s a common idea in many spiritual teachings. A fundamental idea contained in ACIM is that we are not purely physical beings, and that reality is not purely material, and that just about every value judgment we form is erroneous because of how we assign value, where we place our attention, and how we structure our thought given our misunderstanding. There’s the idea that we’re almost looking at things upside-down, or inside-out. Where we were intended to deeply know, express and rely upon the invulnerability of our being, instead we only seem to know ourselves as vulnerable, isolated, and alone. We’ve been bereft instead of heartened.

A key practice in ACIM is shifting our perception so that we learn to be at peace, with the idea being that as we withdraw our investment in falsehood, the truth will naturally be restored in our sight. One thing that can happen is that we can oversimplify this process—we learn to carve out this quiet niche of peace to which we remove ourselves when difficulty arises, but we don’t ever quite merge this bubble of genuine knowing with the entirety of our daily experience. It’s like we’re split in two almost. There is the world that nags and tugs at us, and then there is the peace to which we navigate, and we bounce back and forth as times demand.

I was recognizing this—that I could easily find my way back to peace, but also that I kept misplacing it—when I did a web search to see if there were any other modern spiritual teachings from Jesus that might be out there. If there was one, why not another? I knew, of course, that there was more than one. I’d also read A Way of Mastery, and a book I’ve long enjoyed is Dialogue on Awakening by Tom Carpenter. But I was curious. And that’s when I found A Course of Love (ACOL). It was sometime in 2012 I believe.

For me ACOL was just perfect. There was a fullness there, an emphasis on the importance of expressing who we are to become who we are—and not just in terms of speaking intellectually about the “idea” we have of ourselves, but of actually leaving behind the self-concepts to which we so often compare ourselves. The book touched me in a way that few have, and I’ve enjoyed returning to it on multiple occasions. Just like with ACIM, my orbit of ACOL seems to be elliptical—I approach and I retreat. But the retreat isn’t really a retreat as much as a deeper level of trust I think. A foray into genuine unity, without the training wheels. A digression into deeper meaning.

This is a long-winded preface for sharing with anyone who may be interested that this weekend there will be an on-line conference about A Course of Love. I’ve included a link below. This weekend marks the 20th Anniversary of Mari Perron’s receipt of the Course. I don’t feel there’s any substitute for encountering a teaching like this directly, but I also think if you’re drawn to participate in some fashion that this conference will be a direct encounter of its own. The power of ACOL is, for me, at least in part, the encouragement to live who we are. It’s a tall order, but the truth is we only do it together. We can’t sit in our rooms and polish ourselves up, then reach the proper state and go into town. There’s really no polishing required; rather, we need a certain vulnerability, a certain acceptance of who we are. An understanding of ourselves that is genuine, and can only come from discovering who we are through the sharing of who we are.

I’m a panelist in one or two of these videos, and had fun getting on these video calls to share in some creative encounters. If you’re interested, I hope you will check it out. Regardless, and as always, I hope just touching on these ideas for a moment or two here brings some peace to your day.

28 Comments

    • Michael says

      Thank you, Julie. It should be good. I’m really excited for Mari. A celebration of her contributions is long overdue I think… This material has inspired many people, and will inspire many more to come I feel.

      Michael

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. BeeHappee says

    Thank you, Michael, as always your posts do bring peace to my day. 🙂 The conference looks very comprehensive! I will definitely check it out. May your writing and poetry and being flow fluidly. Peace
    Kristina

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • Michael says

      I’m so glad, Kristina! I’ve missed you. Hope all is well for you… Should be an interesting conference–maybe with a little something for everyone…

      Peace
      Michael

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. Hariod Brawn says

    Will take a look, my friend, as with others commenters here. I certainly get your point about the spiritual (unkeen on that word) not readlity merging with the mundane (the wordly life), and there are quite a few jokey references to just that in various Buddhist commentaries on the orthodox canon — seems to have been a ubiquitous and perennial problem. Look forward to seeing you do your stuff, Michael. Much love, Hariod.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Michael says

      Yes, spiritual is a tough word. I think as we continue to evolve culturally the need to differentiate a “spiritual” viewpoint from a “material” one may eventually be moot, but we’re not there yet, at least at large. Which leaves us with this issue of living in two worlds some of the time. I think the process of collectively learning to merge these seemingly disparate perceptions will be quite healing, for us and the planet, and hope that in some way this sort of event can contribute. To simply know that we are held in Love each day would be sufficient to transform a great deal… I think the perennial problem can be resolved, but we’ve got to create our way out of the paper bag of stale narratives I think.

      Much love to you, too, my friend.
      Thank you for your continued and gracious support.
      Michael

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  7. smilecalm says

    i’m happy you are so well nurtured by these
    miraculous teachings, dear Michael.
    your essays often are sweet testament
    to this power of miracles,
    in your personally unique way.
    wishing you warmth
    & a happy day 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • Michael says

      Thank you so much, David. I appreciate your loving presence here always, and your giving witness to these musings and miracles and sharings. To know you share in these musings is a joy to me.

      Wishing you joy, and thanks for the warmth–fall seems to have skipped over us here in New England!
      Michael

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  8. Val Boyko says

    How did it go Michael? I’m sorry to have been disconnected for a while.
    It feels odd to be out of the loop, but I hope to be fully engaged and in the flow soon 💛

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • Michael says

      Hi Val,

      It went well I think. Close to a thousand people registered I believe, and I certainly enjoyed participating. I haven’t watched all of the pre-recorded videos myself and am slowly working my way through the catalog. But it was fun! Hope you are well. It’s a busy time of year, and frankly I’ve been out of the loop myself. It comes in waves I think… Hope you are well…

      Peace
      Michael

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  9. Ka Malana - Fiestaestrellas.com says

    Hey there, Michael!
    Sorry I haven’t been around for a while. I’ve been a bit busy and it’s been enjoyable. I’ve wanted to tell you that I received the newsletter which informed me of this blog post (indirectly) and I read this text piece directly from ACOL newsletter first. Actually, I happened to read it because of my resonance with ACOL, I guess. It was so neat to have your message show up from this organization directly. Since I had read ACOL, I am still loosely connected, though I have myself involved in many, many teachings and groups that may not seem so evident from my blog, since I don’t spend a lot of time blogging, specifically. Your message brought a smile to my face and I never got around to getting an email “hello” out. I am happy to see that all went really well, from your comments here, and that Mari’s channelings are becoming seen by many more. I always appreciate the spirit of your messages and your delivery, as do many others. I feel happy for your and her progress! Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and so appreciate our connection and want to say hello as often as I can and be witness to your work as often as I can.

    Like

    Reply
    • Michael says

      Thank you, Ka! No need to apologize. I’ve been busy lately too and haven’t been here as much as I have at other times. I’m glad you enjoyed the note, and I really appreciate our connection, too, Ka. I’ve written a few articles for the newsletter I think you received from the ACOL publisher–called the Embrace–and have published a few short articles in Jon Mundy’s magazine, too. It’s all been enjoyable. Just exploring my feelings on what I think are universal issues we can all relate to. That’s why so many of us I think, like you, have explored a variety of different teachings and groups. Eventually we gain the confidence to trust the truth of our own heart, and then the insights we receive from others are really like this delightful icing on the cake, aren’t they? Grateful for your sharing as ever, Ka! Wishing you a holy and peaceful solstice…

      Peace
      Michael

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  10. marga t. says

    At times it seems as if each next step becomes clear in the low light conditions of a new moon sky, but we can make our way this way, perhaps without the daunting full view overwhelm! x

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. InfiniteZip says

    I didn’t get a chance to tune in but I’m sure you did splendidly my friend. Becoming a mover and shaker through teaching as always I see ❤ Kudos for the opportunity and have a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year too ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Michael says

      Thank you, Kim! It was enjoyable. Always fun to take a dip with friends in fresh waters, and do some exploring. Hope you have a great holiday as well, my friend… Blessings to you and yours!

      Michael

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  12. lorriebowden says

    I’m feeling sad I missed this, Michael! I love A Course in Miracles, and like you, have been studying it for a long time. It is one of the few books that has never been shelved…always out in the open where I can see it…where I can pick it up and feel it…read it!
    I hope you and your family are well. I think maybe that winter storm is on its way to you. Funny how differently a winter storm is viewed when I was at the pool yesterday 😉 Sorry to rub it in…although I think you like the winter…maybe just not the shoveling!!
    Take care, Michael. I hope that you are busy creating! ❤

    Like

    Reply
    • Michael says

      Hi Lorrie,

      Thanks for your note! We survived the winter storm; we’ve had a pretty mild winter so far, in terms of snowfall. I don’t mind the winter, and I don’t even mind the shoveling. It’s just when we get those stretches of three big storms in a week or two that it gets to be a little much!

      Things are good. Yes, I’ve been writing. Plugging away, as they say. I’m about two-thirds through the draft of a novel, and have a short story or two I’ve been working on. Hope all is well for you, too!

      Enjoy the pool, my friend!
      Thanks for your visit. It’s nice to catch up briefly!
      With Love
      Michael

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.