There comes a time in the life of everyone who feels the everyday grace of A Course in Miracles when an inspirational impulse (if not an actual inner voice) says something like: "We are here to relieve the pain of suffering souls! Your job is to introduce as many as possible to A Course in Miracles!"
Most of us have invited friends, relatives, or acquaintances to look into A Course in Miracles. Not a few of us have purchased books and given them as gifts with the hope that the real gift would be received. For many years, knowledge of the existence of the Course spread mostly by word of mouth and gift giving.
As time went on, those who love A Course in Miracles and who possess unique writing or speaking talents have heard inside themselves spiritual guidance to teach the Course or at least speak highly of the Course in articles, books, lectures, classes, etc. In other words, their guidance is to promulgate the Course. (Webster's definition- promulgate: to make known by public declaration, to make widespread.)
Some, like Marianne Williamson and Robert Perry, in the process of following such guidance have run into resistance and threats from the ACIM copyright holders, eventually leading to what has been called a "copyright controversy," but which twinkle-eyed objective reporters might call a good old-fashioned healthy questioning of authority ... really a "calling to honesty" ... much like the service loving teenagers provide for their overly-fearful parents.
Val Scott, speculating that Marianne Williamson might be lovingly calling the bluff of the current ACIM copyright holders with her new book EVERYDAY GRACE, writes:
"Specifically, I counted 18 direct A Course in Miracles references, 11 of them with direct quotes, all kinds of paraphrasing of ACIM teachings throughout the book, and absolutely no references to ACIM copyright or the trade mark anywhere within the covers of the book."
At the Miracles Healing Center of Salt Lake City, we have no interest in guessing about Marianne Williamson's agreements with ACIM copyright holders, but we smile because nothing is ever as it seems and it is always all so much fun to watch.
We love to watch any play of consciousness which not only questions established authority but is occasionally willing to rebel or at least play the devil's advocate, usually with a certain twinkle in the eyes. We know that inevitably someone will step forward to spread the good news and maybe insert a little rebellion against established authority in the process. It is heaven at work all over again.
Lovers of A Course in Miracles would be delighted if everyone was willing to rebel a little against established authority. After all, the purpose of A Course in Miracles is to undo all establishment in our mind.
Maybe you are beginning to relax in the joyous knowledge that A Course in Miracles will be promulgated far and wide whether anyone likes it or not. The Course is simply too efficient a tool for the Holy Spirit's purposes to whither into disuse. The Holy Spirit will always see to it that it is promulgated.
A Course in Miracles doesn't even have to be in the form of a particular arrangement of words published by a particular publisher and controlled by a particular copyright holder. It is a universal course that has always been available and has always been taught in many different forms.
Marianne Williamson herself served as inspiration for the creation of Course in Political Miracles and Course in Miraculous Relationships, two life-changing free-of-charge Internet courses which show how to use at least some principles of the universal teachings in terms of politics and relationships respectively ... for those souls who would not yet be inclined to look into the more profound and seemingly more complex three volumes of A Course in Miracles, as if the Holy Spirit is now providing preparation devices for the preparation device.
To help promulgate all these three forms of the universal teaching, brothers at the Miracles Healing Center of Salt Lake City have set up three Yahoo! eGroups which provide a place for everyone with Internet access to join and participate. For a greater insight into the value of these eGroups click on this link:
It might be beneficial to understand that A Course in Miracles is "written in your heart," so to speak. It is a required course that everyone is putting themselves through and teaching themselves, no matter what their lives look like to someone judging by surface appearances. Since there is only one mind, there is nowhere else the Course can come from except the one spirit which each and every individual calls his or her own spirit ... Jesus within each of us.
If a man says, "Wow! I heard about A Course in Miracles!" he is talking about a course which the more heaven-focused and less earth-focused state of his own mind is dictating to prepare himself for an experience he has always wanted more than anything else ... with thanks to Helen Schucman for her willingness to hear it and write it down.
So much for "copyright controversy!"
With the long drawn-out copyright court case hopefully coming to an end soon, we cannot help but wonder if the Holy Spirit has in mind promulgating A Course in Miracles more than ever in 2003.
Maybe an early indication of this is the inauguration of Course in Miraculous Relationships classes in Israel on January 7th. (If you feel inspired to write down your best wishes and blessings for these classes, you may email: Aya Leibgoren. She would feel marvelously buoyed by your support.)
For those of us who love A Course in Miracles perhaps there could be nothing better than starting out a brand new year full of promise with a New Year's resolution to help the Course spread more rapidly than it has ever before spread in history.
Perhaps we can use as a January mantra:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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MIRACLES HEALING CENTER