Dreamers In our series so far we have talked about “Being Jonah” and getting stuck in our judgments. We learned about God’s grace and unfailing presence with us, through all our errors and learning. Last week we explored “Daniel’s Den”. We learned about the power of staying in our spiritual identity and the many ways we might be challenged to move out of that I AM and into materiality. Today we look at some dreamers: Jacob, Joseph and Joseph. It is interesting that Fillmore does not comment on the concept of dreams in the Revealing Word or Metaphysical Bible Dictionary. Yet as we piece together information about our dreamers, some things might be revealed. Let’s start with Jacob. How many of you sang, “We are climbing Jacob’s Ladder” in Sunday school? We know the song but do we know the story? Jacob was the second born twin with his brother Esau. But Jacob is Hebrew for “supplanter” or one who will overcome another. Jacob tricked his foolish brother into giving away his birthright as the oldest for a pot o f stew. Fillmore says Jacob represents mental consciousness while his brother represents our animal consciousness. The animal consciousness must give way to a higher consciousness. Jacob also represents an “idea of I AM identity through which the faculties of the mind receive their original inspirations”. Jacob, then, is our consciousness at the point we are beginning to have an awareness of our spiritual identity but we are far from fully aware. We depend on our intellect to begin to overcome those animal reactions and material desires as we rely on Spirit as our Source and our inspiration. Now when Jacob tricked Esau, he knew that in his animal nature, Esau would not react well when he figured out what had been done. And he knew Esau’s brute strength, so Jacob ran. It says in Genesis 28 that Jacob went towards Haran, a high place; which represents Jacob’s mind entering a higher state of consciousness. Clearly we all have room to grow. It is only by lifting our thoughts out of the materiality of the world that we find our spiritual growth. Jacob selected a stone for his pillow that evening, which Fillmore says is the connecting of our spirituality and materiality. And then in his sleep Jacob had a dream. A dream about a ladder that was planted on e arth but reached into heaven. 1

In the MBD Fillmore says the ladder represents the “step-by-step realizations of Truth”. We don’t acquire our understanding of spiritual truth and principle all at once. We don’t graduate from the school of life but day by day, step by step, we gather new experiences and insights. We practice, through prayer and meditation, making our connection with Spirit. We contemplate ways to be of more service and the blessings of gratitude and we are not finished learning so long as we are here on earth. Going up and down the ladder are angels. Fillmore says angels represent “pure thoughts ascending and descending in consciousness.” “The imaging power of the mind receiving divine ideas and reflecting them into the consciousness.” Our divine thoughts move about and we don’t hold them constantly. With repetition, those divine ideas can plant new seeds in our subconscious so they can be pulled forward more easily. Then God stands beside the ladder and speaks to Jacob. “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.” Knowing in the deepest level of being that God is constantly in our midst and however long we wander, we must eventually come into our Oneness with divine consciousness. This lesson repeats itself so often. Our destination is our spiritual home, Oneness. Genesis says upon waking, Jacob was afraid. Often when the Bible says “afraid” I interpret it as “awe”. And the next words Jacob says are “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house o f God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Jacob is discovering that where we are is our place of worship—no matter where it is. Communing with God is our opening into oneness or the gate of heaven. Heaven is just aligning with our true nature and living in Spirit. How sweet and yet simple is this awareness. Yet how easily we forget it. Jacob had 12 sons, one of whom was Joseph. Joseph was his favorite and he made no attempt to hide it. Joseph is Hebrew which means Jehovah shall increase. Metaphysically Charles Fillmore says Joseph represents the “state of consciousness in which we increase in character along all lines; we not only grow into a broader understanding but there is an increase of vitality and substance.” So Joseph had a path of spiritual growth but also was part of increased substance in the material world. 2

Joseph had his own dream. He dreamed of sheaves of grain bowing down to his sheave and he dreamed the stars bowed down to him. He shared this dream with his 11 brothers. Now if you have siblings, and Dad already has made a big show of who his favorite is and now this little snot is saying everyone will bow down to him, how would you react? Yep. The brothers beat him, sold him into slavery and told poor old dad he got eaten out in the field. Sad, sad story. There are actually two sad parts to this part of the story. The first problem is Joseph’s arrogance. Sometimes we misuse the most precious gifts God gives us. The second problem is the brothers discounted the dream. Do we discount spiritual guidance and insight sometimes? Especially when it doesn’t line up with what we thought we wanted? We have a ways to go in our spiritual growth. Joseph initially did ok in slavery in Egypt, then he met the original desperate housewife, Mrs. Potipher. When she could not have her way with him, she accused him of the opposite and Mr. Potipher had Joseph taken to jail. You might think this was bad but it was exactly what Joseph needed. Joseph gained humility. He began interpreting dreams for others. Yet he said it was God’s gift, not his. He was using his gifts differently and through the men he met in jail, he came to the attention of the Pharoah. And so eventually Joseph’s dream came to fruition but it was a changed Joseph who reconciled with his brothers. Anyone know any other Josephs who might have had a dream? Mary was betrothed to Joseph but not married when she became pregnant with Jesus. Joseph had some second thoughts about going through with the marriage. But an angel appeared in a dream and instructed him, “Do not fear”. Fear, our own imaginings, get in the way of following through on spiritually inspired plans. Joseph had no idea of the spiritual increase coming into the world! Divine inspiration told him to stay with Mary, come into communion with this great love in his life and the even greater love coming into the world. One thing I noticed that seemed a bit curious to me. Angels come to men in the Bible mostly in dreams. Angels appear to women when they are awake. Males metaphysically represent our intellect and our tendency to over-think and intellectually try to figure out each situation. Females metaphysically represent our intuitive nature and our ability to know spiritually without having to figure it out. I

3 interpret this pattern of angel appearances to mean we have to put the intellect to sleep or lessen its activity to create a pathway for divine ideas to be recognized and accepted. On the other hand, like Myrtle Fillmore, sometimes we simply hear the words with an open mind and the understanding bursts forth in the depths of our being. Our intuitive nature recognizes the truth of the words and claims the truth for our own use. The greatest example of dream instruction for me came when I was considering adopting a second child. My son had turned out to be quite a handful. He was five and I was working full time as a single mother. Could I really handle and afford a second child? Yet there was her sweet face in the pictures. Could I leave her alone in Ind ia? I went to sleep, restless, trying to figure this all out. I was new to Unity but I had always trusted Spirit. In my sleep I heard a voice. I don’t usually hear voices. The voice said, “Name her Faith Elizabeth”. Hmmm…I wasn’t really at the naming stage. But I take that as a yes on the adoption. Every challenge along the path was overcome. I can’t imagine my life without my precious Faith Kari-Elizabeth, named in a dream by the voice of an angel. Dreams are opportunities to allow divine inspiration to come into our consciousness without the interference of over-thinking everything. Dreams and dream interpretation is a gift from God and we must be good stewards of our gifts. We are humble in our service, always grateful for the lessons that unfold. Dreams are not to be discounted. Divine inspiration and guidance comes to us for our use. Allow those divine ideas to have a place in your conscious awareness. Finally, we remember the reason for the day we call Memorial Day. All the men and women who died in service to our country and our freedom had dreams. They had divine ideas they were never able to act upon. We know their spirits continue to be a presence in the lives they touched. Their divine ideas are in the race consciousness, maybe to be passed on in the dreams of others. Perhaps the greatest dream, held in the high place in the hearts of all, is the dream of peace on earth. Let us dream that dream today. As we honor those who died in service, let there be peace on earth.

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