Q&A with Rev. Durrell Watkins
Question: I sometimes hear at Sunshine Cathedral, “There is no spot where God is not.” I’m not sure I agree with that. What makes you think that God is everywhere and with everyone?
Answer: I’m not sure I’ve said the phrase you quote, but I’ve certainly heard it and I also agree with it. The quote actually comes from the New Thought movement.
I believe “There is no spot where God is not” (also “There is a not a spot where God is not”) is a paraphrase of the 139th Psalm, that says, “Where can I hide from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I lie down in the depths of the earth, you are there also. If I fly with the wings of dawn and alight beyond the sea, even there your hand will guide me…” Of course, Paul borrows from a Greek poet when he states in Acts 17, “It is in God that you live and move and have your being.” So, at least two contributors to the bible would agree that there is no spot where God is not!
I believe God is everywhere and with everyone because the Creative Spirit must be present with Its creation. In fact, I believe the Creative Spirit creates out of Itself and that all life is within the Spirit of Life, and the Spirit is within all life. This view is sometimes called Panentheism (not to be confused with pantheism). Pan-theism is the belief that everything is divine. Pan-en-theism is the belief that everything is within What is Divine and That Which is Divine is within everything. This view allows for a symbiotic relationship with the Divine.
Why do I believe this? Experience, reason, imagination, sacred writings, various disciplines all seem to agree that this is true. This is, at least for me at this time, true. The wonderful thing about a progressive church, however, is that you don’t have to agree with me (or anyone else). I’ll present my views as a way of helping you form your own. So, your beliefs are your own and you are entitled to them. I do, however, hope that you experience God wherever YOU are.
Keep asking questions…
Question: Why does God not answer every prayer for healing? Some people get miracles, and others don’t. It doesn’t seem fair.
Answer: In his book, The Magic of Believing, Claude Bristol wrote, “anyone who knows anything about the power of mind knows of the effects that emotionalized thinking has upon the condition of the body… In some faith healing movements, cures are affected by denying that the disease exists… Followers of other schools of healing make no attempt to deny the existence of disease, but instead ignore it, affirming that they are well and happy and getting better every day. Members of the various schools of thought are the best judges of the methods that work best for them…”
I believe Bristol makes an excellent point. Rather than hoping that God will fix all our problems, we can be empowered to work with God, using the power of mind that God has given us to take responsibility for our own lives. I can’t say why chemotherapy makes one person’s cancer go into remission and not another’s. I can’t say why one person shakes a cold in three days that another person suffers from for three weeks. But I do know that prayer, modern medicine, complementary therapies, positive thinking, diet, exercise, meditation, hope and joy can all work together to bring improvements in our lives. Prayer is one tool we have, but attitude, doctors, habits, and environment all matter too. When we need healing, let’s use every available resource. I can’t promise what the outcome will be, but doing all we can will feel better than waiting for our problems to be magically taken away. If our efforts fail, at least we know we did all we could; and often, our efforts will succeed.
Question: My partner of almost 30 years passed away two years ago. I can’t seem to recover from the loss. I don’t know what to do.
Answer: I am so sorry for your loss. Grief is a process and people move through it in their own time. Have you seen a therapist to help you process your grief? Have you found a grief support group so that you can meet other people who share your experience and who can let you know what has helped them? If you need a referral, you can contact Sunshine Social Services (SunServe) at 954-764-5150 or visit their website www.sunserve.org. The offices of SunServe are right here on the Sunshine Cathedral campus. In the meantime, know that grief is natural and that it is actually part of a healing process. I will be holding you in prayer, wishing you comfort and strength as you continue on your journey. And I do hope you will contact a therapist or support group. For now, let me offer you these words of comfort by A. Powell Davies, a Unitarian minister from the mid-twentieth century:
“When sorrow comes, let us accept it simply, as a part of life. Let the heart be open to pain; let it be stretched by it. All the evidence we have says that this is the better way. An open heart never grows bitter. Or if it does, it cannot remain so. In the desolate hour, there is an outcry, a clenching of the hands upon emptiness, a burning pain of bereavement, a weary ache of loss. But anguish, like ecstasy, is not forever. There comes a gentleness, a returning quietness, a restoring stillness. This, too, is a door to life. Here, also, is a deepening of meaning — and it can lead to dedication, a going forward to the triumph of the soul, the conquering of the wilderness. In the process will come a deepening inward knowledge that, in the final reckoning, all is well.”
Question: I’ve been trying to use The Secret and so far, it hasn’t worked. I’m about to give up on it.
Answer: You haven’t really asked a question, but your declaration seems to be filled with disappointment. I assume The Secret to which you refer is the book by Rhonda Byrne that teaches we each have the power to shape how our lives unfold. I don’t know how you’ve been using it or for what purpose, so I can’t really address why it doesn’t seem to be working. What I do know is that hope is better than despair, forgiveness is better than resentment, and looking for what is right is more empowering than dwelling on what is wrong.
We all struggle at some point with health issues or finances or relationships or career or personal loss. And there are several self-help methods that offer hope and encouragement to help us get through the difficult times. If The Secret doesn’t appeal to you, there is A Course in Miracles, The Power of Positive Thinking, The Science of Mind, and books by psychologists like Wayne Dyer, spiritual leaders like Louise Hay, and leadership experts like John Maxell. They all agree that focused intention, positive attitudes, and overcoming fear, regret, and resentment can improve the quality of our lives. As one slogan famously counsels, “Change your thinking, change your life.”
I’m sorry that you haven’t found The Secret to be very helpful, but I hope you won’t give up on reading positive literature and surrounding yourself with joyous, optimistic people. Hope and joy enrich our lives, and you are certainly entitled to those wonderful gifts.
If you have questions about faith, the bible, the church, or sexuality & spirituality, you can email your questions to durrell@sunshinecathedral.org, or go to the Cathedral web site at www.sunshinecathedral.org and click on the link there. Rev. Durrell Watkins will answer your questions and publish the answers in this column. Your name will always be withheld, so only the actual question and the response will be printed.
Information please!
Have you ever had a question you wanted to ask but didn’t know who to ask? Our Information Table is set up in the Great Hall after both services to help answer any questions about our various ministries, upcoming events, and general information related to Sunshine Cathedral. Whatever inquiry you might have, ask us at the Information Table and we will gladly guide you in the right direction. If you would like to learn more or would like to help out with the Information Table, you can talk with Wesley Schultz, who currently volunteers at the Information Table every Sunday, or contact Michael Diaz at 954-462-2004 ext. 208 or by email mdiaz@sunshinecathedral.org .
Oh Snap!
As MCC Sunshine Cathedral’s photographer, the two most asked questions I receive are “What are you taking pictures for?” and “Where can I see the photos you took?” As the church photographer, all the photos are taken for the benefit of the church and the Archive Ministry. I am often quoted as saying “We must preserve our present for the future.” With the growth of our web site, www.sunshinecathedral.org, these photos are now on display through a web service called Flickr. To view the photos, simply go to the church web site and select the link on the home page marked Flickr and you will see all the most recent photos. The photos are also in contact sheet form and are available for viewing every Sunday at the Information Desk in the Great Hall, and in the office during regular hours. I will be more than happy to produce prints of any of these photos for you; simply fill out the print order form or send me a note that includes your name, email, telephone number, event name and print number, and I will be happy to provide you with a print for a small offering to the Sunshine Cathedral. All ink and paper are part of my own in-kind offering to the church. My email is photographer@sunshinecathedral.org.
Light U. Spring II Term
CORRECTION: Revelation is being offered on Mondays and Affirmative Prayer is being offered on Thursdays. See below:
Light University is committed to offering affordable, quality religious education to deepen the spirituality of the members and friends of Sunshine Cathedral. Please consider taking advantage of one of the following courses offered during the Spring II term:
Revelation in Context — The most fascinating and misunderstood book in the New Testament is the Book of Revelation. Too often presented as a prediction of doom and violence, Revelation may be something much more liberating and optimistic. This class will explore the artistic, counter-cultural, historical, and political aspects of this lively and dramatic biblical fantasy. Once the source of fear and dread for many Christians, Revelation may now become for students in this class a treasured tool of hope and empowerment. The class is by Rev. Durrell Watkins and meets Mondays at 7:00 pm through May 26th. The cost for the entire course is only $25.
Who Killed Jesus — This course is based on historian / biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan’s book, Who Killed Jesus?: Exposing the Roots of Anti-Semitism in the Gospel Story of the Death of Jesus. The book is “Crossan’s riveting and definitive historical investigation into the nature and meaning of Jesus’ death.” This is a post-Lenten look at the death of Jesus that will breathe Easter life into the story we thought we knew. This class meets each Tuesday at 6:45 pm through May 27th. The cost for the entire course is just $25.
Affirmative Prayer — Have you ever wanted to learn ways of enriching your prayer life? Have you ever wanted to feel as if your prayers really made a difference? Have you wondered how you could pray more effectively? Then this may be the class you’ve been waiting for! This class will meet for two more weeks on Thursdays: April 17th and 24th at 7:00 pm. The entire course is only $10 and will be taught by Rev. Durrell Watkins. Let’s spend April praying together.
Pastor’s weekly devotional available
Are you a subscriber to the Pastor’s weekly email devotional? It’s free and all you have to do to subscribe is send an email to durrell@sunshinecathedral.org and type in the subject line “Weekly Devotional”. You will receive a progressive, positive, practical message every week. Feel free to forward the messages to your friends.
Queer history course offered online
“Queer Events and Changing Identities” will explore the history of GLBTQ peoples from romantic friendships and the early homophile movement through gay liberation and lesbian feminism to today’s queer identities. Emphasis will be upon recognizing and understanding the social construction of sexuality and how it was played out in historical events and movements. Main texts are Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in 20th-Century America by Lillian Faderman (New York: Columbia University Press, 1991) and Out of the Past: Gay & Lesbian History from 1869 to the Present by Neil Miller (New York: Vintage/Random House, 1995), with additional readings and writing assignments to be arranged. Course Fee: $100.00 and will meet in six session from 7:00 – 9:00 pm (EDT) on April 7th, 14th, 21st, and May 5th, 12th, and 19th. The course will be taught by Reverend Dr. Tom Bohache. To register for this course please visit www.MCCChurch.org or contact Reverend Canon Robert Griffin at 954-462-2004 ext. 206.