The recent Centers for Spiritual Living Convention 2013, held February 17 – 22 in Vancouver, British Columbia, closed with a beautiful ritual created by Rev. Karyl Huntley (minister, Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living, Corte Madera, California) and Rev. Mary Murray Shelton (minister, Centre for Spiritual Living, Vancouver, British Columbia). In the spirit of wholeness, this beautiful ritual involved a reading of the statement of belief that has come to us as the short essay, What We Believe, by our founder Dr. Ernest Holmes.

These words from Rev. Karyl Huntley opened the ritual, “As we live the ideas in the document and know that all other spiritual traditions are striving to live the same ideals, we will create a world that works for everyone. Let the common teachings from the world of spiritual traditions live in your heart as we share now, first from Dr. Ernest Holmes words about What We Believe, followed by similar ideas and feelings expressed in the words of the world’s ancient sacred traditions.”

Representatives from various segments of our community joined Rev. Huntley and Rev. Shelton in presenting this beautiful ritual: Ray Davis, musician; Melanie Teixeira, from the teen and young adult group; Brad Mitchell and Gary Wade, members of the laity; Jacquelyn Edwards,  ministerial student; Jean Wrohan, practitioner; and Rev. Madelyn Wade.

What We Believe and Wisdom from the World’s Faith Traditions

We believe in God, the living Spirit Almighty; one, indestructible, absolute, and self-existent Cause. This One manifests Itself in and through all creation, but is not absorbed by Its creation. The manifest universe is the body of God; it is the logical and necessary outcome of the infinite self-knowingness of God.

From the Sikh spiritual tradition:

There is but one God whose name is true. He is the creator, immortal, unborn, self-existent.

We believe in the incarnation of the Spirit in us, and that all people are incarnations of the One Spirit.

From the First Nations spiritual tradition:

Now Talking God, with your feet I walk….For me your mind thinks. Your voice speaks for me. Beauty is before me and beauty is behind me. Above and below me hovers the beautiful. I am surrounded by it. I am immersed in it.

We believe in the eternality, the immortality, and the continuity of the individual soul, forever and ever expanding.

From the Hindu spiritual tradition:

The individual soul is nothing else in essence than the universal soul.

We believe that heaven is within us, and that we experience it to the degree that we become conscious of it.

From the Christian spiritual tradition:

The kingdom of God cometh not with observation, neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

We believe the ultimate goal of life to be a complete freedom from all discord of every nature, and that this goal is sure to be attained by all.

From the Taoist spiritual tradition:

Love is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his love protecting him.

We believe in the unity of all life, and that the highest God and the innermost God is one God. We believe that God is personal to all who feel this indwelling presence.

From the Sufi spiritual tradition (Rumi):

The living word of pure Consciousness—you are That. The reflection of the King’s face—you are That. There is nothing outside yourself. Look within; everything you want is there—you are That.

We believe in the direct revelation of truth through our intuitive and spiritual nature and that anyone may become a revealer of truth who lives in close contact with the indwelling God.

From Confucius:

What the undeveloped man seeks is outside; what the advanced man seeks is within himself.

We believe that the Universal Spirit, which is God, operates through a Universal Mind which is the Law of God; and that we are surrounded by this Creative Mind which receives the direct impress of our thought and acts upon it.

From the Buddhist tradition:

It is nature’s rule, that as we sow, we shall reap.

We believe in the healing of the sick through the power of this Mind. We believe in the control of conditions through the power of this mind.

From the goddess spiritual tradition:

And you who seek to know Me, know that the seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without.

We believe in the eternal goodness, the eternal loving-kindness, and the eternal Givingness of Life to all.

From the Jewish spiritual tradition:

Love is the beginning and the end of the Torah.

We believe in our own soul, our own spirit, and our own destiny, for we understand that the life of all is God.

From the pagan tradition (Starhawk):

Earth mother, star mother, you who are called by a thousand names, may all remember we are cells in your body and dance together…within us you dance forever.

And so it is.