The Churches of ACIM

Reflections are seen in light. In darkness they are obscure, and their meaning seems to lie only in shifting interpretations, rather than in themselves. The reflection of God needs no interpretation. (T-14.IX.6:1-3)

This is a simple Course. However, there is nothing simple about the defenses we will erect against its message of pure love. Sometime, in the not-too-distant future, a setting sun will reflect against the steeple of a church... of A Course in Miracles.

This is not the reflection, nor the light, Jesus would have us raise our eyes unto. The content of A Course in Miracles, and its practice of forgiveness, is a reflection of the Love of God, and the eternal Oneness of Heaven. This is not for the body's eyes to see. This reflection was written "from the heart for the heart", and can be seen only in the light of the right-mind.

It is inevitable the "darkness" of the wrong-mind will attempt to obscure the bright message of A Course in Miracles, as our egos wrestle with a lustrous symbol of uncompromising love that shines in unceasing gentleness. And that's ok. Jesus knows His Course has been and will be changed and confused, twisted and turned, interpreted and perverted, formalized and dogmatized into many things it is not, and was never intended to be.

There will be Course churches, cults, sects, denominations, and orders. Some possibilities include The Fundamentalist Church of ACIM, The Everything is an Illusion Evangelical Church of ACIM, The ACIM Church of Our Sacred Lady the Blessed Helen, The Reformed ACIM Church of True Forgiveness, The Branch Unividian Church of ACIM, The Latter Day Saint Thomas Church of ACIM, The Un-Church of Wapnickianism Church of ACIM, and many others...

"The Kingdom of God is within you and all about you, not in buildings of wood and stone. Split a piece of wood and I am there; lift a stone and you will find me." (Gospel of Thomas)

We don't want a piece of God, we want the peace of God. For Course students this is found in the holy relationship with our brother, a reflection of our holy relationship with Jesus. Once while helping a young lady in an airport, Jesus told Helen, "This is my real church; your relationship with your brother. It has nothing to do with buildings and artifacts." (Source: 1976 Panel Discussion)

Churches will be built in an attempt to make a compromise with the Truth, to make the world and the ego thought system real. To steadfastly cling to the rugged cross of individuality. But Jesus will wait for us in infinite patience, as churches are built and then slowly abandoned. The spark of Heaven's memory may dim, but will never be extinguished, for Truth - no matter how deeply denied - is everlasting. In quiet calmness it waits for us to abandon our defenses, our interpretations, the churches we will build, and finally, our egos.

The Presence of Love in our minds is not found in a church, nor in the pages of a book. Let us lay down our interpretations, divisions, and differences, and let the Course speak for itself, for "...this is a very practical course, and one that means exactly what it says", (T-8.IX.8:1) and "...needs no interpretation." (T-14.IX.6:3)

"It is not intended to become the basis for another cult" (preface, viii), or church, but rather as a means to point us to what already resides within us. It points us to straight to Heaven and the peace of God.

"Hold onto nothing. Do not bring with you one thought the past has taught, nor one belief you ever learned before from anything. Forget this world, forget this course, and come with wholly empty hands unto your God." (W-pI.189.7)