Accept the Holy Instant as This Year Is Born (Sunday Gathering Sermon)

As a new year approaches, many of us feel a deep longing for a true fresh start—not just a change in circumstances, but a real release from the past. In this sermon, given on December 28, we explore a powerful and often overlooked teaching from A Course in Miracles: how entering the holy instant can give birth to a year of genuine joy and freedom. Drawing from the final sections of Chapter 15, this talk reframes Christmas and the New Year as the "time of Christ"—a time not only for reflection, but for profound inner change. At the heart of this change is a radical idea: that freedom comes from releasing others from our hidden demands for sacrifice. ___________________________ Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible. Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world. You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/ Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/ To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email [email protected]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate. *Amazon affiliate links  

In this conversation about Jesus's First Instructions on How to Live A Course in Miracles, Robert and Emily go back to the earliest days of the dictation of A Course in Miracles, when Jesus was first speaking to Helen Schucman and laying out—right from the start—how this Course was meant to be lived. The night before Helen heard the words, "This is a course in miracles. Please take notes," and in the weeks immediately afterward, Jesus gave direct guidance. He described what to do, how to approach this path, and how to live it—before the Course even fully took shape. In this episode you'll hear: What Jesus said to Helen and Bill in the earliest dictation How those instructions frame the entire Course Why the beginning matters for how the Course is lived today If you've ever wondered whether there's something essential in the way the Course was introduced—something that still matters for students now—this conversation is for you. ✨ Continue the Journey with Course Companions If this teaching resonated and you feel called to truly live A Course in Miracles in the new year, we invite you to join Course Companions. Course Companions is our guided membership designed to support a year of living the Course, with: • Ongoing teachings from Robert & Emily Perry • Structured spiritual practice and application  • A supportive, miracle-minded community  👉 Learn more and join here: coursecompanions.com ___________________________ Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible. Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world. You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/ Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/ To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email [email protected]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate. *Amazon affiliate links

A Course in Miracles invites us to imagine a year unlike any we've lived before—one devoted to genuine spiritual change. In this webinar, Robert Perry explores five Course teachings about the new year and what it means to, as the Course says, "make this year different." Together, these teachings offer a clear and practical vision for dedicating the year to higher goals—and for actually living them. ✨ Continue the Journey with Course Companions If this teaching resonated and you feel called to truly live A Course in Miracles in the new year, we invite you to join Course Companions. Course Companions is our guided membership designed to support a year of living the Course, with: • Ongoing teachings from Robert & Emily Perry • Structured spiritual practice and application  • A supportive, miracle-minded community  👉 Learn more and join here: coursecompanions.com ___________________________ Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible. Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world. You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/ Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/ To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email [email protected]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate. *Amazon affiliate links  

In this episode of Exploring A Course in Miracles, Robert and Emily Perry take a deep look at the Course's system of practical application—the concrete, daily instructions Jesus gives for meditation, guidance, forgiveness, prayer, miracle-mindedness, and the steady practices that allow the Course's promises to become real in our lives. The Course is not vague at all—it tells us exactly what to do—but most of us don't realize how practical it truly is, or how much power is hidden in doing what it asks. If you've ever thought, "If I really applied myself, I know I could live this teaching more fully," this episode is for you. 🌟 Want to live the Course with us in 2026? Join Course Companions. Course Companions is our online community where more than a thousand students around the world learn, practice, and grow in A Course in Miracles together. In 2026, we'll spend the entire year exploring a practical, structured path for living the Course—one habit, one focus, one month at a time.  Membership is $25/month, and no one is ever turned away for an inability to pay. Join Course Companions at CourseCompanions.com ___________________________ Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible. Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world. You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/ Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/ To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email [email protected]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate. *Amazon affiliate links  

In this sermon, Emily Perry explores A Course in Miracles' radically different vision of gratitude—not as a reaction to circumstances or a comparison of blessings, but as a way of seeing grounded in the unchanging gifts God has already given us. Drawing on Lesson 195 and the powerful list of promises in Lesson 123, Emily examines why our usual forms of gratitude are so fragile, and how a deeper, steadier gratitude arises when we recognize our true identity, God's constant love, the Holy Spirit's guidance, and the shared holiness of everyone we meet. This message is an invitation to let gratitude become a way of being and ultimately a "song of thanks" that transforms how we see ourselves and the world. ___________________________ Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible. Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world. You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/ Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/ To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email [email protected]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate. *Amazon affiliate links  

In this episode of Exploring A Course in Miracles, Robert and Emily Perry take on one of the most influential ideas in all of spirituality: the Last Judgment. They explore what the Bible says about it, how this concept has shaped Western culture and our view of God, and the enormous harm created by the traditional "saved vs. damned" framework. Most importantly, Robert and Emily show how A Course in Miracles offers a radically different and healing perspective – one that replaces fear with an invitation to deeper trust in a God who has never stopped loving us. ___________________________ Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible. Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world. You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/ Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/ To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email [email protected]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate. *Amazon affiliate links  

In this Sunday Gathering sermon, Emily Perry explores one of A Course in Miracles' most beautiful and foundational teachings: your true identity as God created you. Not the self defined by the ego, the world, or the body—but the self that is holy, boundless, joyful, and eternally one with God. Drawing on powerful passages from the Workbook and Text, you will learn:  • Where we currently seek our identity (and why it never satisfies)  • What the Course says is actually true about us • The subtle ways we lose sight of who we are • The practices that help restore our awareness of our holiness • How knowing our true identity naturally leads to healing, forgiveness, and miracles If you've ever struggled with doubt or self-judgment, this sermon will help you reclaim a vision of yourself grounded in God's love, not the ego's limitations. Watch now to reconnect with the Self that is complete, healed, whole—and forever held. ___________________________ Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible. Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world. You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/ Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/ To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email [email protected]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate. *Amazon affiliate links  

Is the spiritual journey a solo project? Some students think the Course means "no one out there," so caring, helping, or addressing suffering isn't really part of our awakening. In this conversation, Robert and Emily Perry make a practical case—straight from the Course—that others are real, essential, and central to our path home. What you'll learn: Why "the world is an illusion" doesn't equal "people aren't real" How the Course speaks about "others," "brothers," and "minds" (hundreds of times!) The line that's often quoted—"there is no other"—and what it actually means in context The fruits of an other-oriented practice, including love, joining, forgiveness, service, and miracles ___________________________ Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible. Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world. You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/ Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/ To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email [email protected]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate. *Amazon affiliate links  

In this sermon Emily Perry explores A Course in Miracles' powerful social vision — a blueprint for how inner healing spreads outward to reshape communities and our world. Discover how the Course's recurring imagery (deserts, gardens, temples, etc.) combine to form step-by-step guidance for building a more loving, just society.   Referenced article: The Social Vision of A Course in Miracles by Robert Perry  ___________________________ Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible. Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world. You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/ Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/ To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email [email protected]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate. *Amazon affiliate links  

In this episode of Exploring A Course in Miracles, Emily Perry is joined by Jer Swigart of Global Immersion to talk about what it means to live as an everyday peacemaker in a time of deep global division. Together they explore how to engage (and when to disengage) from difficult conversations with love, what nonviolent peacemaking looks like today, and how to discern what is yours to do now. Emily first spoke with Jer a year ago about peacemaking as a spiritual practice—but as conflict and polarization have only intensified, this follow-up conversation feels even more urgent. Join in for a  timely and hope-filled conversation about mending the divides that separate us—and extending love where it's needed most. ___________________________ Since 1993, our purpose has been to help with both the theory and practical application of A Course in Miracles. We are the publisher of the Complete and Annotated Edition of the Course (known as the "CE"), which is available as a paperback*, ebook*, and via Audible. Our work grows out of our commitment to be as faithful as possible to what A Course in Miracles says, years of dedication to walking this path ourselves, and a desire to see the Course's purpose realized in the lives of students and in the world. You are invited to download the free ACIM CE App to read, search, or listen to the Course wherever you are in the world, by following the instructions at https://acimce.app/ Whether you are new to ACIM or you've been a student for many years, you are welcome to join our online community and learning platform to access a vast collection of resources designed to help you understand and apply Course teachings in everyday life: https://community.circleofa.org/ To submit a question or suggest a topic for a future podcast episode, please email [email protected]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review, as this will help us reach other listeners. You are also welcome to make a donation to help support our work at circleofa.org/donate. *Amazon affiliate links