The Wisdom of Joyful Resistance (Sunday Gathering Sermon)

In this sermon, Emily Perry explores A Course in Miracles’ radical redefinition of justice—not as punishment, but as love itself. In a world where justice is seen as people getting what they deserve for what they do, the Course teaches that real justice is about getting what you deserve for who you truly are as God’s beloved child. We’ll look at how the world’s idea of justice often masks vengeance, how the Course reframes justice as restoration rather than retribution, and how we can embody this higher justice in our daily lives. ___________________________ 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 special Q&A episode of Exploring A Course in Miracles, Robert and Emily Perry dive into the central teaching of the Course—forgiveness—and answer your questions about how to truly live it. What does the Course say about forgiveness? How do we forgive when we're hurting, when others don't change, or when we need to protect ourselves? Together, we explore:  What Course-based forgiveness actually is (vs. conventional forgiveness), Why forgiveness is not spiritual bypassing Boundaries, abuse, and real-world relationships Forgiving without an apology—or even contact What to do with anger, grief, and fear Forgiving groups, the government, the world Forgiveness and codependency What it means to forgive the deceased, and much more We also talk about why Course-based forgiveness isn’t just inner work—it's about seeing others as truly innocent and extending love in response. ___________________________ 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 message, Emily Perry explores the hidden “frame of reference” we each bring to everything we see—and how A Course in Miracles invites us to shift from the ego’s frame of distortion to the Holy Spirit’s frame of love. Drawing on stories from daily life, Course quotes, and the concept of “reality testing,” this talk reveals how our current lens shapes our world—and how we can choose a new one. ___________________________ 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 explore one of the most misunderstood themes in the Course: our role in the world’s healing. While the Course teaches that form is an illusion, it also affirms that minds are real, God has a plan to save the world, and each of us has an essential part to play. This conversation addresses common objections—like “seek not to change the world”—and reveals the deeper vision the Course offers: not detachment, but active love. ___________________________ 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  

What does it mean to choose joy in a world that feels anything but joyful? In this Sunday Gathering message, Emily Perry explores the practice of claiming joy not as escapism, but as a spiritual act of defiance against fear, suffering, and ego-based narratives. Drawing from A Course in Miracles and the legacy of great nonviolent movements—from Fannie Lou Hamer to Viktor Frankl to Dietrich Bonhoeffer—Emily shares how joy becomes a healing force when rooted in love and our identity as God’s beloved. You’ll learn: Why the Course calls joy your function and a sign of spiritual maturity How resistance through joy echoes the teachings of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount What “Black joy” reveals about reclaiming identity and sacred dignity How to cultivate joy even in the midst of pain, loss, or injustice Emily's sermon reminds us that joy is more than a feeling—it’s a way of standing with God, even in the storm. ___________________________ 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 podcast, Robert & Emily Perry dive into one of the Course’s most essential—and most misunderstood—figures: the Holy Spirit. You will learn: Who is the Holy Spirit? What is His relationship to God, Jesus, and us? Is He just a symbol… or a real Being with a divine mission? What is His role? How can we hear the Holy Spirit more clearly? We hope you’ll join in for an illuminating conversation about the Holy Spirit and how A Course in Miracles says He can lead you back to God. ___________________________ 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 A Course in Miracles, Jesus invites us to think beyond his personal resurrection and even beyond our own — to a third and even greater vision: the resurrection of the entire world. In this message from a recent Sunday Gathering, Emily Perry explores Section 28 of the Manual for Teachers, What Is the Resurrection?, where Jesus describes a future where everyone — every living heart — awakens, forgives, and returns home to God together. You’ll learn what the resurrected world looks like, how we know we’re making progress toward it, and how our individual commitment to healing and forgiveness helps speed its arrival. Along the way, Emily reflects on the lives of moral pioneers like Benjamin Lay, ACIM co-scribe Bill Thetford, and the heroes of the Montgomery Bus Boycott — those who stood for a new world long before it became visible to others. Like them, and like Jesus himself, we are called to be early voices of the healed world. If we devote ourselves to forgiveness and love, we can shorten the time it takes for everyone to get home. ___________________________ 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  

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week—a time that many of us remember with tradition and reverence. In the Gospel story, Jesus enters Jerusalem to shouts of “Hosanna!” as palm branches are laid at his feet. But A Course in Miracles invites us to see this moment in a new light—not just as the beginning of Jesus’ final days, but as the beginning of everyone’s spiritual journey home to God. In this message, Robert Perry explores what Holy Week means through the lens of the Course. Rather than focusing on death and sacrifice, the Course shifts the message to forgiveness, innocence, and resurrection—not only for Jesus, but for each one of us… and especially for the people standing right beside us. What if the people in your life—yes, even the difficult ones—are walking their own sacred path to resurrection? What if you could either delay or speed their journey by the way you see and treat them? And what if, in offering them lilies instead of thorns, you were saving yourself as well? ___________________________ 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  

Have you ever felt like you’re standing at a distance from your spiritual path—disengaged, resigned, or quietly doubting whether you’re really up to the task? In this Sunday Gathering sermon, Robert Perry explores one of the most beloved prayers in A Course in Miracles—the “Accepting the Atonement” prayer—and the powerful story behind it. Originally given to Bill Thetford as a direct response to his own disengagement from the Course, this prayer speaks to the passive ways we hold ourselves back from healing, love, and the return to God. Drawing from rarely discussed guidance in the Course and newly uncovered context, Robert shows how Jesus lovingly called Bill out of his withdrawal and into full engagement with the path – and how he invites us to do the same. ___________________________ 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 a world that is increasingly consumed by fear, injustice, and division, many of us are left asking: What do we do with our anger? In this sermon from a recent Sunday Gathering, Emily Perry draws inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr.’s timeless message in “A Knock at Midnight” and explores how A Course in Miracles invites us to respond to anger in a spiritually-grounded way. Through practical insights and personal stories, we’ll look at: • How conventional views of anger shape our thinking • What the Course teaches about the roots of anger • A 3-step healing process for transforming anger into love • Why miracle-mindedness—not rage—is our true source of strength If you’re feeling the darkness of our time and longing to be a light within it, this message is for you. ___________________________ 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