Sermon Notes May 31, 2026

Written By Rev. Sheryl Padgett

Conscious Awareness

Living Untethered – Part 1

Key Ideas

  • We all experience an inner voice that worries, criticizes, judges, and replays the past.

  • Most of us assume that because we hear these thoughts, they define who we are.

  • Michael Singer’s central teaching: You are not the voice in your head; you are the awareness that hears the voice.

  • If we can observe our thoughts, emotions, and reactions, there must be something deeper within us that is doing the observing.

Spiritual Truth

  • Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is within.

  • The Buddha taught mindfulness and conscious awareness.

  • Unity teaches Christ Consciousness—the divine awareness present within every person.

  • Charles Fillmore wrote:

    • “This mind is incorporating and expressing through its thoughts and activity the great Omnipresent Mind of God.”

  • Our awareness is not meant to be ruled by every passing thought or emotion.

  • Freedom begins when we stop saying, “I am my thoughts,” and start saying, “I am aware of my thoughts.”

Science and Consciousness

  • Researchers have identified the Default Mode Network, which becomes active when the mind wanders.

  • Much of our mental activity involves:

    • Replaying the past

    • Worrying about the future

    • Creating stories about ourselves

  • Studies suggest that a wandering mind is often an unhappy mind.

  • We frequently miss the present moment because we are mentally living somewhere else.

The Practice of Presence

  • Spirit says: “Be here.”

  • The mind says: “What about yesterday?” or “What about tomorrow?”

  • Ram Dass taught:

    • “Be here now.”

  • The present moment is where life is actually happening.

  • The present moment is where we experience God.

Why We Suffer

  • Singer teaches that suffering often comes from our resistance to life.

  • Events may last minutes, but our attachment to them can last years.

  • We replay hurts, rehearse fears, and become identified with old stories.

  • Spiritual growth happens when we learn to observe these patterns rather than become trapped by them.

Jesus as an Example

  • Jesus lived from a centered awareness of God.

  • He was not controlled by fear, public opinion, or circumstances.

  • He regularly withdrew to pray and reconnect with Divine Presence.

  • Prayer and meditation help us return to our spiritual center.

Living from Awareness

  • The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.

  • Thoughts are not commands.

  • Emotions are not identity.

  • Awareness creates space between us and our reactions.

  • In that space, freedom becomes possible.

Fillmore’s Teaching

  • Consciousness is where Spirit, soul, and body come into harmony.

  • Our true nature is rooted in Divine Presence.

  • Peace, love, and wisdom are not something we create.

  • They already exist within us and are revealed when mental clutter falls away.

Key Takeaways

  • You are not your thoughts.

  • You are not your fears.

  • You are not your old stories.

  • You are the awareness that witnesses them all.

  • The Divine Presence within you has never left.

  • The untethered life begins when we stop identifying with every passing thought and begin living from conscious awareness.

Weekly Practice

This week, simply notice:

  • Notice the voice.

  • Notice the stories.

  • Notice the worries.

  • Notice the judgments.

Then ask:

Who is noticing?

The moment you ask that question, you begin stepping out of the noise and into the awareness of God’s presence within.

Rev. Sheryl Padgett
Next

Sermon Notes May 24, 2026