Disciples on the ACIM Path

Meet Vicki Poppe

By Karen Bentley

If you live in New England, then you already know that Vicki Poppe and A Course In Miracles are synonymous. In fact, many people affectionately refer to her as the unofficial ambassador of the Course because truly she knows everyone! Whether you’re a dedicated practitioner or mildly curious, it’s highly likely that you’ve passed through Vicki’s distinguished home in Quincy, Massachusetts, which serves as a warm and welcome hospitality center for Course people and events. Vicki is a great cook and guests are always showered with heaping portions of her beautifully prepared and presented foods. It’s not surprising to learn that Vicki and her two sisters used to own a small chain of restaurants in Boston called Blazing Salads.

Vicki’s vocation to love is not just evident in food, but in everything she does. “This was the lifetime for me to do what Jesus did, but in my own way. To learn unconditional love. To know how much God loves us all. And to help others. I used to look for big projects to do, but now I know it all happens in the littlest things. That forgiveness or judgments are in every breath. I am learning to be simple. To open to God’s love all day. I bless whoever comes to mind or whoever calls or comes by. It’s really a full-time job recognizing every encounter and every moment is purposeful in this undoing.”

Even as a child Vicki recognized herself as a spiritual being. “When I was around 8 my sisters and I would go into the bathroom and talk about the secret. And the secret was that God was in everybody, but some people knew the secret and some people didn’t. And that God wanted everyone to know He was fun and he really loved them. When something unpleasant happened, we would talk about how the world wasn’t real and that it was like a play. No matter what it looked like, no one was getting hurt, and everyone was always doing their best. We would talk for hours about the secret, and still to this day we introduce each other to new friends and describe them as knowing the secret.”

“When I was around 10, I felt Jesus in my heart tell me that I could be like Him and so could everyone else that wanted to. And that I could learn it without dying. A few years later, around 12 or 13, I had my first real Holy Instant. I was at a girlfriend’s house, and I read a Zen koan. The koan did what it was supposed to do. It opened me up, and I got out of perception. I was not here for a few moments, and I could not recall anything specific except that when I came back I was crying and crying and crying from happiness. I knew that everything about the secret was true. I was so grateful and never afraid in the same way again.

It wasn’t until 1980 or 1982 that A Course In Miracles came into Vicki’s life. “I saw the words A Course In Miracles on an Edgar Cayce booklist and immediately knew that it was my life. I sent away for it that minute. It came. I devoured it. I understood it deeply. I did the workbook and I loved it. It was the secret in my own language. And once again, I felt Jesus was speaking personally to me.

“During this time, I used to visit the Theosophical Society in Boston. One day the president said to me that he had just put my name on the new curriculum, and I was to start the following Monday to teach the Course. I did, and it became the seed of the Boston Miracles Family. Within a few years the family grew to around three hundred people doing the Course in many small groups and coming together spontaneously for all sorts of parties, plays and celebrations. My husband Teddy and I had a big old house in Scituate, and it became an informal retreat center. The restaurant was also used for groups and events. My friend and then co-teacher, Claire, had two wonderful houses that we all used. And David, our Course choir director, had a beautiful church that unofficially became our own. It was as if the Holy Spirit had given us everything we could ever want, freely and grandly. And it was like a big family with cousins coming and going all the time. This period was a time of Grace in all our lives and gave us all the experience of innocence and brotherhood. The Boston Miracles Family is always in my heart and still a central part of my life, community and practice. We learned to pray and play together. We found out that God is fun and that it is all in the joining and loving one another that we could find ourselves.”

Vicki’s first encounter with Endeavor, which at that time was called God’s Country Place, was at a conference Fran Kirshner and Paul Ferrini put on at Omega. “The Wisconsin people were a little unconventional, and Fran and Paul were reluctant to change the schedule to let them present. So Claire and I offered then our time. They had a very different approach than any of us had. I loved their passion and dedication but did not understand much of what was happening. So I asked if I could go and meet their leader, who they called master teacher. Later that weekend my husband Teddy had a major spiritual experience and felt very called to join this brotherhood. My friend Claire also felt drawn, and so we ended up following their bus back to Wisconsin from that conference.”

“Everyday everyone went to an early morning session where the master teacher would teach the Course and tell his story. Master teacher had been an ex-marine and an AA guy, and he was very dedicated to AA. He found ACIM after he had a major awakening experience. God’s Country Place and later Endeavor had the markings of tough love and AA passion. The Academy was founded on the central teaching of the Course that the world is not real, and with willingness and dedication we could forgive and awaken. It captured the promise of the Course -- that we could awaken into full Christ life now.

There were a lot of strong-headed brothers joining and energetically extending love. It was like a wild God party going on all the time. Brothers were having all kinds of spontaneous experiences: spiritual, awakening, revelatory, visionary, emotional, cathartic – just everything! Dear One (the master teacher) was excellent in directing everyone to God through this physical entry way. Like everything in time, however, Endeavor had its blind spots. It was miraculous to see how the Holy Spirit used even these for good.”

“I lived at the Academy for three years. I did not feel that this was the Way for me, yet I will always join my brothers there in Spirit. The Academy was like a spiritual boot camp, the place for me that unearthed hidden self-doubts, judgments and special relationships that I am sure would otherwise have taken lifetimes to find. I felt it was like a big holodeck that amplified and projected out whatever was hidden and joyfully extended whatever was true. Needless to say, the hidden part is never fun. In the Academy environment the options were simple. Either completely forgive all appearances, drop all blame and victimhood, take total responsibility for all thoughts, or judge and dream deeper. Dear One is masterful in offering an uncompromising curriculum of forgiveness. Some of the deepest lessons and healing of my life came through this experience. It wasn’t until after I left the Academy that I could more fully appreciate the help I got. I will always be grateful for the extraordinary example of brotherhood, purpose, and dedication of the Academy and for the exceptional Grace that I was offered through Dear One.”

”Right now I love being part of the Miracles Alliance, and feel it is my next opportunity for a greater joining. I am excited about the time we are in now and feel that through forgiveness we are ushering in a time of happiness that leads to true awakening. I believe Jesus is teaching and leading us all well, and feel so grateful to be part of his first miracles family. I feel my life is still about the secret and that enlightenment is just knowing it’s all true.”

Vicki lives with her husband Teddy, their 14-year old son Teddy, Vicki’s parents Rosie and Louis, their Dog Mo and bird Beauty and the very many Course brothers who come and go through her home. All are welcome. There’s an ongoing Monday night dinner and meditation. And Vicki invites anyone who is in the Boston area during the Christmas season to attend the Annual Christmas Miracles Festival at “party central” in Quincy!

©2004 interviewed, organized, edited by Karen Bentley. Karen Bentley is the author of three ACIM-based books: The Book of Love, 10 Radiant Ideas, and Stop Out-of-Control Eating. Her fourth book, The Power to Stop, will be available in fall 2004.