COMMUNITY

 Dear Friends,

The concept of community is wide and varied. Here are some of my thoughts, drawn from different sources:

The ideal of a community would be a group of people working together, who share a common goal, while respecting and supporting each individual member and their point of view. There can be differences of opinion, but ultimately, the end goal must be kept in mind.

As teenagers and young adults, we begin to wonder who we are, what is our purpose, why are we here? We are trying to figure out who we are, but at the same time, we are searching for inclusion. We look at the world around us and ask, what is working, what is not working, sometimes with great vigor and even rebellion.

Who am I? This can be a lifelong question. Meditation is often suggested to help us find our center, which is why I like our Sunday service – it lends itself to contemplation and meditation. In turning our thoughts inward, we can find our way to the Christ.

John the Baptist exhorted people to change their way of thinking, or one could say, to put aside everyday matters and troubles long enough to gaze inwardly. This can be a very long process, requiring patience.

It is an interesting thing that the closer we come to understanding ourselves, the more open we are to understanding others – a kind of transformation of soul takes place. The more we can connect our individual I am, to the I AM of Christ, the more we become interested in being of service to others. I have always found it helpful to try not to dwell too much on my own troubles, and turn instead to helping others. I can also remind myself not to judge the actions of others too harshly, for I have not walked in their shoes.

We can become more aware of the effect of our own words and actions on others. We can even ask ourselves, what is potentially helpful, and what is potentially a hindrance. Am I serving only my ego, or ultimately, am I serving others?

What is happening right now in the world? Chaos seems to reign everywhere we look. Chaos is the mechanism of a soul process of transformation. Me and my wrestling soul may lie lamenting on the ground, but if I keep a picture of Christ leading the way, I know I can win through to finding peace in the eye of the storm.

Today, we are witnessing in the physical world, a great battle for the soul of all human beings. There is a saying: as above, so below. That would suggest that there is a battle happening as well in the spiritual world. As individuals, and in communities, perhaps we can feel that we are being called to join in this battle. Not through war or terrorism, fear mongering or pillaging, but in finding our path to the Being of the Christ, and standing steadfast.

Lastly, some words from Psalm 23:

He leads me beside still waters…

Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me….

Sparky

 

Manna from Heaven

 Dear Friends,

You may be surprised to learn that in our neck of the woods, we enjoy a variety of flora and fauna, including sequoia, dogwoods, rhododendrons, magnolias and cottonwood trees. In May, we know that sooner or later, the cotton will start to fly, eventually collecting along the edges of roadways, like soft, fluffy clouds.

This week of Ascension, I watched the cotton drifting around on a lovely warm sunny day, in contemplation of life, in general. I had just finished reading Emil Bock's book on Moses. If you have never read one of his books, beg or borrow one - your way of looking at the Bible will be forever changed. The width and depth of his research is astounding. His ability to describe different scenes in the Holy Land is truly inspired. Even though some of his books were written 100 years ago, they feel as if they were written for today, and offers one a different perspective on current events.

Generally speaking, we usually picture the Earth as awakening in the Spring, and breathing out into the cosmos. Watching the cotton floating around though, it evoked the story of manna that miraculously appeared during the night for the desert wanderers. What was it exactly that they received in the realm of their soul? You will have to read the book to find out.

Suffice it to say, though, that it felt as though we could still imagine during this time of year, like a fine, summer rain, the tender love of the cosmos, gently falling and ever-present.

Sparky

WHERE IS THE LOVE?

 Dear Friends,

These are apocalyptic times. One only has to look around to see that this is so. We see the abandonment of all the values we once held dear, worst of all is the abandonment of responsibility, we see the heartbreaking abandonment of animals, and yes, even human beings,

Once our shores were the symbol of hope for those seeking freedom from persecution, famine and poverty. People came with nothing in their pockets but their hopes and dreams and the willingness to work hard. Many, like my Quaker ancestors, came with something else, their love and faith in God.

Today many of our young people have no hope. They turn instead to drugs and video games. There is no trust in our political or economic systems. Family values no longer exist. We see that today, only numbers matter. What is the bottom line, what are my ratings on the stage of social media? This is all that matters. Materialism has reached its nadir.

Today, Mandy Thursday, we can turn our thoughts to the Christ. HE knew what was about to happen. During the Last Supper HE gave the first Communion. HE washed his disciples' feet, and told them HE was about to be betrayed.

HE did not come to overthrow the government or to amass a fortune. HE came to show us how to find our way out of the mechanistic way of thought, back into the world of the spirit. This path requires much in the way of sacrifice, mainly in terms of our own egos. 

These are apocalyptic times. If we can find a way to open our hearts, we can feel the approach of the Christ in the realm of our souls. Through the Sacrament of the Consecration of the Human Being. In consciously lifting up our soul and engaging in communion with Christ, we will be able to face whatever is coming.

Here in Vancouver, where Easter is greeted with clouds and rain we look to the Light with gratitude, humility and faith.

Sparky

BREATHING IN, BREATHING OUT

 

Breathing in and breathing out, we do it without being conscious of it. It is a process that is taken care of by our bodies automatically. We can, however, make ourselves consciously aware of this process. In doing so, we turn our attention inward. The practice of relaxation and meditation begins with a focus on our breath.

We can also imagine a similar process, whereby we consciously take into ourselves, gifts from the spiritual world. At night, while we are asleep, this happens though we are not aware of it, to give us strength for the day ahead.

During meditation and contemplation, we can work to become aware of the gifts streaming into us from the spiritual world. These gifts, I believe, are meant not only to strengthen us as individuals, but also to be shared. This can be an ongoing activity to the extent that we can find a way to do so.

As we feel ourselves being healed, we can transform ourselves into instruments, or conduits, of the highest gift of all, Divine Love. The most wonderful mystery occurs when a person feels so filled with love, that they radiate this love out into the world. Anyone nearby can literally see this love radiating out; it touches every person, plant and animal. The world suddenly becomes new to this person, and senses are heightened. That is to say, in consciously receiving the sacrificial Love of Christ, we can become new (Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God). Some kinds of love can wane over time, but Divine Love was present in the Beginning, is present in each of us at this very moment, and will be with us for all cycles of time to come.

Our task is to find meaningful ways in our time to radiate out this Divine Love, once we have been able to open ourselves to it. When we can develop within ourselves the conviction of quiet faith, we have the strength to put aside our own weaknesses, our ego, and endeavor to help others (be charitable), eliciting hope for the future of the Human Being. It can be not just a single moment in time or experience, but an ongoing act-ivity, striving to bring it into our consciousness, and then radiating out, that which is continuously shining in the spiritual.

IN PURE RAYS OF LIGHT, SHINES THE DIVINITY OF THE WORLD

IN PURE LOVE TO ALL BEINGS, RAYS THE DIVINITY OF MY SOUL

I SHALL REST IN THE BOSOM OF THE DIVINITY OF THE WORLD

I SHALL FIND MY (TRUE ) SELF IN THE BOSOM OF THE DIVINITY OF THE WORLD

(One of my favorite verses from Rudolf Steiner)

Sparky

Blessings

 

Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more

You'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be here in my heart
Always

 

Dear Friends,

The above words are part of a song from the movie, Tarzan, by Phil Collins.

To my dear community in Vancouver, please accept a mothers heartfelt thanks for all your hard work in helping before, during and after, the blessing of the marriage of my son to his partner, especially to Felix, Ruth, Annette, Craig, Kyle, Trudy, Eileen, Abegael, and others I have missed. Thank you also to Revs. Maclennan, Corman and Wiggins for all your support and in holding the space for the birth of this precious being.

Thank you to all the guardian angels, guiding spirits, angelic hierarchies and the Being of the Christ, now commencing His reappearance, in the realm of the clouds.

Last but not least, thank you to everyone who was present, in body and spirit, to witness this blessing.

Every Sunday and Wedesday, we come together to celebrate The Act of Consecration of Man. A church is meant to be a place to celebrate and support the journey of the human being in all its forms, from birth to the crossing of the threshold of death, and everything in between, even beyond. It is a place where a healthy social life is found only when, in the mirror of each soul, the whole community finds its reflection, and when, in the whole community, the virtue of each one is living (Rudolf Steiner).

Sparky

 

BODY AND SOUL

 

If you have been trying to grocery shop the last few months, you know how different things are now from two years ago.

Many people used to be able to plan out their meals for the week, go to the store and get what they needed, which helped them to stick to a budget.

That is not possible now. You never know from one week to the next if prices will go up. You never know from what day to the next, what will actually be in stock. Gas prices in Vancouver have been the most expensive in North America, so trips to the store are necessarily limited.

Shopping now requires a new way of thinking. You have to go, see what is in stock and make purchases accordingly. If I spot something I know I use on a regular basis, I will get it right away, especially dry goods. I have to work with what is currently available. I may have to consider alternatives to get the nourishment my body requires, or find something new and different.

This can be applied in other areas, where we face similar challenges.

We can look to the past to see what was applicable at that time. What were the goals and methods used to reach those goals? Were they successful? What lessons did we learn? How best do we move forward?

In these fast changing and unsettling times, we cannot necessarily rely on the past for the answers to the problems of today. We are challenged to move forward, not backward, and hopefully, not just stand still. We are in the midst of the breaking in of a brave, new world.

We have to find new ways of thinking and doing that will move us into the future; a future, hopefully, of kindness and compassion. We have to plan for a living legacy. When we can consider a situation objectively, and look at things from different points of view, new possibilities can present themselves.

I believe this holds true, economically, socially, politically, and in our religious life.

In studying the works of Rudolf Steiner, we can deepen our understanding of the how, what, where, when and why of current events, and of how to begin to address these questions.

I currently read an astounding statement by Dr. Steiner:

Our ancestors were our own souls in other bodies.

We know through the incredible work of Dr. Steiner that our souls have gone through many incarnations, and will continue to do so, in order that we may continue to evolve. The Christ Event, as he explains, does not preclude this fact. Rather, the Christ points the way as to how we can continually strive onwards and upwards.

Sparky

 

 

A L O H A

 Aloha was the very best word I could think of to describe yesterday’s events in our community.

We celebrated the induction of our very own Rev. Erica Maclennan, and bid adieu to seminary intern, Marc Fortin. In other words, a time for welcoming back into our fold, and a time for letting go. A time of hello and goodbye.

Almost everyone has heard of this word, Aloha, and may know that it is commonly used as both a greeting and a parting.

What most of us do not know, however, is the deeper meaning of this word. In native Hawaiian, it means:

PRESENCE OF (alo) SPIRIT (ha)

There was no question of the presence of Spirit during the service, or afterwards as we gathered for a light potluck lunch, followed by words of gratitude, reflection, and some thoughts on Whitsun.

One can also ask, what does the Spirit of Aloha stand for? Even though this concept goes back thousands of years in Hawaiian culture, there are many words that one would also hope to ascribe to being a Christian: kindness, harmony, modesty, patience, compassion, gratitude. It is the coordination of mind and heart within each individual, in order to bring each person to the Self. It is a way of life and the essence of relationships that recognizes each person as important to every other person for collective existence.

This is so important, that in 1986, Hawaii passed a law called, the Aloha Spirit Law. It requires that all lawmakers, judiciary and government officials, from the governor on down, take it into consideration when making decisions. It was to be recognized as the working philosophy of native Hawaiians, and as a healing impulse for people all around the world.

Sparky