Gold as the theme for the July 2012 North-South Conference

Some of you may have noticed the large white paper hanging on the east wall downstairs in the Church. For those who don't know about it yet, Reverend Susan Locey had the idea to have a place where people could come up with phrases or words following the general theme of gold to develope the mood for the Conference. Whether they are quotations or your own thoughts it does not matter. There is construction paper, pens, scissors and tape on the counter by the clock to hang up individual wordings.

I will keep track of them and try to post all the new ones as they appear on the wall.

" A heart of GOLD "
" The golden fleece "
" Enlightenment through the Gold "
" The golden path... "
" A Golden oppurtunity "

" Sharing the Gold "

" GOLDEN STAR "

" Golden Sun "

" Golden Age "

" Good As Gold "

" Silence is golden "

" Gold Medal "

" the golden mean "

" the gold standard "

" Self knowledge - Golden Gift " (Christian Morgenstern)

" Gold treasure "

" The Golden Gate "

" Gold coin "

" The golden King "

" Silence is golden! "

" Chemical Symbol: Au

   from Latin "Aurum"

   meaning "Shining Dawn""

" HEARTS OF GOLD "

" Sands that shimmer like gold "

" Goldfish "

" Gold mine "

" Goldeneye (bird) "

" gold at home "

" Golden freedom "

" Golden west "

" Goldfever "

" Goldsmith "

" Goldfinch "
" The mother-lode "
" Golden flower
                   Chinese herb"

" Faust I - Scene VIII
 Last lines
              Margarete:
" ... to Gold still tends,
On Gold depends
All, All! Alas, we poor!""

 " The Earth as a New Sun

 Freedom and love for all mankind on earth,

divine, evolutionary goals

will become possible only

Through awakened wills

And sun-filled souls

It is a fairy tale that begins to shine and live

When someone finds a path
on which he may rise and give
his ego to the spirit of truth.
Here his consciousness is led to the fact
That through the love bestowed on us
by the Son of Man and through the holy act
of His accomplished deed
at the turning point of time
the future will show
its consequence divine,
The now darkening earth will become
With Michael's help, and ours,

A NEW, LIVING AND GOLDEN SUN."

" El Amor Brilla "
" Gold-leaf "
" Not everything that glitters is gold "
" Gold bullion "
" golden idea "
" good as gold "
" sharing the wealth "

The five senses as experienced in one of an infinite variety in the West Coast Biosphere

Very often after cleaning the Church yard I say to myself, " Yeah, nature is back!" It really is a good feeling to see a part of the natural world pretty much the way it should be. Sometimes I have memories of other places I have been in the past, including into my childhood. Much of the areas in Scandinavia and around the Alps I have visited really stand out but especially some of the outstanding environs in our part of the world.
These impressions are sort of a collection of scene memories from all over Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast.


Imagine it is summer and you are camped by the ocean somewhere up the coast at the edge of the rainforest.
*The feel of slightly moist sand while walking barefoot amongst the dunes in a small clearing just above the highest high tide line.
*The sight of the morning sun just breaking through a low fog bank over a calm tide.
*The aroma of dried driftwood, seaweed and the salt air mingling.
*The taste of of wild salal berries as you make your way along the edges of some bushes just inland from shore.
*The gentle sound of bees making their rounds amongst the honeysuckles and clovers.

The Act of Consecration for the Dead for Owen Lange

     Kara, Marilyn and Rosie at the Act of Consecration for the Dead

Owen Lange

April 5, 1946 to August 4, 2009

The Church was full last Saturday Dec.5th as we celebrated our memories of Owen. After the Service

and refreshments we formed ourselves into a large circle. Marilyn spoke about Owen's final days battling lymphoma and that he was lucid many times. At one point he told her that "they " had recorded all that he

had accomplished in his life and apparently he could see it as some kind of vast panorama. She spoke of

the "Three Mysteries" at the time of his death.

The first was felt by his son, Peter, at the moment he died. Peter was standing outside and felt a strong

wind blow in one direction. Then it was very calm and then the wind blew just as strongly in another

direction. Suddenly a door slammed very loudly. The next mystery was that the house lost power. When

BC Hydro arrived the next day to deal with it, Marilyn was told that such a thing can happen by "even a

door slamming hard"! The third mystery was that Marilyn started receiving the Victoria newspaper,

Times Colonist, soon after Owen's death. Apparently it was ordered  by Owen on August 5th, the day

after he died!

Philip Thatcher reported that many in the community were attending the Conference of the North in

early August and that at the time of Owen's death the light from the aurora borealis was particularly

strong for this time of the year. Usually the lights are seen in September and October (around the fall

equinox).

These stories of wind and strong light are not so unusual as we all knew of Owen's love for the weather.

For many years he worked as a meteorologist for Environment Canada and wrote 4 books on the weather

of the Georgian basin.

Fiona, Constance and Candace during the refreshment break

Guenther and Marianne (and Patricia)

Gloria finds time to help with cleaning up

Sisters

Rosie says, "This is the way it usually is between us!"

(Original content from e-mail by Susan Koppersmith)

I am the Way, the Truth, the Light

Standing in the eye
of the hurricane,
Beauty and peace
surround me.

Now that I have kept you all on tenterhooks, I will try to finish my story to date.

It turned out that at the time that I fell into depression and sought the Way, my husband had also fallen into depression. Instead of searching for the Light, however, he was lured into the shadows, deeper and deeper into the darkness. We know that what is hidden will be revealed, and what is done in secret, good or bad, the Light will shine upon. His activities were finally revealed, and he is now in such suffering as I would never have imagined or wished for him. I could never have made it through those first awful weeks without the unflagging support of Rev. Locey. In true repentance there can be salvation, and in redemption, there can be transformation.
But, the Truth will set you free, and I am free to set my own course, and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever. The suffering of all the children, though, is the cross I must now take up.

The year after my first delegates' conference, I was able to attend the next one, down in California. This one was even more special, because it allowed us to meet most of the priests in North America. The people I had formed a connection with the previous year, were greeted like old friends. How is it that such a strong connection can be made in a couple of days? This is one of the miracles that happens when people of one spirit come together.

To hear of the beginning of the work of our church in North America, struck a chord with me, as my family was also descended from early pioneers. I knew of the sacrifices that were made: of giving up everything they had known or possessed, in order to start a new life for themselves and their children, sometimes even their very lives.

The best vision happened during the Sunday Service. In walked 4 silver-haired priests in vestments, who quietly sat down. I knew they had dedicated their entire lives to our movement, and some of the sacrifices they had made in their personal lives, and my heart swelled with pride. Then in walked our Lenker, the leader of our church in North America, to celebrate the Service. He is slightly younger, with the grey only starting to show, but already he has led our church for around 15 years, and he has 20 more years to go, God willing. I knew of some of the sacrifices he and his own family had made, and I also had a good sense of the task he had willingly taken on. It was truly awe-inspiring, and my heart was filled to overflowing with love and pride for all the men and women who had set such an unbelievable example of faith and dedication.

So what has been the overall purpose of my story? I hope there are other members of our church who have also been inspired in some way, and would like to tell their story. Even though we experience life as individuals, there are common threads. In telling our stories, we can see how these threads are woven together, stretching back into the past, the present and beyond into the future, creating a beautiful, intricate tapestry, describing the evolution of our Selves, and of humanity.

What message would I like to leave with you? You have Value, no matter what you can do, even if it is just washing dishes or sweeping the sidewalk. God needs You to be his hands and feet, or, as Rudolf Steiner said, "to be the self-conscious instrument of the deeds of the spirits."
We do not tell people what they must or must not believe, or do, or say. You are provided the space and freedom to come to know God in your own heart, and in your own way. You will be helped and guided in finding your own path.

So, GET INVOLVED! BE INSPIRED! WHY?

WHY NOT? Everyone is born into this life with a purpose, and with limitless possibilities.

BE the CAUSE! Be the change you wish to see in the world (Gandhi), and see you in church. :)

In memory of Owen Lange

A stiff ocean breeze
Blows through my soul,
Leaving the taste
of salt on my lips.

The clouds are swept away
By the beating of angels' wings,
And my eyes are dazzled
By the rising of the Sun.

A new day is dawning!

We are Family!

Petals have fallen
from the rose,
Revealing the seed
of the Spirit.

Well, my friends, here is where my tale starts to get interesting. This is why for now I am using a pseudonym. I am not looking for pity or sympathy, as this is now all in the past.
We left off with us as bright young teenagers, yearning to make a difference. We got married, got jobs, I got my bachelor's degree, and we started raising our family. Our church attendance fell away, with all the demands of daily life.
An interesting thing happened, though, when we started looking for a house for our growing family. We looked all over the Lower Mainland, and offers on two houses fell through. The house we finally bought was close to a nice elementary school. So our daughter entered grade 3 there, and wonder of wonders, the music teacher was an old friend from church! Coincidence? Some say there is no such thing. So I kept this small miracle in my heart. Someone still had plans for me.
All was not well in paradise, however. Something was happening to my spouse and to our marriage. The worst part was, I could not see just how bad it was getting.
Then my father died. It was a great blow, because he had never been able to overcome his alcoholism, and his life had seemed so empty.
Two days after he died, I found out I was pregnant with my 3rd child. There was a ray of hope for the future. But my husband did not want this baby - he wanted me to have an abortion. I refused, and he left us for a few months, returning when the baby was born. He still wasn't happy, and I fell into post-partum depression. It finally got so bad I knew I had to do something and get help. I had lost all sense of self-worth and self respect. I had lost my "joy" even in living, or in my children.
Fortunately, I was able to get some great counselling. I started doing some volunteer work, which really helped me start to put myself back together. However, I knew that I also had to get back to church.
We had a new priest, so I decided to check him out. Our second child was turning 7, which was the perfect time to come back. I started serving again, and found that a regular server was needed for the weekday service. This, I could do. I had found a purpose. I was needed and appreciated. My joy started to return. Rev. Kientzler knew that I was getting itchy feet just being a housewife, and when the post of secretary came up on the Board, he asked if I would be interested.
I had been on the Board for about a year when we suddenly found ourselves without an active priest. The Delegates' Conference was coming up, and it was suggested I go. Me?? I had never even visited another congregation up to this point. And my husband said I could only go if I took the boys and the dog with me...(now that I've actually done that, he's upset, but we'll save that for next time).
I, however, was on a mission. I knew there had to be an answer to our prayers for another priest. Perhaps going to the conference would help.
Well, there I was. All alone and far from home, I did actually get homesick, but that was okay.
After awhile, though, I started to get the hang of things, and everyone was very friendly. Then it hit me: this wasn't just a conference, it was like a big family reunion! That was when I knew for sure I had found my spiritual home. I came back home all fired up, bursting with everything that I had heard, and felt and thought. I felt like I was tingling all the way home on the airplane.
There was hope and purpose and vision. There was something to work towards, and someone to work with. Most of all there was great joy.
Anyone familiar with eastern philosophy knows, however, that where there is joy there is also sorrow, yin and yang, good and bad, darkness and light. And it was all going to hit like a bomb blast...

A dedication to Gaia / Mother Earth

       Mighty River
You start in mountains,
high, small, clear and fresh;
of heavens born,
collected by leaves and grass,
trickle down in streamlets,
sunburst in the morn.


Miles you go, vast places
of trees unknown, mountains,
hills hardly climbed.
Wildlife greets you, livestock too;
fields and orchards on your banks,
fruits there grow, grapes envined.


Weeks later many waters mixed,
darkening as you go,
heavy, slowly, toiled
at city shores, banks
confined, stories told,
not far to go, dusty, soiled.


But at the Sea
you breathe anew!
Fresh winds, cold waters flow,
sweet and salt do blend.
To the open Oceans, a World
to meet, vast skies, no end!!


Blue and Sun,
night and stars,
fog and cloud do greet you.
Slowly rising, air and wind,
roiling, salt to sweet,
steamy vapours flew.


Rising high, vast banks
and thunder castles
move now over desert sand.
Days go by, hills and
mountains you may meet
in mist and rain you may land.


To start again
a morning bright as dew;
a deer eye's twinkle;
quiet marshland cattails, warmed by Sun they grew.
Placid streams trickle slow;
a long hot day.
Eons travelled, far to go!


       Felix Scharnberg