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

LIGHT YEAR

 

Dear Friends,

This year, believe it or not, is a year of Light.

For 100 years, The Church of The Christian Community, has now been in existence, proclaiming the Word of God, or Logos, in a new form.

For 100 years, the Light of the Christ has streamed forth from every altar, reaching every corner of the globe. It will continue to touch every soul for many centuries to come.

We may not be conscious of this Light, but it is in each and every one of us, regardless of race, color or creed. We come from Light, and are born into this earthly existence. We are essentially beings of light, who have forgotten where we came from. There have been many recorded instances, where someone, experiencing a next-to-death moment, has seen that Light – has become conscious of it, and been forever changed when they returned.

That is our purpose on Earth - to once again become conscious of this reality – to become aware of it in our very souls, live with it, and work with it.

There are forces who desire to turn us away from this purpose, to distract us, but as we have recently seen in current events, people are waking up. We are no longer content to be treated like machines, or animals, to be merely a cog in the wheel that serves those who are only interested in money and power. That wheel wants to grind us into dust. But we are far more than mere clay.

Everywhere, in everything we see and do, there can be Light. Perhaps it is in a flower, perhaps it is in a kindness someone has shown you, a friendly hello, a work of art, a strain of music. You only have to look or listen for it. Perhaps it is a feeling welling up inside of you! We, as human beings, can and will be co-creators of this Light. It is our choice as to when that will happen. We can choose for it to happen right now, this moment, or in the far distant future. This has to do with our ego and our will. When we can let go of our own ego (lower self) and willfulness, we create space for the Light of Christ to ray forth.

Thy Will be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven.

Today in our community, we had the rare, once in a lifetime privilege, to meet, welcome and shake hands with the world-wide leader of our church; also, to hear some of his thoughts on the challenges we face for the next 100 years as a global community. So strongly did this experience tug on my heartstrings, that I could barely speak afterwards, and there were tears in my eyes as I drove home.

In two weeks, we will welcome home into our midst, our very own, newly ordained priest, Erica Maclennan.

More later!

Sparky