(Philosophy given at the Canberra Spiritualist Association on 4 April 2021)
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and what a stunning day it is - how blessed we have been by the weather for this long Easter weekend. It is a delight to have you here with us today and to acknowledge that all around the world this day represents a day of celebration. In thousands of Christian churches - the third day after his crucifixion - the resurrection of Christ will be commemorated.
There is no other day more symbolic of the similarities of belief between Christians and Spiritualists whether we choose to recognise this or not.
The story of Jesus is probably the most well known of life after death and the capacity for communication from the world of Spirit. It still surprises me that thousands of years after his death and resurrection, so many accept this story as true and is the guiding light to their belief YET are still bemused, skeptical, and flummoxed by the idea of Spirit communication in this day and age. We need not depend on faith when Spiritualism is based on demonstrated evidence of life after death. Natural, evidential and demonstrated around the globe at Spiritualist churches, one to one readings and public demonstrations of mediumships.
How easy it is for us to take for granted that today our medium Karen, will separate from her logical mind in a way that the Spirit world can influence her with images, memories, words, feelings and messages to reconnect with their loved ones. And at the end of her demonstration she will do a self assessment of how well she went, as most mediums will do, as will most of you. We take this SO much for granted that we lose sight of the miracle of receiving even ONE piece of information that proves life after death.
LIFE AFTER DEATH.
Do you remember the first time you experienced that truth? Perhaps you witnessed it at a Spiritualist church, maybe you had a reading, joined a circle. Perhaps you were then led to try mediumship out yourself or you had experienced Spirit communication before you even realised that others could too. Do you remember the significance? The wonderment? The excitement? Your jubilation on discovering this incredible fact? Feeling almost like you were the first to happen upon this life changing awareness?
Do you wish you could go back to that initial amazement?
If we cannot maintain within us the excitement each time of that miracle, that magic of our first realisation that eternal life was FACT then that tells us something about mediumship, proof of life and indeed, something about ourselves. For Once we KNOW the truth, is there a need for the reproving?
Of course, we are human and the need for connection with those we have loved and lost is natural. That can’t be philosophised out of us.
BUT once we know of eternal life - we cannot unknow it.
So why do communicators come again and again for some? It demonstrates love and care and encouragement. Encouragement for WHAT you may ask…..To LIVE, to truly take life by the horns and to make the most of it. The Spirit world doesn’t bring us messages of ‘can’t wait til you get here, so much better on this side so the faster you finish up there in the physical the better’……They beseech us to live well, to live fully, to live in the present.
If perhaps we could perceive the Spirit World as another country with limited internet and a shaky postal service - how would we perceive our loved ones there? Of course, we would miss them and look forward to our reunion but we would not spend a great deal of time focussing on their lives to the detriment of living our own. Eventually, of course, we will take that journey ourselves ‘overseas’. What news will be take with us? What story will we have to share? Our loved ones are not dead - they have just journeyed on. And we have the knowledge as Spiritualists of a guide to best conduct our journey through this physical world - our principles that gently steer us to be at one with ourselves, each other, all things and with God.
3 days for Jesus’s resurrection…..we know that communication with our loved ones can occur moments after death when the conditions are right, generally when the deceased has some prior knowledge of the Spirit communication, a medium being present and indeed the recipients too. For many, communication will take a lot longer and for some may never come. Why? Perhaps because of the belief system of those who have passed, perhaps because of the conditions, the standard of the mediumship ability, the lack of awareness of the loved ones left behind that communication is even ‘a thing’ and potentially a mix of all these issues.
And those of us who KNOW of eternal life and the communication of the SW - how we demand of them? Give me a sign, please come through to me today, answer my questions, prove you live on…..and keep proving it. What does this say about us?
If our pull to Spiritualism is only for communication then it is time for Spiritualism to come to an end. For anyone of us can go online, make a booking with a medium (who doesn’t even have to be a Spiritualist) from anywhere so we can get a direct line with our loved ones. If communication is the be all and end all of Spiritualism - the job is done. The general public whether skeptical or not, have enough awareness to know they can seek the services of a medium and they don’t need to attend a Spiritualist service to find that out.
So why should anyone attend a Spiritualist service?
Last week I put it to the committee that I would be intrigued to know how many would come to a CSA service if there was no demonstration of mediumship. We know from that all over the country and indeed globally - Spiritualist church attendance ebbs and flows according to the medium listed as the demonstrator (or whether it’s a long weekend)…..What does this say about us and our community?
The very thing that draws people to us, is the very thing that will bring about the demise of Spiritualism if we do not understand it is only a small part of what we offer. Important, absolutely. The totality - no. Our dear supporter of the CSA, International medium, Paul Jacobs who regularly demonstrates for our online services, speaks of platform mediumship as a widnowfront - effectively catching the eye and interest of those new to Spiritualism. The question is, what else lies behind the Spiritualist church door?
Once we’ve provided the evidence - what else is on offer?
Ladies and gentlemen, if I had to sum up what Spiritualist services and Spiritualism has to offer - it is one word - HEALING.
The obvious iteration perhaps is that we provide a place where death, loss and grief are understood and the very real need for support as well as the reassurance that a bigger picture is at play. On a deeper level Spiritualism reminds us that we are each a part of the Divine Architect’s plan and are eternal and that our loved ones live on.
Our healing medium’s provide another avenue of healing - the laying on of hands acting as the conduits of the healing power that moves through them bringing balance and upliftment to body, mind and soul.
Our community is full of mediums - mediums who connect us to the Divine through their own innate abilities: the musicians, the humanitarians, the inspirers, the listeners, the speakers, the inventors, the thinkers, the administrators, the encouragers, the teachers, the carers to name but a few.
Spiritualism encourages us all to find our strengths, and to use them. To discover our gifts and to GIVE them. It asks us who we want to be. To do something. To be something. To MOVE. Nudging us forward, whilst reassuring us there is no failure.
It encourages us to let the Spiritual aspect of ourselves shine through thus becoming the full expression of our potential. And as our light shines it acts as a beacon to others - giving others the freedom to find their truth, their passion, their meaning and so too they may be inspired to encourage others to discover themselves.
Ladies and gentlemen, Spiritualism’s relevance is as weak or as strong as what we each have to offer the brotherhood of man. As our demonstrating mediums stand in our church window front - beckoning those who need us through our doors - when they step inside and meet you - will they recognise the medium you are? Do you?
For you are Divine. You are Spirit. And you have within you a potential that is unique. And that potential, that spark is your responsibility to discover and to flame - you don’t need to wait for your own resurrection to discover your own spark.
Ladies and gentlemen, the gifts of Spiritualism are bountiful - and the message of life after death is a miracle - but so is life before death.
Kommentarer