Sunday, 8 February 2009

More Church Bulletin Howlers!
















Some of you will be off to church today. Here are some more humorous examples that actually appeared in print in church bulletins!

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a
chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping
around the house. Bring your husbands.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our
community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say
"Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church
help.

Saturday, 7 February 2009

Natural Worship


















God of the granite and the rose,
Soul of the sparrow and the bee,
The mighty tide of being flows
Through countless channels Lord, from thee.
It leaps to life in grass and flowers,
Through every grade of being runs,
‘Til from creation’s radiant towers
Its glory flames in stars and suns.

Oh you who sit and gaze on life,
With folded hands and fettered will,
Who only see amid the strife,
The dark supremacy of ill.
Know that like birds and streams and flowers,
The life that moves you is divine!
Nor time, nor space, nor human powers
Your God-like spirit can confine.

God of the granite and the rose,
Soul of the sparrow and the bee,
The mighty tide of being flows,
Through all your creatures back to thee.
Thus round and round the circle runs,
A mighty sea without a shore,
While men and angels, stars and suns,
Unite to praise you evermore.

Lizzie Doten

Friday, 6 February 2009

Trails of Truth

Here is another quotation from this wonderful book describing a series of séances that took place in Ontario, Canada in the late 1920’s. The chief guide of the circle, a doctor from the spiritual world called Dr. Anderson, is explaining how the victory of Spiritualism over orthodoxy can free people from the bondage of ignorance if it is properly promoted. (If only we could each forget our petty differences and concentrate whole-heartedly on this wonderful objective!! – Lionel)

“The nature of this victory is to prove to the multitude that there is no death, that there is no hell fire, and that God loves all. To prove that you, not God, create your own hell. Hell is within you. Just imagine a God, whose mercy endures forever, punishing us! Can you think of that? God, your own Father, who gave you your own spirit – for you are part of God! Naturally, God would not punish Himself. He loves all His children.

That church which teaches there is no death, will be saved. God is loving and merciful. There is no hell. It is a condition of the mind within yourself. Those that do evil will dwell in darkness. Remorse presses on their souls and, like heavy food, causes nightmares. It continues to press until they show a desire for good. Then they attract a ministering angel. God’s hand is always stretched out to help the lost sheep to return to its fold. But the sheep cannot be found until its cry is heard. Jesus’ parable of The Lost Sheep and the Great Shepherd is a picture of spiritual life. The prodigal Son is another true representation.”

“Is the bible infallible?” asked a sitter.

“Some parts of the bible were written two or three hundred years after Jesus. The parts that speak of the wrath of God and of hell are put there by man to cause fear amongst the people of that day. The church wished to dominate and establish a business. Those were the times when papers were sold on the streets to redeem the souls of men. A change will take place before long. A new thought and truth is being ushered in. The church that accepts the teachings of Jesus in truth – that there is no death, - for anyone, irrespective of religion or belief (Lionel) – will live. Truth must win and will win. Others will heed the message down the centuries and join the truth. Truth cannot be hidden. The light can never be put out.

May God bless and guide you throughout all the pathways of earthly expression. May God enlighten you with divine truth, showering knowledge and blessing upon your spirits. Amen”

Finally, the doctor from spirit was asked about the preparations needed in spirit for séances like the one they were sitting in. The sittings usually lasted two hours.

“It takes from 75 to 100 angels to make one of these sittings possible,” said Doctor Anderson.

Now there’s a sobering thought for anyone deciding to sit in a circle or séance but not willing to commit themselves on a regular basis because “I’m too busy!” - Lionel

Thursday, 5 February 2009

Perfection?

Just in case any of us gets carried away!!

A fire and brimstone preacher was haranguing his congregation. He said,
“Far too many people think they are perfect, but we are all miserable sinners.”

Looking each member of the congregation in the eye he thundered,
“I challenge anyone here who thinks he or she is perfect to raise your hand now.”

There was silence as the preacher glared at the congregation. Almost un-noticed, an unprepossessing, inoffensive little man at the rear of the church hesitatingly raised his hand.

The preacher looked at him in disbelief. “You are perfect?” he shouted.

“No sir, not me, I’m speaking as proxy for the wife’s first husband.”!!

Wednesday, 4 February 2009

E Mail to God

I just loved this when I first read it and want to share it with you all.

Lionel


Hi God, it is just me again.
You know I have this group
of friends that I need you
to take care of and watch over.
They are not from my town,
and most are not even in
the same state/province.

In fact there are some that
live in a different country.
They are scattered all over the world.
I met them on the Internet.

We send emails to each other,
we chat, and some I have even spoken to
on the phone, but most of them,
we will never meet face to face.

However there are a few
that I have been lucky
enough to share a real hug with.
It does not matter
if we have met or not
these people are my friends.

There is so much going on
Out there in the world,
and it scares me.

You see I care about
these friends that I have met,
and God that is why
I am asking you to please
watch over them and protect them.
I would never have imagined
that I could care
and even love someone
that I have only met online.

The truth is loving
and truly caring
about a person
begins in the heart,
and it stays inside
of the heart.

I ask you God to give
my friends happiness and peace.
Please take care of them,
and guide them.
Through the Internet
I have been so lucky
to have found friends
from all over the world.

I have learned that
although some of us have
different beliefs
and we live differently,
we are so much alike,
all of us hoping for
the same things in life,
true happiness.

Please God, bless each one
of these friends that have
touched my life in one way
or another.
Forgive those God
that have hurt others,
help them learn the true
meaning of love and friendship.

I know that each person
that I have met through the net
has been placed in my path
for a reason, so I ask you
once again God, protect them,
guide them, keep them safe,
love them and bless them
throughout their lives.

Amen!

Sunday, 1 February 2009

Vibrations and Spirit Communication

Hello again,

I am going to be away for a few days so this post will be the last before I return. It is quite long and I hope those of you interested in Communication with Spirit People will find it interesting and follow it's instructions. Until my return then,

Au Revoir,

Lionel

Some of you who read this Blog may well be sitting in various types of Circle for spirit communication. If so, the importance of creating the right ‘vibrations', will have been stressed to you by your circle leader. What follows should help you to understand why.

The following is an extract from the book “Trails of Truth” by Jenny O’Hara Pincott and it records a series of séances held with Materialisation medium William Cartheuser in Ontario, Canada in the 1920’s. It describes what can happen if ‘vibrations’ are wrong. A Doctor Anderson is speaking from the spiritual world through one of two trumpets used in this circle that met regularly over a number of years but not always with the same sitters at each séance.

Anyone who sits in a circle for spirit communication of any kind, will do well to note what is said and to ensure everything possible is done in their circle to see everyone approaches the experience with honesty.

“I shall state a case of a doctor in the flesh who was present at a séance. His father in spirit comes to see him and says, “Hello Joe, my boy!” The boy (the doctor) says “Hello father.” His father continues, “I am so proud my son, of your two children. The older boy looks just like yourself!” His son responds, “Yes father and do you not think the girl looks like me too?”

The father hesitates and slowly replies “Yes”; then proceeds to say, “My boy, I was with you when you and your friend, Charlie, were on the ice and the latter fell in and drowned.” The son answers “Yes but what about the girl that was drowned; don’t you remember that?” Again the father hesitates and slowly says “Yes.”

How little you people realise that when a spirit speaks to you direct, especially when a relation talks to you, you create a flow of magnetic currents. This father was within that stream, or flow. Oh, how glad he is to be in the stream of his boy’s vibration! And as he drifts along he does not realise his son would dare to deceive him. But he feels something is not right. He reaches out to rescue himself and at last asks for help to withdraw himself from this stream of magnetic force. And as he comes out he meets a teacher and says, “Oh teacher, my boy tried to deceive me!” The teacher inquires, “In what way?” He answers, “I told him he had two children and then he asked me about the girl. And oh teacher, he hasn’t a girl! I went on but could not turn around. I could not resist. When he mentioned the girl I said ‘Yes, yes, yes.’ I had to say it, because I was in his vibration. Then I reminded my boy about his friend Charlie, who was drowned; there was no girl. I could not again say, ‘No, there is no girl’ and I said ‘Yes, yes, yes!’

It is a good thing that a teacher listened in, which does not always happen. She said to the doctor that was present, “Doctor, do you wish to be deceived?” “Why no!” he exclaimed. “Then”, replied the teacher, “how dare you deceive your father?” You told him a lie. You have only two boys, not a boy and a girl; and neither did a girl drown, but a boy – Charlie by name.” The doctor laughed, he thought it was a good joke. When he left the séance room he said, “Isn’t that funny - I got caught!”

But suppose one of the teachers had not listened in. The doctor would have said it was all humbug, gone home and caused trouble.. As it was, after that doctor went home he said, “I think there is something to it alright but the whole thing is like mind reading to me!”

If you want to talk to your loved ones, be on the square. As you sow, so shall you reap. You cannot plant stones and harvest potatoes. You have to sow potatoes to reap potatoes. Often people say “If that is true, why is it that spirits do not detect us? We were only teasing the spirits!” Such persons should not be allowed to sit in any of these séances. They should first be made to study the laws that govern spirit communication. They should first study the difficulties through which we have to break to reach you people here on this material plane. You, of earth are yourselves learning how hard it is for a receiving set (radio) to be clear and distinct at all times. You are beginning to realise there are magnetic waves in the atmosphere that cause static. You have learned that if there is a high tension wire near a receiving set it causes a humming sound. You, your thoughts and brain are receiving sets as well as transmitters. Human thoughts may interfere, and help or destroy our forces of communication. If they destroy we are helpless to you, unless some genius on the spirit side can switch off the doubter’s thoughts and straighten matters out.

So I say to you, if you try to communicate, be honest – be on the square. Through honesty you will receive messages absolutely test-proof, fool-proof and science-proof. Anyone who goes to a séance, being honest himself, will soon find out if the instrument (the medium) is really an instrument or a humbug. ‘By their fruits shall ye know them.’ Go forth with honesty to seek the truth and you shall not fail.

Even Jesus could not perform miracles unless he met people who had faith. When an ill person came in touch with Jesus he cried, “Heal me!” The Lord replied, “Do you believe in me?” According to your faith so shall it be with you.” Then the man was healed. Had he not had faith he could not have been healed. Faith unlocks the subconscious self. Had the man said, “Master I have no faith, but am willing to be shown,” his subconscious self would have remained closed.

Tell your friends that they receive what they send out. If they are honest they will receive the truth. The spirit force here is always truthful. Check it up and you will find out. We have and Open Door who is honest, and conscientious. I have not found anyone yet, who used common sense, that did not find it so.

Look for honesty, and you will not need any imagination to receive it. Honesty at home, honesty among your friends, will have no other way of expressing itself except by you yourself receiving honesty.”

I think from all the references to ‘on the square’, the communicator from spirit must have been a Freemason when on earth, or else all those present were au fait with Freemasonry. Although what is said here refers to a physical phenomena séance, I believe the same rules apply with any form of circle where communication with spirit is sought. Like attracts like – if a sitter is seeking to prove a point by deceit, then he or she will in their turn be deceived. The reference to faith in healing needs to be qualified I believe. The faith referred to is not faith in God or in a particular religion but faith that there is a healing power that brings about cures.

Self Knowledge

Know your own self: this type, this due degree
Of blindness, weakness, heaven bestows on you.
Submit-in this or any other sphere,
Secure to be as blessed as you can bear;
Safe in the hand of one disposing Power,
If in the natal or the mortal hour.
All nature is but art unknown to you;
All chance direction which you cannot see;
All discord, harmony not understood;
All partial evil, universal good.
In spite of pride and erring reason,
One truth is clear, WHATEVER IS, IS RIGHT.

Alexander Pope