1992-01-00-Will
Heading
Topic: January Lessons
Group: Tallahassee TeaM
Facilitators
Teacher: Will
TR: Unknown
Session 1
- Will-116
- 01/03/92 Friday p.m., message clarifying Will's New Life (new year) message
Dialogue
Will: About the section that you labeled "the voice of the Adjuster", that was close to Truth. Here is the Truth:
You are the container. I am outside; the Adjuster is on the inside. As he feels your reaction, your upward surge, at the reception of my words, he maneuvers to make the most of your positive reaction. It is like the optical refractive effect of viewing an object through the surface of a stream. Things are just a little off from their apparent position.
The Adjuster takes full advantage of this phenomenon. He can bend the light, shed from my words, to your mutual profit. Witness the powerful reaction to those words in you -- not from the words themselves, for they are only the shadow of what is, but from the influence of the Adjuster. Your reaction was completely due to the leading of your Adjuster. Here, the internal, external, and all- pervasive all combined to achieve one of the marvels.
It took you hours to recover your ordinary coarse self. One day, there will be no coarse self to recover. That is the day that we are working towards, as our first goal. The day will come when you walk through that gate, never to return. That is the day of the attainment of the Third Circle.
God has blessed you.
Shalom.-- Will
Session 2
- Wil117
- January 4, 1992
Opening
Will: The love of God upholds you. The love of God enfolds you. The love of God protects you. Wherever you are, He is. I am Will.
Greetings in the start of this a new year. It should be a very special year because there is so much work to do. I realize that you would like to grow in all areas of your life and those will all happen in good time. It is important to remember that all things progress in a pattern as they should--one step at a time. You can not possibly run before you walk, and so it is in the spiritual realm. You must always be patient and allow yourself time to grow.
Lesson
I would like to talk with you concerning Counting the Sheep in His Kingdom. When the shepherd goes out to find his sheep, he is aware of them all, even the tiniest. Not one of them escapes his sight. So it is with the Father. He is aware of all His little ones. Not one of them goes unnoticed. It may seem on your world like He heeds not their call, but He really does notice them. He may not be able to directly change their life circumstances at the present time, but they still have all the spiritual care as all those whose life situations seem to be better. God is no respecter of persons. It is their life He looks at, not their life circumstances. Their love in their hearts for their fellow man and their ability to show that love weighs heavily on Him as He looks upon His children.
He would so have us all love each other that none would go wanting. While I realize that your world is far from perfect, it is a good testing ground for proving His love and letting His love show through to you and to all. When God is truly present in each life, there is a beacon of light which shines forth drawing those who are His children to you. They will not know what you have, but they will know that they want what you have. God is love and that love is very powerful. I have seen it in many family situations. It is a great healer and can be used to mark the way for a new beginning for many people who are lost and trying to find their way.
Our Father loves all His Children equally even those who temporarily go astray. Just as the shepherd loves his sheep, He will always seek those who are lost and draw them back to Him. Patient is God, and He waits until eternity if that is what it takes, just as He did for Lucifer. This was such an unfortunate case where one so brilliant could not be reclaimed back into the fold. He was, however, allowed to make that free will choice and it must be respected. Our Father wept with the news of this decision, but there was nothing He could do. It was only His wish that it could have ended differently.
Our Father reacts to the falling of any of His children in a similar way, as does any loving parent who loses a child. Many times He wishes we would correct our ways before we make decisions or take actions that cannot be undone. It is only for the Father to stand by and wait while the child makes his way. All the spiritual help possible is available to the child, but if it is refused then what is the Father to do? He has given us free will for if we did not have it we would not grow. In a way, free will choice is the greatest gift He has given us outside of His love. He has given us the right to choose Him and in so doing we become more stable and knowledgeable creatures.
We work at finding Him, but He has already found us. He continually draws us closer to Him, yet sometimes through our selfishness and lack of maturity we resist. If we would just follow the internal leading of the Adjuster at all times our lives would be so much easier. That is all there is to it! (Sure, Will!) You really needn't be sarcastic. Isn't that a number three? (Yes, Yes. Laugh)
Humor is important. It helps keep a perspective on life. There is far too much in your world that is difficult to deal with so please always be ready to laugh. Even on the Mansion Worlds I rejoiced to see the Reversion Directors. I did not have much of a sense of humor on my world of origin, so this is something I have had to learn. I find that it has taken me some time, but I am certainly glad I have one now. Truly it helps with the tasks assigned and it is a definite asset when dealing with people.
You all there are in the midst of great change and there is a great need to be aware of every way you can lift each other's burdens. It doesn't hurt to call upon each each other to find out how the day is going. Each of you need the contact and the knowledge that the others care. It is very difficult to live a life of isolation. There are very few of you capable of such a burden. Those who are especially seeking a spiritual way of life need the association of your brethren. Seek comfort through each other and find encouragement in each others accomplishments. You are all struggling the best you can and I commend you for this. There is much to learn, but all in good time.
Closing
Shalom.
Session 3
- Will 118
- JANUARY 5, 1992
Opening
WILL: The love of God surrounds us. The love of God upholds us. The love of God enfolds us. Wherever we are, He is.
Lesson
I am Will. I have enjoyed listening to you tonight all the discussions, all the experiences you have had in the past week. This is truly a great time for you all. We are moving forward with such incredible speed. Far better than I ever could have expected. This can only have happened because of your dedication to the process at hand. It is so important that we continue at this rate, for there is much work to do. Grateful are we all that you have chosen to come and share this time with us. To share the activities that truly must be done in order to bring this planet into the Ages of Light and Life. For without such help, your world cannot progress as it needs to. I have many times watched as you all struggle to take on the responsibilities of those things that we have asked you to do. We asked that you continue with the 1,2,3 exercise and exercise each day as you go through your daily life, always be ready and willing to work for God. Be ready for whatever circumstances are provided for you to show His love to others. He is there for you always and He will be there to assist you even in the circumstances that you may find difficult. Pleasing it is to Him when He looks upon His children and finds that they are struggling to find Him in their lives.
Continue your prayers, your meditation and, each day, take time to spend with Him, so that He may help you lift your burden. It is not a difficult thing to do. It only takes a few minutes, and you would be surprised how much easier the rest of your day would go and how much the stress that you have during the day would be alleviated, if you would only take the time that He has asked you to take. Your world is far too stressful to think that you can get away without calling on Him. Those of you who are still not practicing daily, I urge you, please take the time to do what we ask you to do. In this way, too, you will find that you will be attuning yourself more and more to the Adjuster within. We can help you and the Adjuster can help you find your way. Life can be made so much easier and all those things that you would like to have in the way of spiritual growth will come your way eventually.
For now, you will grow. For now you must all find your way in different ways. But in the long run, it will be necessary for you all to come together and to share your experiences because, indeed, you bring through your own experiences, strength and hope to the others. You have no idea how bringing your experiences has affected the members of the group. Even those who are not able to communicate directly with me-their lives are touched immensely and this communication must continue if they are to grow. In time we feel that we may be able to reach you all, so please continue with your meditation. It is of vital importance. I would now like to talk with you concerning another subject.
This is a time for all of you to rejoice, for so much has been accomplished. It is the Father's love that moves you. It is the Father's love that fills you all with such joy, so that you may accomplish your daily tasks. So it is with each of you, as you deal with other, as you deal with your children, your co-workers, your family. Your Father asked that you call upon Him, for indeed He should be the center of your life. The pressures that you feel to conform to the modern world should come second to God, for He should be highest priority in your lives. There are many temptations on your world, many things that draw you away from His presence, but if you have your mind focused on Him at all times, then other things would have little chance of calling you away from His presence. He adores you. You are His children. It is so easy in your world to forget that the Father loves you more than you can possibly love anyone else. If you can possibly have that understanding, then that would give you the strength and the courage that you need to carry out your daily life.
Please be aware that I am with you. God is with you. There are many other spiritual beings of whom you are not yet aware, who daily help you. All of them will be revealed in time. At this point in time, you are already aware of some of them. They have been revealed through the others who can communicate, and there will be more revealed as well. At this time, relish the joy that you have, the possibility of seeking these others, and rejoice in the knowledge that you already are able to contact those who are presently working with you.
God seeks you all in very different ways. You are each unique, and God would preserve this uniqueness. He does not seek to make you uniform. He wants only that you love Him, and He will display His love for you in a unique way, so that you will be able to comprehend it. Advances in that comprehension will come in time. You need not be concerned at the moment with what you do not understand. I am aware that you have many questions and those questions will be answered in time. But for right now you have all that you need to know. Those of you who still have such questioning minds, rest assured that all knowledge will be yours, even if not for the moment.
I want to thank you all for coming tonight. It is so vital that we continue to work together. I see the love that you all have for each other. It grows every week you come together. This is so important to the program, for through this love, God will strengthen you and your companionship.
Remember what I said about calling each other. If you are having a rough time, call on someone else. Don't stay at home and feel sorry for yourself. The others are as close as the telephone. Pick it up, and call someone, and say that you need to talk. Those of you who tend to be more alone than others, I realize that it is more difficult for you to do that. Go out to lunch. Go to each others' homes, but don't stay at home and feel bad for what is going on with you. Your isolation is the worst thing that you can do to yourself. The association with your brethren, the love that you feel for them, and them for you will help you in your healing and in drawing you closer to the Father. God's family encompasses all and He would have you know that if you would only reach out to each other, you would realize that. Far too many of you tend to be loners and in the spiritual realm, as well as on earth, that is simply not the most productive way to live your life. It is only in the association with other spiritual believers that you truly grow.
We have much work to do, but the work will be fun. There will be times when it will be very light-hearted, but I will continue to push you. I will continue to act as your teacher, as someone who will lead you forward, and who will also keep you from getting lazy. There is much work and I am glad I am here with you. I am enjoying being your teacher. It is a great honor. Our time is drawing short. If you have any questions, I will be glad to answer them, since you have not been given the opportunity lately to ask any questions.
Dialogue
BENJAMIN: Should I continue to encourage my wife to read the transcripts, or leave it alone and let her do it at her own rate?
WILL: My son, no one can push another into the spiritual kingdom. That person can only be led. As she sees the changes within you, she will be drawn back into the group. She knows the struggles which you have been going through and, as she sees you change, she will want to come back. You will not have to say anything to her. Be patient with her. Her time may not be right. There is always later and Susie is a loved child of God just as you are. Another question.
JUDY: We are happy to have Susan here with us tonight, and Susan has been kept up on events through Eric and Soldette. Another member of our group, Joan, is thinking about coming back but she hasn't had the privilege of week-to-week happenings. Is there a way that we can help her integrate into the group without our new interactions surprising her?
WILL: [Pause.] I am thinking. [Pause.] Joan may not yet be at a point where as she is ready to accept what is going on here. It might be better for the present time that she not be told. It is difficult to tell someone, though, that they cannot come, since she has been a part of you for so many years. If she does indeed come next week, then it would be her choice, after seeing what is going on, whether she wants to continue.
It is my opinion, at this point in time, that she has come back into the group, and there be no preparation as far as lending her the papers. If she asks for the papers, then, of course, it would be her choice to read them. But she has to be ready, and the choice has to be hers.
Closing
My message to you is being blocked, because of some resistance from the receiver. Let's leave this for right now. Any other questions? If not, I will say goodbye for the night. My peace I leave with you.
Shalom.
Session 4
- Will 119
- January 9, 1992
Opening
The love of God surrounds you. The love of God enfolds you. The love of God upholds you. Wherever He is, you are.
I am Will. I am pleased that you are trying the computer. I think it will speed our conversations along very nicely. Many times I have wanted to try this, but you seemed resistent. Don't be too concerned with the punctuation and spelling, you can clean that up later. It is more important that you get the message now. We will move on with the lesson for today.
Any time you have the opportunity to relate to people on items of a spiritual matter, it always enriches them and you as well. You may not always know if your words fall upon fertile ground, but you are asked to take the risk just the same. You have lost nothing and you may have everything to gain. There are many lost sheep on your world and what we need are more shepherds to show them the way. You may all be shepherds of one sort or another, each one with your special gifts. There are many gifts of the spirit which have as yet gone undiscovered--time will tell. For now it is enough that you study and prepare yourselves for what lies ahead. The future looks bright for us all as we work together for our Heavenly Father. He looks with favor upon any steps that foster spiritual awakening within the soul of mankind. Nothing the Father does in you will go wanting. At some time it will all bear fruit. Many times He wishes he could just give you the tools you will need to find your way, but you must find them yourself. You have help from within from the Adjuster and from without from all the spiritual helpers like me.
It behooves all humans who claim to love the Father to seek Him and to find time to pause during their day to pray and reflect upon their relationship to Him. If you are completely honest with yourselves you will find that the time you spend on those activities that really don't matter would be better spent in reading the URANTIA book, or in other activities that would foster spiritual growth.
The one thing I have asked you to do is to stay in contact with each other. This is vital. Some of you only have contact on Sunday night. I realize that the weekly schedule is hectic, but the way you can build a closer relationship is to be at the phone calling each other. This little group of adventurers is a hardy bunch for you all have been through quite a lot. You know what it is like to have difficult times, and can appreciate the times when someone has been there for you to give you the comfort you have needed at the time. The only way any of you can survive on your world is to build strong relationships.
I will be talking tonight about family matters and the importance of the family in God's kingdom. It is a vital part of our mission. You have a very small family group here and there is an extended family out in the world. You do not know them yet nor will you for many years to come, yet we are already building the framework you will need to bring more believers into the circle we have here. There will come a time when our group will grow and bring more and more people into the kingdom of God. That surely will be a momentous occasion. Be ever at watch that you might recognize one of these hungry souls. You can never pre-judge anyone, for those who are searching may surprise you the most. They may appear to have found everything already, but are still looking, ready to devour these new truths. Be ready to be their teacher when the time is right. You will know. So many of you have already had much experience in this area and have had much success. Some of you are more hesitant. You needn't be. What is the worst that can happen? You have given a little of yourself to another and deepened your relationship with them. Nothing is ever lost there. Believe me, our Father opens up the minds of all who are willing to believe in Him. If you are hesitant to actually talk with another concerning your personal experience, perhaps just loaning a book would be all it would take to spark their interest. We must have more and more readers who totally understand the concepts in the Urantia book. It is vital for the movement and for the future of your world. By the time we have seen this project come to fruition there must be many other believers who are well grounded in the teachings. We must have a firm base.
The time spent in explaining the book to others will also deepen your own understanding. It would not hurt any of you to go back and review. I have already given you many papers I feel would be particularly helpful--those on the Melchizedeks, Seraphim and Midwayers, and the teachings of our Master. Learn his teaching methods and master them as you come in contact with potential URANTIA book readers. He was a master teacher and has much to offer you. Learn well these lessons and you will be better equipped to handle any situation that comes along. If you are not able to answer every question, you can always look it up. Not many of you have a mind like David, who can just spew the data up like a computer. He is unique. The rest of you have to study a little harder. Be patient with yourselves, you will get there. You have eternity to learn all you have to learn. I certainly don't know everything yet. That is what is so wonderful about the ascension plan; there is always something to learn. A never ending realm of knowledge and experiences! What an incredible journey all the way to paradise! I look forward to the whole trip. For now I will close and wait until we can talk again.
Closing
Shalom.
Session 5
- Will 120
- 01/10/91 Friday a.m., after arising, upon a message from Thicandor:
Opening
I, Thicandor, have asked you to commune with me because your teacher Will is away on another mission, temporarily. I thank you for your attention, particularly your reception and retention of my message in your half-dreaming state. I see now that it was useful to share names, for that is why it worked. Ordinarily, our work is done in such a dreaming or half-dreaming state, and the mortal receiver either over-attributes the result or ignores it as random brain activity.
We respond now to the direct appeal from Soldette's friend, Ann. Tell her this:
Lesson
The Father has not abandoned this world to perpetual spiritual poverty. Even if the Father were to recall all the ministering celestial entities who presently interact with the God-knowing and God-rejecting mortals on your world, only the speed of developments would be affected. This is so because the Father's direct participation in the life of each and every mortal, through the mechanism of the Adjuster, is the bedrock, the foundation, of all spiritual knowledge and progress. The contribution of special instruction teams such as ours is minor in comparison with the breadth and scope of the Adjuster indwelling. For all our work, our result is poor. There have been defections and rebellions from within our ranks, but there has never been a failure by an Adjuster. It is impossible, by definition, for the Adjuster is a detached part of God Himself, indwelling you. You have but to express an intent to better yourself, and the Adjuster will have already acted upon that thought -- while it was being formed. The Adjuster has acted before such as we are even aware that opportunity has dawned.
Our role -- seraphim and other ministering personalities -- is limited to two areas of progress: overt, public declarations of spiritual hunger; and personalized progress guidance. The first -- overt, public declarations -- is exemplified by our interest in Ann's progress, and the second -- personalized guidance -- is exemplified by the relationship which [Eric] and I presently enjoy, and are utilizing at this very moment. The ministry of the Father, however, through the Adjuster, is in place for every human. It is not even a matter of choice for the human. God is reaching out, as He always has, and making Himself immediately and intimately available in the lives of every conscious person. In order to interrupt God's ministry, the human must resort to personality extinction, so profound is the Father's commitment to His children. He will never abandon you, no matter how many times you may reject Him. We look upon this relationship, this dedication, this perfection, with wonder, for it is unfailing in its application. The Father has blanketed creation with His personal ministry. We are in awe of the universal presence of the Father. Wherever we are asked to go, when we take up our duties, we find that He has already been there, many times.
For these, and all other good and sound, reasons, we ask you to fear not. Go forward bravely, secure in the knowledge and comfort of the Father's love. Never forget that, just as He loves and comforts you, so does He love and comfort each person whom you meet. That puts another face on things, and makes it difficult to dislike or reject your brothers and sisters, for the God-fragment in each of them is inseparable, just as it is in you. Wherefore we ask that you love one another.
For this same reason, we are certain that you may with confidence call upon your indwelt brothers and sisters, when you are distressed or lonely. It is the only way that this world can progress to the Ages of Light and Life. Do not fear your companions. They are at least as reliable as you, yourself. Begin building the connections between people, linking up the weak with the strong, until all are surrounded with the totality and presence of the Father's ministry. From that point, a development that you would consider sublime, there is yet much to learn.
Go forward into your daily life without fear. The Father is with you. No gaps exist in His plan. You cannot fall; you cannot fail. If you but turn your face to His light, all will be seen. His company is matchless, and He lives in the hearts and lives of every person you shall ever meet. Go out amongst them, for they are awaiting you. God goes with you.
Session 6
- Will 121
- JANUARY 12, 1992
Opening
WILL: The love of God surrounds us. The power of God enfolds us. The love of God envelopes us all. Wherever we are, He is. Good evening. I am Will.
Lesson
I prepared my comments for tonight many times. I have made three major revisions, but the circumstances kept changing. I said earlier, in the paper that Eric related to you by phone this week, that I had sharp words to say, but I find that I cannot say them. You would like to know why. It comes down to this. Like you, I have a schedule to meet. The teaching program for these spiritual ministries has a timetable. We are ahead of schedule. As we have extra time, I have more free time to think about how things are proceeding. I was irritated about some things. I was really irritated about some things. I went to the Melchizedeks. They advised me to take it to Michael. I did so. That is where I was when Eric received communication from the seraphim. And do you know what Michael said? He understands. He knows it is frustrating to me. He said, "Don't worry. It is just the way people are."
I was upset because I feel that such a wonderful opportunity is placed before you and, in particular, those who have the privilege of direct and personal access are the most flagrant abusers of their stillness practice. I can't understand this, but Michael understands. I don't know how, but he knows. He knows because he lived his life on your planet. He knows what people are like. He traveled back and forth. He ate in tents. He slept under the stars. He tried to catnap in the bottom of boats with foul sewage washing around him. He had formal meetings with the most privileged and wealthy and intellectually trained instructors of all of the people alive in the educated world of his time. He walked barefoot. He worked for wages. There were times when he was hungry. There were times when he was responsible for his own family and knew not where the next dollar would come from, no property to sell, no orders for the shop, nothing in the pantry. He knew.
He knew about the times when there is nobody to talk to. When every one of those problems occurred, he called on the Father, the only sure refuge of mortals. He told me about his experiences. I was astounded. My life on my planet, by comparison, was so plush and so easy and his life was gritty--full of risks, full of chances and exposures. So when I brought my irritation to him, he said, "What do you expect? They are human." I was astounded by his answer. Am I not a human? Of course. But after listening to his stories, I was able to put my irritation aside and see that God has all the time. God has eternity. So do you. So do I. I almost felt ashamed, but it was worth it because I learned something, and I hope that you listening to my words tonight have learned something also.
The Father's table is always set. Set with things that even I do not recognize. Nothing on the Father's table is there for decoration. Notwithstanding its beauty, everything on the Father's table is nourishing. Many walk back and forth inches away complaining that their stomachs ache, they are so hungry. They are just looking in the wrong places. There are no doors on the Father's banquet hall. If you just get headed in the right direction, you cannot miss it. But, there is one threshold problem. You must begin walking.
You must begin walking. So I see now that there are other perspectives to the work that I am asked to do. There are other ways of looking at your situations, individual by individual. Actually, things are going very well. When we get together and compare notes in the instruction teams, we are always complimented with the great progress we are making. I still find it incredible that people do not take advantage of this, when it is just a matter of time.
Like any instructional program, ours has experimental aspects. Your planet in general, being a decimal planet, has many unusual features. But there is a great deal of variety even in the instruction teams that presently exist. Every one is a prototype. The major experimental feature in your group is one that I have referred to a number of times before, the experimental program of the small group substituting for extended family relationships. I spend a lot of time thinking about this. It is a little tricky to pull off because certain members of your group are pressing against the fences, ready to go. We have but to open the gate and they will be off and running. It is not to anyone's detriment that such a development should take place, but I felt it was my duty to keep the group somewhat rounded up, and not let everyone get strung out, like a caravan straggling across the desert. I have said before that while the group is not being held back in any way, we did not want the abilities of certain members to outstrip those of others. The capabilities of people have nothing to do with whether or not they are able to receive communications through direct mental contact. The abilities cut across all lines of definition.
I felt it was my duty to keep the people somewhat rounded up since there are those among you who still feel isolated. That is not necessary, but people cannot help how they feel. It is part of being people. It is virtually the definition of humanity. So I did not want our group to get too spread out. I was worrying about that. That is really the concern that I took to Michael. He solved it all with two words, "I understand." I think I am closer now to understanding myself, so we will let the harsh comments that I had earlier go, and I will content myself with saying, the Father's banquet is open. His hall has no doors in it. Begin walking. Once you do that, things will develop much quicker.
Every one, most of all, myself, is astounded at the rapidity of the developments we have made up to this point. Across your world, things are moving quickly. The Melchizedek are happy. Seraphim are happy. They have much to do. They are learning new tricks. We are all learning new things. You are all full of surprises for us. This is ironic because our training is extensive. When we begin our ministry on your world, we are surprised to find that very little proceeds according to the timetable. Yet we are all on track. Everything goes well.
You have heard many messages tonight. This stage of instruction involves two major areas. The first area is: God is active within every person, therefore there is no reason to fear your brothers and sisters that you encounter in life. We have asked you before to take risks, to bare your chest. It is not so bad when you think about God being on the other side. He has bracketed the field. You have no more to fear from your neighbors than they have to fear from you. What we are really asking is for you to take the first step. Our 1,2,3 exercise is coming to a close. Not long now and we will have a new assignment for you.
The second major aspect of our teaching at this point is the importance of the Father's ministry through the Adjuster and the fact that we perform only some expeditious services on the periphery of that ministry. The Father's personal ministry is the fundamental program for all the universes. After all, He has set all this in motion. Everything that exists reflects His hand at work. The scope of Creation is so vast that no mind but His can seriously entertain what His purpose is. We see but a glimmer of it and consider ourselves enlightened and lucky. We say to one another, "We have been allowed a glimpse of the divine plan," and we glow in gratitude, yet it is but a grain of sand compared to the whole of His vast creation. By the time we all make it to Paradise, we will know something. Therefore I encourage you, commune with the Father daily. No one in this room is doing anything more important than that. Set aside the time. Your lives are far too busy. You should begin resisting all this wasteful activity, even if only for itself. But better than taking a rebellious attitude, use the time profitably. There is no life wasted in contemplation of the Father.
If you do not listen, how will you ever hear His voice? So as you go through your daily duties, look upon your brothers and sisters. Try to discern the God-fragment in them. You can get close to that. Have no fear of crowding them in that regard. You remember two and three months ago when all of you sat around this table and thought to yourselves, "Why is it that life has little real meaning?" And now look at us all tonight. Now life has real meaning, does it not? Now think about your brothers and sisters. They are now where you were then. They are all wondering, "When is life going to begin for me?" Well, here is the answer: when you open up to that person and speak to him as if Jesus of Nazareth is standing next to you, and by your words and thoughts and every move, you are demonstrating to him that you perfectly understand his teachings, then you will have introduced that person to the Father's banquet hall where the table is always set with delicacies that we do not even recognize. And the best part is, all of our friends will be there to enjoy it with us. It is not a lonely experience. We will all be together for eternity.
We will have a new exercise soon. We are all doing very well. I can say that with great confidence because I see the results of your attempts in your hearts. Be yourselves now. It is the best feeling that there is. Carry the good news of the kingdom to those whose lives are empty and full of hunger. As they gain perspective, the light begins to grow. The flame cannot be extinguished. Take a chance. They will get in line on the sidewalk. They are all hungry for the good news. Give away all that you have daily; whenever you look for more, it will be there. Don't be afraid to tell the people. The message is not beyond their comprehension. With a little practice, you will know who the seekers are at a glance. You already know many of them personally. So open conversation with them and share your understanding with them. The Father is at work all over the world. Suddenly the fruits of His labor are about to be known. We are on the brink of the most positive decision making opportunity ever presented to humans. With a minor change in perspective, your country could live in a virtual paradise.
Closing
The Father has stirred Himself. Sweeping changes are imminent. You are on the crest of a wave. Ride it all the way around the world to Paradise.
Session 7
- Will 122
- 01/13/92 Monday a.m., Onanecalek's message
Opening
Good morning, I am Onanecalek. I am with you this morning to answer questions which have arisen concerning the mechanism of our communication. It is through me that such communication takes place, but there are many aspects of this exchange which are not germane to our present effort.
Dialogue
Q: Are Vincent's writings inspired? accurate? the teachings of our instruction team? What can he do to increase the authenticity of his received communications?
A: Vincent is on the right track. He does not see the inherent validity of the communications which he has recorded because his available time is so abbreviated. The chief requirement in this type of communications is, of course, time. The human receiver must make time first for the reception of our advice and teaching, and second -- and this is the most difficult part -- the human must free enough time from the demands of daily life to allow these teachings and understandings to be acted upon, to be put into effect. First, time for learning; second, time for practice. All of you will soon experience great demands on your time. Your have doubtless discerned by now that this is a time-intensive pursuit.
Here is the framework which we propose as a hierarchy for application of our teachings: (1) communion with the Heavenly Father; (2) family time; (3) application of our instruction to your daily interaction with your earthly brothers and sisters; (4) the ordinary maintenance of material concerns. This is a hierarchy of quality, not total hours -- in some cases, minutes -- spent in these activities. But you will soon see that God's work can become quite time-consuming, indeed, it is intended to become ultimately all-consuming. We realize that this thought might be disturbing to many, especially those who have accumulated substantial material wealth. It takes much effort to maintain such extravagance; it takes work, and therefore time, to so support these possessions. If they are productive of beneficial developments in your lives, then by all means continue. If not, jettison them. There are better uses of the time -- even if you do nothing more than watch the clouds sail across the sky. Materialism is a deadly trap, in which many are ensnared, and the most pitiful victims are those clamoring to be let into the trap.
We do not ask you to withdraw from the world, as the monastic orders do, for that is the polar opposite of our intent. You already know the tenor of our instructions. I mention this because your teacher Will has referred to an upcoming exercise, and such will be an expansion of the work which you have already begun. What we raise now, as an idea, is the notion that you must look forward to converting your daily activities from sweat-of-the-brow labors into opportunities to put the Father's love in action. We will together subvert the exploitation of men, and use the existing structure to begin building a just and loving brotherhood. We specifically will not "plow it all under, and replant," as Eric has frequently suggested. Things do not work that way in the divine scheme of development. To do so would be a tacit admission of lack of value, and this is simply not the case. We will, however, hijack the mechanisms which exist, for the greater glory of God. That is a good and useful pursuit, and far less disturbing to those both intimately concerned and those insensitive to the subtle movements of the Father. The Father is clever; He is sly. He will attract humans to Him by all honorable means. His movements are so subtle that even we are overtaken by the repercussions of His actions. We admire Him -- worship Him.
Vincent, Your communications are authentic, but you must allow two things: more time for both fuller development of the concepts expressed in the messages which you have faithfully recorded, and for simple practice in the give-and-take of these communications; and more receptivity to the topics of our choosing. The Melchizedek feels qualified to choose the topics for your instruction. As personalities go, Manovandet Melchizedek is unusually sensitive to excesses of pride, for he is the historian for this sector and has researched into the errors of past ministering spirits. For this reason, you are, for the present, asked to work with him and to attempt to absorb his guidance.
While it is true that the reactions of humans are of great value to the analysis of our teaching techniques, there is danger to the human equilibrium in an unqualified invitation to participate in the planning of our future activities. Please look at it from this perspective: It is the Father's will that these developments should take place, and that they should take place now. In implementing the Father's will, Michael is charged with the responsibility of directing the overall method of instruction, and is the seat of all decisional authority. Michael has selected the personnel who serve as members of the instruction teams. Michael has selected the humans who are most amenable to the faithful execution of our requests. The operational planning of our effort is delegated to those so selected. Michael is the counselor for the natural stresses which occur in the process of this revelation, as he so brilliantly illustrated when our colleague and fellow teacher Will felt irritation over perceived slights to the importance of this work. Michael is the only person who is qualified to make these decisions. I will not carry any requests for modification of the plan to Michael. If you so wish, you may petition him directly, through prayer. He will certainly listen to your case. Beyond that, it is impossible for me to imagine his response. I am perfectly satisfied with our charge as it is presently arrayed. Think about that, and then act upon your understanding. That is always authorized.
Bruce, you have received a wake-up call. Good work. Now it starts. Maintain a good perspective, and continue your regular practice, and things can move quickly.
Judy, Will named you as one who is pressed against the fence, needing only the opening of the gate to be off in a cloud of dust, pursuing the Father's bidding. We commend you. Act, and the Adjuster's voice will ring in your ears, as it now rings in your heart.
Cathy Folsom, Fear is the emotion that suffocates all others. Fear occupies the field, so that no progress can take place. We see that you have determined to master your fears, and this is good. If it is helpful, rather than attacking your fear all at once in a frontal assault, or attempting to ignore it while it lurks, waiting to ambush you in a weak moment, try this: Act as though you are without fear -- pretend. Combat fear with deeds, and you will shortly crowd out your fear, never to plague you again.
It is impossible to live on the material worlds without uncertainty. I know. This planet is my home, and I have lived long here. But by your actions you can shoulder out the troublesome animal fears. Think of it as "building courage." That is the up-side.
Soldette, we are supremely happy that you have whole-heartedly joined us. You are right to be concerned for the quality of your partnership with Eric. You have hitched your wagon to a star. Hold fast. It will be a stimulating ride.
You are not tied to Eric's communication ability. It is open to you, but it takes practice. Actually, you will gain benefits from the timing of the initiation of direct contacts. Things are developing well, and the Father looks upon you lovingly. He has some tasks in mind that only you can perform -- no one else could do some of the things that you can easily accomplish. So prepare yourself.
Susan, better than anyone else in this group, you understand the meaning of personal service. We have been working towards bridging the gap between the love of the Father and the love of mankind, through our instruction on the purpose and activity of the Adjusters. We have plainly called it the Father's personal ministry, that is never interrupted, nor denied. It is the fundamental mechanism of the administration of Creation.
By service, then, shall you each show your love and respect for the Father, one to the other. Because of your simple dedication to loving service, you are on the high road -- even, the highest. What you do not understand is unnecessary for you. You should never feel less because your background grasp of such teachings as are contained in Urantia Book is less than the grasp of others. Much of the material presented in Urantia Book is simple "information," to help people of your world better gauge the scope of God's plan. Previous to the Urantia Book revelation, the concept of the passage to Paradise was beautiful, but shallow. Many humans, e.g. Eric's mother, expect to be resurrected within the "pearly gates." It is not to be. The road to Heaven stretches across infinity itself. There are many way stations, for you must learn all there is to learn, else on that day when you stand in the Father's personal presence you would be as unaware of its import as you are today. I see that you are on that road, and it pleases me.
Closing
You already have glimpsed the rewards of the journey. They are enough in themselves to justify the effort. We welcome your company and example.
Session 8
- Will 123
- Monday, January 13, 1992
Note
The following message is to David from his Seraphim.
Lesson
Spiritual idealism is NEVER inappropriate. Do not denigrate the sincerity of your youth; it is far better to begin life with positive, constructive attitudes than to grow up cynical and distrustful. The rigors of life are more easily dealt with when one has such a solid foundation to build upon. You were not brought up foolishly naive, but rather fortuitously blessed by having such positive spiritual attitudes taught to you in your youth.
Do not become discouraged by your inconsistency. If you maintain your allegiance to divine values, you will eventually be able to demonstrate a more consistent pattern of behavior of spiritual activity. The secret of progressive attainment is an overwhelming, relentless, DESIRE to know God better and to become more like Him. If you maintain this attitude, over time your actions will eventually fall in line with your desires as naturally as water flows downhill. Nothing will be able to stop you, not even your own perceived character flaws.
Every mortal has personal obstacles to overcome, otherwise the progressive attainment scheme of spiritual advancement would be illusory. Victories over undesirable and unproductive behavior patterns are REAL ATTAINMENTS, and will surely come if you maintain your determination to find the Father and do His will.
Session 9
- Will 124
- January 15, 1992
Opening
The love of God surrounds you. The love of God upholds you. The love of God enfolds you. Wherever you are, He is. You know who I am. Let's proceed.
Lesson
Sunday night I was not only speaking to you; there were many others in the room who were just as guilty of missing their prayer time as you. It is of such vital importance that I felt that I had to say something. The whole group is striving to make those improvements in their spiritual lives, but it simply cannot be done without that time taken to commune with the Father. He should be the focal spot of their lives. Without that we can not function in a way that builds a good relationship with Him. He will always be there--all we have to do is reach out and embrace Him. Please remember each day to do your meditation exercises. Now let us turn to a lesson you can read to the group on Sunday night. Proceed.
The importance of the earthly experience cannot be discounted, for it bears with it the magnitude of experience with others like yourselves. In this way only can you learn to relate to others, in a positive way, the love of the Father. He beams His message whenever He can and teaches through those of you who will be there to teach others. It is very difficult to just live on your world with all the problems you have to endure, so it is vital that you learn to depend on each other. The dependence will foster that unity that the Father would like to see in any group, family or organization on His world. He wishes for all His children to find it within themselves to call upon Him, but when they cannot or will not, they must have those around them who they can call upon. It is vital that you all understand how important this is because in the future you will be the core for the movement of a greater nature.
You must start today considering yourselves as a family--one that encompasses love--that unconditional love with which the Father would love you. You must bring forth in each other the best that is there by genuinely appreciating those qualities about each other that are there. There may be times when you may not see all that is there to see, so I encourage you to pray concerning this matter and let the Father show you what He would have you see. Walk in each others' shoes and see through each others' eyes; for only in this way can you begin to understand each other.
Some of you still feel distanced from the others in the group and you need not feel that way. That is what this is all about--learning to love each other. If you are truly able to look at each other through the eyes of the Father, then you will begin to appreciate each other more and want to spend more time together. If only mankind were to at some point begin to feel this same love- -what a wonderful world this would be. In the mean time we will work to bring about whatever peace and love we can just in our little group.
Go now and practice this in all your affairs, not just in this room. The skills you learn here will carry you far in dealing with others, even those who are difficult to love. There must be a change in your perception of all mankind in order for you to truly love the Father. For as you love your brethren you show your love for Him. It is not enough that you merely speak the words, you must speak with actions. The Father knows what you feel even before you are able to verbalize your feelings.
If you can begin to change your attitudes about others about you, it will begin to show in all your relationships--your spouses, children, extended family, friends and co-workers. Even the stranger on the street will notice there is a glow that emanates from you. That glow is intoxicating and will lift the spirits of anyone within sight of you. Our Father's love is powerful. He does incredible work, all you have to be is the conduit for him to bring His love to others. Only in this way can some people feel his presence. They have never had anyone be kind to them and they are unaccustomed to the truth of God's love. The have simply never been shown. Those are the lost souls we seek to reach, those who will respond to what you have to offer.
Your bounty is so great, can't you afford to be generous? You have been given so much and to those whom the Father has given the most, the most is expected. Be attuned always to ways you can help another. You must, of course, take care of your own family and their needs first, but there is always time to take the time to love another.
Prayer time is a time for being especially attuned to others. If you are aware of another's struggle, pray that they may have the strength to deal with their problems. Pray that their hearts may be open to the Father that he may show they the way. Pray that they may be willing to reach out for spiritual help so that it can more easily be there for them. Open the floodgates of love from the Father that comes from heaven. You do not yet realize all that is available to you in the way of resources. Some day you will. Pray that another will be open to new teachings. Pray that another will absorb the teachings you have already given them.
Closing
There is much to learn and much to give. Only in this reciprocal process can the Father's work be accomplished. He loves each and every one of you, He asks that you in turn love each other. See that you try this and you will be amazed at the results. For now I will close. My peace I leave with you.
Shalom.
Session 10
- Will 125
- Will's 01/15/92 message to Laura:
Lesson
Laura, I extend an invitation to you to join with the group at the weekly Sunday meetings. We see the work that you have performed on our behalf, and we thank you. We also see the effect that our teachings have had upon your heart, and we are pleased to see your response -- particularly that you eagerly look forward to new developments and new teachings. Never forget that these teachings are for all men and women. Now we say, they are meant for you.
You are not so different from the others, already meeting on a regular basis. Look how readily the members accepted Susan's participation. Look how they set aside even old resentments when confronted with the likelihood of their friend Joan's return. This little family must grow sometime. Now is a good time.
You have heard me speak several times in recent days on the topic of isolation. My words are meant for you also, and not exclusively addressed to those present Sunday night. Do not hang back. You know, now, that this is a good road. Why stand on the side, watching your friends march off under a glorious banner? It is unusual for me to address the members personally, but great events are afoot.
Closing
Leap, for your faith will always cushion your landing. You have as much to give as to gain. Join us. -- Will
Session 11
- Will 126
- 01/17/92 Friday a.m., Machiventa Melchizedek and Will messages:
Opening
[The Melchizedek wants me to relay messages to outsiders; Will wants me to break in new instructors.]
I thank you for taking the time to commune with me, and I thank you for the faithful and enthusiastic service which you have provided to your compatriots -- those both with and without the opportunity for personal communication with assorted members of the instruction team, and additional instructors who are assigned to persons capable of the communication. I am Machiventa Melchizedek, vice-gerent Planetary Prince and the servant of Michael of Nebadon, a glorified being, and my most beloved superior.
Lesson
I wish to speak with you from time to time, to assure you that the words and teachings that are presented to you derive from the highest authority. You have already received a personal message from Michael, and correctly perceived that while superficially innocuous, it is no less sincere, nor is there any diminution of its power and potency. [Message received with the instruction "Tell this to no man."] We love you because you have never lost the sense of wonder that allows you to be moved by the simple, the elementary, and the profound.
Many will walk the path with you for but a little way, for they will expect to see great works. Nothing has changed in that regard over the thousands of years since I walked the sand and rocks of your world. Your people are insensitive to changes occurring within them, even less sensitive to changes taking place without, but I assure you they will more easily see the effects of this new revelation in your life than they will see and feel it in their own hearts. Yet this external perception will be the light that they have long waited for. It will be the seed crystal that causes the unavoidable precipitation of their spiritual yearning. And they will be brought into the fold.
You and your friends will not live to see the results of your deeds on your world. More time is required to set things aright. We cannot push, nor drag, we can only open the door. You will be the light within, cascading out, proof of the Father's love and concern, to shine fairly and consistently on all who enter -- or so much as pass by the door. Gone are the days of the elect. You are fortunate that by genetics and training you have boldly entered the doorway. We invite you to explore yet further.
You are not enamored of contacts with higher-level spiritual administrators, and this is good. That is an obvious hazard that many mortals fail to appreciate, and thereby fall prey to difficulties in controlling their self-pride. Your group is especially fortunate to have as titular head Manovandet Melchizedek. He will keep you on the straight and narrow. Because you have this unusual ability, I would like to approach others with teachings through you. There is much less problem with the relay of the messages through such as you. Would you be willing to serve in this capacity?
A: I will do whatever you request. It is my honor to so serve.
Good, then. I will ask you to record material on an occasional basis for relay to certain individuals. I realize you are busy with a demanding course of intellectual and professional training, and I will attempt to keep my demands on your time as brief as possible. You are skilled in wordcraft and experienced in editing, so I welcome your participation, and will say only that, like all authors, I feel a twinge of humiliation when another points to minor mistakes or imprecise formulations in the copy. I have great and unqualified confidence in the substance of my teachings, however, and I invite you to learn and absorb the things I have to say to others. I think you will find them useful in your spiritual and professional life.
We approve of your entry into the legal arena. More spirit- led gladiators are needed to counterbalance the technicians who presently dominate the field. We find it especially appalling that the association [American Bar Association] seeks to except its members from virtually all responsibility for social concerns and obligations. That is the parting of the ways, whereby one path follows only law, while the other follows justice. The people are poorly served by this development, and will disrespect your colleagues further. Do all you can to stop this erosion of personal integrity.
We are satisfied with your performance, relative to that of your classmates. Though your policy position is extreme, it is well-founded. It is truly foolish to expect any useful indication of future performance from partly-trained and wholly inexperienced beginners. Certainly we have found this to be so within our realm. Your way is open; there is much to learn, and your are learning a most useful skill in balancing truly important concerns with only- transitory concerns. You are on the right road, professionally.
I also wish, in this our introductory conversation, to express my confidence in your teacher Will, in the seraphim serving as instructors and contacts, and in the loyal and well-tested midwayer. They are all volunteers, and have prepared diligently for their postings. I respect and admire them the more for their composure in the face of the unexpected, to which you and your friends frequently treat them.
Please direct these remarks to Vincent: "The plan is not such as you would recognize. It is not the kind of effort that lends itself to paper and pen. Rather is it like a performance offered by a great master -- in this case, the Universal Master. He knows not what the machinery will do. It may serve honestly or defectively, it does not matter. In His skill He can call upon His experience for infinite improvisation, all to the same end. I am but one of the keys on His keyboard. I know not the music of my neighboring key. It is all I can do to satisfy my charge, so to play my part in the Master's symphony.
We value your part -- not only the note that resonates when the plectrum falls upon you, but also your assessment of the harmonic achievement which we in concert produce. Ultimately, we shall hear your music when the hammer strikes you. Until then, you are asked to wait until your moment arrives. Then you will be heard, across the universe."
I will return you to your instructors, who have additional words to say to your companions, [allusion to the personal messages received randomly over several days] and take my leave. God bless you and keep you. -- Machiventa Melchizedek
Good morning, my young friend. I am Will.
Our usual communication has been supplanted by messages and instructions from other parties. You were in error when you suggested that previous communications had been collectively attributed to me. With your rapidly developing ability, there is something of a line developing, with personalities eager to gain experience with this type of communication. I will ask you not to record those contacts, not because of the likely content or because problems may arise, but because the process of recording and transcribing will become too burdensome of your time.
All of us, teachers and ministers, are elated at this development, and you can show us a yeoman's service by allowing others to gain an initial experience with this type of contact. You will be their initial and whole data set of experience when they begin their assignments, and, interestingly for you, you will be taking the pulse of the outreach program on your planet. Each of the teachers who converses with you will be assigned to an instruction team, and then detailed to either a group such as yours or an individual under instruction -- and there are many. Your friend Bill is a good example of an eager and able receptor who, by circumstance, works alone, but not unaided.
Tell him this: "You are especially favored, for you were long ago assigned a pair of seraphic guardians, to guide you in your leisure times, and your reflective times. You have already enjoyed many episodes of spiritual development with them, and if you look backwards over your ever-rising path of appreciation and wonder at the works of the Father, you will quickly see that your progress proceeded with celestial guidance. That guidance is rooted in the faithful performance of the Adjuster, who specifically requested you as the subject of indwelling, for reasons known only to himself and the Father.
"Take care to deepen your associations with your devoted friends, both near and distant, and avoid playing to the multitudes. Your skills are well-enough developed in that area, the benefit of long practice. Your family has drawn you in, as the nucleus draws in the high-flying electrons in its proximity, to a point of dynamic balance. That is the orbit you will work in, for the time being. You show wisdom in the disposition of your time, and in assessment of the concerns in life that truly matter.
"Your teacher will arrive shortly. He will gain preliminary practice with your friend Eric in the ups and downs of this kind of communication. It will be just as if you are talking to yourself, but we think you will perceive a qualitative difference in the caliber of the message. So accommodate the message, and shortly, with experience, the constant communication with the Heavenly Father that you once aspired to will be yours to exercise freely, for the benefit of you and all who pass by your fire.
Closing
"God bless you, your wife, and fine children. Keep up your daily 10-minute practice. A new day shall dawn for you, and quickly." -- Will Will-126
Session 12
- Will 127
- 01/18/92 Saturday a.m. message, on the swift decline of Eric's mother
Opening
Good morning, my dear friend. I am your teacher, Will.
Lesson
Your mother is known to the Father. She knows little of Him, but that is the nature of things on your world. I have some words of comfort for you, your sisters, and brother. Your mother has lived a shallow but honest life. This is much more than the life product of many from your society. Her concerns have not been spiritual, but there is more than enough for her to qualify for resurrection into the afterlife. The Father's threshold test is slight. As the Buddhists of the Amida cult have correctly understood, "you have only to, with sincere heart, call upon the name of the Buddha," and you will be saved.
Virginia has had enough of the fight. All of her life has been fighting and conflict. She is tough and has passed that quality on to you all, her gift to you. You have all used it rather more wisely, but for her the struggle is nearly done. She is unlikely to see the day of fishing from the porch. She is unlikely to erode the fond feeling of her daughters, who will lovingly care for her in the moments of her departure.
We ask that you preserve her dignity, and not hammer her to accept new and disturbing ideas. Simply allow her to cross over, in the boat she has come to expect will be waiting for her. Strike not sparks with the well- meaning priests in whom her trust resides. Many of them have tried to serve in the best way available to them, within the structures of society that shelter the multitudes.
We recommend to you the scheme of reading from Urantia Book on the topic of the Master's public ministry, while she rests. Her soul is no less hungry for the love and guidance expressed therein, for all her restrictions built during the material life. The Urantia Book is a meeting point between the worlds. Take care to keep separate the desires which you all bear for honesty. Virginia has lived her entire life behind screens. You are not welcome to penetrate. It will be difficult to mouth the ritual assurances that are typical of these events, but mark you, the Father and His legions stand ready to receive her into the loving embrace that is her destiny. In the future she will prove to each of you a good companion, for these bonds endure. Certain of you will be already waiting to receive her upon the dispensation. This will be a comfort to her and is the best and most loving service you will ever provide to her. Look forward to that day, and prepare yourselves as well, for someday you too shall make the journey that presently beckons her.
Lacking useful preparation, Virginia is tightly gripped by fear. That fear is a long-known friend to her and she will not give it up willingly. The brother to that fear is the tension of conflict, upon whose meager stimulation she has so long thrived. Appeal to her courage, recount the accomplishments of her life, ask her to look back into the old days when the world lay open to her feats, and compliment her bravery. No mortal is free from fear, except some few aberrants. Encourage her to master her fears, for this has been her lifelong technique that will serve her yet. It is not important for her to absorb great detail of the administration of Creation. Schools exist for that purpose, and their result is good. There is life yet in the old tools, to make the transition to the new life. All must pass through this gate. The Father waits beyond, beckoning. He will handle the rest.
Session 13
- Will 128
- JANUARY 19, 1992
Opening
WILL: The love of God surrounds you. The love of God upholds you. The love of God enfolds you. Wherever you are, He is. I am Will.
Greetings to each one of you tonight. As you gather together, it is comforting to see that you are all beginning to share more of yourselves and your experiences during the week. You all have so much to give each other. And as you begin this journey and begin to share that part of yourselves that allows you to become closer, it will allow us as a group to begin to more effectively work together. Be aware of all the opportunities that you have to comfort each other, of all the times you have to embrace each other, and of all the times you have the opportunity to call upon each other. This can be well served as the Father can work through each one of you. You are all beginning to understand what it is like to be a member of a small family and as you increase your understanding, I will be able to teach you greater truths than you have yet known. It will be my pleasure to bring such truth to you on behalf of the Father and as we learn together we all have the opportunity to speak to each other and to find that comfort that we all need in our daily lives.
Take time to extend to each other the kindness that you would like to have extended to yourselves. Take time each day to find the Father. Neglect not your own prayer time, for it is vital that you continue in this exercise. If you will do what you are asked to do, then gradually it will not become the task that it is presently. It will be a joy and a privilege--one that you would not think of going without during the day. Our Father loves each one of His children and seeks to reach out to them. All you have to do is be there, to be open, to be the receptacle in which He can pour His love. In this way, you will have the love that you need to extend to others. Right now it is more difficult for some of you than others, but it will not always be so. Step by step, you will learn the way and in that way, you will find the teachings of the Father more easy as you go about your daily work. Continue to practice the 1, 2, 3 exercise and open yourselves to other opportunities to find a way to express the Father's love to others. We ask that you do so. There should be never any doubt that the Father is working through you. You have a lot of work to do. We ask that you cooperate, that you give your spirit in completing the task. We ask that you afford yourself every opportunity to cooperate in every way with what you have been asked to do.
Our little group is growing fast. We are already adding members and we may be adding still more members in the near future. Be not concerned. We will find a way to extend to all people the message that I have given to you--the messages of the love of the Father, the message that the Father loves you and that He loves all of His children. Once you have been able to achieve all that is expected of you, there will always be another assignment. You will never completely be on top of all that is expected, for there will always be more to learn, but that is the joy of the whole adventure. There is never an end to finding service. There is never an end to finding an opportunity, to live in the presence of the Father. He is always ready to show the way, to find a way to express His love in your life, and to find a way for you to show his love to others. You should not be concerned for those coming into the group. They will in time catch up. They will in time begin to understand what you now understand. There may be times when they feel overwhelmed, but you can go a long way to relieve them. It need not be that any of them feel like outsiders. Look how Joan has felt now coming into the group; she has done her research and caught up with the group. Others coming into the group will do the same if their desire is there. For if the Father has brought them into the group, then they will be ready to do their work within the group. Not one will be left behind. The Father leads, He beckons and those who are ready will come. He is the shepherd and we are the sheep and He will lead us where He will have us go. There will be times when we may not know the path ahead, but it is not for you to know the whole plan at this point. It is for you merely to be there, to be ready, to do the tasks that you have been assigned, to read and to study, to love each other and to yourselves be loved by the others in the group, to call on each other, to spend time with each other, getting to know each other, and anything else you can do to build the family unit to create unity within the group. You are a family. Love each other. Call upon each other. Seek each other's guidance and assurance, and pray for each other always. You have many strengths within the group, many different personalities and yet as you are different individuals possessing these strengths, they will add greatly to the group as a whole. Even those of you who are crashing at the gates presently, we ask that you hold back, the time is not yet for you to go out and do anything that you have not been asked to do. I will tell you when it is time. Please just follow my instruction. Impatience will not help us. Time is on our side. Building a strong core is on our side. We simply must do what we are asked to do and in that way, we will find the strength that we will need to do what is asked when finally we will be more active. Have patience my children. Work with each other. Work within the present system, and later there will be much more time to work with others. Those of you who are receiving messages at the present time, we hope that you take to heart what is said. They are meant to uplift you, to encourage you, to help you move forward in your daily life. It is far too easy to get bogged down, the rigors of your life are so difficult. Take to heart all that is told you. Do not become discouraged at anything, for in time all will be worked out, all will be revealed to you. You need not be concerned. It is enough now that you know that everything is going according to plan. Do not concern yourself with anything more than that. Those of you who would like for things to move faster are simply going to have to be more patient. It is not for you to decide when the time is right. That is not your job. Those who make those decisions are far above me, and I would not even suggest that the timetables be changed. That would be far too presumptuous, and I have learned long ago not to make such appeals. It simply would do no good, and in the scheme of things it matters little. I simply do what I am asked to do, just as I ask you do the same. We all have times when we would like things to be different, but alas they cannot be so. Be patient and wait for the time to come and you will find that everything would have worked out the way that it should, maybe not the way you think they should, but indeed the way the Father wants things to. If you have any questions now, I would be glad to take them. You have not had any opportunities to ask questions in quite a while. Here is your chance.
Dialogue
VINCENT: Good evening, Will. As you may or may not know--I assume you know--I was in Jacksonville this week and I spoke to a fellow attorney who works in our office who just had a very spiritual couple of months and is apparently off on a path to the Father. She was interested in the-what is going on here and asked me to ask you a question: "Is there anything to spirit loving?" I asked her what she meant by that and she was not real sure except that she thought that a mortal or the spirit of a mortal could be connected with a non-mortal spirit in a loving way. I think that is the basis of the question. Is that a reality?
WILL: I am not sure that I understand your question. In the greater scheme of things, there are many mortals who are spiritually connected more than others. If the opportunity comes for the mortal to reach out to the spiritual help that is available to them, then certainly they will receive that spiritual help. Far too many mortals do not wish to do so and the spirit helpers certainly do not invade the privacy of those who do not want help. That is something that the Father does not allow. We respect the privacy of the individual and do not impose our will upon them. If your friend is truly seeking spiritual guidance, then she will have what she needs. Other than that, there is nothing more I can tell you. She will find what she needs if she is truly seeking it.
JUDY: Good evening Will. I was going to ask how to get the gate open, but I guess your answer is that I should be patient. I sure have enjoyed this spiritual presence that I have felt this week and stand ready to start the path. I am beginning to understand, I think, a little more about the role of insight in spiritual guidance, but I would appreciate if you could comment on that, particularly how much faith we should have in our own insight.
WILL: Certainly the presence that you have felt this week has served to steer you in the right direction, and it will continue with great force if that is the path that you have chosen. The insight that you have will continue to get stronger and stronger as you seek to find a way to communicate with the Father. Like anything, it will just grow stronger. As you spend each day communing with the Father, the pathway will be more open to you and you will see with clearer vision what is available to you. Reach out and accept what is there. If you feel that you are receiving an intuition or guidance from us, we invite you to write it down. This way you can begin to practice on your own. You might be surprised at what happens. We encourage you to do so. Have your pad and pencil ready. Be aware that in God's realm, anything is possible. Practice, practice, practice. Another question?
KATHY: While I am aware that I get instruction from a Mighty Messenger, do I also get instruction from your team? Sometimes I am aware of different presences, but I am not always clear about who they are. Could you comment on that?
WILL: Those who are assigned to teach you are a part of the overall team who have been asked to assist in the group's growth. You just happen to have one who has a different name. We ask that you continue to communicate with them. You are doing well and your communication, too, will only get stronger as you practice. While we realize that you have very little time in which to write, we ask that you try to take time. It is difficult for a mother who is working with small children to find even find a moment of silence for herself, much less to take on the responsibility of writing for a group or bringing messages to others. We thank you for doing so. It is important for your own spiritual growth, however, that before you start sending so many messages to other people that you find time to find that time with the Father each day. That is far more important than the private messages. This goes for any of you. The Father's time must come first. Everything else is secondary. He will commune with you if you are there to commune with Him. Take the time that you need to do that. Those ten minutes a day are very important to you to replenish your spiritual supply and to bring you back in tune with the Father's love. Take the time each day to do it no matter what is going on. You cannot afford to go without it. Are there any other questions?
JUDY: As I look back over the last five years, I can point to a number of events in my life that have made me ready to accept this new spiritual teaching and especially my willingness to participate in this group. Are those things that have happened coincidences, or are they shaped by spiritual forces?
WILL: You ask a very good question. Many times those of you in the physical realm do not see all that is being done for you. You have no idea of the times that opportunities are placed in your path for you to make decisions that will influence your lives. The choices are always yours, of course. The opportunities that we place there are decided on a much higher level. Those at that level are able to look within your heart and see what you are capable of doing and then an opportunity is presented to you. If you take up the opportunity and act on it, then you move ahead spiritually. If you decide not to take the opportunity, this is your choice and down the road if we feel you are ready, the opportunity will again present itself. Sometimes it may be as simple as moving a person into your life who would not ordinarily have been there. We can plant a suggestion in someone's mind that they go to a certain place or say a certain thing, but it is up to that person whether they want to respond and how much they want to respond, just as it is with you when we ask you to go out and say kind things to each other and show forth the Father's love. Everyone has the right to say yes or no. That is your privilege. You have been given many opportunities in life and you have acted upon them and brought yourself into this realm, here tonight with your friends. Can't you look back in your life and see for yourself what events have lead you here? You would not have chosen this path if you had been a different person or if you had been brought up in a different environment or if you had not the intellectual ability to absorb the Urantia Book. You are a seeker of knowledge, a seeker of truth, and that in itself has carried you a long way toward finding the Father and seeking the knowledge. I congratulate you, that you have been able to stay on your path. Sometimes that path has not always been easy, but you have maintained it just the same. Be ever aware that the Father will continue to uphold you, to lead you, to guide you in all things and in this manner, bring you to Him. You need not worry, my child. Everything is as it should be. Be at peace, for you have learned well and while there is much more to learn, you are well on your way. Be not concerned.
Closing
It grows late. If there are no more questions, I think it is best that we close for tonight and we can resume next week. Have a good week. Call each other. Talk to each other about your concerns. Love each other, not only here, but everywhere, all those who you come in contact with. I bid you peace and my peace I leave with you.
Shalom.
Session 14
- Will 129
- January 20, 1992
Opening
WILL: The love of God surrounds. The love of God upholds you. The love of God enfolds you. Wherever you are, He is. Whenever you doubt that you are part of the whole scheme of things, you need to look carefully at what you have already been able to contribute to the group. They probably would not be this far if it had not been for you first opening up to my leading. It would have taken much longer for the process to take place. So whenever you are in doubt, please remember that. It should give you comfort.
Lesson
You have also been concerned about the personal relationship that you and I have. While it is certainly difficult to have a relationship with someone that you cannot see, I am here nonetheless. Just because you can't see me, doesn't mean that I am any the less real. You and I have spent very little time discussing private matters because so much of our attention has been focussed upon group activities. If you would like, we can spend some time just with your own spiritual path. It matters to me that you are concerned that you feel distanced from me because, in reality, you are not. I am ever at hand ready to lend you whatever help I am able. If you feel discouraged or frustrated, just call upon me and I will do what ever I can to alleviate your concerns.
You needn't be subjected to anything that would take away from your spiritual growth and worry is one of the things that will surely separate you from the Father. Far too many times you have a tendency to fret about things that never come to pass. It is a very bad habit--one left over from your childhood. Perhaps after a while, you will learn to put total trust and faith in the Father so that all these fears will dissipate. For now I ask that you refrain from worrying whenever possible. It wastes a lot of energy and you need that energy for the work you have been asked to do. You are very important to this whole movement and we need you in top form without all the extra baggage. Relax, the way of the Father is one of enjoyment, not one of anxiety and trouble. You may be assured that the Father loves you and will do everything to help you overcome these character flaws. It will come, you need not be concerned. For now, do your best. That is all we ask of you. You can be no more than you are--no one can.
Time is what gives us the opportunity to learn and grow in the Father's kingdom. It is always a pleasure to learn whatever He has for us to learn. There is always an opportunity to absorb from others what they already know and then to pass that on to others who are less enlightened. We are all at different stages. No one is at the same level. You will not be today where you were yesterday and today you are not where you will be tomorrow. It is all progressive and thank goodness we have as much help as we do.
Even I become discouraged at times and, when I do, I take my concerns to those above me who are in a better position to give me a better perspective. Sometimes being too close to a problem is part of the dilemma. That is why we seek out the companionship of others. It helps us deal with problems and helps us finds solutions that we might have otherwise missed. It isn't that we know all the answers for you, but we have had a little more experience in some areas and are in a position to help you. Perhaps you are just leery in reaching out. You are too used to "going it alone". We know that hasn't worked in the past, for it only kept you feeling that more isolated. Open up and take the risk of talking with others about your concerns and your pain. You are not the only one who hurts. You will find a sympathetic ear from many of your comrades. Let them help you.
Dialogue
MELISSA: Do you want me to deliver messages like Eric does? He seems to be doing a lot of that and I guess I feel left out.
WILL: When I need for you to relay a message to someone I will let you know. Until then it is enough that he is willing to pass on words of encouragement that I present to him. It is alright, you are not being left out, just spared the additional burden right now. We have other work for you to do. The weekly messages that you have graciously consented to bring to the group each week, plus your own prayer time take time, so it is not my wish to load you down with too much at the present time. I know how you feel when you feel overwhelmed. Just relax and have fun doing what we have asked you to do. More will come later when you are better equipped to handle it. You needn't be concerned.
MELISSA: Since I do not hear your voice, it is impossible for me to gauge any inflection in your speech except those times when you are being very emphatic. What I am saying is that I can't feel any warmth. Back years ago when I was writing, I felt much closer to whoever was talking to me and I am having difficulty feeling that closeness with you. I feel like we have more of a business relationship, almost like you prefer to stay aloof. Would you care to comment on this?
WILL: The feelings you felt all those ago were from beings who are closer to humans, so they had the ability to relate to you on a more intimate basis. They soothed you when you were troubled and caressed you when you were down hearted. They were indeed more closely involved with your personal needs that am I. As your teacher, my role is a little different. I do not get as emotionally evolved with my student and I guess that causes me to be more "aloof" as you say.
I may not be able to give you what you want, because I am not here to do that. That you must find from your friends. That will keep you from getting too isolated. It will force you to reach to the others instead of hiding behind the computer. I am here for instruction only, not to provide you with the emotional support you can just as easily get from others. I am sorry if that makes you sad. It simply has to be.
MELISSA: Who were those beings so long ago? The lessons to me were unbelievable beautiful. Even though your lessons are good and I do appreciate them, they are quite different from the others.
WILL: Those who talked with you before were the Seraphim assigned to look after you. They considered it a privilege to be able to talk with you and, yes their style is quite different because they are different. They are trained in the art of comforting and lending support of a very private nature. It is within their nature that they are very close to humans in their understanding and, therefore, they are able to reach out and give their love and support in a manner that personally affects the human in a manner needed.
You were fortunate to have had two who were most loving at a time when you needed them most. That, as you remember, was not an easy time for you and you needed much care and love. They simply provided what you needed, they loved you just as they do now. The same pair care for you now as did then, it is just that they are leaving the teaching up to me at the present time. Never worry, though, they are close at hand ever watchful.
MELISSA: Will I ever be able to talk to them again?
WILL: It should not be necessary if you continue as you have been. You relationship with your friends will grow such that you will spend time with them instead. You need not concern yourself, all is well. If there ever comes a time they need to talk to you, believe me, they will let you know.
Closing
MELISSA: Thank you, Will. I think I would like to stop for tonight. I appreciate you spending time with me.
WILL: You're welcome. For now I bid you adieu. Shalom.
Session 15
- Will 130
- 01/21/92 Tuesday a.m.
Opening
Good morning my dear friend. I am your teacher and your guide, Will. I like that term, "guide." It will appeal to many who resist even the modest connotations of the term "teacher." I also approve of the term "inner voice" which you use when discussing spiritual developments with others. It is not an invasive notion to them, and harks back to dimly-recollected memories of such ideas from their childhood.
Lesson
Our communion yesterday was brief, but it is also an act of worship to enjoy the beauty of the Father's creation. To live in town is to surround yourself with the works of man. Leave the town, and you are immediately surrounded with the works of God, however much scratched and scraped by human action. Life in town is not for you; escape is necessary. You already have long known this. I recall the story you once read of the gladiator who realized as he shivered under a tree in cold rain that he truly was a Roman, despite his protestations, not knowing how to light a fire for himself. I hope we shall never find you in such a predicament. It would be a violation of your promise to Jade.
I will address Soldette's question on corporal punishment: There is no Paradise-based instruction on matters such as these. They are within the general instruction "Conduct yourself in accord with your highest understanding." The Heavenly Father promulgates opportunities, not rules. You are left, then, with my personal opinion. I lived my life on a planet developed socially far beyond your most inspired fantasies. Questions such as this are not within my personal experience. Corporal punishment of children was unthinkable on my world, but of course it was unnecessary because of the extent of support available to parents. Parents were not, as an identifiable unit, solely responsible for the care and education of their children. It was seen as a societal responsibility, and therefore children who were ill-behaved were swimming against a tide of certain love and correct action. They quickly saw the unproductivity of their acts, and fell into a better and more rewarding mode of behavior. There was simply not the opportunity for children to act badly, nor were there the viciously exploitive factors of television and movie glorification of dissident and recalcitrant role heroes.
For these reasons, my counseling may seem absurd. It is no less sincere. I wince when I see the people of your planet strike one another, most especially when I see the horrific sight of the beating of a child. Just think for a moment of the lesson which is imparted by such brutality. At the very least, you ensure that this pattern will be carried on another generation. It is unnecessary for me to describe in detail my revulsion at these misguided activities. It would seem hopelessly naive to you. I will say, however, that people of your planet are favored simply because they are so rugged, if backward, in constitution. Your people -- especially your children -- are resilient, and seem to recover rather easily from the cuffings and belittlings which are their habitual due while it is their unfortunate lot to be in the lesser class of childhood. You people treat your children as if they were the dumbest, most insensitive brutes. It is a mystery to me.
I see each child as the hope of the world. Who knows, if the spirit is not beaten out of them, depriving them of the understanding of whole-hearted love, one of them may someday lead their brothers and sisters into the life of loving respect. That is the necessary first step in the approach to the Ages of Light and Life. You are some distance from that first step. You are purchasing failure insurance, by your acts.
Your Jade and Harrells' Ben and Leah are clever, demanding studies in the vitality of the spirit. I look upon them and see spirit -- the untrammeled spirit that it will take to lift this world up, out of the mud and manure. I never desire to see that spirit dimmed, no matter what temporary advantage is theoretically gained on the material planet. Nothing is worth that. These children will test everything that you stand for. Make sure of what you stand for.
Your children will outstrip you. That is in the divine plan, else there is no point to reproduction. Children are not subject to you in value -- their destiny is to be your superiors in every way. Only then you will have fully discharged your responsibility as parents -- when your children's abilities exceed yours in every area. Because of this desired result, the basis for your every judgment is automatically open to close and intrusive questioning. You will be called on to explain and defend every decision and value assessment that you have made in life, and no inconsistencies will be tolerated. It is actually an enriching experience for you, but few live up to the potential. Do not beat this questioning spirit out of the children. It is a contravention of the plan, and robs them of the vitality necessary to do the Father's important work.
Session 16
- Will 131
- JANUARY 22,1992
Opening
FUNDORE: The love of God surrounds you. The love of God upholds you. The love of God enfolds you. Wherever He is, you are. Greetings to you. I would like to introduce myself to you. Will is unavailable tonight and since you seem receptive to talking, it perhaps would be a good time to acquaint ourselves. This form of communication is of a great advantage because if affords us the opportunity to directly contact humans. However there are only a few of you who are able to do it much less handle the emotional ramifications. It is a very exciting thing to be able to do and yet you handle it with much calm. My congratulations.
Dialogue
MELISSA: Who are you?
FUNDORE: My name is Fundore and I will talk to you tonight in Will's absence. There are many things I would like to tell you. Perhaps if you were to start a new page, I could dictate a message that you could give to your Urantia group on Sunday evening.
FUNDORE: All of you gathered here tonight have little true appreciation of how special you are. There is much afoot and it is a joyous time. You who have consented to be the torchbearers for the movement ahead yet realize how much is in store for you. There are exciting times ahead.
Our Father is well aware of the hard work and the dedication you have to the Urantia book and its teachings. He smiles over the progress you have made and looks forward to the day when He can personally welcome each and every one of you on the shores of Paradise. That may be yet eons away, but it will happen--you can be sure of that. There is much to learn and much work that has to be done in the mean time.
Be prepared to be the tool used for whatever He calls you to do. You will never know what special tasks you may be called upon to do and there is always something that can be accomplished in His name. Even the smallest daily task can be dedicated to Him and be done to His glory. Not one of you need feel like your work is unimportant. It all helps you to grow. The Father will find a way, if you let Him, to use what you do to glorify the kingdom.
There are few workers who truly have His love in their hearts. You need not be shy about exhibiting that love for your fellow man. There can only be a positive response. Certainly one must always be cautious not to give the wrong impression of friendliness that will be taken wrong by some people, but usually you will be safe if you are just natural with your delivery of His love.
Act as though you have all His love possible stored up inside you and it just keeps overflowing. It need not be an act for long, for shortly it will become the real thing. God doesn't like pretend Christianity, but for a while it will be acceptable. After time and much practice--genuine practice--you will find yourself relaxing and smiling, exhibiting that same love on a more natural basis. It won't take long. Many of you are well on your way. It is just a matter of time.
Our Father's love is very powerful and it carries with it the power to overcome any circumstance. You should be well advised to draw on that power when you need it. It is always with you and you need not feel like there is any end to the supply, for surely there isn't. Prepare yourselves each day by saying these words, "I will love all God's children today to the best of my ability". This should go a long way in getting your day started in the right direction. If you run into difficulty, then just reinforce these words upon your mind. Make it listen.
Perhaps in this way we can all achieve a closer relationship with each other. It will certainly go a long way to preserving peace on a world that has already been ravaged with havoc. You in your little group can just begin to undo some of that damage. It may seem monumental to you, but the task can only be accomplished one step at a time, one person at a time. Then and only then can our Father's love be with everyone.
Continue your prayer time. Continue contacting each other during the week. It is only natural to want to be with those you love--you will see. It won't be long before this is all very natural. Rest assured all is well and we are on schedule. There is much work to do and we are here to help you as much as we are possibly able to so.
MELISSA: What order of being are you?
FUNDORE: (pause) I am a Midwayer.
Closing
MELISSA: Thank you for taking the time to talk to me in Will's absence.
FUNDORE: You're welcome. I will bid you adieu. Goodnight.
Session 17
- Will 132
- JANUARY 23, 1992
Opening
WILL: The love of God surrounds you. The love of God upholds you. The love of God enfolds you. Wherever you are, He is.
Greetings, I am Will. I am sorry that I could not be with you yesterday, I was away on assignment, but you were well cared for in my absence. It isn't often that I will be unavailable, but it will happen. What did you think of your new teacher? He was very special to come and talk with you. We all have very busy schedules, and it is always nice when one outside of our immediate team can lend a helping hand. He is well versed on what we are doing, so is quite capable of handling whatever comes up. There may be times in the future when he may address you, so I invite you to be on the look out. He is a very cordial personality and one quite willing to lend a helping hand whenever necessary.
Lesson
We all look after each other just the way we have asked you all to learn to do. We learn to work in harmony and in groups that form exceptionally good teams. Whatever comes along, anyone of us could step in at any minute and take over. It is quite common, for there are many opportunities for redirecting the comments to others so that they can relay them to you. Perhaps you would like to begin a fresh page and I will dictate something you can take to the group. WILL: My greetings to you all gathered here tonight. I talked with Melissa earlier in the week and asked her to relay this lesson to you. We have so much to cover, that I feel we are unable to do so in one sitting a week. Therefore it behooves us to subsidize our Sunday night lessons with "mini" lessons during the week. Many of you have already been reading more in the Urantia book and this is good. I want you to continue this and absorb all you can. You must be ready to do anything that the Father asks you to do. He will be ever at your side with whatever strength you will need for the task, so you never need feel like you are alone in your pursuits. It only takes a minute of your time for you to ask for the Father's guidance and He is right there giving you whatever you need. Be aware that the Father will have many tasks for you. Some you may feel are more difficult that others, but if you sit down and ask for the help you need, it will always come, whether related to work, family or recreational activities. You may not always win, but you will have a much better attitude about the whole activity. Rest assured that the Father is guiding you, and you need not be concerned about being led astray. You have much more help than you could ever imagine. He is everywhere guiding, correcting and urging you to take the risk to try new things.
There is nothing wrong in attempting to enlighten yourself about things spiritual if your heart is firmly planted in the soil of life. Our Father will water those ideas and give you sustenance while you germinate into a full blown bulb. One flowers only under the Father's guidance, and He will bring you forth from the darkness into the light with your blossoms ready to behold the rays of day. Those rays contain the teachings of the Father and, if you are persistent, you will find that you will clearly be led to find the Father in a way unimaginable to you now. You have not yet begun to even scratch to surface of what is waiting--it is all so exciting. Forever is your journey made progressive by the way you strive to know the Father yourself. The harder you work, the more will be revealed to you. Those who are on a spiritual path will be given every opportunity to find what they seek. It will be a labor of love. Rest assured the Father loves you. Rest assured that He will take every opportunity you give Him to build a closer relationship with Him, for only in this way can you truly understand what lies ahead and the glories of the One who loves you the most. If you love the Father, love those who are His children. If you truly love the Father, love those who strive with you and you will find that all things will open up to you in a very special way.
Closing
God is with you--never forget that. Be conscious of this every minute of every day and that will help you to radiate that love out to others you meet. It is difficult to contain such love when it is overflowing in your own countenance. Rest assured you are loved. Pass that love on to others and watch their reaction. You will be amazed. Lift the spirits of those around you and you can help them in a very special way. Love others always.
Shalom.
Session 18
- Will 133
- JANUARY 26, 1992
Opening
WILL: The love of God surrounds us. The love of God enfolds us. The power of God supports us. Wherever we meet, He is. Good evening. I am your teacher, Will.
Welcome to our friends visiting tonight. I assure you [Desmond and Mary] that your teacher is on duty. I have spoken with him only recently. He may have words for you tonight.
Lesson
We are about to make a transition in this group. I observed the interactions at your party [Saturday] at Vincent's house and was encouraged by some things. I noted some things that needed work. The fellowship that you showed one to the other was a good and positive sign. I also noted that Lucy was happy to speak with people. She seemed to seek them out individually and enjoyed the companionship of the group in general. You need not worry that you showed her unpleasant or unflattering times. It was a good experience for her. But on some occasions, I sensed that people were uncomfortable in that atmosphere discussing developments within the group and the Urantia movement in general. That is silly. There is no reason to feel that way. This work goes on no matter what the setting. Any place is all right to discuss the Father's business. You need not worry about turning Lucy or anyone else off by the mention of the Father's name or His works. Every occasion is appropriate for forwarding the Father's work.
Soon we will make a transition from our 1,2,3 exercise. We will do a supplementary exercise that is somewhat more service oriented. I was concerned to see that some people perhaps feel this experience is not to be shared with people outside the group. That is the silly part. The good news is to be spread among all. People are waiting to hear these words. They are waiting to see the result of this communication and this connection in your daily lives. You have nothing to conceal. You would be concealing the best part of yourselves and this is unnecessary and unproductive. Take care that you do not compartmentalize these experiences. These developments are not to be kept only within the family at large. They are not to be shared only with the people who are meeting here tonight. We must all see the outworking of these teachings. As David pointed out only weeks ago, the main mechanism of spiritual growth is to share your advancements immediately and spontaneously with those nearby. Much can be gained from reflection upon developments and insights, but there is no reason to withhold this information. There is never any reason to withhold the good news. Just as in Jesus of Nazareth's day, the people are waiting to hear some good news. You may share it with them freely. I commission you.
So shortly, we will make the transition to a service exercise where you will be asked to deal with people's problems. That is why we are gaining the body of experience that we are developing right now, through the exercise instruction first, to treat each person as if Jesus of Nazareth was standing next to you and, by your words and deeds, you show him that you fully understand the import of his teachings and, second, to open yourself as a channel of divine love from the Father in heaven directly to the person with whom you are engaged and, third, that you do so in a sincere manner, making no jokes or wisecracks. That is the part which everyone thinks is the toughest, but sincerity is a necessary component of this exercise just as consciousness is a necessary component of the stillness exercise. Otherwise, you could reduce yourself to a state of blissful demise as indicated with too much alcohol or too much television or any number of unproductive pursuits. So we will ask you to be sincere as well as conscious. And we recommend it to you because we know that you will enjoy it. It is growth experience. I find it rapturous myself. I have spent many days discussing the nature of the Father's love.
The fashion in which the Urantia Book is structured sometimes makes it difficult to feel a direct personal connection with the Father in heaven, with His many aspects and His many roles and duties and His upholdings and His attention is divided in so many different directions. We have tried to emphasize that the Father's ministry is a personal ministry, is the ministry that upholds all of Creation through the mechanism of the Thought Adjuster. The Father knows intimately all the things which come to pass in the furthest reaches of His Creation. Therein lies the answer to the question. When the tree falls in the forest, He knows. He is intimately aware of the developments throughout His creation. It is marvelous to consider this power that He is, that He should be so immediately concerned with things that develop on the morontia worlds, and the constant charting of the progress of the beings housed upon the different spiritual and morontia worlds. He truly is masterful. I cannot even hazard a guess as to what His activities are beyond the realm of our local universe.
The Father lives in a wonderful heaven. There is room on the isle of Paradise for all mortals who have ever been born and who shall ever make their progress to that domain. He will greet each one personally, for He wishes to share the tale of their progress. And in support of that desire, He has set this machinery in motion and His ministry of love and support extends from the organization of Paradise itself, throughout the perfect balance of Havona and into the far-flung regions of space, on worlds better and worse than that upon which you live. And you may feel confident that there is no problem too small or so small as to be unworthy of the Father's attention. He will always assist you. There is nothing that impinges upon your daily life that has no spiritual value whatsoever, even if only to serve as the basis for a request for assistance.
The Father's defenses are deep. He will help you through the Adjuster inside. He will help you from without through the midwayers, the seraphim, and all the other angels, occasionally through the intercessions of teachers like myself. From time to time, He will request through Michael that certain things shall develop and they will. He will open the pathways. He will open the pathways to allow you each to travel His road--the road that stretches across eternity itself. He always stands ready to assist you. No problem is beneath His notice. So in doing your daily activities, when you feel distressed or frustrated or cornered, you may find it helpful to take your nose out of the immediate problem. Take a moment and request assistance. A generalized request for assistance is good enough to mobilize legions to your rescue. No one will do the work for you. But we will all work and do our best to help you see your way through the problem. For that is truly the best way to work through problems. See through them yourselves. Many are transitory and none are insurmountable. Some seem to be knotty. All you can do in that case is set them aside and tackle them again some other day. It is the fate of those living on material worlds to live with much inconsistency. I have commented on it before. The most important thing is that no sincere request for assistance is ever ignored. The results might not be what you initially preferred, but we think that with your growing awareness, you will see that the action taken is justified. After all, we are here to help you. That is the substance of my message tonight. If you will permit me, I would like to introduce a friend.
RAMSEY: Good evening to you all, I am Ramsey. I work with your new friend and his acquaintances who aspire to truth and glory in the neighborhood of Tampa, Florida. I greet you all and especially Desmond and Mary. My work proceeds and we are making some progress. Please don't feel that things are not progressing in any way. We are never stopped. We can find ways around any roadblock. The Father's road is wide enough to circumvent any roadblocks. Certain of your friends are not even willing to entertain contact such as we are enjoying at the moment. But I assure you that all will work out. We have a long time to work together. Perhaps you, Lee or Mary, have a question or two that I might answer for you.
Dialogue
DESMOND: Do you know who the contact personalities might be?
RAMSEY: With the proviso that nothing on your world is certain, yes, I think I know but no, I cannot say at the moment.
DESMOND: Is there anything we can do to further your work?
RAMSEY: I am not displeased with any of the efforts that you have undertaken to this date. There is an infinite amount of work that can be done in the Father's name--that is the way they teach us to ask a question in the training school. We are learning through our contacts with humans that certain types of answers are provocative.
DESMOND: What can you tell us about yourself?
RAMSEY: Like all teachers to date, I am a human from another planet who has fused with my Adjuster. Humans are called upon to serve as teachers in this effort established by Michael because it is thought that we have some natural sympathy or connection with humans on a planet such as yours.
DESMOND: Are you male or female?
RAMSEY: I was male.
DESMOND: And your world, was it a non-breathing world or was it a world similar to ours?
RAMSEY: I am sorry; a question like that must wait until later developments.
DESMOND: We welcome you.
RAMSEY: I am happy to serve you. I count myself lucky to have been chosen to work with one group such as yours even when it is not fully formed. The formation of the group itself is an interesting developing progress, one that is being monitored closely, for we all wish to see humans work in groups and not as single individuals. Little can be accomplished as individuals, yet if you look among the people who have gathered here tonight, you will find that many of you know people who know people who know people who know other people. There are many connections. Those gathered in groups such as this can much more effectively exploit those connections, for we seek to build a network that truly represents the Father's love in action, that will blanket the world. We would like to build a seamless garment. So we encourage you, Lee, and you, Mary, in your work. Many personalities are involved in attempting to bring together the nucleus of a group in your neighborhood. It remains to be seen exactly how this shall be accomplished. Like everything, it is subject to the vagaries of individual humans. Certain times they are not in the mood for such developments. Sometimes is it personally or mentally threatening to them. Some simply do not want to hear it. Urantia Book readers are a natural pool of allies and recruits for efforts such as this. They are favored because they have developed a basic knowledge of the mechanisms, and some of the terminology used. But our efforts cannot be limited only to Urantia Book readers. There are simply not enough. So when you speak to people about the possibility of such developments, for example, using phrases like, "Do you think it is possible for the Father to be active in a human's daily life?" Try to measure your listener's reaction. They will not necessarily respond immediately. But many people in your society have a good foundational base and have been raised in the Christian traditions. They are somewhat familiar with concepts of the Father and His son, Jesus, the ministry of angels, and the generalized notion that God can be active even on a planet such as this. It is not a big surprise to them. So I recommend that you do not limit your search for interested parties only to Urantia Book readers. Approach many people. You will make some mistakes. That is unavoidable. You will irritate some people. You will scare some people. Those things are inescapable. You are not personally responsible for the spiritual development for every person that you encounter. The Father's defense-in-depth is designed to compensate for such errors.
Your job now is to talk to people. Your job in the future will be to talk to people. You will become adept at learning and teaching, learning and teaching, learning and teaching. That is the heartbeat of spiritual progress. We all walk that path. Those of us who know everything are already with the Father. Learning and teaching is our role. Have you another question?
DESMOND: You were saying that those of us who are with the Father, I was wondering, of the teachers, Ham, Will, yourself, how far have you yourselves gone? Have you progressed outside the Universe of Nebadon, or is that a question that you would not want me to ask?
RAMSEY: This is a local universe program. The request that started this program in motion originated in Paradise. The Father has stirred Himself. I come from within this local universe. Will does also. I do not know the background of every teacher. Teachers are arriving rapidly. Many more are in training. For a complete answer, you must ask one who knows more than I.
DESMOND: Should we expect to see as these teachers are arriving rapidly...I presume that they are arriving not only in the United States, but that they are arriving all over the world. Should we expect to see a universal renaissance or advancement of spiritual awareness throughout the planet on a wide-scale level, or on a grass-roots level? Is this something that we are going to be able to see all over?
RAMSEY: This program will naturally engender spectacular results by the acts of individual humans, their companions and compatriots. But this is not a top-down program. The political and existing spiritual leadership of this planet is likely to be left behind by these changes. I am not certain if this is considered an epochal advance, but in the past, on this like all planets, epochal spiritual developments have caused the unleashing of incredible amounts of energy on the material world itself. This program is truly worldwide. There is no person desirous of contact with the Father who will be turned aside. Not all will be able or will do the work necessary to allow direct communication. This group is experimental here in Tallahassee. We shall see how this one develops. We will better be able to gauge the extent of the promises we can make to others. But the Father works as He always does, one human at a time, heart by heart, the people will be turned to the love of the Father. I will bid you farewell and hope to have occasion to speak with you again soon. Keep up the good work. We are working with you always. Have a safe journey home. I will return you now to your teacher Will.
MACHIVENTA MELCHIZEDEK: I will ask you all to call again on the love of the Father. None of this would exist except for His desire to share Himself. He is truly the First Source and the Center of all that is. His love flows out like a river. All who are bold enough to set forth within it are washed clean. A truer and purer love exists nowhere. Truly there is no other "where". The Father's love washes out over all the worlds, over each life. It finds its expression in the relationship between people, between parent and child, even in the soft touch of affection between a human and an accompanying animal. In our view in this expression of love is worthwhile.
There is only a certain amount of time allotted to each of us in the material life. Who knows when this exercise shall end? It is wise and productive to conduct yourself as if there is no tomorrow. I know whereof I speak, for I am the Melchizedek who once strode your planet. Do not waste the days that the Father has granted to you. I, Machiventa, say so. Do not hang back, there are only so many opportunities. The doors are open to you all. Make sure that you pass through. Riches await on the other side.
Closing
Good evening to you all. I see your work and I see your intentions and they are good. We who direct this program are happy at these developments. I speak for Michael and He is pleased. He is pleased with you all. He offers you his hand. When you need his help, he will extend it. That is enough for tonight. I shall visit you again soon. I will leave you as always cradled, surrounded, engulfed in the Father's love; subject to His ministry and the object of all His love and desire. Amen.
Session 19
- Will 134
- 01/26/92 Sunday a.m., first assignment for Machiventa Melchizedek
Opening
It is often said that to earn a place in Heaven you must do so through Jesus, the Christ. I say to you that Michael's gate is but one gate on this path. The Father's road is broad, and to walk His road is to travel across eternity.
Good morning to you, my friend. I am Machiventa Melchizedek, and I wish for you to deliver a message on my behalf. I see the work that you are doing on our instruction, and it is good. Please take down these words, and at the finish, I will name the person who is to receive them, with other practical instructions.
Lesson
First, on another note, we approve of your technique in introducing your Wyoming friend to these teachings, and the relation of your initial contact should also be useful for him. Also, we note that you do not press for people involved in Vincent's life to participate. You and Soldette have correctly discerned that there is a complicated interpersonal dynamic going on in that area, the result of Vincent's previous life attitude, which is inconsistent with his new attitude. Now record these words:
Wherever you look, when traveling the Father's road, the majesty and intricacy of His Creation stands forth boldly. The Father's plan is complete, notwithstanding the apparent conflicts which exist on your world. The Father must allow for adversity in the spiritual growth experience, so to cause His children to feel confidence in the faith which they hold as a result of belief in His wisdom and leadership. Untested faith is only incipient faith -- not wholly formed, nor useful. The only equitable way for the Father to allow adversity to affect the lives of His children is through the mechanism of chance. Many, though not all, of the misfortunes which befall the people are the result of this random, impersonal mechanism. There is no reason why some are born high, while others are lamed. It is simply chance.
Chance rules on the backward planets. An examination of your own planetary development clearly shows a progressive mastery over the vagaries of nature and, of course, chance. It is the duty of the people to compensate for the unfortunates of your world who are burdened with unmanageable or devastating misfortunes, but this they have largely failed to do. There is a generalized sentiment among the people of your country that responsibility falls to the society at large to administer this program of rescue and aid, but resistance is strong. The society is not ready for such governmental programs, although they would work well enough. The past two decades have built an overaccumulation of selfish mistrust of all social services carried on through government action. It is therefore the responsibility of the churches to administer the necessary aid and rehabilitation.
The churches have largely contented themselves in these same recent years with raising palaces to the material wealth status of their memberships. No more useless expenditure of capital could be found on your planet to serve as an example of what not to do with resources. The Father in Heaven has no use for money; He is already spectacularly housed. What the Father asks for cannot be bought -- only given, and only from the hearts of individual humans. The Father desires that you show your love for Him, who needs nothing, by service to your less-fortunate brothers and sisters, who need everything. For just as the Father lives in you, so does He live through your brethren. If you truly desire to show your love and respect for the Father, then put your riches to service in His name. There is nothing in your larder that is too precious to place before these, His children.
The Master taught truly when, near the end of His ministry, the woman used expensive oils intended for the burial, lavishing them on his feet while he lived. Is that not the better use? What will you pass on to the next generation? This empty shell of a building, for them to divine its purpose? Or will you begin from here, building the living church that the Master taught, and put his enlightened and progressive teachings in action this day, in this place, for the Father to look upon with loving approval? Time is wasting, and only so many days are allotted to each of you. If not today, then when do you propose to get about the Father's business?
So I say to you that even though Michael's gate is but one on the road, there is no way to avoid it without leaving the true path. If you wish to approach the Father, you must pass this gate. And having absorbed this lesson, and gained the growth in spirit power that such a success naturally inspires, you will know without question that you are traveling the right road, and that the road lies open before you.
The Urantia Book teaches that no matter how much institutional charity exists, it will be insufficient to solve the problems of the damaged and bereft of your society. It will not suffice because what is needed is not professional service, but personal service. The Master certainly had the wherewithal to establish institutions of service. Such institutions existed under the patronage of the Jewish leaders, then, as now, showing little result. The Master, whose life was perfectly pleasing to the Father, ministered to the people, and those such as he encountered as he passed by.
It is unnecessary to travel about, in search of the Father's work. An abundance surrounds you. The people will come to your door. See that you are there to receive them with a true heart. And as for those who are inclined to shrink back from the unfortunates, encourage them to step forward in the company of a friend, in the loving brotherhood of the community which will give them the strength and courage to master their fears, and glow in the bright light of God's love. Let them not pass the cup; they shall drink deeply, or not pass the gate.
This you shall teach to the people -- to open their hearts to their brothers and sisters, those living in the woods and byways. Provide them shelter, and hope, and the example of the Father's love brought to life on earth, as it has from time to time in the lives of the prophets and teachers and great men and women of your history. Teach this to your people, and their names will be recorded on the rolls as citizens of the Kingdom, and you will have honestly performed the work you were called long ago to do. Teach this, and the gates will swing wide.
Closing
You will take these words and deliver them to the minister encountered last week by Vincent, a man who is on the path, but wonders where it leads, and how to bridge the gap between this life and the life in the spirit. He will welcome you, and question you, and you will answer. I will assist you. I thank you now for your service. You are chosen for this task because you lack fear, and can perform momentarily the tasks which I direct. I will speak through you, and my words will resound through the heavens, as they should. Shalom. -- Machiventa Melchizedek
Session 20
- Will 135
- 01/28/92 Tuesday a.m., addendum and further instructions
Opening
We wish for you to meet the minister in the company of Vincent, who is eager to press forward with the Father's work -- more eager even than you. It is a quality that recommends him, and may lead to further assignments of this nature.
Good morning. I am the chief of the Melchizedeks in this local universe, Machiventa Melchizedek. The strong physiological sensation which you experienced Sunday evening while relaying my message was the result of my communication through you. If it is acceptable to you, I will not moderate the strength of my presence, and will ask you to adapt yourself to my expression. What do you think of that idea?
A: I like it.
Lesson
Good, then. I wish to exhibit more power, rather than less, and make the influence of the Father undeniable, since my acts are performed in His name. I desire to impart that feeling of the power of His love to you, so that you may grow used to it, and exhibit that same power of love in your life. I heard your commitment yesterday, and I approve. This kind of thing is what develops naturally when devotion is declared. I also note that you are able to simultaneously discern in an impartial manner the effect of the Adjuster's efforts. This kind of awareness is keen, and I say to you that we are close to a momentous step -- one which will change forever the tenor and tone of your remaining days on the material planet.
When we look upon you mortal men and women, we see bridled potential. You have somehow slipped the bridle, and it is good to see. It would be good to work with a whole person again -- one who is capable of freely extending the animal, human, and spirit potentials, and then only the dynamic best of each. I think that you may prove to be such a person, and that development would be productive for our efforts, in ways incalculable to you. There is not even a name for such a person in your English language, but the languages of the red men described this phenomenon fully, as they were extensively familiar with the concept, and perceived gradations and stages of development. You may sense it in the quality of their names, which I prefer above all others, names such as They Seek Him. See that you hold onto this thought.
In pursuit of the minister who is to receive my message, please arrange things as Soldette perceptively suggested. The time for questions will develop shortly, upon his reflection on my words. So conduct yourselves this way, you and Vincent, my most earnest student. Contact [the minister] by phone, and deliver my letter to him in an envelope, but reprint it with the salutation Greetings to you, citizen of the Kingdom, and minister to the people. I have words to say to you, on the authority of the Most Highs, for I see your acts, and know that your heart is open, and ready to hear the good news, brought to life on your world by the example of Jesus of Nazareth, the anointed one, who by every thought and deed perfectly reflected the love of the Father in Heaven, and walked among your peoples but a few years, yet lives on in the works that you perform in his name, to the glory of God.
I, Machiventa Melchizedek, his servant, greet you and invite you to entertain my message, contained within this letter. You are not alone, for I, among others, stand ready to assist you whenever you call for help in His name.
Upon the delivery, make an appointment to return and discuss the contents and attendant facts of this communication, allowing an hour. When you return, deliver to him a copy of Urantia Book, and you will have lit fire to another brand.
Closing
I wish you well, and know you will enjoy this exercise. I have many tasks of a similar nature, if you but make the time available for this kind of work.
A: Yes, Father.
Do not call me Father. I am a teacher, like others, and you will pass me by in search of a higher destiny. For now it is our mutual pleasure and benefit to work closely. Farewell. -- Machiventa Melchizedek
Session 21
- Will 136
- 01/28/92 Tuesday afternoon post-mortem of meeting w/minister
Dialogue
Q: Perhaps the offer of the Urantia Book encumbers the decision, because of its size and physical presence. Where Urantia Book is easily available, would it not be better to request only the expression of acceptance by the practice of silent prayer?
A: Vincent has offered a good suggestion, applicable in your case. It is astonishing to us that one so clearly on the path would decline the offer of the book, especially when he is walled in with books. We have guessed incorrectly on the timing aspect. He will come around, as you and your friend postulate. We have some work in mind for the minister, and we will place opportunities in his path which he will find difficult to refuse and [still] remain consistent with his own beliefs.
We will not, as you speculate, "blast him out of the water," but he is slated to receive a teacher, and he must refuse overtly, consciously, and consistently [in order] to cause us to seek another, more receptive human. The minister is simply showing some animal caution, and we cannot disrespect him for his wariness. He will soon be back, ready for more.
You and your friend have done well, and we are all happy to see the attitude with which you approach the exercise, and measure its temporary result. We like it that you also maintain altitude, and not plunge yourselves into chasm of self-examination. You have both done well. This [feeling] is the feeling spawned in a human - - the result of doing the Father's important work.
We will follow Vincent's suggestion for the foreseeable future. We may also dispense with written messages, since I refuse to conform my thoughts to the archaic strictures of 1600-era English, but such treatments will be based on each individual situation. Now write these words:
Vincent, I desire for you to begin a systematic survey of the ministers from every church in your community. Organize and chart this survey so that you have personal exposure to the preaching posture of every minister, and do so in a manner that is least wasteful of your time. You may involve your family if you so choose, and you may execute this project over any time period of your choosing. This is not a priority project. It is a project for your own knowledge base, and we think you will be somewhat surprised at the things you learn in the process of this research. Your assignment is still generally to watch and to learn, both as an individual and as a member of your Urantia Book readership family. Tasks which I request of you are additional to your general mission, and are to be approached as such.
Closing
Go and do these works in the name of the Father. He stands yonder, awaiting your arrival. -- Machiventa Melchizedek Will-136
Session 22
- Will 137
- 01/28/92 Tuesday evening message from Will
Opening
My heart leaps when I see you young men freely, voluntarily, and enthusiastically fulfill a requested task in the service of the Father. And I love you when I see you walk boldly on the street, drawing strength from no source other than the First Source, not relying on the company of your friend Vincent -- two fine tools, as good together as apart, devoted to the work of the Kingdom.
I offer thanks to those above, for the opportunity to work with you, all the participants and family members of our group. The best thing is to see the teaching put in action. I feel that I have honestly performed the task requested of me, and we have but begun.-- Will
Session 23
- Will 138
- January 28, 1992
Dialogue
Question: Is Machiventa Melchizedek known as the world teacher "Maetreeja" in London?
SERAPHIM: Your friend Joan seeks information as to the source of certain spiritual teachings. We are unable to give her a direct confirmative answer. If Machiventa were to choose to teach under a different name in a particular situation it would be for a good reason, and it would not be within our purview to announce such information to the world.
All spiritual teachings must be evaluated by their content, and not followed or rejected because of the celebrity of their supposed source. The time is long past on this planet when religion can be promulgated by asserting the authority of the teacher; that system of religious instruction was effectively demolished by the Master in Palestine and the later Protestant Reformation in Europe. Neither do we seek to create a "Star System" of religious instruction; "If He said it, it must be so!"
Such acceptance of any teachings does not lead to the kind of sincere searching and proving for one's self that we seek to promote. Again, it must be the teachings themselves and the effect they have on the students' lives, and not the claimed authority of their source that must be the final determinant in evaluating any religious teachings. That is all we can say on the matter.
Session 24
- Will 139
- 01/29/92 message, pace of process, return to school
Opening
Good morning my young friend. I am your teacher, Will, who loves you.
No, the Melchizedek is not planning to invite you to be his student. He just likes you, and finds you unusually suited for some things.
Lesson
What is happening, yes, is not an event, but a process that is world- shaking. The time run on this process is completely determined by human participation. When the humans have had enough, it will slow down. We, of course, hope that they will want more rather than less, but it is an undeniable empirical fact that such processes require time-outs for incorporation, integration, retrenchment and, always, rest. For now, things are moving forward, world-wide, at breakneck pace.
It is more manageable from a developmental view to proceed through individual humans' progress, because the variety in individual capabilities (work pace, learning abilities, and recovery time) tends to keep the process moving forward, if occasionally in an amoeba-like advance. Thus, we recently presented information on the Father's method of initiating change -- one person by one person. Only He has the resources to mount such an endeavor.
Closing
You performed wonderfully [Tuesday], and such opportunities will arise again. For now, I ask that you return to your school and work efforts, for important work is yet to be done in His name in that area, and we wish you to be prepared and well-connected when the occasion is right.-- Will
Session 25
- Will 140
- 01/30/92 Thursday a.m. message upon the eve of the Brotherhood meeting
Lesson
Ron and Cathy, I wish you well, and a productive journey. I will be with you during these events from time to time, but at no time will you be unaccompanied.
Pay close attention to those things seen, and heard, and overheard there, and if challenged boldly present your most advanced understanding of the developments that you have seen take place in your lives and your friends' lives, without entangling the group in the story of those developments.
You should represent your friends as individuals developing under celestial guidance, and not as a unit of seekers under instruction. We wish for newcomers to approach these events as the will of the Father, carried out by Michael, and not as the cultivation of elite groups. Too much elitism exits within the Brotherhood. It is a cancer which we shall not humor.
Closing
Farewell, you are not alone.