1996-06-17-Spiritual Names

Session

June 17, 1996 Buffalo, NY

Opening

TOMAS: Good evening, my friends. How glad I am to be here with you. I would like to introduce myself as a teacher in the Mission of Michael to bring forward Urantia into an enlivened and enlightened state of being. I, Tomas, am a teacher as you are teachers; I am a student as you are students; and as my friends and comrades in our evolutionary ascent, I am glad to be among you to share your inner life, your aspirations.

I am grateful for your invitation to me to attend your gathering this evening. I have been apprised of your group for some time. I have observed your glowing lights and not always from afar, for we extend our interest deep into the arenas as we are unlimited in many respects. Your former/prior exposure to teachers has whet your appetites and I am humbled to bring to you a feast of plenty provided by our Master Michael through the gifts which he has bestowed and has allowed us all to partake.

Lesson

Your reading this evening was packed with potent information relating to the relationship of mortal man and divine entities coordinated in partnership. This attainment is a great thrust of the teachers. A large portion of our efforts is invested in you that you might realize your own divinity aspects without disturbing the natural balance.

It is understood that you have hungered for connection, that you have sought connection to bridge the dark chasm of isolation. The bridge is being crossed, but it is not entirely the job of the teachers to carry you nor to play a flute and lead you like pied pipers to distant shores, no, but to instill in you an awareness of your sonship realities, including responsibilities, in order that your sojourn is fruitful and also to encourage fraternity among believers that you will have mortal companionship/sustenance en route. It may be that the teachers will come and go.

It is an odd co-dependency, if you will, to approach you through a transmitter/receiver, and often a transmitter/receiver is unavailable. When one is, we are delighted to utilize that servant as we may, as we can, and yet when one is unavailable, it is also true that the Father's will will prevail in God-seeking believers, and so we have every confidence in you as a group of individuals through the guidance of your celestial hosts and the Spirit of Truth and your understanding of the many facets of divinity that will lead you forward.

But it is with tremendous gratitude and humility that we, in the fashion for it does stimulate your understanding of the assistance you may anticipate and indeed do utilize as you ascend, The stimuli which is granted to you and to me in this process calls to mind Rodan's remarks about creative imagination stimulated by and through human associations. This creative imagining augments a creative life and creative friendships, expanding how you have perceived life all along until such time as you are challenged to take a different view, to approach it from a different perspective.

As you begin to trust one another and to understand that in your differences you are each devoted to the living God none-the-less, you are given the opportunity to see through your brother's/sister's eyes and your world is enlarged and you have incorporated another slice of reality in teamwork with your peer. In short, my friends, we are happy to be here and happy that you have received us into your hearts and lives.

Having now introduced myself as one of these beings assigned to Urantia to help bring about the era of light and life, and through the auspices of Michael of Nebadon, I bring greetings from other teachers and former teachers, as well as future teachers. Dear ones, I will not steal the entire platform. Our community is one of sharing. I invite you to share with me also in whatever format you should choose. I am your guest. I am eager to serve. How may I serve this extension of our community? (Extended silence)

My friends, are you here? (Group chortle) I will not bite. You will find me companionable. I understand you are familiar with my words, lessons, and personality from having perused the lessons hailing out of Pittsburgh. Have you been acquainted long with others? (Silence)

Tell me, if you like, of what you know and what we have in common. I am eager to break the ice with you, to hear you, to sense you more loudly. I am chatting on fairly external issues here, more sociable than substantial, but often that is the way in social discourse, that we first touch upon the weather before we get into deeper waters. If you would rather launch right into trauma, psychosis and so forth (group giggle), I am certainly adaptable, but I do clearly reiterate I am not a lecturer. I am your friend.

Dialogue

Norita: Well, I would just like to say that we have enjoyed the papers from Pittsburgh very much.

TOMAS: Thank you, my dear.

Norita: We are trying very hard to get our own group enlarged. Do you think we are going to be successful?

TOMAS: I am certain. Your group is successful already, and yet the potential is even greater and the diversity is even broader when the authority of a teacher is introduced. I understand that a transmitter was active here and your teacher graced you for some time. Tell me about your Teaching Mission activities in this community.

Transmitting

Norita: Well, we had a transmitter and we had Andrea for a teacher, but our transmitter was told by Andrea that she would not be coming through anymore, and nobody else has come to the fore as a transmitter. Nobody has been -- has had this grace extended to them.

Evangel: Actually, Andrea said nobody would transmit her. Well, M__ refused to transmit her. For awhile, she said, she was going to take leave but later on she . ..

Norita: She wanted to come through but M__ didn't want to transmit anymore and nobody else has been given the gift. We would hope for another transmitter.

Carol: My name is Carol. Do you see me as a transmitter/receiver?

TOMAS: My child, I can see you in a servant capacity indeed. The ability to hear/ sense/ perceive the words/ concepts/ energies/ personality/ impressions of higher reality is not a rare gift. It is like the gift of air. It is available to anyone. The willingness to step out in faith to where you may be led is a challenge and opportunity presented to everyone. It is not necessarily that you will be tapped on the shoulder. It is a matter, rather, of finding a need to be filled and saying, "Here am I, Lord. Send me."

Of course, this is a supermortal decision. It requires great stamina, great ambition of the spirit to sense the urgency, to accept the importance, to realize the ultimate responsibilities of such devotion, but it is desired none-the-less that you all step forth at one time or another in some capacity or another to serve, for he who would be greatest among you, is he who would serve in a most humble fashion.

As you avail yourself of the living water, as you seek to be pleasing in the eyes of our Lord, as you sense a frustration, a hunger, a darkness, a need in your fellowman, and yearn for their release from pain, from sorrow, from loneliness, from anger, from despair, from jealousy, from rage, as you yearn to help and as you then respond, you are working in the field. We are working together. And so, as you work in your arenas now and today, as I know you all do, this you may share and do share with one another. It is an aspect of the gift of sonship/daughtership to serve.

To serve in the capacity of a transmitter/receiver of a teacher is simply responding to a need in the same way that you would respond to the need of a child who had fallen, skinned its knee, and couldn't find its mother. You allow the God within you to do for you what you cannot do for yourself. You allow the Spirit to operate through you. You allow your spirit and the Spirit of the Father to become one. You set aside your ego. You allow yourself to be led. You allow yourself to be a channel of his peace, of his love. You nurture the child, you show the child love and you point out that the mother is there. The Mother is not lost; the child is not lost.

All of these truths can be done in your lives individually and they are needed, and they are appreciated.

Being a transmitter/receiver does not make you a more special person. It does not give you special standing in the universe any more than someone who can plant rutabagas and farm them successfully is any more or less than someone who deals with alpaca wool. It is what you feel you can do, love to do, want to do, would do, and so I respond to you, at last, that as you desire to serve, you will most readily, joyously, graciously, yieldingly serve.

It is always and ever true, we need more workers in the field.

Evangel: Tomas, is Andrea present or conscious of what's going on here tonight?

TOMAS: Yes.

Names

Evangel: Well, it might sound a little bit weird, but -- I'm sure I'm speaking for the group -- I'd just like to let her know that we still appreciate and love her. And maybe some of these people might want to know their spiritual names. Would you want to do that, if they're interested?

TOMAS: One moment. My son you have introduced two major subjects and I am willing to deal with the perpetual and eternal now but I must deal with it one at a time, only because I am dealing through a mortal vessel who has, as she jokingly says, only one brain cell to rub against the other (group giggle). I was going to see if there was a possibility that Andrea and Gerdean might make a liaison so that Andrea could speak to her own children, her own students, in person and before I could make that conversation reality, I was diverted into another facet of mental life that is the interpretation of spirit names.

Let me take care of that latter one first for I am going to make excuses for myself here and state that my practice in divulging spiritual names is to allow them to unfurl before me. I have been known to (how shall I convey to you?) ascertain a spirit name, potential name, through the records, convey the information and not have the emotional, content, the spiritual awareness (words fail me) and so the mortal is not ready for the information, I am not ready to impart the true breadth and depth of such a transfer of information as assigning or identifying a spiritual name for an individual.

You see, a personal name is an intensely personal experience. In the first place, it puts tremendous pressure on my mortal associate to get it right, for she understands how important it is. (It was very moving and important when she first learned her spiritual name and if she were to misunderstand the impression and give a wrong name, she believes it would be most unfortunate. She would rather not be responsible. I respect that.) Not only do I respect giving accurate information in such a personal realm, but it is my contention that as you grow into your spirit personality, as your soul is born and begins to flourish, begins to manifest itself, begins to make it known to me and to others, it is no longer a name, it is an identification. It is a personality. Then, you see, the name graces the individual as naturally as a color tone or a music tone. It is a natural consequence of the individual as compared to a handle or a contrivance.

I do not know if I am being clear. I know that many teachers before me have assigned spiritual names freely and successfully, as far as I can ascertain, but I am becoming "an old hand at this Teaching Mission stuff" and I am becoming reluctant to reveal the names of individuals until such time as they reveal their true self to me, if that makes any sense to you, my son.

Evangel: Yes, that makes sense.

TOMAS: Let me now see if I can step aside and allow Andrea to utilize this vehicle. One moment, please.

Teacher Contact

ANDREA: I am moved, my lovelies, to be here again in this way. Be assured of my untiring devotion. I have not been away. I have only been without words for you. I have missed you in this way, my dear ones. I long for our association to be congealed, to be continued. Do not ever assume that I have forsaken you.

My friends, I hope you appreciate that I am a relative foreigner to Gerdean and she is watching me, so I am not as free to be myself as I am known by our earlier and more familiar M__. It is a conditional thing, that when one becomes close friends, fast friends, it is easier to communicate. And although I know that I will be close with Gerdean one day, it is still new to both she and I. But I am hoping to resume my days and quality moments with you, I will not promise nor predict, but I yearn to be back with you in time.

Thank you for your love for me, for your remembrance of our ways together. In anticipation of our work together and our reunion as a team, I am yours faithfully, Andrea.

TOMAS: I am Tomas.

Leah: Hi.

TOMAS: Hi, yourself.

Leah: Thank you for coming here.

TOMAS: It has assuredly been my pleasure. I am not accustomed, however, to such a quiet group. It is true that each configuration of students is a new presentation indeed, but I must say your constraints are polished. I will elaborate somewhat for you. I perceive that you are not revealing yourself to me. I perceive that this lotus blossom of a community would burst forth in brilliant blossom were it to be only slightly motivated, but your containment is prominent. Perhaps I make these remarks because I am inviting you to express your soul's attitudes more, for there is nothing a teacher, or for that matter a companion, can do unless you express your inner life.

I know you all have a very active inner life. I can feel them and sense them very plainly, very clearly. I know that your spiritual natures are acute, alive, alert, I know, too, that your loyalties are well imbedded. I know these things about you by being with you, by sensing your Selves. You are gracious, but you are so well behaved, my children, that I cannot help you. Perhaps you are being on your best behavior because I am company.

Student: Channel, I am a new needle of the branch of Urantia. I'd ask you allow your indulgence as far as assigning names. I'd like one. Is that out of place?

TOMAS: No, it is not out of place, and I am so glad for your approach to me, my son, my friend. I feel your advancement to meet me. I honor your presence. I want to clarify, however, that the name is not an assigned name. It is who you are,

Channeling

Student: You are channeling, so . .. Is that right?

TOMAS: In the vernacular of the Teaching Mission, we do not subscribe to the term "channeling." We subscribe to the phrase "transmitting/receiving" which we have, on occasion distinguished one from the other. I would be happy to make that distinction again if you like, but it is not channeling that is taking place as channeling has been understood,

Evangel: Can you tell me what the difference is?

TOMAS: I can address the difference for you, yes. In channeling the mortal vehicle is made fully absentee. Its will becomes void and inert in order that the "entity" might utilize the vehicle, the human vehicle. As such, a certain cause and effect is effectuated. In this process of transmitting/receiving, the individual who is in the position of the transmitter/receiver, the T/R, they are aware. Inasmuch as we are utilizing their language center, their vocal chords, their vocabulary with their full permission, their free will is intact. Their awareness is adequate that, if a Teacher were to opt to transmit a concept which the mortal T/R did not subscribe to or believe in, the mortal has the free will choice to stop the teacher from transmitting.

It is rather an honorarium arrangement. The free will of the individual is sacrosanct. It remains sacrosanct in this transmitting/receiving process. In channeling, it is given up, you see.

Evangel: Is there something wrong with channeling? If the human is willing?

TOMAS: The good fortune in reference to channeling is that the Lucifer rebellion has been adjudicated and the rebel midwayers and other rebel spirit personalities have been subdued and/or rehabilitated, and so the danger is not today what it was when the individual who allowed itself to be a channel for any energy which came along actually availed itself of potential evil influences. It is not that big of a problem today, but we still prefer to differentiate because of the conditioning of your understanding of the word channeling,

Student: You are a T/R, is that correct?

TOMAS: I am transmitting. I, Tomas, the teacher, am transmitting concepts. Often these concepts are broken down word by word. When I transmit this concept, these words, to this mortal sitting here through whom I speak, she receives what I have transmitted to her and, through her willingness, allows me to utilize her mind and voice. Our spirits are in conjunction. Her Thought Adjuster has not been discarded that I may come through. I am not in her. I am only utilizing her faculties, so to speak, (her voice, her intellect) to plant concepts to put forth for your reception also. No one is living within her.

Student: So, Tom, you are -- (long pause)

TOMAS: You are on a comma?

Student: Space. The relay of your information is welcome. And thank you.

TOMAS: I thank you for your willingness to believe, for your willingness to investigate.

Student: I need to reach beyond. That's where my true patience... I need to be better tuned in.

TOMAS: What is it that you aspire for here, my son?

Student: I need to read better. That's what I need to do for better understanding.

TOMAS: Your mind is good. You are exposing yourself to good teachings, good practices, good habits, good associations. You are being led by the Spirit. You are also opening yourself up to the Spirit. You will go far. Do not attempt to go too quickly, for growth is a gradual process, and although you are invigorated and industrious, allow your soul to establish its own pace. It is not necessary to become perfect at once; it is only necessary that you constantly try.

Student: Perfection in love and those things, are all part of the static in my life, so this is a great addition.

TOMAS: And you are a great addition to this group. Welcome.

Hostess: I guess I want to interject something here. This is Ch__. I don't know what I'm going to say, but, um, we have, in the past, had many transmissions and Andrea expressed many times that we were a quiet group, just like you have stated. And I'm wondering why we have this constraint. Why are we embarrassed to come forth and express our inner feelings among others? We haven't done this in a long time and all of a sudden I feel this compulsion to do so, and even though we haven't had transmissions, I have found internal growth, but yet not being able to transmit, so I don't know what I'm saying here. I'm just letting these words come out as I feel them.

Sharing

TOMAS: I have heard you, my daughter. I have heard you speak of three separate things at least. I will not go on forever, but I thank you for expressing your soul's needs and your heart's desires.

It is difficult for people to share their inner life, and you have presented your inner life to this feast of plenty for our nourishment. This is part of sharing your relationship with God. when you express yourself in such a soulful manner, not only to God himself but to your peers who are also sons and daughters of the living God.

Your expression of wondering why it is that individuals are disinclined to share is twofold and in this case I would say it is because it is not encouraged, it is not fostered. It is fundamentally a lost if not unfound art, for individuals in their social arenas share and jabber much but are reluctant to share in such a. sincere and heartfelt way as to actually allow your soul to be presented. Intellectual intercourse is acceptable, of course, and superficial dialog is common. Gossip is a method of communication and conveys information but does not dignify the sons and daughters of God.

Sharing the inner life is an art form. And thus, as an art form, it must be developed. It must first be appreciated. A need must first be recognized. As long as you are animals living an animal existence, it is not necessary to go beyond grunts and groans to convey certain information, but as you are evolving (and you are) your needs become greater. As the life within you begins to expand and you need to expound, you need then to develop an appreciation for the new level of the art of communication. This communication is sharing of your inner life, not only of your emotional aches and pains or your intellectual grievances, but your spiritual hungers, thirsts, distresses, confusions, appreciations and joys.

This is launching into a new realm of being. And so it is no wonder you do not know how. This is one of the advantages, you see, of having a teacher to visit with you, for you are automatically geared in your mind that you are not dealing with Nellie next door or Fred at the Post Office. You are expected-- You put yourself in a position to expect more from yourself, of yourself. You have opted to rise above the common, mundane, thought processes and to launch into spiritual expansion and soul breadth of expression, and so a teacher is a good facilitator for you in your learning these new arts and gifts.

Hostess: That was a remarkable explanation.

Celestial Contact

Elenu: Tomas, I hesitated in speaking before because I wasn't sure what kind of questions we were to ask. Whether they were to pertain to the Urantia Book -- which I know nothing about, really. I found out I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to reading it but hopefully I'll learn. But if it's okay to ask a personal question, I'd like to know about whatever it was that was given to me when I was in Pittsburgh last time when I happened to be sleeping at Leah's home. By the way, I should introduce myself; I'm … Elanu would be my spiritual name, I believe. While I was at Leah's home in bed I felt a presence that blended with my body but I had no idea what took place. Would you be able to explain that to me?

TOMAS: My twinkling light, I cannot. It may have been any number of experiences. I am not immediately apprised. I have not looked at the records. I cannot crystal ball gaze your experiences without some background information. I understand it was a profound experience for you and, as I interpret your words, I hear that you were ministered to in some fashion. As to what adjunct of the (there is no word here. No word exists in your language) as to what it was without research I cannot say. I would not do you the disservice of guessing.

Elenu: Well, thank you. I'll search further. I'm sure that will come to me somewhere along the way.

TOMAS: Let me ask you.

Elenu: Yes.

TOMAS: Were there results from this experience?

Elenu: In my growth, possibly, yes, in getting myself more in a group, opening up a bit more in discussions, I'm not sure. That is the reason . .. I mean, I know that these things are happening but I don't know why they are happening. Yes! I'm probably seeing a little more in my third eye, and that could have taken place since then. I'm not sure. That took place back in January, but the growth is a gradual process, I know that.

TOMAS: As you go inward and upward, ascending the circles, you pass through various layers of quickening reality. Your spirit has attained a new realm of freedom in functioning, of reality. These occur during a life of one who seeks to be spiritually alive. Any time you/one attains a new level in these circles, changes will take place and a wash/rush/resonance kind of impression (this is too hard to describe) but sometimes, and I am not certain this was your case without researching your case, but sometimes its like the veil will be lifted and the body will be lightened and you find yourself "whooshed" -- into another realm almost, for an instant. This occurs suddenly. You go back to normal, to all intents and purposes, but in a subtle way everything now is different. It is not then that a specific entity was with you, but that you have grown in a very real sense. As you have stated, you have begun to express yourself more openly.

Let me now confirm for you that it is not so much our concern ("our" being the teachers in the teaching mission) not so concerned about the academics of your study, but about the actualities of your studies: your personal growth, your spiritual development as a young soul, as a developing morontial soul. We are interested in the personality; in your happiness as a personality. We are interested in a well-balanced, well-unified personality; in your teaching techniques as you minister to your fellow beings; in your soul growth. In your social growth, as a group of individuals and fellow believers; how you work as a team; how you are as an individual that affects your team. These are our study realms that will last an eternity through you.

The academics of the book are important for it gives a perspective and a framework that cannot be gotten from another source. I say, too, that it is not the intellectual information, the academic information from any book, from any text that will make the difference. It is in the life of you as individuals, the living sons and daughters of the living God that is the real thing here.

So continue to read. Continue to study. Continue to investigate. Delight your mind. Expand your mind in whatever fantasies and sciences and arts and so forth that continue to intrigue you, but ever honor the growth of your own soul which is not a mental process so much as an inside job in conjunction with the spirit.

Heart

Elenu: Thank you. From the heart, right?

TOMAS: From the heart. And while we are on the heart (and I apologize for being so wordy, but when I get rolling I have such a good time), I will talk just briefly on this issue of the heart, for there are many who are confused in this context. Many romantic natures have been devastated by following their heart. And even the Urantia Book will indicate that the heart can be deceptive. And so I will not sanction "following the heart" blindly, but as the heart is betrothed to the Beloved, that heart I can condone.

The human heart is fallible, but how else do we learn those lessons, those experiential value lessons unless we follow the heart? But do not despair if the heart leads you into experiences that are difficult and cause pain. They will ultimately lead you to the Bridegroom wherein your heart will burst with joy.

Closing

Dear ones, I am so thankful that you have invited me into your lives. I am your neighbor now, you know. Perhaps we will come to know one another closely. I am hopeful that that can be the case. At any rate, I am most delighted to have made your acquaintances. I will be in touch through our friends in the spirit and in the flesh and I shall return to visit at another time. I urge you to continue in your good works and in your adoration of our Father/Brother Michael, as he is our inspiration also.

His peace I leave with you. Farewell.