1997-03-30-Michael's Resurrection

Session

Opening

Elyon (Mark TR): [paraphrased: Greetings. I appreciate that you make it a priority in your lives to attend these weekly rendezvous.]

Lesson

Spirituality

Once having seen, tasted, witnessed, the tides of advancing spirituality, one seems no longer content to paddle around in the slow waters. The feeling of riding a crest of a spiritual wave is indeed exhilarating and at times even profound. This force can be addictive in a sense, and having participated in this it is unlikely any of you will ever again choose to be content with simply floating along in life. You all here today have chosen to be actively engaged in spiritual pursuits, to the end of pursuing your individual destinies. When you are perched atop a spiritual crest, however briefly, from this vantage point you may look around and see the potentials around you. You may become infused, invigorated with new enthusiasm to propel you forward to augment your pursuit of spirituality. True, these spiritual crests are inconsistent, but you have come to realize that they can be counted on for their regularity in your lives.

All of us enjoy participating with you on any day of spiritual significance as you observe Michael's resurrection. We find days of this nature to contain the potentials to harbor a spiritual crest in the waves that flow around you. A sense of heightened awareness, a sense of keener perception encompasses days in which large numbers of your kind determine to focus however briefly on spiritual concerns. We will gladly accept any day of this nature regardless of its strict accuracy to fact; rather we are interested in intent. It is not important to us that you choose the exact day to remember a significant event as that you whole-heartedly choose to participate in this day. I request that you observe today exactly what I am referring to, this keener sense of spirituality, this more complete glimpse of reality, and that you throughout the week realize that this is potential throughout your existence. You choose to denote a particular event as significant, therefore your senses are heightened, your awareness is increased, your potential benefits are more profoundly present. This same sense of participation and awareness is available to you on any other day on any other week. It is merely your adjusting. It is always more potent and powerful to join together with others who are similarly focused, and you will today enjoy the benefits derived therein. But I ask you to imprint and remember this sense of heightened spirituality you feel on your chosen holy days and attempt more frequently to return to this sense that you experience on a day like today.

We, of course, are always happy with any time either structured or unstructured you choose to devote to your spiritual progress and are always eager to be of assistance to you and those around you at all times. There is clearly only one direction for everyone involved in this group. There are, how- ever, many paths. Fear not that any path chosen will lead you away from the ultimate direction. This is no longer a significant potential. As was stated earlier, it is merely in your lap, it is up to you to walk the path to determine at what pace you tackle your path. How many stops or side trips you may choose to make is entirely in your hands. We will all arrive at our point of destination similarly and differently.

You would find it amusing if you could but witness the spectacle of observers and onlookers to your focused meetings. It is of great interest and concern to many the outworking of this teaching mission and of your own spiritual development.

I now would suggest that you engage some other personality at your desire as there are numerous in attendance to be of assistance. I wish to leave with you my fond regard for all of your efforts and for each one of you individually. I have many different relationships with you: companion, teacher, shepherd, sheep, leader, and follower. I enjoy these immensely and look forward to the growth experiences we have before us. I will now open the floor for questions or simply comments or observations. We are interested in all of these.

Dialogue

The Teachers

Sheila: We have known each other for a few years. Are you participating in my projects at this time?

Elyon: We teachers are in a sense all participating in the entire process of the teaching mission. We hold what you would term general meetings in which we offer each other suggestions and support. We discuss at great length our different groups and our different individuals. As you may be aware we have suggested that there is a surplus of teachers available for any sincere ascender who desires one. But there is also a hierarchy, as system of delegation and authority to which each of us must be responsible. I myself must answer to others as well as be consulted by others. Therefore I am keenly aware of your participation with your teachers. I recognize your efforts, and you are among those who I include in my praise for your efforts.

Sheila: Thank you, Elyon.

Service

Jill: Could you comment on the experience that Sheila and I are having simultaneously of coming into contact with brothers and sisters who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia? Could you offer guidance on our roles, the gift for us as well as for them?

Elyon: Indeed you are correct in your terminology of gifts available on both sides. These troubled individuals who are being directed into your presence are in desperate need of a sturdy footing, particularly a spiritual footing. The greatest gift that you could provide to these individuals would be in the form of exposing them to the love of the Father which you have come in contact with in your lives, to providing these individuals with a sanctuary wherein they are loved, they are respected and acknowledged. These are things they are in desperate search of. You as facilitators may act as channels to guide and direct the Father's love so as to saturate them when they are in your presence. They will respond to this outpouring of love in many ways that you will not be aware of. They will return to you occasionally for another drink from the well. You will present stability and strength which they desire. I commend you for your earlier statements of desiring to open yourselves up as channels for these individuals, for that is how you might do the greatest good, attempting to step out of the way, as it were, and simultaneously be there for them. Their gift to you is the chance at being this conduit, at providing this service to these starving individuals. It is not altogether frequent that these potentials exist. You are gifted with an increased frequency of these potentials. Also remember that the more you give to these individuals, the more is made available to give. You do not have to feel as though you are depleting your personal reservoirs to accommodate this purpose, rather by accommodating this purpose your personal reservoirs will be overflowing. Therefore it is a dual purpose that you both benefit from these encounters in which you desire to be of service to one of your brothers or sisters, and they provide the opportunity to do just that. Indeed, consider yourselves lucky.

Jill: Thank you very much. Your words of confirmation brought tears to my eyes. It's quite a feeling to be in unselfish service when you are in unfamiliar waters.

Elyon: Your efforts bring spiritual tears of joy to my heart and to those around me who witness you, and all of you in this group who reach out, however small. We are so impressed with your efforts at this level; it cannot be overstated. Each one of you presents the Father with your jewels regularly. We witness these, and we are likewise overjoyed at your jewels.

Cults

Jonathan: We all experienced the departure of the 39 people in a spiritual group who chose to ascend. In hearing about them I found some interesting differences but also some parallels in their teachings to The Urantia Book and to the Teaching Mission. One difference is that their efforts are directed toward crossing over to the higher realms. We have been taught that with the coming of the Melchizedek schools some will be asked to remain here. What emphasis would you like to place on the duration of our time on this world?

Elyon: From a cosmic perspective it makes little difference the exact conditions or time of your departure from one classroom to the next. However, when you are in a particular classroom if you are engaged in unhealthful pursuits, fear, doubt, worry, concern over potentials; if you harbor many of the traits which are considered deterrents, then you are no longer effective in your classroom. If you believe firmly that you are no longer functioning effectively and able to learn and grow at a given level, you may project yourself to the next level assuming that once there your doubts, fears, lack of faith may be so altered as to free you, and there you will finally be able to grow. You here today differ from individuals surrounded and engulfed by doubt and fear in that you have opened your souls and minds to the available potentials around you. The potentials are existent in either classroom; it is the student who determines the level of access to these potentials. Some individuals have been so dominated by doubt of anything good coming from this classroom, by fear of impending discomfort in this classroom, by longing for an easier road to take, that they throughout time have chosen to access the next classroom. I say to you here today that this is not necessary. It will indeed transpire at some point. However, the benefits one can derive from this classroom are many.

Another aspect of this is the desire to serve. It is a self-centered, self-perpetuating attitude to wish to be all that you can be regardless of all those around you; it is the higher spiritual attitude to desire to be all that you can be while actively helping all those around you to be all they can be. It is indeed the higher spiritual path to choose the latter. All of you in this room have made that choice. You desire your own spiritual growth; this is as it should be. However, you also desire to be of benefit and help to those around you while you are in this classroom. Does this illuminate for you?

Sheila: Yes, it does.

Jonathan: Yes. I appreciate your comments on service and ministry. The Master in all the intensive training of the apostles was always bringing them face to face with... (interruption by the phone)

Easter

Evanson (Jonathan): I am Evanson, and I would speak to you as one engaged in a teacher's position of an instructor for an individual and therefore focus my message to you as individuals that you are.

Let us take the imagery of this holiday and work with it. It is of supreme importance, the ascension of the master and his attainment of sovereignty, and we all praise him in his efforts and the resulting gift to this universe that he became. Your holiday also marks the emergence of life in its renewing cycle of spring. Your holiday symbols reflect this renewal of life, this rebirthing. Your ceremonies depict the search for treasures and the reception of gifts. I perceive you understand that my comments to you are along the order that you have many exciting potentials to discover. It is your curiosity, your drive to hunt for them that will bring you success and cause these potentials to emerge. When you are in a cycle of downswing and you feel disconnected, a winter of sorts, a crucifixion of sorts, look beyond the condition to the bright resurrection of your renewed aspiration and your upward climb. Know that even as you restore your enthusiasm you are not repeating a cycle but unfolding new potentials each time, just as when the master completed his bestowal he emerged with potentials far transcendent of even the significance of leading one mortal life. As our teacher Elyon spoke last week about perceiving your shortcomings as indicators of greater potentials in the future rather than as indications of limits in your ability, make each day your Easter Sunday when you feel like you have been locked behind stone doors. These are.... (?) Thank you.

Inquiry, Listening

Rantarason (Sheila): I am Rantarason. I greet you today with a brief reminder of the simplicity of asking. As it is normal for you to contemplate your thoughts, your ideas, your wishes, your dreams, we have noticed that at times this can go on for days. I would remind you at this time, whether it be five minutes or five days, we are here to contemplate this along with you by your merely asking the question, what do you think? What shall I say? What should I do? How can I perceive this differently? And, of course, step two is listening. You are well aware that we are not here to force upon you answers but to simply share with you ideas, perceptions, and reminders of how the Father would approach this. Many times this can be done with conversation, many times by your environment around you; perhaps answers can come from the next person who comes in contact.

This is where observation and listening comes in handy. You seem to be quite occupied with the events of your day, perhaps with asking for help within a short time of your conscious awareness of your ideas, your wonderment. This can be handled, taken care of sooner so that more time can be focused upon joy, laughter, love. In your asking you can expect answers quite quickly. This not only has to do with our sincere cooperation; it also has to do with the clarity of circuitry, the opening of newer, more clear and adaptable circuitry that is opening your way constantly. You possibly could be perceiving things happening much faster now. It could be quite productive for you to simply ask right away so that you may get upon the next and then the next and then the next. All of these are tools of growth, tools of trust, tools of faith, that which you carry with you always. I would ask that you perceive the greatness of today with you as a tool carried in the toolbox of your heart, of your soul, of your mind, to be used daily. When you need a tool and you stare at the toolbox contemplating opening; you stare at the tools, contemplate which ones to use. Asking can be the first tool that is used in all your efforts. From there we will be most pleased to guide you as to how to use it or perhaps the use of another tool which is contained in your toolbox.

You are the second greatest tool which we have, the first being the Father. We carry you, as we do the Father, with us always and are most grateful. I thank you for your time. I send you my light.

Stillness, Focus

John: I have a request. You've talked about the stillness. Kids are playing. We live in the middle of the city. I pray the Father and I ask you to please teach us stillness where we live with the noise, the chaotic pace of society, how to find stillness. We think that if we retreat to quiet places that is where stillness is, but I think we have to be able to do this with our little ones around us. Any comments?

Rantarason: Is there not noise and chaos around as we speak?

John: Yes, that is what I was noticing.

Rantarason: This is what we call focus. It is your ability to focus upon that which you determine to be beneficial for you at that time. This takes practice as does all conscious efforts. And if you continue to believe you need solitude for focus, I am most sure you will be given an opportunity to find out differently. Your world is of constant movement, change, and chaos. This will only become more.

Daniel: Our minds are still active when it's quiet. There is nothing more noisy than our minds.

Tom: Also, in this noise there is joy.

Jonathan: You mention focus as an aspect of stillness. We hear of the passive side of receptivity. I'd like to ask of the teachers to address some of the active, as well as the more passive, elements of stillness practice.

Rantarason: You have been conditioned to understand that being connected to the circuitry is something you must work at and try hard for, while the opposite is true. This is a normal process for you now. It is your conditioning that you must have silence. The opposite of this is true now, the change in your perception, of your ability to perceive can be changed now. Know that circuitry is connected; your ability to hear and understand is that which is natural, not that which you must work towards. Sifting away these blocks provides you with proof of this. Know that in chaos you have not lost anything. Know that we shall work daily towards your understanding of your abilities that are natural. Expect chaos and noise for this is of great training to allow you to know the greatness of your abilities to know and hear and see and feel all of us who so lovingly and impressively are willing to assist. This can be achieved by asking. I hope I have been of help.

Group: Thank you. Very much so.

Closing

Rantarason: I now put you in my toolbox as I carry you along with me today and always. I thank you.