2001-04-22-Primary and Secondary Circuits

Session

Opening

Elyon (Jonathan TR): I am Elyon here. I greet you by way of this circuit whereby our communication may transpire, our fellowship enhanced where we may mutually benefit from association and develop greater spiritual insight. Also through this interconnection we are each able to support one another through struggle and to encourage each other through successes, to be willing to receive new lessons even yet while we enjoy the rewards of attainment. Being one of the flock, we are by definition all equals, contributing to one another by way of love, expressing wisdom, and engaging in service. There is perhaps a form of hierarchy, not so much in commandeership as in a history of past experience. I have lived far longer than you, but we are one flock gathered together to exchange.

Lesson

Circuits

Now I would like to steer our attention toward the shepherd. This shepherd has a circuit far more powerful than the connections we make among ourselves. This is a major trunk line of energy that singly connects all individuals to this divine source, our shepherd. How our connections are made among one another are secondary reflections of the primary connectivity between Creator and creature, and it all is made possible because within each of us is a receptive center. This center has various components, foremost in importance is the Father's presence. The divine presence of God is the other end of the electrode which can connect the Michael Son's divine outpouring to your soul. It is the other terminal in the battery. But there is another element as well, and that is your willing receptivity, for you are the determiner of whether or not your circuit connections will be polished and contact good or tarnished and resistant.

To realize our equality as a flock we must first understand our primary circuitry to our Creator Son and that our inter-connectivity among each other is a secondary flow of energy made possible due to the creative powers of our Michael. The temptation to rise above another fellow ought to be displaced by the understanding that there is to each individual a connection to the prime circuit powerful enough that our secondary circuits toward one another have no ability to disrupt it. When another individual has encountered through the vicissitudes of life damage to the connections willingly or haphazardly, our secondary circuits are capable of healing, of re-polishing, re-depositing new materials into our fellows' receptive centers if we are alert to the need and likewise understanding of the degree of energy that ought to be passed to another, for no battery benefits greatly from sudden inputs of energy that impact it severely. Our help is to be at the end of the primary circuit wherein the creature resides, our brother or sister, and contribute to the preparation of greater connectivity through the primary circuit of the Creator.

Our beloved apostle John was wont to call down fire from heaven on those who offended him, but in truth we are not in that position to demand such actions from our Creator. John would have better helped gather kindling to place in the hands of the offender that fire may take place. Though God would never punish one in such a manner, if you do have kindling stored up within you, the divine spark can ignite those experiential lessons which bring growth.

This is also true in the practice of being one who conducts healing energy to one in need. You are a support power system that readies your fellow for the incoming direct power of the divine healer. To heal is not to be one who calls down the energy from the Creator, but one who prepares the receptivity for this energy with your fellow.

I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of maintaining a polish upon your circuit-receptive electrodes, perhaps more mildly stated, stillness. All desire to be of service to one's fellows is weakened effectively without this direct connection through the primary circuit.

Understanding that our brotherhood is an interconnection of a secondary nature should displace any tendency to feel superior to another or to elevate another as better than oneself. I admire you for not having done so to me, as one who has been your guide and teacher for many years. I actually enjoy your humorous jests regarding us teachers. Never have I been offended by such quips, for it reflects to me your understanding that reverence belongs to God alone, and we each are making our way through the forest of universe reality and are discovering our own access trails to the same destination.

There are others who would address you and will do so in a moment's time, however, I would like to at this point request your feedback and to address any questions.

Dialogue

Parables

Tom: Michael used parables as a defense against the Sanhedrin. Upon reviewing the list of criteria, parables seem to transcend mere stories. Is this means of communication still effective today? Where does one go to find parables? Are your examples actually parables in themselves?

You have in your reference source, The Urantia Book, a well displayed, portrayed, list of elements that make up a parable worth reviewing. I would contribute more to that expert list of qualifications that define a parable even by your midway creatures, and that is that a well crafted parable intuitively speaks to the soul in a manner which is adapted to the efforts of the divine indwelling Thought Adjuster. Holding this in mind with a parable, if you are the one uttering such a story, you are speaking to the spirit within the other individual knowingly cooperating, providing external input that has a junction with the internal efforts of the Adjuster to speak to the mind and soul of the creature who is hearing.

A parable may contain the element of entertainment that a story does, but it also contains this principle of kinship, if I may use that word, with the efforts of the Adjuster.

Few of you are in a position like the Master where you address large multitudes of diverse backgrounds, even languages and cultures, at one time. You will have less opportunity to demonstrate truth in a parable form. More often than not you will encounter smaller situations not unlike your meeting here today, an opportunity to convey truth tactfully to another so as to not raise the ire of the Sanhedrin, in a sense, in the individual.

You can apply the principle of the parable by addressing issues using a "for instance" format. One can bring to the forefront of the mind of another a truth to be considered by relating the story of a third individual, what they encountered, how they reacted, and what they have done based on a similar experience. The effect of the parables the master taught was to allow the listener to identify the key element in the story and to identify with a key character. By relating your own story to another they may likewise draw into sympathetic affiliation and conclude from your portrayal a possible course of action for their own situation.

In your desire to discover a presentation in parable form or to even create one yourself, I advise that it is important to not directly convey the moral of the story, the point to be made, but to develop a picture/context, a visual, imaginatively tangible arena, series of episodes, that in their portrayal uncover the point. The effective use of the parable is to not get to a conclusion and say, "The point of the story is...". The effective use of parable is to stop short of making that conclusion and allow the Indwelling Spirit to work with the one who hears to draw the conclusion. How often does one recoil from a friend who says, "You know what you ought to do...", "You should...". A parable does not seek this end. Its effort is to create a scenario with key elements which can contribute to the one hearing the story the ability to compose a conclusion. This conclusion developed within their own minds is far more acceptable than is advice directly given. If you wish to experiment with such compositions, become skilled at identifying contributing elements, compose them into a sequential story line, and leave the conclusion for the listeners to create themselves.

Does this help?

Humor

Tom: Yes. How does humor qualify in there? The punch-line is still vague and allows a listener to participate. How does humor differ from parables?

Elyon: Humor can disarm another from the tendency to guard against being told what is right by another individual. Humor can draw camaraderie to the surface. Michael's stories spoke of an event that happened elsewhere, happened to other people than those to whom he was relaying the story. It draws the teller and the hearer closer together as they share in an experience about another. Humor, likewise, draws the humorist and those who are listening into the camaraderie of laughter. Its drawback is the potential that the truth that is lying dormant within the message will be overlooked because of the light heartedness, the potential for it to be trivialized or (rendered frivolous). Seriousness does help to emphasize the import of the lesson to be gained. But that should not rule out the use of humor as a means of creating a comfortable environment through which the lesson may be learned.

Does this help?

Tom: Yes, very much. Thank you.

Iniquity

Kirk: Can you sever secondary circuits by continuous iniquity?

Elyon: Only primary circuits are severed through continuous iniquity, the inability to hear and to receive the divine word and grace of the Father. Secondary circuits may still hold in function as might be illustrated, poor as it is, by the camaraderie of a gang of mobsters. The interconnectivity of the rebellious Nodites all had a secondary circuitry among themselves, though they had tarnished the connections of the primary order. However, you are under no obligation to maintain a circuit with one who deliberately engages in evil if there is no opportunity to -- or if you discern your skills lack the ability to -- bring a regeneration of the divine connection.

Michael in his earth life was very intent upon establishing secondary circuits wherever he went, and that is exemplified in his keen interest in individuals. But he likewise knew when the friendship was not forthcoming, and he knew when to let that circuit go dormant. As a Creator Son he enjoyed the added benefit of the primary connection and knew full well that he would always have a relationship with his children on earth. But he knew that as a functioning human being he would not have the opportunity for strengthening those secondary circuits of brotherhood. If you discern a wolf in sheep's clothing, you are in a position to discern whether a secondary circuit with the impostor has any merit or is perilous.

Does this address your question?

Kirk: Yes, thank you.

Disappointment, Blessing

Aaron: Aaron here visiting. I give you my greetings; I express my love. As I often do, I am going to engage you in responding to a question I wish to relate.

You have read that sometimes your most disappointing disappointments have become your greatest blessings. I do not wish to delve into the most disappointing disappointments, but I would ask you to relate to me at this time any degree of disappointment through which you have derived blessing. I await your response.

Tom: I once had a back injury and was bedridden for six weeks. While bemoaning my fate I grabbed a stack of transcripts and caught up on three or four years of back transcripts, which turned out to be a blessing.

Evelyn: For many years I wanted to live out of town. I was disappointed with how long we had to wait to do that. But as a result we had more resources to work with, and it has turned out fine. Of course, it might have worked out fine the other way, too.

Aaron: In a sense, you were more able to hit the ground running.

Evelyn: Yes.

Kirk: It happens so often that we are disappointed by something. I've been disappointed at not being some place at the right time realizing that something could've happened had I been there when I anticipated. It happens all the time. I think the angels are involved in getting you there more safely.

Mark: Mary and I both are now thankful feel that during the early time we were together we didn't get what we asked for. When we first moved onto the property and had nothing to speak of we wanted children. They didn't happen then, and it wasn't until we got over that hurdle that we could look back and see we weren't ready then for it to happen. It worked out just fine for us.

Jonathan: For ten years I invested in playing in bands, jumping from band to band dreaming we would someday be cohesive and play originals. Finally I chose to develop a studio situation where I could be creative. Now I am in three creative situations where there's no threat of breakups, no band dramas. I'm growing as a musician and feeling fulfilled in that creative expression.

Aaron: It warms my heart to witness such quick reflections upon your disappointments turned to blessings. I encourage you, and this is the intent of my question today, to use this line as a tool during a storm in life to prime yourself for the blessing, to dismiss the disappointment, not to disregard it entirely, but to lessen its impact by beginning to search for the blessing to be derived after the difficulty has been played out.

I will be with you in the future as I am often in this vicinity. I take my leave.

Closing

Elyon: This is Elyon signing off. You have developed great skills in sharing, in fellowship with one another. Let that skill extend into less familiar relationships. Let the charge, the energy, the enthusiasm, penetrate into those more guarded, more restrained, relationships. It will take time for those associations to warm up. It takes time for trust to develop, but you have had practice with one another in expressing needs, longings, hurts, triumphs, epiphanies; and you have received the support, the cautions and the cheering of each other. This is hoped for for all of humanity. Endeavor to express yourselves in this manner to all.

Do not be thwarted if you are received in manners poorly reflective of fellows who care for one another. Your Sunday meetings are of an ideal nature, but in order for the world to develop this form of interassociation, someone or some few must begin to make this a daily practice and be willing to be disappointed, to be willing to rise anew and to try again, for any particular failure is only one step toward the final success of a perfected Urantia.

As you know, I will be back again.