Led by Spirit: This Society Will Make You "(Qu)ake" for Their Friendship and Truth!

"I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father." [John 15:14]

They are known as the "Society of Friends" or simply "Quakers." I'm sure that when, like me, you learn the truth about this group of "friends," you may yearn for the straightforwardness of their ways and teachings.


The name "Quakers" comes from a 17th Century court case, where George Fox , one of the early founders, is said to have told the Judge (Bennet) and others to "tremble at the word of God." Long gone is that image. Today with these "friends," no one need tremble at this group's practices and the rights to freedom they support.


From rights of slaves and prisoners to gay rights and women's rights, "The Society of Friends" has fought for the freedom of groups far and large in their public life.

"I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts....They shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest ...
I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more."
Jeremiah 31:33-34 & Hebrews 8:10-12

I was wowed by the easygoing nature and loving spirit of this religious body. Perhaps that's because my image of Quakerism had always been that of the Pennsylvania Dutch who wear traditional garbs from days gone by. Now I'm beginning to know that even if Quakers did wear those outfits, it must have just been a camouflage for not attracting too many of the "wrong friends."

The truth is that the Quakers are often confused with the *Amish Mennonites, as they both co-exist and were established in Pennsylania. Even if the garbs were worn by Quakers, they belied the profundity of this group of spiritual seekers.

Who They Are
Quakerism was founded in England, principally by non-conformists to the heavy form of Puritanism there. Quakers believe that humans are led by the spirit of God within them. And in the early days of the Quakers formation, they were known as "Children of Light" or "Friends of Truth," among many others, like "saints," that the group assumed to try to reflect their truth. Finally, in 1827 the name "Religious Society of Friends" became official and still is used today, though "Quaker" is often placed in parentheses.

"The Religious Society of Friends" holds a "belief in the possibility of direct, unmediated communion with the Divine" and hold a "commitment to living lives that outwardly attest to this inward experience." But there is no consensus in the overall style of how these two core principles are applied, thus leading many to believe that the Quakers have no beliefs and that "anything goes" in Quakerism.


This is a fallacy, according to the official "Friends" Website:
"Most Quakers take the absence of a creed as an invitation and encouragement to exercise an extra measure of personal responsibility for the understanding and articulation of Quaker faith. Rather than rely on priests or professional theologians, each believer is encouraged to take seriously the personal disciplines associated with spiritual growth. Out of lives of reflection, prayer, faithfulness, and service flow the statements of belief, both in word and in deed."


Varying Factions

People trying to discern Quaker practices often are challenged by several separations, begun in the early days, in the "Religious Society of Friends" that still are reflected today. There is no one standard for conducting and establishing "Yearly Meetings," the name given to the different national and regional organizations that follow Quaker teachings and practices.

According to 2002 figures, there are about 338,000 people in 60 countries who subscribe to Quaker teachings and beliefs. Thus, the practices obviously differ in culture, national allegiance and language. In the United States, there are four features that clearly distinguish one type of Friend group from others. These range from the manner of worship to affliating with various groups.


.Worship. This can be unprogrammed, which is silent worship without formal clergy or "programmed" or "pastoral" worship guided by a pastor; there may or may not be a period of silence.

.Theological Emphasis. There can be the strongest emphasis on the authority of Christian scripture vs. "liberal," which places the strongest emphasis on the "Inward Light."

.Evangelism. Some groups may focus solely on evangelistic activities. In these organizations, missionary or evangelical work is undertaken and social service work as well.

.Affiliating Organizations. There are three principal bodies through which "Friends" in North America are affiliated: Friends General Conference, Friends United Meeting, and Evangelical Friends Church International. Even there, some "Friends" make a choice to are affiliate with more than one or with none at all.


Quakerism in Practice: Testimonies


Since Friends believe that each person contains God, much of the Quaker perspective is based on trying to hear God and to allow God's Spirit free action in the heart. Isaac Penington wrote in 1670:

"It is not enough to hear of Christ, or read of Christ, but this is the thing — to feel him my root, my life, my foundation..."


The Bible is not taken as literal truth but is seen by "Friends" as subject to man's interpretations. They believe that [the] "Christ," instead of the Bible, is the Word of God. For this reason, Quakers try to bear witness or testify to their beliefs in their every day life - an expression of "spirituality in action." The ways in which they testify are often known as "Quaker testimonies" or "Friends' testimonies."



When Friends testify to God's activity in their daily lives, testimonies fall into the following areas: Unity, Community, Compassion, Justice, Truth, Stewardship, Sustainability, and the testimony against time and season. Specifically in the United States, Children and Friends school students are often taught the acronym SPICES: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and Stewardship

In the United Kingdom, the acronym STEP is used, or more affectionately, PEST: Peace, Equality, Simplicity and Truth, often equated with Integrity. In recent years the environment has also come to be regarded by some in the UK as an "emerging testimony," one that is respected and valued.

Mysticism
Quaker mysticism is primarily group-oriented, rather than focused on the individual. The Friends' traditional meeting for worship may be considered an expression of that group mysticism, where all the members of the meeting listen together for the Spirit of God, speaking when that Spirit moves them.


The forms can vary and take shape however they unfold in the group and individual. The only unity seems to be that they are not consistent and over the years, they have challenged "Friends," yet provided guidance for them.

Practices

To "Friends," every day should be seen as a celebration of life, so days like Christmas and Easter and times such as the Lenten Season are not held any more sacred than each day we are allowed to live and breathe.

Since"Quakers" believe that life and the living of life is sacred in and of itself, there is not much emphasis placed on the traditional sacraments and rites by other religious bodies.




There are no formal baptisms, christenings or rites for marriages. Even memorials are conducted as a part of a regular meeting.


Children born to Quaker parents do not automatically become part of the "Religious Society of Friends." Rather, the children are allowed to choose when they are old enough, or as an adult, whether they want to join a Yearly Meeting.

Meetings: Certainly like No Others!


A marriage conducted in a "Friends" meeting is similar to any other "unprogrammed" Meeting for Worship. The couple marry each other in front of witnesses, and after they exchange vows, the meeting returns to open worship. At the end of meeting, all the witnesses, including the youngest children in attendance, are asked to sign the wedding certificate. Quakers have their own registrars for marriages.

Memorial services for Quakers are also held as a form of worship and are known as memorial meetings. Because Friends believe that the spirit is more important than the body, the coffin or ashes of the deceased are not present; burial takes place at a separate time. At memorials, Friends gather for worship and offer remembrances about the person who has died. Memorial meetings can last over an hour, particularly if there are a large number of people in attendance, thus giving everyone a chance to remember the deceased in their own way.


Meetings on business matters are held on a local level once a month. Here again, a business meeting is conducted in the forum of worship. Instead of voting, the Meeting attempts to discern God's will. Members listen God within themselves and, if led, contribute their insights to the group for reflection and consideration. A decision is made when the members feel that the "way forward" has been discerned or there is a consensus.

Quaker Position on Education

Quakers have an appreciation for education, having founded many schools and colleges around the world. Yet Quakers are cautioned against honoring humans instead of God and using education as a substitute for a personal relationship with God.

Two well-known Friends' institutions support education: Friends Council on Education (FCE)and Friends Association for Higher Education (FAHE) . The former supports primary through secondary levels of education, and the latter supports Friends post-secondary institutions.

Not without Conflict


Establishing a religion such as the "Religious Society of Friends" certainly did not come without conflict. In the Massachusetts Bay colony, Friends were banished on pain of death. Mary Dyer is one famous Quaker who was hanged on Boston Common for returning to preach her beliefs, but so were many others. In England, Friends were effectively banned from sitting in Parliament at Westminster from 1698-1833.


The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn, as a safe place for "Friends" to live and practice their faith. One of the most radical beliefs he introduced there was religious freedom for everyone, as well as fair dealings with Native Americans. "Quakers" in Pennsylvania also opposed slavery.


Wow! what a revolutionary idea!

Despite persecution and other forms of harrassment, the "Religious Society of Friends" grew steadily in the United States and around the world.

Thank Goodness!

For truly, the world needs more "Friends" like these!

Namaste',

Che'
NOTE: Go to the official Quaker Website for more information: http://www.quakerinfo.org. *In December, we'll take a look at the Amish Mennonites.

OTHER NOTES: A recent shooting at an army base in Fort Hood, Texas, has Muslims across the country "quaking in their boots," because the shooter "has a Muslim last name." Many are fearful that they will be targets of a backlash from angry fellow Americans. Why are we constantly being judged by the color of our skin...and anything that marks us "different" from each other? Is a last name indicative of a person's Soul? No less than the United States government recently had to pay out millions in four separate lawsuits brought by Pakani and other Muslim and Arab nationals, because of the actions it took, detaining these individuals for several months and, some, more than a year, immediately following the September 11 attacks. Today, and every day, know this: you are an individual on your own path and here for your own divine purpose; even those who share the same DNA, the same last names, the same history, the same religion, the same...are on their own paths as well. "Yet, family all are we!"

Book Review: "Discover the Power Within YOU" by Eric Butterworth

When you find God, you find the Power within YOU!

Every time I see Elizabeth Smart, the now 21-year-old Mormon from
Salt Lake City, Utah, who was kidnapped at age 14 in June 2002 and held in captivity by a wanderer and his wife for nine months, I think ONLY of the Grace of GOD!


This little woman demonstrates to me more than anyone at this time,
the Spirit of God active in and through our lives and that IS the POWER
within US.

Smart should be huddled and cuddled somewhere in a corner by the
Mormon community, since her frightening ordeal of being kidnapped
at knifepoint from her own bedroom...her own home...the one place in the Universe
that should be the safest for us.

But what is she doing, instead?


She is out and BOLDLY expressing her POWER to BE and to EXIST and to show that GOD lives!

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (II Timothy 1:7, NLT)

Now that is LIVING through Spirit!

An example we should follow, if we want to MASTER this walk through this experience we're having on the Earthly plane.

Everytime life wants to get me crouched over and broken down,
I grab "Discover the Power Within YOU," a classic by Eric Butterworth.

I don't know about you, but there are many versions of "truth" we
can hear from many sources.


To me, Buttterworth's TRUTH is the ONLY one I need to hear and FEEL in
my Soul, when life would cast me down.

(Yes and, of course, the Bible! No sweeter words than Romans 8:28:"All things work together for Good." or "...greater is he who is in me than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4)

I tell you... it is Butterworth's Power Within that gets me moving my feet and raising my fists and gritting my teeth in determination and perseverance.

As a matter of fact, when I read Butterworth, I don't have any emotion...but
Peace!

Out goes the DOUBT, out goes the FEAR, out goes the "NO can do!"


I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!

Here's why from the FIRST 50 pages ALONE of this 233 page manuscript:

"Jesus discovered His own divinity, His unique relationship with the Infinite. He discovered that through faith, he could open doors into the inexhaustible Mind of God..." Page 9

"This factor was the Christ consciousness. The unfoldment of this consciousness by Jesus made Him God incarnate, because Christ is the Mind of God individualized. We cannot separate Jesus Christ from God or tell where man leaves off and God begins in him.

"To say that we are men as Jesus was a man is not exactly true, because He had dropped that personal consciousness by which we separate ourselves from our true God self...He became consciously one with the absolute principle of Being." (Page 9).

"'Christ' is not a person. It is not Jesus. Christ is a degree of stature that Jesus attained, but a degree of potential stature that dwells in every man. Paul said, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Col.1:27) (Page 12)

"I have heard people rejoice n the fact that they have found a religion that is 'broad-minded,' by which they mean a religion that takes them as they are...But religion that does not promote transformation is no religion at all."

"There is only one way under the sun by which man can achieve his 'Mt. Olumpus'--that is to say, achieve the realization and the unfoldment of his own innate divinity (salvation, in the truest sense of the wrod)---and that is by bringing about a radical and permanent change for the better in his own consciousness." Page 12

"Our humanity is but the degree to which we have given expression to our divinity. We are human in expression but divine in creation and limitless in potentiality."

"To repent means to open the yes of spiritual perception and see life in a new dimension, to see hidden realities behind every appearance, to resolve to face toward our Mt. Olympus and make every step we take go in that direction." Page 19

"Man must be born anew, if he is going to achieve a meaningful realization of his own divinity and of the Kingdom of God within him." Page 23

"He [Jesus] healed and helped and transformed people by the power of their own higher nature, and not by any special power of His own." Page 24

"Many people find comfort and strength and inspiration in emotional acceptance of Jesus as their 'Personal Saviour.' And this is good. There is much to be gained by a deeper inner feeling of fellowship with the Master. For we do not want to infer here that the Fundamentalist or evangelical Christian is wrong. He is laying hold of Jesus at a very vital and helpful point."

"But our thesis here is that this is not the high level of consciousness that Jesus had in mind when He said, 'Follow me.'

"We must being to see Jesus as the great discoverer of the innate Divinitity of Man, the supreme revealer of the truth about man, the pioneer and the way-shower in the quest for self-realization and self unfoldment...

"...You must still make the great decision to affirm your unity with the Infinite. You must still believe that I AM , and then work tirelessly to act the part. You must claim your freedom, realizing that it does not mean doing what youlike, but becoming what you should." Page 25

"Jesus had a unique concept of God. To Him, God was not an objective of worship but a Presence dwelling in us, a force surrounding us, and a Principle by which we live. It is not too much to say that anyone who catches the idea of Jesus' concept will find himself caught up in a new consciousness that will change his whole life. He will never be the same again. " Page 27

"The true self of you, the Christ, the spiritual man, is the individualization of God. You are the Presence of God at the point where you are."

"You are an individualized part, but the whole is always in the part." Page 33

"Jesus taught, 'I and the Father are one.'...not two, but one. The Father in me is me on a higher dimension of living." Page 34

"...Perhaps you are disturbed because you have been leaning on a God of the intellect, a God preached about interminably, but a God whose presence you have never really felt. Thus, disturbing as the idea may seem, God is dead to you, if you are asleep to the activity of the Presence in you. If, like the Prodigal Son, you are living in the 'far country' of superficial and materialistic living, then to all intent and purpose there is no power beyond the human in you, there is no infinite potential, and prayer is ridiculous....

"...But when you come to yourself, when you wake up, when suddenly you come alive to the wihin of you, the depths of you, then God is very real to you---not a person separate from you, but as an added dimension of you, as a living presence ever with you." Page 37

"You are beloved of God---simply because you are the activity of God living itself out into expression as you. God loves you because God is love and thus live is your true nature." Page 38

"Remember God is in you as the ocean is in the wave. There is no possible way in which the wave can be separated from the ocean, and there is no way in which you can be separated from God. ..." Page 39

"Christ is not a person, but a principle. Christ is a level of the particularization of God in man...

"The difference between Jesus and each of us is not of inherent spiritual capacity, but a difference in the demonstration of it....However, we must realize that the principle of the Divinity of Man must extend to Pilate and judas and a modern Hitler and Eichmann, or else it is not really a principle at all. Every man is a spiritual being. Every man is innately good. Every man is a potential Christ. But only a few know this, and an even fewer number succeed in expressing any marked degree of the perfection of the Christ indwelling.

"It is not that we want to depreciate Jesus. We couldn't do that if we wanted to. We are not pulling Him down to our level, but showing that we can be lifted up to His level.

"Jesus heart went out to people becuase he could see that they were not living up to the best within them.

"Jesus saw the divinity in people, and He challenged all men to see the good, the God-self, in all people with whom they associated." Page 45-46

"You can be helaed, no matter who you are or what you ahve been or done, ifyou make the contact with the 'same light that lighteth every man coming into the world'--simply because you are, after all, a child of God. it is as simple as that. And this is the key to the potential dynamics of Christianity." Page 47

"Whatever challenges you are facing, whatever desires you may harbor, even where fulfillment seems to be a human impossibility---remember the principle of divinity. See yourself in terms of what you can be....

"Challenge yourself to keep thinking such thoughts until they become second nature to you for that is exactly what the Christ is within you is." Page 48-49

"From the standpoint of your divinity, you can be a perfect, healthy, confident, radiant expression of the living god....

"Affirm for yourself: 'I am a spiritual being. I am whole and free. I am confident and capable. I am the master of my life." Page 50.

And so, it is.


Then, from the last page, 233, Butterworth gives you a final nudge:

"No matter where you are on the ladder of life, no matter what you may be experiencing, no matter how many heartaches you have had or how many conflicts you have right now---there is more in you, there is a divinity in you, the Kingdom of God is within you..."

Did she, or did she not, demonstrate the "POWER WITHIN YOU!?"


Namaste',
Che'

NOTE: Eric Butterworth was a Unity Minister and had a thriving church, Unity Center of New York City, until his death in April 2003. He was 86 years old, having been born in 1916. I was privileged to listen to him speak in person in the early 1990s. What an experience!

"With All its Sham...Drudgery and Broken Dreams..."

Quick!

Think of waking up tomorrow or any day soon...to an absolutely PERFECT WORLD!

You have absolutely no worries.

A world where everyone loves each other...

A world where everyone does not compete with others...

A world where everyone is polite and not rude to each other...

A world where everyone shares equally with everyone else...

Life is smooth. Life is easy. Life has no friction, no obstacles, nothing more to want and nothing more to give.

Utopia.


Think again.

I recently saw two movies on HBO and TNT that reinforced the message that Life IS PERFECT just the way it is....Sham...Drudgery...Broken Dreams...and ALL!

I really only looked at the second half of "The Invasion." I'd seen the movie when it was released at the theatres, so I remembered some of the first half and could get into the scene. Here, Nicole Kidman was trying to save her son from becoming infected like most others in their "world" with a disease that creates "sameness in mind."

She fought "tooth and nail," even as she was fading into that other world, to save her son from this fate. He, only about seven years old, knew, too, that he had to fight, so he joined in the fight for the survival of his unique self. They won!

Mother and son were saved and lived on with their unique selves. Applause. Applause.

The second movie was "The Last Man On Earth," a 2007 film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel "I Am Legend," starring Will Smith.

Here, Will's character was seemingly the only survivor when a virus hit New York City, wiping out its inhabitants.

Will survived with his dog and his laboratory.

In many of the early scenes, all you saw this character do is shout and plead for "anybody, anybody who is out there, let me know that you're ALIVE!"

The character HUNGERED for human interaction.

He hungered for a living SOUL who could relate to him as a human being.
The movie moved on with other events occurring and yes, another human, two, actually, showing up.

What did Will's character do?

He started acting inhumane. But that's another part of the story.

The truth is that he needed these others to continue to live and to continue to have the work he was doing live on, too. Without them, it was all pointless; it would all die with him, as does the music that we don't play dies within us.

The truth is that we may crave our privacy, when we see people all around us all day long in various areas of our lives.

If we ride the subway, we may long to get away from crowded places and not have to be "touched" by strangers as we journey in and out of our homes.

We may want all the beggars to go away.

We may want everyone to be pleasant as we journey to and fro.

We may want people to speak the same language as we do.

We may want people to dress the same way we do. We don't want filth; we don't want dirt.

We may be tired of the people at work.

We may be tired of the people at home.

We may be tired of people in our lives, who are
so different...so the same...so...

We may be tired of all that talking, talking, talking.

We crave silence.

We may want to get away from it ALL!

We may crave so much to be isolated and alone.

Yes. Peace. Silence. Aloneness.

For a while.

Think of that condition...that isolation...being the story of your life!

Think of having NO choice in the matter.

All the people...ALL the people...whom you HATE have gone away.

But so have ALL THE people...ALL the people...whom you love.

Love 'em or Hate 'em, they are ALL GONE!

You're finally all alone.

Aaaaaah! Free at last! Free AT LAST! FREE AT LAST!

Yes, you're FREE AT LAST!

What?

Did I hear you SCREAM?

What?

Did I hear you remind yourself: "It's only a dream...it's only a dream...it's only a dream!?"

What?

Did I hear you say..."I PRAY it was ONLY a NIGHTMARE!?"

"Think on these things," then appreciate and LOVE every one of "THOSE PEOPLE."

Love 'em or Hate 'em: they are OUR world.

They make up the tapestry of our ...yes...beautiful world.

Our beautiful world!

Today, where ever you find yourself...whatever the circumstances of your life...be at peace with yourself...and your world.

As a followon to last week, where I said the spiritual journey can and IS "HELL," know that unequivocally as you walk through the "valley of the shadow of death" and your world may come crumbling down around you, the "journey" gets more peaceful.

It leads you deeper within.


You see with "new" eyes, walk in new ways, and ...
you find "peace" in the connection...with the connection...

...with your Soul.

That is utopia: the perfect world.


...It's still a beautiful world!

Namaste',

Che'
NOTE: If you're not familiar with "Desiderata," a classic poem by Max Ehrmann, I suggest that you "Google" it and get the text in its entirety. This is one I know by heart and recommend that you take it to "heart," too.

Don't try to Short Circuit Your Spiritual Journey!

They were all spiritual seekers. But it may have turned out that they were seeking spiritual "thrills."

Three out of 50 of them paid with their lives;18 more were hospitalized, then released.


It all happened in beautiful Sedona, Arizona this past week.

Only about 2 hours drive from the Grand Canyon, Sedona is a place so beautiful you always feel God in the air. As you stroll through the many shops now interspersed among the Red Rock, you can't help but think of this as "God's Country."

To go to DIE there almost seems like some sort of travesty...or poetry...or script.

This past week, the script was written by James Arthur Ray.

What could have gone wrong at the sweat lodge and weeklong retreat for which 50 people had paid thousands of dollars?


From news reports, I learned that Ray had rented the Angel Valley Retreat Center for his five-day "Spiritual Warrior" event that culminated in the sweat lodge ceremony. Participants paid between $9,000 and $10,000 to attend the retreat.


The deaths are now being investigated as homicides, according to reports.

I say, "Correctly so!"

I also say that it's instances like these that give "New Age" a BAD name!

I'm not taking anything away from James Arthur Ray's power of persuasion, but the truth is that every time I received one of his communications, I cringed...yet, interestingly, I never sought to "UNSUBSCRIBE."

There is something addictive to anyone offering solutions to life's myriad problems, especially when it comes to short-cutting and short-circuiting the true process of Spiritual Growth.


THAT...Spiritual Growth...the Spirtual Path...is DIRTY STUFF!
When someone is authentically on the spiritual path, it is NOT PRETTY.

All sorts of DIRTY STUFF comes up to be aired out. There is much dirty linen that comes up to the surface of a person's Soul that has to be laid out and washed out.

It's a dirty business...and someone has GOT to do it!!

If you're a spiritual seeker and you're smart, I'll tell you: the ONLY SOUL to do it is your OWN Soul, as that's where God resides.

Some of you may object to my bluntness, but I sometimes say that God is in the "Sewer Business."

When we truly start an authentic walk with our Spirit, it has to go into the "gutter" of our Soul, with all the mess of all the years that got put in there and clogged up, and God has to help us clean up the mess!

Even, he, God, can't do it in one swipe! Even he, can't do it for you! You have to walk through it...and yeah...he'll be right there beside you, "never leaving you or forsaking you."

You know that line from the 23rd Psalm: "Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death."


Yep, it begins to make PERFECT SENSE!

Why does James Arthur Ray and others believe that they can circumvent this process?
[Ray is pictured with one of his spiritual leaders]

One week and $9,000 and now you're GOOD FOR LIFE!

I thank God that I wasn't RICH ENOUGH to pay anyone that kind of money, OR misguided enough to listen to ANY SOUL but my own.

Go figure.

God is the master planner. Yet, he can't "unravel" his own stuff!

Yes, Life IS a labyrinth, but it ALL has a GRAND DESIGN...and it all IS unfolding as it should.

Don't let ANYONE TELL YOU...that they can give you a quick "FIX" on your spiritual journey. There aren't any "quick fixes."


You got to walk through the mud, the dirt, the bramble, the filth, the desert, the heartbreak, the heartache, the HELL...YES, the pure HELL...

Don't wonder if Hell is on the other side. Hell is right here, right now, each moment that we feel separated from God!

So, the next time, you believe that you can short-circuit your way through the maze of life and go looking for a "body" to help you through: think AGAIN!

That "Body" is also going through its own stuff...his own process....as successful as he or she may be! Don't be lulled into acceptance and idolatry, because you see all the glitter and the glory that come from "SUCCESS!"


There's hell to pay there, too....especially...especially...if it wasn't earned by right of true Spiritual Consciousness!


The HUMAN Will can accomplish much. You know the saying that "where there's a will, there's a way!"

Yeah, Go ahead and MAKE IT HAPPEN: You've earned it!

So, now you've earned it, yes, a certain level of PEACE does come with Success.

But I tell you, unless and UNTIL, it comes from the Spirit of God within you...then WATCH OUT!

I feel sorry for James Arthur Ray.

He was always so positive. So insightful. He always had the answers.

Now, what?

Could it be that at LAST, his TRUE spiritual journey will begin...and...from within?

Namaste',

Che'
EDITOR'S NOTE: The letter below came through from James Arthur Ray on Wednesday, October 21. Judge for yourself whether he went "within" for guidance on this.

Regarding the Recent Events in Sedona
For me, for the families and friends of the sick and deceased and for many people who believe in the important work we do, these have been the most difficult ten days of our lives.People are throwing out accusations and disparaging me and our mission. Yet despite that, and despite considerable criticism, I have chosen to continue with my work. It's too important not to. One of the lessons I teach is that you have to confront and embrace adversity and learn and grow from it. I promise you I am doing a lot of learning and growing. I have taken heat for that decision, but if I chose to lock myself in my home, I am sure I would be criticized for hiding and not practicing what I preach.It means a great deal to me that so many of you have come to see me speak this week and last--that you are investing your time and energy into creating more fulfilling, successful and productive lives. It reaffirms my decision to continue my schedule and these event experiences. I want to use this forum to address the families of those whose lives were lost, James, Kirby and Liz. I have reached out to all of the families personally, but feel the need to say more. I feel your pain. I accept your anger. And I pray for you all to have some measure of peace and comfort. I want you to know that I too want to know what happened that caused this horrible tragedy. My team and I are working with the appropriate authorities and have even hired our own investigators to find out the truth. I believe the best way to honor their amazing lives and everlasting memory is to continue this important work. Please join me in a moment of silence to pay homage to their lives and to pray for the speedy recovery of others taken ill.

(signature eliminated)
James Arthur Ray
President/CEO
James Ray International, Inc.

Beautiful People: She Towers Over Us All... Rev. Joy Wyler

I stand 5 feet 5.5-6 inches in height, so I've always felt I had an average height for a woman and never had any illusions about "towering" over others.


But I imagine that many people who stand above six feet, especially women,
certainly must feel they are "giants" among us.

I'm here to tell you: It's just an illusion!

For out steps Reverend Joy Wyler.


At three and a half feet tall, she
quickly puts you into the shadows of yourself!



Few people among us can reach the heights and measure UP to the
achievements and accomplishments of this beautiful spirit.

I feel privileged, truly, to have shared classes with Rev. Joy
at Unity Village in the late 1990s and am honored to know her!

Quite simply: she is a giant among us... both men and women!


Let's begin where her real story begins...with her fighting Spirit!

Of course, it all began with her receiving a Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Law. For many years, Wyler vigorously worked as an attorney on behalf of juveniles and families and also represented those with disabilities.


Doing this work allowed Wyler to pursue her passion for civil rights and justice and "caring for children, creating an environment to nurture diversity," Rev. Wyler says.


"It's how I live my life. It's what I bring to my work and how I teach."

For more than 11 years, she also served as general counsel at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, leaving in 2001.


Wyler became an ordained Unity Minister in 2004 through a two-year,
non-degreed seminary program, and she sees herself overcoming all challenges because of an unwillingness to give in and give up.


"What are the options?" she asks. "It's either sink or swim. Mostly, I simply ignore every message that says I can't and just do what I want. When things get tough, I have to turn it over to God."


Wyler believes that "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," yet does not think that there is a need for what she calls strength training. "There is no way to where we are but the path we have taken. So I try to use all the experiences and training I have in the NOW moment."


This ability to put the experiences of the past to good use in the NOW is what allowed Rev. Wyler to get beyond the death of her daugher, Sarah. At the age of four months, Sarah died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS) in 1985. Wyler was 29 years old at the time and had just graduated from Law School.


"This was the most devastating experience and how I found Unity. Healing from this was a profound healing of most of the wounds of my childhood."


With a "fairly dysfunctional childhood," Wyler had left home at age 18. But not before she 'd taken all the spiritual lessons she could from that past.

Her father, who died when Wyler was 12 years old, left spiritual imprints that have served her through now. He was influenced by the Cherokee Tribe in Northern Oklahoma and at age three began to teach Joy about God being "present everywhere and being part of me and everyone else. God was a real power within me, and a 'confidante,'" she says.



At age five, she became a spiritual rebel. She was attending a "Christian Church," where her grandmother had taken her. When she heard about a "judging, vindinctive God," she lashed out at the teachings, totally shocking her Sunday School teacher!

The family then moved on to a Baptist Church, where the music kept them going back for more. But it was the sermons of Rev. Thurman Kelly, whom they followed from church to church, that kept the family following Baptist teachings for several more years.


For years, Wyler stopped going to church. It was in 1985 when she was looking for a minister to do Sarah's Memorial Service that she found Unity. [This teaching focuses on the practical applications of Jesus' teachings in our lives; it is Unity School of Christianity and has been around for more than 100 years.]

Throughout her life, Joy Wyler has sought diversity in her experiences.


With a bachelor's degree in medical technology from Pittsburg State University, Wyler worked as a medical technician (laboratory scientist) for about 12 years, including several years at night while attending law school in the day time.

Since giving up the practice of law in 2001, Wyler has taught online for Ottawa University and at Unity Institute.


She is the mother of two children, both dwarfs, whom she adopted from India: Victor, now age 26, and Kari,
age 22. Both are thriving. Victor lives in a L'Arche community home in Overland Park, Kansas, and Kari is focused on finishing her education and working in early childhood care and teaching.


Earlier this year, Wyler put her life in Kansas City behind her and moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania, to become the senior minister of Unity of Lehigh Valley.




"It is a journey that only Spirit could lead me on. No career counselor would have helped me down this path," Wyler says.

Aside from desiring to lead "a thriving church," Wyler plans to publish a "couple" of books and "continue to make a difference."

She also plans to spend lots of time with her mother, "80 year young" and "clean and sober for 32 years," and who currently is making plans to move to Pennsylvania near Joy. Her step-dad already lives only three hours away from her.

This dynamic, larger-than-life lawyer, teacher, minister, shares some final thoughts:

"God is everything and in everything. God is creative energy, constantly creating through the power of our thoughts and actions. God is without duality. God is a force of life and love circulating throughout the Universe. God is simply beyond our understanding but most people have an urge to shape God in a way that is familiar and within their understanding. This limits God as a concept."

She urges us to:

"Do your best, let God do the rest. Everything is part of the tapestry. Thread by thread, it may seem meaningless, painful, joyous, silly. But when it gets woven together and you are far enough along to stand back and look, you can see the patterns, the shapes of your life in relationships and experiences. Then everything has meaning."

Here's our message to back you, Reverend Joy Wyler:

"When we look at you, we especially see God's handiwork. For only God could have put such dynamism, so much LIFE, into such a small and beautiful package. We applaud you for your fighting spirit, your dynamism, your wholeness and your beautiful way of being in the world. May God continue to be your 'confidante' and have his work actualized so wonderfully through you for many years to come!

Sarah would have been 24 years old today. We know she witnesses the strides you've made since 1985 and your continuing efforts."

Namaste',

Che'
NOTE: Send your messages of support to Reverend Joy Wyler for her "thriving" church and her ongoing work. You may do so through Unity of LeHigh Valley: http://www.unityoflehighvalley.org. Make sure you also manage to get on Reverend Wyler's e-mail distribution list for "Reflections from My Backyard," an email newsletter that offers great insights.

Goodness vs. Godliness: The Truth is Transparent!

Namaste': I honor the part of you that is of light, truth, love and peace. When you're in that place in you, and I'm in that place in me, we are ONE!

During these times, we see many people bustling around doing "good." Some are writing checks to several places, spreading their wings wide, and also running here, there and everywhere they are "called" to respond.

The question: Is this "good" being done from the Spirit within or because of the world without?

"Namaste'" should help us differentiate one from the other.

This term is much more than a definition and is actually a way of life.


When a person adapts a "namaste'" attitude, they really are choosing to shrug off fully the exterior trappings of a person and get to the core of their being. So, if, for example, someone has an off-putting personality, the "namaste'" attitude would help you go beyond that exterior to see the truth of the Spirit within the person and also help you to hold to that truth no matter what the "personality" may be displaying in any given moment.


Similarly, we should be able to get past the "good" personality types to see the truth about a person's motivation to act.

Many "good" acts are prompted by a sense of obligation vs. the true purity of spirit that recognizes ourselves in another and the interconnectedness of ALL beings.


So, if an act of "goodness" is because you have more than enough to spare, and because a person believes that a kind act would get more "mileage" by spreading "thin" their kind deeds, then think again about what GOOD that person is serving and to whom.
True "Godliness" comes from that namaste' attitude that sees beyond the exterior, ours or another's, and reaches into the core of our being prompting us to act.


A person acting from "Godliness" truly reflects and seeks guidance from within before writing a check or assuming a role of helpfulness. Often, the person discerns that it may be best to help one person than 20 people, as it would do more "good."

Typically, this person acting from a perspective of "Godliness" is silent and unseen in his or her actions, not wanting ANY attention drawn to the "cause" of good.This comes from integrity. This comes from the Soul within.

There is no audience. Simply Spirit.


One such person I know often says, "I'd prefer to write ONE check and feel I've made the difference in the life of one person than to write 10 and change nothing."


Many charities and other groups are providing service to many people. Their efforts should be applauded. The question: Are they truly serving the common good, or appeasing the conscience of a few?


When a person gives to a charity, the funds are spread out to several pieces within that organization. So, for example, in the case of a homeless shelter, a $1,000 contribution may filter down to really helping five people in a shelter for a week, who typically sleep 10 people in a room with a 5 p.m. curfew, maybe get a meal and have to do individual and other chores while in the shelter. Think of yourself having to live in those conditions and think about what you'd choose: a shelter or your car?




Question: Barring natural disaster situations, would that $1,000 contribution you gave to the shelter be better served helping ONE person avoid homelessness for a month or two?

The truth lies within.


When we assume a kind act, we all know whether we are doing so from a sense of "Goodness" or "Godliness."

Choose wisely. Choose kindly.



Namaste',

Che'

Are YOU ABLE? Walking & Living Through The Valley of the Shadow of Life & Death!

"Suffering requires us to descend into ourselves. As there is no other way out, we are obliged to call on the power of the soul and spirit. When we succeed in doing so, instead of groaning and crying out in rebellion, we exhale a delicate perfume."

Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

This was the "WORD FOR THE DAY" from gratefulness.org on Friday, Sep. 25.

The timing is good, as I know several peope now walking strictly by the Spirit within them and trying to rise above the daily challenges of life currently surrounding them.


The reason for acknowledging this insight is this: We all can talk about wanting to know God and seek him. We can ALL quote scripture until we're blue in the face, but until we have to walk the walk of FAITH, we honestly do not know what it means to be able to live through spirit!



Living through Spirit, by breathing, is what we do every moment of every day, as we remain alive. But LIVING THROUGH SPIRIT is an activity that is reserved for those who are able to get to a place within themselves where there is absolutely NOTHING else but to "let go and let God!"


From Saturday, September 26, Unity's Daily Word, invites us to "Let Go, Let God" with the following passage:

"I imagine that I have just walked through the desert and have now reached an oasis with refreshing water, a cool breeze and a hammock tied between two shade-giving trees. I have reached a welcome refuge."

Before getting to this place of refuge, we would have exhausted ALL our human resources and our ability to make a change or a difference in our lives.


We would have exhausted ALL our spiritual resources, such as prayer and affirmation. There is only one choice then: to continue to live by going within and seeking and actualizing that connection to SPIRIT, or literally dying to the self, as we know ourselves to be! Either way, it is a giving up of EGO struggles and walking the walk of faith...not knowing day by day...what will unfold.

It is not for the faint hearted.


That's when all the biblical passages about being content where ever we find ourselves become ever more meaningful and poignanat.


Those who are forced to live through Spirit by "happenstance" then begin to realize that there truly is an illusion about life and about being in control of life in their previous walk.

That's when the "Course in Miracles" begins to make sense when it talks about there being "only ONE problem and ONE solution" and that is separation from Spirit!


When we wake up to realize that the life we were and are living in the "flesh," is truly an illusion, then we wake up to the WISDOM and knowledge and connection to the ONLY source of our BEINGNESS: The Spirit within US!

God is Good...and ONLY Good!


He will not force his "beingness" on us, until we invite him through.

This process is a slow journey inward.

At first, it is seductive, as we begin to realize the power within us.


That's when vision boards and treasure mapping ALL WORK!



If we remain committed to going the DISTANCE with the Spirit within, as many find they MUST, then a weird thing begins to happen: Things of the world DO begin to fall away!


That is when the earth "does begin to move" and we become "rattled out of our cages" in life.

More than ANYTHING, we may want to turn back.


But as an old African spiritual says, "hold on," just a little while longer.

Tolstoy says about this period, "The person who suffers to the end will be saved, the says the scripture. Often, a person becomes desperate, stops and even turns back when only a little more effort is needed to reach the goal."


Even if you don't believe Tolstoy, believe me [;-)]! No actually, believe Jesus: "he who is in me is greater than he who is in the world!" 1 John 4:4


No matter what you're going through...and growing through...GIVE UP NOW! DO GIVE UP NOW!


Make the journey easier by laying your burdens down and seeking refuge within.

When you get there...REST...REST...REST!!!


"Be Still and KNOW that I AM God!" Psalm 46: 10


Namaste',

Che'