This blog is going to be a little autobiographical but it is the segway into two more blogs about religion and spiritualism. As more and more people awaken to the awareness that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience; we are seeing an increase in church attendance. We are looking for a place (or way) to nurture this new part of ourselves. I have always been spiritually aware, and well grounded in my connection with god. Now I am seeking to raise my energetic frequency to the point of Christ Consciousness (become a better person on all dimensional levels).
Over my lifetime I have attended many different Christian denominations, for various reasons. When I was a child my mother sent us to the Methodist Sunday School because it was close enough that she didn’t have to take us and it gave her one morning a week off. Even at the tender age of six or seven, I could not accept the idea of some punishing, vengeful old man being god. As a preteen I went with my friend and her family to the Baptist church…only for about a year then I discovered the United Church.
They made the most sense to me, about our relationship to god and the nature of the universe. Even 45 years ago, they were supporting evolution and the idea that science is compatible with religion. They promoted tolerance and acceptance of diversity, in both society and within the church. So they were my church of choice when I was taking my children to church. I may have felt differently if I had known about residential schools back then.
But, my beliefs diverge from even this church, in the acceptance of Jesus of Nazareth as the “Son of God” …. This just smacks way too much of pantheistic mythology for my taste. The United Church was one of the few churches / congregations who didn’t give me a hard time because I never take communion. This sets them apart, as a very spiritualist friendly church and made them a good match for me at that time. Over the past couple of years my own awakening has taught me that we are spirit and the power of god is in every single one of us. Jesus was a living example of the powerful spirit/body beings we can all become. So now I need churches that will at least allow me to evolve and express my own Christ Consciousness.
In Hamilton I went to the East Hamilton Spiritual Church… a small congregation of people who are practicing energy / light work at various levels. Two elements are unique to spiritualist churches; one is a time during the service for meditation and energy healing work; the second is the mediumship portion of the service, when messages are brought to members of the congregation from the other side.
When I arrived in Victoria I was looking for a spiritualist church to
join, so I did a goole search, “Spiritualist Church Victoria”. Three churches
appeared on the list so I set out in Goldilocks fashion to find my new church. I went to the first church on the list. They energy felt wrong the minute I walked in. Then a lady took the microphone and gave us a half a dozen rules on sanctuary behaviour. The place was crowded, a sea of middle-class white faces. The opening invocation was accompanied by drum & flute (recorded) music… the sound was very Native but I could not imagine any place my Native brothers and sisters would feel less
welcome than in this church. The service did have circles of healers holding
hands and praying over groups of individuals. Later the two ministers gave readings to about three people in the congregation. After service many people went downstairs for fellowship… here I could meet and chat with others, so in fairness I attended. Coffee and pastries were being sold from behind a counter; the only person to welcome me was the designated greeter. When I asked about their community involvement I found the answer sorely lacking. I will not go back Ever!
The second week I went to a lovely little service at the second church on the list. It did not have the healing or mediumship elements of a
spiritualist service, but everyone was friendly and the talk from the pulpit
echoed spiritualist philosophy. The kind of things you read in these blogs.
So I returned on week three, again a lovely little service. Good energy … the only thing missing was the healing and mediumship. After service I asked the Reverend, why a spiritualist church would skip those two things. She seemed quite surprised that the Truth Centre had come up as a spiritualist church…. “We are a NEW THOUGHT church”. Later I mentioned the mix up to our guest lecturer and he actually seemed offended. So I have looked into the New Thought movement. They are spiritualists, as are many other emerging churches of the last 150 years. The metaphysical truths are uncovered by somebody, they write a book, the book gets a following, followers get together and VOILE a church is born.
At first I thought my being at the Truth Centre was an accident of google but I have come to accept that it was an act of god. This is my new
church community, nice people with a shared philosophy of LOVE, JOY, PEACE and ONENESS. I guess Spirit of the 8th Fire will have to find a community of practitioners to provide me with eneregtic healing and mediumship... while my own intuitive gift are developing LOL.
Have a joyous day.
Over my lifetime I have attended many different Christian denominations, for various reasons. When I was a child my mother sent us to the Methodist Sunday School because it was close enough that she didn’t have to take us and it gave her one morning a week off. Even at the tender age of six or seven, I could not accept the idea of some punishing, vengeful old man being god. As a preteen I went with my friend and her family to the Baptist church…only for about a year then I discovered the United Church.
They made the most sense to me, about our relationship to god and the nature of the universe. Even 45 years ago, they were supporting evolution and the idea that science is compatible with religion. They promoted tolerance and acceptance of diversity, in both society and within the church. So they were my church of choice when I was taking my children to church. I may have felt differently if I had known about residential schools back then.
But, my beliefs diverge from even this church, in the acceptance of Jesus of Nazareth as the “Son of God” …. This just smacks way too much of pantheistic mythology for my taste. The United Church was one of the few churches / congregations who didn’t give me a hard time because I never take communion. This sets them apart, as a very spiritualist friendly church and made them a good match for me at that time. Over the past couple of years my own awakening has taught me that we are spirit and the power of god is in every single one of us. Jesus was a living example of the powerful spirit/body beings we can all become. So now I need churches that will at least allow me to evolve and express my own Christ Consciousness.
In Hamilton I went to the East Hamilton Spiritual Church… a small congregation of people who are practicing energy / light work at various levels. Two elements are unique to spiritualist churches; one is a time during the service for meditation and energy healing work; the second is the mediumship portion of the service, when messages are brought to members of the congregation from the other side.
When I arrived in Victoria I was looking for a spiritualist church to
join, so I did a goole search, “Spiritualist Church Victoria”. Three churches
appeared on the list so I set out in Goldilocks fashion to find my new church. I went to the first church on the list. They energy felt wrong the minute I walked in. Then a lady took the microphone and gave us a half a dozen rules on sanctuary behaviour. The place was crowded, a sea of middle-class white faces. The opening invocation was accompanied by drum & flute (recorded) music… the sound was very Native but I could not imagine any place my Native brothers and sisters would feel less
welcome than in this church. The service did have circles of healers holding
hands and praying over groups of individuals. Later the two ministers gave readings to about three people in the congregation. After service many people went downstairs for fellowship… here I could meet and chat with others, so in fairness I attended. Coffee and pastries were being sold from behind a counter; the only person to welcome me was the designated greeter. When I asked about their community involvement I found the answer sorely lacking. I will not go back Ever!
The second week I went to a lovely little service at the second church on the list. It did not have the healing or mediumship elements of a
spiritualist service, but everyone was friendly and the talk from the pulpit
echoed spiritualist philosophy. The kind of things you read in these blogs.
So I returned on week three, again a lovely little service. Good energy … the only thing missing was the healing and mediumship. After service I asked the Reverend, why a spiritualist church would skip those two things. She seemed quite surprised that the Truth Centre had come up as a spiritualist church…. “We are a NEW THOUGHT church”. Later I mentioned the mix up to our guest lecturer and he actually seemed offended. So I have looked into the New Thought movement. They are spiritualists, as are many other emerging churches of the last 150 years. The metaphysical truths are uncovered by somebody, they write a book, the book gets a following, followers get together and VOILE a church is born.
At first I thought my being at the Truth Centre was an accident of google but I have come to accept that it was an act of god. This is my new
church community, nice people with a shared philosophy of LOVE, JOY, PEACE and ONENESS. I guess Spirit of the 8th Fire will have to find a community of practitioners to provide me with eneregtic healing and mediumship... while my own intuitive gift are developing LOL.
Have a joyous day.