#ThursdayTheology: #Regeneration, #Genesis & #Maslow

To give you an idea of where we are going this Sunday, here is Swedenborg’s idea of regeneration:

From the Montréal Theosophy Project.

[Swedenborg describes the stages of spiritual regeneration that can be found in Genesis, in Arcana Coelestia,] trans. John Clowes, (West Chester, PA:Swedenborg Foundation, 1998), §16-85

Excerpt:

Genesis:

On the seventh and final day, God rests, satisfied with the creation

Microcosmic Correspondence:

This constitutes the highest state of perfection for the individual—a state in which there is complete union between his or her inner and outer selves.

Psycho-Spiritual Meaning:

Now, completely aligned with God’s will, so as to be scarcely differentiated from it, the celestial human being finds rest and peace: “Such is the quality of the celestial man that he acts not according to his own desire, but according to the good pleasure of the Lord, which is his ‘desire.’ Thus he enjoys internal peace and happiness.”

Here is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:

#ThursdayThoughts #IJustHadTheStrangestDream

#ThursdayThoughts: “Gentleness of Spirit”

Ponder this quote for Sunday with Rev. Renée Machiniak, when she delves into the gentleness that comes from Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 New International Version (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

#ThursdayThoughts “Be Not Afraid” Sermon

Please enjoy Guest Minister, Rev. Julie Conaron’s selected readings and sermon from Sunday, August 4, 219, at the New Church of Montgomery.

“BE NOT AFRAID”

Fear runs a large part of our lives, and there’s much fear in the Word. How do we cope with this debilitating feeling in our lives?

CONTEXT

Fear/being afraid/frightened is a common thread for many of us in our lives, from childhood up to old age.

 

Be thinking of the many ways fear seems a part of our lives.

 

READINGS

Genesis 50:15-21 When Joseph’s brothers saw their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us and will certainly pay us back for all the wrong we did to him.” So, they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ‘Say to Joseph, “I beg you, forgive the transgressions of your brothers and their sin. For they did evil to you.”’ Now please forgive the transgressions of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

 

Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face and said, “We are your servants.” Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?But as for you, you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many lives. So now, do not fear. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So, he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

 

(Despite what Joseph’s brothers did to him he bore them no ill will. He had so much faith and trust in God he was not afraid. However, his brothers were very fearful, thinking he would pay them back for treating him so badly.)

 

A similar story happened with Esau and Jacob:

Genesis 33: 1-17 Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming and four hundred men with him. So, he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants.  He put the female servants and their children in front, then Leah and her children next, and then Rachel and Joseph last.  He went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

 

But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. When Esau looked up and saw the women and the children, he said, “Who are those with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the female servants came near, they and their children, and they bowed down. Leah also with her children came near and bowed themselves. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed themselves.

 

Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.” Esau said, “I have enough, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob said, “No, I pray you, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my gift from my hand. For I have seen your face, and it is as though I have seen the face of God, with you having received me favorably. Please take my blessing that has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have plenty.” So, he urged him, and he took it.

 

Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds with young are with me. If they are driven too hard one day, all the flock will die. Please let my lord pass over before his servant, and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the livestock that goes before me and the pace the children will be able to endure, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

 

So, Esau said, “Let me leave some of the people that are with me with you.”

But Jacob said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

So, Esau returned that day making his way back to Seir. But Jacob journeyed to Sukkoth and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. 

 

(Of course Jacob was afraid. He had done bad things to his brother Esau: pretending to be him and stealing his birthright. However, Esau bore him no ill will: he was just happy to see him again.)

 

MESSAGE

 

So, both Esau and Jacob and Joseph and his brothers had had issues with each other. Yet the characters who were afraid were those who had done their sibling wrong, not the wronged sibling. And these stories are different: the brothers who did wrong behave differently

 

Here are some definitions of fear:

 

feeling fear; filled with apprehension: afraid to go. 

 

(feeling regret, unhappiness, or the like: I’m afraid we can’t go on Monday. 

feeling reluctance, unwillingness, distaste, or the like: He seemed afraid to show his own children a little kindness.)

 

WHAT DO THE HEAVENLY DOCTRINES SAY?

In the spiritual world the Writings tell us that those in evil and falsity are afraid, but there are other fears as we progress on our spiritual journey

 

AC 4249. “And Jacob feared exceedingly, and was distressed.” That this signifies the state when it is being changed, is evident from the fact that fear and distress are what are first in temptations, and that when the state is being inverted or changed these take precedence. The arcana which lie hidden in what is here said that Esau went to meet Jacob with four hundred men, and that Jacob therefore feared and was distressed can’t easily be set forth, for they are too interior. 

 

When good is taking the prior place and is subordinating truths to itself, which takes place when we’re undergoing spiritual temptations, the good that then flows in from within is accompanied by very many truths which have been stored up in our interiorperson. These can’t come to our mental view and understanding until good acts the first part, for then our natural begins to be enlightened by good, when it becomes apparent what things in it are in accord, and what are discordant, from which come the fear and distress that precede spiritual temptation. For spiritual temptation acts upon the conscience, which is in our interior person; and therefore when we enter into this temptation we don’t know where such fear and distress come from, although the angels with us know this well; for the temptation comes from the angels holding us in goods and truths while evil spirits are holding us in evils and falsities. ** (like Jacob wrestling with the angel?)

 

[2] For the things that come forth with the spirits and angels who are with us are perceived by us exactly as if they were in us; for while we’re living in the body, and if we don’t believe all things flow in, we suppose the things which come forth interiorly are not produced by causes outside of us, but that all the causes are within us, and are our very own; yet such is not the case. For whatever we think or will (our every thought and affection) are either from hell or heaven. When we think and will evils, and aredelighted with the consequent falsities, we may know our thoughts and affections are from hell; and while we are thinking and willing goods, and are delighted with the derivative truths, we may know they are from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord. …the combat of evil spirits with angels …appear as fear and distress, and of temptation, in us.

 

AE 80 (talking about John’s fear). Saying unto me, Fear not, signifies renewal of life. This is evident from the series of things in the internal sense. For John lay as dead, and the Lord, seen as the Son of man, laid His right hand upon him, and said to him, “Fear not.” His “lying as dead” signified failure of his self-life; the Lord’s “laying His right hand upon him” signified life from Him; therefore His saying to him “Fear not” signified renewal of life; for all who come suddenly from self-life into any spiritual life are at first afraid, but their life is renewed by the Lord. 

 

This renewal is effected in this way that the Divine presence, and fear on account of it, are accommodated to reception. The Lord is present, indeed, with all in the universe, but more nearly or remotely according to the reception of good by means of truths with them from Him (as when we take the Holy Supper). For good is that in which the Lord is present with angel, spirits and people; therefore the extent and quality of good from the Lord with them are what determine the extent and quality of the Divinepresence; if the presence goes beyond this, there is anguish and tremor; but by accommodation to reception there is renewal of life. This renewal is what is signified by “Fear not;” also in other places, where it is said by the Lord or by the angel of the Lord when seen: Renewal of life, that comes by accommodation to reception, appears in the spiritual world, when it is presented to view, as a cloud. All societies there are encompassed by such a cloud, denser or rarer according to reception. (Fears come between us and the Lord, heavens)

Note several different fears here: fear of losing what we had/fear on taking a new journey

 

SOLUTION

 

So, what do we do when those fears attack us? How do we cope with that unpleasant feeling?PRAYERS TO GOD

 

Are we in spiritual temptation, or are we allowing hell to attack us?

 

Stories: fear of loss by families/can lead to denial of situation/fear of the unknown.

 

How does fear affect your life?

 

Here are some nurturing passages from the Word:

 

Jos 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

 

Isa 44: 1- 8 Yet now listen, O Jacob, My servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen. Thus says the Lord who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you:
Do not fear, O Jacob, My servant, and you Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants and My blessing on your offspring;
and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
One will say, “I am the Lord’s”; another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
and another will write on his hand, “Belonging to the Lord,” and name himself by the name of Israel.

 

Thus says the Lord the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of Hosts: I am the first, and I am the last; besides Me there is no God. Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it, and recount it in order for Me, since I appointed the ancient people. And let them declare to them the things that are coming, and shall come. Do not fear, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old, and declared it? You are My witnesses! Is there a God besides Me? There is no Rock; I know not any.

 

Amen

Photo by Maggie Panyko 2019, Outer Banks, North Carolina

News from Heaven: “How to See the Light of Heaven

From the Swedenborg Foundation: this clip explores Emanuel Swedenborg’s “Secrets of Heaven”, number 1521.

#DeepThoughts #ThursdayThoughts #Correspondences

Everything in the material world is an effect. The causes of all effects lie in the spiritual world, and the causes of those causes in turn (which are the purposes those causes serve) lie in a still deeper heaven. (Secrets of Heaven #5711)

via https://swedenborg.com/emanuel-swedenborg/explore/correspondences/

#ThursdayThoughts: Faith, Doubt & Fear

Readings to think about for Sunday:

There are those who are in doubt before they deny, and there are those who are in doubt before they affirm. Those in doubt before they deny are those who incline to a life of evil. When that life sways them, they deny things spiritual and celestial. But those in doubt before they affirm are those who incline to a life of good. And when they allow themselves to be turned by the Lord, they then affirm things spiritual and celestial and think about them. AC 2568

The only faith that endures within us springs from heavenly love. Those without heavenly love only have knowledge that is empty, for believing in truth and the Word is not faith. Living faith is to love truth by willing and doing it from an inward affection for it. H&H 482

Following the death of Jesus, 10 of the disciples hid in the upper room out of fear. Jesus had already told them to go forth and proclaim the Good News. But Thomas was the only one who listened and understood. Swedenborg noted that among the disciples, it was Thomas who was blessed.

#ThursdayThoughts @rushtheband “The Garden”

“…The treasure of a life is a measure of love and respect
The way you live, the gifts that you give
In the fullness of time
It’s the only return that you expect…”

Quick Vid: A Tree Is an Image of Our Mind

#ThursdayThoughts: Let’s Work Together

In case you missed it, here is the order of service from Sunday, February 17, 2019.

February 17, 2019, Layperson Leader: Maggie Panyko

Opening Song: Let’s Work Together, by Canned Heat

Candle Lighting:

1. We light the first candle to honor the good and truth to be found in all spiritual traditions.

2. We light the second candle to honor the earth and all of life as the creation of the Divine—the one Lord and God of us all.

3. We light the third candle to honor and support the variety of individual paths which, together, make our one spiritual community.

4. We light the fourth candle to honor and provide an open and safe place for all who seek greater understanding and a life of deepening spirituality.

Opening prayer: Trusting Guidance, (pg 136, Uplifting Prayers to Light Your Way) by Sonia Choquette:

Holy Mother-Father God, Divine Loving Light and Heart of the Universe,

I humbly ask for the healing power of your grace to help me turn all my goals and intentions over to you. Grant me the ability to quiet my mind and tune in to my heart so that I may receive your guidance and trust the outcome. Please send in your angels to allow me to release my limiting ideas and open up to your unlimited ones. I thank you in advance, with my whole heart and soul, for answering my prayer and guiding me to a brighter path. Amen and with infinite gratitude.

Opening Poem: No Man is an Island, by John Donne

No man is an island entire of itself; every man 
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; 
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe 
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as 
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine 
own were; any man's death diminishes me, 
because I am involved in mankind. 
And therefore never send to know for whom 
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. 

The “Our Father”: We will read the Red, our understanding of the prayer is in Black.

Our Father	The Lord is our heavenly Father
who art in the heavens	The Lord is in the heavens.
hallowed be Thy name	Let Thy name be kept holy.
Thy kingdom come	A wish for the church to come on earth as in the heavens.
Thy will be done	The Lord’s will is to give us the happiness of heaven.
as in heaven so upon the earth	Do the Lord’s will as the angels do.
Give us this day our daily bread	Food for the body and food for the spirit.
And forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors	Our praying must be in the spirit of forgiveness.
And lead us not into temptations, but deliver us from evil	A prayer for the perpetual presence of the Lord to guard us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom	We seek to enter into the Lord’s kingdom.
the power	All spiritual power is from the Lord alone.
and the glory	Divinity is the Lord’s alone.
forever	The idea of eternity must be present in our prayers.
Amen	“It is true.”

Message with Service:

We come today and all Sundays to be open to the Word of God and strive to make our will worthy of a life fully lived. If we are to love our neighbor, we should be willing to use our talents, to not only improve our lives but those of others around us, our neighbors.

So today, we will do a little brainstorming. A little networking. A little helping. A little offering of ourselves and our talents. To learn that to by having faith in God, we are opening to being led to use our naturally-given gifts, and also those that we’ve worked hard at learning, to make a little headway towards Heaven on Earth.

In this effort: I would like to ask you to:

Introduce yourself 

Say what are you good at

What are your gifts, your hobbies, etc.

What kind of jobs have you done?

And after we go around the circle, if someone has a problem, big or small that they feel comfortable presenting, please do, so we can be of help. We can work for a little on each one and if two people find they are working together on a problem, they can break off and work together and we will start on a new one.

These could be pet problems, working to understand others, how to get started on something, where to find a resource.

Let’s begin! Problem solving…

Offertory/Meditation Hymn: Long Way Off, by Gungor

Closing Prayer: Finding Solutions (pg 191, Uplifting Prayers to Light Your Way) by Sonia Choquette.

Exit/Closing Song: Put Our Heads Together, by The O’Jays

The service was more open-ended than we planned, so we ended up exploring our connections versus our problems (within the time constraints). It was enjoyable.

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