Lesson 1O, The Cross and the Crown
Our experiment over the next two weeks will be a pleasure to do:
Look for joy in living. Express joy in dealing with others. Live with an attitude of enjoyment of being alive in this place and in this special time in mans spiritual evolution.
There will be no meeting next Monday, September 4, 2017. The Library is closed for Labor Day.
We finished reading down to the last experiment in our experiments book. And we also finished reading our lesson in the experiments book.
John did a super job of leading this month on the Cross and the Crown. Rarely have we completed the remainder of both chapters on the same night. John, we also want to thank you for leading our ASFG group two out of three of our summer months. I believe this is also the first time since we began rotating group leadership monthly that anyone has had to lead again so near to the last month they also served as group leader. So thank you John. We appreciate you.
We were able to close the group early and have a social time discussing what it was like to experience "the eclipse." We also have two group members who moved to Colorado Springs from Houston and at least two others with family or friends in Houston who were in the flooding. So conditions of flooding was another topic for discussion.
At our next meeting, June will lead our group on "The Lord Thy God Is One."
Joyfully yours,
Sylvia
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
A.R.E. Meeting for 8/21/17
Hello Everyone,
Excitement lingered as we began
our meeting regarding the first total eclipse of the sun all the way across the
United States
for the first time in 99 years. In
addition, a doctor posted on the Internet a false Google research earth finding
of pyramids in Antarctica . Actually, the configuration of the “three
pyramids” is mountains discovered 1910-191, shaped very much like pyramids but
with curving lines ascending the three peaks.
We
read three sections on “The Cross and the Crown,” from page 114 to the end of
the section, “Why Do We, as Individuals, Necessarily Bear Much That He Bore,
and Yet Say That When Taking His Yoke upon Us the Cross Becomes Easy?” near the
center of page 118.
Our experiment is the next one in
the book following quotes of readings 262-334, 5749-10, 1440-2 advising us to
not wonder as much about what my Cross is, but rather how with his aid, best
meet my cross, in my approach to the Crown of Righteousness. The next two describe the attitude: Humility, the same humbleness with which he
met all the challenges before the throng, the mockery, the rulers, the
riffraff, the purple robe with the crown of thorns, humbles knowing in self
that it is that necessary for GOD’S WILL to be more “Truly Manifested” in thine
own experience. (Broadly paraphrased)
The Experiment Is: Meet your crosses with an attitude of
humility. Do not defend yourself with retorts or argumentative statements, even
if you feel you are right. Keep a record
of situations in which you were able to bear a cross humbly without defense of
yourself.
See you Monday,
Sylvia
Sunday, August 20, 2017
A.R.E. Meeting for 8/14/17
Hello Everyone,
It was a pleasure to welcome Bill Mitchell to his first meeting with us. Bill has belonged to other study groups previously and has made about three trips to ARE Headquarters in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Our Experiment is located on pages 113-114. Our challenge is to identify an area of life in which we feel burdened, to scrutinize ourselves for behaviors and attitudes on which we work to keep feeling burdened. That is to say, write down a burden you feel, and list behaviors or attitudes that maintain that sense of feeling burdened. Now choose one attitude or behavior from your list to replace with a constructive one. Work daily at least a week on expressing the replacement.
Example:
burdened by: frequent arguments with Richard
attitudes and behaviors
I work at: work to recall past instances I thought he was selfish
work to feel resentful
work to speak unkindly of him to others
replacement: begin now to speak in a more positive way of him to others
Can it really be that simple to transform a feeling of being burdened by daily practice of a positive attitude or behavior? If we accept this challenge, we will know in a week, won’t we?
Our discussion of our lesson was good. We read down to the heading on page 114 of ASFG on “The Cross and The Crown." It is, “Why was it Necessary That He, The Maker of Heaven and Earth, Should Bear a Cross?”
Step by step, day by day working to develop ourselves spiritually can seem tedious, discouraging and uninteresting; primarily, I think, because progress is so difficult to see and measure. But having a group, this group, to take that walk with me step by step is inspiring, stimulating, fun. Thank you Every One for being such an important part of this endeavor.
Your “elephant fingers” typist,
Sylvia
It was a pleasure to welcome Bill Mitchell to his first meeting with us. Bill has belonged to other study groups previously and has made about three trips to ARE Headquarters in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Our Experiment is located on pages 113-114. Our challenge is to identify an area of life in which we feel burdened, to scrutinize ourselves for behaviors and attitudes on which we work to keep feeling burdened. That is to say, write down a burden you feel, and list behaviors or attitudes that maintain that sense of feeling burdened. Now choose one attitude or behavior from your list to replace with a constructive one. Work daily at least a week on expressing the replacement.
Example:
burdened by: frequent arguments with Richard
attitudes and behaviors
I work at: work to recall past instances I thought he was selfish
work to feel resentful
work to speak unkindly of him to others
replacement: begin now to speak in a more positive way of him to others
Can it really be that simple to transform a feeling of being burdened by daily practice of a positive attitude or behavior? If we accept this challenge, we will know in a week, won’t we?
Our discussion of our lesson was good. We read down to the heading on page 114 of ASFG on “The Cross and The Crown." It is, “Why was it Necessary That He, The Maker of Heaven and Earth, Should Bear a Cross?”
Step by step, day by day working to develop ourselves spiritually can seem tedious, discouraging and uninteresting; primarily, I think, because progress is so difficult to see and measure. But having a group, this group, to take that walk with me step by step is inspiring, stimulating, fun. Thank you Every One for being such an important part of this endeavor.
Your “elephant fingers” typist,
Sylvia
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
A.R.E. Meeting for 8/7/17
Our experiment for the lesson on "The Cross and the Crown" is at the bottom of page 112 in Mark Thurston's book, "Experiments in a Search for God."
This is based on the concept that our necessary "crosses" are born for our development, but it is actually glorious to be able to bear the cross for the "sake of Him who made the way of escape possible for us."
Another perspective we can step up to is: See our work in bearing the cross as part of His work. Realize as we attune ourselves and let go of false perceptions of reality, all of mankind is helped, enlightened, or affected by our own awareness. (As when unconsciously and telepathically impacted or changed by the conscious reality of others.)
EXPERIMENT--Meet each of your crosses as if your work were symbolic of all humanity's attempt to deal with this specific type of difficulty. Record your experiences of working with this attitude in mind.
Meeting notes "Cross" with no Crown in sight yet.
Sylvia
This is based on the concept that our necessary "crosses" are born for our development, but it is actually glorious to be able to bear the cross for the "sake of Him who made the way of escape possible for us."
Another perspective we can step up to is: See our work in bearing the cross as part of His work. Realize as we attune ourselves and let go of false perceptions of reality, all of mankind is helped, enlightened, or affected by our own awareness. (As when unconsciously and telepathically impacted or changed by the conscious reality of others.)
EXPERIMENT--Meet each of your crosses as if your work were symbolic of all humanity's attempt to deal with this specific type of difficulty. Record your experiences of working with this attitude in mind.
Meeting notes "Cross" with no Crown in sight yet.
Sylvia
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
A.R.E. Meeting for 7/31/17
John led the meeting this evening in chapter eleven on The Cross and The Crown. It included a lively discussion on our experiment of last week and of those for this upcoming week.
Our reading was in the experiments book from near the top of page 109 through the experiment on the bottom of page page 110.
Our experiment is whichever we choose of the two experiments. The third possibility is to undertake doing both experiments.
With Love and Light,
Sylvia
Our reading was in the experiments book from near the top of page 109 through the experiment on the bottom of page page 110.
Our experiment is whichever we choose of the two experiments. The third possibility is to undertake doing both experiments.
With Love and Light,
Sylvia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)