Monthly Archives: May 2015

A Clear Pathway Forward

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a clear pathway forward

The time is once more upon us, and I am seeing a clear pathway forward. This is my experience today as the Steps Vigil 2015 begins.

Douglas wrote about the Steps Vigil 2014 here.

I will remind you of what this is about.

From May 26 through June 14 we commemorate the reception of Steps to Knowledge: The Book of Inner Knowing. This 20-day period of time is offered to us as an opportunity to learn for the first time or experience anew the reality of Knowledge and Spiritual Practice as revealed through the daily practices of Steps to Knowledge. This universal practice, introduced for the first time in our world, exceeds most of our expectations and needs if it is studied adequately and applied wisely in the realm of life and relationships.

All are welcome to attend in person or online to honor, deepen and engage in this special time.

A clear pathway forward.

In my part of the world, the daily broadcasts of the Steps Vigil begin at 4 am. Even for an early bird like me, it is rather a challenge to awaken with enough time to be seated before my computer monitor as the broadcast begins. But I try my best. On Day One, I was an hour late because I had miscalculated the time, but I was there to hear the three questions Reed asked us to consider

  • What do you need in entering this Vigil?
  • What opportunities does this Vigil give to you?
  • In light of the need that you have, and the opportunity of this Vigil, what really matters for you now?

We were asked to take pen and paper and write down our responses, which I did.

A little later at the 1.14.37 mark, Marshall Vian Summers spoke. His words moved me deeply and seemed to be speaking to the very heart of my experience today. I truly feel a clear pathway forward is being lain for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZKZIQi0t_k

I offer a transcript of his words here:

“It is my sincere desire that you will hear the Voice of Revelation when you read the words in Steps to Knowledge. You’ve all had a chance now to hear the Voice, which has been revealed for the first time in our world. And Steps to Knowledge, in its current form, is being revealed for the first time in our world, at a time of greatest consequence for the human family, a time of greatest consequence for you who have heard this call.

“It is a wondrous thing you know.

“And while it evokes great appreciation, it also is the most serious thing, the most important thing. My wish is that you will hear this Voice as it is speaking to you, directly to you. As if the Assembly had called you in front of them and wanted to impart everything you need to know, to find your way, to contribute your gifts, and to fulfill your work in the course of your remaining years. My wish is that you will feel this and take it very personally, and feel the gratitude that this has come into your life, and the seriousness of what this means for your life.

“This is not a personal enhancement, this is God talking to you; the pathway for you, instructing you, honoring you, and requiring greater things of you, that you are designed to give.

“It gives me great joy that so many people and increasing numbers of people are beginning to experience this. And it is my great desire that they, like you, will hear this speaking to them very directly, and that they will take this personally, as if it is speaking to them directly. If you can feel this and know this, then you will know that you are not alone, and that those who sent you into the world are watching over you, even now. May the Presence be with us and may we be with them.

“Nasi Novare Coram.”

I took these words out into my garden after the broadcast was over and sat in the morning sun contemplating. I feel that the new home I have been given to live in is evidence of the miracle of Steps to Knowledge manifesting itself in my life. I am seeing a clear pathway forward. And then I received the following email.

A Clear Pathway Forward

To come to terms with the deeper meaning of your life, the greater purpose of your life, there must be a deep evaluation, and this evaluation will be ongoing. It is fundamentally an evaluation regarding relationships.

But we use the word relationship here in a more complete sense, for everything that you are associated with represents a relationship—your possessions, your home, your employment, the world itself, the change that is occurring within the world, the nation in which you live and many other things as well. They all represent relationship.

This is a very important way of looking at your involvement in the world, for it gives you a very clear pathway to follow in discerning what is valuable and what is not, what is helpful and what is a hindrance, what will be needed in the future and what will hold you back. Your relationships are not just with people, but with places, with things, with events, with nations and with the whole world itself.

To begin a deep evaluation of your life and circumstances read The Great Waves of Change, Chapter 5.

This is in perfect harmony with what has surfaced for me as the Steps Vigil 2015 begins.

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Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.

We Take Inspiration From These Great Lives

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ShouldersOfGiants. We take inspiration from these great lives.

Sir Isaac Newton said “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” In the past two months, the students of the Free School of the New Message from God (myself included) have been contemplating, among other things, people whose efforts and contributions make them examples we wish to emulate.

We take inspiration from these great lives

In March of 2015, we read and reflected on the revelation “The Gift of a New Life,” received by Marshall Vian Summers in May of 2011. There are many great ideas here, but the part I wish to share is this part about the efforts which must be made on our part.

“To have a new life, you must do the work. It is not a spell that is put upon you. It is not taking some magic potion and having everything be different. It is not a form of addiction or intoxication.

You will have to do the work. You will have to take the risks. You will have to make the decisions. You will have to disappoint other people. You will have to disappoint your own goals and ambitions. You will have to change your plans.

This is where you become strong. This is where you become united within yourself. This is where you follow one voice instead of many voices in your mind. This is where your true allegiance emerges amongst your other commitments and obligations.

This is where you reclaim your strength and your self-confidence. This is where you stop behaving foolishly, giving your life away to silly and meaningless things. This is where you know who to choose to be with and how to resist the temptations that lead you elsewhere in life.”

We take inspiration from these great lives. In April of 2015, we were asked to consider people who did the work, people who took the risks, people who made the decisions, people who became strong, etc. Students shared people they selected, and gave examples of the work they did and the risks they took. Our selections included, but were not limited to:

Mohandas Gandhi. We take inspiration from these great lives.Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948), father of modern India, called “Mahatma” or “great soul,” nonviolent advocate

Giordano Bruno. We take inspiration from these great lives.Giordano Bruno (1548-1600), philosopher and heretic, prophet of the Greater Community.

Paul Farmer. We take inspiration from these great lives.Paul Farmer, American physician who is best known for his humanitarian work providing suitable health care to rural and under-resourced areas in developing countries, beginning in Haiti.

Amma, the hugging saint. We take inspiration from these great lives.Mata Amritanandamayi, also known as Amma, the hugging saint. They say she has hugged 34 million people.

Chico Mendes in 1988. We take inspiration from these great lives.Chico Mendes (1944-1988), Brazilian rubber tapper, land rights advocate, and environmentalist. He said “At first I thought I was fighting to save rubber trees, then I thought I was fighting to save the Amazon rainforest. Now I realize I am fighting for humanity.”

Tesla in his lab. We take inspiration from these great lives.Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), Serbian-American scientist, engineer and inventor. Our electrical grid works because of his ideas.

We take inspiration from these great lives. We seek to stand on their shoulders, that we may see further. We seek to follow in their footsteps, that we may give what we yearn to give.

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Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.

Tell Me Who Was Strong, Tell Me Who Failed

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Garland-Shooting-Scene-Brandon-Wade-AP-640x390 Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed.

I lived in Garland, Texas from 1990 to 1999. Therefore, the armed attack on the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest was particularly newsworthy in my world.

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed

It is my observation that when people look at a controversial event, they weave a story about this event. And part of the story weaving is designating certain characters in the story as either heroes, villains or victims. I consider this activity to be part of the problem. If I consider someone to be a hero in one event, I will be tempted to filter out evidence that makes them a villain or a victim in some other event. Another way of saying this is that designating someone as a hero, a villain or a victim is a hindrance to my objectivity.

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed. By “tell me who was strong,” I mean “tell me who was direct, tell me who was certain, tell me who was unflinching, tell me who was demonstrating noble character, tell me who knew something.” By “tell me who failed,” I mean “tell me who failed to bless the situation, tell me who failed to control their impulses, tell me who failed to contribute.”

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed. Steps to Knowledge has two consecutive steps which guide my response to those who are strong and those who fail. Step 244 (of 365) is “I am honored when others are strong.” Step 245 is “When others fail, I am reminded of the need for Knowledge.” I consider Step 244 to be an antidote for envy, and Step 245 to be an antidote for discouragement.

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed. Someone is reading this and asking “Very well, Douglas, now that you have described what you mean, tell me who was strong, tell me who failed.” Fair enough. I consider Pamela Gellar to have been strong. I consider the American Freedom Defense Initiative to have been strong. I consider the as-yet-unknown security officer who prevented the killing of many people to have been strong. I consider the hundreds of Muslims who lived in the area and did no harm to have been strong. I consider Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, the two armed attackers, to have failed.

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed. I realize people may read this and disagree with me. Therefore I wish to elaborate. It seems to help me to determine whether someone is being strong or failing by asking “How would I feel if others were to follow the example of a particular person?” How would I feel if a particular person’s actions were amplified tenfold? Another tool I find valuable is asking “How would I feel if the situation was reversed?”

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed. The New Message from God has a teaching directly related to this event. The revelation “Religious Violence” was received by Marshall Vian Summers in November of 2014. The following is from that revelation:

“Religion’s violence has been a plague upon humanity for centuries, exercised around the world, always present, periodically very extreme.

It is a problem because religion is being used by those forces, those groups and those nations seeking power and domination, using religion as a justification, as a cause, as a purpose.

But this cannot be, you see, for God initiated all the world’s religions because God knows that not everyone can follow one teaching or one teacher.

Therefore, to punish the unbeliever is a crime against God. To denounce those who cannot respond to your religion represents a confusion, an arrogance and a crime against God.”

Tell me who was strong, tell me who failed. I pray I will never do violence in the name of my religion. I pray that every person on earth will pray that they never do violence in the name of their religion.

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Welcome to Mystery of Ascension! We are students and advocates of the the New Message from God. We are members of a worldwide community. We seek to assist the world in successfully navigating difficult times ahead. We seek to assist the world in successfully emerging into a greater community of intelligent life. You will also find some poetry. Find out more about us here. Contact us here.