2003-02-09-God's Will, Real Value

Session

Opening

Music: Dorenda (Elena) Pianist - "Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Heart"

Prayer: Let's place ourselves in the presence of Jesus, the Christ.

Master Teacher, We come to you with open hearts and minds as students of your teaching, but more importantly, students of your Love. To simply recite, or to parrot, that which you have said, and has been quoted and rewritten many times, is not the point, but rather to have taken the illustration, the example, and your representation of God as if He were here within our midst and to take that into our hearts and our minds, to know the character, the value and the relationship that God and man have, as a result of your presence among us. We choose to accept that as the message and not anything else that could be impressed and has been impressed on us, (such) as the suffering Jesus on the cross. Although we regret, and wish to sacrifice that image as something that has died and has risen, which is the message.

We stand with you for all eternity in the relationship that you helped establish in us as we go on to accomplish the will of the Father in our time, and well beyond into eternity, to be all that you have made us to be.

We wish to accept the teachings of the teachers who are made present today and to open our hearts and our minds to allow us to be better creatures of Love and to be that example here, now and always.

And for all of the thoughts, needs, and concerns of all of those present and (those) not able to be here, and for all humanity, that those be known and addressed here, now and for eternity. Amen

TOMAS: Good afternoon, loyal flock. I am Tomas, your teacher, friend and companion, and host in this configuration which once again gathers around for the purpose of partaking of the presence of the Master and learning from him how to live the life of Sonship.

Yes, the Master is with us. The prayer you pray that brings you into His presence is a mere ritual which effectively brings you into the focus of that reality which you are never far from. His presence is constant, but you are not constantly aware of this. However, in these gatherings we are aware of him and the memory of our relationship floods in upon us as a greater reality in which we bathe and frolic.

Lesson

This afternoon, I note, we have a range of subjects which have been presented in your sharing time. A full range of human concerns, even as they infringe upon your spiritual training and focus. But I have in mind an exercise, if you will, since we have the opportunity. Let's investigate further, this man Jesus.

I will take you off the hook in the beginning by acknowledging that His efforts at self-mastery was a process, as yours is and has been. Thus, it will be superfluous to say that you have not attained what the Master has. For you, too, are men among men, women among women, and you, too, have your 'I AM' capacities, your Christ-consciousness. You, too, have your values. And these are related to and identified with, that value which you hold up and one worthy of emulating, that which we know to have been the qualities of the perfected man, Jesus, who walked upon Urantia as you do.

I would like to hear from you today, individually. I would like for you to take a moment now, each of you, to focus on one facet of Jesus' life, one quality of his that you hold dear and that you admire, or that you choose to emulate in your own life. It is a way of becoming closer to the Master, you see. It is a way of identifying yourself with him in your soulful quality.

I know you all well. I know you have many of the Master's qualities, even while you enforce a humility upon your bearing. Let us cast that aside now and rejoice in our relationship with our brother, Jesus of Nazareth. Be fellows with Him here. And, rather than putting him on the pedestal of Divinity as the Risen Christ, embrace him as the human Jesus and tell me what you admire about your brother. Who would like to go first?

Dialogue

Menopah: I will.

TOMAS: I am eager to hear from you.

Menopah: He didn't discriminate against anyone. There were certain taboos in his time, I suppose, just as there are in our time, and he sat down and talked to the Samaritan women -- although He didn't care too much for the scribes and the Pharisees, but that was about the only discriminatory act he ever did; I suppose he was trying to straighten them out or help them to see the error of their ways. He loved the poor and the down-trodden.

TOMAS: He did, indeed. He loved the sinners.

Menopah: He didn't really care what shape or what kind of form they came in.

TOMAS: He also visited in the home of Claudius, a wealthy man, and enjoyed himself.

Anatolia, I encourage you, if you find yourself prompted, to contribute to the reinforcement of these values in our students. Join me in confirming how it is that our students are also like the Man of Galilee, and the Scribe of Damascus, for I see Menopah has no discrimination in him either. He dines with the publicans and sinners and may well have a former prostitute in his associates. Having the ability to love unconditionally, to step outside of the boundaries of race, gender and economics, is indeed a quality the Master has and which you share. Thus, you reveal the Master in your life. What others?

Esmarelda: One of the things I found very human about Jesus as he was living his life as a human, was how he always honored his mother and his father. And when his father died, Jesus, being the oldest child, assumed the responsibility of taking care of the rest of the family and he made sure they were taken care of -- his mother, brothers and sisters -- before he went on his long journey of learning and teaching. That's one of the things that impressed me.

Matthew: One of the best ways (for me) to understand Jesus was in the Urantia Book. Before that I always identified with the Old Testament and I didn't have much of anything to base a relationship on, even from the New Testament, other than the worship value, etc. But according to the Urantia Book there were some great stories - for instance there was the time that Jesus was 'corrected' at Temple school because he had done an artwork piece. The chief Rabbi called his parents in and told them that the school could NOT accept any creating of artwork since Law against creating 'graven images' was intact. At home Joseph and Jesus discussed this and yet Jesus could not convince Joseph that artwork was alright and said he would comply with Joseph's wishes but that he didn't agree with this Law that artwork was wrong.

Then not too shortly thereafter Jesus had the opportunity to open Joseph's mind by saying that many of the written Laws had outlived their usefulness. Joseph asked how that could be and Jesus pointed to the ritual of touching the piece of leather on the doorway every time you go through the door and wondered what good that Law was. Joseph said we have always done it. It is tradition. Jesus told Joseph it was a nonsensical thing to do because the practice of touching that leather did nothing, changed nothing, it was meaningless. And Joseph had to recognize that.

So, even as a child, Jesus seemed to see through and rise above what the written Law was saying. His whole life demonstrated that and I find it extraordinary.

TOMAS: You both have brought up invaluable points about the Master Teacher as a fellow human being.

Esmarelda's point of loyalty to family, child rearing, home making and those values, are so readily over-looked by those of you who seek to do His will. As if by going to work and providing for your family, or overseeing their homework or their many, many various needs and interests, you are somehow EVADING your Spiritual work. This is totally erroneous, for those of you who are devoted to your families are like Jesus, devoted to the values which create the Home which is the 'cradle of civilization.' This is valuable work, indeed, work for God and for his children.

Those who are not blessed with these family 'constraints and confinements' may well be doing more artistic or unconventional acts on behalf of the Kingdom, but they are no less worthy. The lamenting that you yourself have done, Esmarelda, about not being active enough in ministry, brings a wry smile to my countenance, for your devotion to your daughters and their families, as well as the family of humanity to which you have attached yourself, is a constant and caring commitment coming from you, as you, Matthew, are the voice of sanity and clarity in revealing the truth of the moment, not unmindful of the cultural conditioning that has gone into the moment, but even more aware of and sensitive to the true meaning of the moment that is revealed.

But isn't it a marvel that the Master did bring to the awareness of the day in which he lived, the merits of art and of sports -- those are two realms of value which have come to flower, at least somewhat and in some cultures. But what drudgery life might be without the diversion, distraction and delights of competitive sports as well as artistic expression. At the risk of sounding entirely mortal, it could be said then, that by going to see your favorite team play, you are doing the Father's will. And that is not without truth, for you are participating in the sport in good faith of a battle for victory that, in the ideal, does not draw blood.

Paula: The story about the leather on the door reminds me of when I was young and the family that lived across the street from us were ardent Catholics and Democrats. Our family was Republican and Protestant. The family across the street had a metal figure of Christ on the Cross that was attached to the wall at the foot of the staircase and every time you went up the stairs you were supposed to kiss it. When I was over there to play I didn't kiss it, and they thought I was awful, and the worst thing they could say about me was that I was 'a dirty little Protestant Republican.' (group laughter throughout this story- especially right there)

TOMAS: And so, what about this story indicates what it is about Jesus that you love so much?

Paula: That I love?

TOMAS: Yes.

Paula: Stories….bible stories. I used to have a beautiful little book that told all kinds of stories that I learned more from than anything I ever learned in Sunday School.

TOMAS: Did you get this book from those 'loathsome Catholic Democrats?' (group laughter)

Paula: No, I received that from my parents and I had it for years. It got lost, over the years, in the shuffle but I did buy a book that was similar for my children.

TOMAS: You are my child, and I love you.

Are there other references?

Elena: One of the things that I admire so much and find it amazing that he could do, was dealing with the myriad people that he did and yet he could listen to each one and appreciate their individual stories. I really admire that because I find that very difficult to do … without becoming impatient or anything like that. I have to believe that was hard to do.

TOMAS: It would not be apparent to your friends, my dear. Perhaps you would suggest to yourself that you could better relate to your enemies, even though we fully well know there are no real enemies - only friends you haven't met yet.

What do you think, Thoroah? What quality of the Master is one you admire?

Thoroah: I've learned a lot about Jesus' humanity in the last half of my life, such as the fact that he didn't always know who he was and had to discover who he was -- that he was, like us, going through a process of self-discovery, and that he was a very human, human. It wasn't magic for him. He had to learn it - discover it. He experienced everything from the pain of hitting his thumb with a hammer to the pain of disappointments. He learned to master that.

As Dorenda said, he had the patience and the perception to not get caught up in the emotional things … with the ability to identify with the emotions of others without getting emotional himself, and effectively deal with others on a very, very personal level. That's a skill - a Mastery. It wasn't magic. As a human he learned how to do that. It was important for me to understand that.

Menopah: To take this aspect of being non-discriminatory a bit further - we have a hard time dealing with our enemies and He prayed for his.

TOMAS: That, then, is a quality you would do well to develop. Ascertain who they may be and focus positive energy on them. Embrace them in the spirit of fellowship. Assuage their fears. Introduce to them, through your attitude, a reflection of the Prince of Peace.

Indeed, he attained these things, Thoroah, by and through his communion with our Father, and these same human qualities can be mastered, and are being mastered everyday, by opened-eyed individuals such as yourself, such as yourselves, who are aware of imperfection and seek to turn imperfection into a relative perfection that would better reveal the values reflecting the nature of God, such as Jesus did, and does now, in your lives and through you.

Gerdean, you have not contributed. What would you say is an admirable trait of the Master?

Gerdean: I liked his comfort. I like the fact of his comforting presence. I think too much and I get rattled too much and I'm too impressionable -- with the emotional strains and the intellectual thoughts and dysfunctions. I get too confused. I like the comfort of the Master. It's perhaps like a drug that anesthetizes me against the pain.

TOMAS: Perhaps he does, child. But you will learn how to grow beyond allowing these disturbances to impact you so greatly. This is not to say that you will become 'thick skinned,' as they say, but you will be able to see through his eyes, how, in the course of time, this too shall pass. There is much suffering that cannot be overlooked … not in an imperfect world like Urantia … but it does not have to be your primary focus.

I revisit our session last week, wherein the theme was Joy, the Underlying Joy of Sonship that allows you to withstand the temporary vicissitudes of a changing world and an evolving soul. But certainly you are right to run to the Master as the Comforter, which he is, and to be a Comforter to others as you pass, by is allowing him another avenue of service, in and through yourself.

Our Master was a sublime human being. But, as Elena pointed out, he was able to be original and unique to and with each individual he encountered -- personal to them -- and thus he was able to give himself completely to the unfolding reality of that instant. And the many, many conflicts and concerns of a world in change, in disarray, in turbulence, did not affect his ability to minister to each individual he encountered in his personal ministry with humanity.

I would ask you this week to ponder on these things and when you encounter the many subjects that capture your interest, the many concerns worth praying for, the many topics worthy of study, the many systems requiring your energy, that you counsel with your elder brother and ask his guidance in how you may be most effective, where you might just be spinning your wheels, and where you might be of value, to yourself and to the ministry of humanity.

There is no simple or unimportant effort. EVERY effort on your part, as a conscious son or daughter of God, is a reflection of the Almighty. Do not take yourself too lightly, or your work indifferently. It is how the Kingdom is advanced.

Anatolia, would you like to speak to the group today?

ANATOLIA: Welcome, all, to our next session of meeting ourselves in The Moment. And for The Moment all is provided.

There is a lesson to be held in the sanctity of The Moment and this Moment I speak of is the one that is most important, because each and every time you have occasion to rise to the top of the bottle, as cream rises to the top of whole milk, these are Moments in which you bring yourself in consciousness, in one with the sanctity of God himself.

For God himself was made manifest in the body and spirit and personality of the one you call The Master Teacher, or Jesus of Nazareth, or the host of appropriate titles that were and are given this Son of God made present. Whenever you have occasion to rise to the level of oneness or fellowship with He who was sent to be your Voice of reason, your Place within the realm of oneness with your heavenly Father, and the one who was The Bridge from human consciousness to Sonship, you know within yourselves, in that Moment of awareness, that, that is why he went through the time, the trial, and the effort to bring this message to you.

Had it not been for His loving presence here in your midst, and had someone else fulfilled the prophecy and made themselves present as a 'heavenly visitor,' while it could have been in a similar way, it still would not have been the same for God to have given his very Son, a Creator Son at that, as a Manifest Destiny of humanity. This, and only this, has made all of the difference. For anyone else could have shown the way, as the prophets had done for years prior, but only the Creator Son of your world and your universe could have made all of the difference.

And this difference is yours yet today to behold and to be at one with, for no one truly expects perfection of your limited world-based, animal-natured physical presences within your realm, for this is of the earth and enables you to be at one with it. But your Spiritual Presence - your consciousness of being - is what is expected to be perfect in your realm as your Father is in his. It is this consciousness of oneness of being that is your link to the past, present and future. It is this consciousness that your Master Teacher awakens within you that allows you to be at one with Him and with All Else That Is, as if the heavenly Father were present, as Jesus is present.

So let not anything discourage you from your attempts at becoming perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect, for it is the Spirit that always rises above that which your physical being cannot enable. It is the Spirit that heals. It is the Spirit that resurrects. And it is the Spirit, which is everlasting and part of the Eternal Plan, which you currently experience.

So, in a real sense, this is the Eternal Moment that enables you to be aware and to be conscious of that which is in your relationship on an ongoing basis. For you to maintain this is difficult but, at a Moment such as this we speak of, you are called to encounter it as a living experience and to cherish it as a reminder of that which is yet to be experienced in greater depth, breadth and full extent.

So let that which prevails within your Father's realm, prevail within your heart and your mind, in your limited physical countenance and in your Spiritual awareness that enables you to be God-Man present. For as Jesus had said, greater things are yet expected of you. So do not doubt that which Spirit has created and enables you to be as a manifest presence of our heavenly Father. Nothing short of experiencing the Father directly can keep you from recognizing that which Jesus brings to your attention. As the presence of the Father himself and as that relationship expands within your life's work and consciousness today.

So peace be with you in every way and every realm as you attempt in your encounters with this Spirit Consciousness to be the best that you can be, both here, now and forevermore. For it is this consciousness which is brought to the heights as your physical nature enables you to experience that which Spirit alone would be limited from experiencing. In this way your physical life and your spiritual life enhance one another. The physical is not less than and less desirable. It is as if humankind itself presents the opportunity for perfection to know imperfection and for imperfection to know perfection for it is this interweaving, as the infinity symbol indicates, that is the union of God and man, the ongoing and outreaching eternal symbol which is forever one.

Peace pervade and provide all that you need, both here and now, and let the loving presence of our Master Teacher and heavenly Father preside within you always. Peace be with you and have a Christ-centered week and life ahead. Peace be with you.

Closing

TOMAS: We draw to a close our sacred circle of association and look ahead to the upcoming week, the adventures afoot, the travels ahead, the challenges at hand and the opportunities arising, and give thanks for the indescribable Joy of life, of living, of knowing this Moment, this Reality, this Eternal Adventure. Thank you, for conjoining with us once more.

In the days ahead be mindful of our attendance as you go about your affairs. We are with you and heavenly helpers are integrating themselves into your purpose so as to reveal the qualities of the Perfect Design.

Until we meet again, be of good cheer and ask questions on behalf of your fellows. Amen and farewell.