Changes

Music: Dorenda on Piano:

Music: Dorenda on Piano:

Prelude: "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzqpkMJxyss You Are My Hiding Place]"

Prelude: "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzqpkMJxyss You Are My Hiding Place]"

Postlude: "[http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/w/iwilsing.htm I Will Sing the Wondrous Story]"

Postlude: "[https://cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/w/iwilsing.htm I Will Sing the Wondrous Story]"

Prayer: (Matthew) Let us place ourselves in the [[presence]] of [[Jesus]], the Christ.

Prayer: (Matthew) Let us place ourselves in the [[presence]] of [[Jesus]], the Christ.

TOMAS: You are a perfect example of the Perfection that we [[discussed]] last week. Carl, how has Hope impressed you?

TOMAS: You are a perfect example of the Perfection that we [[discussed]] last week. Carl, how has Hope impressed you?

Carl: There's a line from a [[song]] that we sing occasionally. It's called '[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0i2Ujf2DCU There's a River in Judea]' and it says, "Often times I [[dream]] of music of a River that freely [[flows]], And the song it sings is sweeter than honey, one everybody knows. Late at night I hear it singing and again I rise at dawn and it fills me up with Hope and good will - the will to go on."

Carl: There's a line from a [[song]] that we sing occasionally. It's called '[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0i2Ujf2DCU There's a River in Judea]' and it says, "Often times I [[dream]] of music of a River that freely [[flows]], And the song it sings is sweeter than honey, one everybody knows. Late at night I hear it singing and again I rise at dawn and it fills me up with Hope and good will - the will to go on."

TOMAS: You speak to the [[quality]] of Hope that is the [[comfort]] of all who struggle. The [[anticipation]] of better times. Thank you for your contribution.

TOMAS: You speak to the [[quality]] of Hope that is the [[comfort]] of all who struggle. The [[anticipation]] of better times. Thank you for your contribution.

There are many ways to look at [[Hope]]: from a bottom-up point of view, as --when you are at the bottom of the [[social]] structure or are the [[foundation]] upon which [[power]] has its base, Hope is the [[belief]] and [[desire]] which enables one to look out beyond their current struggle to become Living [[Faith]], beyond the current [[suffering]]. It is not as if it is a belief or understanding that the life one is then leading will become one of [[luxury]] or substitute servitude for being served. But rather it is the belief and the [[expectation]] that through [[denial]] and through self-[[sacrifice]] one's [[Soul]] will radiate and rebound to [[joys]] and [[grace]] far beyond the limitation of that [[experience]] at the moment.

There are many ways to look at [[Hope]]: from a bottom-up point of view, as --when you are at the bottom of the [[social]] structure or are the [[foundation]] upon which [[power]] has its base, Hope is the [[belief]] and [[desire]] which enables one to look out beyond their current struggle to become Living [[Faith]], beyond the current [[suffering]]. It is not as if it is a belief or understanding that the life one is then leading will become one of [[luxury]] or substitute servitude for being served. But rather it is the belief and the [[expectation]] that through [[denial]] and through self-[[sacrifice]] one's [[Soul]] will radiate and rebound to [[joys]] and [[grace]] far beyond the limitation of that [[experience]] at the moment.

In other words, one of the greatest examples in your world experience is that of the Negro [[slave]] of American vintage, and the vast array of both spiritual [[music]] and cultural [[practice]] that led to the potential [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Movement Civil Rights movement] that continues to be a part of the developing cultural [[growth]] of your [[society]]. that which came from unfathomable [[pain]], sorrow and utter despair. But despite such a scenario, the Hope that sprung from that [[experience]] far out-strips the misery and the pain that bred such sweetness and flowering to a new height and a new [[experience]].

In other words, one of the greatest examples in your world experience is that of the Negro [[slave]] of American vintage, and the vast array of both spiritual [[music]] and cultural [[practice]] that led to the potential [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Movement Civil Rights movement] that continues to be a part of the developing cultural [[growth]] of your [[society]]. that which came from unfathomable [[pain]], sorrow and utter despair. But despite such a scenario, the Hope that sprung from that [[experience]] far out-strips the misery and the pain that bred such sweetness and flowering to a new height and a new [[experience]].

This is not to dismiss the [[experience]] that was inhumane, [[cruel]] and brutal by any standards, but rather to show that the Hope that was lived and conveyed to future [[generations]] is the Fruit that came from such misery that superceded that which was the [[experience]].

This is not to dismiss the [[experience]] that was inhumane, [[cruel]] and brutal by any standards, but rather to show that the Hope that was lived and conveyed to future [[generations]] is the Fruit that came from such misery that superceded that which was the [[experience]].

===Note===

===Note===

The [[illuminated]] paper bag is a reference to [[2003-04-27-Perfection of Attainment|last Sunday's lesson]] in which the illuminated paper bag was an [[illustration]] of the [[material]] [[being]] infused with [[divine]] [[light]]. On Monday, we drove to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe Santa Fe] to hear and see presidential hopeful Congressman [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Kucinich Dennis Kucinich] at the High School and there in the middle of the [[gymnasium]] floor, serendipitously, was a six foot tall illuminated paper bag!

The [[illuminated]] paper bag is a reference to [[2003-04-27-Perfection of Attainment|last Sunday's lesson]] in which the illuminated paper bag was an [[illustration]] of the [[material]] [[being]] infused with [[divine]] [[light]]. On Monday, we drove to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe Santa Fe] to hear and see presidential hopeful Congressman [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Kucinich Dennis Kucinich] at the High School and there in the middle of the [[gymnasium]] floor, serendipitously, was a six foot tall illuminated paper bag!