1995-01-08-Repetition Necessary To Learning

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Topic: Repetition Necessary To Learning

Group: Unknown

Facilitators

Teacher: Mantouba, Will, Machiventa, Ambrose, Xiandria, Aloysious, Alfonso

TR: Unknown

Session

Opening

Pedagogy

TR #1 Mantouba: Greetings, it is I Mantouba, here to open this meeting. We are indeed, many among you. Your teachers are here present, as well as many who indeed, instruct them. We are beginning a new year, as you have spoken amongst yourselves earlier. We would embrace this new year with you, my children, and begin to step forth on our journey in earnest. We commend you highly for your participation thus far, and we sense the energy among you as the movement begins. We have overseers among us tonight, whose purpose is and has been, to oversee each of the Teaching Mission groups, to begin to build curricula that will be used in future days. Each group has within it a number of core lessons, if you will, that will become a part of this curriculum. Your group, as well, has and continues to play an active part. You who have built among you such a strong family, who have been able to withstand the pressures, those areas that were seen to be negative, and still maintained your purpose, your goal. For these and other things, you are to be highly commended. We ask that in the days to come, you continue to open, as we sense you are doing, to these new possibilities, that will indeed, be presented. I will step back now, and allow others to speak. But know that we love you, and do take a full part in your proceedings.

Go forth into this new season, newly charged with the love of the Father in your heart. Shalom.

All: Shalom.

TR #2 Will: The love of God surrounds us, the love of God enfolds us, the love of God supports us, wherever we gather, He is.

Good evening, and greetings to you all. I am your teacher, Will, who loves you.

Lesson

Learning, Growth

In general among creatures of your order, it is necessary to have three exposures to any new idea or concept before it's possible for you to manipulate with any degree of certitude the material presented. We can call those exposures initiation, familiarization, and incorporation. Initialization is your first exposure to a new idea or concept, although it's not limited to abstract ideas, it can also be simple tools. Initiation exposure is rarely comfortable, certain members of your species are able to manipulate things from the outset, upon only initialization, but the majority of you creatures require at least a second step, familiarization, where upon a second exposure, you recognize the idea or concept, in a spiritual setting. Having the ability to recognize it, you do not fear the end, you do not feel the animal fear, which is so pervasive to your natures. For most of you, familiarization exposure is your first real encounter. Once you lose your fear of new ideas and concepts, it is for the first time, practical for you to manipulate such notions and suggestions.

Upon the third exposure, incorporation, are you first fully able to see the purpose in applications available to you of new insights. We have said many times that no one truly seeking spiritual progress, will be held back. The flip side of that rule is, neither can anyone be prodded into actions and concepts for which they are not yet prepared. This group contains a diversity of people, because of the differing circumstances in which you earn your livings, and the amount of free time available to you, there is disparity among you as to receptiveness of notions entailing spiritual growth. For most of you, three exposures are necessary. None of you should feel dismay that good, worthy, and sturdy ideas are not immediately embraced by fellow members of the group. Remember, there is no growth without discomfort. There is no growth without discomfort. When the discomfort grows too great, growth stops, ego protection steps in. We are trying to inculcate a manageable level of discomfort. When you feel perfectly comfortable, you are not growing. When you feel perfectly comfortable, you are not risking anything, you are doing nothing. Growth requires the taking of chances, and the comet tail which inevitably follows chances and risk is discomfort. We encourage each of you over this coming week to reflect on your willingness to maintain a manageable level of discomfort.

Our Father continues to provide opportunities for each of you to grow as persons. Sometimes you see these opportunities, most times not. Look with your hearts. Rely on all your senses. Those of you who are clever, set aside your wit and cynicism, hone your other tools. Those of you who tend to react emotionally, think with your rational brains. Those of you inclined to slovenly thought patterns, set aside your habitual thoughts, listen with keen ears. Use all the skills that the great God has provided for you, in the future and beyond the future, you will need them all. Accept some level of discomfort, there is no other way. That's all I have to say. Shalom.

All: Shalom.

Courage

Machiventa: Maybe you remember, years ago I said to you, in this very room, which probably seems like a long time to you, that many are drawn to the Father's fire. They come seeking meat, and bread and fellowship, but when the voice of the Father rings out, they drift away, back into the darkness, by ones and twos, until few are left.

That is the way it has always been on this world. We are here to change all that. I do not detect that any of you will attempt to slip away in such a fashion. I forecast that you will stay, broiled on one side, ice cold on the other, and wondering what it all means. It means you are not afraid to stand close to the fire.

And it is a good feeling. You cannot know at this point the meaning of it all, follow your hearts, be brave, be brave! The Father has no use for cowards! We think you are up to it. I, Melchizedek, know where of I speak. You people are not all here by accident, not every one of you will stay forever. Many of you have other work to perform in the future, but those are problems for the future, and not for now. For now, this is it. This family, these experiences. Take courage in those around who have not the benefit of the intellectual....(pause) sorry, seeking a word)...the intellectual clarity laid out in the Urantia Book, yet through faith, exhibit the courage that comes from knowing God, within and without. You too can be blessed with that courage on a daily basis, if you but sit quietly, and listen to what the Father has to say to you, when you take time to hear Him. We shall discuss these matters again. Shalom.

All: Shalom.

Focus

TR #1 Ambrose: Greetings my friends and students. I have but a small exercise I would most humbly request that you try within your coming week.

In all the moments of your day, all of these moments are filled with individual tasks, that are performed by you, in a linear fashion. We would ask you to look at these individual tasks or pieces of time, as if they were a many faceted jewel, with the ability to reach out and touch other pieces of time, pieces of time within your day, as well as having the ability to touch other people within that same piece of time. Most often, when you begin to perform a task, regardless of whether its at the work place or within the home, even driving your car, you begin to do the task in a single minded way, and you allow yourself to focus simply on that task. We would ask you to try to begin to focus on more than one thing within that piece of time. For instance, if you were driving your car to your work place, you might be utilizing the time to make contact with the Father as well, you might in addition, allow yourself to become a conduit during those times that you have the ability to make eye contact with your brothers and sisters along your route. If you are acting within your work place, rather than focusing entirely on the project at hand, you might, and in fact you often do, interact with your coworkers in an open and loving fashion. And bring into that moment your love of the Father, bring into that moment your remembrance of those contacts with him that you have been aware of. This will heighten the experience, and will allow for an outflowing of that experience, that will bridge into other pieces of your day. Try this, and see if it does not bring both more enrichment into your life as well as more of those spiritual moments of which you have been speaking. I leave you now, my friends, with my love, and the love of us all here assembled. Shalom.

TR #3 Xiandria: Good evening, I am Xiandria, I would just like to speak a brief message of greetings, and tell you how much I have enjoyed being on the observation deck tonight. Your group is most pleasing to us all. I would only say, always look to the Father, your answer will always be there. Thank you for allowing me to participate.

TR #4 Aloysious: Greetings, this is Aloysious, and there are indeed many of us here tonight. Only a few will speak. There are many jobs to be done for the Father and only you can do them. Many opportunities will be given to you to be about the Father's work. You need only to recognize those opportunities and act on them. Sharpen your saw of sensitivity to these opportunities, for they will be rewarding, and you will be happy that you took the opportunity, that you took us up on those opportunities. Peace go with you this week. Shalom.

All: Shalom

Closing

TR #5 Alfonso: This is Alfonso. As you can see, this is a year we marshal our forces. We begin the big push. We have assembled the multitudes, we have planted seeds, and with your help, we go forward into a new year. We expect big things, through small acts. We look forward to the renewed excitement in this group and in other groups. And we ask that you continue in the most important practice that we yet requested, that of your daily stillness practice and your communion with the Father. With the Father there can be no errors. Shalom.

All: Shalom.