2007-06-09-Working Team Demo
Unity Village CNF #54
Topic: Working Team Demo
Group: Unity Village
Teacher: Sondjah
TR: Daniel Raphael
Opening
Daniel: Today’s session is an educational piece on the Co-Creative Working Team process. It is experimental and developmental where several mortals work through a channel for advisement and consultations with a celestial teacher—angel, or Melchizedek, or whomever—a person without skin. (Laughter.)
Dialogue
I was pleasantly reminded of the wonderful successes last year, 2006, at the Association of Light and Life Conference in Santa Barbara, California, where several working group sessions were in place, doing virtually this identical work. It gave me confidence that what I had been receiving was well founded and not extraneous to the Teaching Mission or to the Magisterial Mission. In June of last year, [2006] Monjoronson began a series of twelve presentations/transmissions, which ended January 1, 2007. As usual for myself as the TR, material comes through me, Roxanne transcribes the recorded session, we edit it, she sends it to archives, and I never read them again.
In December 2006, Spirit nudged me to read the transcripts, to date, which I did. I was very amazed to find a definite connection between them, as though they were a complete syllabus. Being pragmatic I asked, “So what? What’s that got to do with me?”
Well ask a question; get an answer, “We want you to put it into a manuscript format.”
Okay, I can do that. So, over the next few months I edited and adapted it so it would become readable, and this [holding up the manuscript to the audience] is the document that has come forward. It’s available in hard copy from me for a cost; it is available in PDF form—all you have to do is email me at [[email protected]] and I will send you a copy. I was fortunate to have Barbara Marx Hubbard’s supportive comments for the cover.
If you read within the pages of the manuscript, you’ll see that the working team concept is mentioned—a cooperative, more intimate, conscious proposal for working with mortals to create solutions for our issues of sustainability. This manuscript [says] that we can anticipate some major problems on the planet, and when they occur we should be prepared for that and move into an era of light, rather than another “dark ages.” Therefore, we’ve been called to participate in uplifting our civilization beginning before those events occur. Whether the cataclysms occur or not, this sounds like an awfully good idea.
Today, we have a panel that will ask questions oriented toward the working team process. Sondjah is here and will act as the spiritual facilitator/consultant. I will be the TR, and Sondjah will come through me. Also standing in is Shahdnah, who is the Presiding Officer of the Most Highs. He came into my awareness about eleven years ago, and occasionally visits when events develop here that are of concern to the Most Highs. He presents a very, very large, huge, perspective. He comes from Edentia, and with the Most Highs is involved in the affairs of humanity.
Members of the panel include my fiancée, Sherille Clayden, Meredith Tenney, Rick Voss and Deborah Goaldman.
Meredith: I am here for the invocation, not as a member of the panel, right?
Daniel: Yes, you can ask questions as well. (Laughter.) You didn’t want to ask any questions, did you? But, you can’t help yourself—you will though! (More laughter.) We will now have the invocation and declaration of intention by Mer, and when she’s done, we will be greeted by Sondjah, followed by panel members asking questions about the working team process. They [panel members] have some scripted questions, but are not limited to that. Those are just to get them primed and oriented towards asking questions about the working team process. Mer, please?
Meredith: Everyone, please close your eyes. [Chime rung once.] Divine parents, we invoke your presence today. We invoke the presence of Machiventa that he may share with us, his wisdom of many years, working on the planet, and his supreme loyalty, which he holds to Jesus. And we invoke the presence of our Creator Son, Michael, that he may bring to us his Spirit of Truth, will help to refine our questions and point the way. And we invoke the presence of Monjoronson, our Magisterial Son, that he may bring to us a spirit of unity, so that all in this room will unite in a spiritual path before us. And we invoke the presence of the Melchizedek brothers, who can teach us and guide us in this process. And we invoke the presence of our Midwayer friends that they may aid in the communication process between spirit and mortal. And we invoke the presence of our seraphic companions, that the Angels of Churches, the Angels of Progress, may share with us their input, their wisdom and their plans. We invoke the presence of Mother, that her Holy Spirit may fill the room and that her graciousness may pervade this place.
We have long lacked a pattern for working together graciously as a team, and we invoke Mother’s help in setting that pattern here today. We call upon our Thought Adjusters, each and every one. We ask them to step to the forefront in our minds now, for the whole concept of working team is part of Michael’s Divine Plan to glorify the Father, here on earth; to utilize mortal beings in their close to animal state, and demonstrate how the presence of the Father Within can take such creatures and make of them, conscious, universe citizens, working in productive teams with the celestial administration. Lastly, as mortals, we declare our intention, to work in concert with Machiventa and all of the celestial presences named, to transform this world. We acknowledge that their presence with us is as real as the presence of the person sitting beside us. We ask that this day will help to expand our consciousness, of that reality. Amen.
SONDJAH: Good afternoon, this is Sondjah. Welcome to the first working team demonstration. This session today is for educational purposes. It is our wish that this process and these teams would be replicated all over your world. It is my esteemed privilege to be this focal point at this moment for those forces, those beings, and the powers that flow towards this project that I may address you and speak with you. What we wish for is that the Correcting Time pervade all of your world, all its activities, and that this be done co-creatively with you, not by fiat, not by miracle, not by command or demand, but done with you, with your participation, for you are the citizens of this planet and will live out the decisions you make, whether you participate or do not.
Co-creative solutions add greatly to the soul value of each individual, and of its planet’s future. In the end we see this team process being replicated in all countries, all nations, all cultures, all ethnic groups, all races, and all religions that have contact with Christ Michael’s forces of light. Our only requirements are that they consciously participate and dedicate their efforts towards Christ Michael’s correcting program, and toward the evolution of this planet toward the days of light and life.
I am here today to answer questions you may have, from these panel members, from each of you in the audience, those questions you hold in your mind, which you do not ask. Know that someone will ask them if you don’t. Let us begin.
Rick: Sondjah, my first question on these working teams, do we first pick a problem that we would like to deal with, and then bring the team together, or do we first bring together a team, and then pick a problem?
SONDJAH: It is often best to begin by picking a problem that is common to each individual who will then participate on the panel, those who have common interests and common passions, and seek for truth in this process.
Rick: My next question would involve the method when you bring together people of a common desire, common interest, you can have different personality types. Not too long ago, you spoke about these personality types, one type being a “people person,” the first person who would start off the project, and then you would have a person who knows how to make things happen, so to speak. Would you speak about this? What would be your recommendations as to help each person in the working team understand what their strengths are, and what part of the project that they should step forward and lead at that time?
SONDJAH: Certainly. You must begin with your values. Examine whether you have common values, and then look to the skills of each individual. If your values are divergent, then what comes forth will be divergent. The central program is to determine uniform values in your societies and this begins with each individual. Values are the universals of human kind, of civilization that develops into beliefs and ways of behaving, ethics and morals, social standards. Within the working team, begin by appreciating the differences, recognizing them to see how they are useful towards the team process. If everyone were the same on a team, you would have uniform answers, and you would have voids, you would have empty spaces that would need to be explored. By using a diverse mind group, you would be able to explore diverse areas. Those who have lower skill levels will assist by asking questions that may have escaped those who even know the subject. This is a good way to start. The recognition of these differences is a paramount feature of the working team and its eventual cooperative output and product.
Deborah: Sondjah, say that we are interested in having a co-creative working team, for example some of its women, who are one team to come together in an organization that will empower both male and female qualities of the divinity within each of us, and what is the best way we can go about bringing this process into that organization?
SONDJAH: First you would pass the idea around to see if there was a desire to explore the working team process within your women’s group. Should this be approved, then you would proceed to have two groups, one examining the values of women and the other examining the values of men. You would eventually compare notes. You would recognize, perhaps, that you have very similar value structures. However, you know that because of gender differences, the beliefs that come out of those values, begins to bend and change with those gender differences. As the working teams future supports bringing the days of light and life into existence at an earlier pace, and with order and with progress, your goals would be to look forward to the eventual couple relationship between men and women. What are the practical ideals? You would simultaneously look at the values that exist between those two, and the object of union, of unity, recognizing that you will always have differences, but appreciating them. How can a couple remain together when they do not appreciate the differences between them? If you do not, those positions become points of aggravation, rather than appreciation. This begins by asking for a difference of opinion. It begins by including the other opinion before it is shared, knowing that there will be a place for someone to provide a question, which may challenge your own. Rather than taking difference, you would ask how did you arrive at that thought? Working teams are a way of exploring the differences between the genders, but of also recognizing those differences, allowing for them, appreciating them and including them in the relationship, whether it is an intimate relationship, a personal relationship, friendly relationship, or a business relationship. The interest of the working team for the Correcting Time is long-term inclusion, rather than finding differences, and moving toward exclusion. There will always be differences—begin to recognize them and appreciate them, which helps you move towards inclusion.
Deborah: Okay, so then in the initial phases of building a co-creative working team, you say the most important thing to keep in mind is to accept, appreciate our differences? What would you say would be the most important thing to keep in mind?
SONDJAH: One is to see your similarities, the values, the common values that you have. Second, but not in priority order of being second, is to recognize that there will always be differences. Third and equally important is to remember to be inclusive—you will always have another gender with you. You will always have those differences, which may rub you the wrong way, which may be difficult for you to accept—you simply recognize that they exist. Fundamental to developing a working team, as was said earlier, is to have a project that you want to work on, a problem to resolve. It may not even be a problem. It may be a situation that needs development to move off of it as a stagnant situation, and to develop it more.
Do not be shy please; ask questions.
Deborah: Okay then, let’s get specific. Considering that my field of expertise right now is in teaching, do you have any suggestions for me on how I can explore using this co-creative working team process?
SONDJAH: Most definitely. (Pause) There are several ways that you could approach this: The first is you could find in your community whether there is a commonality of problems with your education system—and surely, you will find them—and surely you could come to solutions, but those would be temporary. Solution finding for problems is short-term, does not lead towards long-term inclusive solutions. Ideals, however, long for solutions that are enduring. You would want to ask, “What kind of educational system could we create, to bring our children into the days of light and life? What kind of educational system would prepare them for the difficulties of life, for successes, for failures, for growth, for stagnation, for development?” You would want to create an educational system that could do that. Your society has a broad spectrum of individuals in it, from those who are incredibly intelligent, those who are already bordering on the morontial, to those who are educationally, intellectually, socially challenged—those who have immense difficulties coping with daily life in your societies, whether it is a technologically developed nation or an economically deprived nation.
What is the commonality that you seek for? What is the thing of this nation that gave impetus for millions of immigrants? It is for the opportunity of growth and opportunity for development? What is it that you want to develop? And that is the inherent potential of each individual to the capacity that they are capable. You surely cannot put in more than a quart in a quart jar, can you? Some people have capabilities, which far recede from your own, but yet they have desires for growth, for development. And, how about an individual that has an exceptional intelligence, but who is socially immature? Certainly they need education and training, as well, in social graces, etiquette, and composure.
The demands of education are a subject dear to my heart—if I had a heart. (Laughter.) You may know that I am a teacher on the mansion worlds and that I assist individuals to cope with the morontial environment, and how to become a part of that. Your question strikes to the core of my Self. My being on your planet, and now with the capacity to see more clearly, hear you, and be with you in a more present way—albeit not a material way—assists me to understand your planet and to grow in compassion for you, and to wish to assist you even more dearly and energetically to help you grow in your world. And, I will be of great assistance in the future, should you call upon me.
Deborah: Well, you are called upon now. I would love to have your assistance.
SONDJAH: Then so be it.
Sherille: Sondjah, what do you see developing out of the co-creative working teams process if it is used diligently for the next fifty years?
SONDJAH: It will eventually have impact upon your nations, political systems, economic systems, and your trade and your commerce for how businesses do business—the overall, arching policy-making process within these institutions and organizations. You are beginning now to see the early tendrils of the necessity of consideration of all other people. The environment is forcing you to recognize that individual selfishness on the part of some nations, impacts the livelihood of other nations. There will be an over-arching concern for preservation—not only preservation of self, but preservation of others.
Your world will come into more uniform economic, monetary and political oneness, particularly in your business enterprises. This area will be one of the earlier enterprises to engage the working team, and in fact, already does so on a material/mortal basis, and only needs the inclusion of the morontial perspective to assist them in making them more successful. In fifty years, your nations will have a need for mutual preservation, rather than self-preservation. More nations will begin to de-sovereignize their boundaries, as is beginning in Europe now.
The beginning is the business model, rather than competing, they cooperate. There is the eventuality that within fifty years, there will be primarily two or three economic unions around your world, which will find that trade barriers are counter-productive, and make policies to develop that. In fifty years, it will be a selfishness to maintain national sovereignty, which will prevent your world from coming into rapid political union. There will be a screaming desire to amend that, but few will know how to do that. This is where the vast global perspectives of a co-creative working team of celestial beings of the morontial realm need to come into play — for we see the projections for your world, as a civilization, the progress it will make in fifty, one-hundred, two-hundred-fifty, five-hundred years. This is fairly predictable. You are entering into an era of tremendous instability, which will cause a great deal of difficulty, though the larger difficulties of your world that are to come will force you to be more cooperative.
The successful business enterprises always, always engage competition with a process of inclusion. Buying out competitors is a process of inclusion. It is a way of monopolizing the market. You will see vast monopolies in fifty years that will not be detrimental to the economy. They will be self-serving in some regards, but self-preserving in others by preserving their markets to make them work in the long term to provide a profit that is sustainable. The working teams will become endemic in all of your cultures, societies, and your political processes because they provide perspectives that far exceed your own, which will give you an edge on sustaining your business, religion, your culture, and your priorities. I will not go further than this to answer your question, and I thank you.
Sherille: Thank you.
Meredith: Sondjah, I have been engaged in a spiritual task to help build spiritual community and training facilities for training young spiritual leaders, and I have several questions I’d like to address to you about that.
SONDJAH: I will engage them.
Meredith: First, there have been potential plans considered, both in the third world in Africa, and here in the United States, but in both scenarios, disruption among the mortal working team on the ground has provided a substantial barrier to forward progress. Do you have any advice for how we might promote spiritual unity amongst ourselves down here, so that we could come together behind a common goal and move ahead?
SONDJAH: Certainly. This will require a good deal of conscious, reflective thinking among your group, to recognize that this exists—for those who disrupt, for them to examine that, to recognize that it exists. Once again, you must come to recognition of common values, for there is a dissonance of values that exists with those who disrupt. These must come into agreement—I would not say “alignment,” but agreement. They must want to come into a conscious, voiced commitment, for the common values that you have. Once these are established, and this can be done very rapidly, then comes the recognition of beliefs that spin out of these values. You must recognize that there are differences of beliefs. There may be a commonality of values, but oftentimes individual’s beliefs differ because of their own personal investment in those beliefs and how they accomplish them. (Pause.) Continue, please.
Meredith: Thank you, Sondjah. It has been suggested that the Divine pattern to successfully build such spiritual community is not existent. It has been suggested that perhaps we would do better to wait until there were visible representatives of the Celestial Administration on the planet, before actually trying to build any training facility, any physical spiritual community. I’d like your input on when the best time to actually begin is.
SONDJAH: The answer is always from us, “when it is developmentally viable.” I know that that is an impalpable measurement that you cannot wrap your arms around, but it does speak to the answer to your question. Do not fall into error as your Adam and Eve did. Do not strive to shortcut the developmental necessities of society building, community building, family building, of personality building—of personhood development. You are asking a lot of these individuals to come to the forum that you wish to engage them, and it is nigh on impossible for them to do that peacefully. In addition, you want them to do that from within their heart, being authentic, genuine, in oneness with this, rather than giving you peace of mind by agreeing to your statements, by agreeing to your procedure, but that this should be totally voluntary. They are in many ways being transparent to you. Would you recognize that their behavior is evidence of deeper longings for equality? They do not feel oneness with you, yet.
To answer your first question a bit more, do not forget that the stillness is a universal solvent for differences between cultures, to begin to learn the oneness that is necessary for community building and for world building. Be in stillness. Teach them how to be still, to calm themselves. Do not rely solely upon your own individual efforts, but knowing that their Thought Adjuster is there to lead them, as well. There is always a helping hand reaching down to them to bring them into this era of light, their own era of light. Call upon their guardians to be of assistance, and for the midwayers to communicate between you, that they may have thorough understanding of what you are doing. Stillness is universal, and must become a universal process. Those who seek enlightenment always seek stillness first; this is a most humble position to assume. It is a humble process that begins the day by saying, “I do not know the way.”
Meredith: Sondjah, when development is feasible, please share with us in as much detail as possible, how you would like us to begin.
SONDJAH: Once they are able to still their minds and be in stillness, that the busyness of hunger, the busyness of poverty, the busyness of acquisition, the busyness of envy—does not occupy their mind, then you would want to include them in the process of community building, family building—which you address. Ask them to be members of a working team. Make this not a select group, but one of individuals who have decided that the way of stillness, the way of enlightenment, is the way they wish to proceed. Then you will have their hearts, minds, their body, and their presence, when they are with you. This is required for the working team to operate. If you cannot be in the working team with these qualities, then do not attend. Does this help?
Meredith: Yes.
Deborah: Sondjah, what if I would like to begin a working team with individuals who are spirit minded and meditate, but may not recognize communication with our celestial partners? How would I bridge that with them?
SONDJAH: It would be most difficult, because an inherent part, as you see today, is that you have the presence of one who is without body, one who has no physical presence, and the credulity of this presence is dependent upon their physical being for many people. It is necessary for them to accept that this is a possibility, and that they are invested in it. You do not want people on a working team who are not present or who are not invested, who are not committed to the process. You would want people who are discerning, thoughtful, who can ask cogent questions, to assist the process forward, seeking advice from the celestial as a consultant and facilitator, rather than an answer bearer. I will not give you the answers that you seek to your problems and what you want to create, but will help facilitate you to create them, for this truly does assist you in creating God’s self within you, the I AM, the individual with will, who can call things into being, and this will be a topic that will be essential to the working teams as well, in the early stages of their development.
Deborah: Well, is there something that we can develop in ourselves that they might open their minds to considering the possibility of your reality, and would go along with us in exploring that?
SONDJAH: Certainly. Point them to the archives, and have them search the archives selectively for topics that have puzzled them, which cause them concern. (Tape Turned. Some words were lost.) You will not be able to impress them that way.
Sherille: Sondjah, in using the co-creative working team process, what if it really doesn’t catch on?
SONDJAH: Do you know what it is like to suffer without hope? That is what will be upon your world at that time. We come to your world and present this, not for this group only, but for all groups that have a God-centered belief system, who are willing to engage the co-creative working team process. It is important that your world now develop hope for a difficult future. Sorrow will not serve you well; regrets will do the same, and spite, envy, resentment, and hate will only drive you deeper into sorrow and despair. This is a “living hope” for the future, for you. This is a process that you can palpably engage with God’s working force of light. If this does not catch on, and your world does enter into the transition era, it may be centuries, if not millennia, before your world is engaged at the same level of light as you are now.
This sounds like an awfully dark future, though we have been most patient with your world over the millennia—millions of millennia, on this world. Patience is a virtue, but remember dear friends that your world is an important asset to Nebadon, to Christ Michael. This world is an incubator of souls. Souls are needed of quality in the ascendant journey to Paradise, souls of stalwart strength and enduring capacity to overcome difficulties in the afterlife that you will surely engage. You have difficulties now; and, you have biases. Many of you will bring those with you into the afterlife. In the morontial realm, you will need to work through them. Though you will be in a virtual Paradise, compared to where you live now, you will still need to grow through your personality deficiencies, your personal deficiencies, and deficiencies of belief. And if you come with a weak soul, if you come with few assets, it will be most difficult for you to endure, what you go through.
Your world is an investment in the development of souls in God’s great Universe. Christ Michael is charged with the “privilege” of creating a Local Universe of millions upon millions of worlds that produce souls of quality, of deep abiding strength. Your world has been in darkness and has had a long era in the quarantine, and now it is rapidly coming out of that. You are seeing immense, profound, rapid social change on your world. Simultaneously, you are being faced with some of the physical realities of living on a material planet that is still not in the days of light and life. What will happen if your world does not take on the working team process? It will be most difficult. It will be a trial of patience for us all.
Sherille: Thank you.
Deborah: Sondjah, a thought in my mind right now is that I would like, I would feel that those of us who are interested, would like to be able to have practice with this process, where we can learn from those experiences and that way we are able to “pass it on,” so to speak, to others who might be ready. But I am conflicted in my mind, how I am going to go home and create a co-creative working team with others—like I don’t even have a problem in mind yet. Anything to help me sort this through—anything that can help kick-start me? I want to try this out!
SONDJAH: How did you learn how to play Parcheesi?
Deborah: Well, I can read rules, and someone who knew it already would teach me, also, which was the more fun part, as it is just not fun to read the rules. (Laughter.)
SONDJAH: Do you know how to play Parcheesi?
Deborah: Yeah, I play Parchessi!
SONDJAH: Let’s play Parchessi. You watch, and then you do; stumble, and then you do better. You learn the rules. You learn how it works, and then you begin to win. You make decisions, you move the piece ahead, make more decisions and you wait for others to take their turn, they make decisions, move their piece ahead—each participates. No one must dominate, though you will always need a facilitator, both a mortal facilitator and a celestial facilitator. Learn by watching. Learn by doing. Remember, you have a team with you. You have someone who is interested in your future. You have a celestial teacher and an angelic companion who wishes you to succeed, to grow, to face challenges. This is a challenge of engagement, of literally being conscious of your participation in a team process, with a celestial being you do not see. Be always discerning of this process. Remember, as you have learned through the Teaching Mission, you must discern carefully to whom you are listening. Learn how to develop confidence in your celestial teacher and the TR, the channel. You must have confidence in these two entities for this process to move forward. And as well, they must prove themselves capable of being able to produce for you, and able to answer your questions, capably. Does this help?
Deborah: Yes. It just reminded me that I would need a TR, and I would have to be the one, because I don’t know of anyone else in my area right now.
SONDJAH: You will soon see more information in your media about learning to channel or TR, and how to work this process in a team setting. There is a need to begin teaching this to people who do not believe in it, and that is impossible, of course. However, for those who believe and those who can be in stillness, anyone can channel or TR. Requirements are to still your mind and have the level of self-esteem to accept that a celestial being, an angel, [or] Christ Michael—wants to speak to you—not only will speak to you, but wants to speak to you, and that you are worthy of receiving this communication.
Rick: Sondjah, will there be an effort by yourself and the celestials involved in this to prompt those that they feel are ready to start these working teams, throughout this country and the world at this time?
SONDJAH: Yes. You are already seeing—if you would do your research, a spontaneous development of co-creative working team process—albeit with other names—around the world. This is very much as has occurred with the Teaching Mission. It is a spontaneous development around the world, disregarding any religion or ethnic group, racial group, or financial level. It is anyone who is interested in speaking with God’s hierarchy of light, and then who wishes to participate in a more conscious, palpable working relationship with that hierarchy—not for self-aggrandizement, but for social upliftment. What is unique in all of this, when you engage this, is each of you who participate will suddenly receive and feel over time, a morontial difference in your being, that your vibration will increase. You will have an appreciation for morontia mota, which you have not had before, and begin to recognize in wordless ways when it appears in your life, when it comes through you. This is evidence of your own growth, and as all mota in your lifetime, you will not be able to verbalize this in your mind or aloud. It is a feeling, a “knowing”—of what exists in right relationships.
We have authorization to invest you with more means of seeing and hearing, of knowing intuitively, what is more sure. You call this “your gut;” we call this what is in alignment with your universe energy stream in your being. You feel it in your body, it comes through your mind, it comes through your morontial soul at this time. Yes, it is being applied worldwide. And yes, you will receive a nudge as many have. You will not be left alone when you are curious.
Rick: Thank you. Sondjah, this is a first demonstration of a co-creative working team, and yet we have no actual problem, other than asking questions about this. How will it be different from an actual working team, when we do have a problem that we are trying to solve?
SONDJAH: It will be different because you will have a true, heartfelt interest in the process and the outcome. You will be seeking something from this. You will be seeking solutions, evidence of progress of your hope fulfilled—you will be seeking that. This is an educational forum that is staged in many ways, intended for a far broader human audience than those who sit here. It is an educational process, though it is not an indoctrination process. This process topic is the working team process—I apologize for the redundancies of these words. This is evidence to others, who do not know anything about this. They will see this in a video on their computer perhaps, from the Internet, and see this and want to engage it. You are “performing,” so to speak, though I know you have an intrinsic, heartfelt interest in the outcomes of today’s work.
The working teams you will form will be ones that you have a deep, long-term interest in your children and their children, that they may be raised in families that can contribute materially, educationally, spiritually, socially, to their future, that they have an education, which assists them to participate effectively, almost immediately in a working team, if they wish. The core answer to your question is that it revolves around your personal interest. You were invited to be here today, and we are grateful for your presence. You, too, in the future will be grateful for those who have kindred feelings about the topics and issues that you want to discuss. Does that help?
Rick: Yes, it does. It helps very much.
Deborah: So, the purpose then of this very first co-creative working team is to give us a sense of how it works? Right?
SONDJAH: Exactly!
Deborah: And by taping it, we give others a chance to see how it can work?
SONDJAH: Precisely.
Rick: Sondjah, I vision a working team coming together to solve a major problem, and we would first discuss what our goals are, what our ideals are, and then we begin to discuss how to bring these about. What is the next step? What is the process of bringing about our goals? At what point would you recommend asking for the unseen help that you are offering, and the other celestials that are part of this are offering?
SONDJAH: You would ask this immediately, when you have the first thought of establishing a working team, and let us assume that you are the originator, who would like to facilitate building a working team. You would immediately seek help from your celestial teacher, your guardian, to assist you in proceeding ahead. Likewise, we would also ask you to ask their assistance to put a stop to this process if it is not in the best interests or there is some reason for it to not move forward. That is a safety catch, so to speak. You would not want to enter into a field of endeavor that would be grossly unproductive, or destructive to you.
There are developmental stages for problem solving and solution finding, and solution creating. Please recognize those as three different processes. That you want to enter into the first, before you build onto the others, just as this young lady asked about establishing these working teams where there is inherent obvious resistance, you would not want to engage that early. This is an inclusive process, but it is also cooperative and productive so that you must have competent and capable individuals who can participate effectively. Begin first by asking questions for the assistance that you need – that what you seek would be provided, and that you would be invited in the future to push against those resources. Remember that when resources are not provided to you, that it acts as a block to forward progress. It may be a guide to you to try another way that would assist you in solution finding and solution creating. Begin in prayer, first.
Audience Question: Do we expect near-term results or very long-term results from the working teams?
SONDJAH: Yes, you will. I do not mean to be facetious, but more accurate. You will see short-term results and with effective, co-creative working team process, you will make a contribution to the immediate long-term and the long-term and the far long-term.
You have a huge deficit of social progress to be made on your planet. You have an immense backlog of social issues. You, even now, see the obvious political morass in your country and in other countries, which are blindsiding themselves by ignoring significant social, political, and economic problems. The contributions you will make will be quite elemental to begin with, and you are literally—in many ways—building the foundation of the Father’s Temple in the era of light and life, by the progress you make in your working teams. You are building the fundamental elements of civilization. You must ask very fundamental questions to receive fundamental answers and directions. You will see very obvious work that needs to be done in your society, communities, in your families, and in your personal life. What you will see immediately—and it is our wish that you see it now—is that you have “hope,” that you have a way forward with a companion to assist you, to hold your hand as you go into an uncertain future.
Meredith: Sondjah, as mortals who are all committed to trying to work co-creatively with the celestials in planetary reclamation; there are a variety of options that lie before us in seeking direction. One would be to go directly to our Thought Adjuster, or to Michael, or Mother [or] ourselves, and do our best to discern an answer. Another would be to utilize a process that Allene Vick and her friend brought forth at an A.L.L. conference a few years ago, called Family Forum, in which one goes to a whole table of celestials, to ask questions and direction. The working team concept is somewhat different, in that—well, it’s a panel of humans, asking a particular, in your case, celestial teacher for answers. In what circumstances would one approach be preferable to another?
SONDJAH: Neither is preferable. It is a sequence of using them all. One must always begin with themselves, with the individual and your relationship with your Thought Adjuster, and examining and discerning your own growth and potential. Do not be mistaken by your own feelings of self-esteem to engage this, but that you have the awareness that you need to do it. Your self-esteem is something else to work on. Begin by working within yourself, for your growth and examine your intentions; examine once again your values. Then if you wish, and you are uncertain about how to proceed, then the family forum process is an advisable one you may want to engage. It is not preferable, and neither lesser or more than, but another process that you can engage.
The working team is a living, conscious, co-creative process that you will live out and engage with others. Preparation must begin with you as an individual, and then you engage others, who have also done their own inner work. You are a social entity, your world is a social organism, you work together or not. So far, you have not learned to work together well, and you have much divisiveness, you have much greed, power, acquisitiveness and so on. The process of working with other mortals with celestial guidance is to learn co-operation. It is to co-create something together, to give hope to your ideals, with a foundation of common values. The process is civilizing to you—literally civilizing to you! It is to build a civilization that is truly civil. There is a civil process. Your civilization has learned few of the skills of civilized conduct. We are asking you to step up to a much higher bar, to engage conduct of a civilized basis, a civilized manner with celestial beings who are exemplary of a civilization with civil processes. You are learning this, as you are learning the foundations of community, and you are learning the foundations of family. The difference is individual growth process, recognizing the differences you may have with others, engaging them in a process to resolve social problems, and then subtly you will grow as a team, as a family, as a community. You will learn these processes. There are preferred ways of behaving to devise creative solutions. There are instantaneous methods of undermining that and destroying that, and you know them well. Use these three processes as your needs dictate—always, always begin with them.
Is there more to your question?
Meredith: No, thank you.
Rick: Sondjah, I have already a desire to solve a great problem. I have already, beginning to have the people that can help me solve this problem, come forth in my life. I am at the point now where I am ready to pull together, as a working team to solve this problem. Will the celestials assist in letting me know which individuals I have chosen, are ready for this process, and which ones aren’t—or is this just something I have to discover on my own?
SONDJAH: No, you already have assistance. We advise you to—if this is a highly important project—that you be present with each individual, in the selection process. We ask you to go within, when you are present with them. Go within and be present with them in their heart, in their soul. It is true that the eyes are the windows to the soul; the face is evidence of the mind. You can be with this individual, intimately, and know what they are made of by doing this. You can also confirm this with your celestial assistants that direct you. You can, if you are willing and feel competent, to project your consciousness afar from them, without seeing them first, and begin this process. This does not violate their being. It does not violate their existence. It does not violate their sovereignty, but merely is your presence with them. We know that you would do this as an examination, as reading a document, rather than in being invasive or intrusive. It is not an unfriendly thing to do—you do it now, but oftentimes unconsciously. The confirmation comes when you speak with the individual and hear evidence of what is in their mind, and feel the presence of what is in their heart and their soul. This is, as you will experience it in the morontial life, every time you meet someone. This is good practice for you to begin now.
Rick: Thank you.
Deborah: Sondjah, we have a lot of people—especially in the Urantia movement—who tend to be suspicious of leaders and leadership. Although I think there is probably value in it in the beginning, to have what you recognize as a leader, do you recommend… is there a way to initiate leadership, or should we initiate a leadership in this type of process?
SONDJAH: Yes, definitely, and your question is very valid and timely. It is as with any TR, valuable to examine the potential leader. You talk with them and listen to them. Find out what their agenda is, what their visible agenda is and perhaps their invisible agenda. Those should be in agreement. You would want someone who is willing to be transparent, one who is authentic and genuine, one who is caring, passionate and merciful, but one who has the will to move ahead, to make decisions when it is necessary, to discern choices. One who is able to consult easily, either through their own celestial companion, or through one, through a TR—someone as that. You would want someone who can assist in decision-making, one who can come to conclusions and ask for advice in agreement or disagreement, one who can facilitate the group to move ahead towards its goals. You want someone who expresses the interests of Michael; someone who is interested in the larger humanity of your world, who has an interest in “your” growth, your family, your community and your world, one who is capable of stepping aside and letting their differences rest. You are looking to discern this individual, and once discerning that, come to agreement, that they are the leader, that they are providing direction.
Is this person solely a vision holder, for they do not necessarily have to be the leader? The vision holder can be someone who is a part of the group, who may not have the capacity or capabilities of leading. That is essential to assess and know as well, early in the working team process. It is good to know the differences of each individual. It is good to know who is a leader and who is not—who is an obvious contributor—and how they can contribute. Once you begin, do not deride the leadership, but ask about the process, ask about the contribution. You know as well as everyone here that leadership is held in question, for you have seen leaders in your society, politically, religiously, spiritually, who have undermined themselves, and forfeit the loyalty of their following easily for shallow, superficial reasons. Those lessons are harsh.
This requires a leader of eminent capacity, perseverance of character, trueness to the purposes, willingness to give their time without stop, yet who knows the limit when not to go forward because they are tired. It is the quality of an enterprise that is most important. It is the substantial development, step-by-step that will only get you into the future successfully. There are no shortcuts. You cannot short-circuit this process—you must proceed developmentally, and when you proceed consciously, sincerely, diligently, carefully, and come to an end—you know you have missed a step where the supports are not there. Do not forget that your contributions are not forgotten, but will be needed when this earlier step is fulfilled.
Leadership is essential–you must recognize it as essential. Everyone cannot be a follower; neither can everyone be a leader, for then there is contention. Know how to select your leaders. Sometimes they rise to the front and are needed and obvious. Your history shows much evidence of providence being involved in the provision of leadership in your world in times of great difficulty. So, too, now is a time in the balance for much leadership to come forward. Many of you are being called—not “will be called”—but “are being called” now to participate as a leader. You are needed! You are the fiber of the future. You are the sheath that holds the fibers of the climbing rope together. Make yourselves useful.
Deborah: You alluded that the team members have various roles, like a “leader” and a “vision holder,” and a “TR.” What are some of the other roles?
SONDJAH: You need participants—people who are willingly capable to give their “all,” sincerely, diligently, without limitation. You will discover the need for new role identification, as your team develops. The roles will come and go, as there is need. Do not think that there must be “so many roles” and “so many places.” You can have a working team move ahead quite competently with only three individuals.
Rick: Are there any more questions from the audience?
Student: What about money and the working groups? We have leaders and corrupt money and power, . . . (inaudible).
SONDJAH: Definitely. When you discern, think in terms of ego and fear. All else comes from that—power, property, control, position, money, and sex—all the accouterments of historic power will be evident. Do not look solely to money but look to all the other factors that have undermined authority, loyalty, leadership, and follower-ship. It is not solely leaders who will oftentimes succumb to these temptations, but followers as well. You must look to your needs first, as with the group that you speak of. What are their needs? If they are hungry, if they have a hungry heart, and a hungry soul, then they will be of no use to you, and including them, though they have great skills, will undermine eventually, the outcome of your group. Does this answer your question?
Student: Yes, thank you.
Student: I have a question. I have a project going on and …(inaudible)… projects, righteous, far thinking… It’s difficult sometimes to get the people to help, especially in the city—everyone is busy, living their lives and trying to keep their heads above water. I have a project that is definitely far into the future, and it doesn’t seem of use to these folks, necessarily, oh, they are happy to see it going on, but don’t have time to participate.
SONDJAH: Thank you for your question. Necessity will drive them to you. That is the short answer. Simply, when lives stop and must reflect, and the busyness goes away, they are left to wonder, “Now what?” I do not wish to repeat a doomsday scenario to you, but necessity will drive them to you. In the meantime, ask, put out the notice, advertise among those you trust, ask them to connect you with individuals who may be willing to participate, discern who can participate and who cannot, and then begin.
Student: Thank you.
Deborah: We probably need to close soon, but Sondjah, one idea that comes to me, is that in conferences that we organize in the future, I would think it would be a good idea if we would have these kinds of working teams, as a part of the conference, so that we are actually being trained in it. Any comment on that?
SONDJAH: Please move forward with that.
Deborah: It’s a good idea, then! Let’s do more conferences like Santa Barbara.
SONDJAH: I bless you and greet you. I appreciate your presence here. Know that our dear friends of higher rank than mine are here, have participated, are with you, and they too, greet you and thank you. We appreciate the engagement of your active minds, the presence of your energy and your diligence for your concern and your anticipation for forward events and the development of working teams. We are beginning to engage you in a much more living, palpable way, and we are ready to assist you with incredible resources when you are ready.
Closing
You, believe it or not, are the limiting factors now. So is your society, so are your communities, and so are your nations and the institutions that cause resistance to this forward-moving group. You are the seeds in the field that was tilled. You will soon sprout and show results, the fruits of your efforts and labor. Consider that the sunshine falls on you, as God’s love does, and you each are reaping the benefits of this association in intimate, personal, and soul-filled ways. I am here to assist you in much limited ways, as I do not have the capacity as Christ Michael does, to be everywhere present to everyone on your planet. I will engage you as I am capable, at the time, and I am grateful that there are twenty-four hour time zones on your world. (Laughter.) Good day.
