1997-12-14-New Steps But Fear Not
Spokane #48
Contents
• 1 Heading
o 1.1 Topic: New Steps But Fear Not
o 1.2 Group: Spokane TeaM
• 2 Facilitators
o 2.1 Teacher: Elyon
o 2.2 TR: Jonathan
• 3 Session
o 3.1 Opening
o 3.2 Lesson
3.2.1 Grace
3.2.2 Fear
3.2.3 Soul
3.2.4 Light, Darkness
o 3.3 Dialogue
o 3.4 Closing
Topic: New Steps But Fear Not
Group: Spokane TeaM
Facilitators
Teacher: Elyon
TR: Jonathan
Session
Opening
ELYON: (Jonathan TR): I greet you today and emphasize our recognition of Michael and Mother Spirit as our common parents and our spiritual bonding link that establishes our fraternity. I convey to you his charge to continually be about the Father’s business, to be of good cheer, to not only let the peace he brings to you be upon you but be spread through you so that others may foretaste this same direct fellowship you are undertaking in your lives with him.
In ministry I perceive you have come to understand that the truly hungry are ready to receive. Your continual efforts to improve your abilities to represent the Father has brought you to the point where you know that what you can give need not be forced, for if receptivity is present it is readily accepted. In some respects this makes your training appear easier. There is no need to develop strategies which will pry open the heart of another being. When the receptivity potential is absent you have no obligation to minister, but I say this only in terms of verbal ministry. This never implies that you may retreat from behavior that is representative of universe citizenship and belonging in the spiritual family, for this manifestation will knock upon the door of the hearts of those who do not seek. With this I transition.
Lesson
We have for some time been indicating a move to a new level, and you have expressed curiosity about this level. We have often repeated this announcement, for we are truly powerless to effect the change. We have simply let it be known the advanced step exists, hoping continually you make the move. You have evidenced in the past weeks the move. You are exhibiting the ability to take our lesson and run with it. This I experience as quite pleasing and rewarding.
Grace
Nature can be likened to a projector screen; it is a receptive field upon which grace may be projected. The image perceived is a result of the combination of the projected grace and the condition of the screen. On worlds of light and life and in the lives of individuals who have attained that state, the Father is well revealed. On worlds as yours and in lives tumultuous the screen is uneven, blotched, or torn, the projection less discernible but nonetheless present. One’s certainty for faith is the understanding that grace is unchanging. You as a freewill creature may step between the projector and the screen; you allow or prevent the work of the Father in your life. You improve or destroy the condition of the screen. This indicates the importance of a balanced mode of living physically, spiritually, and mentally.
Fear
I would address the question of fear. (This refers to a question for the teachers sent by a former group member.) Initially fear is an experience that results from the recognition of the slipping of willpower, the ability to control conditions. In and of itself this is not inappropriate and need not be eliminated from your reaction patterns, for it is a significant warning signal for you to apply your will more intently. When grace is projected upon the screen of your life not only is the will of the Father visible but so are the flaws of your own being.
When the illumination strikes the black spots that interfere with the image become noticeable. This black spot may be likened to your innate fear responses that are contributory to self preservation; they are an integral part of your material condition. This fear is benign, for the personality is able to watch the movie and tolerate the imperfections of one’s condition.
The fear you must seek to overcome in your life is the fear that could be likened to putting your hand between the projector and the screen and distorting or blocking the flow of grace. This is the fear that you may witness change in your life, that you may have revealed to you information that you do not desire to accept. This is an active, preventive fear rather than the reactive, protective fear of your animal nature.
Soul
In continuing your conversation, I would play further with this image of the projector and screen by moving to the perspective of a white beam of light upon the screen rather than an image to be viewed. You as a personality draw upon these credits when you do make your playful shadows with your hands between projector and screen. This is your active, willful impact and bearing within these conditions. By shifting like this I am attempting to present to you two perspectives.
The first perspective was one of observation, of witnessing, of receiving the image resulting from the projection and the screen’s condition.
The second perspective is to illustrate your active participation in the resultant image upon the screen. In this second view, given the conditions of your life, given the projections of the Father’s will upon your life, you are able to manipulate these factors and bring about your own image. This image is your soul.
The master said, “fear not.” He knew well that all mortal creatures have the fear reaction within them. When he said, “fear not” he addressed the tendency to use fear to block grace and thereby prevent growth by the restriction of the use of your faith.
You know that when you have finished watching a movie and the lights come on, the light is intense. When you receive revelation in your life about your current spiritual status and the potentials through which you may grow, it can cause the reaction spiritually like your squinting eyes do physically. To, in a spiritual sense, cringe or flinch is an acceptable reaction to a new insight. If you are to further feed this reaction, you translate your fear into an active fear that is preventive of growth.
Light, Darkness
Returning to the idea of an image projected upon a screen, error in your life is the distorted perception of the projection. Sin is the willful destruction of the setup; to place a stain upon the lens, soil upon the screen. Iniquity is shutting the lamp off altogether. Also, any good projectionist knows when to recognize any blemish and to cleanse the system for better projection. The reaction has a tinge of fear, for you recognize the potential for degradation.
But a true projectionist thrives at viewing the images projected. To refrain from turning on the projector is the spiritual fear you must seek to eliminate from your life to become more boldly adventurous at discovering the revelation that may result from the projection of grace upon your life. I hope I have addressed the issues of your question today and would love to receive your responses. This is Elyon.
Dialogue
Evelyn: That was vivid. I like the distinction of fear of change, reluctance to accept reality, and fear as evidence of something around worth avoiding.
Mary: You mentioned shutting off the projector. Do we have the ability to shut off the flow of grace? I would think shutting off grace would be closing our eyes. Maybe I am being too literal.
ELYON:: I have been loose with the factors involved, but we are thereby able to play further, for you may liken the bulb to being your Indwelling Spirit, brilliant luminosity resident within, and the slide before the light being what the Father wishes you to receive today. This gives insight into why revelation is always in step with your growth. You will receive a new slide at the appropriate time. So you can view your switch to your willingness to be aligned with the Father or not. The Father may be likened to the electricity that powers the bulb. Yes, it is always there whether you access it or not. Would you like to contribute more to this? How would you describe focusing the lens?
Mary: Yes, a good projectionist can focus the lens for clearer viewing.
Evelyn: I see us individually being the projectionists. We can get in the way by putting our hands in front of the light or refuse to let the light shine. To the degree we focus is how we can make it clear to the best of our understanding what this grace projection is, to make it go from a blur of pretty colors to being an actual, recognizable something.
Mary: We can either get in the way or help.
Tom: It is up to us to plug the machine in.
ELYON:: The phrase “not my will but your will be done” may be compared to your comments about getting in the way of the projection and realizing that you can step away and let the Father’s will be done. The lens brought into focus is more like “it is my will that your will be done”.
Mary: What if the screen were crumpled?
ELYON:: This is the condition of Urantia and the condition of many human beings who have had upbringings of a nature that crumples a screen.
Evelyn: Small areas could still be in focus.
Tom: Crumplestillscreen!
ELYON:: I have another aspect for you to wrestle with. How might you derive meaning from a fan in the projector?
Evelyn: Dispelling the heat.
Mary: It makes me think of how we have our flashlight in the dark and can only see so much, for our own good. If we were exposed to the intensity of the Fragment of the Father it could be overwhelming.
Tom: You can’t see the light and live. Somebody has to temper it.
Evelyn: The importance of taking care of the physical apparatus involved in the light shining.
ELYON:: These are excellent perspectives, for you do realize that the bulb would flash and dissipate without the temperance. It can illustrate your cooperative approach with the inner spirit to contribute your energies to the working of the system. I would add an additional element that the combination of fan and bulb, the two work together is what is valuable in the establishment of good habits in your life.
Mary: The fan kicks on when a thermostat is necessary to keep tabs on our lives, when we need to spend some time in stillness with our Thought Adjusters if some aspect of our lives is getting overheated.
ELYON:: Growth is a dynamic of your lives. As captivating as a revelation is in your life, when realized there arrives a time when you must change the slide, or it will burn and destroy itself. This illustrates the caution to not become crystallized in your spirit perspective.
I would add one more additional element to our image today, and that is, with the opening of the circuits and the permission granted by the Melchizedeks for us to begin to increase our contact with one another, you have now in your projection room the added equipment of a sound system. This works well to illustrate that the primarily most important element of your life is your projector, your light bulb, and the screen. This is your relationship with the Father and your own personal growth. We add to the environmental experience but will never replace that relationship.
Evelyn: You are the photographers who have provided us with a lot of the slides.
ELYON:: Thank you for that compliment.
If you have found our discussion satisfying I would close today.
Mary: You stated that we have taken the steps to move ourselves to the next level. Is the next level just our further interest in interacting, discussing, and acting on the lessons? Is that what you have been looking and waiting for and is our choice?
ELYON:: In the view of the past five years we have been involved in a process whereby we have scattered seeds and taken note of the ones you watered. Now you are scattering seeds, and we will do the watering. You have reacted to our presentations and grown. Now you are creating the topics of study and we contribute. One of the most rewarding elements of morontia life is this self-directed study and training. It creates a sense of freedom that is not existent in curricula that are defined for you. It creates a deep identification with the truths and a readiness to be the very embodiment of these truths. It is a welling up from within rather than a taking on from without. This is that level. Does this help to clarify?
Mary: Yes.
Closing
ELYON:: I will now take my leave. I look forward to your insights over the week as you receive and recognize and act upon God’s grace. Farewell.
