2008-04-07-Maturing in Spirit
Woods Cross #629
Contents
• 1 Heading
o 1.1 Topic: Maturing in Spirit
o 1.2 Group: Woods Cross TeaM
• 2 Facilitators
o 2.1 Teacher: Abraham
o 2.2 TR: Nina
• 3 Session
o 3.1 Opening
o 3.2 Lesson
o 3.3 Closing
Topic: Maturing in Spirit
Group: Woods Cross TeaM
Facilitators
Teacher: Abraham
TR: Nina
Session
Opening
ABRAHAM: I am ABRAHAM. Greetings. I am so thankful you set aside your agendas in favor of Father’s will. Our meeting is open and not limited to ideas from the ego. We have all had our struggles with the ego and our attempts at working the Teaching Mission. Those lessons brought us to where we are now and that is what makes our meeting time unlimited. Our actual desire is to see what the spirit has planned for us, simply wonderful, yes. There comes a time in the maturing spirit when we have not desire to have attention or take credit or have need to be noticed. The maturing spirit sees the Father’s will as the best that could be in any given situation. I have many students, some are still stumbling, some are even more advanced than you. This just goes to show there is a process to be experienced and we are evolving creatures. Our flexibility is a real benefit in working the ministry.
Lesson
ABRAHAM: There was a time I had followed religion as perfectly as I could. There were rules to follow, laws to learn and many of these beliefs were difficult to unlearn when the new teacher arrived. I can remember walking through the village with Machiventa and showing him all the people of the town. There was a story that went along with each person. It was somewhat of a common knowledge, for example: one man was the town drunk. One man was cheating on his wife with a well-known woman of the town. One woman was a beggar and really made quite a good living. She was not as poor as she would have led us to believe.
As I directed Machiventa’s attention towards these individuals, his face looked discouraged. He knew that I was quite judgmental, as were others. He asked me if I had ever reached out to befriend any one of these people and I had not. Machiventa knew the real story behind each individual, why they were the way they were. It is difficult to break certain habits that we have learned, my being judgmental, for example. I had always believed I was better than the average person anyway. Because I grew in spirit and began to mature, I saw these individuals through the eyes of the spirit and they were no longer the labels I had put upon them. I could feel love and kinship with them. The more I practiced changing my view, the more joyful I became. It opened up a door of new possibilities.
I began to actually minister to these individuals, whom I thought were trapped in a certain condition of life. To the drunk man, I tried to tell him about the Father and how with Him all things are possible and if he would just take one step in Father’s direction, Father would help him to take the other steps. I showed him brotherhood and acceptance. Machiventa was right; I felt connection and true love. To the woman who was a well-off beggar I said, “Your secret is not a secret. We all know that you scam others to serve yourself. How much better would you feel if you had worked an honest day?” I asked her, “What are you gifted at?” She said she was gifted with numbers and I told her of several places she could go to put that gift to work–real work, not degrading, demeaning or dehumanizing begging, but actual fulfilling, honest work. I do not know if she actually went for my pitch, but I did not see her much around after I talked to her.
I looked for small things that would cause someone to also want to put forth effort into doing a good deed. An energy of good is a reality and something you can witness really, if you are around. Many years we have been in this Teaching Mission and learned a great deal together. You are capable of ministering to anyone who appears to need it. It is simple. The first step is to show that you care. The second is acceptance of that person as your brother or sister in the Father’s Kingdom family. Number three is to ask them what they would really want and what their gifts are. Number four; speak to them about your faith and how Father has worked in your life. Let them know that all things are possible. Life can change if you really want it to and five, point out some human resources that they can try to get the ball rolling, like when I had told the beggar woman of several businesses that could use someone who was good with numbers.
Closing
This week let us think about our maturity in the spirit. What have we learned so far? Can we put it into practice? Can those old habits be broken? That is all for this evening. Mary sends her love, as I do also. To us you are a light that is ever dedicated to burning bright. Until next time, shalom.
