Fresh Thinking, Inspiration, and Vision on the Process of Spiritual Transformation

(Jane’s words followed a presentation by Tom Cooper of various pieces of highly inspiring recorded music.)

Last week, when we were here in the Dome, Ruth Buckingham read some of Uranda’s words. He spoke about how this ministry has never been about promising human nature or human beings anything. “This service…of the Emissaries of Divine Light…has steadfastly refused to use the methods which all other schools of thought have employed….” And he goes on later to say, “We did not, and do not, promise to heal anyone. We did not, and do not, promise to get a position, or increase of salary, or monetary wealth, for anyone. We did not, and do not, promise to give anyone special powers of control over others. Neither did we, nor do we, appeal to the ‘self-righteousness complex’ in people, by which some are made to feel that they will be superior and looked up to because of some mysterious knowledge or initiation.” (Uranda, “Healing Radiations,” November 1, 1937, TSS 7:16)

The human experience of feeling separate from God has created a huge desire to find a way to be special, special enough to know God, special enough to have union with God, special enough to have position where you could say to people, “I’m in the in-crowd because I know God. I have a position where I can tell you exactly what the truth is.” We did not and we do not do that.

We invite people to sound the tone in their living. Tom just played a number of musical pieces that carry the Tone, the vibration of trusting Love. Does your voice sound that tone, so that people will want to stand up like King George did in the Hallelujah chorus, because they felt the presence of the spirit of God? Do you create art that makes people go, “Wow”? I’ve displayed several pieces of sculpture here to honor the international sculpture shows that are happening this weekend in Loveland. They are the largest outdoor shows in the country. You might not like these pieces of art, but when I got them I thought they captured something of the spirit of life in them. Here is a demonstration of brilliance, to me! And my job is to be brilliant. And your job is to tell me I am! I’m kidding. I believe your job is also to be brilliant and revealing of that same spirit.

So what is it Emissaries of Divine Light promise? What is it to meet God face to face, as was sung in that song we just listened to? We approach the steps of home—not some grand castle, not the elevated podium of royalty, but the steps of our home—and we see Thee, face to face. Do you see the presence of God in each other’s faces? When you do, you know power, you know blessing, and you know stature. And it’s not because we promised you’ll have it. You just remember that you do. You know wildness, because creation is wild—it’s not tidy, hardly ever tidy—and you know wholeness.

The theme for the upcoming gathering of our international leadership is “The Revelation of the Divine in Human Experience.” Ted Black humorously said, “Is there anything else?” Is there any other theme? Shouldn’t we have that theme every year? Shouldn’t we have that theme every day? The revelation of the divine. I am perplexed by how the world got to be so separate from that, and how simple it is to return it to that.

If the mission of this ministry is to provide a home for God on earth, why would we do that? Do you think that there’s anything in it for you? If we did not and do not offer promises, why would you accept the invitation to participate in this ministry, other than it’s what you’re designed to do, and you can’t imagine doing anything else? Do you do it to be obedient, to be a good person? Do you want to be good? Have you tried to be good? Is it hard to be good? I’ve tried really hard to be good my whole life. It’s been really, really hard. It’s hard, because I have concepts of what “good” means. Do you? “Good” may mean never making anybody uncomfortable. I can’t do it. “Good” may mean getting along with everybody. I haven’t been able to do that either. “Good” means never making a mistake. I’ve made a lot of them, learned a lot, found my way home because of them. I even tried to be bad to see whether or not I could be good at that. I wasn’t any better at being bad than I was at being good.

But then I decided I would just be true to myself. And when I did, there were people over here who thought I was good and people over here who thought I was bad. I had to decide I didn’t care anymore. I only cared about what was true, what was wholesome, what was a blessing, what was vibrant, what magnified life, what brought more life, what brought more of the presence of God on earth. And again, why? Because I AM that I am. Not because it’s separate from me and I have to go to the store and buy some and then deliver it unto the earth. “Oh, I’m running out of the spirit of God; I’d better go back to Safeway.” I don’t run out. I know it more as I let it go forth.

So if being good is supposed to get you into heaven, I’m not getting into that heaven. If being true lets me live in heaven, that’s where I’ll live. All the music that was played, and that we’ve sung, reveals heaven is at hand. The Master said it. We can say it—we can know it. The kingdom of heaven is at hand when you deliver it, not when it’s delivered unto you, not because you go and shop for it or you try and be good enough to have someone give it to you. It doesn’t happen that way.

The revelation of the divine in human experience means being true, sometimes making mistakes, learning, growing, being wild, being calm, being quiet, being loud, having the vision to be more than you thought you could be. There is an advertisement for the U.S. army: “Be all that you can be.” I want to say, be more than you thought you could be.

I was raised Catholic, as most of you know, and I have a friend who’s an elder in the Catholic Church, and he keeps sending me holy things, hoping he can recruit me back. He found out I was a minister here now, and he still hasn’t given up—he still keeps sending me holy cards and rosaries. He asked me the other day, “How is your chiropractic practice going?” And I said, “Well, my practice is decreasing because my ministerial work is increasing.” And he said, “Yeah, but the retirement plan is good when you’re a minister.” And I said, “It’s the LIFE that’s good.” We all are ministers as we serve and reveal the truth of who we are. We all have the opportunity to have the joy of a life of service and revelation of the true Tone of spirit.