On Sunday 3^rd July it was a pleasure to take the service at The Friendship of love and Light Spiritualist Church, Foxbar, Paisley.  This church was founded by Eddie Docherty, who I will be mentioning on this blog either next week or the following week.

The following day I reluctantly had to cancel a booking at Spiritwise Spiritualist Church, Muirkirk.  I never like to cancel a booking and seldom do, but although I tried to change this personal appointment it was impossible to do so.   My apologise to Robert, Kate and the Muirkirk congregation. After my appointment was over I was not that far from the church I was at the evening before so I just made it with a few minutes to spare to sit in their circle.

Then on the 7^th it was my first visit not only to the Bo’ness Spiritualist Church but also to Bo’ness it’s self.  Thanks to Barbara and her committee who all gave me a friendly welcome.  Maybe one day i will have time to explore the town which has an interesting history.

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Stan asks “Why does Spiritualist churches close during the summer?”

Not all spiritualist churches close during the summer, only a few do so.  With most it is usually only for two or three weeks during the local summer holiday period  We have to remember that all our churches are run by volunteer committees and those with small committees would not have sufficient numbers on duty during some weeks in the summer.   But Spiritualist churches are not the only churches to close at this time.  There are churches of the mainstream religions that have joint services with a sister church so that one can close one month and the other the following month.  With so many Spiritualist Churches in Scotland if one near you closes there should be another that is open not too far away.

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Being retired I have time to do voluntary work and I have great admiration for those who do a hard day’s work and then go out and do some form of voluntary work.  In the past few weeks I have been amazed at those I know who are going to give up some of their leisure time to help those unfortunate than themselves.  The areas they have chosen are befriending, and helping those with learning, mental or physical disabilities.  Also a friend, whose cat passed away a few weeks ago, is going to apply to foster cats when their owners are in hospital etc.  The country would be a poorer place without the volunteers.

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Chief Seattle, 1786 - 1866, spoke of religion in his famous speech:

"Our religion is the traditions of our ancestors, the dreams of our old men, given them by the great Spirit, and the visions of our sachems, and is written in the hearts of our people."

All tribes believe in a Supreme Being which they call by different names depending on their culture: The Creator, Wakan Tanan, The Great Spirit, The Great Mystery, The One, Grandfather, and many other names. They all mean the same - The Supreme Being , the Creator of all life and nature.

There is not a religion called Native American . Their religious beliefs are cultural, based on each individual tribal customs and traditions. Not all tribes speak the same language and not all tribes have the same identical beliefs. Protestants, Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Catholics, Jewish, etc., all believe in God, but do not all have the identical beliefs. This is true of Native Americans also".

As I said only a few weeks ago, wise words spoken so long ago and yet mankind has not listened. Why can religions not live in harmony, if they are all worshiping the same Supreme Being? Thankfully there are many in all religions who strive to understand each other's ways, and live in peace and harmony with them. But there will always be those who not only believe that their way is the right and only way to God, but they try and force their way on others. At times via the gun, the bullet or the fist.

Maybe all this will slowly disappear as younger generations grow up and think for themselves.  Not being brainwashed like has happened in the past. They will become part of a religion because they feel is right for them.  Attending a church of their own free will, rather than have to attend a church because they were born into that religion.

In the twenty years I have been in Spiritualism I have see a massive improvement in the way that the general public look on Spiritualism and how other religions are more tolerable towards us.  Let us hope that this trend continues and that if there is a step back to the old ways, we will not be responsible for this.  We all must put Spiritualism the Religion before our one own desires and to separate our religion from entertainment.

Spiritualism has waited on the other religions mellowing towards us, but is it not time that we play our part in having closer relations with other local churches.  I don’t mean the SNU, Greater World, and other Spiritualist organizations which should also be striving towards this, but each individual church having closer ties with other churches in the area.

Like Christian Spiritualist Churches making it known that they would like to be part of services on Christmas Eve where local churches have a joint service.  Of course our participation would not include clairvoyance.

Laying a wreath at the local Cenotaph h on Remembrance Day.  I know some churches either attend or have applied take part in the Service of Remembrance.

Joint coffee mornings for a local charity...

While at ASK, Stewarton, we had representatives of the Quakers, I think I have got it right in saying an American Minister of the Unitarian Church.,more than one Buddhist Lama* giving us an insight into their beliefs.  In turn several ASK members accepted the invite along to their places of worship. 

We can all play our own little part to achieve better understanding between all Religions of this world.

*In the past year, ASK< Dreghorn and The Glasgow Association of Spiritualists have hand Buddhist Lama giving a talk and answering questions.