Spiritualism - A Simple Religion.... Farm or Factory... .The Purple Poppy... I Want - I Want... Quote from Anne Frank... A Life to Live by Barbara Willson...

 

31^st October I took the service at the Paisley Spiritualist Church, Glenburn, Paisley...

November 1^st my allergy played up again and I had to cancel the Johnstone Spiritualist Church.

3^{rd -} Yes - a Spiritual service on a Saturday evening - at the Falkirk Spiritualist Church (SNU).  Only two churches I know hold services on a Saturday evening, Falkirk and Dumfries and both are always busy.

4^th - It was the busy afternoon service at the Largs Spiritualist Church.

7^th – The White Rose Spiritualist Church, Gourock...

8^th -  Balloch Spiritualist Church...

11^th – Saw my furthest trip of the month so far to the Kirkcaldy Spiritualist Centre (SNU)

12^th – It was an evening of clairvoyance at the Kilmarnock Spiritualist Church. (SNU)

17^th – I took a workshop at the Perth Spiritualist Church (SNU).  I was impressed by the ability and knowledge of those attending.

 

 

Spiritualism is a simple religion, a religion that is different from so many other mainstream religions.  The difference stretches much further than the clairvoyance side of things.  Most mainstream religions have ancient holy books which contains countless thousands of words.  One holy book has over 700,000 words.  They include historical narrative: stories about historical people and events.  Poems or songs: lyrics, songs, and prayers that express emotions and ideas using distinctive language, literary styles, and rhythm.  Prophecy: poetic messages conveying divine blessing or judgment on people and calling for a response Letters: written by one or more individuals to others, often addressing specific issues.  Proverbs and wisdom literature: pithy sayings or discourses about living life well and making wise choices.  Legal codes: laws, both general and specific, for ordering a just society.  Parables: imaginative stories that are true to life and illustrate a point.  Apocalyptic literature: vivid portrayal of the cosmic battle between good and evil.

But spiritualism has only Seven Principles; -

 1.   The Fatherhood of God.

2.   The Brotherhood of Man.

3.   The Communion of Spirits and the Ministry of Angels.

4.   The Continuous Existence of the Human Soul.

5.   Personal Responsibility.

6.   Compensation and Retribution hereafter for all the Good and Evil deeds done on earth.

7.   Eternal Progress open to every Human Soul.

 As a retired clergyman said to me recently, “The more words in a holy book the more ammunition there is to be turned against that religion.  Those inside the religion may manipulate the holy words to suit their own agenda, and outsiders use these words as ammunition to ridicule that particular religion. 

It is no use having Seven Principles of forty-seven words if they do not make sense.  In my opinion the Seven Principles make a lot of sense and we can use them in our everyday life to make Spiritualism more than a religion but a way of life. 

The Fifth Principle –“Personal Responsibility” was not only the first one that was of interest to me, the elderly clergyman remarked on this as well.  If we all took a bit more ‘personal responsibility’ then the world would be a better place.  I have always thought there should be an Eighth Principle and that should be ‘common sense’.  ‘Common Sense’ added to ‘Personal Responsibility’ would make us all better human beings.

 One of my earliest memories was getting for Christmas was a few toy farm animals, made from metal not like the plastic ones today. As I played with these small toys regularly the following Christmas, too big for my stocking but Christmas present from Santa just the same, was a large wooden farmyard.  This was my pride and joy for many years.  So it may come as no surprise that one of my favourite programmes of all time was the BBC’s“All Creatures Great and Small”.   Later in life my work took me around farms which I always found enjoyable.

But word ‘farm’ is being abused these days.  We see the word ‘farm’ being used for areas which can keep up to 500 dairy cattle which never get out into a field.  Massive numbers of farm animals never see the light of day or breathe in fresh air.  I will not go into the horrors of factory farming but surely as spiritualists we can do something about it?

The first thing we can do is include animals treated in such a way in our prayers.  Then if one wishes to write to their local supermarket asking about their animal welfare policy.   The more letters a big business receives from compassionate and caring customers to how  animals are treated before its flesh appears on supermarket shelves, the more notice will be taken in supermarket board rooms.

 

 

Next year...

Wear a red and purole poppy...

 

 

One of my earliest memories was getting for Christmas was a few toy farm animals, made from metal not like the plastic ones today. As I played with these small toys regularly the following Christmas, too big for my stocking but Christmas present from Santa just the same, was a large wooden farmyard.  This was my pride and joy for many years.  So it may come as no surprise that one of my favourite programmes of all time was the BBC’s“All Creatures Great and Small”.   Later in life my work took me around farms which I always found enjoyable.

But word ‘farm’ is being abused these days.  We see the word ‘farm’ being used for areas which can keep up to 500 dairy cattle which never get out into a field.  Massive numbers of farm animals never see the light of day or breathe in fresh air.  I will not go into the horrors of factory farming but surely as spiritualists we can do something about it?

The first thing we can do is include animals treated in such a way in our prayers.  Then if one wishes to write to their local supermarket asking about their animal welfare policy.   The more letters a big business receives from compassionate and caring customers to how  animals are treated before its flesh appears on supermarket shelves, the more notice will be taken in supermarket board rooms.


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      I saw this on facebook...

 I WANT ... I WANT ... I WANT...

Every day you hear people saying what they want.  Well, this is what I want.

I want people who are sick to be healed...

I want children with no families to be adopted...

I want people never to worry about food and shelter and heat...

Most of all I would like to see people start to care for each other...

 

 

 

Jenny Lafferty 1949 - 2012...We can learn plenty from the Crow Tribe.... 150 Years by Jim Brown...

 14^th October - I was taking the service at the Perth Spiritualist Church.  (SNU)   A small but busy church in the centre of the town.

16^th - ASK Cumbernauld and as usual almost every seat taken.

17^th - It was unfortunate that I had to cancel my trip to Stranaer because of a hospital appointment.

21^st I only had a short journey to Kilmarnock Spiritualist Church (SNU)  Founded in 1936 this church has long been a place of welcome, support and learning for all those who have entered its doors .  A quote from the church’s  website “We offer an open door to all who wish to enter and hope the saying “...there are no strangers here, only friends who have yet to meet” holds true for all who do.  The church is only a short distance from the A77.

23^rd... My diary had down the Cambuslang Spiritualist Church but because of refurbishment of its original hall this church has moved to the Fernhill Community Centre, 12 Auchenlarie Drive, Fernhill, and Glasgow, G73 4EQ.  The church is slowly but surely finding its feet in the area.

25^th – A full house at The Lighthouse Spiritualist Church Greenock.   A sad night as it had only been four days since the passing of founder and president of this church,  Jenny Lafferty.  More about Jenny later

27^th I was at the Edinburgh College of Parapsychology for an evening of clairvoyance. 

29^th Because of a nasty allergy that will just not go away I had to cancel the Lamb’s Hill Spiritualist Church, Glasgow.

 

Jenny Lafferty founder and President of the Lighthouse Spiritualist Church passed to spirit on 21^st October 2012.

Jenny Lafferty was well known and respected in the Spiritualist movement in Scotland.  She was in poor health for several years but seldom if ever moaned about her own condition.  She was always thinking of the plight of others and could always find something nice to say about those who she disagreed with or those who gave her a hard time.

Jenny served as booking secretary at the White Rose Spiritualist Church in Gourock for sixteen years and then after a break she opened the Lighthouse Spiritualist Church with a few of her dedicated Spiritualist friends.  This was not just to be the opening of another Spiritualist Church, renting a hall and booking mediums.  Jenny and her committee meant this church to be part of the community, to be there for those in the community who needed a little help etc.  And that Spiritual Healing was to play as important a part as the clairvoyance.  From the first service at the church has gone from strength to strength.

The passing of Jenny’s daughter earlier this year hit her hard and although we spiritualists know that is not the end for a loved one, we are only human and can grieve as much as those who don’t believe.  To Jenny; Spiritualism was not just her religion but a way of life.

Jenny will be sadly missed by all who knew her.

 

 

The North American indigenous people were much maligned by Hollywood’s western movies. The indigenous peoples of North American were very spiritual in their own way.  Their beliefs have a strong reverence for animal life, the environment, and each other.

Organized religious meetings are not a part of Native American spirituality.  History shows that originally, Native American spirituality was more of a way of daily life.  Just like many in Spiritualism today who consider Spiritualism is a way of life for them and not a religion.  History books show us that the white man viewed Native American spirituality to be nothing more than superstition.  Yet maybe we in Spiritualism and society as a whole could learn a lot for the customs and beliefs of the Indigenous North American tribes.

One in particular, the Crow Tribe, has interested a friend of mine.

The Crow Indians were a little different from most of the other tribes in that women often played very important roles within their tribal community. Descendants for various roles in the family and tribal community come from the women. And when they got married, it was the male Crow Indians that accommodated the women and moved in with her and her family. Females within the Crow Indian tribe could even be chief.

Human life with the natural kingdom around them.  They said there was a mother goddess and a father god and believed in holy communion they were not predominantly patriarchs or matriarchs .they were warriors but believed in necessity they were great hunters and gatherers ... in all actuality the order of the Crow is of most ancient origin and means that together we can face all obstacles and challenges an live in peace and prosperity.  The Crow Indians were simple pagans they believed in the natural organics of life and the balances of you already possess everything necessary to become great. –

Native American Ten Commandments

1.    Treat the Earth and all that dwell therein with respect

2.    Remain close to the Great Spirit

3.    Show great respect for your fellow beings

4.    Work together for the benefit of all Mankind

5.    Give assistance and kindness wherever needed

6.    Do what you know to be right

7.    Look after the well-being of Mind and Body

8.    Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater Good

9.    Be truthful and honest at all times

10  Take full responsibility for your actions

 

 

 

Jim and May Brown may no longer grace the platforms of our Spiritualist Churches but that does not mean the necomers to our movement should miss out on the wise words of Jim's addresses...

150Years ago                               28/11/2003

In the past few hundred years this physical world has received a lot of signals such as rapping’s that have come from the spirit world but unfortunately, they were never picked up by the people of this world.

This may have been because they were afraid or perhaps it was just because they didn’t understand that they could communicate with spirit.  For instance it is recorded that there were rapping sounds heard in 1716, in the home of John Wesley the founder of the Methodist religion at Epworth Vicarage in England.

These sounds were similar to the rapping’s at Hydesville, New York State which started the Spiritualist Movement.   Throughout the centuries all the different religions of this physical world did speak of another life in what was then believed to be the ‘hereafter’.  Although they were unable to give any definite proof that such a place did exist.

It wasn’t until about 1847 after centuries of what was at that time known as supernatural happenings that we became aware of spirit through the antics of two young girls and that the first two-way communications with Spirit were received.   It was only through these early messages that we became more certain that we lived after the death of the physical body and we learned from spirit that we would survive in another dimension known now as the spirit world.

Time has passed since these first communications, until once again we have in this modern age rediscovered the ability through mediumship to communicate with the people who have passed into the spirit world.   For in the centuries before 1847 it was not uncommon for spirit contact to be made and you only have to read in some the ancient records such as the Bible of spirit communication between the people of this world and the people of the spirit world.

Today there are many people who can make this contact, and it’s through them and the information they have been given from spirit teachers that we have learned about spiritual philosophy and spiritual religion.  These spiritual teachings have told us how we should behave towards each other and how we should live our lives here on this earth.

If we allow ourselves to be brought under the influence of Spirit we will begin to understand the truth of the Spirit messages and allow that truth to change our attitudes, and our sense of what is right, and what is wrong.  Those of us who have already been influenced by Spirit and are sincere in our thoughts and actions can see what has been accomplished since the first communication was received and message from Spirit is that there is a need for more people of earth to have faith and belief in spirit.

We can now realise what can be accomplished in the days that lie ahead, for the message from Spirit is that there is a need for more people to act as instruments for Spirit, instruments that will have perfect faith in the power of Spirit to guide and inspire them so that others may benefit.  Those who allow themselves to come under the influence of Spirit and to go forward in this work needs to apply the Spiritual truths they will have learned to their everyday life so that other people who they come in contact with will recognize that they are messengers of Spirit by the type of life that they live.

In this short address, I hope I have managed to convey to you the message of the Spirit Guides. Which is to consider other people and to freely give of your love and service to them?