My Diary... Forward Thinking Spiritualist Sanctuary.... Spiritualist Church with a problem... Spiritualist World Peace Day... Water Aid... Spiritual Weddings....

 

 

 

                                                       My Diary

 23^rd March – Coatbridge Spiritualist Church, Sunnyside Road, Coatbridge, MI5 3HX.. This church was founded in 1946 and still going strong.

24^th – Saltcoats Spiritualist Church, Argyll Community Centre, Campbell Ave, Saltcoats KA21 5AG.  This town has always supported its Spiritualist Church  and on my latest visit there was the usual good turnout. 
25^th – ASK Cumbernauld.  This church started out in 2007 and from day-1 has always been a busy church.
27^th – ASK Dreghorn ASK Dreghorn, Townend Community Centre, Main Street, Dreghorn, KA11 4EQ   .  ASK could be doing with a little more support so why not give it a visit.   Thursday evenings with Spiritual Healing from 6.45, Divine Service 7.30pm and an Open Circle at 9pm.
30^th – Perth Spiritualist Church. (SNU)     More about this church later. 
6^th April – Milngavie and Bearsden Spiritualist Sanctuary.  More about this Sanctuary later in the blog... 

11^th – 15^th – Glasgow Association of Spiritualists (SNU).  A busy few days with four services, private sittings and an open circle.

17^th – Ayr Spiritualist Centre to give a talk to the Thursday Group.

 

Spiritualist Sanctuary

 Shortly before the Milngavie and Bearsden Spiritualist Sanctuary opened in 2012  A prominent medium was getting plenty of publicity on his proposals to change the format of our Spiritualist Services.  It was not so much a change but a demolition of our Divine Service.  So when I arrived at this Sanctuary to take my first Service Elizabeth Halliday President, founder and excellent medium in her own right,  shocked me with the following comment.  “Ours is not the normal Service we have made a few changes”.  It is said that the proof of the pudding is in the eating and that was spot on in this situation.  The changes were not like a typhoon destroying our Service format but a breath of fresh air that involves more congregation participation.

First there was no opening prayer.  In its place there is five minutes of contemplation which gives us our own personal space to link with God, our loved ones in Spirit, or just to reflect on our week.  . During this time I could feel the atmosphere rise.  .

The second change was having a ten minute Healing Service as part of the Divine Service, here again I felt the vibrations rising.  In an earlier blog I mentioned that many attend our Divine Services but even though they have been coming through our doors for many years they have never waited on to experience our Healing Services.  Here at the Sanctuary one can experience and take part in both.  By the time it came for the Address and the Clairvoyance there was a strong link with Spirit and the Spirit World, helped by all playing their part.

Using the term “Spiritual Sanctuary” instead of “Spiritual Church” is probably the most important change in my opinion.  At one time and even today the word “Church” is a no-go area for many.  Because of this some of our Churches have called themselves Spiritualist Centres but that has caused confusion to some not realizing the difference between Spiritual Centres and Psychic Centres.

 The word “Sanctuary”  = refuge, haven, harbour, port in a storm, oasis, shelter. 

Is that not what we are trying to achieve?  To make one feel welcome and safe. Away from the rat-race of modern living for an hour or two.   For individuals to leave their problems and stress on the doorstep as they spend the next hour or so in a relaxed peaceful environment.  Whether it is meditation, Healing, our Philosophy, linking with Spirit or with education you are in a peaceful and safe environment for a few hours.  I am not for one minute saying that Spiritualists should drop the name ‘church’ and replace it with ‘sanctuary’ but it is something each church should think about “Is you church not more of a Sanctuary for those who enter?”  I am also happy with our usual service format but again it would do no harm for church committees to think over if any changes would benefit their service.

 The Sanctuary also took a change from the norm with deciding to hold their Divine Service on a Sunday afternoon.  Largs Spiritualist Church is the only other church to hold a service in the afternoon.  Although the afternoon Service was well attended is has now been decided that from next month the Service will move to a Sunday morning.

 Their hymn book has upbeat modern hymns/songs and their words just perfect for a spiritualist service.

For the past two years the Milngavie and Bearsden Spiritualist Sanctuary have laid a wreath at the local cenotaph. A few of our churches in Scotland do the same but only a few.  Here is another area where Spiritualism should be making inroads.  We hear many Spiritualists say “We never get laying a wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday”.  My reply usually is “Has your church asked to take part?”  Here once again the M & B Spiritualist Sanctuary is showing the flag and it has only been in existence for two years.

 

  

                                        Spiritualist Church with a Problem...

 The Perth spiritualist church is affectionately known as ‘the wee church with a big heart’. Ivy Campbell and her committee work tirelessly to give this church the high reputation it has. I know Ivy will be squirming when she reads this because she likes to keep in the background and let everyone else take the credit. But Ivy will have to get used to being upfront as she is now stepping on the platform as a medium. Everyone who knows Ivy will wish her well in this latest venture.

On visiting the church a few weeks ago I was shocked to find that directly outside the door was three household rubbish bins put there by the council. These containers have been chained into position with only the width of the pavement separating them from the church’s front door. What is this going to be like in the summer as far as the smell is concerned? So far complaints to the council have fallen on deaf ears. I wonder if the council would have even considered putting such bins/containers outside the gates of one of the Orthodox churches never mind the actual front door.  I believe they have caused a problem already as a car drove into them.

I’m about to contact the council on this matter and I hope all spiritualist in Perth and the surrounding area are doing the same.

 

 

 Doig emails; - “I saw in a spiritualist publication World Peace Day is 5^th July this year yet a friend tells me World Peace Day is 21^st September”.

Hi Doig – What you saw would be The Spiritualist World Peace Day which is always on the first Saturday in July every year.  Spiritualists gather for their Peace Day Service at the National Memorial Arboretum, Croxall Road,  Alrewas, Stratfordshire, DE13 7AR.  This is the only event where Spiritualists gather from all over the UK to hold a spiritualist service.

Maybe too far and too costly for most spiritualist around the country to attend so could each District Council hold a Peace Service in their area on the first Saturday in July each year.  The Scottish and Irish Council covers a big area so it may be an idea for a Service to be held in both Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Your friend would have been looking at information on the UN’s International Day of Peace which is on the 21^st September every year.  With so much strife on the planets at this time two Peace Days is no bad thing....

 

 

SNU Churches and Centres raised £15,000 for WaterAid last year.  This gave 1,000 people safe water to drink for life.  We in the West just cannot imagine what it is like to travel miles for water on a daily basis.  Well, a friend decided to go some way in the direction to find out.  He walked to a supermarket every day for a week – a round trip of six miles returning each day with 4 x 2L bottles of water.  That was all the family had for a week for drinking, cooking and washing etc.  They only used mains water for the toilet, not the bath or shower.  All members of the family said it was the worst week of their lives and really had to struggle to complete the week.  Here was the father a big strong man bringing the water supply each day and walking on pavements.  Water collection in Africa is usually the job for women and young girls and it is unlikely there will be paved surfaces for them to walk on.  Let us from now on not take water for granted.

This year the SNU’s charity partner is Crisis, who are dedicated to ending homelessness in the UK.

 

                                   Spiritualist Weddings....

SNU Ministers and Officiants are fully trained to carry out marriage ceremonies, which includes the necessary legally binding vows.

In most SNU Churches a Registrar would be needed to witness and record the vows, although some Churches have an 'Authorised Person' who records the marriage in the same way as a Registrar.

Remember that when vows are exchanged in the Spiritualist service those in the Spirit world are also invited as witnesses. Special people in the Spirit world who cannot be there in body can certainly be there in spiritual form, bringing the love which continues to flow from them.

If you are not a Spiritualist, you need to consider whether this service is suitable for you as it treats those present as accepting of the Seven Principles and having an understanding of Spiritualism.

To find out more about having your wedding the Spiritualist Way, contact your local SNU Church or pick up a leaflet for more details.