My Diary…
October…
15th
– 17th – Glasgow Central
Spiritualist Church SNU, 64 Berkeley Street, Glasgow, G3 7DS.
2017 is a special year for this church as in October it celebrated its
80th anniversary.
27th
– Largs Spiritualist. The Brisbane Centre, Bath
Street, Largs, KA30 8BL. (Sunday 2.30pm). The only Spiritualist Church that I
know of in Scotland that has a Sunday afternoon Divine service.
31st
–A short journey to the Free Spirit Spiritualist
Church. The Masonic Hall, London Road, Kilmarnock.
November…
12th – It is
always a pleasure to serve the Ayr Spiritualist Church. 10 Alloway Place, Ayr, KA7 2AA
14th
– Falkirk and District Spiritualist Church SNU, 8
Burnhead Lane, East High Street, Falkirk, FK1 1UG. A church that has been opening its doors to
the people of Falkirk and district for over 50 years.
27th - Saltcoats Spiritualist Church, Argyll Community
Centre, Campbell Ave, Saltcoats KA21 5AG.
This is one of the first churches I served after coming out of
development circles and a church that I have always found to be busy
December…
4th Taking the service at the
Glasgow Association of Spiritualists SNU.
10th
- Kilmarnock Spiritualist,
Church SNU. 30 Old Mill Road, Kilmarnock
KA13AW. A short journey for my last service of the year. And another church that celebrated its 80th anniversary last month.
We Must Stop the Decline.
Spiritualist churches are on decline in
the UK as far as numbers are concerned.
We are now suffering the same fate of what other religions have been
suffering for many years. I find that
what is more concerning is the decline in numbers attending our churches this
year more than ever. Yet, a recent
survey showed that as each year passes more and more people are accepting life
after death and that there can be communication between our two dimensions.
I emailed several Spiritualist who have
been part of our movement for many years asking them why they think
congregations are falling away – and here are their replies; -
“Workshops, no matter the cost we usually reach maximum numbers,
but bums on seats at our services are few”.
If those who attended the other events we put on came to our Divine
Services we would be full to capacity”.
“Once one has proof of life after death there is no need to
return on a regular basis. I know of
those who only attend our church at a loved one’s birthday or around the
Festive Season”.
“Many look on our churches today as places of learning so they
can go off and make financial gain from what they have learned”.
“As far as the SNU is concerned they have more award holders
than they ever have had yet how many attend our churches on a regular basis?”
“Why attend a church where time is taken up by prayers, hymns
and an address when you can go down the road and get wall-to-wall clairvoyance
at a pub or club? That is the mindset of
so many these days”
“Personally, the lack of good mediums put many off”.
On speaking to several Spiritualists and
working mediums the main comment I got was
“Everywhere
I attend it is always busy”. That
may be so, but when you split the venues down to charity nights, cabaret
evenings, churches (?) which do not have a Divine services and churches which
do have a Divine service, the latter is where there is the decline in
numbers. We must do all we can to protect our Divine Services.
To Remember Me by Robert Test
At a certain moment a doctor will determine that my brain has
ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped.
When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into my
body by the use of a machine. And don't call this my 'deathbed.' Call it my
'bed of life,' and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller
lives.
Give my sight to a man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face
or love in the eyes of a woman.
Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but
endless days of pain.
Give my blood to the teenager who has been pulled from the wreckage
of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play.
Give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist from week
to week.
Take my bones, every muscle, every fibre and nerve in my body and
find a way to make a crippled child walk.
Explore every corner of my brain. Take my cells, if necessary, and
let them grow so that someday a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat
and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her windows.
Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help
the flowers grow.
If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses and
all my prejudice against my fellow man.
Give my soul to God. If by chance you wish to remember me, do it
with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you. If you do all I have asked,
I will live forever.
Walking along a street were there were several people begging, one
stood out an old gentleman. He looked so
sad and as I put my hand in my pocket to put some coins in his polystyrene cup
a little girl got between myself and the old gentleman. She handed the old soul a £5 note and an
envelope. The old man thanked the little
lass and as he opened the envelope to reveal a Christmas card the look on his
face was amazing. That card probably the
only one he would get this Christmas mean more to him that the money. As the little lass and her dad walked away
the left an old soul sitting on the pavement with tears in his eyes and almost
certainly feeling more like a human being than he did a few minutes
before. Small acts of kindness like this
can mean so much to those who have fallen on hard times.
Bringing up a child the right way
Walking along a street were there were several people begging, one
stood out an old gentleman. He looked so
sad and as I put my hand in my pocket to put some coins in his polystyrene cup
a little girl got between myself and the old gentleman. She handed the old soul a £5 note and an
envelope. The old man thanked the little
lass and as he opened the envelope to reveal a Christmas card the look on his
face was amazing. That card probably the
only one he would get this Christmas mean more to him that the money. As the little lass and her dad walked away
the left an old soul sitting on the pavement with tears in his eyes and almost
certainly feeling more like a human being than he did a few minutes
before. Small acts of kindness like this
can mean so much to those who have fallen on hard times.
Lighting this candle
Lighting this candle to send some love to the world...this time of year as the material and consumer hype ramps up, we really need to take stock of the things we have that money cannot buy! This is a process we have consciously embraced in our home these past few years as we remind ourselves consciously of the importance of love and values without a price tag. In the last few weeks I have heard of and know of so many people grieving. So many troubled terminal illnesses so many who have lost loved ones recently, many over the past few years who's passing seems more keenly felt at this time of year. Christmas in this country is extremely family orientated and the physical absence of loved ones is extremely difficult to bear let alone to watch someone we love suffer. In addition it appears whatever shift is occurring in the world is affecting workplaces, relationships, families and communities at a collective and individual level....please know if you are reading this and are feeling disorientated please know that you are not alone...you represent light....you are the reason someone smiles today...you may never know the impact you have on those around you....and just as this candle represents light so do you however, small that flame may be... the world needs your light... reach out....this lifetime is fleeting and we need to support those struggling in whatever capacity possible...send a text...make a call...lend an ear...a hand...a smile...listen and hold the space....be someone's light and guide them home... above all shine... however small because you matter ....I ask all my healing friends to light a candle to support all those who need that guidance ....and should anyone need to talk remember I am only a text/call away xxx
Miriam Farrell Fitzgerald/
