http://www.sunflowerchapel.org/

Sunflower Chapel NSAC, The Spiritual Life Center, 609 Watervliet Avenue, Dayton, OH (2026)

05/30/2019

Infinite Spirit we give thanks that Monday’s events were not more severe and that You protected us through the event. We appreciate that only one life was lost. We ask that you stay closely with us as we work together to clean up, restore order and rebuild our lives. Please allay our fears and relieve our emotional stress. Continue to strengthen and be with us as we do our best daily . In Jesus’s name we ask this. Amen

05/04/2019

Healing Is In God’s Hands by Rev. Frances D. Montgomery, NST

There are times in life when all of us have felt we simply cannot deal with situations, cannot handle what is going on, cannot reconcile our Physical with our Spiritual lives. We have tried, we have prayed, we have done our very best yet things still seem out of control.
Those are the times to realize when we put things under the jurisdiction of Infinite Intelligence we then should learn to leave them there. If we had been able to “fix” the situation, we would have already done that, if we had been able to bring about change, we would have already accomplished it, if there was a human remedy we would have already reached the solution, would have been there, done that. Prayer sometimes doesn’t seem to be working.
Most of us are already aware that worry is a very negative energy. In times of stress we do not need to send out thoughts of concern or worry which will only exacerbate the situation. We must stay positive if we are to help
I am reminded of the old story about the farmer who plants his seeds. He doesn’t go out every morning and pull the seed out of the ground to see if it has rooted yet, does he? That would defeat the purpose – had they rooted, he would have uprooted them and they wouldn’t grow! He plants, trusts nature to take her course and gives the time needed for germination to take place; the seeds (NOT mysteriously – but by Natural Law) do germinate, plants begin to push through the soil toward the light and another crop begins to grow.

Likewise, when we place things in the Hands of Spirit, we should act like the farmer – exercise patience, work with Natural Law by trusting Infinite Intelligence; allowing time for Spirit to work.
There is an exercise we can use to help this occur. Always remembering that we have no right to change anyone except ourselves, we always pray for the highest and best good of all concerned! Keep this in mind when you use the exercise I will be sharing with you today.
This is an exercise I have worked with extensively. I have proven in my own life that it does work, if I work with it! Chances are things didn’t get to wherever they may be in your life overnight so they will not be resolved overnight. If you want to learn to play an instrument, you practice – be it the piano, guitar, pitching a baseball, sewing a seam for a garment, learning woodworking. In the same manner, if you practice working with this regularly, it will work for you.
What is this “magical formula?” How can anything solve everything? Well, give this a serious try while you leave the seed in the ground for Natural Law to germinate!
“I place myself and ___(specifically name the problem)___ in the Hands of the Loving Infinite Spirit and only that which is for my (our) Highest Good will come to me (us). Bless me (us), protect me (us), make Spirit’s Face to shine upon me (us), keep me (us) healthy, and help us to find the correct way for the highest and best good of all concerned. In the name of Spirit, as this is spoken, so shall it be done. Amen.”
When using this prayer, visualize the Hands of Spirit extended from the Clouds of the White Light of Infinite Intelligence, opened as a cup to receive the problem you are placing there. Whenever you feel yourself begin to worry again (negative energy) or the “what if’s” creep in, act like a Mother Cat – pick that problem up by the nape of the neck just as she would pick up her kitten to put back in her nest area, and put it back in the Hands of Spirit. If you are aggravated, mentally throw the problem back where you put it, sometimes you will have to mentally forcibly throw to it back into those Loving Hands, but by doing that you are exercising your ability to stay positive, curtail the negativity of worry, and remain consistent in working with the problem all the while keeping yourself and your ego (and personal wishes toward solution) out of the way.
Don’t try to work everything out at one time. Pick your priority! Take the direst most immediate situation and stick with that one until it reaches a permanent solution. Then, starting over again, work on the next area you would like to see changed for the better.
This is a powerful prayer and I have personally proven in my own life that it works. It will work without fail – but only if you work with it. Just as practice makes perfect when learning any new skill, so does practice make perfect when learning to work with Spirit. Remember one thing always; it will not work for you if you do not work with it.
May Spirit always work in your life! God Bless

04/11/2019

Palm Sunday to a Spiritualist by Rev. Frances D. Montgomery, NST,CM

As a Spiritualist Pastor Palm Sunday is a difficult Sunday to prepare for since we are not Christians and many of our folks have come to us from other beliefs where this season has quite different connotations. We do not accept the concept of Jesus as our savior nor do we believe He died to save us from our sins. We also do not take the teachings of the Bible or any other holy writings literally – we teach and believe in using our own minds to accept or reject what we can understand and believe freely, to table the matter until we have had time to meditate, thinking things through then making the decision our soul vibrates with most comfortably. We believe that as we grow forth in our life experience we change and sometimes things we didn’t understand become plain and clearly understood later in our lives. We also do not accept a belief that holds us to its teachings through the fear of eternal damnation if we do not embrace the tenants of a religious denomination - any denomination or any church.

Therefore Palm Sunday to us has little significance. There are however interesting things about this date we can discuss. Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey – figures riding horses signified a war like figure while a donkey was not considered a threatening animal and those on a donkey were believed to come in peace.
Because of the location of the Holy Land palm trees were abundant. In other locations Christianity did not have access to this tropical tree so willow branches or even evergreen branches were used instead of palm branches. The placing of branches on roadways was done as an honor to those who were respected, serving to help keep the hot dust from being stirred up on the unpaved roadways making it more comfortable for the travelers.
In many beliefs where branches are handed out to congregants they are taken home and kept until the next year when they are returned to the church elders to be burned. Those ashes are used on Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent) to be placed on the foreheads of worshippers in those faiths.
Anyone for whom branches were strewn was normally of a high ranking position and was welcomed by celebration and song. Without today’s television to notify and keep everyone instantly connected unusual events were a welcome break in the monotony of everyday life.
Palm Sunday is celebrated throughout Europe and the United States. It can also be found in Mexico, Canada, all of South America, the Middle East (in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel), India, Russia, and the Philippines. Basically, if Christianity is practiced in a region, they celebrate Palm Sunday. The methods in how it is practiced may differ, based on availability of plants, but the reasoning is the same. Palm Sunday is all about peace, triumph, and celebration of Jesus preparing to make His ultimate sacrifice.
In Spiritualism the most important thing to remember is that this is the Sunday prior to Easter when the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb is celebrated. Spiritualists see this as proof positive of the continuation of life after the transition called death. Jesus arose in a materialized form – and walked among the people in that state interacting with those still in their earthly or physical bodies. We demonstrate the interaction in our churches through Spirit messages or greetings normally given from Spirit to our Mediums who are able to receive impressions, visions or physical sensations from spirit and convey those expressions to congregants. There are many methods for spirit to reach through and mediums receive differently according to their abilities.
May you always be aware of the spirit of Infinite Intelligence at work in your life.
God bless.

04/01/2019

You Do Not Have to Struggle by Rev. Frances D. Montgomery

In my bedroom I have a small framed motto. I don’t know who said it or had it printed, I have no idea where it ever came from or who coined it and couldn’t find anything specific on this on the internet! It is only three lines and it simply says:

You do not have to struggle.
You do not have to fight.
You only have to KNOW.

Somehow I have always considered that rather profound! If you KNOW you are right, why waste time arguing with anyone in the attempt to convince them of your views? What does it matter what they think - if you KNOW? If you KNOW something, you don’t have to fight about it, simply keep your own counsel. If you really KNOW something you don’t have to struggle with or about anything. You don’t have to persuade anyone of anything. Be still, KNOW the I AM within, KNOW the Infinite Intelligence and, if you truly KNOW, simply let the chips fall where they may.

When you reach that peaceful place of knowing you don’t have to attempt to tell everyone what you think, you don’t have to blow your own horn, you don’t have to really care what anyone else thinks or does. It is immaterial to you what anyone else thinks, says or does – because you KNOW who and where you are. You KNOW what is important in your life and what is really not worth a whit. With that type of knowledge nothing said or done can affect you. You are above all of that and centered within the Spirit of God.

Psalm 46 verse 10 says “Be still and know that I AM GOD.”
We realize God – or Infinite Intelligence – lives within us. When we meditate we quiet ourselves, go within to get in touch with the Infinite, and listen to hear what impressions we are brought. That is usually where we receive our best advice and counsel. If we know that, we also know that we aren’t perfect, we are learning every day.

Our Project in this lifetime is to learn from our errors and strive to be above repeating them. Our Project is to grow our own souls forward – not anyone else’s soul, only our own. We also realize we only have the right to change ourselves and we can do that whenever we realize we have been wrong or have done something we could have done better. We also realize we shouldn’t give advice unless asked for it and allow everyone else the same rights we have – that of making their own errors and learning from them at their own pace.

It can be difficult to watch close friends or relatives make decisions we know in the long run will be hurtful for them. It isn’t easy to allow a young child learning to walk to fall down. The child really isn’t hurt much more than stunned and will start again to toddle forward. The older person may experience heartache or financial setback – either situation is a learning opportunity for the person involved, whether a child or an adult.

You know the child will eventually get it right and soon after begin to run rather than walk. You really don’t know about the adults’ decision and how that will turn out. Unless specifically asked, it is NOT up to you to point out or advise anyone. You should recall when you were younger and someone, frequently a parent, attempted to tell you this or that for your supposed own good. Remember how incensed you were – because you thought you knew it all? If you are honest with yourself you can look back and see where someone with your best interests at heart was possibly more knowledgeable than you – but you did it your way and lived through it, didn’t you? And you can see in retrospect how things might have been different, or better, or even worse than they actually turned out.

Everyone has the right to make their own mistakes, just as you did. Everyone has the same project you do, learning their life lessons and making the best of it. Allow them that freedom. Yep, love them, yep, be there when they fail, yep, be the first to congratulate them and root for them when things turn out well. All of the above: but most importantly allow them the freedom to make choices of their own selection without attempting to tell them what is best for them. Give them the right to live their own life, learn from their choices and grow their project forward just as you have tried to grow your project forward.

Always remember: You do not have to struggle.
You do not have to fight.
You only have to know.

03/21/2019

Protection of Infinite Intelligence by Rev. Frances D. Montgomery, CM, NST

First and foremost, it is always prudent to be aware, when working with Spirit, that if you ask for God’s White Light of Divine Protection, you will always have that Force around you and with you. Also, it is true that you probably do not associate with liars, thieves, drug dealers, murderers; so you probably are not going to attract the negative energies anyway. You have always heard that like attracts like. That is certainly true when working with Spirit. You will attract to you the guides, teachers and entities that are about one step above your own level of understanding so that you are learning from them just as a child in school. Kindergarten children do not need a high school math teacher to teach them their ABC’s, colors and numbers. High school students do not need a college professor to teach them calculus and engineering. In that same manner, we on the Spiritual Path will attract to us guides and teachers appropriate to the level of understanding we have attained. We do not have any desire for anything of a lower nature in our lives, classes or experiences. No matter the circumstance, no matter where you are, no matter what time it is, if you ask for God Force to surround and protect you, it will always be there. Spirit does not let us down when we call upon the Infinite Intelligence.

If you are experiencing a difficult time in your life, you normally will turn to prayer so you are asking Infinite Intelligence or the God Force for assistance. At that point you are already working with the highest and best Force available.

I think people are more concerned with protection when working with spirit as in a circle or in a message bearing capacity. The law is the same. Ask for the protection of the Infinite Intelligence to be with you and to bring only truth appropriate to the occasion. Message bearers sometimes may receive a message for someone that may be appropriate in a private setting but inappropriate for a church service. It is never “okay” to embarrass anyone and when a new person comes to church I ask them if they would like a message before I take what I may have received and just give it out. Several people like our service but are not comfortable with messages. That is fine and nothing to be either ashamed of or embarrassed by. If you are giving a message you should have already asked for Protection and that you only receive truth prior to opening your mouth. Message bearers do this usually during their “working song” or meditation which is a sort of signal to the Spirit World that they have opened the door and are willing to receive spirit messages for those present. I do not know of anyone who works as a message bearer who does not take the responsibility of working with Spirit seriously.

Those of you who have attended our All Message Night services know we always open with a prayer to the Infinite. We request that Spirit join us and knowing that we are working to the highest and best of our ability, we trust that only truth will come through.

After the opening prayer we know the circle or class is protected and we then proceed to work with what spirit brings us. In working with Spirit, it is important to give what you receive even though it makes no sense to you – the message you are giving is not for YOU, anyway. It is for the recipient the spirit entity is attempting to reach. If you have a thought that persists, a song you don’t normally sing that runs through your head and doesn’t go away, GIVE that information. That is how spirit starts to make you aware. That song or thought may have a very special meaning to someone else, even if you don’t know exactly where it goes. Usually, you will sense or feel that it goes to a certain area of the room so you can mention that. If you are not sure, give the information but do not try to place it. Never give anything Spirit has not given you but do give forth and share with others so that Spirit knows contact has been made, received and recognized. If you feel or sense a tickling or web around your face, mention it. If you sense a warmth or chilly breeze in a room where there is no open air circulating, give that information. There is a very good book by Ted Andrews titled “How To Meet and Work with Spirit Guides.” It is an easy read, very basic and explanatory.

First John Chapter 4, verse one says: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” ASK the spirit entity you are working with if they are of God, do they recognize Jesus Christ? If they answer that they do, you will have no problem in trusting them.

Protection is simply the Light of God around and about you. It isn’t hard to secure nor difficult to understand. ASK God to protect you and surround you with the Power of truth. It is that simple. May God be with you and protect you always.

12/21/2018

We are quickly approaching Christmas and I am interested in discussing several things about this season. Today I am not going to address the birth of Jesus as is usually portrayed. I want to talk about the season of Christmas, a bit of its history and its commercialization.

There are pounds of newspaper ads printed to get your attention and money. There are photos of every new item on the market. People are bombarded from every side to spend money for this thing and that thing, new, old, nostalgic, needed, not needed; attempts to create needs for more things we didn’t need yesterday and probably do not need today. First off, I would ask you to remember that every ad that is printed and every word in every ad is written and paid for by someone who works very diligently to sell that item to you. Do not believe everything they say since they are writing the ads and paying their money for the advertising. Ads are written to make money for them – not to do favors for you.

Secondly, it is interesting to me that many, indeed most, of the large conglomerates and federations who own the retail stores and businesses are usually owned and operated by folks whose religion does not embrace Christmas nor do they accept Jesus as their savior much less as their Master Teacher. Many actually do not even recognize Him at all. They are still awaiting their new Abraham or reincarnation of that type of father figure to set things right for them.

There is nothing to indicate that it was the dead of winter when Jesus was born. I have read and heard that Jesus was born in the only inanimate month of the year. Only one month is inanimate – that is, not represented by something living. January, Capricorn, is the goat; February, Aquarius is the water bearer; March, Pisces is the fishes; April or Aries is the ram; May, Ta**us is the bull; June, Gemini are the twins; July, Cancer, is the crab; August, Leo, is the lion; Virgo for September is the virgin; November, Scorpio is the scorpion; and Sagittarius for December is represented by an archer. Only October or Libra is represented by anything inanimate - the scale. A symbol of balance and the only inanimate sign in the year.

If we think about December, the coldest darkest part of the year in the northern hemisphere, we realize that farmers aren’t tending their fields, most folks in those days of limited transportation would normally button in by a fireplace for warmth and the comfort of their home and hearth. They would stockpile supplies, preserve foods by drying or salting meat down and with no snowplows, automobiles or salted roads they would stay home maybe venturing to church on Sunday if weather permitted. The first Christmas I could research and find seems to have coincided with the Winter Solstice because that date had long been celebrated in the pagan religions as the end of winter. When Christians began to celebrate Jesus’ birth the priests chose that time frame so as to not unsettle those who had long been celebrating the event. The Roman Empire from pre – Christian times brought branches from evergreen plants indoors in winter. Decorating with greenery was also part of Jewish tradition; Leviticus 23:40 reads “Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willow of the brook and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.” Leviticus is definitely Old Testament – written long before Jesus’ birth.

Nativity Scenes are known from 10th century Rome as popularized by Saint Francis of Assisi from 1223. The first commercially produced decorations appeared in Germany in the 1860’s and were inspired by paper chains made by children. The heart shaped leaves of ivy were said to symbolize the coming to earth of Jesus while holly was seen as protection against pagans and witches, its thorns and red berries held to represent the Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus at the crucifixion and the blood he shed.

The Christmas tree is often explained as a Christianization of pagan tradition and the ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice. English usage of the term is first recorded in 1835 and the tree is believed to have begun in Germany in the 18th century though there is argument that Martin Luther began the tradition in the 16th century and it spread to England via Queen Charlotte, wife of George III.

The first commercial Christmas card was produced by Sir Henry Cole in London in 1843 and there are innumerable variations of this formula used by a wide cross section of people including non-Christians in Western society and Asia.

Because of the Jewish High Holidays many cards have long stated “Happy Holidays” rather than the traditional “Merry Christmas” although now because of the American Civil Liberties Union and other current events many of Christian persuasion are again emphasizing “Merry Christmas” as their greeting.

Gift exchanging is one of the core aspects of the modern Christmas celebration, making the season the most profitable time of the year for retailers and businesses throughout the Western world. Income for retailers and other merchants would be at very low ebb without the Christmas season sales in December.

Gift giving was common in the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, an ancient festival which took place on December 25th and may have influenced Christmas customs.

The name Santa Claus is a corruption of the Dutch Sinterklaas, which means simply Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was Bishop of Myra in modern day Turkey during the 4th century. He was noted for the care of children, generosity and the giving of gifts. His feast on December 6th came to be celebrated in many countries with the giving of gifts which was corrupted in English to Kris Kringle and the date of giving gifts changed from December 6th to Christmas Eve.

The celebration of Christmas has evolved throughout the centuries to what it is today. It had humble Pagan beginnings based on the solstice because this was on the day the sun reversed its southward retreat and proved itself to be unconquered. Early Christian writers connected the rebirth of the sun to the birth of Jesus “O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that sun was born… Christ should be born” was written by Cyprian. John Crysostom commented on the connection: ‘They call it the “Birthday of the Unconquered”. Who indeed is so unconquered as Our Lord…?

Whatever your beliefs, Christmas comes every year. I hope you celebrate it with much love and joy in your heart and no overload on your credit cards! Spiritualists see it as the Birth of the Master Teacher who came to show us the Way to Live, the way to strive to become. May Infinite Intelligence bless and keep you always safe and loving, not only at this time of the year but throughout every day as we grow our souls back to the God Force.

Merry Christmas to you and yours. May Spirit touch closely in your lives on this special day.

12/08/2018

Storms of Life by Rev. Frances D. Montgomery, NST, CM

Sometimes on life’s journey, times are horribly difficult; everything looks bleak. Sometimes, we wonder if or how we will survive. Sometimes we wonder if we do survive, what is the difference and why? Sometimes, life seems ominous. Sometimes Infinite Intelligence seems far away and inspiration seems nearly nonexistent. Sometimes life runs through an area very desert like; and yet, even in a desert, there is movement, there is beauty, there is life. Somehow there is enough moisture to sustain many plants; cacti of many types thrive and bloom beautifully, suddenly, abundantly.

And so it is with life – even in the most desolate times, loving Infinite Intelligence is there to envelope us, to nurture us, to be with us even though we can’t feel that Power or touch into that Great Life Force. When we can’t tap into the energy of Spirit, the only thing to do is to try to become quiet, attempt to still our minds, to simply be; allow ourselves to hurt, cry, rail against fate, and then collect ourselves and attempt again to be still.

In Psalms 46:10 Spirit has said “Be still and know that I am God” …Matthew 26:20 “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, amen.”

There are many references and assurances that Spirit is always there for us, that while we are out of touch at times with Spirit, Spirit never deserts us, leaves us or is out of touch with us.

There are many demonstrations in life as well as in nature reinforcing those events. The sky will be vicious looking; winds will roar, storms, whether wind and rain, hail, sleet or snow will arrive creating havoc for a while, disturbing the regular routines of life, interrupting the patterns of life. Always after those periods, things will be right again. Blue will start accumulating in the sky in larger amounts, clouds will turn from black and blustery to gray and then white (as of the Infinite) will begin to again show through.

All nature experiences those events – forest fires started by a random strike of lightening, floods raging from an oversupply of rain, trees ravaged by twisting winds, animals in the wild fleeing for their lives from whatever source of change the weather has wrought.

Humans endure those types of experiences through interactions with other humans as well as being affected by horrendous weather patterns over which they have no control. Sometimes illness brings tension and fear for a loved one, sometimes antisocial events occur that are unthinkable, unspeakable, unexplainable. Our very souls are shaken. It is at those times that Spirit is closest to us even though we are incapable of recognizing its awareness around us. Spiritualists are taught and do know we are never alone. That is one of the most beautiful teachings we have - and have demonstrated – life after death, life after devastation, life, around us, with us, in us and though us; loved ones never deserting us, Infinite Intelligence loving and nurturing us at all times through all things, ever and ever with us. What more do we need? What more could we ask? We are special as is all life to the Infinite that created us. For this we should be thankful and show gratitude as we grow forward. Our prayer should always be to strive for the highest and best we are able to reach and to be able to be still and listen quietly waiting for the promise brought by a beautiful rainbow.

Infinite is good and ever with us. Let us give thanks.

11/25/2018

Gathered Together

by Rev. Frances D. Montgomery, NST, CM

Many of you have heard me say that one of the best things about our religion to me, personally, is that we are taught to think for ourselves. No pope, no priest, no pastor, no minister, no evangelist has any closer link to the Spirit, the Infinite Intelligence, the God Force, than we, each and every one of us, does. That is true, IF we take the time to be connected to Spirit. This requires meditation, the desire, sincerely enough put, to make and take the time to connect with the God Force on a regular daily basis. We are taught to read, study, meditate, make our own decisions, use our own minds, to think things through. How many of us really do that DAILY in our lives? We get up and start readying for our day – many of us have a job or time clocks to punch. We have families who need our attention, meals to prepare, groceries to get in, houses to clean, appointments to be kept. We mean to meditate and get in touch with God and ourselves, we intend to, but honestly, for many, it simply doesn’t get done every day on a regular schedule. Part of being in touch with Infinite Intelligence has to do with learning to be better people in our daily lives, to utilize what we have learned in our dealings with those around us.

If we are able to be in touch with God Force just as closely as anyone else, why then, you may ask, do we need to even bother to come to church?

One of the main reasons to attend church as regularly as possible is simply because we don’t have the time or take the time or MAKE the time to get in touch with Spirit daily. We may send Spirit a thought here, a request there, a “God help me” someplace else, a “Spirit, I need a parking place” when we are driving but to really make spiritual contact takes more than one thought every three or four hours. And, it isn’t all about asking for this or that. It is a tuning in and listening time. A time for spirit to reach through to our minds and souls and fill us with reverence, love, peace, healing and information.

There are other reasons to come to church. One of the best is found in Matthew Chapter 18, verse 20, where Jesus, our Master Teacher, says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” There is strength in numbers. Two or three or more, working together, have more power than one person who may not take the dedicated time to tune in. Spirit is closer when we are gathered together. Also, when we gather together we put aside the cares and concerns of daily life and talk and interact in the spirit of worship. We can concentrate on Infinite Intelligence. We take time to meditate during healing. We take time to learn by listening to the speaker of the day. We have the opportunity to hear, from someone else’s point of view, what their experience has taught them or how they perceive God at work in their lives. We learn from explanations, shared exchanges conversationally, and also from the Force of God, who often puts words into our mouths which we hear ourselves saying and sometimes wonder where THAT came from and how on earth we were ever led or impressed to say THAT? In our church, as you all may have noticed, we interact, sometimes, even during the talk being given. Frequently someone will interject something from the congregation during a talk. There is no intention to be rude or to disrupt the service. Also, our congregation is small and closely connected. In a larger group this would never be acceptable. I am very aware that this is NOT the norm in other church services. I have attended other churches – Spiritualist as well as other denominations, and the congregation simply sits there, attentively listening. There is nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, interaction often brings things more clearly into perspective from the comments or gives the speaker validation that the group is at least LISTENING to what is being said and feels free to participate or ask questions. In my opinion, that is wonderful, although with some speakers, we do out of respect, simply try to follow and take in and learn from what is being said. Rev. Steed is a great example of that! Usually when he speaks I am working to follow his talk and don’t even think about asking questions while he is talking. He is very good at explaining what he is saying and I simply listen and learn.

I really love the laughter we share in this church. We know laughter is vibration raising, it shows we are in communion with Spirit and that we care and are attentive. I know of no other church I have ever attended that shares more laughter during a service than ours does. I wonder, should an outsider drop by, from the National Spiritualist Association of Churches, or any other denomination for that matter, what they would think? I know for a fact that the lady where I took my first week of Ministerial Skills would certainly be disapproving!

We are as much spirit today as we shall ever be. The very life and breath of us IS the God Force. Without that, we would cease to exist. Once we realize that, we realize we are each an extension of God. That is why we really should take the time to communicate daily with Spirit. That would keep us focused and in tune. Failing that, we attend church to commune with Infinite Intelligence. We use the invocation at the beginning of the service to request, to ask or invite the God Force to join us in our service. We ask Spirit to be with us and lead us in what we say. We are aware of the responsibility involved for the speakers should they mislead anyone. Each and every person who has ever spoken from this platform is aware of the responsibility of what he or she is saying. We diligently attempt to be as honest and forthright as possible. We do not set ourselves up as the only way or the only viewpoint. We teach the best we know how and of course, this is only according to our own highest level of understanding. We encourage you to search on your own and develop your own understanding.

No one is able to teach more than they know unless Spirit works through that person, speaking through them to teach. That is not a normal circumstance. That would be an honor, in my opinion. Also, remember, the individual only attracts guides and teachers who are a grade ahead of them. First graders do not need professors. They need teachers who can reach their level of understanding and help to raise them up one more grade. College students need and understand more so their teachers need to be more highly educated. It is the same with pastors.

And so with all of that in mind, we feel the need to gather together to raise our spirits, souls and vibrations in our Sunday services. I ask any of you who have a subject you would like discussed on a Sunday to let me know what it would be. If we don’t know the answers, we will seek them or have a group session to discuss them. Without YOU there is no need for this or any church. We are here to do our best and to serve YOU on Sundays. We are available by phone or e mail to you at any time. My goal personally, is to be raised Spiritually to a higher level, to become more God-like and to learn to live daily what I have learned. As all of you know, that is NOT easy. It is actually very difficult to always hold your tongue, always control your temper, always speak kindly and encouragingly to others, never cut anyone off in traffic, to always be nice to strangers who phone at meal time. Knowledge without implementation is really not worth much. Knowing better and not living better just doesn’t get it. We want to discuss subjects that will enable you to personally take home and put them to use in your everyday life so that you may live more closely in touch with your God Force and become more spiritually attuned. If I am able to cause anyone here to put to use anything that I have said in their daily lives that will help them be a better person, I will have more than fulfilled my goal. We gather here to learn. We gather here that Spirit may teach us. We gather here to improve ourselves and our lives. We gather to invoke God to be with us and raise us up in truth We also gather here to learn to love others.

I want to close with a few lines from a favorite song of mine. Many of you may know it as it was sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Others, Lord, yes, others, let this my motto be.

Help me to live for others that I may live like Thee.

Help me to live from day to day in such a self-forgetful way

That even when I kneel to pray,

My prayers will be for others.

Sunflower Chapel NSAC, The Spiritual Life Center

05/30/2019

05/04/2019

04/11/2019

04/01/2019

03/21/2019

12/21/2018

12/08/2018

11/25/2018

Address

Opening Hours

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category