tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889529596531127755.post8371236209366501756..comments2024-03-12T12:06:53.187-07:00Comments on Doing Magick: What Would A Church Look Like?Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10144040453666802786noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889529596531127755.post-72167139533093407612012-03-19T20:38:27.292-07:002012-03-19T20:38:27.292-07:00Scott, that is a brilliant idea!
In fact, I am g...Scott, that is a brilliant idea! <br /><br />In fact, I am going to a meditation center now. Tonight was my first night. I liked the atmosphere.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10144040453666802786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889529596531127755.post-63169608631633631502012-03-19T00:08:15.147-07:002012-03-19T00:08:15.147-07:00I like the idea of basing whatever sort of group y...I like the idea of basing whatever sort of group you start on a meditation center than a mainstream church or even some sort of neo-pagan organization.<br /><br />What you don't want is a bunch of people who decide they're going to turn the group into a social club. That happens with a lot of churches, where much of what people wind up doing is watching others perform a ritual. It's possible to be engaged with what you're supposed to be watching, sure, but how many of the folks assembled are really just there to chat with their friends after the service and couldn't care less about spiritual goals? With a meditation center that's harder to do, because you have a specific practice and everyone is supposed to be doing it, not just gawking.<br /><br />As a matter of fact, meditation in general is so common these days that you can just tell someone you teach meditation and they have a pretty good idea of what you do. To a pretty significant percentage of people, meditation is not even considered that weird, just a little eccentric.Scott Stenwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12389664381513219613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889529596531127755.post-80523140231571890672012-03-18T17:11:46.669-07:002012-03-18T17:11:46.669-07:00Yvonne,
"honored to know you" is about ...Yvonne,<br /><br />"honored to know you" is about the best compliment one can receive. Thank you.<br /><br />I have thought of how to 'open' church 'service'. One of the ways is how you suggested.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10144040453666802786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889529596531127755.post-32369810317191094852012-03-18T17:10:54.435-07:002012-03-18T17:10:54.435-07:00Andrew,
I love hearing intepretations that I hav...Andrew, <br /><br />I love hearing intepretations that I have never thought of. Thank you. I am not going to 'build' anything with my back but I can see what you are getting at.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10144040453666802786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889529596531127755.post-62357842088864610522012-03-18T16:12:00.667-07:002012-03-18T16:12:00.667-07:00In the meditation class that I used to attend they...In the meditation class that I used to attend they had someone come and teach something called the Oneness blessing. I never took the class or took the initiation, but I really enjoyed going to their Friday night "services" where the initiates blessed everyone, then each other. It was like an awesome reiki share.<br /><br />http://www.onenessuniversity.org/<br /><br />I see now that they train all kinds of people to do the blessing, which is very much a low key version of your meditation. Perhaps your church will be a training church, not particularly evangelical (converting others) or sectarian (anyone can do it).<br /><br />I do not think that you have to re-invent the wheel. There is something powerful in the air and the paths are beginning to converge.<br /><br />I am so pleased and honored to know you.Yvonnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01026789923089919199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889529596531127755.post-90568616180654557552012-03-18T13:52:25.897-07:002012-03-18T13:52:25.897-07:00When Saint Francis received the command to "r...When Saint Francis received the command to "rebuild my church" from an image of the Crucified Christ, he interpreted it literally, and found a physical church building in great disrepair and re-built it himself. <br /><br />Maybe this is part of the procedure...? If you build or rebuild a sacred space physically, you may be in better shape to understand the directive you received. I know that I felt considerably better after constructing a half-dozen labyrinths out of stones in a few out of the way places... and doing so usually helps restore the landscape in a variety of ways.Andrew B. Watthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08648607752310525039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889529596531127755.post-68072890792206518312012-03-18T12:29:14.590-07:002012-03-18T12:29:14.590-07:00Good Suggestions All.
I really agree with your d...Good Suggestions All. <br /><br />I really agree with your discomfort on the word church. I have thought of temple, group, organization, and the like. <br /><br />I have even thought of names, the best so far is "Temple of the Unified Soul" but still I feel discomfort.<br /><br />The working group also seems like a good idea and just letting things develop.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10144040453666802786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889529596531127755.post-18370423388372458392012-03-18T12:13:35.977-07:002012-03-18T12:13:35.977-07:00I don't think "church" is the right ...I don't think "church" is the right word. When I think of church, I think of worship of something. The comparison I first thought of was Buddhism, without the Buddha. Then I thought it was probably more like the first group of an order like the Golden Dawn.<br /><br />It seems to me that for the first year or so you need to focus on creating an initial group. That group can help you work out the different ways to teach the Manifestation Meditation and can help you figure out where to go with it. Different people have different strengths -- you may find that it can go places you haven't yet considered.<br /><br />That year would also give you time to write a book and to get a firmer idea of what structure you want the group to have. <br /><br />At the end of the year, you could try your first small expansion. You would be able to see if people you've taught are able to teach. You would be able to see more clearly if there's a progression to be undertaken.<br /><br />I find the idea fascinating. My advice would be to go slowly enough that you can course correct and control it.Melissa Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13560125503655770461noreply@blogger.com