Spiritual Forum

I went to church today. Yep - I couldn’t believe it! I hadn’t been to church in years! I had been invited by my daughter, who happens to work at the church taking care of the children at the nursery. Because she sings classical, she was invited to sing at the service this Sunday morning. She had performed a singing recital there several months ago, and they needed her to sing during the offering because the Choir was still out on Christmas vacation.

So, I went in order to hear her sing. I got dressed, bracing myself for a typical “religious” Guilt-trip lecture from the pulpit. I braced myself for the having to stand up every 5 minutes or so and everyone saying memorized lines and singing hymns I was unfamiliar with. I braced myself for the rituals, the brainwash, the scripture taken out of context, the disinformation, the so-called satanic influence over the Sheeple.

But, before I arrived at the church, I had stopped at Starbucks to get myself some Chai Latte and hot tea for my daughter. It soothes her throat and makes her sing better. When I finally arrived at the Church, I looked for her, since she had arrived much earlier to rehearse with her accompanist. I found her in the choir room. I gave her the tea and sat quietly towards the back of the room.

I watched her interaction with the accompanist, as I sipped my Chai. It was charming to watch. I realized I was enjoying being there, almost like a fly would feel being on a wall, listening to the interactions between people. I was visible though, yet the interaction went on despite my being there. I loved observing the innocence, the good-heartedness, the humility and the service-to-others demeanor in my daughter. Although she wasn’t brought up with any religious doctrine, she embraced The Christ Consciousness by Walking The Walk and in being present for others. So, here she was at a church that she didn’t belong to, being in service to their Sunday Worship.

An older woman, an elder of the church came in checking up on my daughter and the accompanist. She discussed music for next Sunday’s service. I jumped in the conversation and mentioned that I was able to find parking rather easily. My daughter then told me that most of the church members were still out of town and it was supposed to be pretty empty. My daughter chuckled and said that it was good thing that it was rather empty…. this way she could sing without being a nervous wreck.

It was time to enter the sanctuary. I sat in the second row, behind my daughter and the accompanist.  I looked around. There were maybe three other people in the sanctuary.

Ten minutes went by.  I had made myself busy by checking emails on my smartphone. I hadn’t realized that more people had arrived. I was just there to hear my daughter sing and that was it.  So, I continued to be engaged in my thoughts, preoccupied with mundane things, playing back mental tapes of ordeals that had transpired in my life and the absurdity of the occurrences.  I was elsewhere. My body was sitting on a church bench, observing a hymn book and two bibles nestled within a rack that was fastened to the bench in front of me. I was looking at them because my eyes were open, with no intention of using them. My mind was keeping me engaged in things that needed my attention and allowed me relief from the realization that I was at “church”.  

The pastor walked in. I had imagined an older man. Maybe someone you would see seated in one of those Throne-like chairs at the Vatican. I was also picturing maybe one of those Bible-Thumping pastors that have this air of arrogance and fakery- but, no. This one was in his mid-forties, dressed in a black robe. He was tall and had salt and pepper hair. His demeanor was kind and refined. He seemed like someone I would like to be friends with. He was charismatic, yet low-keyed – more like humble.

 A woman opened up the service. She must have been a co-pastor. And when she started to speak, I took a quick look behind me and realized that the church wasn’t empty. It was more than half full.

My body was still sitting on the bench, as I half-listened and half day-dreamed. When the congregation got up, I got up. When they sang, I mumbled or fumbled through the Hymn book, pretending to be interested. They sat down and I sat down. They knew I was the singer’s Mom, so I had to be polite and pretend to care and be engaged. I didn’t know what I was doing. I felt like the new kid in school.

Then the pastor spoke. His voice was mellow and kind. He spoke about The Christ and what that meant. He gave parallels to the time of Jesus and modern times. He spoke about how Jesus was born in a time of turmoil, in a time when many children were massacred by Herod to try to eradicate the young Jesus. He examined how Jesus came into a world that was as bad as the world we live in now, a world where children are massacred or trafficked, where there is war and maiming, a world where men in lust of power create atrocities. He spoke about what Jesus’ family had to do to protect Him and why He came to this world during that time in order to bring His Light into such darkness.

 He then said that all of us, when we come together with the intention to bring this Light into the world, can dispel this darkness. It is about all of us coming together with this one intent, with this one purpose…

And what I heard him say, without him saying it, was that we are The Christs on this Earth!

And while he spoke with such passion and humility, I was deeply moved. I had a lump in my throat and fought very hard not to cry. And when he finished, I was fully present… and I said Amen, my vision blurry from the tears that had formed as a fine film over my eyes.

The accompanist sat at the piano and my daughter got up to sing during the offering….

My daughter sang with the most Angelic voice I have ever heard, taking the experience of the message to a higher level; and I was transported to a Realm of Angels, a Realm where only Pure Love, Eternal Peace and The Illumined Truth Reigns….

Each word froze in time. They hung like ornaments in a frost-covered tree… allowing me to savor their meaning….

Oh holy night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of the dear Saviors birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

Till He appeared and the soul felt it's worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born;

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;

And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born;

Oh night divine, Oh night, Oh night Divine.

I closed my eyes and saw only Light. A warm tear gently made its way down my cheek.  I felt a peaceful loving presence in the stillness of the congregation, in the frequency of the music and the voice of my daughter. I felt the presence of The Holy Spirit – The same Holy Spirit I had felt so often when I was a youngster. Its presence would fill me. It would warm up my soul and make me feel such joy and peace and love. It was transformational. It was a presence that broke down all separation and all notion of darkness. It was all encompassing.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the magnificent arched  and transparent window of the church that was behind the pulpit. The sun’s rays were shining through it and a set of white doves flew out of a bush and disappeared into the blue sky.

The Holy Spirit and the Presence of The Christ were here in the sanctuary, and I felt my “oneness” with everyone present – everyone who had made the commitment to be congregated at that moment in time and space for communion with The One they knew as The Christ. They worshiped in silence and in deep humility. And I was humbled to feel their soft, loving energy, that energy of surrender and meekness. I was basking in the presence of The Holy Spirit in that sanctuary, in the presence of beautiful people that came to be one with whom they deemed to be The Lord. 

As everyone was being bathed by the same Loving Presence, I smiled within myself, embracing the understanding that this Experience is possible anywhere, even in what we’ve come to “judge” as a fallen/satanic religious institution or doctrine. And so I ask a rhetorical question: Is it possible then that Christ is everywhere? Is it possible to reach True Enlightenment with any path? Is it possible that we are clouding our own judgment and not allowing The Experiences with the Divine Realms to occur in our lives, believing that we are in a Hell Realm, infested by Demonic creatures that are enslaving us? Are we creating our own Hell and our own “inability” to Transcend by having to “Comprehend”? And who is feeding us the information to fill our minds? Who is giving us the labels and definitions?

Ramakrishna mastered several religions, reaching enlightenment in each - and concluded that all religions are a pathway to God!

I now question those who have been debunking, debating, questioning, and judging those that have chosen certain religious paths to reach to The Truth. I question the New Age, Spiritual-Community-Skeptics and Naysayers, the Intellectual-Spirituals - the ones that love the debate but have yet to have direct experiences of their own and who are quick to say that there are no such Experiences, Realms or Beings of Light or that it is all part of the fallen construct.

I realized today that experiences with the Illumined Worlds/Kingdom of Heaven can be obtained anywhere and within any religion or spiritual practice that is in alignment with the Divine, even if only two or three are gathered with that intent.  And even if the underlying agenda of a religious sect is not serving the Divine, if those that show up with the right intention and expectation to connect with the Divine congregate there, this desire is the Creative Force necessary that ignites that dormant Divine Spark in them, thus allowing their Light to transform any underlying negative or dark force that would cloud an otherwise dark/sinister religion.

Connection with The Divine Realms is as simple as letting go of the mind, especially preconceived or implanted thoughts/beliefs, and allowing the experience to unfold without any predetermined ideas of what this should look like or feel like and without any expectations of the outcome. Many who have had Experiences with the Illumined Realms approach this Divine connection in a state of humility and with the awe and excitement of a little child.

So, yes I found Christ at Church today – but He wasn’t hanging on the cross. Christ was alive in each one of us that were there with open hearts, ready to receive healing, peace and a Love that is not experienced on Earth.

I Experienced this “magic” today in an unpretentious church in Nashville, TN – one of many churches in this Bible-Belt city and state. I found it because something happened that allowed me to open up, and this led to my recognizing it when it presented itself to me. I received a gift today from what many call The Holy Spirit and I gladly accepted it.

After the service, I lingered at the sanctuary for a little while longer, not wanting to leave that energy, that presence. But when I did, I left complete and whole, and my soul was full.

- Ari Kopel

2012Emergence.com

 Article from: http://12-21-2012.ning.com/profiles/blogs/guess-where-i-went-today