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We begin on Page 5 of our song book, "Ana B'choa’h — The Portal to Creation."
Welcome to AllFaith.com and Beit Emunah's AllFaith Community Worship! This is a community service for all people of the Light. We invite your participation and contributions. Let us know if you would like to share a spiritual song or poem.
We recognize the Hand of the Divine all around us. In every heartbeat and every soul, there is a longing to understand and be free. Consider: Humanity is comparable to a single person. At first, we were like babies, dependent on others for everything. In those ancient times, humans were understandably paranoid and superstitious. Locked into unknowing, we looked to gods, demons, fate, the alignment of stars, and trusted in superstitions to make sense out of the uncertainties we felt.
As we collectively grew into our teenage years, our childish squabbles became ever more brutal conflicts, and everyone suffered. Religiously and spiritually, this increased religious bigotry and divisiveness, and farther away from One God, despite our many accomplishments. Religions were supposed to bring us together and promote world peace, but the opposite has resulted. Religions have fostered peace and civilization, but they have also increased wars and injustices. Both are true.
What is religion?
The English word religion comes from both Old French and Anglo-Norman of the 1200s CE. The word refers to respect for what is right as a moral obligation, to honoring that which is sacred, and to showing proper reverence for God. It was derived from the Latin word religiō, which meant "righteousness of conscience" and was primarily a secular term for Natural Law. Religion is therefore synonymous with the older Sanskrit word and concept "Dharma." We, therefore, are speaking of the eternal and inherent nature of reality regarded as a cosmic law and underlying right behavior and social order. This connects both the English word religion, and the Hebrew word "Torah", and the Greek word Logos, with the Sanskrit philosophical principle of Dharma. The American Founders asserted in the Declaration that the new republic was being founded on the “Law of Nature and Nature's God.” Religion. Dharma. Religion, then, as intended was to be, and always has been, deeply embodied in all civilized cultures.
While often used interchangeably, religion may be understood as "a structured system of beliefs and practices, often involving a deity or higher power," while spirituality, which as a distinct term, developed in the 5th century CE and was a common descriptor by the Middle Ages for a more personal and subjective search for meaning, purpose, and connection to something larger than oneself that is not subject to ecclesiastical decrees or established dogmas. Both religion and spirituality are essential to civilization.
This transcendent, universal, and moral law, called "religion," served as the moral and legal basis for creating the new, self-governing American Republic. Hence, John Adams said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Without civilized people, civilizations cannot exist. The more the world abandons faith in religious and spiritual Truth, the less civilized our societies become.For the past 5000 years or so, humans have been likened to the "Children of God." Surely it’s time for us to finally stand as the Adults of God! We are solely responsible for our actions, both individually and collectively. Our individual and collective salvation and the universal peace we all claim to want, is in our own hands. It was placed there by One God.
When humanity acts like adults and embraces our spiritual identity and heritage, One God always leads us to the next stage of human development. As a species, we may not yet be ready for enlightenment, but we have the ability to set aside childish sectarianism, greed, and violence and move forward. As Paul says in I Corinthians 13:11: When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
If we fail to address and correct our collective childishness, greed, and baseless hatred, more challenging times will surely ensue. Our current divisiveness, greed, and prejudices are not sustainable. The world has become too small for them. Still, the enemies of our shared human race seek to silence our voices and cancel our God-given potential on so many fronts. They do not want us to be free! For instance, I once had over 6000 videos on YouTube, much of my life's work, but the anti-free speech platform canceled me and deleted them all, seeking to silence me. And, I've been canceled on other servers as well, as have many of you. They are far from the only enemies of mankind. Remember the movie Braveheart, the story of Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace who led a war for freedom against England during the 13th century? Who can forget this conversation?
Young William said: I can fight.
Malcolm Wallace: I know. I know you can fight. But it's our wits that make us men.
William Wallace: Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!
William Wallace: We all end up dead, it's just a question of how and why.
Magistrate: The prisoner wishes to say a word.
William Wallace: Freeeedommm!I'm not speaking only or even mainly of political freedom. That's fleeting. But of a freedom that is eternal, that the fascists can’t take away - spiritual freedom! If we wish to be free, really free, we must declare: I won't back down! Listen to Tom MacDonald's latest song, Can't Cancel All Of Us:
Page 39 What a Wonderful World this could be if we would all join forces!
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov explains in his Likutey Moharan (1, 15): God does us a great kindness by allowing us to use human terms when addressing Him in prayer and by answering our requests. If it were not for His kindness, it would be completely inappropriate to address Him with names, descriptions and praises consisting of mere words and letters. The fact that we are able to do so is all due to God's kindness.
The realization that, although God is exalted beyond all human titles and praises, He permits us to address Him in human terms in order to bind ourselves to Him, should be sufficient to inspire us to pray with fervor and passion. This is a sign of His great love and tender mercy. We should therefore at least be sincere when we address Him this way, since it is only through His love and mercy that we are able to do so at all.C.S. Lewis taught, "We must lay before God what is in us; not what ought to be in us."
"A concentrated mind and a sitting body make for better prayer than a kneeling body and a mind half asleep" - C.S. Lewis.
"Prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy" - St. Therese of Lisieux.
"It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without heart" - Mahatma Gandhi.
"Prayer is the song of the heart. It reaches the ear of God even if it is mingled with the cry and tumult of a thousand mortals" - Kahlil Gibran.
"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you" - Augustine of Hippo.
"The whole reason we pray is to be united into the vision and contemplation of God to whom we pray" - Julian of Norwich.
"Do not forget that the value and interest of life is not so much to do conspicuous things, as to do ordinary things with the perception of their enormous value" - Teilhard de Chardin.
"I believe that it is impossible to grasp all the different forms of prayer without great purity of heart and soul. There are as many forms of prayer as there are states of the soul. A person prays in a certain manner when cheerful and in another when weighed down by sadness or a sense of hopelessness. When one is flourishing spiritually, prayer is different from when one's struggles oppress one" - John Cassian.
"Prayer is not asking God. It is a longing of the soul for God" - Mahatma Gandhi.
"Prayer is not an old woman's amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action" - Mahatma Gandhi.
"And so I urge you: carry on an ongoing conversation with God about the daily stuff of life, a little like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. For now, do not worry about 'proper' praying, just talk to God" - Richard J. Foster.
"True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that. It is a spiritual transaction with the creator of Heaven and Earth" - Charles Spurgeon.
"There is variation in our prayer because we look toward God from different vantage points. Our situation changes; we develop and are subjected to a range of external factors. Our situation can also change because we deliberately choose to seek further into the mystery of God" - Michael Casey.
And I say: Prayer is talking to God. Meditation is listening to God. Both are necessary. Political freedom opens the doors for spiritual freedom. Both a necessary! There is ONLY One God and One Human Race. Its time humanity to grow up!Damian Follett: One Human Race:
The question is, will we stand? Turn to page 46 In our songbook.
Praises and Prayers to God. We now invite those present in the Zoom room or on Rumble to share their brief prayers and praises. Speak directly to God or to our community, whatever is on your heart and mind.
May One God hear our prayers and respond favorably to us.
Healing Prayer (Live) - Ali Youssefi feat. El Armin
Page 40 of our song book, "Let there be peace on earth."
Announcements:
Note: All Times are Eastern.My new book Below We Stand is NOW available on Kindle and in paperbook at Amazon.com.
I hope you will pick up a copy and join four friends on their quest as they learn the essential principles of embracing their humanity against all odds. Stuck in an unfulfilling, technologically repressive dystopia, they strike out together to find better lives and, in the process, help to save the world.
The Amazon link offers a sneak peek into the first two chapters, giving a taste of the novel's content.
The story explores human relationships and unlocks our shared humanity as the main characters join together to stand against a fictional but recognizable growing global trend toward tyranny. It calls for humans to see beyond our historic sectarianism and unite against the rising homo deus replacement species currently being advocated by people like Yuval Noah Harari and the transhumanists. The book also has a strong spiritual element and calls on God to help us help ourselves because, ultimately, One God is humanity's only hope, and we must awaken to that realization if we hope for peace and well-being.
Besides, it's a good read. Enjoy.Sundays 8 PM: AllHeart continues. Everyone is welcome to join random, mutually respectful conversations each Sunday at 8 PM. Only in our Zoom Room.
Wednesdays at One PM: While Gavi is in physical rehabilitation I will be hosting our class on the Biblical Prophets. Live in the Zoom room and on Rumble, and our Social Media servers.
Wednesdays at 8 PM: Our Srimad Bhagavad Gita class will continue on Zoom, Rumble, and our Social Media servers.
Thursdays 8 PM: Our Omnist Spiritual Ascension group in Zoom, Rumble, and our Social Media servers.
Sundays 2:00 PM Our Omnist Community Worship Service. We welcome all people of peace.
Page 07 in our Songbook: Gesher Tzar Me'od. All the world is a narrow bridge.
Our Current Prayers and Praises are Now Online.
For our live videos, classes, services, questions, answers, and posts join us on my restored Facebook page and our MeWe Omnist Community Group.
And MeWe, Truth Social, Mike Lindel's site, Gettr, Gab, and others.
"Follow" and "Like" us on Rumble where many of our broadcasts are stored. If YouTube doesn't work out we'll return here.
If you are blessed by these humble offerings, we ask you to consider joining our Omnist community, regardless of your religious affiliation. We value ALL supporters, irrespective of their religious specifics or the amount they can donate, and we encourage everyone to become active community members. Click the Donations and Membership tab on the community home page or donate through our Rumble pages.
Be the Blessing you were created to be
And
Don't let the perfect defeat the good
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