Sunday Sermons

Meet Our Ministers

Reverend Blake Isaac grew up on the grounds of Questhaven. He is a life-long student of the founder of this retreat, the Reverend Flower A. Newhouse. This unique opportunity provided him rare insight into both the mystical and practical aspects of her work. Blake's career in education has included teaching math and serving as principal in a local school district. He is currently the Director of Questhaven Retreat and The Christward Ministry. A teacher and lecturer at heart, his greatest love comes in sharing the spiritual journey with others.

Reverend Elizabeth Wood first met Questhaven's co-founders, Flower and Lawrence Newhouse, when she was in her mid-teens and experienced an immediate “soul recognition” of Flower as her spiritual teacher. After raising a family, Elizabeth moved closer to Questhaven in 1972 and worked in the Questhaven office as bookkeeper and secretary from 1976 until her retirement in 1999. She was ordained by Flower and appointed to the ministry's Board of Trustees in 1981. A resident at Questhaven since 1982, Elizabeth is a regular Sunday speaker and conducts a prayer class and study group.

Reverend Jonathan Wiltshire, an artist, came to Questhaven in 1975 to meet Flower A. Newhouse and learn of Christian Mysticism. Flower recognized in one of his paintings the likeness of a Devic Lord present at Mount San Jacinto, near Idyllwild, CA. Jonathan stayed to become one of the principal illustrators for her writings. He was ordained by Flower in 1981 and served on the Board of Trustees for twenty years. Jonathan makes his home on the grounds of Questhaven and is a frequent Sunday speaker. His visionary paintings, found in collections in America, Canada and Europe, may be seen at innerworldart.com.

Reverend Hal A. Lingerman discovered a book by Flower A. Newhouse, Disciplines of the Holy Quest, in Samuel Weiser's bookstore in New York City in 1973. He was guided to thank Flower in person, so he drove cross-country in response to the post office address on the back of the book. Hal moved to California in 1978 to be closer to Questhaven and was ordained by Rev. Newhouse in 1982. His background includes thirty years of college teaching, pastoring and counseling, and seven years of Interfaith ministry to the hungry and homeless. Hal has authored six books, including the celebrated The Healing Energies of Music, Life Streams, and recently released, Your Journey in Christ.

Reverend Phyllis Isaac moved from Oregon as a child with her family to be close to Questhaven Retreat after hearing the Reverend Flower A. Newhouse speak on a lecture tour. She had the privilege of growing up knowing Flower and being a lifelong student of her work. Phyllis moved onto the grounds of Questhaven in 1973 with her husband, Dr. Stephen Isaac, a minister and psychologist, where she has served ever since. Ordained in 1990, Phyllis is a regular Sunday speaker and is currently bringing together and editing several volumes of The Collected Works of Flower A. Newhouse, deep teachings presented by Flower over the course of sixty years.

Reverend Myrna Triggs first heard Flower lecture in at the Wiltshire Ebell Club in Los Angeles and immediately felt she was standing in beauty and light and hearing truth. During her first visit to Questhaven she went walking in the hills, saw a white light and knew that she was home. Myrna has served on the Board of Trustees, coordinated and participated in retreats, traveled with Flower on Questhaven tours and given lectures and classes about drawing nearer to God and feeling the Divine Presence. She is a speaker for the Sunday services.

Reverend Bette Harper's ties to Questhaven go back to her childhood when her mother hosted lectures by Flower and Lawrence in Washington State. Bette applied the Truths they taught to her daily living as she experienced the lessons of the ''school of life.'' She became a licensed real estate agent in 1962 and moved to Escondido in 1969. Participating in Questhaven's choir and retreats and her ordination in 1984 brought Bette a whole new life. Getting to know Flower deepened her understanding of the Angel Kingdom and made her aware of the absolute verification of Mystical Christianity.

Reverend Miara Wiltshire was exposed to esoteric teaching from childhood but she always longed to know more about Jesus. Her desire led her to Questhaven in 1997 where she knew she had found the living Christ she was seeking. Miara's interest in dance and dance therapy led her to a BA in Dance and an MA in Dance/Movement Therapy. She has worked professionally as a ballet and modern dancer, a dance therapist in hospital settings, and a certified Pilates instructor. Miara is an ardent student of Flower's teachings and has given her heart to this work.

Reverend Lucy Wold began her spiritual search at age twelve when traditional churches failed to answer her questions about the purpose of life. A move to the “farmhouse” on Questhaven Road in 1972 led her to Questhaven Retreat where Flower's teachings provided her with the meaningful answers she had long sought. Her background includes teaching, writing and social work (M.S.W.). Lucy finds her highest form of self-expression through spiritual writing and enjoys writing plays and vignettes for retreats. She is a Sunday speaker, secretary of the Board of Trustees and worked with many others to develop the labyrinth and the Garden of Prayer.

Lectures by Flower A. Newhouse

The Christward Ministry has a complete list of recorded lectures given by Flower A. Newhouse between 1950 and 1990. All lectures can be purchased on CD-ROM and newly digitized talks are now being offered as Audio Downloads!

The following lectures are instantly downloadable for $5.00 each. You can now listen to Flower with ease on your computer or mobile devices (MP3 format).

Holy Expectancy–Living the Life
Why We are Here
Man's Duty Regarding the Law of Evolution
Determinism Versus Free Will
Values to Be Derived from Power Tides and Cycles
What Religion Is Attempting to Achieve
Why the Reality of Angels Is Vital to Our Age
Our Very Important Guardian Angels
Christian Mysticism and What It Is
Understanding the Seven Rays
Man's Ties with His Country
Walking in Beauty
The Priestess of the Home
The Akashic Records
The Meaning of Open-Key Periods

To display a complete list of Flower's lectures available for purchase on CD-ROM or for download, select from the variety of topics presented below.

Angels Animals Arts Awareness Bodies Christ Christmas Consciousness Discipleship Easter Evolution Faith Family God Healing Hierarchy Initiates Karma Inner Lenten Love Masters Meditation Michaelmas Music Mysticism Mystics Nature Numerology Perception Prayer Psychology Reincarnation Retreat Seasons Senses Soul Symbols Thanksgiving Thoughts Transition Travel Words World Zodiac

For download purchases, you will receive an email with a download link upon completion of payment. If you have any issues downloading, please contact the office. Thank you for your purchase!