"Silence, Prayer, Meditation and Contemplation blend into each other harmoniously." –Flower A. Newhouse

Finding Your True North

The Armor of Spiritual Life - Lesson 13

The spear of our spiritual armor is found in the employment of spiritual techniques - Part IV

Remembrance

Frank Laubach, the saintly Christian mystic, spiritualizes his consciousness by deliberately remembering the companioning of God as often every hour as he can. He calls his technique, "The Game with Minutes."

Another author Jack C. Winslow uses an interesting meaning of infusing each day of the week with spiritual significance.

Sunday is dedicated to God-realization; Monday to realization of the affirmative values of the "I am" of the Bible:

"I am the way, the truth and the Light."
"I am the Good Shepherd."
"I am the Light of the world."
"I am the resurrection and the life."
"I am the bread and the life."
"Lo, I am with you always."

On Tuesday he takes time to recall the works of God: God's handiworks, skills and powers revealed throughout the firmament.

"O, all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord." (An old canticle.)

He recalls God in "every tint of every tiny flower."

Wednesday: He thinks of God as the Father described by Jesus; infinitely more loving than can be conceived; understanding, and forgiving.

Thursday: He thanks God for the gift of His Son, the Christ.

Friday: Christ crucified.

Saturday: Saints in Paradise.

Another person occasionally consecrates a Sunday wholly to the Lord Jesus.

Protective Work

Listen to Flower addressing the Triple-Ring-Pass-Not

The Employment of Spiritual Techniques

As travelers through the Forest of Human Experiences we shall need to employ every imagery of God, every principle about which we have learned, and every conquest of self in order to add impetus to our attainment of the New Country - the completely unfolded consciousness.

As we increase our zest for the Quest, we will see to it that we are never overburdened or overstrained in endeavor. Should strain be evident it is a sign that we are momentarily exceeding our developed capacity. We can rest in familiar practices, in territories of power over which we have gained dominion through proficiency. Another day will dawn when we may eagerly press on toward the High Calling of Complete Maturity. In every stage, our channeling, instruction, and protection lie in recognition of the truth of Christ's words: "He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without Me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5)

Techniques are special ways of doing things with certain objectives in mind. The methods we employ to achieve stillness, veneration, healing, or illumination, will vary from time to time. As soon as we attain proficiency in one art of applying spiritual principles, we undertake a new and different technique. Skill of former procedures remains, and efforts in new applications may appear awkward, self-conscious or difficult at first. Spiritual techniques may appear to contain but superficial value, but as we use them with unprejudiced attitudes their worth becomes apparent.

In Hamlet, Shakespeare states, "My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; words without thoughts can ne'er to heaven go." When procedures are undertaken in form but not in spirit, their results are sterile. An employment of various laws or methods with a consciousness of reverence, gives the officiant an insight, sometimes intuitionally, into the glorious chemistry of active powers.

Journal your impressions of your work with the employment of Spiritual Techniques. What questions do you have? As you feel led, please email your impressions and/or questions to truenorthclass [at] gmail.com with Lesson 13 as the subject heading. In a few weeks, we will anonymously compile these impressions and send them out for everyone in True North to see after working with the ministers of Questhaven to answer the questions or find responses from Flower to them.

Ideas for Practice

Choose one of the Spiritual Techniques given to practice.

Game with Minutes
Infusing Each Day of the Week with Spiritual Significance
Consecration of Sunday to Christ
The Triple-Ring-Pass-Not

V3 Find the card entitled Calling Forth the Light of Christ (V3). Use this card and the practice of visualization to see the healing Light of Christ envelop whatever you bring Him.

Green sheaves and golden sheaves sprinkled upon your day!

Questions and Answers

Questions and answers with Flower A. Newhouse (excerpted from Here Are Your Answers, Volumes I, II and III)

What is the most important reason for our being sent into earth life?

The most essential cause of our being here is that we need what physical existence has to teach us. Here, we are pressed towards our enlightenment and the search for God. Here, we learn of the Divine Plan of limitless progress that affects every living thing. The earth becomes a schoolroom of instruction; and it teaches us the value of integrity, self-conquest, the payment of our moral obligations, and the necessity of individual self-improvement.