Elyon 2/1/98

[Rick P. Giles]

*	Elyon   (Mark TR):  Greetings once again, my dear students, and my dear friends. This is your loving associate Elyon.  
	I would come before you today with another image.  I may be likened to a tennis partner for either you as individuals or as a group in that at times it is my privilege to serve the first  move of a game, and it is your challenge to return my serve so that we may be at play with each other.  At other times I attempt to return the serve you have provided in your discussions or even in your thoughts in regards to a particular topic.   Our game is different from your normal games in that the object is to play as long and as well back and forth as we are able, not intentionally trying to catch the other person in a faulty move.  We would rather have many exchanges, volleys, back and forth of returning as each one grows us in awareness of the overall game plan.  
	This having been said,  I would return one of yours today for play among the group.  I would comment on your status, particularly your agondonter status, and the ramifications and qualifications of this status you enjoy.  Many worlds look upon you with immense envy that you are going to be what you will become in the absence of overwhelming directives made plainly clear to you by your material world.  You have unlimited opportunities which arise as the conditions of your status dictate.  You are given every opportunity to determine for yourselves what you will believe, what you will have faith about, and, in the end, what you will choose to engage yourselves with based upon these first two observations.  You may at times see this as an overall handicap , that you are floundering in the dark, in a sense, and  lack some of the spiritual guidance that is available to other worlds.  I tell you that, while you may lack the material manifestations other worlds enjoy, you enjoy far !
more
 opportunities before you for personal inspiration and instigation.  The canvas you have before you is blank.  Based upon your personal experience in life, you will paint your reality on this canvas.  Many other worlds start with a canvas which has already been framed and already has the background colors and visions of what the picture should appear to be.  You start with this blank canvas, and from your perspective you build each aspect of your reality.  I tell you that it may have tones and shades spectacular to the onlooker because it has been generated from your individual perspective in life.  This is the value of your painting your reality from a viewpoint of uncertainty .  I say uncertainty; you all in this room know in your very hearts and souls that you are not uncertain.  You possess conviction and certainty over your reality, even though your picture has yet to be painted.  This inspires the universe; it inspires all of those about you who look down upon you and ma!
rvel that you will sit down in front of your canvas and, with faith and vigor, paint your picture, ever changing this picture as you gain more insight and wisdom in
 your life experience.  The very fact that you are faith sons of God, that you extend your faith to encompass even me here today indicates to all individuals that you have reached a level of reality by your own choosing, your own dedication and life experience.  No one has handed you your picture of reality.  You are in control.  
	You have heard before in the teaching mission that one of the mandates that we operate under is to not deprive you of your agondonter status, as it is, indeed, coveted throughout the universes.  I and no one else in my position would choose to take that away form you, to remove that as part of your reality, for it is something you will cherish your entire ascension career.  It is indeed true as you stated earlier that your time between waking up and expiration is limited.  Therefore, breathe deeply of  your agondonter status.  Smell the fragrance particular to your  situation.  Observe the circumstances around your reality as they are yours alone, and yet will be so fondly remembered as you ascend beyond this level now.  
	It is one thing to say that we as teachers are impressed with you for your faith, diligence, perseverance.  But you will come to understand what we are talking about at a later time when you can think that you did all that you did on your own with minimal assistance from the outside that we are providing you.  You chose to access our lessons.  You choose to act on these lessons.  Therefore, it is still completely up to you what occurs in your picture of reality. 
	I hope this provides some enhanced perspective for you today.  I would close my remarks and would offer to open the floor to other teachers or to comments from individuals in this room to play a little more ball.  
	Evelyn:  We were discussing what was meant by attending the melchizedek classroom on a more frequent basis, how that can be done beyond meeting as a group like this.
*	Elyon:  Many of you are engaged in extracurricular activities even now.  You read your handbooks on your own.  You  pursue other endeavors which turn the wheels of growth.  Merely stopping and contemplating the weekly lessons so that when you assemble you are more prepared to discuss the contents, merely  attempting to prepare for your tweaks of the week, merely exchanging with each other in off times items of significance, all are aspects of what can be done to further your education, as well as perhaps the most important, the stillness.  It seems as though this word continues to surface.  There is a reason for that.  It was one of our very first lessons as teachers.  It continues to be spiced into our lessons today as being still significant in your development.  So any or all of the attempts you may make to stimulate your spiritual progress are all welcomed, as indeed isyour attendance at regularly scheduled group meetings that we look forward to so much. 
	My comments of last week were primarily intended to stimulate your desire to allocate any spare time or even allocate time that is not so spare towards continuing your education throughout the week.  It is fine and acceptable to come to class once a week.  It is fine and perhaps preferable to pursue your studies more often than that as well. 
	I would add one thing:  It is very beneficial for each of you to bring to class something of significance.  I would suggest that, in preparation for attending class,  you might think of each one of yourselves as a viable contributor, even teacher for the class.  Throughout the week consider: what could each of you bring to class that is of significance?  How may you give rise to issues of spiritual significance?  It is often your comments, your discussions, your interactions, which propel, launch us into our topics.  It is serving the ball.  I would encourage you to consider that you are each worthy to bring something of value to class.  Even a small, seemingly insignificant point can dislodge a landslide of spiritual thoughts in another individual.  Perhaps, as one simple way to increase your effectiveness and your studies, simply give thought in the week  preceding your class as to what should I bring to class this week of significance?  How may I be helpful to my brothers !
and 
sisters?  What can I bring that will be helpful to those around me?
	This may give you inspiration, a different viewpoint and provide you with the direction to give some thought.  Just a suggestion.  
	Jonathan:  Thank you for the suggestion.  We will take it to heart and see what we can bring back.  
	I've been reading in The Urantia Book that each circle of  Havona represents one of seven aspects of God, like the Father, the Son, the Father/Son, etc.  The superuniverses are laid out that way.  Also reflectivity beings are representations like that.  The psychic circles of mortal attainment are derived from this.  If  Father, Son, and Spirit can be thought of as word, personality, and mind or  thought, word , and action, those are applicable to our lives.  Maybe our growth can be enhanced by understanding the interrelationship of our will to personality, mind, actions.  Any comments?
*	Elyon:  I would hit the ball back.  I would comment: Excellent serve.  This is exactly what I speak of in that you have made personal interpretations of textual concepts.  You have brought to the class an interpretation.  This will no doubt resonate within the minds and hearts of individuals here because you are one of them.  You are equal to this class; you are a peer.  When a peer has a realization to put forth it is far easier to assimilate than a point of view from an outside source.  So, I would say that I relish your interpretations; I applaud your efforts at consideration of these affairs.  I would encourage others to engage you on this point.  I would simply stand on the sidelines and clap with fervor.  
	Jonathan:  This tennis match is always love, love.  
*	Elyon:  Indeed.  I would also point out that this group is a team.  Each individual is given ample opportunity to serve the ball and to return the ball.  No one should feel that they are observers.  Indeed, this is a large game in which every one of you is a participant.  It is desired to have this participation/interaction between all the individuals to maximize the benefit for everyone.  
*	Evanson  (Jonathan):  I will now make comment on stillness, as Elyon has emphasized once again for you all.  This is Evanson.  I make these comments to provide insight into what is a distinction between what is spiritual awareness and spiritual thinking.
	You have in your upbringing learned the laws of mathematics.  In so doing you have come to be proficient in such techniques as addition, multiplication, and those higher applications of algebra and such.  When you use these principles today in your life, you are no longer concerned with rehashing the theorems that describe how these principles work.  You are capable of executing a function and deriving your answer with relative ease.  Though you had at one time spent hours memorizing your multiplication tables, today they flow when you need to have a quick response, an answer that is independent of the more laborious derivations of how multiplication takes place. 
	Stillness is that ability to be aware of the Father even when your mind is not occupied with spiritual concepts.  Stillness is the ability to be instantly able to function in service without having to prepare yourself, without having to review the original principles, truth theorems, which are the foundations to your actions.  In a sense, stillness is similar to having the ability to simultaneously express all the numbers in a multiplication table.  It is whole-grasping rather than particular citing.  This is why such emphasis is made by us teachers, for it encourages you to become even more capable in function; it encourages you this way far more than it will encourage you to become more enlightened, for the process of enlightenment is the process of grasping at the unattained which implies degrees of inability.  Function, on the other hand, is a demonstration of attained states.  Stillness is the bridge.  
	Just as you all in years past have grappled with the concept of fractions, today the ability to perceive proportion, percentage, and partitions happens spontaneously.  It is because you have mathematical insight.  This insight in a spiritual dimension is derived from stillness.  It is based upon your understanding but transcends this understanding .  Again, I join Elyon in emphasizing the value of this practice, to be at home with the Father. 
	I thank you for allowing my comments today.  
	Mark:  I want to practice for the game.  At some point  practice becomes the game. Practice gets more intentional and directed, and thus you have the game.  So when do we go from practice into the game?
	Jada:  Volleying before the game, the idea is to keep it moving.  How many times can you get it across the net?
*	Evanson:  Rare are the times in your lives when you have the position as the apostles, with Michael when on earth as Jesus, wherein you are deliberately ordered to go out two by two and begin ministry.  More often for the whole of you inhabitants here there is a gradual and unnoticed transition, as you have indicated, where the warm-up transitions into a game.  You are more often afforded the hindsight view where you realize that, in the course of this interval of time, you have shed your warm-up sweats and are now standing in uniform.  The practice of small kindnesses is this very method that you have indicated.  The establishment in yourselves of a naturalness ... and the truths contained makes this transition feasible.  It is much like in tennis when you are being instructed by the coach as to how to execute a backhand.  It is deliberately broken into particular steps.  But the time comes when the backhand is applied spontaneously with skill.  You do not note the moment o!
f change.  It is more of a gradual rise and fall than a sharp peak.
	When we express to you that your hour has come it will not be expressed as, "now is the time to put on your uniform."  It will be expressed as a recognition that you are now fully in uniform and prepared.  All your effort as preparation is more valuable than you can this day comprehend.  As you are today diligently seeking to be of service to this world, that which you are acquiring in this mission program  has implications that will be far transcendent of the goals and objectives of Urantia.  There are projects, there are achievements, to be made throughout this universe that require these skills you are developing, skills that do not replicate the skills of others.  These unique acquirements you have are beyond the ability to value; they are priceless.  So do not let your playful, pregame volleys lead you to a sense that it is not for purpose, that it is merely play without direction.  
	Mark:  Thank you.  We appreciate the idea of there being purpose.