[tmtranscripts] 06-16-01 SPOKANE TEACHER BASE

[ZooidODell at aol.com]

Date:  June 16, 2001
Location:  Spokane, WA
T/R:  Gerdean
TEACHERS & TOPICS:
       MALVANTRA MELCHIZEDEK:  on Worship
       DOLORES:  on Wisdom

MALVANTRA MELCHIZEDEK: Greetings, class.  This is Malvanta Melchizedek coming 
to visit with you this afternoon in your studious application of what God 
means to you.  How typical it is to discuss that which cannot be defined.  
The 28th Morontia Mota might apply here, but let's take a look none-the-less 
at what is the reality of God.

The idea of God is that which is formulated in your mind; therefore it is an 
intellectual interpretation, a finite understanding of that which is infinite 
and incomprehensible.  To assign personality to God is a way of identifying 
with this infinite and incomprehensible entity of power and energy, a 
definition, if you will, that can be confined to your comprehension of what 
Deity is.  

The topic of belief as compared to faith has been a subject of your studies 
before.  I will thus not deliberate on those aspects, but will instead turn 
your attention to the concept of worship.  This indeed may go to some of the 
questions that have arisen in your culture of late, as students of the many 
facets of the mind - including the morontia mind.

Worship.  Let me ask you.  Have you a working relationship, a tactical 
application, a demonstrable definition of worship?  Ginny, you have ...

GINNY: (I knew he was going to do that.)

MALVANTRA:   You have been a friend of God for many years.  What thoughts 
come to your mind when you think of worship?  And I do understand that I am 
asking you to respond intellectually, and so you will not be given demerits 
for your approach, but give us an indication, if you will, what worship would 
mean in your mind.

GINNY:   A lot of times when I'm practicing Stillness I consider that a form 
of worship, that I'm just simply ... sit and be with God.  I think that's a 
form of worship.  Being in communion with God.

MALVANTRA:   Indeed.

GINNY: Talking to God.  Verbally, sometimes, when it's before my Stillness, I 
speak out verbally what I want to do at that particular time, the petition, 
or simply not doing or thinking or saying anything, just trying to be still, 
so that God and I can communicate with each other.  I suppose communion would 
be my best definition of worship.

MALVANTRA:    Excellent.  And Thoroah, have you expression for worship 
according to your comprehension?

THOROAH: When I'm going about my day to day life and I am doing what I would 
hope or believe to be the right thing, when I'm appreciative of the 
assistance and the leading and inspiration.  It's more of a conscious -- or 
maybe not even quite a subconscious level of working with God, more or less, 
and my intention to socialize what I imagine to be His will for me:  getting 
together with friends right here, and when we go out to Rick and Barb's, and 
something like we're going to do with Rob Crickett; the fellowship situations 
-- I consider that worship.  Both of them.  Those would be my expressions of 
worship.

MALVANTRA:    Indeed they are expressions of your relationship with Divinity. 
 There is no right or wrong answer.  The breadth of your two responses is 
impressive, from far left to far right, encompassing the whole of reality.  
But now what do you think is meant by this?  That in advanced states of 
spirit attainment, worship is such that in certain terms the ascending sons 
are redirected such that they are rather wrenched away from worship, which is 
their chief delight.  What kind of state of mind do you experience that is so 
good that you must be pulled from it?
What gives you that kind of pleasure?  

I will observe, on your behalf, I have seen examples of mortality at its best 
in earnest absorption of television: a cowboy movie; a Star Wars sequel; a 
romantic situation in a soap opera.  I have seen individuals sit down to a 
meal of good food after a working day and dedicate themselves in complete 
focus on their fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy.  Is this something 
akin to worship?  Is the rapture of a new mother bathing her baby an act of 
worship?  

It is wordless and thoughtless adoration and absorption of infinite pleasure. 
 

Is this acknowledgment of the human condition extended into carnal pleasure 
or intoxication or "divers lusts" also an example of worship?  Adulation such 
as is given occasionally to your political figures or concert entertainers, 
be they classical pianists or bare-back riders in the three ring circus?  
These distractions that allow you to step outside yourself, to become 
forgetful of the self, are they also indication of an attitude of worship?  
To hold one in high esteem, to adore, to pay homage to, to devote  your 
energy, mind, emotion, money, thought and desire toward ... is this worship?

How little ... How little the human knows of worship, and yet it is a 
testimony to you all that you are striving toward knowing that yearning to 
connect with that all-powerful embrace that eliminates you completely, in the 
acknowledgment of the greatness, the goodness, the glory of that Other.   How 
pitiful when you divert your will from the direction of your Source and 
Center to waste yourselves on lesser objects of adoration.  

But, the perfection-hunger that yearns you to seek that all-powerful, 
all-consuming love of Divinity is also the same energy that filters down and 
through you and into your realm where you may express your appreciation of 
this Divine Spark by your devotion to that which presents as having value for 
you.

The mother and her child; the child in his absorption with play; the man in 
his walk with destiny, swinging his scythe over his shoulder as he sets out 
in the field each day whistling a tune of joy - these are the tender 
beginnings of worship, that state which grasps the soul to the heart of God 
and holds it thus until the soul is fed, and, once filled, is released in 
service and in joy of its existence.  

The idea of God is a mere idea, indeed.  But the greatness of God, the 
goodness of God, is beyond your ability to fully comprehend, and yet you lean 
into it as the flower leans into the late afternoon sun.

DOLORES:   Hello, my friends.  This is Dolores.  I am allowed to prevail 
again this afternoon.  It is still my privilege to be with you for Tomas, 
Paulo and Aaron are in absentia still.  I am here to ask you if you have any 
questions or if there are any matters you are inclined to bring to the 
attention of your teachers, your peers, or your own minds by way of 
discussion.  

GINNY: Hi.  I'm not familiar with you.  Could you tell me a little bit about 
yourself?  

DOLORES:  I am a Teacher.  I am assigned to the Urantia Project - the 
edification and socialization of a new level of consciousness which is coming 
into being as a result of your efforts in spiritizing your minds.  Yes, I am 
in the Teacher Corp at large.  I have been around as a personal teacher and I 
will be around indefinitely.  I am therefore experienced as I have had a 
human life but I am also experienced as I have functioned in the capacity of 
personal teacher as well.  Were you interested in anything else about me?

GINNY: I guess you're in a few transcripts that I have, and your recent ones 
I have read.  I just had forgotten what sort of things you talked about.  I 
guess my own personal question would be to welcome you and I would like to 
get to know you better.

DOLORES: Thank you.

GINNY: I feel that I am dealing more with my own personal hang-ups, as far as 
intolerance and not wanting to deal with things that are not comfortable, and 
in trying to expand my own awareness.

DOLORES: In other words you are allowing our Father's will to prevail in your 
life.  
GINNY: Yes, I am asking for that more in my moments of Stillness, that I 
might just expand and get out of this rut of needing to feel a certain way or 
needing to believe a certain way and not thinking that discomfort means that 
I'm doing the wrong thing, that discomfort could mean that I am growing.

DOLORES: You know how it feels to have a new pair of shoes and they are not 
really comfortable until they've gotten broken in.  You are experiencing the 
same thing in terms of reality.  You are putting on a new reality and 
experiencing a certain stiffness, a certain discomfort, until such time as it 
becomes an old soft shoe that you can kick around in.  This is good.  You are 
allowing yourself to remain a young at heart person.  

How many individuals believe that by a certain age or stage in life it is 
necessary that they have already adopted a certain set of values, a certain 
standard of living, a certain social structure, for them to be content and 
regarded as a success not only in their society but also then in their own 
mind.  You who have opted to develop this greater reality have given 
permission to change clothing, as it were, and toss off those garments which 
were appropriate for that value level, that moral stance, or that financial 
statement, in exchange for a reality which will give you more enduring worth, 
greater value, longer lasting satisfaction.  

In the long run, dear one, you will have made the decision again and again, 
so many times, you will begin to notice when you have been comfortable long 
enough that you can almost guarantee yourself; you will be eager then to 
acknowledge the next experiential step into greater wisdom, which often will 
be accompanied by a certain agitation or conflict or discomfort, but which 
will render you "best dressed" and most certainly more happy.  And isn't that 
really what human life is about? - the pursuit of happiness?

GINNY: Hm-hum.

DOLORES:  You will find yourself one day being an example to other people of 
how to remain forever young.

GINNY: Well, I sort of think that us old farts have some sort of wisdom that 
we can throw around once in awhile without being too arrogant.

DOLORES: Indeed your flatulence is as a musical retort.  Wisdom is not easily 
garnered.  It doesn't have to be carried around as if it were a crusty bark 
on an old tree, either.  It can be as slick as slimy moss in a mountain 
stream.  

THOROAH: I like wisdom because it seems to show up when it's needed.

DOLORES: It will show up if you allow it to make an appearance, but as Ginny 
said, it's something you don't assume about yourself.  You work so hard for 
wisdom and then act as if somehow you have no right to express it.  Just 
because it doesn't appear as though you're being heard is no reason for you 
to not sing your song.  

Wisdom, however, is one of those things sort of like worship.  We begin where 
we are.  And it being a relative attainment, it is something we can savor for 
the moment, knowing that with the next experiential step we will gather more 
insight and experience into what our wisdom and worship really is.

THOROAH: I get the feeling that the truest form of wisdom and/or worship goes 
back to what you were talking about.  It occurs without thought or intention. 
 A lot of times it's just something that you instinctively do and maybe in 
hindsight you might realize that was the wise thing to do or that you indeed 
worship, but it just sort of happens because that's where you are.

DOLORES: The Father is a remarkable presence, and see how He has manifested 
Himself in our words today in our communion, in recognition of Him and our 
desire to become more like Him.  The adjutant mind spirits, which are a 
present bestowed upon the material worlds by Our Mother, gives us worship and 
crowns our worship with wisdom.  Evidently, then, the experience of worship 
itself gives wisdom to our experience.

It may well have something to do with the relative perfection of ascending 
reality, for what we worship today may not be what we worship tomorrow, but 
only wisdom will provide that insight, and wisdom is another adjutant mind 
spirit that is aside from thought, aside from academic excellence - which 
could be comprehended as "knowledge" -- or even an emotional appreciation of 
truth -- which might be understood as "understanding."   How marvelous life 
is!  How varied and textured!  How plentiful and challenging.  How satisfying 
and comforting.  

I am quite pleased to be able to develop this rapport with you, my mortal 
friends.

THOROAH: Likewise, Dolores.
                                            
DOLORES: Shall we dance?

GINNY: Thank you.


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