[tmtranscripts] N. Idaho TeaM 6/12/05

[rickgiles]

North Idaho Teaching Mission Group
Topics: New Spiritual Institutions, Individual Empowerment
Teachers: Elyon

June 12, 2005

*	Elyon (Mark TR):  Greetings, this is Elyon.  ... into our 
conversation I would seize on the comments made in regards those 
youth who are seeking direction in their lives.  The example 
that they provide for us is of great significance, for it 
portrays the desire of all human beings to identify a direction 
and to possess a purpose.  The human soul and mind desire to 
have certainty about what direction to proceed and are willing 
to readily adopt the direction provided by others, particularly 
in larger institutions whose formulas are tried and proven, and 
therefore the direction and purpose are well provided.  This 
illustrates the need on this world for those to provide 
alternative methods and directions and objectives to be 
available and to be stirred into the mix so that there will be 
options and choices provided where now there appear to be very 
few.
	Those of us dealing in spiritual truths and universal 
perspectives find it difficult at times to offer food for those 
who are seeking new direction because many of the methods 
currently employed by the existing religious frameworks are 
proving to be unsatisfactory to this new generation of seekers.  
We must formulate new patterns and approaches designed around 
new ideals and our new universal perspective and provide these 
alternatives to those who hunger for direction.  Our competition 
of the established institutions is formidable because these 
familiar institutions have as part of their attraction long 
track records and cultural acceptance on their side, but they 
are vastly becoming outmoded and are in need of replacement by 
new institutions of even higher learning.
	While we for a long time have been resistant to the idea of 
becoming akin to the institutions we are familiar with, 
nevertheless we must formulate a new ideal institution, one 
which provides the same elements that individuals are seeking of 
support and networking and methodology to aid all those who 
would seek the new alternative institution of faith and spirit.
	The desire of humans to be a part of a club or a clan or an 
organization is great, albeit there is some mass discontent at 
the current state of these fraternal organizations with their 
exploitative natures, profit motives, and stifling agendas.  Our 
new spiritual institutions will promote the individual seeker’s 
identity within the context of universal acceptance and cosmic 
principles.  When these other institutions no longer are seen to 
provide for the needs of the masses they will turn away as they 
have begun already to do from the churches and military, and 
they will still be searching for the fraternity of belonging to 
a group of individuals who will accept them, love them, support 
them, and help them in their growth processes.
	We are currently engaged in the formation of such schools 
of thought, schools of behavior, schools of attitude.  Without 
having set out to form such institutions they are being built as 
a result of the collection of those individuals involved.  I 
point to the formation of your Teaching Mission lists and 
circles of your Urantia Book lists and circles.  These are 
institutions of their own with their own sense of conditions, 
and they attract to them those individuals seeking that set of 
conditions that they feel meets their needs.
	So, as we proceed in our efforts together among the many 
circuits that we build together, I encourage you to hold some 
perspective to the idea that we are creating a network, indeed, 
an institution wherein others may find what we have found; we 
are providing certain frameworks wherein we engage in this 
pursuit, and we are accumulating our own track record of 
success.  At some point we will begin to recognize the value of 
the institution that we have built from the grassroots to where 
we have arrived today and be willing to offer that which we have 
come to build and come to know to others who will find it a 
useful format for their spiritual growth and development as 
well.
	These conclude my remarks.  I welcome your comments and 
interactions.

	Evelyn:  It is formidable to imagine creating an 
organization on a par with the military, but I appreciate the 
big picture.

	Tom:  The kids today who are getting out of school are 
looking for ways to make a living right now.  Contrasted to 
these large organizations, we are creating a series of small 
organizations.  It’s right under our noses rather than so far 
away.  Still, what do you do now to put bread in your mouth?  
I’m sure kids in foreign countries with ailing economies have it 
even tougher.

*	Elyon:  There has been a great shift on your world in 
recent times wherein the population has determined that they 
would rather give over their options and choices to another, be 
it a corporation or an employer, rather than to take their own 
personal responsibility for their welfare and their living, as 
you call it.  Only a relatively short time ago when your young 
country was in its infancy nearly all of the people were 
employed by themselves and thereby took their own responsibility 
for earning their livings.  While it is true that this approach 
is often more difficult, it is also true for those individuals, 
their destiny is in their own hands and under their own control.  
A short time later we observe that this generation simply 
desires to be employed, simply desires to let others make the 
decisions for them, let others take the responsibility for their 
livelihoods and then when those others betray this trust and 
shut down the factories or modernize the equipment those who 
have entrusted their livelihood to others feel helpless and 
betrayed.
	This is a recent phenomenon on this planet, this idea of 
relinquishing responsibility for your livelihood to a select few 
set of employers and then trusting that these employers will 
have your best interests at heart.  It is a pendulum swinging to 
the opposite extreme, and we are beginning to see the breakdown 
of this extreme when the employers are few and the employees are 
many.  This relinquishing of personal responsibility for your 
livelihood must swing back in the other direction, and 
individuals must be given more control over their own destinies, 
must seize back the reins of control from those powerful 
individuals who hold the destinies of others in their hands.  It 
is putting too many eggs in one basket to assume that large 
scale employers will take care of vast numbers of employees with 
proper stewardship.
	This scenario will further break down as the scope of the 
picture is enlarged to include the massive numbers who would be 
employed around the world.  No longer will there be enough jobs 
to go around handled by few large conglomerates of employers.  
We must encourage individuals to take control of their own 
destinies and do what appears to be the harder job of taking 
personal responsibility.  This shift will not be an easy one, as 
generations have now gone since the days when your grandparents 
knew this lifestyle and were familiar with this sense of 
personal responsibility.  There is great danger in allowing your 
livelihood to be entrusted to others that they will not fulfill 
this trust either by choice or by factors outside of their 
control.  Then we see large numbers of people’s lives disrupted 
when the large employers break down.

	Tom:  Even in our text it warns of economic downsizing that 
floods the market with workers.  It encourages to have more than 
one pursuit, to arm yourself with a number of blue collar trades 
to fall back on in times of crisis.

*	Elyon:  The issue really speaks to empowerment because this 
generation feels as though their lives are determined by what 
employers they may seek, and find that their very livelihoods 
and existences would become governed by others who will dictate 
to them what they will do, where they will do it, and for how 
much they will do it.  This generation has lost sight of 
individual empowerment, of the fact that each man was to work, 
each man would eat.  Rather do they feel, “what do I have to do 
to comply with my employer’s wishes so that I may eat?”
	This sense of empowerment can be helped and portrayed 
through this avenue of spiritual institution we discussed 
wherein individuals may find comfort and reassurance and indeed 
empowerment in the realization that they are a cosmic citizen, a 
son or daughter of God, and that as part of their birthright 
they should be able to expect that if they work hard they should 
be provided for.  These are basic tenets of cosmic citizenship 
which has been overshadowed by corporate domination and 
institutional guidelines.  These are the challenges of the times 
we are in.
	If there would be no further comments I would allow for the 
consideration of the statements made herein today.  I know you 
all consider the lessons and that they do impact your lives, and 
this is a wonderful thing to perceive.  No teacher could ask for 
anything more than such eager students as yourselves.  I 
complement you on your growth processes.  I would take my leave.  
Have a good week.  Farewell.

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