[tmtranscripts] 05-02-96.PGH "Cosmic Stamina"

[Gerdean]

DATE: May 2, 1996
LOCATION: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
T/R: Gerdean

TEXTUAL STUDY: Urantia Paper 92
"Later Evolution of Religion"
5. The Great Religious Leaders
6. The Composite Religions
7. The Further Evolution of Religion

TEACHER SESSION
Cosmic Stamina



TOMAS: I am Tomas.

Group: Good evening, Tomas. Welcome back.

TOMAS: Good evening and also welcome to you, faithful friends, students and companions in our Mission work.

As I greet you this evening I would like to confirm for you that your work in prayer has been a delight for us to behold, and your steady application to the efficacy of prayer has joined today with the millions who have engaged in prayer for the sole purpose of expressing their belief in the First Source and Center, no matter what He is called, no matter how He is regarded. Your planet today has stirred in recognition of its association with spirit reality.

I might equate a picture for you in the very early morning hours when the earth is dark and slowly yet surely the lights begin to come on in the windows throughout the city and the country, until the lights are all lit in readiness for the day. Such was our vision today of you who prayed and will continue to let your vigil shine.

The analogy also holds true for the dark winter of soul growth which has been taking part in the evolution of this group of which I am a part and of which you are integrally related to one another and to me and to our celestial peers and supervisors. The radiance of spring is upon us in many ways, my children. I am heartened and gladdened this evening to partake of your childlike enthusiasm and your willingness to open yourselves to one another, in that, you will all have a renewed understanding of your own right as a son or daughter of the living God to be here and to express yourself in prayer with one another as you live your lives.

Indeed, our entire session, our formal session here, is a form of prayer for we have opened our hearts and minds to the influence of greater spiritual truth, beauty and goodness, and we will assuredly grow in facets unfamiliar to you as yet, but in living faith we will even thrive. Steadfast friends and loyal companions, I am proud to be among you.

I will return in a moment. I am consulting as to my lesson for this evening. (I will parenthetically state that there are so many lessons I am eager to devote time to, that I am a kid in a candy store and have opted to consult with my support group for their input.) 

It has been determined that the topic of prayer is worthy of further consideration, and I am reminded of a phrase used in this evening's lesson, to-wit: cosmic stamina, for I see that you have great stamina in many concerns and I see now, too, that you are embarked on a path of effective prayer, and so, in order that your enthusiasm may continue and your prayers may long be effective, I will spend a moment discussing this thing called cosmic stamina.

Consider the spirit as an organ, one which you will become. It is like any organ when new and unused: weak. As an infant has muscles undirected, in learning to walk those muscles are developed and built sufficiently that once the child is coordinated and encouraged, it can stand on the muscles of its legs to toddle and walk and run, and the same is true in the organ of your spiritual becoming. As a beginner, starting out on any new regime, practice develops strength.

I have myself witnessed that over the course of weeks that we have met together, your stamina has increased. Your aptitude toward our process has developed and allowed you to begin to perceive that you might gain greatly from the resonance of certain inflections or phrases or concepts which are brought to the fore, and so your muscles are developing, your disciplines are taking shape, your stamina is becoming inclusive of the steadfastness required to take the time to relish and savor and ponder and chew that food, taking in that nourishment, which will feed your muscles which will give fuel to that in you which craves to be strong and unswerving in its attempts to attain spiritual communion and effectiveness in your ministries .

Cosmic stamina, my friends, is superior to physical stamina, in that you will not always be physical, but you will always be part of the cosmic neighborhood, and if you are to emerge into the morontia realms intact, aware of your departure from here and your arrival there, you would do well to develop that cosmic stamina which will aid you in the process of translating from a being of the flesh to a being of morontial substance. 

(Long pause) I have alarmed my transmitter. It is not to worry, but I will cut my lesson short. We are well. All is well. Have you questions or commentary to present?

Student: Can we just take a break and maybe it'll come around? 

TOMAS : Worthy of experience. We will be in recess.

[Recess]

TOMAS: That was a prime example of a cosmic collapse. (Hearty group laughter) I will, indeed, incorporate this into the lesson, as the spirit was willing but the faith, i.e., the stamina of the transmitter faltered, and so there was a breakdown. And this is precisely what I refer to when I refer to cosmic stamina. And when you in your life are moving along, all is clicking, and suddenly there is a flat tire or a disagreement or an overdue notice you had overlooked, there seems to be a deflation, a weakening of the circuits so to speak, which will cut in on and take away from your cosmic stamina.

As you will recall in those last instructions of that Paper, once you have wholeheartedly consecrated yourself to the doing of the will of the First Source and Center, you have no longer those extraneous concerns and ego trappings which will pull from you the energy necessary to sustain your association with divinity.

When you hold fast to your spirit reality, you are developing cosmic stamina. The vicissitudes of life no longer debilitate you or, certainly, do not distract and distress you as they once did. And so this quality of cosmic stamina is effectual in the most rudimentary living experiences all the way to the sublime experience of Paradise ascension. It is developed by consecration and by faith.

I understand that we are somewhat hard-pressed for time among you this evening and so I will open the floor for sharing as it may occur. My friends, the floor is yours.

Student: Well, when we were praying out loud, I really enjoyed it tremendously! It was a wonderful experience, and yet I wanted to feel that I was sitting in my Father's lap, as you had suggested, and I was never quite able to pull that off myself. I think some of the other people here were able to do that.

TOMAS: Are you asking for volunteers?

Student: I don't know what I'm asking for. I'm just making a comment that I was kind of disappointed in myself, I guess. I thought, "why can't I get into that visualization more?"

TOMAS: I will suggest to you, my dignified daughter, that you were not feeling weak and needy. When you are addressing Our Father from a point of confidence and strength and joy and radiance of spirit, it is more shoulder-to-shoulder in the work or face-to-face in the faith, but when you are curled up on your Father's lap, it is as a needy child. I do not disparage either approach to contact with divinity, but that may be an answer to your query. It is ...

Student: I'm really glad I asked that question. It turned out to have a lot of nice benefits for me at the moment. My friend Mrs. Ml got such a great thing and I'm so happy that she told me because, . and I did use what she told me and it turned out to be great and I really enjoyed it.

TOMAS: It is pleasing to hear that you enjoyed this fundamental spiritual experience, for we will encourage you to continue and develop your communication with your Universal Upholder amid other aspects of divinity which will guide and direct and protect your very being. That you are a member of the cosmic citizenry, a fledgling soul in the greater scheme of things, puts you in a position to belong to that massive realm of spiritual persons and powers which will be influencing you and supporting you for eons to come.

It would do you well to become comfortable and joyous in your communications with all of your spirit relations, beginning with the Father and your own Thought Adjuster and reaching across to the God Fragments of your brothers and sisters here in the flesh. It is a wonderful world to be explored and divine encounters will be forthcoming, so continue in your practice, for as you have heard, "practice makes perfect."

Student: Well, I have something; I hope you will forgive me for even thinking about that, but I couldn't help myself. You told us, dear Tomas, that you don't get into our mind. I previously thought you knew everything I was thinking, and then you said, no, that wasn't the case, and so I thought, "well maybe you are listening when we're talking, and so you can get a better fix on what we are thinking," but maybe that's just a very stupid idea of mine,

TOMAS: Oh, and so you think I ask you to pray out loud so that I can hear what you're thinking! (Group laughter) Very clever.

Student: Well, there might have been some element of it, I thought. But I knew there were other elements. I hope you will forgive me.

TOMAS: Not only do I forgive you, I will ask you to forgive me also, for I tell you I find your minds so fascinating it is hard for me to ignore much of what is so apparent to me even when you are silent, for your expressions of your inner life, your confusions, your biases, your ignorance, your delightful fantasies --all are on display regardless of how you choose to think about it. (Group laughter)

Student: Tomas, may I ask a question? 

TOMAS: Yes, daughter.

Student: This subject was brought up three or four months ago when you first came, and my question is about reincarnation. Is a soul reincarnated to the same earth, the same planet that it was born on, or does it always go to a different planet?

TOMAS: Neither is correct. A soul is born in its nativity realm and ascends upward, assuming it is an ascending son or daughter. We are discussing ascending sons and daughters, are we not?

Student: Yes.

TOMAS: They ascend. They do not return to other worlds of space, such as inhabited planets, for continued experience. When your soul is adequately developed, it is embarked to the translation worlds and the mansion worlds and then is mustered up through the ranks of the Melchizedek Order of instruction until a full-fledged spirit being is sent out into another yet realm of learning and service, and this ascension rises all the way until the ascending being meets with the Eternal Source. There is no reincarnation aspects under consideration, for why repeat a world when there are billions of worlds to come?

Student: Well, then I won't worry about that any more.

Student: That's about the ascending sons and daughters. Now, what about the others?

TOMAS: The orders of descending sons are not concerned with souls. They are perfect beings who descend in service. Your perfection is in process of becoming; theirs already is. These are two variations of Paradise expression. Many, many ways are there to experience life in the universe, but your experience is yours alone. Your order, your destiny is perfect for you; it is custom made for you, and you will learn to love it and appreciate it more and more as you develop cosmic stamina.

Student: Are there now descending sons in the physical body on Urantia at present?

TOMAS: Not that I am personally aware.

Student: Have you received instructions on this type ...?

TOMAS: I am not authorized to open certain files. I am a teacher, and my curriculum is somewhat circumscribed, and I am an obedient servant. I will confess that we, as you, enjoy speculation but I have learned to bridle my tongue and gird up the loins of my mind as a teacher for it is too easy to plant seeds of bad weeds, and I am of a mind, as the Master has sought, to prune those weary branches and minister to you as you bring forth new fruit.

Student: I have a question -- I'm a little confused here. When you answered Mrs. K. on a question she had asked and you were ascertaining if we were talking about a particular order, are there other orders on this earth plane that we are not discussing?

TOMAS: No. We are interested in the inhabitants of this planet, all of whom (excluding the midwayers) are human mortal beings who are experiencing evolution and to some extent revelation in our ascent to divinity attainment.

Student: So am I to understand that everyone at this table -- their birthing, as a soul, occurred on this planet earth?

TOMAS: This is where it will occur... 

Student: It "will"?

TOMAS: ... for many. If it does not occur here, it may occur in the Resurrection Hall. If a being is not cognizant of his soul when he or she leaves Urantia, it is not a condemnation of the potential of that soul, you see. This is, however, the birthplace of many morontia souls. Many human beings here, including you, hope to develop this relationship with the spirit that will contribute to the growth and foundation of the soul. It is the ambition and great delight of many followers of Jesus that the soul becomes afire with love. This is a radiant and wondrous thing when this occurs. 

Many will not allow this experience in this lifetime, but those of you who opt to work toward the development and betterment and maturation of your soul, are of tremendous help to your indwelling Thought Adjuster, therefore to God and to the Supreme and certainly to your fellows, your peers in growth in ascension, and not to be overlooked, the many that you will affect by your own being as you pass by or as you serve. And so those who choose to help develop their soul, there are many rewards, many commendations, many riches. Yes.

Student: This is a discussion I would like to continue but some of us are really pressed for time, but I know that we don't earn merit badges. We do what we do because we are alive.

TOMAS: Let me bring to your mind that, indeed, sonship, daughtership is a gift, but once you have received this gift, it is incumbent upon you that you begin to work with and for the spirit; otherwise, like houseguests, you know, they lose their savor after several days. (Group laughter)

Student: I've heard that adage. Well, thank you, and I hope that we can continue this discussion at another time.

TOMAS: Indeed, my daughter, I look forward to our next encounter, and I embrace you.

Student: Thank you.

Student: While we were talking about cosmic stamina, I assumed that it helps you to develop this even before you make a transition. You mentioned it as being an important factor when we make the transition, but I assumed that it's a very helpful thing to develop even before that.

TOMAS: Indeed.

Student: I believe that what that means is that we have to pray more and help others and serve, and in that way we build it up.

TOMAS: Indeed, it boils down to that. It does, however, require some consciousness on the part of the mortal. It is an act of the human will that wills that the Father's will will be done, and so it is not a passive walk in the park with God, but rather a vigilant observation and involvement with humankind so that he/she may serve, may be there for God as God's representative on earth, if you will, and without ego involvement. How's that for a dichotomy and a challenge?

And so to waft and drift through life complacently, assuming that God is in his heaven, all is right with the world, is perhaps fine for those who remain ignorant of his infinity presence and power and presence in your life, but for those of you who have consecrated your will to the doing of His will, it requires conscientiousness and conscientiousness requires stamina, for at first it may seem that you have been royally bestowed great blessings and you want the world to know what a wonderful God you have and of course you meet with skeptics and cynics and the like and so your methodology changes and you become a little more brooding, a little more philosophic, a little more selective in how it is that you present your truths, and it is possible to become elitist in your spiritual attitudes.

And all manner of vagaries can affect you because of your imperfection and, particularly, because of the many influences in existence which are left over from the rebellion and the default, and so it is an honorable career and not a life of ease. 

It is effortful but invigorating and satisfying once you get the hang of it, once you have developed those muscles, once you have gotten your stride, and the marvelous thing about developing cosmic stamina is that when your legs have lost their strength to hold you up, your spiritual legs can carry you on into eternity.

Student: Hurray!

TOMAS: I will offer you now an assignment for your next leg of the journey, having to do in part with our exercise from last week of praying aloud, (and I realize I am shoveling this to you rather heavily, but since you are on a roll I will take advantage) and I will suggest that as you can and as you will, be about the Father's business early in your day. Many, many times we have encouraged you believers and workers to rise before the pressures of the day to devote some time and energy on your spiritual condition.

It is often the more peaceful time, and the more acceptable time, to go into stillness and prayer in the evening when the family is at rest and the duties of the day are past, but by the same token, your earthly vessels are also wearied by the end of the day, and if you were to devote yourself in prayer early in your day by getting up just a little earlier than your regular routine to renew your vow to follow the Master where he will take you, I again guarantee that your life will be altered toward the positive, toward the better, and it will enrich you and those you love and those with whom you come in contact, for you have established your soul's identity for the day before the pressures of the outside world have come to pass and recall to you your conditioning of the ages.

And so as the day begins, as the lights begin to come on in the windows, your light will be shining and you will be awake to greet the Son.

My friends, it is truly an honor for me to be your friend. The joint hosts who attend with me, your friends in the unseen realms, and I are heartened by your beatific repose. This peace: let it remain with you as you go through your days. Let it sustain you and nourish you and nurture your cosmic stamina.

Go in peace. Farewell.


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