[tmtranscripts] Faith and Trust (03-11-97.BUT)

[Gerdean]

DATE: March 11, 1997
LOCATION: Butler, PA, USA

Urantia Book Study: Paper 100
"Religion in Human Experience"

TEACHER SESSION
More About Spiritual Names
Hunnah begins T/Ring Merium
Mini Lesson on Faith and Trust

TOMAS: Good evening. I am Tomas. There are many of us here this evening. Since there appears to be no visible structure format, it fell upon me to greet you, which I am always glad to do, and to perhaps bring this configuration into some degree of focus.

It is the tendency of those who "sit at the feet of the teachers" to anticipate that the teachers will guide each nuance of your development, and while we are of course happy to provide guidance, the fact of our co-working status allows for you also to divulge your needs when they arise. They are not always known in the form of a question, but they always will be brought to the fore if you are open and willing to engage in communication with those of us on this side who are geared toward uplifting and directing your thoughts in a progressive manner.

Well, that was my way of saying, "How would you like to proceed this evening?" Are there any needs or questions initially to deal with?

Hunnah: I have a question. Anne was talking with me just before you checked in and she said, "I would really like to know my spiritual name." And I asked her about her background and we got interrupted. Because of my years of experience in my spiritual journey, it has occurred to me that there isn't any required background and any required amount of reading that, ... that that is a concept we need to outgrow; that so much work has been done that it's being allowed to step into student acceptance. Would you like to comment? I think maybe I've gone far enough to get you going.

TOMAS: I will step in happily, although I am not certain what I am stepping into there, for you did bring up more than one subject. Your initial recitation had to do with Anne desiring a spiritual name and I will respond to Anne in that context, and I will give her an answer that you have already heard, but for your benefit, Anne, I will tell you that different teachers have different approaches to this issue of divulging spirit names, and I am inclined to disallow reaching in to the files to find it, for I have found it more effective when you develop your own identity sufficiently that I recognize you and see you and your name is apparent to me by your personality.

This is different, I realize, than you are accustomed to, for in your culture you assign a name to an individual, often before they are born, and that becomes their identity; but in the spirit realm, your development creates your identity, and you will become who you are throughout eternity and a name will grace your personality as, in your human form, a dress will grace your physical person. 

The name can be accessed. That which you are to become can be found, for there is a plan for you, but I prefer to wait until your personality is sufficiently developed that you present yourself to me and I recognize you by your personality, for then your name is an extension of your personality and not an addition thereto. As you grow in the spirit, as your soul becomes well-grounded, well-founded, well-rounded, you will begin to manifest your own God-consciousness, your own divine aspects, and when I observe your reality in such a way as to recognize it as a living being, then I will address you by your spirit name.

It is perhaps unfair, for many have enjoyed having their name given to them, but by the same token, many who receive a gift prematurely do not appreciate the value of the gift, and so I, as an old fogey of sorts, am of what you might call "the old school" and as I learn in this experience of interchanging with you ideas, thoughts and values, I learn also, and I have learned this regarding names. In any case, my dear, you are well known to me. I and others are aware of you and happily call you Anne. You are well loved and you are on the right path.

Now, Hunnah, as for your further remarks regarding inquiry into individual backgrounds, as to their "credentials" or whatever as to how it is that they came to be at this place of responding to and appreciating The Urantia Book and/or the teachers, it is rather like growth in full bloom. We have often said of late that the harvest is great, and that whereas at one time those initial vanguard, who first awakened to spirit prompting, to frustrations in the mind that lent themselves eager to delve into spiritual matters, we now have the opening of the circuits and everyone is being impressed by the spirit pressure resultant from these re-connections. 

Those who are sensitive or in search at all will be more easily found and more easily amenable to/responsive to, the truth that you bring. But do not overlook, either, the social fragrance that you yourselves have developed as a result of knowing God and aspiring to be like Him.

Indeed, it does not matter what the backgrounds are insofar as there are no credentials required to come into the Kingdom. Sonship/ daughtership is a gift available to each child from the Father, and regardless of whence they come, as they knock the door will be opened. It is wonderful to have this garden that opens into the fellowship of believers that we have enjoyed here. 

It is wonderful now to embrace our newest member, our sister Anne, into this fellowship, and I say, too, to become aware that the door is open wide, and that many will come, so do not be surprised if you find your arena deluged with those who have sought and have now found. The challenge thus is set before us and our companion Miriam has arrived just in time, for the socialization of these many diverse personalities will contribute to your understanding and appreciation of community indeed.

Remember, too, that "the first shall be last and the last shall be first." In the spirit we are all equal, and so while we may say, "Anne is new to us," she is one with us; and those of you who have been around awhile, are also one of us. What have I overlooked?

Hunnah: You always do it right. But I thought that it was a good reminder when you said that we had the cart before the horse here; we give the name ... Well, I just like what you had to say about getting acquainted with what we really have, to express it and then naming it. I like that.

Loreenia: Tomas, I have a question about the teachers recognizing different names. One recognizing one and another recognizing another name. It doesn't sound appropriate and yet after a while it does have a ring of truth to it, but why do different teachers call you by a different name? Is it tones or ...?

TOMAS: If I understand your question correctly, which I am sure I do not ....

Loreenia: For instance, Andrew, while under the influence of very strong spiritual forces, recognizes one name, then Judith, my personal guide, comes in and recognizes another name (that I wouldn't even accept for years), and I see the tonal qualities, as she said. Why would God recognize one name and not another?

TOMAS: I will give you a response that should satisfy your curiosity, and that is that we indulge, for our own purposes, in what you would call nick-names, or different names for different purposes. Handles, titles, if you will. I would suggest that Judith, your personal teacher, chose to address you as "JoHanna" because she would like to meet you on that level of operation that you admittedly do not like and are not happy with. It is probably for that reason that she knocked on that door of your awareness. It is no doubt also, probably, for that reason that you and she are not conversing fluidly.

Now as to why Andrew would give you a different name, is a question you must ask Andrew. I will say, however, that for me, since you have so many names already, I have not assigned you a name, nor do I, for your reference, recognize any of your names that you have been given thus far as your true self. But, all of the names that you have are indicative of an aspect of yourself.

My response to you is an indication to you of my belief that you are still a pearl-in-becoming. I truly feel that many of these identities that have been named, which have been real in your life, will be evaporated in time.

Loreenia: Then the first transmitter was true when he spoke, that there are many names, without end.

TOMAS: You speak of "without end" and I cannot go that far because I have not gone there yet. I do not know what the Gods have in store.

Loreenia: As far as names, or more names coming up?

TOMAS: I will not deny the truth of your teacher.

Hunnah: Are you looking for verification or are you challenging?

Loreenia: I was just trying to figure out why one teacher will see one aspect and one will see another, and why ... I assume each individual teacher and guide has their own level of understanding that they came from beyond, is that correct? Until they have reached that experiential level? Sort of like we are?

TOMAS: I am not answering that at the moment. I am focusing instead upon your belief in having had previous lives, and as long as you maintain that belief ...

Loreenia: I believe there is only one life. I'm only aware of this one, and some aspects of others.

TOMAS: I repeat: as long as you maintain a belief in previous identities, those beliefs crystallize in your beingness as an identity which then can be named.

Loreenia: It's a little bit confusing to understand. 

TOMAS: I understand completely. How can I help you?

Loreenia: It's not important; it's just something that I have wanted to know for a long time.

TOMAS: Very well.

Loreenia: It's not that important. Thank you.

TOMAS: Well done. And I also am going to respond to an interest of Gerdean, who is over-anxious perhaps to experience co-teaching in the way that she and Debbie did in transmitting myself and Daniel in Pocatello. She thus has aspirations for Hunnah's newly acquired ability to act as transmitter/receiver.

I am going to withhold my own anticipation until I am certain that it is appropriate, but I will exercise Hunnah in her capacity this evening if she is amenable.

Hunnah: Absolutely.

TOMAS: I would like to ask you, my dear, without intending to apply any pressure, if you would like to make contact with, or have Miriam make contact with you? Or would you prefer, for now, to maintain your singular relationship with your personal teacher?

Hunnah: May I comment? 

TOMAS: Yes.

Hunnah: I am anxious to have Miriam come through, but I feel the same way about her as I did with Jasmine. I would like some form of cue so that I will know when to go ahead and not just sit here. In regard to Jasmine, I was listening to a tape where she was speaking to my friend, and her sound is so much like the sound I had in my private thoughts when I call a focused state that some of my -- there only being one.

But back to Miriam, yes I am absolutely going to do this, and like I said, I would like to have some kind of something.

TOMAS: Let us have some structure then. 

Hunnah: Yes.

TOMAS: I will, with the permission of you others, with your indulgence, embark upon an experiment for the benefit of us all. I am going to outline the experiment for your benefit: I am going to step aside and observe. I am going to allow Miriam to access the circuit of Gerdean. I will ask Merium to then address Hunnah and move over to Hunnah's circuit board and see if Hunnah can acknowledge/ recognize her energy pattern.

If Hunnah can access Merium, we will proceed then to emit a greeting. And following this initial greeting, Merium will return to the circuitry. I would like then to begin anew and issue a brief lesson, and I would like then for Hunnah to be responsive, for when I ask Merium to add her contribution, I would like Merium to respond and to deliver her words through Hunnah.

Whereupon, this brief lesson/session/experiment concluded, I will take the reigns and wind up our evening and perhaps field a question or two. Has that format been understood and is it acceptable to everyone? (Group assent.) Very well, I will withdraw.

MERIUM (Gerdean): Hello, my lovely friends. I am Merium and it is wonderful to be here with you again. Of course you know I have been here all along, but it is good to verbalize my personality to focus myself such that you can begin to ascribe a personality with my name.

I am most delighted to have this opportunity to help Tomas and to help you - actually to help in any way I can! It is more fun than I figured at first, but you see we take these assignments very seriously. The work is truly very important. Even so, how can I account for how glad I feel in your company?

I understand, Hunnah, that you are going to avail yourself, and perhaps we can make a connection. Is this your understanding also?

Hunnah: I understand that there is a place for you here.

MERIUM (Gerdean): How gracious of you, my dear, to invite me so. Let me, with those choice words of invitation and seduction, then come to your sphere and see if I might access your language center. Here I come.

MERIUM (Hunnah): Apparently a smile is the expression of our hostess. I do believe this is going to go very smoothly. My words have to be spaced because these cheeks are way up in the air again. Hunnah's only clue is that her feet feel very grounded, and for now she is going to use that as a cue and is suspicious that the smile is good will that comes with our message in our intentions.

I think this will be a comfortable fit, and that we will have a wonderful time together. I think Tomas is going to be able to take over now. It looks as if it will be agreeable.

TOMAS (Gerdean): Indeed, Tomas is back at the helm and I and others have most enjoyed how effective this technique is. Those of us who have been on-line for some time are not so astounded as you who are only beginning to trust the energy circuits, the spirit circuits. We do have reality, and more importantly, YOU have reality, and that reality grows in you each day.

In time, you will look back at your growth. You may even look back and wonder whatever happened to those teachers that used to come and hang around on certain evenings, and engage in that interesting T/R practice, but you will have with you for eternity those growths, that spirit reality, which has come about because of the association we share today, that experience of commingling in the spirit, of seeking greater spirit reality.

This remarkable practice of setting out to find God in our lives and actually finding Him, and then seeking to do His will and actually doing it -- these are real, my friends. This is the true reality, and so it matters little about the teachers or about names or places, for in time we will all be part of a greater reality that doesn't even resemble where we are today or where we perceive we might be going.

I am not going to ramble. I have promised an experiment and I am eager to be disciplined in this context, and so, with some apology, allow me to then get off my soap box and back at my lectern. Let us approach the lesson for this evening. Let me see. What shall it be? One moment.

I rather like these. These are quite good for short lessons and experimental types such as we are indulging in this evening, and these lessons I call "two sides of the coin" and I flip the coin and I will take one and my co-worker will take the other. And this coin that I am flipping now relates to faith and trust. I have found the one marked "faith."

MERIUM (Hunnah): I have trust.

TOMAS: I will ask you, Merium, would you like to go first? or shall I?

MERIUM: I can accept the invitation. It is an act of trust that permits me to speak, and because my hostess is the talkative type, she is squirming with a begging for me to describe the fact that trust permits me to speak, and that she is feeling a connection in her heart and it is for you a clamp on her lips while Tomas speaks and it is trust that is constructed.

You are developing almost like a structure. I see, like in a shipyard, you build a hull, because you anticipate going on a journey and you work very hard to build this hull and this facility that she has here, has been developed as an act of trust and we have gone ahead and allowed our work to be done here so that we can speak to you.

I hope that these few words that I am speaking will build your own trust in allowing you to apply this light tether to you which you might be able to express and develop your own development.

I trust this is sufficient, Tomas?

TOMAS: I am most appreciative, and I will respond in faith, for in faith of the process is trust made possible. I have faith in the Father and in the universe that there is a divine plan, that there is a divine family. Although I am part of it, and see it, and know it well, I invite your faith to embrace it as well. As you develop greater and greater faith, you are therein in a position to develop greater and greater trust.

Faith need not be large to begin with. Faith the size of a mustard seed will pull that ship across the ocean like a tugboat, but as you begin work in the spirit realms and move not boats or mountains but souls toward the Father, your faith is made greater in Him, in them, and in yourself. Your trust, likewise, will become greater.

MERIUM: Trust is very much like developing a strong muscle. You must use it to develop it. Trust thrives of usage. It is part of your foundation and it cannot be constructed unless you are willing to use what you have in order to make it stronger. (I am at a loss for words here) It must be acknowledged and identified.

TOMAS: Trust is an act of the will. It is your decision to trust, for whereas faith is a gift, trust is something you develop within your own mind. It is your gift back to the Father, for being a faith son, that you should trust Him to lead you where He would have you go.

MERIUM: Faith is part of the dialog that develops from acknowledging the Father. As you acknowledge your guidance, this trust is like a by-product. It is part of the treasure that you have reached. You have anticipated that it is there and accumulated.

TOMAS: I am very grateful to Merium for being here and working with me. I cannot tell you how her presence here will enlarge the capacity of this community and enrich you as you begin to see the functioning of two and more together in the work of Kingdom-building.

I am impelled to relate, briefly, in honor of our co-worker Jeremiah who has recently ascended to the Resurrection Halls of Mansonia, that at one time the joy was so great in Gerdean for Jeremiah's gift of faith to her and in her, that she needed to stop transmitting me midstream for an emotional outpouring of joy and gratitude for his friendship, and she is experiencing a similar emotional outpouring even now, as once again, she is experiencing the connectedness of co-working in the Kingdom.

The joy of the reality of this spirit family in the spirit and in the flesh is so enthralling a reality, it is ever luring us onward. I believe I have conveyed Gerdean's gratitude. I am now going to join her in conveying mine, not only for Merium, for joining us with her wonderful personality presence, but for my young sister Hunnah who in faith and in trust has become such a pillar of strength in this community, and my gratitude as well for all the community here that I have had the privilege and the pleasure of knowing and working with, of praying for and worshipping with. I have concluded my formal lesson. One moment. 

[Arrival of Ruth.] 

MERIUM: It is always a pleasure to have one more in the room.

Gerdean: Since Tomas has backed off for the evening, I guess, and more or less let you hang out to dry in our company, let me confirm: this is you, Merium?

MERIUM: Yes.

Gerdean: How wonderful it is that you are here. Boy! I don't have any questions. Like Tomas, I'm just very, very grateful for your being here to help him and to help me and to help us learn about teamwork and community and connection.

MERIUM: I will comment. This is such a unique experience. Gerdean has had the honor of being our recipient of our joy and our messages these many years, and a new T/R frequently cannot comprehend the quality of the gift that has been handed to her. It is frequent that in maturity we look back to see where we have been and they think, "Oh! I could not realize the value because I was a child." 

A new transmitter/receiver is indeed like a child who is learning to walk, who is learning new skills, in spite of their apparent silence; they're stepping aside, they're sharing their facility, and their comprehension of it is still very much of a worldly nature.

What we are experiencing here this evening is indeed a celebratory situation that is so vast that you cannot comprehend it. What you may not understand is that when I speak my words are resonating their intention in each of you. The intention, of course, is to nourish your potential, that secret ticking, ticking, ticking of what is to be for you.

We have spoken about truth, the truth, that admission of faith and trust, and they are the environment for the new reality. It will be interesting to see these words typed, because you are visual here, most of you, and once again when you read the words they will be nourishing and cultivating that part of you that truly understands and is anxious to develop.

So I hope you will take this reminder of faith and trust home with you this evening and truly consider it as a reminder of your true intent. It is free, in a sense, of human definition. It is, in a sense, a new code, but it is for the highly spirited and you have, on another level, consciously accepted this assignment. It is part of your destiny.

Recently in Hunnah's experience she spoke to a woman who had traveled to China, and as the conversation developed, Hunnah had this almost sick feeling of her first sense of what darkness really was. This is definitely a mission of mercy. You are accustomed to your neighborhoods, but it is a world that we are addressing. There is such intense need. Let me encourage your thoughts, to allow our teachers to come and raise up the Christ in you, that His promise may be brought into fruition. Thank you so much.

Gerdean: Thank YOU so much.

MERIUM: I love you all already. Even more.

Anne: Merium, I have a question.

MERIUM: Yes?

Anne: Do faith and trust have anything to do with love?

MERIUM: Love. It's as if love were all that is. It's as if love were the water that you float your little boats on, and the little boats could be called faith and hope and integrity. They are like the qualities of what love is. Love is your on-going life and its appreciation. It is that which brings birth to you, it is that which sustains you, and it is that which holds all the on-going experiences, enriches them, and embellishes them.

We connect with the word 'love.' Most of you have. It's as if to say, 'I heard the word love and I received it as acceptance'. Truth. Let yourself be taught of love, the new definition. I encourage you to write, Anna. Sharpen your pencil. You are a quiet one, but you are spilling over and you deserve the companionship of the written word. You will thrive on it. 

This is very satisfying. Do you wish to close?

TOMAS: I am Tomas and I am here for our concluding moments. It has truly been a feast. It is wonderful for us to behold Merium flourish in her new garden. I will not give her away, however, for I hold her close to me as my co-chair person. I guess I am feeling somewhat of an emotional condition known as possessiveness and jealousy, for she has already endeared herself to me so fully, but this is also by way of showing me what lessons there are to be learned in the new configuration of two teachers in the place of one, for where there is two, there are issues that were not there when one stood alone. And so it is with the human condition and that which we deal with in the next leg of the journey together in our community here.

Indeed, this week ponder and appreciate love, faith and trust, for that is a foolproof combination; that is a trinity indeed. Ruth, it is good to feel your presence here again, as it has been with all of you. Are there any further matters?

UNKNOWN (Loreenia): There was one who once led incorrectly and those that followed him made terrible error; they followed their hearts and were fallen. I trust that all will prevail in the end and I have faith in the long term. It pays to learn from past lessons.

TOMAS: Amen. And farewell.
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