I'll hunt down, or remember the title of the book soon, sorry for now, but it is a pastor's guide to the way celebration's, services, baptism's, wedding's and funeral's are conducted in most of the major Christian faith's. For the Quaker's, a service begin's with silence, maintain's silence, and ends with silence. Then the break bread, share their appreciation of the silent sermon, and go their peaceful way's.
Emerson, who abandoned his Unitarian ordination and title, wrote in "Spiritual Writing's" that his favorite time of a service, was the five minute's of silence that preceded the minister talking, usually about himself, and ruining the peaceful atmosphere. The unitarian's, famous for their constant use of committee's, were once a Christian faith, that did the Joe Biden thing, and refused to be named a national church in Transylvania back in the 16th century. Around the time of the second Vatican Counsel the Unitarian church merged with the Universalist church, maintaining their Christian dominant philosophies and ceremonies for the first few decade's, and then the challenges of two significantly different philosophies became an ever-present danger. At first, perchance the leader's thought the unnamable in the Bible could easily fit with the more agnostic Universalist philosophies. Perchance, and in fact, this didn't happen. Over time redacting and compromise took place. with Hymnal's re-written with God and Jesus being replaced, and often an interesting definition of the angels in heaven. Newer songs are added, and many song's taken away, some to the natural changes in music, some to topic.
For the large part, there are 9 defined Christian faith's in America, all having a slightly different priority of church policy and leadership. They collectively belong to one of two national organization's which ensure's their authority in all 50 state's. Some churches and faiths stand alone, but many Christian churches belong to a national non-denominational association, again, allowing the presence and opening of new churches nation wide. The Adventist's, Latter Day Saint's, Witnesses followed a modern day leader, and crafted their own, new bible's and philosophies. The Scientologist's have no God, but a philosophy and crafted evangelical recruitment arm, that sustain's their growth.
Our "church", named so, as a familiar, and state recognized designation, is named "Home" of Loving Spirit, because it is neither a church, nor a denomination in the traditional sense. People are encouraged to join in, and still seek out a faith based, or church community to further your growth, and sustain your hope and faith in above. HLS originated, to provide a legal home for the Institute of Advanced Paradigm's, which I've mentioned a few times before, is now housed within the blog's and podcast's of the mentor dude. We are a philosophy based movement, with loving kindness, service and gratitude as core values, respect for all religion's and faith's, and care for each other. We resonate often with the Stoic movement of Pythagoras and Plato, with their continuance into the neo-Platonic (Manly P. Hall) philosophies of the Essenes, the Nazarite's; John the Baptist and Jesus. The Essene Gospel of Peace is a very nice and easy read, as well as healing water's, and in this you will find the Essenes' use of water, fasting, clay, and intention, as partner's to the many miraculous healing of Jesus.
Within the Jewish tree-of-life and Cabalistic teaching are instruction's for and to powerful prayer's, petition's and Intention's, which through the top female dog on the tree's totem pole structure, Geburah, is the source of magic, and metaphysics. Jesus would have captured this early; long before even changing water to wine. Even longer before accepting, and being gifted the son of God presence. His disciple's would have been taught this by the great teacher, as part of the spread of his teaching's and works.
It is my firm conviction that there is great power in mastering the secret teaching of the ages. Some remain as active discipline's, other's are now retrievable through the vast internet, though this alone has great deficiencies. Even with a great mentor/teacher, for most it takes decade's to be able to maintain continence and control to even attempt the power's of the mystic and "wizard's" of lore.
Philipractic practice incorporate's many of these system's, broad eclectic herbal and natural approaches to establishing health, healing touch and traction, and many energetic system's of healing, all with the central theme of compassionate care.
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