CENTRE OF LIGHT
DIVINE SCIENCE EXTENSION CAMPUS

MINISTERS
Helen Penfold
Mallory Kretzmann

FOUNDER
Rev. Dr. June Jones

  MAY 2010  NEWSLETTER

Dear Friends,

It is good to be back after a longer time away than initially anticipated in London, and although there is a great big exciting world “out there”, having been “there” just confirms for me that this is a good country in which to live; and likewise Port Elizabeth a good place to be.

When a natural incident occurs, all the technology in the world, all the human expertise, becomes powerless and life seems to come to a standstill in some aspects. This affirms for us that there is only one true Power, and we are constantly reminded of this in life when the chips are down. There is only God – God, omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent.

There is a little story I read some time ago that tells of man who, after attending church every Sunday, suddenly ceased doing so. Well, some weeks later his minister went to pay him a visit and found the man sitting in his living room alone, in front of the fire. The man guessed the reason for the visit and offered his guest a chair. They sat in silence gazing into the blazing fire, when after a time the minister leaned forward and with a pair of tongs removed a brightly burning ember from the middle of the fire and placed it on its own right to the side of the hearth.

They continued to sit in silence watching the burning logs. A short while later the ember which had been placed to the side, gave one last flicker and became grey and cold looking. Time passed in silence before the minister reached forward with the tongs and replaced the now dead ember in the middle of the fire where it re-ignited and began glowing with flame once again. The minister then got up to leave, and as he made his exit, the man called after him, thanking him for his fiery sermon and stating that he would be back at the church the next Sunday.

There are always different ways to interpret a story and for me, the fire symbolizes the Source of Light, Life and Truth. We originate from this one Source, and as burning embers, we too are filled with Life, Light, and Truth. When we forget who we are – when we lose sight of our true origin – we cut ourselves off (or remove / distance ourselves) and that is when the light within us appears to diminish.

The interesting thing in the story is that when the ember was placed back in the centre of the fire, it re-ignited. The calling back is not a calling back to a place, institution, or organization….the call to come back is a call to our souls to return to the Source and Truth of our being. To be what we are!

But right now we need to come back, return to truth, and realize that our work is not for the purpose of improving things in the world; bringing about peace or better health in the world – our work is firstly to realize our true oneness with God. And this realization takes place within our own consciousness, through our awareness of the Presence that is with us always.

We, here at A.C.T., as a Centre for Spiritual Awareness, are not here to make the world a better place. We are here to teach and pass on the message that as individuals, we are in truth all offspring of the one Divine Source – God. And in knowing this and behaving in a way that shows we are living this truth – then it is inevitable that the world we live in will respond in a corresponding manner. If we feel moved in any way to make a difference in the world, then the best way to do that is to move back and, instead of being a lone ember with light diminishing, re-connect with the Source of Life, Light, and Truth. And from this place of re-connecting with the Source of all being, we will be guided to the next step in our conscious unfoldment.

There are times in our lives when we may feel distanced, insignificant, maybe out on a limb, or isolated. These times are valuable in that they can be used for deep introspection, or taking stock of what life is all about and what it is we may be trying to achieve. And this is when we need to be still, because it is in stillness that we are drawn back to being centred in Truth. It is in stillness (or from out of the stillness) that the answers and guidance come.

In the story, when the minister visited the man, there were no questions asked – hardly any words exchanged – they sat in silence, and out of the stillness came the option of another way of being. No matter how this simple little story is perceived, there is such value in the lessons it offers. There is a true gift in being still because it is in the stillness that we know – truly know ….I and my Father are one!

SPIRITUAL CINEMA
SPIRITUAL CINEMA, 21 May 2010 at 19h00 at ACT: MOVIE – “MYTHIC JOURNEYS: A UNIQUE BLEND OF STORY, ANIMATION & DOCUMENTARY”
Featuring the voices of Tim Curry, Lance Henriksen and Mark Hamill and winner of 3 prestigious film festival awards, this film is a call to action. There is a saying, “Love without action is meaningless, but action without love is irrelevant.”

It’s time to act, it’s time to evolve. We are the ancestors of the future. Thousands of years from now we are going to be those handprints on the cave walls. And people will look back and say: “those were our ancestors; what did they do? They say they lived their lives to the fullest.” So it doesn’t matter how we die, it only matters how we live. Every life is a story and that story can change the world.

Myths are the reservoirs of human wisdom – the story and the meaning of life. Every human being has asked the questions: “Who am I? What is my purpose? Why am I here?” The answers are in the myths that have been passed on from generation to generation. Mythology is a tool that can bridge cultures, communities and generations. Through this film we hope to inspire people to activism and show that by helping others we ultimately help ourselves.
Interviews include Deepak Chopra, Michael B Beckwork and Robert Water of the Joseph Campbell Foundation.

R25 per person. Light refreshments also on sale

ACT SOCIAL COMMITTEE WALK:
The next ACT walk will be on 22 May at 9:00am. We will be gong to Humble Ways on the Stukens Estate in the Lovemore Heights area, with its peaceful atmosphere and wonderful views. As it is in a restricted area, we will meet next to the water reservoir on the corner of Melsetter Avenue and Edmonds Road in Lovemore Heights. Wear comfy shoes and a hat - don’t forget sunblock, water and a snack to eat at the halfway stop. For further information please call Marlene on 076-3093781.

A Common Thread:
A new interfaith way of understanding the Divine – this month, the forum presented by Sandra Ritchie, will take place on Thursday 27 May, at 19:30 – when Professor Raj Naidoo will be speaking about Hinduism, Ayurveda and Healing.

DIVINE SCIENCE CLASSES:
The class in Basic Principle is scheduled to begin on Tuesday 18 May, at 7:15pm,
with Mallory Kretzmann.
This class, a pre-requisite for the other classes, is a course of instruction on the meaning of certain terminology, basic assumptions, and universal spiritual principles, and is the foundation on which we build our understanding of this new view of Life, God, and ourselves.
Investment is R400.00 per student, and there is also a charge for the text book.
A list for names is on the notice board in the hall, or you can call the office for more information.

LIBRARY NEWS:
Lee reports that more books have been processed and are now on the shelves. These are books that have all been donated. It is in gratitude that we receive these generous donations of reading matter, and they’re busy working on the next batch of donated books.

MEDITATION – SUNDAYS AT 6:30PM:
The Sunday evening meditation commenced at the beginning of April, and there has been a good response, with a lot of positive feedback. The duration is 30 minutes, and everyone is welcome.

RECORDINGS OF SUNDAY SERVICES:
As from the 25th April Sunday service, recordings of the service have been available on cassette tape as well as CD. The availability of tapes will continue for a short while and then be phased out after which only CD’s will be available.

Please note that CD’s of the monthly “A Common Thread” talks are also available. This includes last month’s talk by Peter Woods.

SPECIAL MEMBERS MEETING:
At the last Members Annual General Meeting held in March, it was agreed that a special meeting should be held to discuss certain points brought up at the AGM. We would like to advise that the date for this has been set for the 23rd May 2010 and that all ACT Members are invited to join after the Sunday service. The estimated duration of this meeting will be two hours.

In closing……………….

“God’s son is not a traveler through outer worlds. However holy his perception may become, no world outside himself holds his inheritance. Within himself he has no needs, for light needs nothing but to shine in peace, and from itself to let the rays extend in the quiet to infinity.

A Course in Miracles

Bountiful blessings ……..

Bountiful Blessings
MALLORY