|
HOME GROUPS
Here are some things to consider before starting. The home
group is not necessarily a circle although the round physical shape is nice for
the obvious reasons.
Always start anything in the name of spirit, by a blessing
in prayer, this is for protection of the group and only good manners when we
expect help from the spirit world. Thanks afterwards bring a meeting to a close
with the right thoughts to carry home too.
1. PURPOSE. One way of starting a group is to think of
a local need that is not being provided, such as healing for example,
a purpose in fact.
Specific healing for the individual can be
direct 'hands on' or absent through prayer alone, whereas only absent
healing is possible for a more general situation or place.
A HEALING group might start with the prayer and meditation
with the focus on one person or group for the energies to be directed towards,
this can be a known ill friend, or group such as a government going
through a bad time [war], or even a whole country after a disaster. Leading in
prayer with a given time for each subject and the absent healing to go out is
quite nice.
Politics is a touchy subject so we need to make it clear
this is for healing from spirit not from ourselves wanting to push in any
direction that might be personal.
2. MEDITATION is a good reason to from a group; this is
using the power of the whole to advance the many. Seems a bit strange? Think
about it for a moment, there is a saying from the Bible ‘where two or three are
gathered...'
In a meditation group again we need to have some planning,
the set period of, say, fifteen minutes and then a break is to allow for the
beginner to build up the ability to sustain the discipline needed - an hour is
the period the Quakers take for their meetings, a useful guide, but as I say
build up to this over the weeks.
Meditation on it's own is serving the spirit in their
teaching, but can be boring if all are not wishing for this, so start off by
asking what is each individual request.
3. PHILOSOPHY Are you going to have ‘speaking / philosophy'
during the meditation or total silence, and then the ‘giving' or ‘exchange of
thoughts' part of the meeting later?
This I would say at first would be best separate, then
when up to an hour in time, each may stand and 'give' thoughts inspired from
the spirit as they come. A word of caution here, the leader needs to be aware
of the member who likes to talk more than the shy person. Balance is the key.
4. Is COMMUNICATION part of the purpose? It does
not have to be, for example one person might be hoping to give, as in an open
circle, while another would prefer to develop the ‘over-shadowing' or
inspiration part of mediumship philosophy.
5. DEVELOPMENT and the exchange of experiences after the
silence is good for build up of confidence and we all need that, just be sure
the group is amenable with the general idea of the different kinds of exchange
in ideas.
6. TEACHING FORM SPIRIT All of the spiritual gifts,
healing, demonstrating, and philosophy together with spiritual teaching can be
incorporated into a group, thus making a good balance, and this should be made
clear if preferred from the outset.
7. HOW LONG? A time limited or open-ended group needs
to be decided too, as people have commitments and need to come and go.
Otherwise a natural breaking up when circumstances
change can be disturbing for some, with maybe a feeling of failure, [not good.]
We can always stop and start again with a different
purpose later being brought foreword, giving opportunity for members to
come and go without guilt.
In conclusion
The home group is the way forward where there is a need, so
sort out your needs, fix a time to suit all, and duration for a
re-assessment so boredom can't set in - and off you go!
Remember to start and end with prayer, find out what
each person would like to do, have a plan, and be adaptable, spirit guides and
helpers are waiting in the ‘wings' for you to step forward ... God Speed!
|