Wildflower May 02

Sunday Events

Sunday Morning Worship - 10:30 am

Lakeside Assembly Hall

MARCH

4 MARY OCKULY (L/C)

11 COLLEEN VANDERZYDEN (L)

18 PATRICIA PRICE (L/C)

25 BRUCE KAUS (L)

APRIL

1 LORETTA MEREDITH (L/C)

8 JUDITH ROCHESTER (L/C)

15 DARLENE STORM (L/C)

22 KATIE CATON (L)

29 CAROLYN SAMPSON (L/C)

MAY

6 MARK FREDERICK ((L)

13 ALOMA CASON (L/C)

Mediums’ Day – 2nd Sunday of the month

Brunch will be at the Fire Hall on East Street immediately following Church. Mini-Readings at 1:15 in the Assembly Hall. Donation: Lunch $5 ($2 for children), Mini-Reading $7, both for $10.00.

If you would like to volunteer to serve as a Medium, please call Lynne Forget at 595-2194. If you would like to volunteer to help in the kitchen (food prep, serving or clean-up), please call Charlie Dosado at 595-3196.

Philosophy Class - 3rd Sunday of the month

Held year-round, immediately following church. Attendance is required prior to becoming a church member. Contact Roy Montgomery at 595-3196 or any Board member for more information.

REGULAR ACTIVITIES

Sunday

9:15-10:15am Children’s Lyceum

7:30pm Hope Circle

Facilitated by Joe Shiel.

Monday

6:15-7:15pm Healers Forum/Support Group

Facilitated by Carolyn Sampson and Barb Sanson. Begins April 2.

7:30-9:30pm Beginning Mediumship Development Circle
Facilitated by Jim Barnum-595-3644. .

Tuesday

7:30 – 9:30pm Spiritual Unfoldment: Awaken Your Soul, Develop Your Mediumship!

Class and Circle 7:30 – 9:30pm

Facilitated by Shirley Yusczyk and Co-Presenters.

Love Donation. Contact Shirley at 595-2433.

Wednesday

7:30pm Community Healing Service at Healing Temple

on East Street, next to the Fire hall.

Thursday

8:00pm Drumming Circle and Class First and third Thursday led by George Clees. Second and fourth Thursday led by Craig Duke Thompson. Love Donation.

Church of the Living Spirit

PO Box 224

Lily Dale, NY 14752-0224

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Children’s Lyceum is back in session. It is open to all children 6 – 12 years old and we would like to see as many of our children as possible learning about Spiritualism and our world.

Annual "Last Supper" Potluck and Communion

On Thursday, April 5th at 7pm, Rev. Neal Rzepkowski will be coordinating a communion and "washing of the feet" service for our church. The services will be held in the upstairs room of Assembly Hall. Bring a dish to pass and your own place setting, since there is no kitchen. This year participants are asked to bring in a favorite short passage to share on Love or Forgiveness from any author or book they like.

Flowers

If you would like to donate flowers for Sunday Worship to celebrate or remember a special person or event, or just for the joy of sharing, you can do it! We are accepting donations for Easter Memorial flowers until the 25th of March. Call Roy @ 595-3196 to arrange date and details.

Class and Workshop Submissions

The Education & Workshop Committee is currently booking workshops. Committee approval of a workshop is necessary before scheduling a date and time for the workshop. Send your letters for proposed workshops to COLS, PO Box 224, Lily Dale, NY, 14752.

Workshop Policy of Church of the Living Spirit

Any class, workshop, or other activity and any significant changes to these activities need to be submitted to our Board of Directors. Thank you.

Church Membership

The new Church year started on September 1^st. Please mail your yearly dues and any name or address changes to COLS, PO Box 224, Lily Dale, NY, 14752.

WE WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBERS!!

Beverly Demers - Lancaster, PA

Joseph Demers - Lancaster, PA

Chuck Forget - Lily Dale, NY

Sara Chetkin - Somerville, MA

Tim O'Brocta - Lily Dale, NY

Maggie Start - Lily Dale, NY

Mark Start - Lily Dale, NY

Curt Minyard - Hamburg, NY

Kate Minyard - Hamburg, NY

Jacinta Whitcome - Lily Dale, NY

Sharon Russell - Lily Dale, NY

Healers on Call (Area Code 716)

March                Connie Britton                 366-9041
    alternate:       Colleen Vanderzyden      673-1606
April                   Barb Albaugh                  962-8325
alternate:       Carolyn Sampson           483-6334

There will be a Healers Forum/Support Group meeting, presented by Barbara Sanson and Carolyn Sampson, starting Monday, April 2. Meetings will be held from 6:15-7:15pm at the Assembly Hall. Dates are April 2, 16, 30, and May 7, 21. Attendance can be applied toward a Healing Certification. More info to follow.

Ministers for the Church of the Living Spirit

Year Round Rev. Neal Rzepkowski 679-7731

Year Round Rev. Donna Riegel 595-2695

Year Round Rev. Judith Rochester 595-3526 May – November Rev. Patricia Price 595-3008

June – July Rev. John Gordon 595-2742

June – July Rev. Rose Clifford 595-8252

Our Year Round Ministers are ready and willing to receive any requests for calls or visits. Call one of them or Carol DeChard at 595-3500 with your request.

Church Activities Phone Number 595-3989

Prayer Line 595-2163

We are in need of Healers and Ministers for on-call work. If you are interested in serving our church, please speak with a Board member. Thank you.

You can find us and our newsletter on the web at:

http://www.livingspiritlilydale.org/

PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY NOW SEND INFORMATION FOR THE NEWSLETTER, AS WELL AS ANY IDEAS AND COMMENTS, TO – churchofthelivingspirit@hotmail.com.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE YOUR NEWSLETTER AT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, PLEASE SEND US YOUR ADDRESS. IT WILL HELP US SAVE ON POSTAGE.

We have added a Yahoo community page to our website. You can sign in and keep in touch with family and friends, join a discussion or just share your thoughts. Just click on the e-mail link.

We have also added an Intentions Page where you can post your Intentions and link up with others in our Church to pray for the success of everyone’s Intentions.

From the Parapsychic Journal

The major organization serving churches, the National Spiritualist Association of Churches, is based in Lily Dale, New York State. There were many reports that people who had seen the work of mediums like John Edward, read books by Sylvia Browne and James Van Praagh, came to local Spiritualist churches looking for more - but they didn't stay!

President, Rev. Lelia Cutler wanted to know why. Last fall she put out the question: "What can we do to increase attendance at our Spiritualist churches?" The message went out in Parapsychic Journal and Psychic World in London. The response was immediate. Replies came from all over the world! The gist was as follows:

� The message of the continuity of life has been proved, now let's teach philosophy;
� Make our services more entertaining while teaching philosophy and individual development;
� Improve mediumship and the standard of messages;
� Talk to people who have left the church and ask "Why?"
� Run the church as a business;
� Watch the numbers and demand change if they are not growing;
� Work on community outreach; Advertise!

In reading the above, we hope our members and welcomed guests can understand the thoughts behind the survey below. It’s not because we think our church is foundering, far from it. Our church is growing and vibrant. But that doesn’t mean we can simply be satisfied with past successes. Our church is on a spiritual journey much as we are. And because all journeys consist of learning, we want to make sure we are offering the learning and knowledge needed to make our individual journeys fruitful and loving. Therefore, we would appreciate your taking the time to read the following questions and offer the Board your thoughts.

WORKSHOP SURVEY:

WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT ON THE FOLLOWING:

WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE AN INTERESTING SUBJECT FOR A WORKSHOP?

WHICH DAY OF THE WEEKEND WOULD BE BETTER FOR YOU?

WHAT TIME OF THE DAY (ON SUNDAY, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE AFTER 1:00 PM) WOULD BE BETTER?

HOW LONG SHOULD IT LAST?

WHAT WOULD BE A REASONABLE COST?

Thank you for your help.

For those of you who receive the WildFire online, please go to the following link. You will find our survey there.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=242073371638

Board of Trustees

President Roy Montgomery 595-3196

Vice President Suzanne Hamilton 296-8971

Secretary Dot Lazarony 595-3226

Rec. Secretary Cara Seekings 673-5255

Treasurer Connie Britton 366-9041

Trustee Joe Shiel 585-230-3557

Trustee Bob Reuther 595-2638

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS!

We are very fortunate to have caring and giving members and friends. Our Church continues to look to our future and that of the Lily Dale Assembly.

“MAN SAID: Alas, Me! Why was I born in darkness?

“Why was I not created knowing all things from youth up?

“Why did not the Creator send His angels with me every day, to satisfy my cravings for light from the Almighty?

“Kosmon answered: Hadst thou not craved for light, thou hadst not been delighted to receive light. Hadst thou been created with knowledge, thou couldst not be an acquirer of knowledge.

“Had the Creator given the angels to be forever giving thee light, then they would be slaves.

“Liberty is the boon of men and angels; the desire for liberty causeth the soul of man to come out of darkness.

“Whoso feeleth that he hath no need of exertion, groweth not in spirit. He hath no honor on the earth or the heaven thereof.”

Oahspe, pg 549, vs 13-19

The President’s Message:

I have a small calendar on a shelf in the bathroom that has a different thought or verse for each day; reading the verse of the day is how I greet each morning. Today’s read:

“I learn, as the years roll onward

And leave the past behind,

That much I had counted sorrow

But proves that God is kind;

That many a flower I had longed for

Had hidden a thorn of pain,

And many a rugged bypath

Led to fields of ripened grain.”

As Spiritualists, we believe that we are responsible for creating our reality; not only through our life experiences but also by how we greet and respond to these experiences. Dan O’Rourke reminded us recently on a Sunday morning that we are Spiritual beings having a physical experience rather than physical beings who have a spiritual side. When one reflects in that light on the significance of being created in God’s image we begin to realize that God is not a bigger, super version of man as so many religions seem to project; it is our spiritual being that truly reflects that Higher image.

Each year as Easter approaches I often reflect back on the words that were found on a memento of my college activity with the “Celebration Troupe” of the Campus Ministry. In cutout black felt letters pasted over much larger pink letters spelling out the word Sing on a large white burlap banner was written:

He came singing Love

He lived singing Love

He died singing Love

If the song is to continue

We must do the singing.

I have often felt that Jesus was that perfect example of a Spiritual Being having a physical experience but remembering His true spiritual essence. He had a true understanding of unconditional love; which I like to think of as “Love” with a capital “L”. It is the Love that does not put conditions on it (i.e., “Hate the sin, love the sinner). It is the pure Love that I’m sure was reflected from the eyes and heart of Jesus as he gazed down upon his mother, his sister, Mary Magdalene, John, all those gathered around that cross including the Roman soldiers who offered vinegar and pierced his side. It is that Love Song that we must sing.

In peace & Harmony…Roy Montgomery

Our Principles

1. We Believe in God.

2. We Believe That God Is All There Is.

3. We Affirm The Divine Right of Individuals To Seek The Truth Within Their Own Hearts.

4. Life Is Eternal.

5. Spiritual Progression Is Eternal And Infinite.

6. We Believe That Communication Between All Planes Of Existence Is A Reality.

7. The Ultimate Expression Of Loving God Is To “Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself.”

8. We Believe In Personal Responsibility And That Individuals Create Their Own Reality According To Natural Law.

9. We Affirm the Innate Gifts Of Mediumship And Healing Are Expressions Of God’s Love.

MISSION STATEMENT

We are an independent Spiritualist Church that supports the God of your own understanding. We practice, promote, and teach unconditional love. We refer to our principles as guidelines. We offer a safe and sacred place for everyone to freely discover and develop their path, purpose and spiritual nature.