« April 2009 | Main | June 2009 »

May 30, 2009

Power of the Positive

Beach Kona

 

Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviors. Keep your behaviors positive because your behaviors become your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.

~Gandhi

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
Philippians 4:8-9
 
"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.."
Proverbs 23:7a
__._,_.___

Posted by Reverend at 10:06 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 29, 2009

May 30 Sabbath Message - Shavout, the Feast of Weeks, Pentecost and First Fruits

Pentecost.jpg
The Coming of the Spirit 
 

Call to Worship

Click on the title above listen and recite along with the cantor.  Let the words resonate within you and prepare your heart to worship.
 
 

Opening Hymn

Click on the title to hear the music. Read the lyrics and sing along.
 
 

Opening Prayer

Our Father and Mother in Heaven, on earth and within us.
You are one and You are holy.
The same from the beginning of time til the end of the ages.
Alpha and Omega
As you were in the beginning you will be in the end
Praise Your holy name.
 
In each age, in each time,
 You have provided us a new glimpse of yourself.
In the days of Moses, you gave us the commandments 
that showed You as a God of Order and Law
In the days of Yeshua, you gave us your Son and then Your own Spirit
that showed us you were a God of love.
 
We celebrate today all that you have showed us of Yourself.
and we ask that You give us now a new glimpse of You. 
Amen
 
 
 

Scripture Reading

 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
 
  1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies....
15 " 'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD. 21 On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.

 22 " 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.' "

Leviticus 23: 1-2, 15-17, 21-22

 1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

 5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

 13Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine." 14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17" 'In the last days, God says,
      I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
   Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
      your young men will see visions,
      your old men will dream dreams.
 18Even on my servants, both men and women,
      I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
      and they will prophesy."
Acts 2:1-18

 

  Message

On this Sabbath we celebrate Shavuot which is the Jewish harvest festival described in our reading above. Sha Vu Ot is the fourth feast and the second pilgrimage festival of the Jewish calendar. It starts seven weeks after Passover. Seven weeks is 49 days so the day after that is day fifty. That is how this holy day became known as Pentecost. Pentecost is Greek for fifty days. This is the time of the wheat harvest in Israel. Sha Vu Ot is a "First Fruits"  feast for the harvest. Thus this holy day is often known as the "feast of first fruits" Sha Vu Ot is more than just a harvest festival. It is one of the Holy Sabbaths that the Lord commanded be kept for all times. According to Jewish tradition, the giving of the law (mantan Torah) is celebrated at this time. It is believed that God gave Moses the Torah on Mount Sinai fifty days after the first Passover and the exodus from Egypt. (Exodus 19) Devout Jews stay up late on the first night of Sha Va Ot and dedicate themselves to studying the Torah. It is a time to eat honey cakes as God's law is "honey and milk under thy tongue" (Song of Songs 4:11)
 
The Sunday after Sha Va Ot is the Christian feast of Pentecost. Pentecost Sunday commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit as tongues of fire above the heads of the Disciples, illuminating their minds and providing them with the gifts of the Holy Spirit prophesied in Isaiah 11:2 "The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power,the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD."
 
It is significant that the gift of the Holy Spirit was given on the same day as the gift of the Torah. The Torah was inscribed on tablets of stone by "the finger of God" which is an expression meaning Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit Mother wrote the Father's law on tablets of stone to create the original covenant between God and mankind. Then Her presence descended on Pentecost to create an intimate one-on-one relationship between God and Man.
 
In Essene circles, we recognize Sha Va Ot /Pentecost feast as the great feast of Right Relations and unconditional understanding. In Jeremiah 31:33 it states, "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD."I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. That is the essence of Sha Va Ot and of Pentecost. With the Holy Spirit Mother's presence within us, we are now able to please God. Born into the family of the Father and living within the Presence of the Mother, we have the ability to interact with others with the love and wisdom of the Divine. It is only through this Spirit that we are able to create and maintain correct relations between each other and the world.
 
There is significant symbolism in  the Sha Va Ot "first fruits" festival. It was celebrated with a wave offering of the first of the harvested wheat. Bread was made from fine flour from the wheat and was waved before God. Fine flour represented perfect righteousness. The offering was not presented to God  as raw, coarse wheat but only after being ground down to the finest grain and put into the oven to be processed by the flames. This is the type of offering that our God expects from us. As the grain is ground down, we, also should present ourselves as "living sacrifices" allowing God to refine us into our purest form. Just as the bread is baked in the fire, we should allow the flame of the Holy Spirit to transform us into a presentable offering consecrated to God.
 
In California and much of the west, we have wild fires in the summer. We think of them as very destructive. But the fires are not meant to be a destructive force. Wild fires come to burn down all the old brush so that new plants can grow in their place. Fire is a purifier. It removes all the disease and pests. The Holy Spirit came as flame at Pentecost as a symbol of all the good attributes of fire. The Holy Spirit flame is a light in the darkness. It illuminates our hearts, it show us what is not right. It burns away the unnecessary in our lives. It cleans and purifies and prepare our souls so that the seeds of God's presence can grow.
 
Then and only then can we present our own first fruits offering to God. That offering is the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22) This is the secret...the key... to right relationships. The Spirit must be allowed to flow in us and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in order for us to have correct relationships - both with God and our fellow man.
 
Won't you let the Spirit flow now within you and plant the seeds of the fruit of the Spirit in your heart? 
 
 

Hymn of Consecration

Click on the title below. Sing along with Hymn. Open your heart and allow our Holy Spirit Mother to fan the flame of divine presence within you. Let the cleansing fire burn and purify your soul.
 
 
OK, now let's lighten it up a bit. Today, after all, a feast day...a day of celebration. This is the day We celebrate the giving of the law.
This is the day that our Mother came to commune with us, as Yeshua promised.
It day is our Homecoming... where we hear the word of our Father, reunite with our Mother, and bring God the gifts of our first fruits. 
Let's celebrate.


Celebratory Video

 Click on site below and watch, listen, smile and celebrate how the world could be if we allowed the Spirit to guide us back to God. 
 
 

Celebration Continues!

Click below. Watch the creation of the Torah
 
 
Click below and sing the fruits of the Spirit
 
 
 

Discussion of the Message

 Those of you who are participating with us on line, can take this time to quietly reflect on the message. If you have comments or questions that come to your mind, you are welcome to write them in the comments section below.

Closing Prayer

Our Father, Creator, Yahweh,
God of Abraham and Moses,
Thank you for the gift of Your word
that was given to Moses for all mankind on this day.
 
Our Mother, Holy Spirit, Sophia
Thank you for the gift of your Presence
that You give to each one who seeks You.
and was experienced by Your disciples on this day.
Thank you for Yeshua
 
As we celebrate we also commit ourselves 
to  a better understanding of Your word 
and a closer relationship with You
So that we can fulfill our destiny
as vessels of mercy and righteousness in this world.

In the name of Yeshua,
Amen


 


 

Posted by Reverend at 05:40 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 25, 2009

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

Grilled Portabella Mushroom
 

 

Aloha, Essene Family and Friends!
 
My apologies to you all ...I meant to post this recipe before the weekend to be available for Memorial day picnics. It was a rather hectic weekend, though....lots of new things in store for Ho'omana so stay tuned. Any way, there is a whole summer of weekends ahead to fire up the grill. So here is a great sandwich recipe.
 
Enjoy,
 
Vivian

 

Grilled Veggie Sandwich  

 Tasty grilled veggie sandwich. An alternative to gardenburgers for the vegan barbecue!

Total time to make: 30 min 

10 min prep

SERVES 3 -4 , 3 -4 sandwiches

  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 5 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon thyme, dried (1 tablespoon if fresh)
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomato, diced
  • 1 shallot, chopped (if no shallot, use onion 1/4 cup)
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 eggplant
  • sourdough bread, sliced
  1. Put the following in a blender: 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp each of pepper and salt, 3 tablespoons of the basil, 2 cloves of the garlic, 1 tsp Thyme.
  2. Mix on high for 30 seconds. Pour into a gallon zip lock storage bag. close and set aside. This is your marinade.
  3. Slice the zucchini and eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 inch strips. Put them into the bag with the marinade. Close the bag and shake well. Allow veggies to marinade at least one hour.
  4. While the veggies are marinading, mix all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. This is your sauce.
  5. Grill the eggplant and zucchini for aproximately 20-30 minutes, turning frequently.
  6. Dip sourdough bread slices in the sauce for a minute (do not soak through).
  7. Broil the bread until crisp.
  8. Put veggie slices on bread and make sandwiches.
 

Posted by Reverend at 04:20 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 22, 2009

May 23 Sabbath Message - Essene Heritage: Tracing our Roots

 
Candle

Call to Worship

Click on the title above listen and recite along with the cantor.  Do it a couple of times until you are comfortable and the words begin to resonate in your heart
 
 


Opening Prayer

Our Father and Mother in Heaven, on earth and within us.
You are one
Praise Your holy name.
 
Yahweh and Shekinah
You are one
Praise Your holy name
 
Yeshua and Holy Spirit 
You are one
Praise Your holy name.
 
Jehovah and Sophia
You are one 
Praise Your holy name
 
Our Creator, our Sustainer, our Parent, our Provider, Our Nurturer, Our Strength, Our Wisdom
You are one. 
We are one with you and one in you. 
Praise your holy name. 
 

Scripture Reading

 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
 
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.

 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

 5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

 7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

 8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

 11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

 17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

 22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.

 23By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

Hebrews 11:1-28

  Message

Today's message is a call to return to our roots. I want to take this time to reaffirm the basics of what we believe as Essene followers of Yeshua ha'mashiach, the Nazarean. That is why we began our scripture reading today with the original command from God to the children of Israel. The command for ancient Israel is the same command we are given today as the children of God. We are to love the Lord with all of our hearts, and soul and strength. Yeshua taught us that this is the first and greatest commandment. This is the most fundamental tenant of our beliefs. God is love...pure love. When we come to God in love, we give back in kind what our Mother and Father gave to us. When we mirror God's love, it becomes amplified in our hearts and lives. We show it to others in our words and actions and it becomes even more intense and focused like the light of the sun in a mirror. When God is in us, the light of God will shine through us, pierce the darkness of this world and guide others to the Way.
 
We do not do this by merely memorizing scripture or following rules. That tactic would only succeed in making us rigid and legalistic. Strict adherence to rules binds and restricts. Real love is never restrictive. Love is freeing. The religious rule book types were the Pharisees of Yeshua's time. The Pharisees are still around today in other forms. We see them in many of the fundamentalist Christian sects and in the orthodox Jewish sects of our day. They advocate strict unflinching adherence to the law. They know all the right words but often have neglected having the right heart. 
 
Yeshua offered a better Way.  God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved. Yeshua said to the sinner "I do not accuse thee, go and sin no more."
So how do we follow the Way of Yeshua? The secret is to keep the law but write it upon our hearts. The heart speaks the language of love. It tempers the law with God's grace and spirit.  Love knows no boundaries. Love is infinite and sees beyond.

In our scripture reading of  Hebrews chapter 11, we traced the lineage of Essene masters from Abel to Moses. We read of people who listened to their hearts and stepped out in faith. They didn't follow the "rule books" They bucked the system, went against the norm of their societies, against tradition, even at times against natural law. Why? Because they had faith in their hearts. That faith acted like a tuner that filtered out the noise of how things SHOULD be and amplified the truth of God in their hearts. Then what made them more extraordinary is they acted on what they heard. Some hesitated a little...some made mistakes along the way...after all, they were human. But in the midst and in spite of their human frailties, they acted upon what they believed. Now their lives have been preserved in scripture as examples, as glimpses of God's work on earth. 
 
That is our purpose on this planet....to be glimpses of God. We were made in the image and likeness of God. It was our divine birthright to be a piece of the infinite. Ever wonder why their are so many names for God and Goddess? There is only one God. Why do we need more than one name for the  Male and Feminine Divine? Well, it is because God's love has so many facets. There should be even more names for God and Goddess because Divine Love is so all encompassing. In fact there ARE more names for our God and Goddess. He is named Tim and She is named Vivian. He is Joe and Josh and Mike and Jesse. She is Jennifer and Shirley... I could go on forever. Look within you. The Father is there. The Mother is there. Yeshua is there. We have been each given a spark of the Divine. The faces of God are as numerous as the faces of each person on the planet. And it is God's Divine will that each one of those faces be manifested in this world.
 
When we smother or obscure that light within us, we do God and this creation injustice.  We do not allow the fullness of God to be manifested. We delay the Kingdom of God on Earth. Our purpose as Essenes is to live a life that is beyond the natural. God's spirit within us should constantly be creating supernatural events...little miracles...in our life that makes this world more like heaven. We are to nourish the Divine spark within us. Faith is the fuel. The Essene lifestyle is meant to be the fresh wind that fans the flame and a clean heart, clean mind and clean soul is our perfect altar for the Divine flame. Through out the ages that has always been the formula for miracles in God's chosen people.


Celebratory Hymn


 Click on site above and sing along with the lyrics. Renew your commitment to love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul and showing that love by following the Way.

Discussion of the Message

 Those of you who are participating with us on line, can take this time to quietly reflect on the message. If you have comments or questions that come to your mind, you are welcome to write them in the comments section below.

Closing Prayer

Our Father and Mother in Heaven, around us and within us
Thank you for all the ways you have shown Your love to us through the ages. 
Thank you for Your guidance in the Way.
Now let us show Your love to others
and guide them to You. 
In the name of Yeshua,
Amen

Closing Meditation

 
Click on the title below and speak the names of God as they come on the screen. Contemplate the all encompassing facets of our one God.
 

 

Closing Hymn

Click on the title below. Sing along with Hymn. Open your heart and allow our Holy Spirit Mother to fan the flame of divine presence within you. Invite the Mother and Father to dwell in your heart.  Take them with you as you leave. Share them with the world this week.
 
 


 

 
 
 
 

Posted by Reverend at 07:29 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 20, 2009

Smoky Sweet Asparagus

 

asparagus

 

 

For many people, Memorial Day is usually the first official cookout of the year. I thought this would be a good time to post some Vegan alternatives for the grill. Asparagus is usually in season at this time of year and fresh asparagus is SO delicious. It seemed like a natural choice for Memorial day grilling.


Requires some advanced preparation to marinade but grilling is quick and easy.

SERVES 4

  • 1 1/2 lbs asparagus spears, fresh, washed
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 small chipolte pepper, chopped (If not available, try a jalapeno)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice,fresh squeezed
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup (or agave syrup)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  1. Combine all ingredients except asparagus and onion. Let set at least 15 minutes. Add asparagus and onion and marinate at least one hour in the frig. Take asparagus and onion out of the marinade but keep the marinade! Grill the asparagus until tender. Put asparagus and onion on a plate and drizzle marinade over the vegetables. Serve immediately.

Posted by Reverend at 06:57 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 18, 2009

World Peace Meditation

shalom1.jpg

  world

Join a Group Meditation for World Peace

Thursday, May 21, 2009 at 7:30 PM

(based on your local time zone)

You are invited to join our church in the fifth World Peace Card Meditation.

Please mark your calendar.

The peace meditations were initiated by the International Center for Reiki Training. It was meant as a way for Reiki healers to use the energy healing techniques they have learned as a means to heal our planet as a whole. As a Reiki Master, I am a member of the Christian chapter of this organization and was sent the invitation to participate in this world peace meditation. However, I felt that it would be a good project for our church as a whole to meditate and pray for peace during this time. As Essenes, it is in keeping with our principle of maintaining the seven-fold peace- peace with body, mind, family, humanity, culture, creation, and God. In every way, in all that we do, we are to be instruments of peace in this world.

This fifth world peace meditation has been scheduled for Thursday, May 21 at 7:30pm. This is local time in your time zone. This method was chosen because of the special effect it produces. Human thought and intention can be a strong force for good. There is energy and power in your thoughts. There is even more energy in prayer because it brings our thought energy in tune with the mind of God. As people meditate in each successive time zone that energy builds like a wave which gets stronger and stronger as it circles the planet. Because of the higher dimensional nature of consciousness, the energy of peace will be transmitted for a full 24 hours and continue long after this.

Reports from those who took part in the previous meditations indicate many had powerful spiritual experiences. A feeling of peace developed within that stayed with each participant for a long time. Some saw beautiful golden light surrounding the planet and others felt that a web of fear was dissipating and being replaced with trust in others and for our future.

By taking part in this group meditation, you’ll be joining thousands of people to bring peace to the world. By joining together as a church family, as we unite in prayer for peace, the strength of our prayers are greatly multiplied. Begin by praying for God's peace within yourself. As you feel that peace permeate your soul, meditate on that feeling. Allow it to strengthen within you. Then send that peace out into the world. You will be a beacon through which peace will spread around the planet which will have a positive uplifting effect on all people.

Please set aside time on Thursday for this prayer and meditation time. Take this time to allow yourself to be a channel for the love and peace  of the Father and Mother. Allow God's spirit to flow through you to all the people on Earth

We, as Essene Christians, believe that the world is about to enter a new era. Our entire planet including all the people and living things on it are moving towards the Kingdom of God on earth. It is our responsibilty to help prepare the world for this time and to assist in ushering in this kingdom. By participating in this peace meditation, we can help create a world mindset that is more in-line with the will of God.

"Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven"

Shalom

Vivian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Reverend at 08:12 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 17, 2009

Drinking Your Veggies = Recipe for Weight Loss

 Veggie Alert

VEGGIE ALERT!!!

 

Here is a really healthy tip for losing weight. Recently published research suggests that drinking vegetable juice daily helps increase weight loss. A small but pretty decisive study found that the addition of one 8 oz glass of vegetable juice to a weight loss program helped the participants lose an average of 3 more pounds.

The researchers enlisted 81 men and women with metabolic syndrome into a 12 week weight loss program. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that increase risk for heart attack, stroke and diabetes. People with this syndrome usually have a difficult time losing weight. All participants were put on a DASH diet which is a diet known to help metabolic syndrome. Some of the participants were also told to drink one 8 to 16 ounce glass low sodium vegetable juice. The ones drinking the vegetable juice lost 4 lbs on average. The participants that were just on the DASH diet lost an average of one pound.

The benefits of juicing are well known to most Essenes. The majority of us have participated in a juice fast at one time. We all know the benefits of juicing. It is a great way to cleanse the body, increase health and vitality and, of course, the pounds just fall off. However, it was surprising to me that the addition of as little as one 8 ounce glass of veggie juice could have such an impact. Just another example of the power of veggies!

The juice used in the study was V-8 juice, a processed vegetable juice.  Many of the phytochemicals and  vitamins are lost in the canning process and all of the live enzymes found in fresh vegetables are destroyed when the juice is heated and pastuerized.  Imagine what an impact the researchers could have had if the participants in this study had been given their own juicers to make veggie juices at home.

Raw vegetable juice, the kind you make at home, is teeming with valuable and sensitive micronutrients. It is a nutrient-dense super-fluid that is absorbed almost instantly, requiring little effort by your body. It is almost like receiving an intravenous infusion of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that goes right into your system without having to be broken down. If you have never experience the benefits of juicing you owe it to yourself to do your OWN research. Invest in a juicer. An inexpensive centrifugal juicer cost less than $100 and will get you started. Here are some juice recipes to get you started: Fresh Juice Recipes. Warning! Juicing is addictive....feels so good you won't want to stop!

To read more about the research we discussed  above, click on this site: 

Research suggests vegetable juice may help people with metabolic syndrome lose weight

 

Posted by Reverend at 04:54 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 15, 2009

May 16 Sabbath Message - Having Eyes that See

eyes2see.jpg
 

Click on the title to hear the music, read the lyric, and sing along. Prepare your heart to worship

Opening Prayer

Our Father and Mother who are in heaven 
and around us and within us,
we come together this Sabbath to worship You and to seek Your face.
You created us in Your image but too often that image is blurred by our own inadequacies
and hidden under layers of self-imposed prejudices and illusions.
Help us today, to break through the veil that separates us from you. 
Help us to see Your face and remind us of who we are. 
 
 
 

Scripture Reading

 15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.

 16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

 17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

 18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike these people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

2 Kings 6:15-18

 1 See, a king will reign in righteousness
       and rulers will rule with justice.

 2 Each man will be like a shelter from the wind
       and a refuge from the storm,
       like streams of water in the desert
       and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

 3 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,
       and the ears of those who hear will listen.

 4 The mind of the rash will know and understand,
       and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.

 5 No longer will the fool be called noble
       nor the scoundrel be highly respected.

 6 For the fool speaks folly,
       his mind is busy with evil:
       He practices ungodliness
       and spreads error concerning the LORD;
       the hungry he leaves empty
       and from the thirsty he withholds water.

 7 The scoundrel's methods are wicked,
       he makes up evil schemes
       to destroy the poor with lies,
       even when the plea of the needy is just.

 8 But the noble man makes noble plans,
       and by noble deeds he stands.

Isaiah 32:1-8

 10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

 11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables:
   "Though seeing, they do not see;
      though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
   " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
      you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
 15For this people's heart has become calloused;
      they hardly hear with their ears,
      and they have closed their eyes.
   Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
      hear with their ears,
      understand with their hearts
   and turn, and I would heal them.'16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Matthew 13:10-17

 

 Message

Today, I want to talk about having 20/20 spiritual vision. One of the favorite cliches in our culture is the phrase " I see". In conversations, when people want you to believe that they understand you, they will almost reflexively say, "I see, I see" whether they really understand you or not. But do they really see? I believe most people don't. They live their lives blinded in one way or another. Some don't even know they are blind. Some know they are blind and are searching for ways to improve their vision. Others know they are blind but just really don't want to bother to improve their vision. It takes work to really, really see.
 
How do we get spiritual vision? Well, first you have to have eyes to see. Simple fact - without eyes you cannot see. In scripture, Yeshua often said that "those who have eyes to see, let him see." This implies that only some of the audience had eyes and the rest did not. How do you get your eyes? You acquire your spiritual eyes in the same way you acquired your physical eyes. Eyes and ears are a part of your body when you are born. Your spiritual eyes and the ability to see are given to you in your spiritual birth into the family of God.
 
In Hebrews 11 it states "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see....By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." Faith is the birthing process of spiritual life. It is how we enter into the family. When we accept God in faith, our spiritual eyes are opened. It is when we begin to recognize that there is a dimension to creation that goes beyond what is physically visible.
 
Once we have eyes, however, we still have to develop our vision. Just like newborn babies, we see the world through our new eyes but we still have a lot to learn in how we process and understand what we see. This maturing process is a very crucial time. Many factors can affect the vision of a child of God. Sadly, many of God's children are blinded by prejudices, biases, or learned hatreds before their vision can even develop. Their well meaning family or society threw this acid into their eyes before they could be come mature enough to protect their own vision. Others have their vision severely obscured by religious dogma. Like the veil in the temple, some religious traditions have kept us from coming face to face with God. In ancient Judah, the priest kept their power by building barriers between  God and man. They were the only ones who could go into the "holy of holies" and offer the sacrifices. Today, many religious dogmas serve the same purpose. They strengthen the power of the religious authority while obscuring the vision of God's children.
 
Other children grow in God's word and develop beautiful eyes at first. They view the world just exactly as God intended with love and joy and spiritual insight. Then slowly they lose their vision to worry and stress and all the demands of our modern culture. They become busy with the urgency of life and slowly their spiritual essence is sapped away. Other very sensitive souls, put blinders on themselves. Though they appreciate the clarity of Divine sight, they do not like the pain of recognizing injustice and suffering. So instead of using their gift of sight to help right what is wrong, they choose to ignore it. They choose not to explore things that they don't like. Others see with unusual clarity but hide what they know from the world behind sunglasses. Like Jonah in the scriptures, they are running from their calling. They feel being a prophet in a modern world just is too much work or too scary or maybe just not cool !
 
Then there are those few beautiful souls who choose to use their gift of sight to better themselves and others. They actively search for new things to see and constantly petition the Mother and Father for new light to see even better. Then they use what they learn to follow the path the Mother and Father have laid out for their lives. These are the lucky ones. They are using their vision to find glimpses of God in this world and within themselves.
 
Finally, there are a very elite few whom the Mother and Father have allowed to see beyond. These
enlightened souls see and act upon what they see. Then, they go a step further and act as beacons of light to the rest of us who are seeking.They light the path of  the Way to the Father and Mother. This is the calling for all of God's children - to not only have spiritual vision but to be lights in the darkness. Yeshua said we are to all be lights in the darkness, to be cities set on a hill. Many are called but few are chosen. Why? Because to be a light, we have to keep our eyes on THE Light. We have to lift our eyes out of this world and on to the One who made the world. Let's take some time now to renew our spirits and sharpen our vision. Lift your eyes to the One who made you now.
 

Hymns of Reflection and Dedication

Will Lift My Eyes - Psalm 121
 
Click on site above and just listen and watch quietly. Remind yourself of Father Yahweh's Strength. Ground yourself once more in what is truly important.
 
Click on the title to hear the music, read the lyrics, and sing along. Make this your own prayer. 
Let Shekkinah, our Holy Spirit Mother recreate the spirit of God within you.
 

Discussion of the Message

 Those of you who are participating in this service by reading this message on line, can take this time to quietly reflect on the concept of seeing life through spiritual eyes. If you have any comments or if questions come to your mind, you are welcome to write them in the comments section below.

Closing Prayer

Our Father and Mother in Heaven, around us and within us,
Holy is your name,
Let us be holy as You are holy. Give us the eyes to see as You see.
Keep that vision clear. Light the Way with your word.
Then allow us to become lights for others as Your son Yeshua was our light.
In His Name, 
Amen

Closing Hymn

 
Click on the title to hear the music, read the lyric, and sing along. Prepare to leave with new eyes
 
 

Posted by Reverend at 07:40 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 13, 2009

A Veggie Adventure - the Power of Vegan Eating


 

veggie alert

 

Aloha Fellow Essenes and Other Vegan and Vegetarian Friends,

I am always on the look-out for interesting vegan-themed blog or web entries. Here is one that I think you will really enjoy. It will provide you with new incentive to eat your veggies. This site gives you the nutrition content of many common and even some uncommon veggies. It also gives you some cool recipes to provide you with new and interesting ways to go Vegan. Enjoy!!

Namaste

Vivian

Vegetable Nutrition Data | A Veggie Venture

Posted by Reverend at 09:04 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

Words to Live By

Sunset puako.jpg

 

Prayer of St Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen
 

“I expect to pass through life but once.  If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.”

-William Penn

 Shalom and Aloha

Vivian

Posted by Reverend at 06:46 AM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 09, 2009

May 9 Sabbath Message - The Ideal Mother

madonna-3.jpg
 Madonna - Image of the Ideal Mother

Opening Hymn

Mother's Love

We are starting out this Sabbath message a little differently. Click on title above. Watch and listen as we honor mothers today.

Opening Prayer

Our Father and Mother who are in heaven 
and around us and within us
on this mother's day, we thank you for the blessing of a mother's love.
We thank you for the mother you gave us.
Before we were created, in your infinite wisdom, you especially ordained one person for each of us
The person to give us life, to nurture and feed us,
to comfort us and calm our fears,
to show us your love by her actions and through her sacrifices.
Her love provided us with the strength and wisdom we needed to face the challenges of this life and more importantly,
provided us with our first glimpse of you.
For that we are truly thankful.
In the name of Yeshua
Amen

Scripture Reading

10 [c] A wife of noble character who can find?
       She is worth far more than rubies.

 11 Her husband has full confidence in her
       and lacks nothing of value.

 12 She brings him good, not harm,
       all the days of her life.

 13 She selects wool and flax
       and works with eager hands.

 14 She is like the merchant ships,
       bringing her food from afar.

 15 She gets up while it is still dark;
       she provides food for her family
       and portions for her servant girls.

 16 She considers a field and buys it;
       out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

 17 She sets about her work vigorously;
       her arms are strong for her tasks.

 18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
       and her lamp does not go out at night.

 19 In her hand she holds the distaff
       and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

 20 She opens her arms to the poor
       and extends her hands to the needy.

 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
       for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

 22 She makes coverings for her bed;
       she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
       where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

 24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
       and supplies the merchants with sashes.

 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
       she can laugh at the days to come.

 26 She speaks with wisdom,
       and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

 27 She watches over the affairs of her household
       and does not eat the bread of idleness.

 28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
       her husband also, and he praises her:

 29 "Many women do noble things,
       but you surpass them all."

 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
       but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

 31 Give her the reward she has earned,
       and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 31:10-31

15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. ...

  26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:15-17 and 26-27

4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

 7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and she gives them to each one, just as she determines.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

 Message

Today, is a day that we in the United States honor our mothers and motherhood. So, we started the service with a beautiful rendition of Bach's Ave Maria and some lovely pictures depicting that special love between mother and child. The video was a reminder of why we celebrate mother's day. Everyone can relate to the special devotion of a loving mother. It is a universal concept. In every culture of the world and throughout time, there is idealization of mother's love. It is understood that the relationship of mothers and their children is sacred, unique and precious. 

Yes, there are a few exceptional cases where mothers are not loving. Every so often society is shocked by a graphic example of a cruel or abusive mother. These are sick and twisted souls and are not representative of motherhood as a whole. One recent example is the case of the Sunday school teacher and mother in Tracy, California  who was arrested for abducting and abusing a playmate of her daughter. This case horrified the nation. It was mind-boggling to most Americans that a mother could do such cruel things. The reason that case was so shocking is because it defied the universal truth that mothers love their children and that same love is transferred to other children as well. Such horrendous acts are the work of the Evil One in this world to distract us from God's truth.

The truth is God gave us mothers and that special unique relationship between mother and child to help us understand divine love.  The first relationship we develop in this world is with our mothers. It is our first glimpse of God. Later, we learn to know our father as well but much of that relationship is initiated and formed my our mother. She is the one who first places her little one into the father's arms.

Through our relationship with our mothers, God provides in the physical realm the same relationship that we have with the Holy Spirit Mother in the spiritual realm. We are born into the family of God when the Holy Spirit  comes to us at baptism. She is the one who guides us, teaches us and raises us up as spiritual children of God. She is the one who introduces us to our Father.

By giving us part of herself, we learn to love like God loves. We learn to nurture and care for others, to be kind and gentle and to comfort the sick and weak. This is true for both men and women. All of us who strive to be children of God, need to incorporate within ourselves both the masculine and feminine aspects of the divine. The reason why there are so many single mothers in this society is because men have rejected or stifled the feminine divine within them. All of us can learn how to be better people by learning how to follow the ways of our mother.

Think of what a good mother does and you will understand  your spiritual Mother, the Holy Spirit, better. She feeds us spiritual food. She tends us when we are sick. She guides us and counsels us through the difficult times in life. She bundles us up in her warmth when the world is cold. She speaks wisdom and instructs us in what is right and wrong. She is the ultimate virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 that we read earlier . Lets listen again to some excerpts of from that scripture and consider how this describes Mother God.


Time of Reflection

Proverbs 31

Click on the title above and listen again to Proverbs 31 description of an ideal mother.

You are Changing the World

Click on the Title. Reflect on the value and beauty of a mother's love. Recommit yourself to the mission of demonstrating that love to your own children and to all of mankind.

Holy Spirit Come and Fill This Place

Click on title above and just listen quietly and welcome the love the Holy Spirit Mother into your heart. Allow  yourself to be filled with pure divine love so that you can go out into the world to give that love to others.

Discussion of the Message

 Those of you who are participating in this service by reading this message on line, can take this time to quietly reflect on the message. If you have comments or questions come to your mind, you are welcome to write them below

Closing Prayer

Yahweh, our creator, our strength and our protector,
thank you for being our great and holy Father.
Thank you for showing us your love
Shekinah, sweet spirit, divine wisdom, our comfort and our counselor,
thank you for being our nurturing and holy Mother
Thank you for showing us your love.
Yeshua, son of man, our Lord and our Savior,
Thank you for guiding us back to the Father and Mother.
Thank you for showing us your love.

Closing Hymn

Click on the title to hear the music and sing along with  the lyrics. Think of this as a song of thanks to our Holy Spirit Mother and our physical moms both of whom have  raised us up to our full potential
 

Last Words 

 Have beautiful and blessed Mother's Day and a wonderful week.
Please take some time today to honor that wonderful woman who raised you up to be the person you are today. Whether it was your birth mother, an adopted mother, your grandmother or a father who had to learn to be a mother as well, that person was the one God ordained to show you His Love. 
Please take that spirit of love with you as you leave today and share it with the world this week.
The world needs it desperately
Aloha 
Vivian

Posted by Reverend at 03:38 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 05, 2009

Working Hard is Working Smart!!

reel_mower.png
 

 
 Have you ever been told that you should work smart instead of working so hard? I have been told this MANY times. I have never been the type to sit still. It is just not in my nature. My mind is always moving and it seems natural for my body to want to go with it. At times in the past, I have been criticized for my tendency to stay active. It tends to make more sedate souls a little nervous. I have been told I need to slow down or I will wear out. The favorite phrase of one of my co-workers was "Young people work hard but when you get older and wiser, you learn to work smart instead." He seemed to believe that by virtue of our age, we deserved the right to sit back and take it easy.

Now, I will agree that there is virtue to taking some time for quiet contemplation. However, I think there is fallacy in the notion of "working smart". I do not  necessarily agree that taking the easiest path is always the best. No matter how old you get, there is a lot of virtue in good hard work. So I decide to write today in defense of the more difficult path.

We live in an age of mass marketing. We are bombarded by advertisements on TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, billboards and the internet. It is what keeps our capitalistic system running. All of the ads state that if we just buy the product or service, our lives will be enhanced, our problems will be solved. In other words, the ads are selling quick and easy solutions. In this crazy, hectic world in which we live, anything to make our lives easier is tempting. So we get out our credit card and spend the money - easy so far. But often the product or service does not really make that big a difference in our lives. Often it is just one more thing to tend. Then we get the credit card bill and have to work overtime to pay it. Our life then gets just a bit more crazy and hectic.

The main fallacy in this way of life is the simple fact that you cannot BUY quality of life and you cannot buy peace of mind. Also, in spite of many advertisements to the contrary, you cannot buy health. All the things that we are really looking for in our culture are not bought and sold on EBay. They are fostered by a correct lifestyle and obtained (heaven forbid) through good, old fashioned hard work.

Let me give you an example from my own life. Once upon a time, many many years ago, I was a newly divorced mom. I was trying to raise my children on my own while starting a practice as a Nurse Practitioner.  I had moved back to a place with a small yard to tend and no husband to tend it.I thought it would be good exercise to mow the yard myself. So I bought a little reel push mower. If you do not know what I am talking about, yes, that is a picture of one at the top of this article. This is the kind of mower that uses sweat power instead of gasoline. They are not used much anymore. In fact, it took me a while to find a clip art for it. I googled push mower clip art and all I got was the gasoline kind. I loved my reel mower. It worked great, was very quiet and since I am not mechanically inclined, I was happy it had no motor!

I took a lot of ribbing about my mower, though. Some of the comments were good-natured and some were sort of mean. One of my cousins, in particular, came by when I was mowing, looked at me disgustedly and said, "You know, with a yard that small, you could probably get someone to mow it for $10. Are you really that cheap?". I smiled weakly and never let her know that her words really hurt. I had never even thought about being cheap. I just thought about the fresh air, good exercise, and the lovely smell and feel of the clean fresh cut grass under my feet.

I am sure my cousin never mowed her own yard. She was too busy. She probably paid someone and paid more than $10.00. Her yard was a lot bigger than mine. I know she also paid a pretty good amount to belong to one of the local gyms. I got my excercise for free mowing and raking my yard. At that time I was working as an RN for $19.00 an hour at the local hospital to pay my bills while trying to get my private practice going. I probably would have had to work an extra hour (after taxes) away from my home and family to pay for some one to do my yard. Instead, my son and I would work together in the yard for an hour a week. He was my number one stick and rock remover. It may not sound like quality mother/son time but we had some great conversations during that yard work. So, though my cousin may disagree, I feel I was really the winner in this situation. I chose the "hard"; way but in the process, got fresh air, excercise, time with my son and more money in my pocket. What a deal!

I contend that we have confused lack of time and a hectic pace with working "too hard". Actually, on a whole, we, Americans, work too easy. That is why there is an obesity epidemic in the United States. We wake up in the morning, drive to work, toil away in our sedentary jobs all day, then sit in our cars fighting rush hour traffic and come home too exhausted to cook. So we order a pizza and eat it in front of the TV. Then we go to sleep and start all over again the next day. Since the job and commute take up a significant portion of our time, and since we make good money, we feel justified in paying someone to do our odd jobs, buying a fast food meal on the way to work or buying some cool new gadget to make life easier in the house. Then because we are doing even less around the house, we gain some weight. So we take a membership at a gym or by a bunch of diet products that we never use. All of this costs money for which we have to work even more...and the gerbil wheel continues.

Come on, Gang! Time to switch tactics! We need to take a look at our lives and find some ways to make it harder, but better. Walk to the bus stop and take the bus instead of driving to work. I did it in Honolulu when I lived there and it was lovely. The walk gave me a good cardio work-out and the bus ride gave me time to read my paper every day. Instead of sitting in front of the TV eating pizza, make dinner with your family. You save money, eat healthier and make quality memories your kids will cherish. Do your own yard work or house work. That is another good workout with no gym membership required. I challenge you to look around you and find something that you are NOT doing now but should be. Be smart! Work harder. It will enhance your life and your health.

 

 

Posted by Reverend at 09:55 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 03, 2009

Sabbath Services - Rainy Day Schedule


raincld.gif

  Alternative Locations for Sabbath Service

 Yes, we all knew it had to happen sooner or later! This week we finally experienced our first rainy Sabbath. Since our services are outdoors, we knew that inclement weather would pose a challenge. But the benefits of worshiping in the midst of God's creation far out weigh the occasional inconvenience.

We quickly retreated  to the sheltered picnic tables about 200 feet down the walking path from our present location. This had always been our back-up plan. However, I have to admit that it caused some confusion and disrupted the service. Everyone was not aware of the plan either and some stayed home because they assumed there would be no service.

So we have learned from this experience and have created a new and improved back-up plan. From now on, if rain is forecast for Sabbath, we will honor the Father and Mother's plans for the day and not attempt to meet outdoors. We will, instead, meet at the Best Western Heritage Inn conference room at 4600 Clayton Rd. The times will be the same. We will have our vegan pot-luck lunch at 12, followed by communion and then service will begin at 1:00. 

On all other days, when no rain is forecast, we will meet at the usual site in Newhall Community Park at the picnic area across from the dog park parking lot. If we have unexpected rain (not forecast) during a Sabbath service, we will retreat to the covered picnic area as we did this Saturday.

By the way, the projected forecast for this Saturday - Sunny and 76 degrees! 

See you in the park!

 Vivian

 

Posted by Reverend at 10:00 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 02, 2009

Meatout Mondays

 
veggies.gif
This symbol is at top of all entries of interest to vegans/vegetarians
We call it our "veggie alert"
 

Great Site to Aid Transition to Vegan 

 
Aloha Fellow Essenes and our Internet Friends! I have come across a really novel pro-vegan internet site called "Meatout Mondays" . If you are new to the vegan lifestyle, I think this site could be a really usefu. It is also a great way to introduce your carnivore family and friends to some tasty veggie food. They have some really yummy recipes and practical advice. The premise of the site is to motivate people to take one day off from meat a week. When you sign up for the newsletter, they will send you a meat-less recipe on Friday that you can make on Monday. 
 
To us who go meatless every day, this may seem like a small step. But small steps lead to bigger steps. Many people are at a loss of how to live without animal products in their diet. I can't count the number of times people have been dumbfounded when I tell them I eat no meat, no milk products and no eggs. They just look at me blankly and say, "What DO you eat?" One meatless day a week is a painless way to introduce the general population this new way of living. Think what a tremendous impact it would make if every person took one day off from animal product! I read somewhere that most people have an average of 9 to 14 main course recipes that they eat. So after 9 to 14 weeks of Meatout Mondays, the average person would have the menu ammunition to transform completely to the Vegan lifestyle. How cool is that!
Check out the site!
 
 

Posted by Reverend at 07:33 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options

May 01, 2009

May 2 Sabbath Message - Living Up to Our Responsibility to Creation

JESUSanimals.JPG
 

Opening Hymn

Morning Has Broken

Click on the title to hear the music and read the lyrics

Opening Prayer

Our Father and Mother who are in heaven 
and here on earth.
You are in all that is around us and are within us.
As we stand here in the midst of Your creation, 
 we praise and bless your holy names.
Yahweh and Shekinah, Father and Mother,
We see your presence in the beauty and mystery of creation and
we are in awe of you. 
We are humbled that you placed the responsibility
of nurturing and tending your creation into our hands.
Lord Yehsua, Son of Man, Guide us.
Teach us to be worthy stewards of this earth.  
 

Scripture Reading

20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

 24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

 27 So God created man in his own image,
       in the image of God he created him;
       male and female he created them.

 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

 29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Genesis 1:20-31

 1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
       from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
       the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
       the Spirit of counsel and of power,
       the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -

 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
       He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
       or decide by what he hears with his ears;

 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
       with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
       He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
       with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

 5 Righteousness will be his belt
       and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

 6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
       the leopard will lie down with the goat,
       the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
       and a little child will lead them.

 7 The cow will feed with the bear,
       their young will lie down together,
       and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

 8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,
       and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.

 9 They will neither harm nor destroy
       on all my holy mountain,
       for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
       as the waters cover the sea.

 10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious
 
Isaiah 11:1-10
 

 Message

The two scripture readings today are descriptions of Creation... the original creation and the one yet to come. 

First, in Genesis we read about the original creation of God. It was a world where all was good. In this pure, unspoiled, ideal world, our Mother and Father created us in their own image - male and female. God blessed us and walked among us. He and She gave us plants to eat and animals to tend. Then, in God's infinite wisdom, we were given responsibility over it all.

That was always the plan. It was always meant to be our world - a gift to us- and we were meant to tend it. This world was created as our school and our tending of it was intended to be our lessons in maturity. The goal of the school was to create good citizens and leaders in the kingdom of God. In other words, to be like God.  The Father, is the principal of this school. He created the rules - the laws of nature- to keep order and to teach us His ways. The Holy Spirit Mother is our teacher. She whispered her words in the hearts of the prophets and through them wrote the scriptures (our schoolbooks). Her loving hand guides each of us through the lessons we are meant to learn.

Unfortunately, learning can be messy. Think about when a baby is first given a spoon to feed himself. Well, that is sort of what we have done to this world. Humanity has created lots of different messes. Whenever it got too messy, though, God or the natural law God put in place  would intervene.  Sometimes, God would have to send a messenger or a prophet to put us back on the right path. Sometimes it got so messy that a natural occurrence such as a flood was needed to set things back in balance. 

God's original creation, that perfect place described in Genesis 1 and 2 has really taken a beating under the rule of man. God commanded us to rule over the earth but we were meant to rule in the image of God. "Rule" means to have dominion, govern, or have authority.  Rulers that oppress the weak  for the benefit of themselves are considered unjust. There is no reason that humanity's dominion over the other creatures and resources of this earth should be judged by any other standard. We were charged to rule in God's stead. When we rule in an exploitative or domineering way, we live contrary to Divine intent.

There are consequences for this behavior, however. Man has suffered for his own foolishness. Pollution, wars, poverty and disease are all the end results of abusing the authority we have been given over creation. The swine flu, for instance, is one of these consequences. This new disease emerged out of a factory farm in Mexico. At a massive hog facility, animals were packed into crowded, filthy living conditions. The owners were motivated by greed not love and compassion for animals or man. Next to the hog facility was a poultry production facility. An epidemic of avian flu among the chickens there was kept quiet so as not to interfere with exports.  As a result, we may have a new pandemic to contend with. The swine flu is a mixture of human, avian and swine flu virus.

It is time to wake up and grow up as children of God. We have a responsibility to stop making messes. In Romans 8 it says "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice,...in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." In other words the world is crying out to us "PLEASE GROW UP!" Stop acting like spoiled brats and act like your Father and Mother. 

In our second scripture reading, we read the prophecy from Isaiah. This scripture fast-forwards us to the time when the Kingdom of God will once more be restored to this world. It is a time when man will once more recognize God's rule. God's peaceable kingdom will eventually return to earth. This is the Way that was taught to us by Yeshua. It will finally triumph and will rule. That final victory will transform life as we know it. This will be a time of perfect peace between people and between human beings and the animal kingdom. We, who are Essenes, are not  supposed to just wait for this change to happen. We are called to actively work to usher in the peaceable kingdom of God on earth.

Psalm 34:14 tells us to "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." The vision of what we are to pursue is discribed above in Isaiah and is also found in several other places in scripture. Hosea prophesied a future covenant "with the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and the creeping things of the ground." It will be a time when God will banish "bow and sword and war from the land"  and all will lie down in safety. The book of Job anticipates a time when people will neither kill nor fear beasts but the beast of the field will  be your allies.

The story of our spirituality begins with God's creation of a peaceful beautiful world. It ends with God's children ushering in a new world of peace. It is not an ending. It is a completion. It is a new beginning and we, those of faith, are to work toward it. We are to walk the Way toward the peaceable kingdom. So let us recommit ourselves now to create God's kingdom on earth in our own lives and in the lives of those around us.  


 Hymn  of Reflection

 
Click on site above and just listen quietly. Consider the beauty of the world and renew a commitment to maintain God's creation.

Discussion of the Message

 Those of you who are participating in this service by reading this message on line, can take this time to quietly reflect on the message. If you have comments or questions come to your mind, you are welcome to write them below

Closing Prayer

Our Father and Mother in Heaven, we thank you and praise you for all you have created.
We commit ourselves now to recreating your kingdom in our hearts and in our lives. 
Father strengthen us, Mother restore us, Yeshua guide us towards this mission.
Amen

Closing Hymn


Click on the title to hear the music and read the lyrics

 

 

Posted by Reverend at 09:02 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

[ Yahoo! ] options


Hosting by Yahoo!