Special to Holy - a mini course - Chapter 10 Courtship, an oldie but a goodie!

 

COURTSHIP – AN OLDIE BUT GOODIE!

        Courtship is wonderfully romantic, old-fashioned, yet absolutely essential. Courtship is when you can spend thoroughly enjoyable days and evenings getting to know each other.  This is when it is appropriate to ask the following questions, and discuss the answers honestly and fully.

1.  Are you truly committed to fidelity?  Are you truly willing to be in a marriage mode rather than a dating mode, specifically with each other?

2.  Are your desires and goals, your philosophies and attitudes, your behaviors and methods aligned.  Do you really like and respect each other?  It’s not that you each must do everything perfectly.  It is important, however that you don’t drive each other crazy most of the time.  As you each stumble through life’s challenges, on the whole do you find each other charming rather than irritating?  Are you willing to watch with concern yet keep a respectful distance, then swell with pride at each other’s achievements?

3.  Are you sexually attracted to each other?  If you are committed and truly like and respect your partner then you can learn to grow into a loving and tender sexual relationship.  Are you willing to create this?

        If all the signals are a go, then courtship has done its job. Hand in hand you both are now ready to take the next step into a successful relationsh

Questions to Contemplate and Discuss

1.    If you are starting or wanting to start a new romantic relationship this is the section to study carefully. Review all three area carefully and fully.

2.   Are you already in a romantic relationship? Then review these three points and let them remind you need to keep it successful.

3.   Create a final prayer of commitment to holiness and the constant correction of specialness as it crops up.

 

Great! You are on your way to a truly happy, loving and yes, holy relationship.    

You have been called. . .and you have answered!

 

   Here’s a quote from ‘A Course in Miracles’. . .

                              ’“The host of God has called to you,

                         And you have heard.”

                            

And  now enjoy the introduction to. . .

“Sacred Steps A Program for Soul Progress”

 

Your steps continue on the pathway home.

No one comes this far without

an awareness of the journey he takes.

The years roll by.  Lifetimes unfold.

Opportunities present themselves again.

Each instant becomes another glorious lesson

filled with the learning of the ages,

reflecting the wisdom of eternity.

You have begun to open your eyes to the

wonder of your spiritual progress.

No more are you blind to the deeper purpose of life in this world.

But now a rich new meaning shapes every moment,

every action, every encounter.

You have been called. . .

And you have answered!

 

You can highlight this page and copy for your enjoyment. 

For the whole Sacred Steps program see that and more on the left panel.

bettejeancundiff.blogspot.com

 

Parallel Kingdoms from 'Sacred Steps' is one of the sections on how the Holy Spirit guides us.

 (You can find this and more in "Sacred Steps Ancient Yoga and 'A Course in Miracles, on list on the left side of this page)

             "...The planet Earth is also a body with its chakras too -  Portals of Power, windows to Heaven through which the Holy Spirit works.  There are certain places, towns, mountains and valleys that serve this purpose.  These spots on the planet are vortices that create an inflow and outflow of energy giving forth life and balancing the electromagnetic fields.  Many of the world’s cathedrals, Indian mounds and ancient stone rings are found at these spots.  From the most ancient of times man has felt these power sources and has reverently paid homage.  Pilgrimages are made to these areas since they call to individuals to once more align their energy fields with those of the planet.  

At these places a celebration of life occurs with all the kingdoms - mineral, plant, animal, human and spiritual 

all participating in harmony.

PARALLEL KINGSOMS 

The Kingdoms of Life divide into five.

Each Kingdom evolves and grows and divines

Its purpose and function,

Its pathway to God.

The Mineral Kingdom offers a bedrock of FAITH.

The Plant Kingdom offers

SUSTENANCE and STRENGTH.

The Animal Kingdom offers

AMBASSADORS of Friendship.

The Human Kingdom offers

CHALLENGES and LESSONS.

The Spiritual Kingdom offers the GUIDANCE that leads

each Kingdom to safety and the peace that will heal."

 

Continuing for Holy Week, 'The Crucifixion', from 'Looking for Jesus, His Life and Times'

 

The Crucifixion

 Josephus, the still highly respected Jewish historian of the first century spent a lifetime documenting Jewish history. He covers this history in fascinating but almost excruciating detail.  And yet, when he made mention of the event fifty years after the crucifixion, his comments were a really short few sentences, and an obvious echo of the standard language in Christian hymns sung at that time. This tells us something of the impact, or lack thereof, Jesus’ crucifixion had on the general Jewish, Greek and Roman populace fifty years after the fact.

Today, the faithful look back two thousand years with a powerful laser beam of emotional and even fanatical interest that leads to a distorted belief that Jesus’ life and death and perhaps resurrection hit the ancient world like an atomic blast: This event just couldn’t have been missed. Unfortunately, that was not the case. (But, we will take a quick snapshot of the impact on the early church later.)

For now, let’s discover what the everyday crucifixion was actually like, since this is what Jesus suffered. Take photos only if you want them in your own album.

After being found guilty, the criminal was given the obligatory whipping. Humiliation followed, and for Jesus this included a thorned crown and sign above him on the cross mockingly saying , “King of the Jews”. This represented his political crime since the only king of the Jews was considered the Roman emperor. The criminal then carried just the cross bar up to the hill outside of the city, since the posts were left in the ground for the daily crucifixions that occurred.

Golgotha was not a tourist attraction. This was a place people avoided. There would be few people to watch this tortuous event, perhaps only family and a few close friends. But, keep in mind. Jesus was a political criminal, and so showing support at his death tarred the supporters with the same crime. Peter understood this and denied knowing Jesus several times. Cowardly, perhaps, and painfully regretted, but understandable.

Nails were driven through the wrists, not hands, and a wedge on the post was placed in the most uncomfortable of spots, between the legs. All engineered to painfully support the weight of the criminal for the longest time possible. Most died from asphyxia as the lungs filled with fluid as did Jesus’, since recorded memories tell us a sword thrust in Jesus side caused fluid to run.

After his death, the body was removed by family and given a resting place in a tomb donated by a faithful follower of the beloved rabbi.

We don’t have to take any photos, we can head back to the present and see what tradition says is the actual tomb still preserved near Jerusalem. Certainly, you can get on the internet and see the photos already taken by others over the years.

What actually happens next in the story of Jesus?

I will research and contemplate this, and then share my discovery in the next section.

 

Questions to Contemplate and Discuss

  Compare how little importance the ancient world placed on this particular crucifixion of a criminal and how the modern day looks at it. What are your thoughts about this difference?

Who actually witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus and why were they there and not others?

 What have you possibly learned about the technical handling of a crucifixion and how do you feel about this information, and about Jesus himself going through this?

Watch for the next section, and for the whole book go to:

                         bettejeancundiff.blogspot.com