First Spiritual Church of Bay City
FIRST
MEMBER
OF UNITED METAPHYSICAL CHURCHES
WHAT IS SPIRITUALISM?
Spiritualism is the science, philosophy and religion which accepts the existence of an "infinite intelligence" which is God. It practices and teaches the spiritual truths recorded in the Holy Bible and other Sacred Scriptures, and as revealed in the life and teaching of Jesus the Christ and other Holy Avatars of God.
Paramount among the spiritual truths is the fact that life is continuous. The change called death is merely a rebirth into a world of higher vibration. This truth is proven through communication, by means of mental and physical mediumship, with loved ones, teachers and guardian angels that live in the spirit world.
Other truths are contained in the Declaration of Principles as accepted by the First Spiritual Church and presented in this handbook under the section "This We Believe"…
One of the objects of Spiritualism is to teach these truths pertaining to man's spiritual and physical welfare.
Some of what Spiritualism teaches is contained in the following points:
· Individuals are morally responsible for themselves.
· Man is a three-fold being--body, soul and spirit.
· Man is just as much spirit now, as he ever will be, except that now he is encased in a physical body.
· We reap what we sow; and life being continuous, we carry into the next world all positive and negative actions taken on the Earth plane.
· An understanding of God's Natural Universal Laws teaches an individual how to live, here and hereafter.
· All men are brothers and God their Father/Mother. (God having a balance of masculine and feminine energies) Therefore, all men are divine because they have the potentialities of God if they choose to develop them. We consider this striving for Christ Consciousness.
· Heaven and Hell are states of mental consciousness and not literal abodes.
DEFINITIONS
The following definitions are presented to help you understand some of the terms used in Spiritualism:
1. Spiritualism is a science, philosophy and religion based on the fact that life is continuous and that the phenomena of Nature are the expression of Infinite Intelligence. These facts are demonstrated through communication by means of mediumship with those in the spirit world.
2. A Spiritualist is one who believes, as the basis of their own religion, in communication between this and the spirit world. In addition, they endeavor to mold their character and conduct in accordance with the higher teachings derived from such communication.
3. A Medium is a person whose organism is sensitive to vibrations from the spirit world. It is through this instrumentality that intelligences in the spirit world are able to convey messages and produce the psychic phenomena of Spiritualism.
4. A Spiritual Healer is a person who is able to impart curative force to pathological conditions through his or her own physical channel for God energy.
5. Psychic Phenomena are the subjective experience of vibrations and/or communications manifested from intelligences in the world of spirit. The types of phenomena on which Spiritualism is based include mental and physical phenomena.
6. Mental Phenomena use mental energy to produce forms of mediumship such as clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, gift of prophecy, psychometry, gift of tongues, and inspirational and trance channeling.
7. Physical Phenomena use physical energy to produce forms of mediumship such as direct voice, rappings, telekinesis, independent writings and drawing, levitation, transfiguration and materialization which includes etherialization, precipitation, apport, and spirit photography.
8. Psychic refers to anything pertaining to the human soul or mind especially super or extrasensory functions.
9. Occult refers to anything beyond the bounds of ordinary knowledge but which is discoverable by experimentation.
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL HEALING?
Spiritual healing is one of the special phases of mediumship and of Spiritualism, which uses the understanding, and power of the Natural Universal Laws to impart vital and curative forces to pathological conditions. It is recognized in the New Testament and has been a tenet of both ancient and modern religions.
Spiritual healing does not replace conventional medicine. We believe doctors are also instruments of healing, and are inspired to treat their patients using the healing gifts they also possess. Spiritual healers do not prescribe medicines of any sort.
A human being is made up of three parts: Body, mind and spirit. It is the energy of the mind, which controls the condition of these parts. Constructive mental thoughts can help to create disease condition.
It is a fact, stated in the Bible, that the normal condition of an individual is to be perfect and healthy in body, soul and spirit. This is the condition God has made available to everyone. Therefore, there is always limitless supply of Divine Healing Energy to help a person achieve perfect health.
This Divine Energy and the Natural Universal Laws which control it are what a Spiritual Healer uses with the direction and guidance of higher spirit forces, to help an individual during a healing.
Spiritual Healers work in many different ways, but whichever methods they use, all contain common attributes. The healers enter into their own silence and meditation to raise their consciousness to the spiritual plane, request spiritual direction and guidance, and tap into the limitless storehouse of God supply.
They visualize the person receiving healing and request the cooperation of the unseen forces to direct the healing energy to that individual. The healers also visualize the person in perfect health affirming the presence of Infinite Intelligence; and giving thanks for an influx of peace, harmony and balance.
In addition, the healers mentally direct to the individual instructions to attune their own mental energies along positive and constructive pathways. Although the healers can assist an individual by directing healing energies, the success of a healing depends on the faith and desire of the person to use his or her own mental energy positively. Finally, the individual desiring healing need only attune his or her own mind to Spirit so that the forces can operate successfully.
Healing is also achieved as it pertains to the Divine Order of God for that person. The Spiritual Healer is always mindful of this, inasmuch as the person may have a condition present to learn a lesson they came to the earthplane learn from or as a vehicle to leave the physical body and return to the spirit realm.
LIST
OF BIBLICAL REFERENCES MADE TO SPIRITUALISM
( Click on any Biblical Verse )
Abraham goes into a trance
The angel of the Lord appears to Hagar in the wilderness and comforts her.
Abraham entertained three angels. They came so perfectly materialized that they
did eat.
An angel speaks to Moses out of the burning bush.
Joshua saw and conversed with a spirit who held a drawn sword.
An angel appears to Giddeon and talks with him.
Saul consults Samuel as a seer.
Saul consults a medium and asks to talk to the spirit of Samuel.
Elisha restores the life of a child.
A materialized book is shown.
"So the spirit lifted me up and took me away".
A spirit protects three men in a fire.
A spirit hand writes on a wall.
An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream.
The Apostles heard the voices of Moses and Elias on the mount.
A spirit appears at the tomb of Christ.
"They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover".
Angels appear to the shepherds.
Jesus as healer: And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, and there went
virtue out of Him and healed them all."
Making wine at the marriage feast.
Peter cures the lame man.
"And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but
seeing no man."
Peter recovers his sight.
Peter hears a spirit voice.
Paul has a clear understanding of spiritual agencies. "Likewise the spirit also helpeth
our infirmities."
Having the gift of prophecy
"There is a spiritual body."
"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs
of salvation?"
"Come see a man which told me all things that I ever did."
Jesus says "Verily, verily, I say unto you: He that believeth on me, the works that
I do shall he do also; and greater works that I do shall he also do; because I go unto
My Father."
THIS
WE BELIEVE..
· We believe in God as Infinite Intelligence.
· We believe that the phenomena of nature, both physical and spiritual, are the expressions of Infinite Intelligence.
· We affirm that a correct understanding of such expression and living in accordance therewith, constitute true religion.
· We affirm that the existence and personal identity of the individual continue after leaving the physical world.
· We affirm that communication with spirit is a natural experience and is proven through mediumship.
· We believe that the highest morality is contained in the Golden Rule: "whatsoever ye would that others should do unto you, do ye also unto them."
· We believe in personal responsibility and that we create our own happiness or unhappiness as we live in harmony or discord with natural, physical, and spiritual laws.
· We affirm the doorway to reformation is never closed to any human soul here or hereafter.
· We affirm the prophecy of healing contained in the Bible, and other scriptures, is a divine attribute proven through mediumship.