Contemplations
by Rev. Reingard Knausenberge
“There is a scene in the movie version of Carl Sagan’s book Contact where the main character, an astronomer who has detected the first radio signal from an alien civilisation, is being considered for the role of humanity’s representative to meet the aliens. The international panel interviewing her asks, ‘If you could ask [the aliens] just one question, what would it be?’ Her reply is: ‘I’d ask them, “How did you do it? How did you evolve, how did you survive this technological adolescence without destroying yourself?’ When I think about where humanity is now with Artificial Intelligence (AI) – about what we’re on the cusp of – my mind keeps going back to that scene, because the question is so apt for our current situation, and I wish we had the aliens’ answer to guide us. I believe we are entering a rite of passage, both turbulent and inevitable, which will test who we are as a species. Humanity is about to be handed almost unimaginable power, and it is deeply unclear whether our social, political, and technological systems possess the maturity to wield it.” (Dario Amodei: The Adolescence of Technology)
How do we evolve into a higher sovereign quality of existence? Is this not our core human question?
Christianity has this question as its ‘creed’ – while knowing ‘whom to ask’. In a certain sense, we could apply the term ‘alien’ to the appearance of Christ on earth through Jesus, the human being. Christ lived and led by example. He showed ‘how to do it’. In Holy Week the answer is given in Deeds, unfolding clearly step by step. He becomes the guide and example we can choose to follow. By initiating choice and freedom, we can now follow, or not, and take responsibility for the consequences. This is unique spiritual new ground!
The ultimate subject is learning and integrating a new ability: Love.
Palm Sunday: General love, an appreciation for life itself and your entire world in its every detail. This includes your body, which gifts us with self-awareness and feeling alive. It carries us through all transformative experiences.
Holy Monday: Discerning Love, the ability to say ‘yes-yes/no-no’. To keep what is sacred protected and discard what hinders, distracts and weighs down.
Holy Tuesday: Courageous Love, to stand up for truth and moral responsibility. To commit to thinking clearly and believing by understanding.
Holy Wednesday: Conscious Love, as we learn to love ourselves, we become sensitive to how unique each person is. Love then comes alive and spreads as healing power.
Maundy Thursday: Unconditional Love, the greatest of all loves. It is Divine Love with no hint of selfishness; requires no action to be taken or rules to be followed, is given without restrictions. The art of loving unconditionally requires a continual devotion to learning. It is love which will not inhibit or possess you. It will carry you through the valley of darkness and death.
Good Friday: Loving yourself unconditionally, you as a spiritual being on a human journey of learning and growing are now able to spread your arms wide and embrace all creation as an expression of yourself.
Silent Saturday: Love as the seed of eternal Life, all renewing, the only power that overcomes, transubstantiates, matter into spirit.
Easter Sunday: Agape LOVE, a completely new original creation of Spirit Power, the only power that can die AND overcome death; the Risen One leads into new dimensions of higher spiritual evolving, if we choose to.
—How do we do it?
“…and even if I walk in the depth of the abyss of death, no fear of evil shall assault me: for You are with me. Your staff supports and consoles me…yes, overflowing Grace: it carries me through all my life.” (Psalm 23)
How do we evolve into a higher sovereign quality of existence? Is this not our core human question?
Christianity has this question as its ‘creed’ – while knowing ‘whom to ask’. In a certain sense, we could apply the term ‘alien’ to the appearance of Christ on earth through Jesus, the human being. Christ lived and led by example. He showed ‘how to do it’. In Holy Week the answer is given in Deeds, unfolding clearly step by step. He becomes the guide and example we can choose to follow. By initiating choice and freedom, we can now follow, or not, and take responsibility for the consequences. This is unique spiritual new ground!
The ultimate subject is learning and integrating a new ability: Love.
Palm Sunday: General love, an appreciation for life itself and your entire world in its every detail. This includes your body, which gifts us with self-awareness and feeling alive. It carries us through all transformative experiences.
Holy Monday: Discerning Love, the ability to say ‘yes-yes/no-no’. To keep what is sacred protected and discard what hinders, distracts and weighs down.
Holy Tuesday: Courageous Love, to stand up for truth and moral responsibility. To commit to thinking clearly and believing by understanding.
Holy Wednesday: Conscious Love, as we learn to love ourselves, we become sensitive to how unique each person is. Love then comes alive and spreads as healing power.
Maundy Thursday: Unconditional Love, the greatest of all loves. It is Divine Love with no hint of selfishness; requires no action to be taken or rules to be followed, is given without restrictions. The art of loving unconditionally requires a continual devotion to learning. It is love which will not inhibit or possess you. It will carry you through the valley of darkness and death.
Good Friday: Loving yourself unconditionally, you as a spiritual being on a human journey of learning and growing are now able to spread your arms wide and embrace all creation as an expression of yourself.
Silent Saturday: Love as the seed of eternal Life, all renewing, the only power that overcomes, transubstantiates, matter into spirit.
Easter Sunday: Agape LOVE, a completely new original creation of Spirit Power, the only power that can die AND overcome death; the Risen One leads into new dimensions of higher spiritual evolving, if we choose to.
—How do we do it?
“…and even if I walk in the depth of the abyss of death, no fear of evil shall assault me: for You are with me. Your staff supports and consoles me…yes, overflowing Grace: it carries me through all my life.” (Psalm 23)
by Rev. Reingard Knausenberger
It is always a special, festive moment to receive a gift, wrapped with care and beautifully presented. The good wishes and loving thoughts and effort that it expresses are already an essential part of what makes it a true gift.
The Act of Consecration of Man is such a true gift. When we receive it at Christmas time, it comes to us from a carefully prepared beautiful altar. Then it becomes apparent: this is only the ‘wrapping’. Even as the year progresses, this ‘gift wrapping’ will change, or rather, show many different colourful layers; like many nuances of love ̶̶ from The Giver.
As with any gift, though, the wrapping is only the beginning. To unpack it with anticipation, interested to see what will reveal itself, is part of the experience.
The joy of discovery is also part of The Act of Consecration.
Then comes the actual content, the real gift, what all the packaging was about. Now what? Sometimes, what reveals itself is not what we expected; sometimes, we don’t immediately recognize what the gift can mean for us. It requires involvement to understand, to work it out and how to integrate it into one’s life. Sometimes, it just needs time to get used to it and discover in daily life, how it can be an enhancement. One thing is certain: what happens with the gift once it is given lies entirely in the freedom of the receiver.
The Act of Consecration of Man is a precious gift. With great care and love, The Giver ‘wraps’ everything into it our heart could wish, hope and strive for, Sunday after Sunday, day after day, so that it may lead us to discoveries of deep, reverent joy.
The Act of Consecration of Man is such a true gift. When we receive it at Christmas time, it comes to us from a carefully prepared beautiful altar. Then it becomes apparent: this is only the ‘wrapping’. Even as the year progresses, this ‘gift wrapping’ will change, or rather, show many different colourful layers; like many nuances of love ̶̶ from The Giver.
As with any gift, though, the wrapping is only the beginning. To unpack it with anticipation, interested to see what will reveal itself, is part of the experience.
The joy of discovery is also part of The Act of Consecration.
Then comes the actual content, the real gift, what all the packaging was about. Now what? Sometimes, what reveals itself is not what we expected; sometimes, we don’t immediately recognize what the gift can mean for us. It requires involvement to understand, to work it out and how to integrate it into one’s life. Sometimes, it just needs time to get used to it and discover in daily life, how it can be an enhancement. One thing is certain: what happens with the gift once it is given lies entirely in the freedom of the receiver.
The Act of Consecration of Man is a precious gift. With great care and love, The Giver ‘wraps’ everything into it our heart could wish, hope and strive for, Sunday after Sunday, day after day, so that it may lead us to discoveries of deep, reverent joy.
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