The Christian Community in Johannesburg
  • Home
  • About
  • Programme
  • Community Notice Board
  • Articles 2025
  • Contemplations 2025
  • Market
  • Links

Imagination

2/11/2020

0 Comments

 
by Robyn de Klerk
​

I imagine that "this year" is a first for our planet and our solar system. As the multitude of far-reaching effects continue to develop around the world it has never been more important to think in a new way. If we are to evolve we need to imagine ways of doing things differently. And in order for these to bear fruit they need to be held within a meaningful context - a context that includes both time and space, and the boundless and eternal. Having passed from our image-imbued connection with the spiritual worlds to our ability to be self-aware and think clearly as individual beings we have attained the possibility of freedom. The purpose of this Freedom is to develop Love. While we are here upon our Earth for our life of time we are given a precious opportunity: a chance to do something that, as I understand it, we can only do here: Change.

Aside from the times, I am inspired to mention this through a number of experiences in this community that I wish to share with us. Firstly, from remembering Steffen's talk given last September on the theme of Imagining the picture of Michael as a guide to fulfilling our task in modern life. In this talk he spoke about the importance of Imagination to balance the past and create the future. One of the references in this talk was to a book written by Michael Ende called The Neverending Story. In this tale the young hero has to fight and pass through the great Nothing and by doing so discovers that he has the seeds to create a new world. I found a copy of the book for Sophia, who wished to read it, and have since found a copy of another one of his books called Momo (also known as The Grey Gentlemen). Please let me know if you would like to borrow either of them. They are both good adventures.

Another inspiration came from re-reading Ulrich and Brigitte's farewell poem to us where they speak of how spiritual beings offer up their substance so that the world can continue to exist. Awareness of this - which requires the work of Imagination - can lead to a deep sense of gratitude and awaken in us the impulse to treat our fellow humans and all beings with love and generosity. Through doing this we can bring joy to these beings who make our life possible.

Also, in our explorations through the discourses of Michaël Merle, contemplations from Reingard and our most recent community gathering the importance and potential of exercising and strengthening this creative capacity for Imagination has been gently and earnestly present. Imagination becomes Revelation - a place where something can come to meet us from the future.

And, finally, a particular inspiration comes from Eileen Tippett. I did not know her well but she was in my periphery for a good while. I planted some of the snapdragon seeds handed out at her funeral and being a longterm budding gardener it's always a bit of a gamble on what will actually come up. A snapdragon plant did rise out of the ground and despite some plumbing work and the area being dug up, it survived and continued to grow throughout the whole of winter. It is still going. One long stem, over a metre tall, with blooms that have turned to seedpods lower down, continues to flower and strive towards the sky. A good imagination for right now. At her funeral I was particularly drawn to a prayer by Adam Bittleston which was printed on the last page of her funeral booklet. It was taken from her diary and I have since written it in at the back of mine - which is how I came across it recently as we are nearly at the end of "this year". I share it here:

When we go out into the world as we have made it,
Everywhere there speaks to us forgetfulness of the Spirit.
If human work were to be without love
The Earth would become a bleak and barren desert.
Through forgetfulness of the Spirit
Love ebbs away.
Bring to mind in us, O Christ,
Inspirer of true human love,
How we have come to the Earth
From the fields of light,
From the heights of the Spirit.
May remembrance of God
Grow strong in our souls,
Overcoming the mists
Which hide from us the purpose
In the work of each day.
​
(by Adam Bittleston from Meditative Prayers for Today)
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Use Ctrl-F to search this page
    Contemplations

    Articles Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020

    2024 - January to December
    2023 - January to December

    2022 - January to December
    2021 = January to December​
    2019 - January to December
    2018 - January to December​
    ​2017 - January to December
    2016 - January to December
    2015 - January to December
    ​2014 - November & December
    2013 - July to December
    2013 - January to June
    2012 - April to December
    Picture
    Send us your photos of community events.

      Feedback
      Please give feedback on anything,
      anonymously or with your name

    Submit

    Subscribe to our newsletter or notifications

    * indicates required
    I wish to receive
    Email Format

    Articles (prefaced by month number)

    All
    01 - A Journey Through The Twelve World Views
    01 - EVOLUTIONISE Experience
    01 - Faith - Hope - Love; Relevance Today
    01 - How Do We Pray In Preparation For The Christ To Be Born In Us
    01 - January
    01 - The Birth Of The Son Of God
    01 - The Twelvefold Nature Of The Human Spirit
    01 - The World Wthin The Human Being And The Human Being Within The World
    02 - Birds Mediating Between Heaven And Earth
    02 - February
    02 - How We Offer Thinking
    02 Twelve World Views Spiritualism
    02 - Twelve World Views - Spiritualism
    03 God's Dwelling On Earth
    03 Pneumatism
    03 The Healing Of Soul Wounds
    04 April
    04 Faithless And Distorted Picture Of The Human Being - Sermon
    04 The Incarnating Spirit – Baptism
    04 The Incarnating Spirit – The Sunday Service For Children
    04 The Revelation Of The Father In The Son
    04 Twelve World Views - Psychism
    05 Holy Week & Easter Experiences
    05 May
    05 Twelve World Views - Idealism
    06 Autumn - Poem By Jacqui White
    06 Communion Realities
    06 Connecting As A Community By Karin Von Schilling
    06 Creating Art By Elisa Kirigin
    06 Easter Corona - A Talk By Jonathan Hilton
    06 Face Masks And Flowers By Jean McGillivray
    06 Intro To Stories From The Cummunity During Lockdown
    06 Juggling Balls By Alexi Kirigin
    06 June
    06 Morgan Bay Driveway Challenge By Terri Gillham
    06 Online Gatherings During Lockdown
    06 Relationships And Agreements By David Wertheim Aymes
    06 Teach Me O Lord - A Carmelite Prayer
    06 The Holtz Family Get Creative
    06 The Unexpected Gifts In Keeping A Journal By Jan Lampen
    06 Thoughts In The Virus Isolation And Ascension By Eva Knausenberger
    06 Twelve World Views - Rationalism
    07 A Family Of Artists – Jean McGillivray And Kerry Audouin
    07 Evan And Jean McGillivray Celebrate 60 Years Of Marriage
    07 July
    07 Morgan Bay Drumming Marathon
    07 Remembering Freddy Dörflinger
    07 Thoughts On The New Confession
    08 - 80 Years Of Camphill
    08 - Art Appreciation – An Expose Of Ana Lampen
    08 - August
    08 - Flying High
    08 - Healing From The Corona Virus
    08 - Materialism
    08 - The Angel Becomes Visible
    08 - The Negative Influence Of Screen Media On A Child's Ability To Form Mental Images
    09 - 2022: A 100-year Celebration
    09 - Opening Thought For The AGM
    09 - September
    09 - The Signature Of The Stars In The Year 2020
    09 - The Twelve World Views – Sensualism
    09 - What Is Behind The Mask And What Is Unmasked?
    10 - October
    10 - Phenomenalism
    10 - The Historical Journey From The Time Of St John To The Time Of The Archangel Michael
    11 - A Brief Outline Of My Unfolding Path...
    11 - A Verse On Michaelic Thinking
    11 - Imagination
    11 - November
    11 - Realism
    11 - Report On Talk - Living In- And Crossing Thresholds
    11 - Report On The Michaelmas Conference
    11 - Sacraments - Confirmation 2020
    12 - “Crossing The Threshold: The Experience After Death”
    12 - December
    12 - Report On The Old Testament Studies 1 & 2 With Rev Michaël Merle
    12 - The Power Of Nature To Heal And Transform - Lady Liuwa The Last Lioness – A Talk By Herbert Brauer
    12 - Twelve World Views - Dynamism

    RSS Feed


On this site

Home
About us
Community Notice Board            Articles of events      Community Programme       Contemplations
Businesses in the Community    Links to other Communities 
Links to other websites of our community
Artists in our community

Services

The Act of Consecration of Man
Sunday                            10h00
Wednesday                    07h00
Friday                               08h30
Always check the programme for the latest information.
Sunday Service for Children precede by a story
Monthly and on festival Sundays        09h30

Contact information

​Address
46 Dover Street corner Pine Avenue
Ferndale
Randburg

GPS:S26.0887400, E27.9962600
​Telephone & Email
Telephone             +27 11 789 3083
WhatsApp              +27 76 697 1340
​Email                       [email protected]
​Office hours           08h00 - 13h00

Priests

​Rev. Michaël Merle
Mobile  +27 83 675 0836
​Email​     [email protected]
Rev. Reingard Knausenberger (retired)
Mobile  +27 82 218 1515
​Email     [email protected]

Webmaster

[email protected]
Copyright © 2012 to 2025. | All rights reserved. | Powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
  • Programme
  • Community Notice Board
  • Articles 2025
  • Contemplations 2025
  • Market
  • Links