Title:
The Flaming Sword
Accession#:
2006.08.29
Pubication Date:
1916/12/01
Object ID:
PA—0216
Collection:
Flaming Sword
Additional Notes & Full Text:
Current Events in Our Community Life
BY D. J. RICHARDS
December 1916
A NUMBER of our brothers at the present time are busily engaged in building a frame structure over the new boiler. This boiler has proved most satisfactory in every way, and has been the means of reducing our gasoline expense very materially; our printing office having been largely run by gas engines. We have not as yet connected it with the sawmill, as some of our brothers are engaged on the new house which the Unity is building for Mr. Boomer. This crowds us a little in our regular work; but since we are only living in the now, yet anticipating the future which our beloved Master has so wonderfully portrayed, we know that everything that is necessary will be done at the proper time.
In the Graces we use daily, we are admonished to "be patient in all things, tolerant in all things, waiting for the purposes and limitations of divine wisdom as related to all our operations. * * * Awaken in us the purpose to devote our lives to God and men. Give us hearts of thankfulness and ever active devotion to your purposes with us." If we can truly awaken in ourselves the purpose to devote our lives to God and men, we are certain to be richly rewarded for our efforts.
On Saturday evening, Nov. 11, the K. U. Orchestra gave a very interesting concert in honor of the sisters who recently returned from several months' visit in New York, and the applause given each number was evidence that the music was well appreciated. Besides the orchestra numbers, Brother Harold favored us with a violin solo, "Chopin's Nocturne," For an encore he responded with Chaminide's "Scarf Dance." We also listened to a vocal solo, "Boys of the Old Brigade;" these numbers being accompanied on the piano by Brother James Calderwood.
On the following Sunday evening, a brother read from the writings of KORESH, "The Personality and Humanity of Deity," and "The Bond of Social Obligation," from F. S., Jan'y 16, 1906. The solo for the evening was "Fear Not Ye, 0 Israel." In the first article we learned that:
"The question of the personality of God is a problem in dispute among the pronouncedly learned men of the age. In the Christian church there is no defined statement logically formulated, upon which the theologians agree. * * * We herewith make the declaration that there is a personal God. * * * Our argument in favor of the personality of Deity is involved in the Koreshan axiomatic declaration: 'Nothing can be projected into character or quality of being, not contained in the cause.' * * * I am Alpha and Omega, [said the Lord Jesus,] the beginning and the end, * * * the first and the last."
We have recently harvested an excellent crop of Jamaica sorrel. This sorrel has a red bud, and when cooked resembles in taste the cranberries grown in the North. We understand that this is an excellent season for wild turkeys; and as the hunting season has opened, and we have plenty of the sorrel sauce, we trust Brother Charles Hunt will find a good roost of turkeys some twilight evening, and bag a few for our Christmas dinner. Whether he does or not, this will not debar us from being truly grateful for the great privilege of being here in Estero. The Master says of it: "Estero, holding the destinies of the coming age, we proclaim thee the pride of the divine Nobility, and the place where God hath set his hand for the reclamation of his people!" This should be cause for thankfulness when we think of the light we have in contrast with the war-cursed competitive world.
Tuesday, November 22, was election day in Estero, and the officers elected were: Mayor, George W. Hunt; Clerk, David J. Richards; Auditor, H. D. Silverfriend; Marshall, Chas. H. Hunt; these are to serve one year; the following five Aldermen are to serve two years: J. S. Sargent, J. A. Weimar, Lou H. Staton, John Watson, and John M. Lane.
At our Sunday evening Service of Nov. 19, a brother read the following articles from the writings of KORESH : "The Age Ending in Conflict," F. S., Oct., 1908, "The Root of the Financial Evil," F. S., Feb., 1908, and "The Geometry of Government," F. S., May, 1908. The quartette sang "Adonai."
The New York Times Magazine for Nov. 12, published an article by A. St. Ledger, a former Senator in the Australian Parliament, in which he says that "Compulsory arbitration in Australia fails. Any man who imagines that a time will come when there never will be any disputes, and big ones, too, in big industries is a dreamer. * * * Industrial disputes will be totally abolished or prevented only when men are more totally slaves to industrials, or to the State." He writes at length in this vein, blaming socialists and other faddists for this state of affairs. If he could only get a glimpse of the above articles, with his mind open to the truth, he would readily see that the competitive system was born in hell, and is now simply reaping the reward of its own hellishness. We will quote a few sentences from "The Age Ending in Conflict."
"In the secular world there is no god but money. * * * The love of money and the money power constitute the love and power through which the great climax of revolution terminates the dispensation. No political party can effect a cure for this great evil. * * * The battle of Gog and Magog cannot be averted by cries of peace! peace! The time of peace has not yet arrived. Peace will come after the great conflict. * * * This is not the battle of Gog and Magog, but the battle of Armageddon. It is the final power-of the hells against the power of God and his Anointed. God himself will end the strife through his power to conquer the world, and in this power alone is the hope of the world against the evils into which the great political powers of the nation and the world have led us. Koreshanity is the ark of safety. * * * We have made these predictions for thirty years."
Our younger members are very enthusiastic over the prospect of a new tennis court. The court is. the regulation size 78x36, and is to be covered with oyster shell, which is being screened; the coarse being covered with the fine stuff; this will insure a good solid base. Tennis is one of the cleanest of outdoor games, and will no doubt prove a most excellent recreation to all who participate.
The croquet lawn which Brother Franklin has worked so industriously to make, and which he keeps in such good condition, has afforded the greatest pleasure to many of our brothers and sisters; those who have played the game know what excellent pastime it is.
The K. U. Orchestra gave another very pleasant concert on Saturday evening, Nov. 25. Brothers George Hunt and Jesse Putnam sang a duet, "Larboard Watch;" for an encore, Brother Jesse sang, "It Is Better to Laugh Than to Cry," which was enjoyed by all.
At the Sunday evening Service, Nov. 26, a sister read the "Character of the Lord's Coming," F. S., Feb'y, 1914, and "The Voice," F. S., Feb'y 7, 1891. Brother James Calderwood sang, "We Await Thee Here." Concerning "The Voice," the Master says:
"The voice is the medium for imparting the Word of God, and when I speak of the Voice I do not refer to the expression of words through what is called natural language, but especially to that congeries of collection of living germs, male and female, concreted into organic human form now to be translated and assimilated to the resurrection. This Voice in its mission must precede the Shepherd, for it contains the life of the world, the hidden manna, and not until the translation will it be heard by this dead world."
On Thanksgiving night we had a very pleasant entertainment at the Dining Hall. which consisted of a musical comedy sketch, vocal music, some new Victrola records, dancing, and games for the younger children, in which some of the older ones joined. Sister Berthaldine was asked to give a talk on a wonderful movie play that she saw while in New York this past summer on "Intolerance," but owing to an otherwise crowded evening, she decided to tell us about it the following Wednesday evening, on which night it is our custom to have a Victrola concert.
We were well pleased with the talk on the night of Dec. 6, and it caused us to wish that we too had the opportunity of seeing this wonderful production. There are so many avenues of life in which one can notice that the virus intolerance is being injected: and the suffering of the world today is practically from the result of the intolerance which culminated on Mount Calvary nineteen hundred years ago; but we as Koreshans know that everything works according to law, and it was then "Not my will, but thy will be done," which had to be, just as much as it is now at this end of the age. As we always like to know what the Master says about any matter, the Sister closed her talk with the following paragraph on intolerance, which may be found in F. S., Dec. 12, 1901:
"Intolerance of another because that other possesses what seem to you intolerable biases, habits, or accidents of being, while you possess equally great faults, possibly unknown to yourself, is one of the most deplorable sins of a professing Koreshan. This sin alone is sufficient to shut one out of the attainment of the firstfruits of the Kingdom. We do not mean that it shuts one out of a heavenly attainment, but it precludes entrance into the firstfruits of heavenly life and joy."
At our Sunday evening Service of Dec. 3, a brother read the following articles from the writings of KORESH: "The Salvation of the Flesh of Man," F. S., Feb. 7, 1905, and "Divine Political Economy," F. S., Jan. 24, 1891. The quartette sang "0 That I Had Wings." In the last article quoted we find the following:
"The governments of the world, devoid as they are of every spark of the divine principle love to the neighbor will. find their sepulchre in the valley of the decomposing carcass of a polluted and hypocritical church; but from their ruins, resurrected into the law of the economy of everlasting life, the new and living' first-born shall arise, clothed upon with the Lord's righteousness, bright and shining as the noonday sun, kindled into the glowing heat of overwhelming love to God and man. Such is the change, and such the kingdom to succeed the crumbling ruins of the old church, which, though now corrupt, had its inception in the very heart of God."
Mr. L. M. Boomer of New York City, has been here looking after his interests and spending a few days at the Unity. Good progress is being made on the fine house he is building, which, when completed, will be a credit to this section of Lee County.
On Sunday evening, Dec. 10, a sister read at our Service the following articles from the writings of KORESH: "The Path of Progress Through Reembodiment," F. S., March, 1907; "The Mystery of the Human Soul Revealed," F. S., Feb., 1907, and "The Mystery of the Human Soul," F. S., Dec. 15, 1907. The quartette sang "The Lord Is in His Holy Temple." The first article quoted above is devoted to that illustrious genius of the 16th and 17th century, Emanuel Swedenborg, and we find in this article that:
"Swedenborg did not complete even his earthly career as Emanuel Swedenborg. He fulfills his earthly mission when he attains to the power of overcoming mortality, in that final reembodiment in which he is known as the Messianic character to the natural world, as he was the Messiah to the' spiritual world, with whose center he entered into conjunctive unity. * * * Swedenborg is in the world to complete his mission. He is the final embodiment, through which he reaches the central consciousness of the universe. He is in that consciousness which he himself recognized as the name of the Lord."
BY D. J. RICHARDS
December 1916
A NUMBER of our brothers at the present time are busily engaged in building a frame structure over the new boiler. This boiler has proved most satisfactory in every way, and has been the means of reducing our gasoline expense very materially; our printing office having been largely run by gas engines. We have not as yet connected it with the sawmill, as some of our brothers are engaged on the new house which the Unity is building for Mr. Boomer. This crowds us a little in our regular work; but since we are only living in the now, yet anticipating the future which our beloved Master has so wonderfully portrayed, we know that everything that is necessary will be done at the proper time.
In the Graces we use daily, we are admonished to "be patient in all things, tolerant in all things, waiting for the purposes and limitations of divine wisdom as related to all our operations. * * * Awaken in us the purpose to devote our lives to God and men. Give us hearts of thankfulness and ever active devotion to your purposes with us." If we can truly awaken in ourselves the purpose to devote our lives to God and men, we are certain to be richly rewarded for our efforts.
On Saturday evening, Nov. 11, the K. U. Orchestra gave a very interesting concert in honor of the sisters who recently returned from several months' visit in New York, and the applause given each number was evidence that the music was well appreciated. Besides the orchestra numbers, Brother Harold favored us with a violin solo, "Chopin's Nocturne," For an encore he responded with Chaminide's "Scarf Dance." We also listened to a vocal solo, "Boys of the Old Brigade;" these numbers being accompanied on the piano by Brother James Calderwood.
On the following Sunday evening, a brother read from the writings of KORESH, "The Personality and Humanity of Deity," and "The Bond of Social Obligation," from F. S., Jan'y 16, 1906. The solo for the evening was "Fear Not Ye, 0 Israel." In the first article we learned that:
"The question of the personality of God is a problem in dispute among the pronouncedly learned men of the age. In the Christian church there is no defined statement logically formulated, upon which the theologians agree. * * * We herewith make the declaration that there is a personal God. * * * Our argument in favor of the personality of Deity is involved in the Koreshan axiomatic declaration: 'Nothing can be projected into character or quality of being, not contained in the cause.' * * * I am Alpha and Omega, [said the Lord Jesus,] the beginning and the end, * * * the first and the last."
We have recently harvested an excellent crop of Jamaica sorrel. This sorrel has a red bud, and when cooked resembles in taste the cranberries grown in the North. We understand that this is an excellent season for wild turkeys; and as the hunting season has opened, and we have plenty of the sorrel sauce, we trust Brother Charles Hunt will find a good roost of turkeys some twilight evening, and bag a few for our Christmas dinner. Whether he does or not, this will not debar us from being truly grateful for the great privilege of being here in Estero. The Master says of it: "Estero, holding the destinies of the coming age, we proclaim thee the pride of the divine Nobility, and the place where God hath set his hand for the reclamation of his people!" This should be cause for thankfulness when we think of the light we have in contrast with the war-cursed competitive world.
Tuesday, November 22, was election day in Estero, and the officers elected were: Mayor, George W. Hunt; Clerk, David J. Richards; Auditor, H. D. Silverfriend; Marshall, Chas. H. Hunt; these are to serve one year; the following five Aldermen are to serve two years: J. S. Sargent, J. A. Weimar, Lou H. Staton, John Watson, and John M. Lane.
At our Sunday evening Service of Nov. 19, a brother read the following articles from the writings of KORESH : "The Age Ending in Conflict," F. S., Oct., 1908, "The Root of the Financial Evil," F. S., Feb., 1908, and "The Geometry of Government," F. S., May, 1908. The quartette sang "Adonai."
The New York Times Magazine for Nov. 12, published an article by A. St. Ledger, a former Senator in the Australian Parliament, in which he says that "Compulsory arbitration in Australia fails. Any man who imagines that a time will come when there never will be any disputes, and big ones, too, in big industries is a dreamer. * * * Industrial disputes will be totally abolished or prevented only when men are more totally slaves to industrials, or to the State." He writes at length in this vein, blaming socialists and other faddists for this state of affairs. If he could only get a glimpse of the above articles, with his mind open to the truth, he would readily see that the competitive system was born in hell, and is now simply reaping the reward of its own hellishness. We will quote a few sentences from "The Age Ending in Conflict."
"In the secular world there is no god but money. * * * The love of money and the money power constitute the love and power through which the great climax of revolution terminates the dispensation. No political party can effect a cure for this great evil. * * * The battle of Gog and Magog cannot be averted by cries of peace! peace! The time of peace has not yet arrived. Peace will come after the great conflict. * * * This is not the battle of Gog and Magog, but the battle of Armageddon. It is the final power-of the hells against the power of God and his Anointed. God himself will end the strife through his power to conquer the world, and in this power alone is the hope of the world against the evils into which the great political powers of the nation and the world have led us. Koreshanity is the ark of safety. * * * We have made these predictions for thirty years."
Our younger members are very enthusiastic over the prospect of a new tennis court. The court is. the regulation size 78x36, and is to be covered with oyster shell, which is being screened; the coarse being covered with the fine stuff; this will insure a good solid base. Tennis is one of the cleanest of outdoor games, and will no doubt prove a most excellent recreation to all who participate.
The croquet lawn which Brother Franklin has worked so industriously to make, and which he keeps in such good condition, has afforded the greatest pleasure to many of our brothers and sisters; those who have played the game know what excellent pastime it is.
The K. U. Orchestra gave another very pleasant concert on Saturday evening, Nov. 25. Brothers George Hunt and Jesse Putnam sang a duet, "Larboard Watch;" for an encore, Brother Jesse sang, "It Is Better to Laugh Than to Cry," which was enjoyed by all.
At the Sunday evening Service, Nov. 26, a sister read the "Character of the Lord's Coming," F. S., Feb'y, 1914, and "The Voice," F. S., Feb'y 7, 1891. Brother James Calderwood sang, "We Await Thee Here." Concerning "The Voice," the Master says:
"The voice is the medium for imparting the Word of God, and when I speak of the Voice I do not refer to the expression of words through what is called natural language, but especially to that congeries of collection of living germs, male and female, concreted into organic human form now to be translated and assimilated to the resurrection. This Voice in its mission must precede the Shepherd, for it contains the life of the world, the hidden manna, and not until the translation will it be heard by this dead world."
On Thanksgiving night we had a very pleasant entertainment at the Dining Hall. which consisted of a musical comedy sketch, vocal music, some new Victrola records, dancing, and games for the younger children, in which some of the older ones joined. Sister Berthaldine was asked to give a talk on a wonderful movie play that she saw while in New York this past summer on "Intolerance," but owing to an otherwise crowded evening, she decided to tell us about it the following Wednesday evening, on which night it is our custom to have a Victrola concert.
We were well pleased with the talk on the night of Dec. 6, and it caused us to wish that we too had the opportunity of seeing this wonderful production. There are so many avenues of life in which one can notice that the virus intolerance is being injected: and the suffering of the world today is practically from the result of the intolerance which culminated on Mount Calvary nineteen hundred years ago; but we as Koreshans know that everything works according to law, and it was then "Not my will, but thy will be done," which had to be, just as much as it is now at this end of the age. As we always like to know what the Master says about any matter, the Sister closed her talk with the following paragraph on intolerance, which may be found in F. S., Dec. 12, 1901:
"Intolerance of another because that other possesses what seem to you intolerable biases, habits, or accidents of being, while you possess equally great faults, possibly unknown to yourself, is one of the most deplorable sins of a professing Koreshan. This sin alone is sufficient to shut one out of the attainment of the firstfruits of the Kingdom. We do not mean that it shuts one out of a heavenly attainment, but it precludes entrance into the firstfruits of heavenly life and joy."
At our Sunday evening Service of Dec. 3, a brother read the following articles from the writings of KORESH: "The Salvation of the Flesh of Man," F. S., Feb. 7, 1905, and "Divine Political Economy," F. S., Jan. 24, 1891. The quartette sang "0 That I Had Wings." In the last article quoted we find the following:
"The governments of the world, devoid as they are of every spark of the divine principle love to the neighbor will. find their sepulchre in the valley of the decomposing carcass of a polluted and hypocritical church; but from their ruins, resurrected into the law of the economy of everlasting life, the new and living' first-born shall arise, clothed upon with the Lord's righteousness, bright and shining as the noonday sun, kindled into the glowing heat of overwhelming love to God and man. Such is the change, and such the kingdom to succeed the crumbling ruins of the old church, which, though now corrupt, had its inception in the very heart of God."
Mr. L. M. Boomer of New York City, has been here looking after his interests and spending a few days at the Unity. Good progress is being made on the fine house he is building, which, when completed, will be a credit to this section of Lee County.
On Sunday evening, Dec. 10, a sister read at our Service the following articles from the writings of KORESH: "The Path of Progress Through Reembodiment," F. S., March, 1907; "The Mystery of the Human Soul Revealed," F. S., Feb., 1907, and "The Mystery of the Human Soul," F. S., Dec. 15, 1907. The quartette sang "The Lord Is in His Holy Temple." The first article quoted above is devoted to that illustrious genius of the 16th and 17th century, Emanuel Swedenborg, and we find in this article that:
"Swedenborg did not complete even his earthly career as Emanuel Swedenborg. He fulfills his earthly mission when he attains to the power of overcoming mortality, in that final reembodiment in which he is known as the Messianic character to the natural world, as he was the Messiah to the' spiritual world, with whose center he entered into conjunctive unity. * * * Swedenborg is in the world to complete his mission. He is the final embodiment, through which he reaches the central consciousness of the universe. He is in that consciousness which he himself recognized as the name of the Lord."
Author:
[various]
Category:
8: Communication Artifact
Notes:
This is part of a bound set for the year 1916.
Object Name:
Periodical
Subcategory:
Documentary Artifact
Phys Desc:
24 p.
Publisher:
Guiding Star Publishing House
Publication Place:
Estero, Fl.
Search Terms:
Flaming Sword
Subjects:
Periodicals——Theology