“OUR ALLEGIANCE IS NOT A CREED, NOT TO A BOOK, NOT TO A CHURCH, BUT TO THE GREAT SPIRIT OF LIFE AND HIS ETERNAL NATURAL LAWS”.
THOUGH the words were addressed to Brenda Crenshaw, a medium from America visiting Hannen Swaffer’s home circle, they had, as was often the case, general application. Said the guide, Silver Birch:
“We all have our tasks to perform. We can stray, and we can lose our way; there may be obstacles in the path, but if we are wise, there will come those times of self-realisation and self-illumination when we know beyond any shadow of doubt what it is we have to do.
If one only is served
“One individual, one task, one corner of the world in which to perform it, and the aggregate of all these individuals, in all these corners, performing all their tasks, enables the mighty, majestic power of the spirit to fulfil itself in aiding a sick, troubled world.
“You cannot measure what you are achieving. If you enable one soul to be lifted up, if you enable the tears of sorrow to be erased from one face, if you enable gladness to come to a heart that was desolate, one sick person to be healed, your earthly life has been worthwhile.
“The sublime purpose behind all our missions is a serious one, for you are in a world surrounded with many perils, where forces of great destruction can be unleashed. It is essential that our sentries should be on their guard; it is essential that the instruments should be as pure as they can, so that the maximum amount of divine power can always stream through them.
“Your world needs divine help as seldom it has needed before. So you have the inestimable privilege of service, than which there is no greater blessing. If sometimes the task seems heavy, the people unappreciative, the conditions difficult and the way not easy, do not worry.
“The supernal power that has guided you and has never failed you will continue with its superb blessing, part of the mighty power of the spirit which like a protective mantle is around you. There is so much to do, especially in that continent where you dwell. Materialism is rampant, the golden calf is still worshipped and spiritual values have yet to be understood, appreciated, let alone applied to daily life.”
“I hope that I may continue to be a worthy instrument,” said the visitor, “and realise the great responsibility that is mine. There is a tremendous need.”
“Where there is the need there is the tremendous opportunity,” commented the guide. “The forces that are ranged against us are many and of diverse kinds. They total a formidable combination, but however vast, they are not as strong as the infinite power of the spirit. With this behind us we cannot fail.
Too much of a hurry
“Spirit power is here to stay in your world; it will work its beneficence slowly, surely and relentlessly; it will sweep away the obstacles and continue to establish itself in ever-increasing measure.”
To a member of the circle, the guide said: “Be patient. Just as other things have been fulfilled, so the remaining problems will be solved if we are left to our own devices. The trouble is that you are too much in a hurry. Your impatience, based often on goodwill, acts as an impediment rather than an accelerating force.
“The Great Spirit cannot work in a hurry; the Great Spirit does not have to be hustled. The Great Spirit is quite aware of the functions that have to be fulfilled. By virtue of extensive experience, far more extensive than that of any human, He can supervise all the facets of universal activity that require divine attention.
“There is not one soul in the whole wide world who is ever forgotten in this process. So intricate, yet perfect, are the natural laws that none is overlooked by the Great Spirit. The laws encompass them all; no being, no creature, no event is outside the natural laws. No miracles, no coincidences, no chance, all is law, all is order.”
Next came a message to someone living abroad, one to whom Silver Birch had often spoken:
“Will you say that I am very proud of him, especially at the way in which he has faced up to the trials which have beset him, to the difficulties which almost engulfed him. Throughout it all he has remained steadfast, immovable, conscious that the hour produces the need and that those who have true faith, founded on reason, find that guidance and help always come at the critical moment. Tell him I will continue to serve him as he has always striven to serve others.”
The visitor from America told Silver Birch that she brought greetings from “many who know you only as a name and who feel that they have a great love in their hearts for you.”
“This gives me great cause for rejoicing,” said the guide, “to feel that I have earned the love of those who know me not. But I am only a servant, one of many fulfilling a duty which was laid upon me at my request. If I succeed in helping one soul along the path of attainment, then I am very glad.”
Time is no barrier
The guide singled out for special mention two old friends living abroad and who were known to the visitor. “They are both very dear to me,” he said. “With them I have links and ties which cannot be severed by oceans or lands, by time or space; they are imperishable because they are the bonds, the willing bonds, of the spirit.
“Give them my love and say that they are always in my thoughts. I am often in their home. I warm myself in the love of their hearth and their hearts, and with others maintain a fatherly eye on them to ensure that no real harm will befall them.”
This was the guide’s closing benediction: “Let us end where we began, with the sublime power which, being infinite, has neither beginning nor end. Let us truly strive to make ourselves more conscious of this benign influence, to make ourselves more worthy instruments of its purpose.
“Let us, at all times, allow its majestic power to permeate our beings, so that we can feel in harmony with the power which endowed us with the gift of life itself. Let us always strive so to order our actions that we are its instruments, at peace because we are truly united with the Great Spirit.
“The Great Spirit bless you all.”
TO ACHIEVE THE RIGHT CONDITIONS
‘THE proceedings began with Silver Birch saying: “Let us put on one side all thoughts of care, worry, anxiety, anything that would mar the harmony of our gathering. With the desire to add to our knowledge and to increase our spiritual stature, let us attune ourselves to the highest that we can reach. Let us approach the supreme infinite power, the arbiter of all destinies, and seek the divine blessing on all that we strive to do in its name.
“Oh Great White Spirit, Thou hast made us in Thy divine image and implanted within every facet of being the seed of Thy divinity for it to flourish and grow and to express the beauty and radiance which should be the natural outlet.
“We recognise that we owe the gift of life to Thee because Thou hast endowed us with it. We are spirit of Thy spirit, living and moving because the breath of Thy life has been implanted within us. Who Thou art and what Thou art is beyond our comprehension. Our finite thinking cannot grasp what is entailed by infinity.
“We recognise Thee as Thou art revealed in the natural laws that regulate and maintain and sustain the whole of the boundless universe, in which provision has been made for every facet of activity, large or small. Within Thy care and Thy domain are the human beings to whom Thou hast given the privilege of a developed consciousness, a free will, a mind, the power to reason, to judge, to reflect, to weigh and to consider.
“Using these attributes aright, they could become more like Thee and thus fulfil the purpose of their being, to strive to be greater instruments of Thy power, to express the gifts with which they have been endowed, to serve wherever they can, to help wherever they can.
“In this fashion, they can dispel darkness and ignorance, lift the burden that crushes so many and enable the light, the refulgent light, of divine truth to spread.
“This is the prayer of Thy Indian servant who seeks always to serve.”
THE GUIDE WHO IS A MAGNET
WHAT is there about Silver Birch’s teachings and personality that proves so great an attraction? In this issue there is an account of the visit to his circle by a medium from America. She regarded it as a red-letter day.
Next month you will read what transpired when that veteran, wonderful medium, Grace Cooke, and her husband were invited by the guide to be present. Afterwards Mrs. Cooke wrote, “It truly was a blessed experience and to me a special gift of the spirit brethren.”
An American professor volunteers: “He has influenced me tremendously—and all for the best. I have read and own all the books published on his philosophy. Please tell Silver Birch of my tremendous admiration for him.”
An old Spiritualist, recently bereaved, said after her visit: “Silver Birch is truly a most beloved and great teacher. The amazing thing is that his words are so much to the point. They are especially potent to the person who is being addressed, without anyone else being aware of the intensity of their meaning.”
From the Philippine Islands a woman writes: “I have come to love him. He has given me a great deal of understanding which I have never found anywhere.” From Kansas, USA, comes the tribute, “I marvel at Silver Birch’s work – the beauty and simplicity of his writing and am a great admirer.”
In psychic periodicals all over the world there are frequent quotations from his teachings. One of the latest appears in the programme of Johannesburg’s Society for Psychic Advancement: “Peace on earth can come only when earthly individuals earn it by living lives of service, co-operation, toleration and have goodwill for one another.”“The sublime purpose behind all our missions is a serious one, for you are in a world surrounded with many perils, where forces of great destruction can be unleashed. It is essential that our sentries should be on their guard; it is essential that the instruments should be as pure as they can, so that the maximum amount of divine power can always stream through them.
“Your world needs divine help as seldom it has needed before. So you have the inestimable privilege of service, than which there is no greater blessing. If sometimes the task seems heavy, the people unappreciative, the conditions difficult and the way not easy, do not worry.
“The supernal power that has guided you and has never failed you will continue with its superb blessing, part of the mighty power of the spirit which like a protective mantle is around you. There is so much to do, especially in that continent where you dwell. Materialism is rampant, the golden calf is still worshipped and spiritual values have yet to be understood, appreciated, let alone applied to daily life.”
“I hope that I may continue to be a worthy instrument,” said the visitor, “and realise the great responsibility that is mine. There is a tremendous need.”
“Where there is the need there is the tremendous opportunity,” commented the guide. “The forces that are ranged against us are many and of diverse kinds. They total a formidable combination, but however vast, they are not as strong as the infinite power of the spirit. With this behind us we cannot fail.
Too much of a hurry
“Spirit power is here to stay in your world; it will work its beneficence slowly, surely and relentlessly; it will sweep away the obstacles and continue to establish itself in ever-increasing measure.”
To a member of the circle, the guide said: “Be patient. Just as other things have been fulfilled, so the remaining problems will be solved if we are left to our own devices. The trouble is that you are too much in a hurry. Your impatience, based often on goodwill, acts as an impediment rather than an accelerating force.
“The Great Spirit cannot work in a hurry; the Great Spirit does not have to be hustled. The Great Spirit is quite aware of the functions that have to be fulfilled. By virtue of extensive experience, far more extensive than that of any human, He can supervise all the facets of universal activity that require divine attention.
“There is not one soul in the whole wide world who is ever forgotten in this process. So intricate, yet perfect, are the natural laws that none is overlooked by the Great Spirit. The laws encompass them all; no being, no creature, no event is outside the natural laws. No miracles, no coincidences, no chance, all is law, all is order.”
Next came a message to someone living abroad, one to whom Silver Birch had often spoken:
“Will you say that I am very proud of him, especially at the way in which he has faced up to the trials which have beset him, to the difficulties which almost engulfed him. Throughout it all he has remained steadfast, immovable, conscious that the hour produces the need and that those who have true faith, founded on reason, find that guidance and help always come at the critical moment. Tell him I will continue to serve him as he has always striven to serve others.”
The visitor from America told Silver Birch that she brought greetings from “many who know you only as a name and who feel that they have a great love in their hearts for you.”
“This gives me great cause for rejoicing,” said the guide, “to feel that I have earned the love of those who know me not. But I am only a servant, one of many fulfilling a duty which was laid upon me at my request. If I succeed in helping one soul along the path of attainment, then I am very glad.”
Time is no barrier
The guide singled out for special mention two old friends living abroad and who were known to the visitor. “They are both very dear to me,” he said. “With them I have links and ties which cannot be severed by oceans or lands, by time or space; they are imperishable because they are the bonds, the willing bonds, of the spirit.
“Give them my love and say that they are always in my thoughts. I am often in their home. I warm myself in the love of their hearth and their hearts, and with others maintain a fatherly eye on them to ensure that no real harm will befall them.”
This was the guide’s closing benediction: “Let us end where we began, with the sublime power which, being infinite, has neither beginning nor end. Let us truly strive to make ourselves more conscious of this benign influence, to make ourselves more worthy instruments of its purpose.
“Let us, at all times, allow its majestic power to permeate our beings, so that we can feel in harmony with the power which endowed us with the gift of life itself. Let us always strive so to order our actions that we are its instruments, at peace because we are truly united with the Great Spirit.
“The Great Spirit bless you all.”
TO ACHIEVE THE RIGHT CONDITIONS
‘THE proceedings began with Silver Birch saying: “Let us put on one side all thoughts of care, worry, anxiety, anything that would mar the harmony of our gathering. With the desire to add to our knowledge and to increase our spiritual stature, let us attune ourselves to the highest that we can reach. Let us approach the supreme infinite power, the arbiter of all destinies, and seek the divine blessing on all that we strive to do in its name.
“Oh Great White Spirit, Thou hast made us in Thy divine image and implanted within every facet of being the seed of Thy divinity for it to flourish and grow and to express the beauty and radiance which should be the natural outlet.
“We recognise that we owe the gift of life to Thee because Thou hast endowed us with it. We are spirit of Thy spirit, living and moving because the breath of Thy life has been implanted within us. Who Thou art and what Thou art is beyond our comprehension. Our finite thinking cannot grasp what is entailed by infinity.
“We recognise Thee as Thou art revealed in the natural laws that regulate and maintain and sustain the whole of the boundless universe, in which provision has been made for every facet of activity, large or small. Within Thy care and Thy domain are the human beings to whom Thou hast given the privilege of a developed consciousness, a free will, a mind, the power to reason, to judge, to reflect, to weigh and to consider.
“Using these attributes aright, they could become more like Thee and thus fulfil the purpose of their being, to strive to be greater instruments of Thy power, to express the gifts with which they have been endowed, to serve wherever they can, to help wherever they can.
“In this fashion, they can dispel darkness and ignorance, lift the burden that crushes so many and enable the light, the refulgent light, of divine truth to spread.
“This is the prayer of Thy Indian servant who seeks always to serve.”
THE GUIDE WHO IS A MAGNET
WHAT is there about Silver Birch’s teachings and personality that proves so great an attraction? In this issue there is an account of the visit to his circle by a medium from America. She regarded it as a red-letter day.
Next month you will read what transpired when that veteran, wonderful medium, Grace Cooke, and her husband were invited by the guide to be present. Afterwards Mrs. Cooke wrote, “It truly was a blessed experience and to me a special gift of the spirit brethren.”
An American professor volunteers: “He has influenced me tremendously—and all for the best. I have read and own all the books published on his philosophy. Please tell Silver Birch of my tremendous admiration for him.”
An old Spiritualist, recently bereaved, said after her visit: “Silver Birch is truly a most beloved and great teacher. The amazing thing is that his words are so much to the point. They are especially potent to the person who is being addressed, without anyone else being aware of the intensity of their meaning.”
From the Philippine Islands a woman writes: “I have come to love him. He has given me a great deal of understanding which I have never found anywhere.” From Kansas, USA, comes the tribute, “I marvel at Silver Birch’s work – the beauty and simplicity of his writing and am a great admirer.”
In psychic periodicals all over the world there are frequent quotations from his teachings. One of the latest appears in the programme of Johannesburg’s Society for Psychic Advancement: “Peace on earth can come only when earthly individuals earn it by living lives of service, co-operation, toleration and have goodwill for one another.”