We Have An Open Door Set Before Us
from
Commencement Exercises
GPC Server’s Training School
Uranda and Martin Cecil with others August 27, 1953 Class
Uranda — We have come at last to our Commencement Day, August 27, 1953, and it’s good to have so many of you present to share this hour. This afternoon we have the opportunity and the privilege of seeing certain ones who have gone through our GPC Server’s Training School come to the acknowledgement of their endeavours, that they may be recognized Servers; and we likewise have Servers from the field who have, by reason of either by going through the previous School term, or by their study and application and service, all together, shown themselves to be true ministers in our Lord’s harvest field—and there is in store for them also a special pattern of recognition. So the hour today recognizes not only those who have just completed this Class term but also those who completed the previous Class term and have since that time carried forward effectively and are here, available to be present, and are with us this afternoon.
There is apparently a little excitement in the air somewhere here—I can feel some hearts going pitter-pat. Bless you. We need to begin now to relax and let that tranquillity of spirit, which we have been considering, work in and through us and bring our function here this afternoon to a point in the vibratory field.
We have acknowledged over and over again the pattern of dedication, to follow our LORD and KING in carrying forward that work which was initiated by Him on earth, to the end that man might be restored to a position in relationship to God and this physical realm of creation where he might once more function according to that heavenly purpose for which God first created man. We have recognized in our meditations together that God created man, mankind, male and female, and the Divine Word is: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the earth, to subdue it and to take care of it; to dress it and to keep it. That original purpose divinely ordained for man has never been changed. God’s purpose for many today is exactly the same as it was when He first created man. But mankind has forgotten the purpose for which God brought man forth as the crowning creation on earth. And man has assumed that various other ideas portray the Divine Purpose—to prepare man to go to some heaven, or as a school of development or evolving; many, many different ideas and concepts—but all forgetting God’s purpose for man, which is not to leave this world to go somewhere else, not to prepare for some other realm but to serve right here on earth. And our Master when He was on earth emphasized this point, and He reminded man that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. That was His Gospel, His good news. And He prayed in His prayer, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”
And in spite of all these things man has lost the vision of his true purpose, and he has assumed that God intended him to do a thousand-and-one things which God never indicated, which God did not design—but the purpose that through man, heavenly dominion, would be made manifest on earth, to subdue the earth. If we can reach a point of restoration and attunement with God so that there may be the power by which the earth may be subdued, so that dominion may manifest—What of disease of the body? Why does man have an ill condition physically? Simply because there is something in his body, in the physical flesh of his own being, which he has not been able to subdue, over which he has not been able to establish dominion. A distortion pattern is in control, and man has been helpless before those distortion patterns. But if we do as God instructed that we should, if we function according to the original design in God’s image and likeness, we have the capacities to let all of the powers of God, all the faculties of God, essential to this task find expression on earth because we live. Let us read the word that is written:
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them”—clearly indicating mankind—“and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
“So God created man”—that is, to this purpose, to this end, because that was God’s plan, His design. So on this basis, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them.
“And God blessed then, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
Man’s own physical body is one of the moving things, the living things that moveth upon the face of the earth. But man has not had dominion over his own body. He has not had dominion over the parts of his own body—the organs, the cells, the nerves, the tissues and the glands. And because of this, we have untold misery and suffering and sorrow and sickness all over the face of the earth; hospitals and institutions for the physically and mentally and emotionally ill; evidences wherever we turn that man is not functioning on the basis for which God designed him; evidences wherever we turn that man is not a means by which that dominion should be established on earth.
We recognize that man violated his relationship with God and went through the process that is called the fall—but that did not change God’s purpose for man! Whether we consider it in the Twenty-Third Psalm, “He restoreth your soul”—and you are a soul; you don’t have a soul, remember: and God breathed the breath of life into man’s nostrils and man became a living soul. You are a soul. And if He restoreth your soul, He restores your body, your mind, your heart or emotional nature, all that you are, to its Divine Purpose, and that Divine Purpose is that Man was first created to have dominion over the earth, over everything that lives and moves on the face of the earth, including his own body. And man’s failure to let himself be so restored is the one basic cause of all the miseries and sufferings and sorrows and sicknesses on earth.
Man is trying desperately to establish dominion in various ways. He is trying to find some drug or something of the sort by which he may gain dominion over disease, combat disease, but what causes the increase of these diseases faster than all of our increase in knowledge makes it possible for us to meet the diseases. We have no quarrel with those who are making such a valiant effort meet the sufferings of the world, to alleviate them, or to make healing possible. That is well and good. But, under the tensions of our so-called modern age the difficulties we bring upon ourselves by our own patterns of life cause a constant increase in what is called the nation’s number one killer, heart trouble, and cancer. We can make a whole list of diseases which cause human beings to die, and these diseases all stand as evidence that man does not have dominion. But it is not merely that we have diseases of the body. We have diseases of the mind and the emotional realm, institutions for those who become so severely defective mentally and emotionally that they must be confined or brought under observation, and that is not dominion. It isn’t dominion, it isn’t subduing those things that would upset the pattern of the Divine Plan.
When our Master was on earth, He plainly indicated that God’s purpose for man had not changed, and He said, “Follow me”—follow Me—and He did what? He demonstrated the reality of dominion, and He showed that the power of God working through man could subdue those ailments, those illnesses which beset man. And so we find in the record that He accomplished many wonderful things and healings, because He was able to subdue those things which tended to disrupt and destroy life, and He could bring them under dominion—whether it was the withered arm, or leprosy, or some other thing—and that dominion was made manifest in Him, and He revealed the power by which these ill conditions might be subdued and brought under control. But it is not merely the physical body that was brought under dominion, for that which was spoken of as “casting out devils” or “unclean spirits” is the clearing of the emotional realm, as we would say it today, the clearing of the patterns of aberration from the mind, re-establishing balance mentally, emotionally and physically. And in that pattern of Ministry, He gave evidence over and over again that the power of God made manifest through man is well able to establish dominion and to subdue those things which ought not to be—and He said, “Follow me.”
We have recognized that that instruction to follow has been interpreted by the religions of the world in many, many different ways, different patterns, basically, fundamentally, more-or-less the same. But we have recognized that man’s assumption that the greatest atrocity of all time was somehow necessary to the salvation of man is wrong. We have recognized that God did not in any sense require the crucifixion; that it was not in any sense required that Jesus should be crucified or, as it’s put, “die on the cross.” The greatest delusion that has ever been foisted on the world, a sick and miserable and weary world, is the idea that God somehow required that Jesus should be crucified in order to save man. That’s the central kernel of the devil’s most successful delusion foisted on humanity, because it makes the Master’s life, His teaching, His Ministry, to be of no effect among the children of men—the idea that Jesus had to die on the cross to satisfy God before man could be saved, before man could be forgiven.
We have recognized that the Master Himself said, before the crucifixion (and you can read it in the Seventeenth Chapter of John), “I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.” He had finished the work that the Father gave Him to do. He had not yet been betrayed. He had not yet faced the indignities of the trial, or the sufferings of the crucifixion. Everything else was imposed by man and not required of God. It was the greatest atrocity of all time. If that crucifixion was essential for our salvation then those by who that crucifixion was made manifest should be counted the greatest of all the saints, and Judas should be chief of them; for if that was required for the salvation on man then it was by reason of that betrayal, by reason of Peter’s denial, by reason of those who shouted, “Crucify Him,” by reason of those who drove the spikes and shoved the spear that we can be saved—and they should be receiving our eternal gratitude that they did these things to make it possible. For if God required that He die on the cross before we could be saved, then somebody had to do it, and the ones that did it should have our eternal gratitude. Once we begin to stop and look at it, we see how this delusion of the devil has ensnared millions and millions of earnest and sincere, good human beings and has made them to be of no effect. For they have assumed, first, that saving man is something about going to some far heaven, not while we live on earth, getting man ready to go to heaven somewhere; and secondly, that to follow Him meant—what?—being crucified in some fashion, becoming meaningless in some fashion, dying, when such is not the case at all.
The Master gave us the evidence of the Way of Restoration, according to what He taught, as we have noted. His crucifixion had absolutely nothing to do with the pattern of whether your sins are forgiven; for if we say that Jesus had to die before our sins could be forgiven we say that Jesus Himself was a liar; for He said—and you can read it in Matthew Six—He taught men to pray, Forgive us our debts, our sins, our trespasses, as we forgive others. He didn’t say anything about His dying on the cross. He said if you forgive those who trespass against you, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. Now either Jesus didn’t know what He was talking about, or that is the truth of the matter. And I prefer to take the position that our LORD and KING on earth did know what He was talking about—and it’s time we begin to follow Him instead of following after the fancies of those who did not understand His teaching or His purpose.
So restoration, resurrection, rebirth, salvation, whatever term we wish to use, has for its one end, restoring man to his right position right here on earth where the kingdom of heaven may be manifest, the power of God may be manifest through man, and man is the only means by which God arranged that His power should manifest on earth so that there might be dominion—the dominion for which God first created man, dominion over the limitations, whether they be the body, the mind, the heart, whether they be of the vegetable realm, or the animal kingdom, or wherever. For this is salvation. Not saying with one’s lips, as so many millions have been duped into believing falsely, “I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save me from my sins.” That is to say one believes an absolute lie. It is one of the most horrible blasphemies that has ever been projected into the realm of human beings, because it wasn’t required by God and the Bible doesn’t teach it. Paul, who didn’t know anything about it, helped produce some of those ideas, yes; but I don’t count Paul’s writings as part of the Bible. If you read them you’ll find that out. Of course, Paul’s writings were selected to be a part of the Bible by a conclave of Roman Catholics, and all the Protestants so-called have followed along and accepted that idea, that Paul’s writings are a part of the Bible—but they’re not. And those who follow Paul’s writings ought to say so; they’re Paulites, not followers of our LORD and KING, not Christians. Paul’s writings—he wrote some good things, yes, but he didn’t write the Bible.
If we want to understand the truth of the matter look at what Jesus taught, and we’ll begin to find out—the restoration of man to the realm of dominion. He said, “Follow me.” And He said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also.” What are the works? To subdue the ill conditions on earth, to establish dominion, to wipe out disease, whether of body or mind or heart, and open the way by which man might begin to be that noble and heavenly crowning creation for which he was originally designed, in the image and likeness of God.
And so that is our purpose here this afternoon: to take note before God and man of a forward step in Ministry—that human beings having gone through certain steps in basic training, acknowledge by dedication and ordination that they are ready and willing to commence to serve God selflessly, to the end that God’s purpose for man shall begin to have meaning on earth; to the end that we may begin to follow our LORD and KING actually, and let the works appear. There has been much confusion, much argument in the world, about works, some claiming that by works they could be saved. If a person tries to save himself by works it certainly will fail. But who is concerned about such things if he begins to understand that which is revealed in the Book. We begin to recognize that the works are to appear not to try to serve ourselves or save ourselves, but to glorify God and be a blessing to others. And if we claim to follow Him, if we claim to believe on Him, and do not let those works appear, we make liars of ourselves—the works by which the ill conditions, the ill things, may be subdued, the works by which that dominion may be made manifest right here on earth.
For we have come to recognize that God created the earth, and man to be in it, and in all the Cosmos He has not created any other realm of Being where man can live and move and function—man as we know him. This is the one place where man is supposed to be, and man can’t be anywhere else. Man can’t leave this world and go somewhere else. This is man’s place. And God has not changed His purpose merely because man fell. The purpose for which God first created man is that this dominion should appear; and if the dominion is to appear there must be works, and if there are works—as there will be if we believe on Him, regardless of what anyone else said. “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also.” If we claim to believe on Him and do not do those works, we fail.
And so, we have no quarrel with anyone. We rejoice in all the good that is done by all the churches, and all professions, and all beliefs on earth. But we recognize that if we are going to consider the Word of God we must depart from the paths which human beings have been following by the millions—that broad way which leadeth to destruction—and begin to find that strait Gate and narrow Way of Service to the glory of God and the blessing of the children of men. And so, to this end, for this purpose, let us have a moment of Devotion.
Our gracious LORD and holy KING, we thank Thee that we are privileged to come before Thy Throne, to acknowledge Thee, to receive the outpouring of Thy Spirit, that in this hour we may so yield body and mind and heart to Thee that Thy dominion may be established in us on earth; that yielding to Thy dominion, we may let Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven; that every part of our beings may be subdued to Thy Truth, and being subdued and brought under dominion we may be a means by which Thy dominion, Thy control, Thy power may manifest; that we may have our part in letting Thy Kingdom come on earth, letting Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven, as Thou did teach men to pray—so would we pray: Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed is Thy Name to us. Thy Kingdom, Thy dominion, Thy control—Thy Kingdom come in us. Thy Will be done, on earth, in earth, as it is in heaven. Bring forth on earth exactly the same results which are achieved by the working of Thy Will in heaven; for we know that Thou dost not have one will for heaven and another will for earth. So would we let Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Forgive us our false patterns of function in life as we forgive those who have functioned wrongly against us. Forgive us on exactly the same basis that we forgive others. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, for ever.
I thank Thee Heavenly Father for these who come before Thy Throne, acknowledging their willingness to be dedicated to Thy Service on earth; acknowledging their willingness to come under subjection to Thy Will; acknowledging their readiness to leave all self-centeredness behind; to be centered in Thee, now and always. That they may be dedicated to Thy Service in giving form to Thy Kingdom; that the extension of Thy Kingdom into the earth, the restoration of Thy Kingdom to the earth may glorify Thee, the KING, and permit Thy Blessings to be released to all the children of men. Holy Father, we thank Thee that it is so. LORD of Lords and KING of Kings, we thank Thee that it is so. That being centered in Thee and letting Thy Power have meaning as we abide in Thy Kingdom on earth we may let Thy dominion so manifest that the ills of the world may step-by-step be subdued; that we may give form to those spiritual blessings which Thou hast provided, that they be made manifest to the children of men, that all who will receive may truly glorify Thee, by letting the Glory of Life be increased in Thee and through Thee.
For we would remember always that Thou art our Shepherd, we shall not want; that Thou dost make us lie down in the green pastures of vibrant eternal life; that Thou dost lead us beside the still waters of Thy everlasting Truth; that Thou dost indeed restore us to that place for which Thou didst first create man; that all that has been spoiled of Thy Divine Design may be restored to its proper form and function according to Thy Will; and we rejoice in the privilege we have of letting Thy Presence lead us in the paths of right action, right living, right devotion, right dedication, right service. Yea though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear now evil, for Thou O LORD and KING art with us, our Shepherd. Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort us, and we would let ourselves be so comforted that we may abide in peace before Thy Throne, and serve Thee in serenity, in assurance, in faith and confidence, letting Thy Love and Truth and Life have meaning in every moment of every hour. We thank Thee for the privilege of letting they comfort have meaning on earth, to all those who will receive Thy blessings at our hands. We give thanks that Thou dost prepare a table of Thy blessings and Thy bounty before us, in the presence of all adversity or difficulty or problem, in the presence of our enemies. And we would truly receive the anointing of the oil of Thy Love upon our heads, and we would let Thy power cause the cup of life to overflow; that surely goodness and mercy may follow us in the manifestation of our lives, now an always; and that we and all who will share, may dwell in the House of the LORD forever.
LORD I thank Thee. I thank Thee that it is so for each responding one, and that the working of Thy Spirit overleaps all humanly established boundaries, carrying Thy rich blessings to all who turn to Thee, whosoever they may be, of every race and creed and color; that regardless of the divisions and the churches and the creeds, the colors and the race, Thy All Enfolding Spirit may touch each earnest heart, Thy healing Love may penetrate, and the wisdom by which an understanding of the Truth may enter into every mind; that each one who will may permit the redirection in the living of life, to conform with Thy Purpose, to conform with Thy Will, to share in the coming of Thy Kingdom, and to be a blessing to the children of men. We thank Thee Father that all human boundaries are a nothing before the working of Thy Spirit, and that the spirit of Thy Presence made manifest in our lives can, and does and will, overleap all these boundaries until every earnest and sincere person on the face of the earth shall have the opportunity to know the Truth that makes men free, to know the wonder of Thy purifying Love, and share the nobility, the beauty, the wonder and the glory of that Divine Design for which Thou didst first bring man forth on earth. That we may truly follow Thee and share on earth Thy dominion; that sin and suffering and sorrow may be caused to vanish away, and that those who suffer by reason of sin may be forgiven and made every whit whole, that they may glorify Thee, praising our God. That all who turn to Thee may come to truly believe on Thee, our LORD and KING, and rejoice in Thy life and teaching on earth; that each one who will may come to know Thee, our LORD Jesus Christ. That each may accept the salvation, the rebirth and the restoration in Thy Holy Name. Aum-en.
In a recognition of these things, that we may truly follow our LORD and KING and let His Will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and share in the coming of His Kingdom, I would that those who accept these responsibilities, this dedication, this devotion, would receive the Initial Ordination in the Field of Service, before God, to the blessing of the children of men, being class members of this Class or the previous Class, or Servers in the Field here present, please stand.
You have recognized that the Heavenly Formula which the Master used on earth, and which He expressed in so many and wonderful ways, is contained in essence in the Twenty-Third Psalm. As the Initial Step in your acknowledgement before God and man, of the acceptance of the responsibilities and privileges for the position of a Server, in the Ministry of our LORD and KING, Jesus Christ, will you now place your right hand over your heart and repeat with me the words of the Twenty-Third Psalm, using the personal pronoun:
The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. He preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: He anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. So let it be.
Having meditated upon the significance of this declaration, this Vow before God and man, let the completion of that Vow, and the acknowledgment, be in the form of sharing in what is commonly called The Lord’s Prayer. For you have come to this hour to the end that you may help answer the LORD’s prayer; that you may pray as our Master on earth taught men to pray, and let your life be so lived that you may help to make manifest on earth the answer to the LORD’s prayer. Will you join with me:
After this manner therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Aum-en.
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” As you let that spirit of forgiveness fill your heart, you become an instrument by which the power to forgive is made manifest on earth. You can forgive those who trespass against you, and only as human beings are forgiven. Only as their sins are forgiven can they be healed in body and mind and heart, that each one may be made every whit whole, and become an instrument for the working of God’s Will on earth.
Do you then, now, find your deepest joy, your greatest satisfaction, your most holy privilege, your most acceptable responsibility, in taking this step forward in Ministry. Answer, if it is true, “I do.”
The Commencement Class and Assembly answered in unison, “I do.”
So let it be. And now, in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, I Bless you and Ordain you in this initial step of Service, that you may abide under the Shadow of the Almighty, that you may dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High, that you may—forever, in all things—that may never betray our KING, or in any manner, or in any thought or word or deed, forget you pledge of loyalty before Him. And that you may in thought and word and deed, now and forever, let your body be the means by which life may increase on earth, to all who will receive; let your mind be a means by which God’s truth may increase on earth, to all who will receive; and let your heart be a means by which God’s love may increase on earth, to all who will receive. That following our LORD and KING in letting dominion be established on earth, you may let the works appear, the works that He did, and Greater Works according to His desire, His instruction, and His commandment. That you may, now and forever, remember that you are not your own, but that for twenty-four hours of every day, for seven days of every week, for every week in every month in every year, and through every year through all the days of your life you are called as a Servant of our KING. That in season, being a faithful Servant, you may move forward into that next Step in Ordination where you may be acknowledged as His Friend.
And if in any moment you find that the Spirit of the Dedication and Devotion has in any sense been violated in you, let your thought turn instantly, quickly, to our LORD, that yielding to His Spirit you may be cleansed of impurity, that you may repent and be redirected, and received into the expression of His Life here on earth. That being a Member of His Body you may let His Works be done, to His Glory and to the Blessing of the children of men. Seek, therefore, no personal gain, but live selflessly in the Service of our KING. Seek not greatness of position, but, rather, by the greatness of Service let your dedication be revealed and made known. Seek not that which entangles the hearts and lives of human beings in personal desire, for you have accepted the Vow—I shall not want.
Therefore, abide in serenity, resting in the green pastures. Walk quietly and reverently beside the still waters, and let the restoration of your soul continue until you shall be received in rebirth, in resurrection into the body of those who are accounted Friend. That you may, in season, be a Friend of our KING. To this end, therefore, let every thought and word and deed be dedicated to letting the Spirit of the Presence of our KING be made known to the children of men. That the Spirit of His Peace may still those trembling hearts and minds and bodies which have grown fearful and know not which way to turn. That the Spirit of Love working through you may Center and purify. That the Spirit of Truth working through you may make men free of all limitations which cause them to be less than God intended them to be. And that the Spirit of Life working through you may bring resurrection in body and mind and heart to all those who respond to your ministry, to all those who yield to the Spirit made manifest through your body and mind and heart. For you are to be the means, now and forever, by which the Presence of the One Who Dwells may be made evident. That in your body and mind and heart the evidence of the Presence of the One Who Dwells may be revealed to the children of men. And in the accomplishment of this you Serve our KING. In any violation of this your serve our adversary. Let, therefore, your Service be pure, one-pointed and constant. That in season you may hear the Word, “Well done thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler, give thee dominion over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, in the Kingdom that is at hand on earth.” So let it be.
And I thank Thee Father, that it is established, and that no man can alter or change it. It is so ordained and it shall be so accomplished in the Name, and to the Glory of the LORD of Lords and KING of Kings, now and forever. [Uranda continued, chanting softly] AUM-en Ahhhh Shekinahhh Let the Shekinah Power be in you. Let the Shekinah Kingdom be revealed through you, and the Shekinah Cloud of Glory shine round about you, in the Holy Name of the One Who Dwells, now and forever. For this is the Christ Spirit made evident through our LORD Jesus Christ. And so shall you follow Him in Victory, in living and in Service, subduing those ill things that are in the world and establishing the Dominion of the Kingdom, and letting the Kingdom come, and the Will of God be done in earth as it is in Heaven, for Thine, O Father, for Thine O LORD and KING is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever, AUM-en. Peace be unto you. AUM-en.
The next step for you who have so responded in the Service to our KING is to sign, before those here gathered and before God, The Server’s Code. The Server’s Code—and I will read it for you, so that you be reminded—you have all read it—so that you may be reminded of that to which you affix your signature.
I pledge myself to remember:
Whereas I was made in the Image and Likeness of God, so also every man, woman and child whose life I may touch was made in the Image and Likeness of God.
Whereas the dignity of Life, Love and Aspiration is precious to me, so also is it with those whom I Serve.
Whereas the all-wise Deity has been patient and merciful unto me in my process of growing and maturing into the stature and nobility of a Child of God so also let me be patient and merciful in the expression of my Life Purpose to others.
Whereas the centering of Almighty God is in Love, so let it be with me.
Whereas the nature of God is characterized by Truth and Life, so let it be with me.
Whereas the Divine qualities and characteristics which God has revealed from within Himself to me have inspired me to the highest and the best that I know, so must it be the expression of the highest and the best that I know, from within me, which shall inspire others to the attainment of a worthy goal.
Whereas God has not imposed Himself upon me, but has freely given His bountiful Blessings to me according to my response, so would I refrain from imposing myself or my concepts of Service upon others, but, rather, give freely and selflessly of myself and my Service to others according to their response to the noble ideals of God’s Love and Truth and Life.
Whereas the evil spirits of shame, fear, hate and greed have caused divisions among men, turning men and nations in upon themselves and distorting their lives, let me never forget that only Purity can remove shame, only Love can cast out fear, only an understanding of Truth can clear away hatred, and only the spirit of God’s Givingness can banish greed, that all man-made divisions may cease and that all may see that true self-interest requires the fulfillment of the whole, that the manifestation of the wholeness of God’s Design for all mankind may establish the condition wherein I myself may be truly Whole.
As you accept The Server’s Code, you remember that it is not ours to proselyte; it is not ours to ever undertake to change anyone else’s religion, or to try to get someone to try to move from one church to another. It is not ours to try to impose anything upon others. It is ours to let each one be as free as he or she may be in the condition where he or she is. And that if we reveal the reality of that freedom that manifests by reason of the Truth, others will be inspired to search for the Truth, to begin to find it, to begin to recognize the reality of the Divine Design, to reach a point where they are willing to let superstition be cast away, to let prejudices be removed, to let the Truth appear on a scientific basis in the living of a practical life right here on earth. To the end that we may Serve those who so respond, and, remember the Master’s injunction, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works”—the actuality of what you accomplish in life, in doing, regardless of claims of the lips, regardless of ideas or anything else—to let the reality of the works appear, the life you live. And so shall you Glorify God. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
As you Meditate upon these things we will have some violin music, and at the conclusion of that music, a song.
Next, we will hear briefly from four men. We have here server George Shears, and, as the Director of GPC Incorporated, I am going to ask him to speak briefly. I know any of these men could talk at length but time won’t permit so it won’t be too long. And there is one man who must not be neglected, Jimmy Wellemeyer, who has done a wonderful job in this Class as one of the Instructors, and you remember that he spoke for the Class last year, and I want Jimmy to speak just a word. And then he will be followed by server Albert Ackerly, who is my right-hand Assistant in this School. I think he has done a wonderful job instructing and helping carry forward the Program here, and I would like to hear a word from him, as I am sure you would. And then, concluding this portion, I am going to ask Bishop Martin Cecil to say a few words to us and give a closing Devotion. And then after that, there will be the signing of these Certificates and of The Server’s Code. Now, George Shears.
George Shears — Our Beloved Bishop, and friends. This is the second time I’ve had the pleasure of attending the Commencement Exercises of our beloved School. And it’s been a great thrill from the beginning to end. You who are in this graduating Class have had the most outstanding instruction and revelation of the Truth that’s ever been known on this earth—and I am sure you all realize that. And I thank God for the privilege of having been here for the past two weeks for this marvellous Review. As Director of GPC Servers Incorporated, I humbly acknowledge that I am only a Servant. I assure you friends, that the Director, the actual Director of everything in GPC Servers Incorporated is Bishop Lloyd A. Meeker. And so again I simply want to say thanks. Thank you Father, for this blessed privilege of being here at this momentous occasion today.
Uranda — Thank you George. I praise God for George’s expression, and I feel your answering response. And I thank God for the privilege of serving you in these things. Now, Jimmy Wellemeyer.
James Wellemeyer — Thank you Uranda. Uranda and friends, I am very happy to stand before you this afternoon and just give voice to my thanksgiving, and for the wonderful opportunity which we have in this School. Uranda has outlined to us, in the Meditations this afternoon, the need for Service, and to realize that out whole dedication is to our KING. And I have just a short poem here, which I am going to read because it exemplifies that Service to which we are called, and the way by which we may share in the coming of His Kingdom on earth.
Do you bottle your blessings and cork them up tight
and hide them away on the shelf?
Do you hoard all the good things that God has bestowed
and use them all for yourself?
Or is it your habit to give them away
and let them all freely flow out?
God’s manifold blessings return multiplied
if only we spread them about.
Uranda has given us much, and has shared much with us. Are we going to share those same things with others? Thank you.
Uranda — Thank you Jimmy. Now, Albert Ackerly.
Albert Ackerly — Uranda. Martin. Friends. I have a dual role to play this afternoon. First I would like to speak to the graduating Class specifically, as one of their Instructors, and then I would like to speak to them also in my official capacity as President of GPC Servers. Every morning for six months, at precisely 8:30, I have had the privilege of saying “Good morning” to this Class. And each morning I have applied to them a different name. Now the application of these various names to this Class has been, to some extent, a lot of fun; now some of these names have been applied in fun, but the majority of them were applied as a serious reminder of the goal toward which they were working. And this morning—and indeed it is a morning for each and all of us—I would like to greet them again, and perhaps for the last time as students of this Class. So if you will imagine that the Sun is just rising over the Rimrock, and the tones of the bell have just ceased ringing in your ears, I stand before you and I say, “Good morning, fellow Servers. Good morning to you all.” And as President of GPC Servers, to each and every one of you I say, “Welcome home. God bless you all.”
Uranda — Thank you Al. Few words, but very eloquent, very meaningful. And now, Martin Cecil.
Martin Cecil — Thank you Uranda. I wonder if I have the privilege of speaking for more than three minutes? I was thinking of that from the standpoint of Uranda’s remarks, and from the standpoint of the necessity of “saying something”—saying something. All our words should say something, whether we are standing up in front of an audience or a congregation, or whether we are speaking individually to those whom we are privileged to serve. All our words should be saying something. And it’s a wonderful joy and privilege to me to have the opportunity of standing before you now, and I trust of saying something.
You know, we have a full room here, but there are many more who would like to be here but for whom it was not possible that they should be present. So it is that each one represents many, in that forward movement in the Open Way by which steps are taken in the process which allows the establishment of God’s Dominion on earth. There has been a specific point of forward movement—I was going to say this afternoon; I suppose it was really this morning—and we are privileged to share in it for many. To the degree that—as we listened to Uranda’s words speaking to us a little while ago—to the degree that we were stirred in our hearts, the Way was open before us.
It is wonderful to be stirred in one’s heart. It is wonderful to feel the currents of life moving, of joy, and of a recognition of the truth of the privileges and responsibilities that are ours. But, until that which moves in our hearts is translated into words and deeds it has very little meaning; and if it is to be so translated it requires that we ourselves do something. And in that doing we are privileged and have the opportunity of allowing the Dominion of our LORD and KING to be established in ourselves, individually and collectively, and then to extend on out in relationship to those whom we are privileged to serve, that others may come to share with us in the process by which the Dominion may reach out to every corner of the earth; and that thereby that glorious fulfilment toward which we look, the coming of the Kingdom in all the world may be known and experienced here on earth to the Glory of our LORD and KING and to the blessing of all His children who choose to share in that Kingdom—in that Kingdom where there is control, and where all the wonderful blessings are made manifest. Why? How? Because they are conveyed through human beings into the world.
There is no other way by which the blessings of God may be made manifest on earth. There is no other way by which the Dominion of God may become a reality. And in this, we are privileged to share all together, to move forward with one accord in one place, in oneness of Spirit, in the accomplishment of those purposes to which we are individually and collectively ordained. And now, shall we have a moment of Devotion.
O LORD of Lords and KING of Kings, we thank Thee for the beauty of the day, and for the privilege we have of gathering here that we may be, in this moment, with one accord in one place; and that we may let the increased outpouring of Thy Spirit be known in our hearts and minds and bodies, and that that outpouring may become effective in the living of life, in the doing of that which Thou hast provided to our hand, for we have an Open Door set before us, through which we may move to greater realms of true service in Thy Name. We thank Thee for the abundant provision that has been made, and is made, and shall be made in the days to come, for the accomplishment of those things which are true to Thy Will. We thank Thee particularly for the freedom of giving, for the abundance of giving that has been made manifest through the One Who Centers Thy Service on Earth, our Beloved Uranda. We thank Thee for that which has been made manifest through each one who has shared in the unfolding pattern of Thy Program and Ministry on earth. In this hour we would, yielding to Thee, share more fully in letting that abundance of giving be conveyed into the world because we live. We thank Thee, Heavenly Father that it is so. In the Christ, AUM-en.
Uranda — Thank you Martin.
Thanking God for all these expressions, there is one other announcement that I would like to make. In concluding this Class work, I invited the students of the Class to meet my KING. And I anticipate that that will be a part of our consideration tonight. I would like to start a little earlier, to have a chance to complete the cycle with respect to those for whom this is Commencement Day. And, I would like to share with you that recording. I don’t think I could say it any better than I said it before—an invitation to you to Meet My KING; an opportunity to draw nearer to our LORD; to better understand Him, and what He means to you. And I trust that it will be possible for each and every one of you to share that hour tonight.
© Emissaries of Divine Light
