We come to our hour of meditation on Saturday evening, September 12th, 1953. Tomorrow is the 13th day of September, and the beginning of our Anniversary Meditation. I suppose most, if not all of you, know that September 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th are of particular significance to us, and I wish to begin to introduce that vibratory pattern tonight. I trust that it will be possible to work out our meditations through this period with particular meaningfulness. It is my suggestion, if it is pleasing to—of course, we will have our regular services tomorrow and Sunday—but in view of these things, if it is pleasing to you, or for those of you to whom it is pleasing, we will have an hour of Meditation Monday evening, Tuesday evening and Wednesday evening. Perhaps we might, for a moment, consider the reasons for this. It marks the beginning, or a recognition of the beginning, of this Ministry in authorized, ordained function on earth. I had been working in a spirit of dedication to service to mankind at an earlier date, beginning in 1929, but it was in 1932 that the ordained pattern of my Ministry began.
You know something of what it is to walk in the valley of the shadow where the mind seeks to find answers to seemingly insoluble questions. You know what it is to feel emotional stress, turmoil, questioning of spirit, internal restlessness, a seeking. Very often this inner seeking is not properly translated in consciousness and it causes human beings to do things which they ought not to do. However, I know what it is to go through such seeking and searching for a long period of time. The manifestation of it in relationship to myself was in early youth. I could talk here for hours telling you something of the history of that outworking, but, actually, I think it is not of too much importance. You, yourselves, have had some background natural to yourselves in seeking, and you are here.
But, in that pattern of seeking, searching, and working, in my own case the problem seemed to be an impossible one over a period of a good many years. And finally something worked out on September 13th—in the early morning, about four o' clock. And the next step was carried out on the 14th, also early in the morning, and on the 15th. And September 16th, 1932, marked the beginning of my ordained Ministry on earth in which, or at which time, my outer mind had an awareness, a consciousness, of the task that was before me, a seemingly impossible task, because at that time I was a comparatively young man—not too terribly old yet, perhaps. But I was unknown. What little I had been able to achieve in the world in an outer sense had been wiped out in the early stages of the depression. Without friends, without backing, utterly unknown, even in the city where I had this experience, which was in Nashville, Tennessee. No friends, no one to turn to, no one, seemingly, to help. And yet, the beginning had to be made.
I could talk to you for hours about the steps that have worked out in that interval since. If any of you think you have had any experience in meeting pressures and difficult circumstances, holding the line, remaining true to the Calling, when everything looks to be utterly impossible—well, I know something about it too. But, now, it is 1953. Twenty-one years ago, tomorrow morning, that step by which my outer consciousness began to have a true vision and realization of the reality of the program was taken, something that came in answer to a restlessness of soul, a seeking and a searching over many, many years. And in that period of time I had sought in vain to find a church, or philosophy, or a leader. I was looking for someone whom I could accept as a leader. And I searched diligently. A few times I thought I was beginning to find such a person. But in spite of all the reading, all the searching, all the listening, I could not find that leader anywhere. I was not seeking to be a leader. I was seeking for a leader. But, finally, in that experience which unfolded, beginning on September 13th in the long ago, twenty-one years ago, I came face-to-face with the terrible awareness, the knowledge, that I had the responsibility of being the Leader for whom I sought, for whom I had been seeking.
Can you imagine something of that, of what it would be to be Called of the Lord and given the awareness, given the understanding, the consciousness, yet to be utterly unknown in the world, to have no resources, no money, no material possessions, nothing—for whatever I had had of material possessions had been wiped out in the early depression period—and to be informed that I had the responsibility of finding the people in the world who would work with me, carrying the pattern forward, of being the Leader for others.
You know, I don't look on it particularly as a test. And yet, the human mind tended to search out excuses, or reasons, for turning aside. And yet, there came that Divine Command—a Divine Commission. And, instead of refusing it or saying, “Lord, I can't do it,” I took the attitude that if the Lord asked me to do it, then the Lord would make it possible for me to do it. I realized that any questioning attitude on my part would, in fact, be, not an evidence of humility, but simply a questioning of God, and that if that Divine Commission belonged to me, if God chose to give it to me, then it was for me to accept it and move forward.
I think this twenty-first Anniversary of the beginning of this Ministry has particular significance. It means that there have been three cycles of seven years each, and that tonight the third cycle of seven years comes to a close. Tonight, or tomorrow morning, at about four o'clock, we have the beginning of a new cycle. What does it mean to us? What can it mean to us? You have been drawn out of the world pattern to share this hour tonight. You have been consciously working with me for varying periods of time. But, twenty-one years of Ministry, and we have achieved this much. There have been times when I was hard pressed and difficulties were on every hand, when there was a temptation to think that it was a very slow forward movement, a slow development—and I feel that it could have been more rapid. But we have sought in every way possible to make it a sound development, not a mushroom growth but an oak-tree growth, so that it would be sound in every part, correct and right, and even though the growth might be slow it should be sure.
And when my mind has been tempted to feel that perhaps I would never find those who would hold steady and carry through and do a job and share a deep and constant dedication to our KING, I have been caused to remember our Master on earth. He, after three and a half years of public Ministry, meeting the final crisis, was in a circumstance where only one man and three women stood by. The rest followed afar off or were gone. I have been reminded many, many times that I have had more real love and loyalty shown to me in these twenty-one years than our Master was privileged to know while He walked among men. There have been men and women, who, with more constancy of devotion, have served with me than there were who served with Him. Always, no matter how difficult things might seem at the moment, I have been able to look back and recognize that if I have had difficulties in my Ministry there were greater difficulties in our Master's Ministry. Human beings have been more quick to understand what I have presented than they were to understand what He presented. More human beings have shown a willingness to enter into a selfless Ministry with me than were willing to enter into a selfless Ministry with our LORD and Master Himself when He was on earth.
Regardless of the difficulties, I have been in the position of recognizing that our situation has been better every step of the way than it was with Him. And, that being so, I have never had any reason for complaint. Sometimes those who served with me thought they had reason for complaint, but I have never had any reason for complaint to God. And, also, it has seemed to me that if the pattern could work out on a basis that let me have seven years to His one to achieve a goal, I would have a reasonable assurance of getting it done. Three and a half years our Master ministered. I am not suggesting that in three and a half more years from now my Ministry will necessarily come to an end. I am pointing out that it needs to carry through to Victory. This completes twenty-one years, or that which corresponds to the first three years. We have a half a year left, correlating with the three and one half years, the actual length of time our Master ministered.
Now, there may be some difficulties in the interval. I am not suggesting that there will not be. But, that will, without question, be a crisis period, the half a year remaining, or the next three and a half years, the first half of the fourth seven-year cycle. I am not going to undertake to prognosticate as to what will take place. That is not the point. The point is that unless you, here, and all those who are serving with us in the Field, share a deeper dedication with me than we have yet had, we are not going to get the job done. This Anniversary period must take on tremendous significance to you. Unless I can sell that Truth, that fact, we are going to be at a tremendous disadvantage in the days to come, and we will be flirting with failure. I, for one, do not like failure. I have had to face up to many things that looked like failure. But even that which is a temporary failure is not necessarily permanent unless we make it so.
I do not like failure. I do not like to admit that I have failed with any individual, with any human being. I have had to accept that on many occasions. I have seen so many people turn away. I have had to face the fact that, regardless of whatever may have been wrong with them, I failed to sell them on the idea of the Truth. I failed to inspire them to an acceptance of the Way, the Truth and the Life. Yes, I have had to face up to many failures. But I don't like failure, with respect to individuals, or with respect to circumstances, or anything else. We are interested in Victory, and Success. We are interested in successfully discharging our responsibilities and fulfilling our Commission; for the moment you really accept responsibility in Ministry with me, you share, to some degree at least, my Commission, because the Commission that was given to me, individually, twenty-one years ago was not limited to me. It was something in which any number of men and women could share, and it was my job to find men and women in the world who were willing to start sharing the responsibilities of that Commission.
On this twenty-first Anniversary of our Ministry I would like very much, according to your response, to let you really share a deeper vision and understanding, not just of the Commission, but of that which is essential to the fulfilling of the Commission. I cannot do it alone, nor can you. It is only as we work together that it can be done under God. And so, if this twenty-first Anniversary of our Ministry means to us what it should we will be moving into this new Cycle more effectively than we have ever functioned before. And tomorrow, and in the remainder of this Anniversary period, I trust that I shall have the privilege of considering at least part of the factors which are involved.
I wonder—do you know what it is to be so absolutely hungry and thirsty for the Truth that it overshadows everything else—that everything else becomes secondary, that anything else that comes into mind is seen in relationship to that one thing, meditating upon it? Have you ever risen early in the morning to meditate upon it? Have you ever awakened in the night and meditated upon it? Have you ever gone to sleep at night with your mind full of it? Has it been your thought on arising, and as you work through the day, and as you come to the evening hour?—something that absolutely fills your consciousness with an insatiable hunger, with thirst for the Water of Truth. It was something of that which allowed me, in the outer sense, to reach the point of that experience that you have shared the blessings of this Ministry.
You do not have to do what I did. I am not suggesting that. It is not necessary. But it is necessary that these days of the Anniversary period should be dedicated to a deep and constant meditation upon the things of God, a searching for a true centering in polarity, a hunger for God's Love, a thirst for God's Truth. And if you would do your part toward being certain that this Ministry does accomplish that to which God has ordained it, if you would have your part in it, then you need, during the days of this Anniversary, to experience a deep and abiding sense of dedication to the responsibilities and the Calling of that Commission. And I would do what I can, during this period, to help you to realize more of what the Commission is, and what it means.
Our presence here must have a real purpose. If I can sell you on that idea, that fact, that Truth, so that it burns deep into your consciousness, there is not any question but what we will get the job done. In my own mind there is no question but what the job will be done. I trust with your help, for we need the help of each and everyone, and there is room for you and a thousand more whom you represent, and ten thousand more than that, and on and on. There is need for many who are not here. Hundreds and thousands who should be sharing in the Program are gone. They should be here and they are not. We cannot waste time in vain regret, but we must do our part, and it takes a lot of filling in for those who are not here who should have been, who could have been, right here. If we function effectively and correctly, there will be others come in to share the work which must be done, to the Glory of our KING and to the Blessing of the children of men.
Heavenly Father, I thank Thee for those here gathered and for all who are with us in Spirit, that all who will may be drawn with the irresistible Cords of Thy Love to stand upon the Rock Eternal, yielding to the Spirit of Thy Truth and becoming channels for the Spirit of Thy Life, that they may share the Divine Commission and accomplish that whereunto they are sent. I thank Thee, Father, for the privilege of service which Thou hast granted me on earth, for all the multitude of Thy Blessings bestowed upon me, for the Love and the friendship and the loyalty of those who serve with me, that we may, in moving forward, so live that Thy Ministry on earth may increase and carry rich Blessings to all who will receive, IN the Christ. AUM-en.
