from
The Accommodation Of Shekinah
Martin Cecil May 30, 1982 am
We have a telephone connection between us, and although there are physical miles between the two places, to the extent that we share the same spirit we are together as essential parts of one body. Wherever this spirit is shared, anywhere on the face of the earth, there are also parts of this one body. We cannot define the extent of that body but we are consciously aware of its existence, because certainly there are many who allow this one spirit to inform their daily living. Clearly, the parts of a body do not require close proximity to each other. There is a good deal of space in our own physical bodies. There is distance between the head and the feet; there is distance between the head and the heart, and the two hands are separate apparently, but there is a means of joining. It all comes together as a useful instrument, to the extent that there is a consistency of right spirit present and in expression. Then, as individuals, we may become useful people, because we compose a larger body, a larger body which only exists because of the shared expression of one spirit. And it is this that is vital on earth at this present time. We are aware that this body has certain dimensions, but there are dimensions perhaps of which we are not presently consciously aware. It may be larger than we think.
Having whatever conscious awareness we now do, we carry a particular responsibility for the body as a whole. We would not, in our own attitudes, exclude any part of it. We are here to provide a means of encompassment. That encompassment only becomes possible to the extent that the encompassing spirit is present—we would say, the spirit of the living God. To be present there must be an adequate facility to accommodate that spirit. In days of yore a symbol was available in this regard, when the children of Israel built the tabernacle. Here in symbolic form was something that could be recognized by those concerned, at their level of consciousness, as accommodation for the Lord—there really was no other reason for its existence—a means by which Shekinah, revealing the presence of the Lord, could be on earth. The central focus of this, in that particular symbol, was the ark of the covenant. The ark of the covenant evidently has something to do with agreement—a covenant is an agreement—presumably agreement between God and man, a focus point representing that agreement. What is that focus point in ourselves as individuals? It comes to point in that little one-letter word, I.
I am. When those words are spoken truly, then there is the focus point; there is no separation between God and man. There is the agreement, an unspoken agreement, then. Nothing needs to be said about it. There is no need to say, “I agree with the Lord.” Who is the Lord, after all? I am. There is just the focus point, the ark of the covenant, which offers the possibility of agreement to others.
But you will recall that that original ark symbol was kept in the most holy place, the Holy of Holies. There was a setting for it, and there was no means of coming into the Holy of Holies except through the holy place—and incidentally, only the High Priest came into the Holy of Holies. Beyond the holy place was the outer court, with the priesthood camped round about the tabernacle, and, beyond that again, the encampment of the Israelites, the twelve tribes. The thirteenth tribe was the priesthood. So here was a setting, a facility to accommodate Shekinah. All of it was needful. It wasn’t just a matter of building an ark and putting it out in the wilderness somewhere and saying, “All right, Lord, here you are, here is your means of accommodation. Come along!” There was more needed than that. There had to be the whole setup. There had to be the whole body in existence, with the particular requirements in that body fulfilled, so that there was a safe place for the Shekinah to emerge into active expression on earth.
We look at all this now in a recognition of the symbol: the children of Israel are not here, the priesthood is not here in fact, the tabernacle isn’t here, the ark isn’t here, as it was in the far-distant past. But the portrayal is accurate and we have a responsibility in the way by which what is needful now for the accommodation of Shekinah, or the Christ, the Word, may be present. I trust that now it need not be merely in symbol but the truth made manifest, the living truth—no longer a material structure made out of wood and silk and gold and all the rest, but something which is composed of the living flesh of human beings who, rightly, are created in the image and likeness of God, so that God may be accommodated on earth and His creative action brought to point to find particular expression.
So we are here. We have a consciousness of these things. We have been introduced to the idea before—the idea is all right, but it is a concept. The idea isn’t the reality. It may be a firmly held belief, but still that is inadequate. The genuine needs to be on hand. We have all become aware of our responsibility in this because we are aware of the truth of it, so that there might be a moving beyond a mere awareness to the experience of the truth itself. Then once again there may be on earth what is rightly describable as genuine. There have been plenty of imitations; there are imitations all over the place. Many people believe most firmly in these imitations as being desirable and necessary. I suppose in a sense they have been necessary, in view of the fact that the genuine article was not yet on hand. So people needed to be reminded of the fact that there might be something genuine somewhere. Unfortunately, the imitation has all too often been looked upon as though it were the genuine article.
There is a world of form all around us. Do you think the world of form that is all around us is, in its present form, capable of revealing the genuine article? There are those who feel that if it was adjusted a little here, improved a little there, then it would finally reach a point where it could be the means for accommodating the genuine article. As an individual—let’s look at it this way—is your state so stable and consistent, is your internal experience so sweet and healthy, that it would be a fitting place to receive Shekinah, or the Christ? We have spoken of the Word, and seen the necessity for the expression of the Word, but how could the Word be expressed except out of a state which was indeed heavenly? If you are really honest with yourself as an individual, are you in position to say, “Here is a pure and sanctified residence, including the Holy of Holies, with the ark in place and the holy place, the outer court, sanctified”—the whole of your being on earth a fit residence for the Lord? Do you think He would be comfortable there? Do you think everything would be as He would naturally anticipate that it would be for His blessing, so that He might occupy the facility.
A lot of people these days are still hopefully looking for the second coming of Christ. Where would He come to? Where is the place that He could come to? There are those who think of Him as being a rather arbitrary and harsh person, who would just impose Himself into the situation and clean it up. Well, I wonder how many of us would be left if that should happen? He has been willing to do this all along; He has provided everything that is necessary for the cleanup. It’s all here; it has always been here; but you and others have been made acquainted with this fact in a more vivid way than virtually anyone else on the face of the earth. For the last fifty years what could only be described as a massive spiritual provision has been made—day in and day out, week in and week out, year in and year out. It’s all here! There are a lot of people who try to have faith that God really has provided everything, but they look around and they are not sure where it is. You know where it is! Isn’t that fact the most marvelous thing imaginable? And yet how it has just been taken for granted.
The real point is—insofar as we are concerned it has been obvious for years—that everything required is available. Perhaps it is not so obvious for a lot of other people, but for you it is. How much resistance there has been to acknowledge the obvious. Sometimes someone says, “There seems to be something missing.” But if a person sees something missing, what it is that is missing? That person. If you say there is something missing, it is you who are missing.
There is only One Way: “I am. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” just that, nothing else. You cannot get around it. You cannot find the way by expecting that it is going to come from somebody else. “Somebody is going to provide the way for me.” I have been cast in that role considerably. I am supposed to provide the Way. Well, I have my Way, I provide it in that sense for me; but if there is any way for you, it is your Way—not as a separate thing thought up by the brilliant human intellect or the emotional human heart. It isn’t that at all. There is One Way, and it springs from One Source, and the experience of that One Way is impossible without repenting of all the other ways which human beings everywhere try.
How do we come to that One Way? Well, there have been various instructions given. One of them was: Give thanks in all things. I suppose there is one word which indicates how we come to the way: Repent. Right. “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” That is a good way of describing what is necessary. It does not come from any external source whatsoever. You either give it expression or you do not know it, and a person will never give it expression as long as he is looking lo here! and lo there!—because it isn’t lo here! and lo there! “The kingdom of God is within you.” All right, let it come out. That is the only way, and a person will never let it come out until he repents of all the evil imagination that the answer is going to come from over there or from over someplace else. It does not come from anywhere or anyone else. It is going to come out of you, so that you know it, or you never know it.
There has been so much time unnecessarily wasted. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Everything is present. We do not require any special help. We do not try to demand anything from anyone. The world is full of whining people, victims, martyrs. Let us not be included among that number; it’s a filthy, rotten state. There is only one way: Repent. Repent from all these evil imaginations, so that forgiveness may be received. We have spoken about passing techniques of various sorts, political for instance—there is one very prevalent technique that claims the attention of vast numbers of people! There are all these ancient and supposedly modern techniques, but nobody thought up anything new in the way of a technique. They have all been tried. There are hundreds of thousands of techniques. Some of them may be useful, keep life in the carcass for a little longer so that we may choose the One Way if we will. We might as well die right now if we don’t do that. There is One Way.
It is the time of repentance—a total transformation. Do you think there are any forms in the experience of the human world now that rightly should carry over into the true state? If so, which ones? No, none of them. Something comes out of this state, yes. It is not a matter of throwing out everything. How could we exist on earth if we did that? We would have to throw out our own physical bodies. No, it is to allow what needs to be brought forth by reason of the fact that there is a facility for the accommodation of Shekinah present on earth—then Shekinah can be accommodated. And the timing of what rightly should happen has nothing to do with the facility which is providing the means for the happening. That’s us, in the external sense. We have no say in the matter whatsoever.
We are here to provide that expansive space for Shekinah, for the spirit of the Living God. In all things give thanks. Welcome what comes. Whatever it is, I welcome it, because in me is the accommodation for Shekinah and this is the way to handle what arises—handled freshly, newly, in the moment by the action of the spirit of the Living God. And who can tell before the moment is there what that will be? If you think you know ahead of time you may be sure you don’t. There may be a recognition of the trends in movement, but only the moment will tell what it is that should be brought forth, what it is that will handle this particular situation. This is true now in this moment. It must be fresh and new and perfect in the moment, perfect because it comes from the perfect source and is not colored or distorted or twisted for human purposes, for personal reasons, because I like it or I want it this way. Let us let it be Shekinah, the Word spoken, which determines in the moment what rightly happens, and behold, forms change.
Being polarized in form, human beings are always trying to drag the old forms forward. Let them go! They have served their purpose. If they actually were a thing of beauty, well, they have been enjoyed. Let’s see what beauty Shekinah will bring forth now. Is it to be supposed that all that is beautiful has already been brought forth, so that we have to preserve it, there is nothing more? Let Shekinah be the producer and we will see what is brought forth and share the responsibility because we are clean, pure, sanctified, in ourselves, so is there room there for Shekinah, room for the creative expression of the Living God. And on that basis, I have the responsibility for it. I do it, because the Lord is right here and the action springs from that One Source and is therefore the One Way.
We have shared this time together this morning in the expression of what rightly is brought forth now, for whatever the purpose of Shekinah may be now. We let it happen; we trust God. This is the covenant, the agreement, which we don’t have to make. We don’t have to sign, seal and deliver it. It is already a reality when we accept that focus of the ark which is present in each of us. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I am responsible.
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