The Path of One All Faith Minister

After a church sermon one Sunday, a new member of our congregation asked me how I became an All Faiths Minister. When it happened again last Sunday, I knew it was time to share this story hopefully as a way to break down the separatism between religions, and open a doorway for God, Love, to shine on us all.I believe in the future , the trend will only get larger where more ministers will want to be able to attend to people who come from a variety of faiths in life.

A goal of mine is to somehow use the gifts of ministry to positively affect the lives of those in our congregation and any other congregations I am blessed to address as well as hospitals, or those in recovery and treatment centers, who come from a different faith than myself, or even no faith at all.As an All Faith Minister, I want to use the gift of love to assist everyone on their path to personal growth, and if they choose, their walk with God. By having even a minimal understanding of different faiths, ministers such as myself can be of the greatest service to everyone, and even help those who are trying to find the walk with God they feel most comfortable with.

My personal walk with God began in the Catholic Church where I served as an altar boy for many years. My aunt Rita, sister Regina, is a nun with over 70 years of dedicated service, so my beginnings were definitely influenced by my Catholic upbringing. Like many people, I left the church when I was old enough to make my own decisions, and quite frankly never believed I'd go back to these beginnings. The church at that time seemed too steeped in traditions from the past, and my short attention span needed something more interesting to keep me on path.

Years passed and then I was introduced to Buddhism, and the unbelievable beauty of meditation. My yearning was quenched for several years as I delved into the Four Noble Truths and other powerful Buddhist teachings. I learned more deeply about the beauty of God within, and fell in love with this way of life, this amazing religion.

Then I was introduced to Hinduism, and my enthusiasm for religion reached an all time high. I began to follow the path of Bhakti, a path to God that is filled with daily devotion and prayer to God! Singing God's praise at every turn of the day, my energy for God increased dramatically. . Reading Hindu quotes, scriptures and writings whenever a moment opened in my daily schedule became my love for life.

As I delved into these religions, I became more in love with life.........which brought me back to my Catholic upbringing. I went to a mass a number of years ago, and fell in love all over again with what I enjoyed as an altar boy: the rituals of the Catholic Mass. To this day I still love them.

When I was asked to lead my first church service in a non denominational church several years ago, I was ecstatic to realize that I could use all of these teachings to assist the congregation to experience the Divine within, the God that resides in each of us. As it is so beautifully stated in the bible,"Made in His image"(Genesis 1:26).

My path then took the most amazing turn of all, one I relish to this day. I was asked to lead a congregation as a temporary minister, and the fire was lit. That led me to becoming the co-founder of The Church of Spiritual Light, an All Faith congregation in Fort Myers, Florida. As my path continues, I find myself once again, becoming immersed in the power of ritual, the words of Christ, the power of enthusiastic prayer which once again has filled me with the fire of love, the path of God, as we ascend to higher levels of awakening.

Awakening to the realization that we all have free will, to find God within, and to spread that energy, that love, to all around us through our daily actions. I feel even more in love with God now than ever before.I love to read writings from all types of spiritual masters: monks, rabbis, nuns, priests and more, and am about to begin a class on Kabbalah, the mystical arm of Judaism. I daily read scripture from the bible and look for the love that resides in everyone, the God within each of us.

Slow down and find love, God, in all you do as we respect the faiths that surround us.

Love, peace, Rev. David www.davidessel.com

PHOENIX RISING CLAN: MEDICINE WHEEL JOURNEY

PHOENIX RISING CLAN
Begins Nov 1st 5-8pm

Join us for this very special year long medicine wheel journey and get to the center of your self!

We all have addictions and in fact our attachments and addictions are what keep us from experiencing the fullness of life. So whether you consciously identify your addictions or not, Addiction Alchemy can help you free your soul!

Addiction Alchemy can help you track and transform your life with once secret, ancient esoteric healing modalities and sacred ceremony. Tap into the power and magic of the Medicine Wheel, Tree of Life, Meditation, Energy Healing, Chakra Balancing, Archetypes, the Land and much more. Receive your animal, angelic, spirit and ancestral guides and teachers to assist you along the way. This is an initiation of the shamanic way.

There are 6 gatherings. We will begin this journey at the Center of the wheel, moving East, then South, West, North and finally we will culminate in the Center of our Self. Each directional gathering is spaced approximately 6-8 weeks apart. The cost is $50 per gathering and you pay as you go. This is your journey and there is very little hand holding, but there is all the support in the world to help you open your eyes and your heart to receive all that is here to assist you that you may have not allowed in before now. We create the sacred space for you to take it all in.

This is a very exciting adventure of discovery and empowerment! So join us if you hear the call of the Phoenix Rising.

Location:
Church of Spiritual Light
1939 Park Meadows Dr, Unit
Ft. Myers, FL 33907

To RSVP call Rev. Renee Bledsoe 239-560-6314 or visit www. AddictionAlchemy.com

All Hallow's Eve Costume Campfire

OCTOBER 31st

Church of Spiritual Light
--Presents--
All Hallow’s Eve
Costume Campfire

You are invited to gather for an evening of fun and foolery as we feast on Autumn’s finest faire, Make s’mores and tell spooky stories around the campfire, release our fears to the flames, and see who has the best costumes!

PlEASE BRING YOUR FAVORITE DISH TO SHARE

OCTOBER 31, 2009, Saturday 7pm - till

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hosted at
Janice Hartwell’s residence
17780 Caloosa Road
Alva, FL 33920
Click for Directions & Map

Get on I-75 North (If coming from Ft. Myers)

Head East on Exit 141 (Palm Beach Bld. 80)

Turn Left on State Road 78 (There a shopping center with Publix on the right near this intersection where you make the turn)

Go over the draw bridge.

Keep bearing to the right and do not go into the Civic Center.

Remain on SR78.

Turn Right on N. River Road. (There is a gas station directly across from this road).

You'll see signs for the Caloosatchee Regional Park.

You go 7 miles and pass the park entrances.

About a mile later you will see Caloosa Rd. on the Right.

Turn Right on Caloosa Rd. (Hopefully we'll have some signs up)

All the homes are off the road and you can only see mailboxes from the street.

Janice's address is 17780 Caloosa Rd. It is about 3/4 the way down Caloosa Road.

We will have a sign at her mailbox.

See you there!

Contact Rev. Renee Bledsoe
RSVP 239-560-6314

SACRED GEOMETRY WORKSHOPS

OCTOBER 24 & 25th

Sacred Geometry 1 - IN SG 1, SACRED FORMS AND THEIR USE IN OUR DAILY LIVES ARE TAUGHT. LEARN TO ACTIVATE A ROOM, A HOUSE, AND CREATE A TEMPLE. HERE WE LEARN HOW WE CAN ENHANCE OUR HOMES OR OUR WORK ENVIRONMENT WITH SIMPLE GEOMETRIC FORMS. Cost: $85

Sacred Geometry 11 - IN SG 2, EXPLORE THE GEOMETRIES FURTHER AND GO DEEP INTO THE MYSTERIES OF CRYSTALS. LEARN HOW TO GRID ROOMS OR HOMES MORE SPECIFICALLY FOR PROTECTION, WHOLENESS, CONNECTION WITH GOD AND MORE. ALSO HEALING TECHNIQUES WITH CRYSTALS ARE TAUGHT.
▲ INTRODUCTION TO THE KEYS TO HEAVEN
▲ INVOCATION OF THE GEOMETRIES
▲ ROOM/HOME ACTIVATIONS
▲ CRYSTAL MAGICK
▲ CRYSTAL HEALINGS
▲ CRYSTAL DREAMING
▲ CRYSTAL MAGICAL FORMS
▲ ENHANCING HOME GEOMETRY
▲ CREATING A PERFECT HOME ENVIRONMENT
Cost: $150

RSVP: Rev. Renee Bledsoe 239-560-6314

The Homeless: Teachers For Each of Us

Some of the most amazing teachers that I have encountered in my life have been the homeless. People with little or no material possessions, and many who are in great pain, living on the streets of America.

While most of us scurry by these people, afraid of their presence, many other people look upon them with kindness and compassion, very much in the same way that Buddha or Jesus Christ would. There is little or no fear , rather a desire to help them, by offering a kind word, food, pocket change or a smile.

In my lectures on personal growth as well as in sermons, I encourage people to practice sending love to everyone, including the homeless, by looking INTO their eyes as you pass them. They, like you, are children of God, who desire and should receive the same respect as anyone else you might know. Yet how many of us have the courage to do this?

I have been taught so many incredible lessons through the homeless men that I have met on the streets over the past number of years. One named Joe, touched me so deeply that I dedicated a chapter about him in my book "Heaven on Earth:God Speaks Through The Heart of A Young Monk. " While out for a run one day, I witnessed Joe getting hit by a car, fly 20 feet straight up in the air before landing on the side of the road.

As the first person to him, I held him like a mother would hold their child as he wailed in pain until the ambulance would arrive more than 10 minutes later. I saw the face of Christ as I held him, asking him to grip my hand tighter as his pain continued to increase. He shattered my view of what a homeless person was, as I saw the pure beauty of this amazing human being.I visited him in the hospital after surgery, in the rehabilitation center after that, and discovered his trials in life of alcoholism and the loss of contact with his children. I brought him food and clothes not out of guilt, but rather out of respect, for he deserved that regardless of why he was homeless. I found out that the day he was hit he had just gotten a part time job, the first one he could find in a number of years.

That same year I was invited to be on Bill O'Reilly's television show "The O'Reilly Factor" to talk about the plight of the homeless, the challenges they bring to many city businesses and what some options were for their welfare. As many know, some cities have facilities that are underutilized by the homeless, while others are swamped with requests for more beds and shelters.

Many are homeless by choice, with no desire to seek treatment for their addictions. Others find themselves in this situation due to untreated mental illness, without the mental faculties needed to lift themselves out of their life quandary. If you have not seen the movie "The Soloist",based on a true story, I highly recommend it as a peek into the role of mental illness and the homeless. And others find themselves there due to losing jobs, their homes and their life purpose.

Whatever the reason for their situation, we can all learn from these people the power of love and compassion, but only if we are the ones willing to give these two characteristics to them, as they are very much a reflection of who we are.

If you cannot do this, it may be time to take a good , hard, long look in the mirror.Slow down to see that yes, the homeless are teachers for each of us.

Love, peace, Rev. David www.davidessel.com


Thursday, October 8, 2009

We are Human beings having a Spiritual experience

A number of years ago as I was speaking to a group of seekers about our reason for existence, the thought came to me that we truly are human beings having a spiritual experience, rather than spiritual beings having a human one.

I do agree with the fact that we begin as spiritual beings, a gift from God at birth, but as I reflect upon what happens from that point on, I see us all as human, growing and evolving along a spiritual path until we reach the end result of becoming fully spiritual, as we ascend from this plane into the light. At this point we leave our human bodies, and become pure light.

As I was discussing this just last year during a class I teach at Edison State College, a student reminded me that most spiritual teachers believe the opposite, that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. I do see the value for that belief system, and as I explore more and more about existence, I see for myself a slightly different path.

In our younger years, our main focus is survival. we learn to be fed, kept warm, given love and external stimulus in order to learn the basics such as walking and talking. As we look at the various stages of development from then on, if we are on a path of life purpose, not just survival, we begin to explore the concepts of our individual innate gifts, and how to use them to help others in this world.

As we evolve further, we see such concepts as unconditional love and compassion as the foundation of life, the two realities that Christ and Buddha brought into great awareness for all of us. We begin to see that as we take these traits on and actually practice them on a daily basis, that our purpose in life totally changes! We are here as servants of God, to create unconditional love in all of our relationships, to be the light that attracts others to us.

We start to see even more clearly as we bring these spiritual principles into our daily life that our only purpose here truly is to touch others, to be touched by others, and to rise above the small egos desire to be right, to be noticed. We find that the gift of surrender is the path to enlightenment.

We surrender to our partner, and offer them love. We walk the path of understanding versus judgement. We begin to look into the eyes of those who push our buttons, or the homeless, or the crippled with unconditional love.

In many religions the full focus as we age is devotion to the spiritual walk, not just talking about it but practicing it daily. Communion with God, through prayer happens constantly throughout the day. We surrender to God every hour on the hour. We devote our life to complete service to the Light, to God, to unconditional love. What a beautiful undertaking!

The ascension process goes into high gear as we practice the wisdom handed down to us, as we offer our gifts out of love to help others who are struggling behind us.We awaken in the morning with the prayer, "Please let me be of full unconditional service to my partner, my children, today and everyday. " As we ascend even further on our path this then changes to include prayers to assist those in war, poverty, hospitals, those with addictions, those who abuse others. Yes, we pray directly for those who abuse others! And for those who are abused.

Slow down, and see that as we evolve we truly recognize that we are fully human beings, glorious human beings, awesome human beings, having a spiritual experience. We are in the ascension process, looking for ways to be the light that we already are right now, before we leave this plane.

Love, peace,Rev. David www.davidessel.com

And the Lion Shall Lie Down with the Lamb...

“And the lion shall lie down with the lamb…”

Although the phrase “the lion shall lie down with the lamb” is one of the more popular quotes from the Bible, it’s really misquoted. In the King James version, it’s the wolf that dwells with the lamb, and it’s a leopard that lies down with a kid, and “the calf and the young lion and the fatling together.” (Isaiah 11:6)

But in today’s world, there really is a lion that lies down with a calf…in fact, she adopted and nurtured a total of five antelope calves.

It’s a remarkable story of the love of one animal for another, and it seems to personify the truth that not all natural enemies are exactly that—natural and unavoidable enemies.

On Christmas Day of 2001, game wardens at the Samburu National Park in Kenya watched as an adult lioness frightened off an oryx antelope mother, and picked up her baby calf in its mouth. Because lions normally hunt these antelope, they assumed the lion would kill and eat the baby. But then the unexpected happened.

The lion, named Larsens, began to nuzzle and fondle the frail little creature. Behavioral scientists first stated that the lioness had probably mistaken the oryx calf for a lion cub. But then the lioness showed her awareness of the calf as another species, because she allowed the calf to return to her natural mother to nurse.

For more than two weeks, the lioness Larsens nudged the little calf along, all the while allowing her to return to her antelope mother for nourishment before chasing the mother antelope away once again.

The fragile baby oryx was seen crossing the savannah with her lioness “mother,” and would curl up by her side for naps. Tragedy struck one day while the lioness napped by a water hole. While the baby oryx was playing, another lion attacked and killed it.

According to the wardens, Larsens was enraged when she woke. Ten times she circled the lion that killed her oryx calf, roaring all the while. Then she disappeared from view.

Larsens was seen a few weeks later, following herds of oryx antelope. “She never kills them,” said one warden. “When she is hungry, she goes after warthogs.”

But Larsens would again amaze the rangers with her mothering instincts. On Valentine’s Day, 2002, lioness Larsens was spotted with another oryx calf. And just like the last one, she’d adopted the calf as her own.

It seemed Larsens had learned the need to protect her new baby from other lions and predators. She guarded the new baby ferociously, chasing off any lions that approached. “There are other lions trying to attack the lioness to get to the baby, but the rangers are watching them and the lioness is protecting the calf,” said park warden Mark Lenya-kopir.

“This is one extraordinarily maternal cat,” said lion expert Jim Cavenor. “I've seen lions adopt a few small animals, but they usually end up turning round and eating them after a couple of days. But she seems to be totally fixated on this little one.”

Unlike the common assumptions of most people, animals do think. Their thinking is not some robotic response to environmental stimuli, but an active, cognitive reasoning. Larsens is proof of this. She adopted a series of what was normally a “prey” species for lions, and protected them as her own. She knew she could not provide nourishment for them, and allowed them to return to their mothers for food.

Larsens is just one example of how animals react with emotion, with feeling and with true knowledge of what they are doing. She ultimately adopted a total of five oryx calves, giving all of them fierce protection and tender care while ignoring her own basic needs. Her actions have made her a legend among the people of Kenya, and they bestowed another name on her because of their reverence for her loving nature.

The Samburu people call her Kamunyak—the blessed one.

Sources: The Observer, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

For more info visit the website for the film about Kamunyak, called Heart of a Lioness