How do spirit-lives worship?

Prayer on this side [the world of spirits] is altogether different from the words and ascriptions of praise of earthly communicants.

We do not pray regularly. 

We do not have Sunday services in which are laws and regulations, for drawing near to the divine. 

We are filled at times with a recognition of the Great and Good and Loving Power above and beyond us. 

Our praise is more a spontaneous expression of love and joy that we are cared for by the Supreme Being, and we never doubt this, or grow indifferent to it.

This is our praise and prayer—

A happy living recognition of the Creator. 

I only wished to tell you how very far away we are from the ordered service, with its written hymns and prayer, or formulas, for addressing the Most High.

Love—spontaneous, and ever-present love, and joy in that love—is our worship.

Are you ticketed for heaven without fail?

I drifted easily along in orthodox fashion, believing I was safe and ticketed for heaven without fail! 

Believe me, I found much to undo and unthink before my ticket was accepted!

You could have no regret.

How strange! How very strange it is because so infinitely different from what we were taught, and in our half-hearted way tried to believe when on earth.

I find it so different; this is not the highest heaven; you might just say the border of the infinite kingdom. But all is so natural, all so beautiful, and so like our highest dreams if we had such dreams and desires.

I had only the old orthodox conceptions; a dim cloudy vision of harps and choirs, and a sort of eternal Sunday.

How I wish I could describe it to you!

But I think I can only give you the idea of a natural life on earth, but with all pain and sorrow removed, all bickerings, all quarrels, wars, or epidemics, or disease—in fact, all evil, all discomfort removed and only happiness and joyous health and beauty of surroundings, and then friendships and occupations such as one desires. I feared to come and regarded the approaching end as a fearful calamity, never knowing that it was the open door to a country so fair that I could have no regret.

You cannot change your character at the moment of death.

I have not been here long; I have lost none of my interest in the affairs of mortal existence. It is a wonderful change, and my mind has been so filled with the new sights and scenes, the new phases of existence, that I have not had time to be lonely.

I have learned one thing already that it seems to me the earth people should be told.

It is that you cannot change your character at the moment of death.

What you have made of yourself during your earth life determines what you will be here to a very large extent.

I suppose one who was malicious or criminal there will in time change his character here, but the characteristics, which caused him to turn to an evil life there, will be his strong characteristics here and he will have to learn how to turn these to better use.

I think this point is not at all realised on earth. Those who believe the Bible teachings are too often filled with the idea that repentance will remake them, no matter what kind of a life they lived. And those who do not have this idea are usually lacking in any conclusion on the subject.

I think I would also like to tell the earth people that it is not hard to pass through the gates of death. I found nothing that should cause any dread and I am told that there should be no fear by anyone.

You can choose your own future.

Human life, in its short existence on earth, may make its entrance in the world of spirits one of doubting ignorance or even one of evil thought and feeling―for a time. 

This is true because the divine law is one of personal freedom. 

Each soul can choose its own future. 

Each soul still embedded in its human life is choosing that future now. 

The old theologians, in their half-knowledge, described this life of the human soul as either a harp-playing multitude about a golden throne or a descent into a fiery burning hell to be suffered forevermore, but this was only a human, emotional effort to describe the indescribable. 

Life in the world of spirits is the reasonable result of one's choices of one's character.

A Conception of God

He is not limited to personality, even to the degree that we who are spirit are limited. If it were possible, I might explain a little more fully but you could not at present understand. So try to be satisfied with the knowledge that God is present to the remotest part of the universe and that God is a God of love and justice and mercy. Never doubt this. The more spiritual we become, the nearer we grow to that blessed spiritual presence and the more nearly we approach, the more our spirits are filled with love, awe and reverence. Be content to serve with the love of God in your heart and sometime your knowledge will be perfected.

Be content to serve with the love of God in your heart

He is not limited to personality, even to the degree that we who are spirit are limited. If it were possible, I might explain a little more fully but you could not at present understand. So try to be satisfied with the knowledge that God is a God of love and justice and mercy. Never doubt this. The more spiritual we become, the nearer we grow to that blessed spiritual presence and the more nearly we approach, the more our spirits are filled with love, awe and reverence. Be content to serve with the love of God in your heart and sometime your knowledge will be perfected.

Cultivate the personal qualities of patience, gentleness and helpfulness and you will be cultivating your own spirit life

Cultivate the personal qualities of patience, gentleness and helpfulness and you will be cultivating your own spirit life.

Helping Others

Try for the best, always. We believe the best is to acquire knowledge along spiritual lines. Live spiritually, think kindly, watch for opportunity to serve. There are so many who need help over there and we here must work through human thought. We seek those who are ready to help us.

A little sermon from the other side

A sermon! What should it be? What can it be in this clear light, except truth, no other than truth, knowledge, great and glorious knowledge of this life and its never-ending joy?

If one thinks of it

When a soul on earth can realise that there are others there who need assistance, who will be the better for aid and sympathy and can learn to feel that this aid and sympathy can be given by himself, he is in the way to create the life that will mean the most to him when his mortal life is over.

Through all, over all, surrounding all, is a peace and happiness which can only come from the ever present love

We are conscious of a great surrounding goodness and care and we are conscious too that this Care wishes us to be happy, happy beyond all happiness we had ever known before. All here who have developed their spirit lives are filled with love and kindness and thoughtfulness for others. Can you understand a little?

Each one here is preparing his place there

Life here is a continuation of the life begun on earth and each there is preparing his place here.

We are conscious of a great surrounding goodness and care

Oh, how I wish I could make you see it as I see it but it cannot be described exactly. There is study of the most delightful kind; there is travel, which I longed for on earth but could never have; there is my home ~ my home ~ and I can hardly tell you how dear that is to me who never had one of my own on earth and then through all, over all, surrounding all, is a peace and happiness which can only come from the ever present love.

We are conscious of a great surrounding goodness and care and we are conscious too that this Care wishes us to be happy, happy beyond all happiness we had ever known before and all here who have developed their spirit lives are filled with love and kindness and thoughtfulness for others. Can you understand a little?

Each one there is preparing his life here

Life here is a continuation of the life begun on earth and each one there is preparing his life here.

We find life infinitely better, infinitely more joyous than we could have dreamed

We find life infinitely better, infinitely more joyous than we could have dreamed.

True spirituality is broader than any one belief

True spirituality is broader than any one belief.

Can you understand a little?

We are conscious of a great surrounding goodness and care. We are conscious too that this Care wishes us to be happy, happy beyond all happiness we had ever known before and all here who have developed their spirit lives are filled with love and kindness and thoughtfulness for others. Can you understand a little?

Life is a great teacher

This life is a great teacher. All our old earthborn ideas have to be restudied and for the most part abandoned or revised.

You may look forward to a happiness that will never fade

You may look forward to a happiness that will never fade, a kindly service for others that will give you untold joy.