Wolf Howl 01.12.2021

"Work hard for what you want because it won't come to you without a fight. You have to be strong and courageous and know that you can do anything you put your mind to. If somebody puts you down or criticizes you, just keep on believing in yourself and turn it into something positive."

Leah LaBelle

There is a term in many Churches called "quenching the spirit." It basically is doing something that gets in the way of God. Because we as humans think our method is better. It basically is anything that stops the free movement of the Spirit within our lives. I feel that most Churches do this with their own form of Orthodoxy. 

I agree that there should be a set of rules for any Church. However, to make these rules the absolute rigid roadmap for spiritual discovery. In my opinion, is quenching the spirit. If you look at early church history from around the beginning to 250 CE. You will discover that there were many problems within those early churches. Some were valid concerns. Some were political maneuvers by the proto-orthodoxy. Sadly many of those early man-made doctrines became church canon and have stuck around through every branch of Christianity since.

In my own spiritual walk, I am in constant communication with my God. Last Christmas Eve, Hutch and I were at a dear friend's place having dinner. We had a lovely time. We were sitting in the living room after the meal. When that still small voice said to me "it is time to move." I expressed my need to leave. Asked if we could pray together, they were more than happy to have me do so. I gathered Hutch and the take-home meal the host sent me with. When Hutch and I got in the car. We drove from Stoughton and our destination would have been the apartment. It was a terribly foggy that night. 

I had driven a little way down the road, got to the McFarland area. Then received a text message from the Music Coordinator for Unity Of Madison Church. He said that they didn't know how to set up the tech for the service. That the Tech Services Staff Person had not shown up yet. I was around ten minutes away. We arrived at the Church and set up the equipment. The Tech Services person showed up a half-hour later. 

I have a daily practice of prayer and meditation. I believe that if I did not have such frequent communication with my inner self and my God. That I would never have understood the message to get up and leave my friends place.

I think that operating in spiritual matters keeps me from quenching the spirit. It allows me room for growth with my higher power. To demonstrate to me things I need to do or to prepare myself for. When we allow our ego and monkey mind to take over versus prayerfully considering options. We have quenched the spirit. This troubles me when I witness it in real-time situations within the churches.

It is my opinion that the reason why so many churches are hurting for members. They tend to quench the spirit rather than seek a daily prayer and meditation practice. I have been doing church for a very long time. I have seen what fear can do to a congregation. I am convinced the church that prays together, stays together.

Thank you dear reader for taking the time to listen to this rant. I am currently processing some things and hence this week's message!  - Reverend AJ

 

Announcements

The Prayer & Meditation Sessions are going to be renamed The Garden Of Love. This is part of the conscious shift from 2021 into 2022. I have decided that rather than doing the repair the world vigils. That The Garden Of Love will eventually become a daily event, morning and evening too. The Repair the World program will be integrated into The Garden Of Love program. For now, the program will continue on Monday and Friday mornings. Soon to be other days of the week included in the schedule. All of these will be streamed on White-Wolf Ministries YouTube Channel. Which is also embedded on the ajwhitewolf.com site.