SPIRITUALIST CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 22882, 14 February 1938, Page 3

SPIRITUALIST CHURCH

The speaker at the Spiritualist Church last night was Mr L. G. Newton, who said that while the subject of his talk had been announced as ‘ The Way of Righteousness,’ it really meant * The Way .of Right-use-ness.’ People in this workaway world, he said, had difficulty in cultivating what was called a more or less religious state of mind, a state of mind which prevented them doing and saying the careless things which most other people said and did, often unconsciously, or at least unthinkingly. One obstacle was that when a person endeavoured to live such a life he was deemed to be “ queer.” However, there was no real necessity to be a Spiritualist or a member of any other church in order to be a student of life, to be able to ignore public opinion, and to forget self and serve others, gladly and willingly. This came when we learned the way of right-use-ness. And to practice right-use-ness was not to,be sanctimonious or weak, as so many people seemed to think 5 it meant being possessed of an understanding of the purpose of life, to know that nothing mattered so long as wo acted in response to the spiritual power that was in each of us. If we would read the Scriptures* with full understanding, said the speaker, we would he able to decide unhesitatingly

our course of action, for we would then ' see the inner meaning of life. To practice right-use-ness we must have compassion and a contrite heart and be ready to forgive. It, wquld ba better, of course, if we were so constituted that the affronts which we, received as we_ travelled through lifo could go unnoticed, but we must realise that there was a reason for everything, and, once we understood that reason, we would be able to solve the problem of our existence on this farth;we 1 would understand why some who had lived apparently blameless . lives were struck down with illness; why some were fortunate in material affairs while others, who seemed more deserving, were constantly set back. There was a reason behind it all and we must find out that reason for ourselves. To practice righteousness, or, right-use-ness, was to be kind and tolerant, to help those who were _ m need, and to have a clear conception of the love of God. To the right _ use of the mind must be added the right use of the body, said Mr Newton. Most of us did not regard our bodies, as we should; we 1 over-ate and did other things which were to the sacred cathedral in which wo dwelt. But the body vibrated to the joy of the mind, just -as it >vibrated to the depressed state of the mind; the mental outlook was paramount. To be strong and forceful on the highest plane of thinking was the secret* and not only on one day of the week, but every day and every week. Thu* would we come nearer to perfect understanding and know the right-use-nes* of life. Mr R. N. Ridd was in th* chair.