Church Message Work
By Rev. Frances D. Montgomery, NST
An integral portion of our Spiritualist service is the portion after the
lecture or sermon (the official determination being was the Bible or
another Holy Book quoted or not? If so, it is a sermon. If not, it is a
lecture!). This is called the message portion of the service where the
medium demonstrates the 5th of our Declaration of Principles – the one
stating “We affirm that communication with the so called dead is a fact,
scientifically proven by the phenomena of Spiritualism.”
Sometimes we will have new folks visiting who aren’t familiar with
message work – maybe they have heard about it, maybe they are
curious about it but probably they haven’t ever EXPERIENCED it!
There are certain protocols concerning message work that should be
explained.
First off let us officially give the definition of a Medium: A Medium is
one whose organism is sensitive to vibrations from the Spirit World and
through whose instrumentality, intelligences in that world are able to
convey messages and produce the phenomena of Spiritualism.
When a medium is working with spirit they try to raise their vibration as
highly as possible because the vibration of spirit is much higher than
the earthly vibration of the recipient medium so spirit must lower their
vibrations so that the two are able to reach a sort of middle ground
where human medium and spirit worker are in a communicative state.
Secondly it is important that no one for any reason walks in front of the
medium as that causes a break in the vibration. (Not to mention, it is
rude to do so and none of you are actually rude, simply uneducated in
our activities.) It can cause a physical shock to the medium who is
attempting to work with spirit!
Next, not everyone will receive a message every time they are
present. If your life is going along on an even keel perhaps this week
you won’t hear from spirit because someone else has a more urgent
need for a message validating the continuation of life after the
transition called death. Also, it is very important to listen to the
messages other folks receive – sometimes rather than singling YOU out,
the message someone else receives will fit very well the situation in
your life and you can apply what has been said. Spirit works for
everyone sometimes in mysterious ways. You can learn from what
someone else is told.
Another thing to remember is that if you are new or uncomfortable
with being singled out to receive a message – you do not have to
receive it! You may simply say “no thank you, not today.” That leaves
the door open when you return for spirit to attempt to reach out to you
when you are more familiar with our customs and are more
comfortable with spirit.
Spirit never means to embarrass you or make you uncomfortable in any
way. Mediums normally attempt to go first to folks who are familiar
with receiving messages. That allows newcomers to observe the
process so that it isn’t frightening if spirit attempts to reach them and
as the process evolves they will know how to react. Normally a
medium likes an audible answer as spirit picks up on your voice
vibration and can come through more strongly when they reach to
you.
It is not unusual for you to not immediately “place” the message. It
may be from someone you knew years ago and haven’t thought of for
quite a while but the entity reaching through remembers you and is
pleased to touch back to you when they have the opportunity the
medium is providing. If you don’t immediately recognize the message
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simply say, “I can’t place that now but I will hold it and work with
it. Thank you.” Perhaps the entity will stay around you and suddenly in
a few hours or a couple of days you will have the proverbial light bulb
pop on over your head and you will place both the person and the
message they were bringing!
Another thing to keep in mind is that there is not time in the spirit
world such as we on the earth plane experience. I had a vision many
years ago about a certain company here in Dayton being “gone.” I told
my husband who worked there about it and his reaction was “that
won’t ever occur.” I let the matter drop but never forgot the
vision. Believe it or not, approximately 20 years later the vision became
a reality - that company was not only gone from this region, the
buildings were demolished and the grounds were as grassy and vacant
as I had seen in the vision. My husband brought the topic up and said I
would never have believed this would happen but it has just as you saw
it years ago.
Spirit messengers are around and about us all the time but when we
start the message portion of our service the Mediums’ Control Guide
assists them if they aren’t familiar with the process. Many who come
weren’t Spiritualists on the earth plane but can see the Light of Spirit
working and gather to observe the process and learn from it. Some
may stand back for a while but as they become more educated about
the workings will often attempt to touch back at a later time.
Another thing to remember is that you may desire a message from a
certain person but that may not be the entity who comes
through. Also, if there is a heavy aura of grief around you it is more
difficult for spirit to come through – it is sort of like a deep “fog” around
you that blocks your reception and prevents spirit from entering your
vibration.
Sometimes when spirit is very close there is an actual physical reaction
to the vibration which manifests with the recipient. Should they
become emotional or tear up allow them the privacy of receiving the
information without making them uncomfortable. If you have a clean
tissue you may unobtrusively offer it.
Normally messages bring happy or sometimes humorous memories and
keep the vibrations high. Sharing laughter in those instances is
perfectly acceptable!
We hope this will help you to better understand how to react and enjoy
the message portion of our services.