Personal Ceremony of Divine Recognition
The purpose of this ceremony is to welcome individuals into the Faith of the Mother-Father
by personal declaration.
Preparation for the Personal Ceremony of Divine Recognition
Purchase two new candles , one to represent yourself and one to represent your new relationship to the Divine Mother-Father. (You may also want to purchase a blank book or spiral notebook to be used as your spiritual journal.)
Designate a space that you will use for your ceremony. It should contain a place to sit and an altar.
Set up an altar:
An altar is an area that you set as the central focus of your ceremony. You can use a small table or an overturned crate. Cover the altar with a clean cloth. This cloth can be decorative or a simple solid color that feels significant to you. The cloth you choose should be reserved for altar use only. If you intend to begin a spiritual practice of prayerful reflection with this ceremony, use this same cloth for this purpose only.
Place the two candles you have purchased in the center of your altar.
Depending on the size of your altar, place any books especially any of the books containing Teachings or Prayers of the Mother-Father on or near your altar. Since the Faith of the Mother-Father does not require you to relinquish membership in another faith to be a member, you may put any artifacts of significance to your spiritually on your altar.
Set aside a time when you can sit quietly and not be disturbed for about 15 minutes.
Prepare yourself as you would for a special ceremony. You may want to shower and dress neatly.
Before you begin , light the candle that signifies the Divine Mother-Father. You will be prompted to light the candle that represents you in the ceremony itself.
Perform your ceremony when you feel you are ready and know you will not be disturbed. If you choose, you can read through the ceremony before you begin, but it is not necessary for you to do so.
You can repeat this ceremony as often as meets your spiritual needs.
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The Personal Ceremony of Divine Recognition
INSTRUCTIONS:
Before you begin, light the candle you have chosen to represent the Divine Mother-Father. Do not light the candle that represents you at this time.
Opening Comments:
(Please read the following words softly out loud.)
Today I choose to honor my commitment to the Divine Mother-Father.
I believe in the Divine Inspiration inherent in all life journeys.
I wish to be accepted into the Faith of the Mother-Father by my personal declaration.
..
I begin my ceremony be reading the words of the Mother-Father from the History of an Ancient Faith.
There is a balance to life and a harmony in spirit.
The energies are female and male, the receiver and the giver.
The Mother-Father walks the Earth and soars the Sky,
male and female energies integrated into one expression of being.
The All-Mother and the All-Father are equal and loving partners.
Together they are the Mother-Father.
Heaven is a place on Earth.
Love embraces all that is, and is forever.
All life begins in the void.
All life begins in the Great Void of creative potential in the
life-bearing female body. And yet the Void remains barren unless male energy is present. Life can not exist unless female and male walk hand in hand. This is a metaphorical imperative for
both physical and spiritual life.
Female energy is a state of being, male energy is movement outside
of self in search of meaningful contact.
The Mother and the Father are in all of us, regardless of our gender. When the Mother and the Father unite, they form the Unified Mother-Father. I aspire to the alchemy of self, through the Teachings of the Mother-Father.
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I now read the annotation for Teaching 11 called The Unified Mother-Father to enrich my understanding of the Faith of the Mother-Father.
The symbol of the Mother-Father
reflects the balance and harmony
of the two energies.
This symbol embodies the Unified Mother-Father.
Each shape supports the other and is equal
and indiscernible from the other,
the two ovals being the Mother and the Father.
The overlapping space symbolizes the alchemy of self
where all parts of self are integrated.
This space is called the Unified Mother-Father.
It is the time when and space where you shift into self.
A newborn spiritual self is born,
that which is the Mother and the Father Unified,
the Unified Mother-Father.
I acknowledge the significance of the symbol of the Unified Mother-Father, and I welcome its vibration into my life. I understand that the Unified Mother-Father is the manifestation of the Divine Mother-Father in me and my life.
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Next I will read the Primary Teachings of the Mother-Father intending to hear them with all of myself and to make them a part of my spiritual practice.
The primary teachings of the Mother-Father are:
...1...
The aspiration for *Love and *Communion between self, others
and the spirit world.
...2...
All life is sacred.
...3...
All experience is sacred.
...4...
All things are possible. Everything is possible.
...5...
To the soul time is holographic - past, present and future are here now.
...6...
The Mother-Father is ever present and everywhere because
there are no boundaries to where the Divine exists in place and time.
...7...
Heaven is here on Earth and in you.
The following prayer is the first prayer of the Mother-Father, and I honor its importance in my life with *Gratitude.
Reverence Prayer.1
Mother-Father,
hold me to You.
Nurture all that is me
whether it be in the *Light
or hidden from me.
Help me see,
Help me *Feel,
Help me be connected
to all that is before me,
and to all that is not before me
hidden in the unending spiral
of my life,
and hidden right here in the palm of the Divine.
And hold me to You
because I am of You,
and I love.
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I recite the Code of Doctrine with reverence for the Healing Fellowship's efforts to bring *Life to the Faith of the Mother-Father.
Code of Doctrine
for
The Healing Fellowship of the Unified Mother-Father
1) I honor all journeys as being Divinely Inspired.
2) I intend to find the Divine Golden Thread of self expression in my life.
3) I intend to follow this Divine Golden Thread to its source, the Unified Mother-Father within me.
4) I understand that this Divine Golden Thread is in all expressions of life, not only in myself but all creatures of the Earth.
5) I need only to open myself to the presence of the Mother-Father and the Primary Teachings, and I will be guided.
6) I aspire to *Love and *Communion with self, others and the spirit world.
7) I understand that I may at any time seek counsel from a Reverend in The Healing Fellowship.
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With the next reading I begin the prayers specific to the Ceremony of Divine Recognition. I intend to read slowly and purposefully hearing the words with all of myself.
Ceremonial Prayer.1
May I be led in my lifetime to the Divinity within me.
May I know the Divine speaks to me.
May I aspire to seeing and Knowing
the Divine expression in others.
May I *Lovingly hold and support myself and others,
moment to moment.
May I feel in *Harmony with all life.
May I revel in the gifts of individual expression,
unique gifts of *Love and *Compassion.
May my eyes and Heart be open to *Receive of myself, others
and the Divine.
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I will now read the Prayer of Divine Recognition with a clear intention to integrate the words into my life today.
Ceremonial Prayer.2
Prayer of Divine Recognition
I trust I am perfect for my life's journey.
I trust my perceived imperfection is an illusion,
that my life is Divinely Inspired.
I allow myself to not understand my Divinity,
but I aspire to revelation.
I open myself fully to the realization that I am deeply interconnected
to the Earth,
my community,
my friends
and my family.
I understand that the dynamics in these relationships are the mirror
to what is inside of me.
I intend to be open to the guidance of the Divine
to the best of my ability,
and to follow the Golden Thread of the Divine
in me and in my life.
I need no other ceremony to be Divinely held other than
my intent to evolve spiritually,
my aspiration to be in *Harmony with all life,
and my goal to *Love as clearly and as deeply as I know how.
I am held in the embrace of the Mother-Father today and always.
I need only to be myself to be cherished by the Divine.
I aspire to see the Divinity in myself and others
through the Teachings of the Mother-Father.
I journey, moment to moment,
and I ask for help of the Mother-Father or a Reverend in the church,
if I get lost.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Light your candle now using the candle representing the Divine Mother-Father. Sit quietly for a few minutes honoring the flame representing your declaration then read the last prayer.
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Ceremonial Prayer.3
I feel the sacred acceptance of the Divine Mother-Father.
I dedicate myself to the unfolding and the revelations
before me
as a member of the Faith of the Mother-Father.
I know I am forever held in the embrace
of the Divine Mother-Father.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Sit quietly with your feelings. Reflect. Write in your spiritual journal.
When you feel your experience is complete, offer *Gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the ceremony and come back fully to the present.
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The Ceremony of Divine Recognition is complete.
Welcome to the Faith of the Mother-Father.
May your life be enriched.
May you feel *Loved always.
Recommendations
Continue your spiritual connections to the Faith of the Mother-Father by quietly reading Prayers or Teachings on a regular basis. Light the candle(s) that honor yourself and/or the Divine Mother-Father and read a few entries from The Primary Collection or The Prayer Collection. You can do this whenever your schedule permits reflection or create a daily routine for your spiritual practice.
Another suggestion is to open either of the books to a random page and *Trust in the significance of the choice. You can also read the books from cover to cover.
Both of these books, as well as, many other suggestions and materials to support your spiritual growth are available at http://www.HealingFellowship.org.
If you feel you need further personal support or companionship as a spiritual seeker, please refer to our list of Reverends or our calendar for the locations of classes and services.
Optional:
Having completed the Personal Ceremony of Divine Recognition, you can email the Healing Fellowship at info@HealingFellowship.org to request a Certificate of Completion. Be sure to submit the name you want on your certificate and the date you performed the ceremony. As a self-declared member of the Faith of the Mother-Father, you can also request to be put on our Prayer List.
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