Logopraxis Fishbowl Demonstration

At the 2018 New Church in Australia camp held in Alexander Headland Queensland attending practitioners of Logopraxis ran a fishbowl demonstration. The group worked with the Text Heaven and Hell with the reading being taken from a section entitled, Wise and Simple People in Heaven HH #346-356(2). The standard 3 Round Lp format was used with 7 participants and 9 observers. In Round 3 the opportunity was given for observers to bring any questions they had and for practitioners to share their personal experience of the impact LP has had on their spiritual lives. The following is a summary of the key points expressed as a result of the practitioners work with the Text…

  • The battle is between self-ideas and what is of and from the Lord. We need to ask for help to identify this.
  • Use needs to be directed by the Lord. We need to ask for that direction.
  • Love is reciprocal. Because the Lord lives we can and we’re not restricted.
  • We need to put truths into action not just know them.
  • When you try to do this the hells attack you.
  • You need to ask for help because you can’t do it on your own.
  • Thoughts challenge you. You need to step away from them and not act on them.
  • You need to do it “as-if-of-self” but knowing it is really the Lord.
  • It’s important not to own anxious thoughts and feelings or disorderly ones.

 

  • We are good at justifying what we want-we lie to ourselves.
  • We need to remind ourselves that good is from the Lord.
  • We need to bring an awareness to our mind that what we think is an appearance.
  • We need to have an awareness of the Lord.
  • How we receive the Lord is dependent upon our state at the time.
  • The proprium is good at making excuses.
  • We need to trust the Lord and His process.
  • We have an unwillingness to expose the self and look for good and truth.
  • We need to slow our thinking and allow for the Lord to come in.
  • It brought an awareness of what a spiritual life really is and it is not being full of knowledge in a worldly sense.

The facilitator commented that…

…the two words that stood out as being used often in the session were “help” – needing to acknowledge that we need it and also remembering and actually asking for it and “ relief”- once we did this.

Questions from the observers were mainly focused on the method, ranging from how tasks were developed and what texts were used, to the length of readings and the time needed to get through a reading. There was surprise expressed that all the practitioners were reading the same Text. Later there were also questions regarding the facilitator’s role.

Comments on the LP meeting process were also offered from the observer group: Of note was the seeming detachment from others emotional responses while still remaining attached to the group and present to each other. Especially in round 1, a few observations were made in how this round felt so different to a discussion or sharing group – almost seeming cold to the observer until round 2 was introduced. But then it was also noted how the structure of only one person speaking at a time created calm and order.

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Sarah Walker
Sarah Walker
6 years ago

Yes there is definitely a sense that the community is more than just the actual group that is physically present in a meet up. I felt that very much in this meeting at camp. I had the thought yesterday, that the community it is just another way he allows us to approach, understand, perceive and love His Human form. Look forward to hearing how your meeting goes on the 13th.

Gray Glenn
Gray Glenn
6 years ago

Reading this the quote came to mind, “Did not our hearts burn when He spoke?” For those of us unable to attend, it is quite wonderful to be included by this summary. The big idea that doing LP is somehow creating a spiritual community founded ONLY in our willingness to practice the Lord is and idea I mostly just look at and wait to understand. “Hearing” your work in this little synopsis, not knowing who was there and who wasn’t, but feeling the effort and letting go in each comment, offers a glimpse into what this idea of ‘spiritual community’… Read more »