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When you meet…

Try not to listen to another as if you already know what they are saying. Try not to read the Text as if you already know the content of what’s being presented. Meet each other and the Text in stillness, receive each other with inner silence and, where this is not possible, work consciously to give attention to what’s arising within, exercising as much objectivity as you can call upon.

For more on this visit the page: When we meet where we meet…..

The doctrine of charity

Arcana Coelestia 6628. In the preceding explanations it has been repeatedly that the doctrine of charity was the doctrine in the ancient Churches, and that  doctrine conjoined all the Churches, and thus made one out of many. For they acknowledged as men of the Church all who lived in the good of charity, and called them brethren, howsoever they differ as truths, which at this day are called truths of faith. In these they instructed one another, this being among their works of charity; nor were they offended if one did not accede to the opinion of another, knowing that every one receives truth in the degree that he is in good.

6637. [2] Its being called the church is not from the fact that the Word is there, and that there are doctrinal things therefrom, nor from the fact that the Lord is known there, and that the sacraments are there; but it is the church from the fact that men live according to the Word, or according to doctrine from the Word, and so that the doctrine is the rule of life. They who are not of this character are not of the church, but are outside of it; and they who live in evil, thus they who live contrary to doctrine, are further outside the church than the Gentiles who know nothing whatever of the Word, of the Lord, and of the sacraments; for the former, because they know the goods and truths of the Church, extinguish the church in themselves, which the Gentiles cannot do, because they do not know them. Be it further known that everyone who lives in the good of charity and of faith is a church and kingdom of the Lord, and from this is called a temple, and also a house, of God. The church in general is constituted of those who are churches in particular, however far apart they may be.

Thinking from truths/the Word extends, thinking from the world limits

6648…for with the church in man the case is this: while it is being set up anew the man is in truths and by means of these good increases; but when the church with him has been set up anew, then the man is in good, and from good in truths, which then increase continually-but little during his life in the world, because here cares for food and clothing, and for other things, act as a hindrance; but in the other life immeasurably, and this perpetually to eternity; for the wisdom which is from the Divine has no end. Thus the angels are perfected continually, and thus all are perfected who become angels when they come into the other life; for everything which is of wisdom is of infinite extension, and the things of wisdom are infinite in number.

The still, small voice

1 Kinds 19: 11- 13. Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.