Return To Reverence
YouTube South Africa Music and Slides
Millicent Holliday Atlanta, Georgia and Shirley Malin Fort Collins, Colorado
February 18, 2024
Temple of Light Service
Millicent Holliday — It certainly is wonderful to be with you all, with those who are most precious to my heart because they come in the name of the Lord. It's wonderful to meet in this way today. I hope you all enjoyed my little slide show of the beautiful South African countryside and the voices of the Drakensburg Boys Choir. I thought it would give you an opportunity to visit for just a few brief moments the land to which I was so privileged to be born. A land that still fills my heart with delight and that enabled me as a very young child to begin to sense the wonder within which we are contained. It is something that instilled within me a deep reverence for this home of ours amongst the stars.
I have a poem that I would like to share with you just to start things off, written for my mom on her 90th birthday, and it was written about the land that you just saw. I named it “A Place of Joy”
Ah, to gaze upon these majestic views
Of endless sky and glorious hues
Of grasslands green then brown then gold
Of horizons vast and delights untold.
Oh, to walk this hallowed ground
Where soul can rest and heart abound.
Where time has not besmeared the land
Her beauty still, is infinitely grand.
Ah, to look and ponder deep
The western sky’s prelude to sleep
Of hills that dream under cathedral skies
Surely touched by divinity’s eye.
Oh, to marvel on God’s grace
In this pristine heavenly place
To feel His closeness ever near,
Revealed in all that’s precious and dear.
Shirley, my friend, I'm going to hand it over to you now.
Shirley Malin — Thank you, Milly. That was a beautiful introduction! I must say I've been most honored and humbled to be invited to participate with you in this beautiful hour. I feel like we have entered into the Holy Place as a group, as a collective, and so much is moving in us together. I have such a feeling with you, Milly, of this deep passion and this love that we can bring something to focus as women in agreement in love.
The time in a Tone of Life session that we had with Bill Isaacs a couple of weeks ago opened a portal for us to enter into another level of function together consciously; then to be followed up with Bill and Linda sharing their story of meeting and coming into awareness of the work that we're doing together on earth; and how beautiful to conclude that time with the joyful music and dancing! I feel such a deep love for what each one brings to these meetings. There is such a profound individual Heavenly essence that each one brings at times such as this and many have had the opportunity to offer that, and I feel very humble to have an opportunity to open my heart in this safe place in the Temple of Light.
There is a service that Martin gave in 1964—sixty years ago!—called “A Family in Love” and it speaks to this level of experience that we have moved into where actually we are beyond the level of just training or education now. I feel we have something to speak of from our own experience. We have some substance to offer to the world and we do this in this family of love, the power of love that is God, who “I am”. And each one of us can find this place in our awareness.
I often think of these words as characterizing my own experience: “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life”. In all humility I say that because, looking back, I see the evidence of this movement, this journey into the place where we find ourselves now. I'm sure we've all had quite an amazing experience of this in our individual ways. In discussing things with Milly, I thought maybe I could speak a bit more about my experience because I love to share personal stories of love and our journey, and hear those of others.
So there's this question as to how did I get here? Well, in looking back, things that might have been very painful in the past have proven to be such blessings in bringing me to this point. I thought I might speak about my early days. I had a beautiful upbringing with parents who loved me and provided a beautiful context for learning discipline. And to me, I think this is where we find the availability of truth when we have that discipline. Then we can provide the substance, under the proper control of the Lord, if we love Him with all. Let me just read Martin Exeter’s beautiful poem “To Pray Without Ceasing.”
Whatever arises,
Let me dwell in the secret place
of the Most High,
Let there be a place of stillness
In the midst of turmoil
Let there be a place of light
Amidst darkness
Let there be a place of ease
Amid disease
Let there be a place of order
In the chaos
Let there be a place of love and beauty
In the midst of fear and ugliness
Let my presence be a beacon
of enfolding radiance
In every circumstance
Isn’t that what we're all about? In the world today, where there is so much chaos, dishonesty and fear, we maintain this place of the Most High. I think back to my early years, not having much of an idea of this, I certainly set aside the religious aspect of things. I just couldn't make any sense out of what I was learning in church, and Sunday school for kids, and so on. So I followed through on my responsibility to my parents to be trained and to learn about the religion of Christ. However, when it came time to make my own decision, I let it go and I moved on.
I speak about the past, the rigidities we're raised in as human beings, and we grow up in a culture and we're trained, taught, educated in all this marvelous man-made stuff. I was certainly brought up with a lot of rigidities; and we lived a very comfortable life with lots of prominence, and my parents had this idea for me that I was to grow up a certain way, and be a proper young woman, and marry into a proper, well-meaning, “woolly-minded” type of atmosphere. So, the borders were set, so to speak, and I was taught to be of “virgin” awareness and not to indulge in improprieties, and to be ready for marriage; all protected in what we call “virginity”. As I grew up I was well chaperoned, and behaved well, and honored my parents. I was 18 years old when I entered nursing school and there was this young man who entered the emergency room where I was in training at the time and he took quite a fancy to me. And so we began to develop a friendship and when he heard my certain parameters, he was willing to honor that—at least until I turned 19. And then we had a relationship that went on for three years with the plan that he would finish university, I would finish nursing school and we would get married.
And by golly! what happened somewhere along the line, even though my parents thought he was very fine—he was well known and popular in the city, and had a radio program, and played football for McGill University, and was training to be a lawyer, and all these proper things—and everything was okay until I found I was pregnant. Much to the shame of the family they had to send me away. He did not want to have a child. I speak of this because I know this is not just my little thing. There's a world of misunderstanding, expectations, boundaries. Anyway, he didn't want a child. So I had a choice to make: to have an abortion or go into hiding and have a child to give up for adoption. Painfully, I wound up being deported to the United States to stay with his brothers’ in-laws on their farm in Wisconsin, to go through this birthing process. I did what I needed to do, painful as it might have been. Tears flowing, when I would see a mom go by with her baby. But I needed to do what I needed to do.
And then one day when I was in the local laundromat in town I met a man who owned these laundromats and was taking care of things, and he spotted me and said, “Come, let's have a cup of tea together.” So we went into the shop next door and we had a nice visit. He told me he was about to head out for two weeks on a trip but he seemed really fascinated by me. Of course that was about all the exchange that was available at the time. Naturally, I wasn't going to talk to him about my private affairs. Anyway, we parted and two weeks later, who shows up at the farm, but the gentleman I met at the laundromat, and this man wanted to marry me—and have my baby, when he found out what was going on. So my parents said, after I reported this, “Okay, we'll come down and meet him and let's see if this is okay.” Well, if you can imagine, by the time they got everything in place and got down there, the baby was already born, and who had been available to see this whole outworking but this beautiful man who had offered to take me and the baby in.
Why am I telling you all this? Because I see the divine outworking. The Lord had to get me “out of my Father's house unto a land that I will show thee.” How would I have ever left the beautiful, well-designed expectations of what my life was to look like, except that the Lord had to make it evident? He had to show me the way, no matter how painful it might be.
So this was the beautiful man that I married, and with whom I had two children; the first one he adopted and the second one he brought forth with me. We moved into the Emissary enfoldment just a couple of years after that. And then, there was awakening for me. Oh my God, this is it! The one I love is the one I know. Not the one I learn about or the one I hear about or the one I study—it's the one I know. So my orientation was now with Martin. Immediately, I knew I was a part of the priesthood. And from there on, everything I needed to do of any great import, the decisions I needed to make, were made in understanding and cohesiveness with Martin. I would ask him for the next step. When do I need to move on from this cycle? Okay, now's the time. Do I need to come now to Sunrise Ranch? Not yet. Just wait a bit. There was always that leading of my life with Martin.
And I feel that we're all in this place together. That's why we're here now because this has been the foundation of our development to this stage where we must come from within—in that passion, that love for our KING—to pray without ceasing, to learn the love of family. It's not the hereditary family, the cultural family; it's the family of the Lord God Almighty, the Creator. Because of our love for Him we now find ourselves loving one another.
I just have so much of the sense of love of the female that for years was a little difficult because there was so much competition and fear and jealousy. You know, keep your distance. But there's something beautiful coming together now—and Milly, you have brought this to me in such a humble way. I could not say “No” to sharing this time with you, even though—here's another example of how the Lord will work this out—Ron and I usually are in our RV and down in the desert by now, and it would have been very difficult to do something like this. So when you first invited me, I said, “Well, I'd love to, but let’s be prepared for this possibility.” And in your trust for Him and in my trust for Him, this has worked out beautifully because our RV was not available. It had nothing to do with whether I wanted to or not. The timing was perfect because the RV is expected to be available this week. But here we are together now to praise and give glory to our LORD and KING in this beautiful offering of love and gratitude.
So we dwell under the Shadow of the Almighty always, with the feeling realm. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. As we allow these things to clarify in ourselves, we watch it unfold in our everyday living. I mean, our illnesses can be relieved and cleared because of this love. It’s not about going out to “get” something or to have someone “fix” it and make me feel better by dealing with the symptoms, although this might be appropriate at times, but let's let the love and the healing come from within.
Many years ago Bill Bahan, Sr., printed up beautiful cards with the following words: “There is no healing without spiritual expression. Give spiritual expression.” I have carried those cards with me over the years and offered them in appropriate places as part of my holistic nursing and my love for the truth. And I just welcome pressure because I know we're all feeling different sorts of pressure in these days. It's a world situation, and we all have to embrace it because it's one body. We take care of pressure internally and we shield others in our own relationships, close in. If we don't take care of it, then we're not doing it for someone else. And if someone else is not quite handling it then I need to handle it for that someone else. It's so beautiful to let this happen and to see what emerges in those who love the LORD as we do. Others may not have as much training—that's our job—but the invitation is there always.
So in closing, I must remind myself that “Nothing is wrong”; “No judgment”. It's all part of the LORD's creative process. I welcome whatever it is that comes to my hand to be handled. Thank you so much Milly, for sharing your precious time and inviting me into this sacred place with you, and all the others that I love, as I watch you come forth into our place in the Temple. Now I’ll let you share your beautiful words of glory and praise.
Millicent Holliday — Thank you, Shirley, for the beauty of your heart and for your courage. You certainly have overcome much with such grace and have definitely grown in stature as a result of it. It is for me also such a privilege to share this platform with you today, and with all of you here on Zoom.
Last year I had the privilege of reading both volumes of the “Divine Design of Man” [Uranda’s 1952 six-month Class] and it was such a profound experience. There really are no ways to even articulate the wonder of the process and the multiple revelations that occurred because of it. But what became increasingly clear to me as I went through each chapter was that it is the most remarkable blueprint I think ever written for keys to effective service to our LORD initially, and then as a result of that to the body of humanity itself.
Every challenge, every trick of fallen human consciousness, was met by Uranda, dissected and revealed for what it is and lovingly understood. And then with utter mastery the opportunity was given to us to receive what he offered. It was such a privilege to me to participate at a different level in receiving what he offered through those books. Going through the process filled me with such deep reverence and thankfulness for what Uranda offered to the world, and to us specifically, and it afforded me an opportunity of seeing with a larger vision the magnitude of what he brought, and sense more clearly the angelic being that he is. He was a Prophet of the Lord, present in this generation with us. Right now we can still hear his voice. And I became so aware of that vast shadow that he has cast, the shadow that has given evidence of his great presence. It remains with us today just as surely as the shadow of the Almighty remains with us. We live under these shadows of the great ones and we are so utterly blessed because of it.
So, all of this got me thinking about the attitude of reverence. I wondered just how deeply we perceive the magnitude of the process in which we are involved and the responsibility that is in our hands today. The display of reverence in these days sometimes makes people feel uncomfortable and they squirm very often and try to shy away from it. At least they do so here in this Western culture, and I think this is interesting because it gives evidence of how far removed humanity as a whole is from this state of reverence which should be so natural to man. It gives indication of how far human beings have fallen, which then makes us aware of the extent of the job that we have to do. Bill Isaacs in his wonderful presentation, “Seeing From Above and Below” [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2024/02/seeing-from-above-and-below.html] asked a number of questions. The first one was, “What do we see?”
I thought of the ancient civilizations—just about every ancient civilization had deep reverence built into their everyday affairs. Native American Indians portrayed this very, very ardently. In South Africa, the Bushman people have reverence for everything about them, seeing it as a great gift from the Father. And if you haven't seen the movie, “The Gods Must Be Crazy”, I suggest you watch it, because it's absolutely charming.
I think it is interesting as well that in Mesopotamia the earliest “code of conduct” dates back to the 21st century BC, and was apparently created by a Sumerian leader called “Ur-Nammu”, and he came from the city of Ur. Interestingly, Abraham, one of our great prophets, also came from Ur of the Chaldees in about 2,000 BC., about the same time as Ur-Nammu. Abraham initiated this Plan of Restoration in which we are still very much engaged today.
In a beautiful service titled “Brought to Remembrance”, [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/brought-to-remembrance.html] Martin spoke of the fatal amnesia that has kept us dwelling in the tents of wickedness. Bill Isaacs also spoke of this when he mentioned the knight, Perceval, who in his quest to heal the land forgot to ask the critical question. “Whom does the Grail serve?” Bill said: “Our collective amnesia causes us to suffer and the land—which includes our collective experience as well as the physical earth around us—becomes desolate.” There is such great evidence of this desolation in our world today. Our job, however, rather than being focused on all that is disintegrating around us is to do the exact opposite.
Bill Isaacs said it this way: “We can come, in other words, to see well beyond the surface of things. This is what is necessary for healing the infertility of the land. We must restore sight. To do so, however, we must move beyond the conditioning and polarities which we have all inherited, which are extensive. This conditioning is quite antithetical to life. Human beings operate exactly backwards to creative function in many respects. We separate when we could know unity. We constantly endeavor to be independent, and in so doing we discover that we’re enslaved.”
What do we see? If we see beauty all around us, delight in that which inspires deep reverence, these are the attitudes or the essences of our heart that bring restorative changes, not only to the land itself but to the people of the earth who long for it; whether they consciously realize it or not, their souls are bereft without it. It is because of this great calling that we are here today; we heard the call. Others can hear it as well.
In “Brought to Remembrance”, Martin said: “For so long have the children of men dwelt in the tents of wickedness that the courts of the Lord are remembered no more. This is the fatal amnesia. There is an amnesia, certainly, related to the results, the effects, of a more deeply hidden cause. There can be no restoration of memory as to the truth of man until that cause is unveiled, until we reach a point where we can acknowledge the fact of it as it relates to ourselves individually. Clearly it relates to mankind as a whole, and that is an obvious aspect of the matter; but what is occurring on that larger scale cannot be correctly handled until there is the acknowledgment of our own responsibility as an individual.”
We have to ask ourselves then what is “that more deeply hidden cause”, and possibly, how does it still pertain to me? We know that only the truth sets us free and draws all things to remembrance. What ultimately needs to be brought to remembrance then is the question. What attitudes of heart brought about the fall of man in the first place? We have been taught that it was mankind's attempt to be “as God knowing good and evil” that led to the fall. Do we really know what it looks like in our own experience?
Martin went on to say. “The necessity for repentance then, puts in an appearance.” Sometimes one gets a sensing that just the mention of the word repentance instills a “how dare you” attitude in human beings and the fists come up ready to do battle. Offence is taken and the opportunity for the new earth to appear is thwarted right then and there. We are the angels of the Lord and offence never needs to be taken. If offence is given, and it is bound to come, one can just as easily sidestep it and choose not to take it.
Also, it's good to be aware that when someone speaks in these service gatherings, such as Shirley and I are doing today. We are not necessarily speaking to those gathered but rather through those gathered. Those gathered are the means for greater radiation.
This is what Martin had to say about repentance: “… repentance is really only the matter of letting the basic cause for the loss of memory be unveiled, so that as individuals we are ready to admit it, regardless of what anybody else does, regardless of anyone else's behavior anywhere on the face of the earth, and I suppose particularly with respect to those who are close to us. These are the ones that get under our skin at times. But they're not really getting under our skin. There is something under there already, of which we become aware because of the behavior of other people. This is very useful if we see it in the right light. We should be very thankful that other people unveil to us what is already under our skin, what is already present within ourselves, so that the cause of the trouble may be acknowledged.”
Isn't that wonderful? Repentance is only a matter of letting the basic cause of the memory loss be unveiled. No need for beating oneself up or all the supposed remorse, remorse about how bad we are—no more wasting the Lord's time with such futile antics. It's just a matter of looking at all the little irritations, irritating things that occur on a daily basis, seeing them for what they are and allowing them to dissolve—like snow dissolves in the sunshine.
Looking from a larger perspective though, there are other elements that come up time and time again in the Biblical records, relating to things like denial, betrayal and following afar off. Things that I'm sure we wouldn't participate in. Bill Isaacs spoke of this as seeing things from the bottom up, seeing factors in the world, in ourselves, acknowledging them for what they are and then letting go of what needs to be let go of. This means not getting embroiled in guilt and shame, not allowing ourselves to be tethered by such attitudes because nothing creative can occur on that basis.
Martin in “Brought to Remembrance” went on to say: “The spirit of truth alone can restore memory. But how does the spirit of truth put an appearance? The way the spirit of truth puts in an appearance was described for us with the words ‘Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord’. The spirit of truth comes because there is one who comes in the name of the Lord. Then the spirit of truth can be ‘with you, and shall be in you.’” Someone who doesn’t come in the name of the Lord cannot see the one who does come in the name of the Lord. Their eyes cannot see, their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot perceive. Martin continues: “The spirit of truth must first be with you, in form and expression, through the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”
YouTube Video Speaker View
There's a little parable that I would like to share with you. It's from Matthew Chapter 13:1-23
“The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
“And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
“And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
“And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
“Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
“And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
“And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
“But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
“And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
“He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
“But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
“For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them;
“And to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
“Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
“When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
“But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
“Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Thankfully, we are not all called to bring the same amount of fruit. We don't compare what the Master or Uranda or Martin brought to what we bring forth, but we are all here to bear fruit, and if we do our parts individually no matter how small or large that is, then collectively the greater works are done. Bill Isaacs said: “Where do we stand as we lay the foundations of the new world? We have to bring into our lives the generativity that has been lost, and then the land begins to heal around us. We begin to be in position to reconstitute the earth because the factors that have been long hidden start to be available in form.”
Let's open the floor up now for some of you who would like to participate.
Steve Ventola —I really appreciate your emphasis on personal responsibility, so that we are in form to allow the Truth to come forth, so the earth can be reconstituted. I appreciate your Shirley's expression of being so strong, strong of a female nature; and also of a positive nature, letting something go out to reawaken all, to let that sleepy nature be dispelled, because we put our heart first in courts of the LORD, in the expression of that.
Angela Wildeman — It is a profound pleasure to stand amongst some of you whom I've never met, and many whom I've known for years; to know that each of us as individuals make up the collective negative field, by which our LORD and KING can speak, and speak so eloquently, as it has been today. There is power, not measured as the world might measure, but in fact coming from our own hearts, as we stand proudly as priests or priestesses, to bring forth that which is our responsibility alone, to speak for our LORD and KING, in representation in this world at this time, as we may. As we do look forth, let us take the opportunities to look in the mirror, and bring those things to our Father, on our own, so that we may rise above the ill things that have ruled so many for so long. It is our responsibility and our great pleasure and joy to bring that which can make a difference. As a full time worker in the world, I do genuinely love people and I love nothing more than to meet them where they are, and to leave a little dust of love that might make a difference in their world, that I might never know of. I had the pleasure of visiting South Africa and heard a greeting that I remember, and it stuck with me all these years. The Zulu greet one another and say, “Sawubona!”, meaning “I see you.” And the proper response from the other person would be “Sawubona!” “I see you.” It's been a wonderful time today, to see one another, to hear one another, and to lift up collectively that which the LORD brings into this world.
Leo Palombo — Milly and Shirley, thank you so much. My heart is full with gratitude for both of your stories and articulations. How much more exquisite could the prism and the design be?—for us to be able to shine Love's Light into the darkness. Perhaps the richest rainbows can be brought forth in the darkness as God reveals Himself through us in this darkness. Shirley, it occurred to me as you told your story, how the pain and anguish and fear may be always part of our experience, but suffering does not need to be. It is not, for those of us who are living in this temple of cohered beauty.
Laura Fisher — These words of wisdom and expansion have been wonderful. They include us all—everyone had a childhood and an upbringing. Some were richly blessed and some were not, and none of that makes a difference now unless we deny the fact. The sacred place does not allow the mess. What builds the new world is clarity. The privilege of the background we've had to deal with all these things, and ensure that they are clarified is the peace that comes to me. I feel pregnant, pregnant to bring forth the things of the new earth. It hurts sometimes—it is hard work—but that's not going to stop the pregnancy and it's certainly not going to stop the new world. The strength of our togetherness, which is becoming more and more evident all the time, is that strength that builds the new world. How blessed we are to still be in this body of people and know each other. We can bring forth the new world under the direction of the greatest power that anybody knows, the power that runs the universe, that runs us individually and as a grouping. So, thank you, ladies. It is so good to call you friends, and so good to be with everybody, to bring forth relief and peace for our weary world.
