ActivitiesThe spiritual teachings are conveyed through means of lectures and group conversations. Attending, reading or listening to these lectures develops the ability to focus and receive. The content enlarges and challenges the mind; it calls on us to think clearly and to work to verify the knowledge within ourselves.
The meetings of the OMC have a devotional nature, beginning and ending with prayer and ritual. There is a respectful listening to and observation of our fraters and sorores during meetings. These practices help refine our feeling levels, especially our feeling for the spirit. Certain exercises are given − such as the visualisations in the opening and closing ceremonies as well as other reflective and imaginative exercises to be done at home − whereby the mental levels are disciplined, the will is strengthened, and our imaginative faculties developed. Opportunities for spiritual conversation with fellow OMC members assist us to perceive the spirit at work in our own situation and in the world. A significant part of our spiritual training is to make conscious our inner sense and knowing. Through sharing with fellow members we develop the courage to express and put words to inner experiences and observations and reveal our inner longings and insights. The taking on of tasks, either as an individual or as a group, which are for the benefit of others, enlarges our capacity to motivate self for a purpose that has no personal reward. Being a member of any group, but particularly one with spiritual ideals, also requires one to become conscious of and guard against the negative influences both within self and others. This is the discipline of self-examination in all matters connected with the Order. Behind the activities of the Order is this great purpose: to know the mystic Christ, the Christ within. This purpose and the way it is worked towards needs to be apprehended for membership of the Order to be true, living and beneficial. |
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