“I know that my Love for you is as great as your Love for me, and I just LOVE the Love in this church.” So said one of 392 participants in the Initiates Workshop offered by Peace Theological Seminary & College of Philosophy on April 18 & 19, 2003, in the Brentwood Ballroom of the 2101 Wilshire Building in Santa Monica, California.
John Morton, the Spiritual Director of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA), facilitated the two day workshop and John-Roger, Spiritual Advisor and Founder of MSIA, came twice to take sharing during the event.
The enthusiastic and Light-filled group constituted a larger than usual workshop crowd, filling the Brentwood Room and overflowing into the Palisades Room.
The Love, the Light, the joy and enthusiasm could be seen in the sparkling eyes, tears, warm smiles and sheer laughter of the participants as John Morton and John-Roger answered questions and shared with the group.
Squeals of delight, sighs of release, and sudden cognizance of life-altering realizations were witnessed throughout the workshop. Participants in the workshop came from all walks of life and were of all ages including: wives and mothers, teenagers, medical doctors, actors and actresses, businessmen and women — all who carry their Love and Light back into their communities in California and throughout the U.S. and elsewhere in the world.
This writer felt his life was suddenly changed with a verbal reminder that you don’t have to give your energy to anyone or anything that doesn’t return energy back to you, and that past involvements were only life experiences of the individual, but that the individual is so much more than those experiences.
At the beginning of the workshop, Master of Ceremonies Paul Kaye, explained in his usual hilarious way, the guidelines for the workshop. Then, those attending were given the opportunity to write their intentions for the workshop in their journals, and what they expected to receive from participating in the workshop.
Interactive processes conducted during the workshop seemed to stretch the understanding, comprehension and self-honesty of each participant. “But I never really got the SACREDNESS of being an MSIA Initiate until this weekend,” another participant exclaimed.
The sharings with John-Roger and John Morton then seemed to crystallize the realizations and benefits gained during the processes, one attendee remarked. The warm loving and deep caring of John and J-R made it completely obvious why MSIA is so cherished amongst the organization’s participants.
A traditional Irish song, “Be Thou My Vision,” was used as a musical theme throughout the two days, as well as a folk song “Down to the River to Pray” and an upbeat song proclaiming “There’s a Meeting Here Tonight.” And, on one lunch break, Marjorie Eaton provided beautiful music on her harp.
Dozens of books, seminar recordings and other materials by John-Roger and John Morton were made available to the initiates during breaks and before and after the sessions in the festively decorated MSIA Store in the Westwood Room.
To conclude the two-day workshop, John Morton shared a sacred blessing.
Then, gifts of Easter egg candles housed in egg-shaped candle holders, and a J-R recorded seminar were handed out to everyone as they left the meeting rooms.
The Light, the Love, the changes in consciousness, and the warmth of sharing and togetherness were easily seen on the faces of the attendees filing out, all wanting to stay and talk with each other, seemingly unable to separate and head on their way home. Many lingered on for awhile, and others made quick plans to adjourn to a nearby coffee shop or restaurant. No one wanted to separate and leave.
But leave they must, for the following morning offered an Easter service on the beach in Santa Monica with John Morton at 9:00 a.m., followed by a potluck brunch and an Easter egg hunt for the younger ones.
