Charlois

Principle #7 – We are individuals and as such we need to develop our independence.   

     “I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.”  Henry David Thoreau  

Being independent creatures brings unique obligations and opportunities.  We are the only species that we are aware of that is self-aware.  As such we can impact our behavior.  It was once thought that we, like other animals, were given a plan for our lives that may as well been etched in stone.  Whether it was genetically, environmentally, or socially; how we behaved and functioned was beyond our control.  Modern research proves that not to be the case.

Because of our ability to self-direct our individuality is even more within our ability to control.  In Covey’s book he calls this ability the private victory, and it has three parts.  “Personal Vision, Personal leadership, and personal management,” work together to enable us to be the person we desire.  We can be independent from outside forces and forge the lives we want.

Personal Vision is taking control of our programming, rewriting it where necessary.  By being proactive in deciding who we want to be we are taking the first step toward our independence.  We look at ourselves and decide; do I want to be the way I am or would it suit me better to be more the self I envision?

Personal Leadership is the stage we come to next.  We draft the map of our lives.  By looking at our values, roles, and goals; and comparing that to our lives we declare we want from our vision and then plan it out.  Writing a personal mission statement is a major piece of that work.

Finally, we come to personal Management.  In this stage we see the plan and carry it out.  Things such as scheduling, and prioritizing take on significance.  It is here that the work of our lives becomes a part of our integrity, and character.

By working on these three areas, we can forge an identity to our individuality, becoming the person we believe we were created to be.

The Beginning of Advent

This is the beginning of the Christian year; the season of Advent.  It is a period of 4 Sundays that are set aside for the preparation for the coming of the Messiah.  Each Sunday has as its focus one thing that this coming means.  The first Sunday focuses on our hope.

For many years, the Jewish people anticipated the coming of a Messiah.  An anointed one sent by God to lead the people into His kingdom.  Sure, there were some who were thought to be that Christ, but none delivered the way it was thought was assured.

Today we to await; the second coming has been foretold.  We hope for deliverance from the reign of Satan, to a never ending of Gods’ kingdom.  But wait!

Our hope is a reality that we don’t have to wait for because the living Christ is with us, even to this day.  Jesus said he would send a comforter, His spirit to guide us in righteousness.  All we have to do is open our hearts and minds to receive the gift.

Unfortunately, many people are so entrenched in their idea of what His coming will look like that they miss the evidence, and power of His current presence.  We have within our reach an opportunity to remake this planet into what our Lord designed it to be.

One of the biggest sins we can commit is to deny, as those 1^st century Jews did, the presence of God’s anointed.  Should we not have learned that our deliverer will not come as we expect.  Rather, His presence will come as a new born babe; pure and innocent.

This week reflect on how your life could be different if only you took your hope and lived it as fact.  He is here, just waiting to be acknowledged.

So, enter into His hope and believe. Pastor Ya

A trip through the Christian year

By Robert A. Charlois III

Every journey begins somewhere.  This journey is going to be no different.  We are going to start on November 26th, 2022, and run through December 3rd, 2023.  Going through the typical Christian year as a way of drawing closer to God.

Beginning with a look at the Hanging of The Greens service as an introduction to the trip that actually begins with the 1^st Sunday of Advent.  We will follow the Christian calendar through its many Holy days and also look at different ways of seeing things on average days.

Hanging of The Greens can happen at any time during the Advent season but usually on or near the 1^st Sunday.  It is a time to prepare for the season by decorating and a special service.  It is a special time for us as well.  As we embark on this journey, we need to prepare ourselves for what is ahead.

Over the next 52+ weeks we are going to strive to get closer to our Creator.  We will be following the traditions prescribed by the church and its Christian calendar.  Plus we will be meditating on reflections not set forth in the afore mentioned calendar.

Each edition will consist of a page with the Lectionary readings for that day, a guiding prayer, and possibly other items to set the tone for the day.  After the opening page will be a page or maybe more for reflection on the theme of the day.  Periodically there will be special editions explaining the season or providing practices that might be helpful on the quest.

So, with an attitude of inquisitiveness, let us begin this trek.

Principle #6

We are sentient beings that can best partake of the magnificence of creation by refining our seven senses.

“{Leonardo reflected that the average human] Looks without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without feeling, eats without tasting, moves without physical awareness, inhales without awareness of odor or fragrance, and talks without thinking.”

     The senses are the keys to opening the doors to human experience.  With the vast array of things to experience, it would be a shame to let our senses so deteriorate that we miss the pleasures they bring.

     In Raja Yoga, the fifth practice is, according to the Yoga Sutras, the act of sensory inhibition.  This in no way is meant to infer that the senses are wrong and feelings bad; actually, it is preparation for the higher reaches of Yoga.  In fact, in some meditative practices, the act of canceling out most feeling is crucial to experiencing the focus of meditation in its fullest.

     It should be noted that the act of over-indulging the senses goes contrary to most faith traditions.  However, the act of refining the senses, not to indulge, but to more fully appreciate the gifts God has so freely given makes perfect sense.

We have been created with various gifts and characteristics which enable us to experience the universe around us. The first of these are…

1) Sight

2) Hearing

3) Smell

4) Taste

5) Touch

These five constitute what is commonly believed to be the way sentient beings experience the world.  Because of that we feel it would be unnecessary to elaborate here.  The last two are what we would call extrasensory.

6) Intuition

     That extra sense that we sometimes speak of when we say things like, “I feel it in my gut,” or “I just know.”  It is the sense that is difficult to explain.  However, research shows it does exist and can be developed to our benefit.

7) Emotion

     Peace, joy, happiness, anger, sadness, and the list goes on, these are the extras that move us more so than the basic five that begin our list.

By refining these senses, developing them to their full capacity, we enhance our ability to experience life. Since all of life is a gift from God, we believe that enhancing the experience of living it to its fullest extent helps us to draw closer to Him from which we come.

All of these gifts are malleable which suggests that we should strive to malleate them as possible.

Saturday, November 20^th, 2022

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise.  Give thanks to him, bless his name.  For the Lord is good; and his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”  Psalm 100: 1-5 NRSV

Here it is, the last Sunday of the Christian year; Thanksgiving Sunday or the Sunday before Thanksgiving, if you prefer.  Psalm 100 is a psalm of thanksgiving so therefore it is appropriate that we reflect on it today.  In essence, it is to God that we should give thanks on this week, especially Thursday.  He created and sustains us and all that we have is a gift from him.

In reality, we should give thanks every day, not just on special holidays.  If we are honest, everything is a gift, that we should be grateful for.  Which is why I advocate for participating in a “gratitude practice.”  This is where at a set time, usually in the evening, we sit down and list 3-5 things from our day that we are grateful for.  By engaging in this exercise, we open ourselves to a higher frequency of energy, and therefore we end up developing a more positive attitude.  Try it and see what difference it makes.

By giving thanks on this, the last week of the Christian year, we are setting ourselves up for a remarkable experience in the coming year.  In fact, all of the holidays of this season, Thanksgiving thru New Year’s, serve as a transition from the past and going into the future.  So, enjoy, and set yourself up for a glorious future.

Meditate on that for a while,

Go in God’s grace.

Pastor Yancy

“Whoever is not against us is for us.”  Mark 9:40 NRSV

Last week we talked of the idea that there is no distinction in persons; that continues today in this quote from the Gospel of Mark.  In the whole story it becomes clear that Jesus doesn’t care who others follow, as long as they are after the same goal.

Throughout the Judeo-Christian scriptures, as well as the sacred writings of other traditions, we hear, Love God and Love neighbor.  All traditions teach, at their core, to seek fellowship with God and neighbor as the highest quest.  Therefore, if that is what a person is seeking, then who is someone else to say it is wrong?

Too often people get so attached to a way of relating to God and creation that they begin to believe it is the only way.  This is not so.  God created us as unique individuals and I believe He expects us to seek Him in our own unique way.  It says in Philippians 2:12b “work out your own salvation.”  That serves as a mandate for us to find our own way.  We can seek others’ opinions, but we will be judged on what “WE” believe, not what others may believe.

So, it would be prudent of us if we were to spend more time figuring out our own path and quit telling others what path they should take.  In love, we can all help each other on this journey, so let us do it.

Meditate on that for a while,

Go in God’s grace.

Pastor Yancy

Tuesday, November 8^th, 2022

What is Charlois, you may be asking?

Charlois is many things and is expanding constantly.  It started with my way of dealing with life.  Having a serious mental illness, I needed a consistent way of processing life events.  So, Robert A. Charlois came into being.  Over time this persona seemed to evolve and take on a life in its own right; so much so that I was at times confused as to whether I was Yancy or Robert.  Things have leveled out and the various personas have become guiding characters in my story of life.

Today Charlois is a philosophy, life style, and will soon have a non-profit cousin.  The various characters that make up this family each have their own place and personality that has evolved over time.  They owe their personalities and characteristics to many traditions, from the Judeo-Christian beliefs of my early years to the Stoic philosophy that has garnered my attention in these last few years.  Eastern religions and philosophies have contributed as have some of the more esoteric disciplines.

It has all been thrown into a pot and affected how I function is this diverse universe.  One of the guiding thoughts of Charlois is that we are each individual, interconnected but still unique.  As such we should each develop our own ideas of the world.  We should take all manner of communication that has inspired others, blend that with the traditions of our world, view it all through the lens of personal experience, and finally use our intellect to build a custom ideology to take us closer to where we were created to be.

This journey we call life has enough twists and turns, with an ample supply of bumps and pot holes, to keep us on our toes for the whole ride.  We do not need good meaning people telling us what is right or wrong for us.  We need to figure that out for ourselves, using good council as appropriate, of course.

Therefore, begin anew, and map out the path that is your journey and grow to be who you were created to be.

Go in God’s grace and peace, with His blessings the whole way.

Robert A. Charlois III

Principle #5 – We are physical beings that house the Spirit and as such we should care for it as the Temple of God.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”  1 Corinthians 3:16 NRSV

     As spiritual beings we have life, but where does that life reside?  Our physical bodies: flesh and bone, organs and systems come together in one place.  For the most efficient functioning of this body, it must be in a state of well-being.

     The body of a human being is a miraculous work.  This body of ours is designed in such a way that through proper care and development it theoretically could last forever and could give years of productive service.

     The problem is we do not maintain it the way we need to.  There are all sorts of outside factors that can wreak havoc on its resilience.  But when we take the proper steps, this organism is quite remarkable in what it can endure.

     Therefore, as physical beings it is of the utmost importance that we care for ourselves in a thorough and thought-out manner. Paying attention to details of recovery and development can go a long way in getting the greatest benefit out of this structure.

     Human beings are notorious about using their tools and not caring for them appropriately.  This not only diminishes the potential we are created with but also shortens the shelf life of effective use.

     A complete program of care would include 7 areas of care as follows…

1) Rest

     Rest is necessary because the body needs quality time to recover and repair from the stress placed on it.  The optimal amount necessary depends on the individual, however, a good rule of thumb would be between 7-9 hours nightly.

2) Nutrition – what we put into our bodies affects many areas and so we should choose with caution.

3) Aerobic – our cardio-pulmonary systems provide the oxygen and other elements crucial to our function. Therefore, a structured program strengthening those systems is imperative.

4) Strength – our muscular/skeletal systems need to be challenged on a consistent basis to provide the functioning necessary to live a full and productive life.

5) Flexibility – Our joints and connective tissues deteriorate over time and therefore need to be stretched and flexed frequently to maintain their elasticity.

6) Balance – A host of systems work together to provide us with stability and spatial awareness needed to get through life. If we fail to practice our balance regularly, we soon become limited in what we may attempt.

7) Cleansing – With all that our bodies go through we build up a tremendous amount of toxins and other waste products. Therefore, extreme care must be taken to assure we are properly cleansing our systems of these poisons.

By following a comprehensive program of self-care, we can be assured that we will be able to perform the way we were designed for many years.

Saturday, November 5th, 2022

“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.  Galatians 3:28 NRSV

The first Principle of the Charlois Principles is, there is God and creation and it is all interconnected.  That puts the above passage in a new light.  One of the things Jesus came for was to show the reality of this principle.  Doesn’t He say, the Father and I are one?  And through His example we can become one as well.

For those who are not big on taking things on faith we just have to look at things to see how everything follows the same design.  Science has proven that on the atomic level everything is basically the same.

Taking this understanding to light we need to be conscious of how we interact with each other and all of creation.  At our deepest level how we act toward others is how wen are acting toward ourselves.  If we harm others we are essentially harming ourselves.  And the opposite is true as well, how when we treat others well, we are treating ourselves well.

So, I ask, shouldn’t we be looking at our similarities and figuring out how we can optimize the relationship for the good of all?

Meditate on that for a while,

Go in God’s grace.

Pastor Yancy

Principle #4 – We are first of all Spiritual Beings that need to nurture our connection with the Greater Spiritual presence of God.

“Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.”  Genesis 2:7 NRSV

     God first created the physical man but we did not become living beings until He breathed the breath of life into us.  It is through this life force, the Spirit of God, that we complete our being made in the image of God.

     Various traditions speak of this spirit in differing ways.  But for all of them it is an energy that permeates all of creation.  As was mentioned earlier, all matter vibrates, creating a frequency of energy that animates the substance.  To cut off this vibration would be the end of life.

     Nurturing this spirit is necessary if we are to continue being living beings.  Without the life force that God provides we are a mere collection of elemental atoms.  By caring for our spiritual selves, we are assuring ourselves of the benefits and power of being connected to the Creator.

We nurture this connection by participating in various spiritual disciplines. Some of these, although not exhaustive, are as follows…

1) Prayer

     Prayer is where we converse with our creator.  There is no single set way of doing it, it can be as formal as written prayers recited as in a worship service, or as simple as a friendly conversation with one’s closest friend.  These prayers don’t even have to be spoken, because God hears the intentions and groanings of the heart.

2) Meditation

     Whereas prayer is speaking with God, meditation is where we are listening to and experiencing Him.  There are many ways in which to meditate, but they all consist in focusing on God through some medium.  In this way we use our senses to experience His voice or presence.

3) Study

     This is where we learn about God and His ways.  For many traditions it is recommended that this study focus on the scriptures or sacred readings of the faith.  With the Charlois Philosophy we take a broader view.  It is felt that God speaks and can be known through any and all expressions.  It is because of this that we hold as scripture any expression that speaks God’s love in whatever form.

4) Fasting

     Taken in its most basic manifestation fasting is the act of sacrificial denial of something for the purpose of developing a deeper relationship with the Father.

5) Breath control

     It has long been understood that by controlling one’s breath we can affect physiological changes.  This is thought to result from its spiritual connections.  We may calm or excite ourselves merely by changing the rate and duration of our breaths thus opening ourselves to an influx of the life-giving aspects of the spirit.

     These five disciplines form the basis of the spiritual practices used by most faith traditions.  There are others, that while beneficial are not as widely experienced or understood.  These esoteric practices are of value to those who understand and appreciate them.

     It is because of misunderstandings that they are demonized in some circles.  However, when we study them in more detail, we come to realize that they are just an alternative way of connecting with and worshipping the Creator and Sustainer of all of creation.

     While we may not choose to practice or even believe in any or all of them, each and every one has been used by people through the ages to value and so we should not criticize their use because we don’t understand them. Whatever method we use to connect with God, without turning it into an object of our worship, is valuable in our search for that Spiritual connection.