Answers for Mystical Christianity lesson #8 from Bob Koenig

Questions For the Heart and Mind

1. How do you view Mary of Nazareth?

I have heard everything from her just being a girl picked at random to take on the duty, to her being cosmically 'chosen' and picked 1,000 years before her birth, and after all the generations, she was the perfect one God had in mind. Like God's Trinity, I'd like to see an earthen trinity with John (The Baptist), Mary, and Jesus.  Reading Maria Valtorta's volumes of "Poem of the Man-God" , She obviously had a lot of effect on Jesus' teachings and ways.  She is seen as a Goddess to many, and with all the visions people have had of Her, We HAVE to take notice! If she started as a 'mere' human, she was transformed the instant she said "yes".

2. What does it mean to call Mary "the maternal face of God"?  In what ways is she the White Virgin?

She had purity in ways even more than virginity. Her purity, along with being Jesus' mother, made her the Mother of God icon she is today. As a mom, we think of her as being more approachable than God or Jesus. Seems that she is, as a Rosary can be prayed to her, and her visions and miracles have effected many. Catholics say they don't worship her, but they will pray to her first. Her kindness, grace and sincerity seem to be easily revealed. Praying to Mary works!! I know.

3. Is it fair to maintain that the Mary of the Church is a projection of a celibate, male priesthood created for political purposes?

The Church is often labelled as the bride. is Mary seen as the bride of God? Not outright, no.  Her image for women as a perpetual virgin is a tough woman to emulate. I suppose Nuns try to be like this, or even priests to be celibate.  I suppose it also keeps women out of becoming priests.  Though Mary Magdalene could be seen as the first woman priest.

4. Riane Eisler states that "Religion supports and perpetuates the social organization it reflects." What ways can you work to shift our culture away   from a dominator mentality and more to partnership with each other?

Mary in Her visions and messages does not work alone....why can't it be seen that if she and Jesus are still with us to be miraculous...why not show a Male and female structure?  Mary's messages are peaceful, and her visions keep those lucky to be able to see and hear spellbound. They say there is nothing more beautiful or peaceful than Her. Jesus was a man of Peace.  make a Church that follows them both. Actually, there is one!! Look up "Center of Light"

Mystical Christianity Lesson 5 answers Bob Koenig

Questions For the Heart and Mind

1. What is Truth for you?

Truth for me, is something that feels "Right" in my heart and my soul. Not just what someone has said, or tradition has brought down for years. For example, in Sunday School, I was always taught that somehow our Bible was "heaven sent" and that the hands of disciples were the ones that wrote the Holy word of God...every letter, every word, was chosen exactly this way, by God alone.

Of course, once I found out about all the books missing from the Bible, or that the Protestant Bible had less books than the Catholic...I was floored to say the least. My vision of "truth" was shot down at that moment. So, I became a "seeker" and sought out my own values and truths.

i have always studied other religions since then, but always come back to my Christianity background. However, now it has been transformed. 

2. How do you respond to the possibility that what we know about the history of Christianity may be at the very least incomplete, if not outright wrong?

This further explains my thoughts from question 1. After reading Gnostic Bibles and the 'lost' books of Philip and Mary, along with many of the others, even the 'Pistis Sophia"  I have seen how the 'divine feminine' has been taken away from us...but we have clues in the Bible Gospels, just you have to find them.  We read of Sophia, and of Mary Magdalene, and see that Mary was not the prostitute we were all told she was.

Do I like that we were either 'lied' to? Or had ideas hidden from our path? Sure, I do. Am I overjoyed to now worship both Masculine and Feminine in the way I have always wanted? I am very overjoyed!

• Do you believe our thoughts can affect our lives and our world as Gregg Braden theorizes in The Isaiah Effect? How can you make a difference?

Our thoughts can easily effect our outlook on things, and cause and effect our lives. i believe a positive attitude in thoughts does make your day go faster and brighter, a better way than being depressed, dark, sad, heavy burdened. And having the right outlook on God, creation also aids in this thought pattern.

I think any religion you choose to follow,  brightens your way than those who choose not to.

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Mystical Christianity Questions lesson #2 from Robert Koenig

Mystical Christianity

Questions For the Heart and Mind

1. Imagine a Christianity without the influence of original sin and the fall. If we remove "fall/redemption theology" from Christianity, what is left and what can be put in its place?

Something where we see the world as the true 'Garden" and place kindness on the planet we live on, not tear it apart.  When man and woman work together as equals, and not feel that because of the 'fall' women have to be subject to the wiles of a man, but rather seen as equal, will we begin to see the garden once again. We can then strive to see God in us, and work together with our creator...rather than see we are "poor and miserable" and that women are responsible for this.

2. Explain the connection between the traditional understanding of the Genesis narratives and our ecological concerns for Mother Earth. Why are the two connected?

Genesis, and the human expulsion of the garden of Eden, show our uncaringness of the planet. We strive to return to the garden, yet we are living on it, just not in unity and certainly not  harmony. If men and women could find unity, perhaps we could learn to live on our planet better, find God in ourselves, and enjoy some peace. Mother Earth is waiting, and dying in our denial.

3. How do you react to the possibility, as theorized by Gregg Braden, that you carry the message "God Eternal within the body" in your genetic code?

It is not a new theory. Gnostics and Santeria religions feel the ideals of this. Perhaps Hare Krishnas, Buddhists too.  The Chakras in the body, similar in energy and power to the seven Orishas of Santeria.  Meditating is in a way, seeking your inner self. So if we all are related to Gods energy, why wouldn't some be inside us?  Eric's ideas are very comforting.

4. If this "God Code" is common to all humanity, how does it affect your understanding of current issues of world peace and justice?

As Patriarchal nations, we are like children saying what is mine is mine and yours is yours...or sometimes yours is mine! Money is the material God.. If we all could see we are here under the eyes of the all..God and Goddess..our creators, we could find unity somehow. It is our nature as nations to not. adding religion and having different ideals only separates us more.

5. Become the storyteller of your life and create your own creation mythology. What would your creation story feel, look and sound like?

The Divine Masculine and Feminine  created the Earth, and all of the Galaxy, creating male and female, they made them in their likeness. the union of both can lead to creation, giving the humans a power similar to their makers. a plentiful earth was made, and humans have the ability to make things grow and prosper...plenty for everyone.  We learn to share, appreciate and love everyone under our creator's sun and Moon, and learn to appreciate differences as well as similarities.

Bob Koenig

Mystical Christianity answers Lesson 4 Bob Koenig

Questions For the Heart and Mind

1. What does it mean to "know yourself"? How well do you know your True Self? Who are you?

I see that Gnosticism goes heavily on within. Therefore,  it is what you feel in your heart, not what you do in a church, that matters.  I see that we have to meditate, work on our Chakras, and get to know our inner core to fully comprehend. 

2. Have you ever had a visionary or mystical experience? If so, describe how it affected you.

I had two dreams. One, I was met by Hermes, who had a message for me. as I reached out to take it, the dream ended. I never received the note.

My second dream was one I was giving a sermon. I was saying "we are not in the age of the Old or New testament, but rather we are in the time of the age of Mary!"

Since then, I have taken on finding information on Virgin mary and Mary Magdalene. I see they play a more important part than the Bible will allow us to see.

3. How do you define imagination and how do you experience it in your life?

If you dream, if you wonder, If you think, you then can imagine.  it wasnt just my dreams at play here, but my imagination added to them and made me wonder what could be done to feel what would have become of these dreams were they real.

4. What role does breath play in your life? Describe a moment when you were intensely aware of your breathing.

Breath is what a newborn does that starts it's life. Breath shows  when we are tense, exhausted,  rapid pulse, everything. When you are at rest, you can hear/sense your breathing more. it is like the Breath is your soul within showing it is there.

Mystical Christianity: lesson 3 (assignment)

Mystical Christianity: lesson 3 1.    What in your opinion is the significance of the discovery of these ancient manuscripts? It is very significant because it casts new doubt on the integrity of the New Testament as it is known today. These writings remind us that the biblical canon was not handed down from heaven from God in a nicely bound volume, but rather a collection compiled by Church councils – and oftentimes the inclusion or exclusion of certain writings came down to a few votes. 2.    What is your understanding of the Essene Community? My understanding of the Essenes is that they were an ascetic, mystic community of healers – a third major tendency in Judaism, distinct from the Pharisees and Sadducees.  I find the hypothesis that Jesus, as well as Mary and Joseph, were Essenes quite plausible. 3.    How do you define the term "gospel"? Do you feel that the non-canonical gospels have valid authority and significant messages for your life? Although many people interpret the word "gospel" as being equivalent to "truth", the term really means "good news".  By this definition, the non-canonical gospels certainly can have importance for me. These writings help fill in the gaps in the overall Christian message and help us rediscover the mystical roots of Christianity. After all, the canonical gospels were chosen with a specific agenda in mind – and the rest were suppressed, largely because they bore messages threatening to the Church hierarchy and their patriarchal agenda. J.P. Amis

Mystical Christianity Lesson 2 (assignment)

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Mystical Christianity Lesson 2 1.    Without sacrificial atonement as the central Christian message, we're left with a much more positive message, one more in tune with Nature: resurrection/rebirth.  Here the emphasis is shifted away from Jesus "washing away our sins with his precious blood" towards an emphasis on the risen Christ – a powerful embodiment of the triumph of life over death, of light over darkness. 2.    The Church has traditionally interpreted Genesis – specifically the passage where Adam is granted dominion over all the creatures – as meaning that nature is a resource at man's disposal, to be dominated and manipulated by man. Also, in this view, nature is fallen as well, further justifying man's right to exploit it. This view has led us to the brink of environment catastrophe where we stand today. 3.    Greg Braden's theory brings a whole new meaning to being "made in God's image", and removes the ambiguity surrounding this phrase. If God is indeed part of our DNA, we cannot pervert the meaning of this Biblical phrase to suggest that only "man" (and not woman) was made in God's image (and the same goes for any race or ethnic group that might use the phrase to assert its supremacy over other races or ethnic groups). It means that we are all one, regardless of race, sex or sexual orientation. 4.    Although the existence of such a "God code" in our DNA does not change my view towards the question of human unity and brotherhood (as my belief is that we are all part of one Universal Soul), it is a message that desperately needs to be heard, taught and practiced throughout the world.  The unity of humanity is a lesson every child needs to learn before they even learn that 1+1=2. J.P. Amis

Mystical Christianity: lesson 4 (assignment)

Mystical Christianity: lesson 4 1. What does it mean to "know yourself"? How well do you know your True Self? Who are you? "Knowing yourself" is more than just knowing your personality, wants, needs, etc. It means, rather, knowing your inner "Self", your soul personality, your Inner Master, or the Divine within. We must carefully distinguish between the ego, which many people identify as their self, and the True Self or Higher Self which is pure and connects us to the Divine. 2.    Have you ever had a visionary or mystical experience? If so, describe how it affected you. I can't honestly say I've had a profound or dramatic mystical or visionary experience. I've experience moments of inner peace and connection with the Divine/Cosmic during meditation, as well as moments of insight in daily life – but nothing particularly dramatic. 3.    How do you define imagination and how do you experience it in your life? Imagination is the ability to envision known things in new ways – the first step to mental creation.  I always had a rather active imagination since childhood.  Especially as a child, this had both positive and negative aspects. On the one hand, I could imagine things that went far beyond my limited mundane experience. On the other hand, my imagination could carry me away into dark/frightening places – and often plagued me with obsessive thoughts about imagined dangers. 4.    What role does breath play in your life? Describe a moment when you were intensely aware of your breathing. Having suffered from frequent respiratory problems as a child (and to a lesser extent now), I've always been aware of breathing and how important it is – and how troubling it is when you can't breathe as deeply or easily as you should. I find that now, having studies certain mystical teachings, and can use breathing techniques to make me feel better physically, elevate my mood and calm anxiety.