I need to read The Gospel of Thomas. Those are great quotes. Thank you. Your definition of "gnostic" certainly works for me. At least as far as their beliefs and rites were/are concerned, weren't/aren't The Knights Templar and the freemasons (at least until they were subverted by the Illuminati?) Egyptian Gnostic Christians? The Egyptian Mysteries "Christianized"?
As for a narthex, study group or parish, perhaps a gnostic congregation is one that needs less central leadership than most? I would see it having more of an horizontal structure than pyramidal. John, I think this is a case of, "If you build it, they will come." Even if they only attend by Zoom, you will achieve the amplification effect of having 3,6,9,etc taking part. It works.
I meant to reply earlier, but it was a busy weekend. Interestingly enough, the AJC traces a direct lineage back to the Knights Templar.
I should really try to do some services, yeah. I'm not sure about the Zoom thing, though. Feels like in person may be better. Doing communion over Zoom would be a challenge. Even the idea of me performing that sacrament is a little surprising!
Another interesting essay, John, with some beautiful photos. Thank you. These days, we probably see church buildings primarily as places of worship; but, during the medieval period, I think they were seen as much as places of healing. The Knights Templar took to Europe knowledge of sacred geometry, and other esoteric knowledge, which they incorporated into the structures they built, eg, spires, rose windows, stained glass and labyrinths, to create resonating chambers for mind-altering frequencies of healing, prayer and etheric energies. Complex, sophisticated technology.
Pardon my ignorance, but do Gnostics do church buildings, the eucharist and priests? Could you yourself become the nucleus of worship for Gnostic friends and relatives in your/their home(s)? We know from Jesus that all it takes is for two or three to gather together; and we know from Nikola Tesla the importance of number and frequency: 3, 6, 9. Sacred geometry without the stones?!
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. It's good to hear from you. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. What a beautiful building it is indeed!
I have taken in a good amount of material on sacred geometry, as well as how it was incorporated into sacred architecture. I haven't made a study of it, but I'm pretty much convinced there is a lot of truth to this. There are so many factors that go into making a visit to a cathedral like this one a holy experience: the beauty and grandeur of the architecture and artwork; the resonant energies in raw materials such as marble and granite; the love of God that the people present - including yourself - bring with them; the morphic resonance of the good intentions all the worshipers that came before you. The resonance of the sacred geometries assuredly multiply all of these factors!
I normally prefer to write "gnostic Christian" rather than "Gnostic Christian", and I'm not sure why I did differently in this essay. It's not a thing with a formal definition. Even the term "gnostic" on its own seems to mean many different things when you talk to different people. Because of this ambiguity, I've nailed down a rather more precise definition of what the word means to me. It is exemplified in the words of Jesus as reported in saying 3 from the Gospel of Thomas:
Jesus said, "If those who lead you say, 'See, the Kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty."
And similarly in saying 113:
His disciples said to Him, "When will the Kingdom come?" Jesus said, "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of saying 'Here it is' or 'There it is.' Rather, the Kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it."
These sayings are paralleled in Luke chapter 17, verses 20 and 21. In short, my definition of gnostic is the belief that every human being has the innate capacity to encounter and embrace divinity and heaven on our own, here on Earth. It is not something that comes after we die; It is something that we may discover in this lifetime.
As you might imagine, people who fit this definition of gnostic tend to be rather independently-minded, and hence, worship can vary from extremely informal and personal, to the more formal and ritualistic along the lines of the Catholic church. The AJC fits this latter category. The problem is, there as so few people who consider themselves both gnostic and Christian, that there are very few established churches around. The AJC has about 10 parishes in the United States, which, as we know, is a very big place both by square miles and by population.
At one point, I seriously considered trying to become a deacon or priest in the AJC, so I might be able to do what you suggest, and start my own nucleus of worship. I decided against it in the end, both because of the serious time commitment it would be, and because I would have to go through a seminary program, and I really don't do terribly well in those kinds of school-like settings. I can do all the work, but I tend to get bored, and to find challenging points of contention with my teachers. I do much better when I form my own program or plan of education.
There is a fellow not too far from me who is, or perhaps was, in the seminary program, and I really tried to encourage him to start up a narthex, which is an AJC term for a local study group. But I guess he was just to busy, because it never worked out.
I do worship on my own at home, and play with various influences and styles, but as you mention, two or three makes for much better worship than one. I've considered setting up services outside of the AJC, hoping to draw some local people in. Maybe I should look into that some more.
I need to read The Gospel of Thomas. Those are great quotes. Thank you. Your definition of "gnostic" certainly works for me. At least as far as their beliefs and rites were/are concerned, weren't/aren't The Knights Templar and the freemasons (at least until they were subverted by the Illuminati?) Egyptian Gnostic Christians? The Egyptian Mysteries "Christianized"?
As for a narthex, study group or parish, perhaps a gnostic congregation is one that needs less central leadership than most? I would see it having more of an horizontal structure than pyramidal. John, I think this is a case of, "If you build it, they will come." Even if they only attend by Zoom, you will achieve the amplification effect of having 3,6,9,etc taking part. It works.
I meant to reply earlier, but it was a busy weekend. Interestingly enough, the AJC traces a direct lineage back to the Knights Templar.
I should really try to do some services, yeah. I'm not sure about the Zoom thing, though. Feels like in person may be better. Doing communion over Zoom would be a challenge. Even the idea of me performing that sacrament is a little surprising!
Yes, no doubt about that; but we all gotta start somewhere, somehow. Great trees from little acorns grow :)
How absolutely beautiful. And that little house is gorgeous also. Thanks for the peek pictures, those are cool. Nice photography.
thanks for sharing the lovely photos great stuff
Another interesting essay, John, with some beautiful photos. Thank you. These days, we probably see church buildings primarily as places of worship; but, during the medieval period, I think they were seen as much as places of healing. The Knights Templar took to Europe knowledge of sacred geometry, and other esoteric knowledge, which they incorporated into the structures they built, eg, spires, rose windows, stained glass and labyrinths, to create resonating chambers for mind-altering frequencies of healing, prayer and etheric energies. Complex, sophisticated technology.
Pardon my ignorance, but do Gnostics do church buildings, the eucharist and priests? Could you yourself become the nucleus of worship for Gnostic friends and relatives in your/their home(s)? We know from Jesus that all it takes is for two or three to gather together; and we know from Nikola Tesla the importance of number and frequency: 3, 6, 9. Sacred geometry without the stones?!
Dear Tirion,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. It's good to hear from you. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. What a beautiful building it is indeed!
I have taken in a good amount of material on sacred geometry, as well as how it was incorporated into sacred architecture. I haven't made a study of it, but I'm pretty much convinced there is a lot of truth to this. There are so many factors that go into making a visit to a cathedral like this one a holy experience: the beauty and grandeur of the architecture and artwork; the resonant energies in raw materials such as marble and granite; the love of God that the people present - including yourself - bring with them; the morphic resonance of the good intentions all the worshipers that came before you. The resonance of the sacred geometries assuredly multiply all of these factors!
I normally prefer to write "gnostic Christian" rather than "Gnostic Christian", and I'm not sure why I did differently in this essay. It's not a thing with a formal definition. Even the term "gnostic" on its own seems to mean many different things when you talk to different people. Because of this ambiguity, I've nailed down a rather more precise definition of what the word means to me. It is exemplified in the words of Jesus as reported in saying 3 from the Gospel of Thomas:
Jesus said, "If those who lead you say, 'See, the Kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty."
And similarly in saying 113:
His disciples said to Him, "When will the Kingdom come?" Jesus said, "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of saying 'Here it is' or 'There it is.' Rather, the Kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it."
These sayings are paralleled in Luke chapter 17, verses 20 and 21. In short, my definition of gnostic is the belief that every human being has the innate capacity to encounter and embrace divinity and heaven on our own, here on Earth. It is not something that comes after we die; It is something that we may discover in this lifetime.
As you might imagine, people who fit this definition of gnostic tend to be rather independently-minded, and hence, worship can vary from extremely informal and personal, to the more formal and ritualistic along the lines of the Catholic church. The AJC fits this latter category. The problem is, there as so few people who consider themselves both gnostic and Christian, that there are very few established churches around. The AJC has about 10 parishes in the United States, which, as we know, is a very big place both by square miles and by population.
At one point, I seriously considered trying to become a deacon or priest in the AJC, so I might be able to do what you suggest, and start my own nucleus of worship. I decided against it in the end, both because of the serious time commitment it would be, and because I would have to go through a seminary program, and I really don't do terribly well in those kinds of school-like settings. I can do all the work, but I tend to get bored, and to find challenging points of contention with my teachers. I do much better when I form my own program or plan of education.
There is a fellow not too far from me who is, or perhaps was, in the seminary program, and I really tried to encourage him to start up a narthex, which is an AJC term for a local study group. But I guess he was just to busy, because it never worked out.
I do worship on my own at home, and play with various influences and styles, but as you mention, two or three makes for much better worship than one. I've considered setting up services outside of the AJC, hoping to draw some local people in. Maybe I should look into that some more.