Tag Archives: bible

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We gathered last night on the longest night of the year, on our Winter Solstice, for our Christmas Divine Service in Chawton. It was a beautiful service of readings, prayers, the singing of carols, and the lighting of the Advent candle for LOVE by Malcolm. We also had special readings, which were beautiful.

We thanked many people last night for their service and help throughout this year. Sue and Carole both received bouquets for their wonderful hospitality and baking. They have taken things to a whole other level. This was so well deserved. We have been spoilt!

We thank Graeme, who sets up the chairs and generally helps with the setup for our gatherings and also takes our offerings. Of course, Julie and Lisa both run our music. Thank you so much. We thank Nerina, who does so much behind the scenes with membership and many other things. We also thank Alison for booking our mediums and managing our social media. We thank Chris Elliot for working as our Treasurer, and both Steve Lidett Williams and Nerina Dannat for their roles of Vice Presidents.

We thank the chair rotation team also, as they lead proceedings and help keep us in line. We thank our wonderful healers, who were on hand again last night to help. Thank you to our committee members, who are all actively involved in the smooth-running of this church. We cannot forget to say a huge thank you to our visiting mediums. Their dedication to working with spirit helps so many. We are so glad to welcome them to our little church, and we thank our President, Rob Harvey, who runs and oversees our church and the events connected. Rob also runs two clairvoyant/healing circles in addition.

We are a family, a Spiritual family, imperfect but passionate about our community and the community beyond.

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Prayer of the week.

Please pray with gratitude for those with lighter bodies, the angels, the helpers, and the healers. They understand our plight. They are our champions. We understand they work tirelessly to help us along our path, while not interfering with our gift of freewill. May they be blessed for all that they do.

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This Christmas will see many with their families, but some alone. Some with the sting of fresh loss, some further along that path. Some with illness, worry, and loneliness. Many in this world are suffering right now. Many other kinds in this world also suffer along with us. This experience is not always for the faint-hearted, yet we have a gift, a boy child who brings us goodness, light, understanding, and healing. May we focus on the very real reason for this season of joy. So, among the tinsel and mince pies, pause and remember your loved ones are closer than you think, and all is well, so allow your heart to be filled with Love from Above. We are on a journey together. Alton Christian Spiritualist Church wishes you a Happy and blessed Christmas of Joy and Love, and a Peaceful and very Hopeful and Happy New Year

We will reconvene on Wednesday, 7th January, on Zoom, and in Chawton on the 11th January.

Watch our calendar.

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We enjoyed an extra hour on Sunday, as we ‘fell back’ and gained a little more shut-eye, and welcomed the wintertime officially. The days will naturally be shortening and the nights lengthening all the way to Yule on the 21st December.

Daylight Saving Time was proposed as far back as 1907 and was finally implemented on May 21st, 1916, to create later sunsets in the summer and earlier sunrises in the winter. During the Second World War, there was even double summertime, when the time changed by two hours to really help the war effort in terms of productivity.

Of course, there are ramifications and effects from everything we do. The wild animals are also affected, having to contend with more traffic in the wintertime at dusk, and there is always a spike in accidents and animal fatalities. Awareness and extra caution are needed during the darker evenings, when unsuspecting animals are out and about, and sometimes at great risk near busy roads. Let us take note.

Last night was a little chilly as we headed into Chawton, but we were looking forward to welcoming two mediums to our Divine Service. Lorraine Francois and Alan Salmon came to visit. Alan shared an inspired address about his journey, and they both brought some lovely messages for us, along with much laughter. Thank you so much. Our own Sarah Dorgan chaired the evening brilliantly. A wonderful evening for everyone to enjoy!

We thank the family for the lovely readings and prayers. Carole’s chocolate cake was a hit. No surprise there. Thank you, Chris, for the hospitality, Julie, for the music. Thanks to our healers. And for those who set up, break down, and wash up every single week.

Prayer of the week

Please pray for those all over this world who are lost and in despair.

Pray that they might find the way back to joy, hope, and healing.

Calendar up next.

Have a beautiful week.

Layer up.

Guiding a Lost Spirit: Finding Peace Beyond the Physical World – A piece from Rob Harvey

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As a medium, I’m often contacted by people who believe they’ve encountered a spirit. Not long ago, I received a message from someone shaken by a tragic event at their workplace — a piece of machinery had fallen, leading to a fatal accident. Weeks later, they believed they saw the man who had passed, standing near the very spot where it happened.

Wanting to help, I asked for a photo of the area. When I received it, I immediately sensed an unusual energy. I took some quiet time in my teaching room to meditate and connect more deeply. As I focused, I began to feel the presence of the young man’s family members in spirit form surrounding me. Slowly, it became clear that he was confused — he hadn’t yet realized that he had died.

At first, he resisted their attempts to reach him. Accepting their presence would mean acknowledging his own passing. But then, something beautiful happened — children from the spirit world came forward. Their pure, loving energy helped soothe him, breaking through his fear and confusion. I’ve often found that the presence of children can bring remarkable peace to lost souls; their innocence has a way of healing emotional turmoil.

Once the young man was calm, I invited his loved ones to come closer. He began to recognize them, and they gently showed him the light and beauty that awaited him. Before moving on fully, he reached out with gratitude, a sign that he was finally ready to transition peacefully to the other side.

This experience reminded me that many spirits who linger are not malevolent — they’re simply lost or unaware of their passing. They often need a compassionate bridge between the physical and spiritual realms to help them understand and move forward.

Through patience, empathy, and love, we can help these souls find peace and continue their journey beyond this world.

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As the rain pours down and the grey skies creep in, nature counteracts the dim skies with the leaves coming into their own right now.  Who needs flowers at this time of the year?  The leaves are truly starting their own festival of colours.

The silver birch is especially striking. This ‘Lady of the Woods’ is a graceful and elegant sighting in our woodlands.  Her triangular shaped leaves turn to a signature yellow gold, and with her silvery white bark she inspires so many faux decorations.

She is a healing lady also, known for her anti-inflammatory, cleansing, and diuretic attributes.  The Native Americans used her bark for wound healing, and also as a painkiller, very similar to willow, which they also used and was marketed, with additions, as aspirin.

Her symbolism is one of protection as well as fertility, and in days long ago birch twigs were given to lovers as some form of encouragement!!. Most importantly in many different ancient cultures, she was known as a clear connection between the physical and the spiritual realms.

Well, that is what we are about every time we gather.  Last night we welcomed the lovely Haylie Fox to Chawton.  Haylie gave us her beautiful energy and such an inspired address, and then went on to bring our lovely messages. Thank you so much, Haylie. We loved having you! Alison Keogh chaired our evening.

We say thanks to the family for their beautiful readings and prayers.  Thank you to Sue for the hospitality, Carole for the cake, and Lisa for running our music.  We thank our wonderful Healers on hand afterwards and everyone who sets up, breaks down, and washes up each and every week!!

Prayer of the week

Please pray for a wave of radical prayer in this world, so that we do not just hope when we ask, but believe with our whole being that what we ask spiritually for others as well as ourselves, has already been received.  Jesus said it first.  May this give us a radical faith and knowing that we can share with others.

Calendar up soon.

So what if it rains…Look at those colours!

Have a beautiful week!

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As we move through autumn and the turning of leaves and absolutely stunning sunsets, I am curious as to why I am getting a sudden influx of chaffinches at my bird table. Usually, the blue tits and a robin are the only smaller birds, but suddenly, chaffinches galore, so there must have been some little ones born in the summer and boldly going to new places.

They are the perfect autumnal bird, as with their colouring, they can blend into the background quite easily, especially when on the ground, until they take flight, that is, when there is a flash of that white on their wings, which could be bad news when the likes of sparrowhawks are around.

Named because they sort through the chaff in search of grain when a farmer harvests his crops, the male is brighter and more gorgeous than the female, but although they do not mate for life, their bonds can last through many breeding seasons. In some folklore, their song is thought to be a song of prophecy, and they are also regarded as messengers from the spirit world.

We had an abundance of messages from the spirit world last night in Chawton. Our dear friend Jeanette Foote was in the house, and we had such a lovely time with so much laughter!! Jeanette gave an address on some of the history of mediumship, reminding us how difficult it was for the pioneers, who were often thought to be witches. So interesting, and then Jeanette worked so hard to bring through as many lovely messages as she was able. Thank you so much, Jeanette!! We loved having you!!

Steve Lidgett Williams chaired our evening, and we know that with Steve, we are always going to have fun. He also read out the names of the prior Presidents of the church, as it was, in fact, our founders’ service. Thanks so much, Steve.

Thanks to our readers! Thanks to Julie for the music. Carole made a cake creation that did not last long, and Sue worked our hospitality. Thank you to our wonderful healers on hand as always, and thank you to those who set up, break down, and wash up afterwards.

Prayer of the week.

We are delighted that there seems to be a ceasefire in Gaza, and Hamas has released the hostages. Thank you for your prayers! Please continue to pray that the way forward is smooth.

Please also pray for all those caught up in natural disasters. How terrifying. Please pray for the victims and their families.

Calendar up next.

Enjoy those sunsets!

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There is something very refreshing about summer rain. Even with the mild and stronger storms we have encountered in this neck of the woods, it just feels different, and did I mention warmer? This sentiment is shared by others, as we see by the endless poems and songs inspired by this warm season’s showers and downpours.

It is the warm ground that makes moist air move upwards and often creates thunderstorms where the clouds and air become unstable, and within the clouds, ice and water droplets collide, and electrical charges are created, and so lightning and thunder follow soon after. There is something quite wonderful about the crackle of thunder in the distance and the start of showers after a hot, humid day, and although people in this part of the world will always complain endlessly about the rain, this is summer rain and that changes everything.

We are always open to trying new things, and last night Rob did that again. He worked a little differently for our In-House night. After some explaining about the spirit side of things, he went on to take Questions not for himself, but for spirit to answer. This was clearly not trance, but just allowing spirit to pass on information to answer questions asked. Such an insightful evening. Thank you so much Rob!!. And our own Chris Elliot chaired the evening brilliantly. A very good team.

Our family readings and prayers always set the tone for the unseen ones to move in close. Thank you to our readers. Thank you, Julie, on the music. Thank you, Carole, again for the divine cake. ( There is usually a stampede for the cake table. ) Thank you, Sue, for hospitality. Thank you to our healers standing by afterwards. We are also well aware of those who wash up and those who set up and break down each week. Thank you.

Prayer of the week

Please pray for those whose lives have been dramatically changed and turned upside down by events in their lives. This is always such a hard road to navigate. May we lift all those in these circumstances, in whatever situation they find themselves in.

Calendar up later.

Have a beautiful week!!

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My relentless nettles have brought this magical creature back. I thought it was early for them but this Brown Hawker female is usually out and about at this time and will be active till October. She is a dragonfly, and her rust coloured wings caught my eye. These intricate wings of a dragonfly or damselfly are like stain glass windows, and her silhouette looks like a nature spirit. A stream runs nearby, and I am sure this makes things perfect for her in ways of laying eggs and hunting. She is a symbol of transformation, joy and lightness of being amongst many other things depending on where you live..

What a weekend!! There was plenty of lightness of being down in Chawton Saturday morning as we hosted our Clairvoyance, Healing and Coffee Morning.! Huge thanks to our visiting mediums- Lesley Knight and Lorraine Francois! Thank you for all your hard work!!

Our House mediums were not dawdling either. Sarah, Nerina, Rob, Virginia and Chris worked their tails off. There were thirty nine readings in all in about two hours. Healing was on hand from Ken and Barbara and Alison and Jane, and we did not stop but to gulp some coffee down quickly!! Others healed also to try and fill the demand. Julie coordinated with Chris Shore, as we yet again enjoyed baked goods divine from Carole and Sue. A very busy and joyful morning for all. Apologies if I have forgotten anyone, we were that busy.. The set up and the flowers were lovely also. Thank you!

Sunday in Chawton did not disappoint. Nerina took the service and brought a lovely address about nature spirits and then brought our messages. Thank you so much Nerina! What a lovely evening chaired by the equally lovely Chris Shore. Thank you for readings and prayers everyone and plenty of ‘tasties’ from Saturday to enjoy!! Healing was on hand as always after the service!!

Prayer of the week

Please pray for our Emergency Services. We are reminded of their role with the recent tragedy in Bicester, in the fire that claimed three lives, two of them firefighters. Please hold their families and friends in your prayers.

Calendar up next.

Have a beautiful week. Get outside and enjoy!!

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The pollinators are well and truly out in this gorgeous spring weather around these parts, and the emergence of beloved butterflies fluttering around on their maiden voyage is a sight to behold. The beautiful Orange tip male with his stunning orange wing tips and the not so gorgeous white female may have come into view. They can be found in your gardens if you are near meadows or on the edge of woodlands in the UK, Europe, and also some parts of Asia and have even been spotted in the US. Butterflies are the ultimate symbol of growth transformation and freedom. How apt as we near close to Easter.

What a weekend!! Rob Harvey headed a non church event in Chawton on Saturday bringing information and a demonstration of clairvoyance to those who may not come inside a church. He took questions and was joined by Virginia Gordon and Sarah Dorgan bringing the messages. It was a lovely evening!! Thank you to hospitality on that night.

Sunday in Chawton was our In House gathering. Chris Shore kept us in line chairing the evening beautifully, as we heard readings and prayers and an address on Forgiveness by Alison Keogh, followed by clairvoyance from Rob Harvey, Chris Elliot and Steve Lidgett Williams. A warm family night, beautiful messages and plenty of laughter. Spoilt again with cake and baked goods divine, we thank Carole, Julie on music, our healers and all those who set up and break down each week!!

*Les was in church!! It was so good for everyone to see him and I know he enjoyed the evening!

The AGM was last Thursday on zoom. and no one was fired:)

Prayer of the week.

Let us pray for each other, that we would all send prayers and healing to help mend our fractured world

Calendar up next.

Have a glorious week!! However busy you are, find time to enjoy this season where nature’s beauty lifts the soul!!

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I was rather dismayed as I went to the birdfeeder this morning to find my five huge dandelions had disappeared, but of course that is impossible. What they had wisely done was close their petals in the still chilly morn and chilly dew to protect their pollen and their seeds. This ‘weed’ is such a gorgeous sunny plant with amazing healing properties of all kinds. No wonder she is symbolically aligned with transformation, renewal, and hope. She also lifts the spirits with her many slim and beautiful petals and her cheery colour.

We were feeling quite cheery last night in Chawton. Even after losing an hours sleep and springing forward, we were in good spirits. It was Mothers Day and it was a glorious spring day with beautiful blue skies and plenty of sun. We also had Stephen Rowlands coming to visit to give a completely inspired address when he shared his own experiences. and then went on to bring our messages. Thank you so much Stephen. It was a lovely evening! Alison Keogh chaired.

Thank you to our readers, our hospitality, Julie and Lisa make a great team alternating on running our music each week. Hospitality talent never disappoints. Lovely cake and baked goods, Thank you Carole et al. Thank you Nerina and Sue for hospitality help. Thank you to our healers of course, and all who set up and break down.

*And for all who know this wonderful man………LES IS HOME!

Prayer of the week.

Please pray for the victims of Myanmar and the earthquake. There have been miracles being pulled from the rubble. May we hold the thought that there can be many more stories of hope, Please think of all the victims and their families, and include them in your prayers.

Calendar up next.

Have a beautiful week!! It is Spring!!

COMING BACK ONE MORE TIME

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There is a profound mystery in the way the soul journeys beyond the veil, and I have often encountered moments when those who have passed feel the need to return—just for a little while—before they can fully move forward into the next stage of their existence. This experience has occurred in many spiritual settings, whether within a training circle, during a reading, or while demonstrating in church. Time and again, spirits draw close to the earth plane, seeking a final connection before they continue their ascension.

I recall one particularly moving encounter with a young woman whose mother had been one of the most gifted mediums of her time. She had been a woman of great discipline, deeply rooted in her ways. Yet, three years after her passing, she returned with an intensity that was almost tangible. As she drew close to her daughter, I could sense the deep emotions that surfaced within her—perhaps unspoken words, perhaps a lingering attachment. After the reading, I felt a shift in her presence, as if the act of returning had granted her the peace she needed to move on to a higher plane.

Many years ago, while practicing trance mediumship with my family—who themselves were gifted in spirit communication—I observed how the first return to the earthly realm could be an overwhelming experience for some spirits. One gentleman, a World War II fighter pilot, came through with a rush of disoriented energy. His last earthly memory was the moment of his passing in a plane crash, and it was as if he had to relive that moment before he could speak. Yet, once those emotions were released, his soul found clarity, and he was able to communicate freely.

There is also something sacred in the way spirits of those I have helped move on sometimes return—not simply to express gratitude, but to step once more into the world they left behind, gathering their final memories before transitioning fully. I have witnessed this in homes where spirits, once bound to a place for decades, summon the courage to revisit, even if their memories there were difficult. In one instance, while demonstrating in church with two mediums I had been training, I sensed the presence of a woman standing beside the lady chairing. I recognized her as a spirit I had once helped cross over from a house where she had been trapped. She was hesitant but felt safe in the church’s sacred space, allowing herself this one last earthly moment before truly letting go. It was a stepping stone, a final embrace of what once was, before embracing what was to come.

All of this speaks to the vast and infinite nature of existence. We move from one realm to another, guided by unseen hands, carried by divine wisdom. For those of us still in our physical bodies, the fullness of these transitions may be beyond our comprehension, yet time and again, spirit shows us glimpses of this eternal journey. Particularly in circle, where souls find the courage to return, we witness the beauty of release—the spirit’s willingness to face the past and, with newfound freedom, step into the radiance of the next world. It is a testament to their strength, to their free will, and ultimately, to the ever-expanding journey of the soul.

Rob Harvey President