Affirming Our Purpose

This post was originally written on April 5 for our Facebook page:

During this holy time of year, I felt the need to write an official tenet of the EarthSpirit Interfaith Ministry. But then I see that we had already put it into words and have had it on the welcome page of our website all this time. So, I am reposting it here:

[Our mission is to create a community where all are welcome, where we honor the Divine as a manifestation of each one of us, and all who live with loving intent is community. We welcome diversity. We see the Divine as a manifestation of all that is, seen and unseen, members of all nations, races, religions, customs, genders and gender identities, sexual preferences, and neural and physical abilities. The Divine does not exist more in some and less in others. The Divine just is and is all-pervasive. The Divine is energy, and we move this energy with our deeds and intents. Let’s make them count for the betterment, support, and reverence of ourselves and our fellow creations as reflections of the Divine.]

At this point in time, our focus is on community support including education and less on any kind of "worship" ceremonies or formalities. Our church building effort maintains its focus on the acceptance and nonjudgment of those who may feel threatened, belittled, and ignored by current political and discriminatory efforts. Many great saints, especially those of Vedic traditions, have said, "God exists within you AS you," and we maintain this perspective despite the failings of the human ego. We are here and will remain here in the times to come to serve as a place of refuge and support. We may not always be outwardly visible in tumultuous times as these, but we are here. Blessed be.

Today, May 12, I want to make this affirmation as per a rather simple and down-to-earth convrsation I recently had explaining our purpose:

I was visiting one of our favorite haunts in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. A friend of mine named Ryan heard Rev. Becky talking to the bartender about witchy stuff and our church. He kinda looked at us funny and said, "You have a church???" Indeed such a concept would not be understood as we do not present as the "holy" type. I said to him,

"Let me explain it this way -- At our church, people bring their own god, even if it wears leather and chains. As long as you have good intent in your heart you are welcome."

And that, folks, really is the way it is at EarthSpirit Interfaith Ministry.