Our Purpose is Service by Gary L. Stewart, F.R.C., Imperator

THOUGHT OF THE MONTH ----------------------------- by the Im perator---------------------------

Our Purpose Is Service W

H A T each one o f us does in d ivid u ­ ally is o u r ow n p erson al bu siness and w e w ill he directed in o u r en d eavo rs by con scien ce, but o u r p u rp o se here is to d is­ cuss h o w o u r actio n s a p p ly to A M O R C . A M O R C 's ch oices, o u r ch oices, are co lle c­ tive. L ik e it o r not, we are p resently in a situ atio n in w hich the w o rld situation is changing ra p id ly — not on ly fo r societies and cultures, but fo r the R o sicru cia n O rd er. In tu rn, we m ust respond to w hat is needed based on o u r spiritu al p rincip les. T h ere is no other ch oice— no other acceptable action. Let us take a lo o k at the p resen t con d itio n o f o u r O rd er. For years, because o f social, eco n o m ic, and p o litical changes, we have fo u n d the ou ter (m aterial) aspect o f o u r organization in fin ancial h ard sh ip , co n fro n te d by an app aren tly d eclin in g m em bership. W e are not alon e in this situ atio n . M any other organization s and bu sinesses d ealing with issues o f w o rld ly con cern face the sam e p ro b le m s. A n d their circum stan ces c o n ­ cern us as w ell. In the past, m uch o f the O r d e r ’s activity has been directed tow ard im p ro v in g the financial situ ation through in creasin g dues and by increasing o u r m em b ersh ip through a rather extro verted ad vertisin gcam p aign . T h ese app roach es are fine and they o ffe r us te m p o ra ry solu tio n s. But they are not long-term solu tio n s to ou r p rob lem s. D u rin g the past year o u r financial situ a­ tion has im p ro v ed . It is n o t yet to a p oin t w h ere we w o u ld like it to be; h ow ever, so lu ­ The tion s to o u r p ro b lem s are not solely based Rosicrucian upon h ow we go a b o u t increasing ou r m em bersh ip. T h e so lu tio n s lie in realizing, Digest recognizing, and rem em berin g o u r purpose, January b y e x e m p l i f y in g th e s p ir it u a l v a lu e s 1989 and k n ow in g the plan with w hich we are

[4]

en tru sted , and in en su rin g a q u ality o f action. T h is is an o p p o rtu n ity afford ed us, and this is w hat we are d oin g at present.

Service to Light Placing o u r sights on the w o rk o f service to Light and h u m an ity, and app ro ach in g all oth er aspects o f a physical organization from a spiritu al p ersp ective is com m on sense and sou n d business practice. But these rep resen t o u r w o rld ly and ou ter ob jectives and goals. O th er o p p o rtu n itie s are op en in g up to us at an aston ishing rate (I use the w ord "a s to n is h in g ” in a p o sitive sense). W e are starting to reap the effects o f the causes induced o v er the past few years. U sin g ou r sp iritu al h eritage as a base, w e have begun w o rk in g on higher planes o f m an ifestation, on m ystical p la n s— n ot p sy ch ic,b u t m ysti­ cal. W e are creatin g co n d itio n s w hich bring us the o p p o rtu n itie s necessary to acco m ­ plish w hat we need to accom plish . O u r p u rp o se is S ervice. O u r to ols are the p rin cip les that we all k n o w and understand w ith in o u r hearts. But, m ore than that is the ap p licatio n o f those principles to all aspects o f o u r lives. Frater R alph L ew is w as very m ilitant in this regard. He stated that ou r p u rp o se is to d e v e lo p and instil w ithin each in d ivid u al a livin g p h ilo so p h y , and to m ake o u r m ysticism pragm atic. M ysticism m an ifests on all levels o f exist­ ence. O n e o f the acco m plish m en ts we have attained in the past co u p le o f years is the o p p o rtu n ity fo r m ore effective and efficient m anagem ent to su p p o rt service to ou r m em bers, to hum anity, to ou r tradition s, and to en su re th eir p reservatio n . T h is p ro ­ gram is d evelo p in g and grow ing. W e have received recogn ition by the govern m en ts o f several n ation s, inclu d in g the highest

h o n o rs given to this O rd e r b y the p re si­ den ts o f tw o cou n tries. W e have b efo re us a m eans by w hich w e can w o rk tow ard u n ifi­ cation through peace and cu ltu re, through recognizing the spiritu al values inherent in all cu ltu res and in all p eo p les. O u r m useum p lays an im po rtan t role in this en d eavo r.

Recognition o f Our W ork W e have attracted the atten tion o f ageo ld m e ta p h y sic a l and m y stic a l sy ste m s from other cu ltu res and they are lo o k in g for o u r su p p o rt and help. T h e se system s are co m p atib le w ith o u r R o sicru c ia n tradition s and heritage. W e have been in vited to send a rep resen ­ ta tive to th e S e v e n te e n th In te rn a tio n a l C o n fe re n c e o f the U n ity o f Scien ces. T h is co n feren ce co n sists o f N o b e l prize w in n ers an d a v a r i e t y o f p r o f e s s i o n a l s fr o m th ro u gh o u t the w o rld w h o are lo o k in g tow ard unification. W e w ill be rep resen ted at the W o rld Federation B udd h ist C o n feren ce, being held in this c o u n try fo r the first tim e. In fact, this w ill be the first tim e the c o n fe re n ce is held ou tsid e R an go on , Burm a. T h e w o rk by o u r m em b ers on a spiritu al level, m anifesting in practical app lication , has had an im pact on the legal system s o f va rio u s cou n tries. T h e R o sicru cian O rd er is highly respected and regarded, and we are often sought o u t to h elp find so lu tio n s to given p rob lem s. O u r w o rk is recognized. W e have m ade an im pact on edu cation th rough the fo rm a tio n o f R o s e -C ro ix U n i­ versity In ternational. O u r m em bers attend classes and p articipate together in the learn­ ing p rocess. O u r In tern ational R esearch C o u n c il brings togeth er m em bers w h o are scientists and p ro fe ssio n a ls in m any fields. W e h ave, th ro u gh o u r M e ta p h y s io lo g y

WE

S y m p o s iu m s , m a d e c o n t a c t w ith an d reached ou tw ard to oth er p rofessio n al and re sp o n sib le p eo p le w h o are w o rk in g along the sam e lines as w e, and w h o cou ld use o u r guidance. W e have been assisting o u r m em bers and w e h ave p ro d u ce d p rog ram s to h elp in d i­ vid u als learn m ore ab o u t finan cial re sp o n ­ sib ility — to learn fo r th em selves and apply fro m their ow n in itiative and e ffo rts those con cern s o f a m undane and financial nature. T h is is all based upon sp iritu al p rin cip les app lied to m undan e levels. A n d m any m ore things are being done. T h e re are m any m ore o p p o rtu n ities. W e are affo rd e d o p p o rtu n itie s in ou r stated p u rp o se o f S ervice . W h y is this true? W e have started this m ission b efo re on the d ev elo p m e n t o f the e vo lu tio n o f the egregore o f this O rd er. It started its d e v e lo p ­ m ent n ot o n ly on a p h ysical plane, but on the m ystical. W e have created c o n d itio n s in w h ich w e reap the rew ards. But, the rew ards are n ot gifts o f a p ro cess that ju st allow s us to stand idly by. T h e rew ard s p ro v id e the o p p o rtu n ity to w o rk tow ard a com m on goal to achieve an enlightenm en t fo r all h u m anity. A n d it is work. T h e re are m ore things w o rk in g against us than there are things to acco m plish . B ut, we have ou r spiritual values and p rin cip les, and they have been d evelo p ed and m old ed into a new birth, into a R o sicru cia n ren ais­ san ce— a renaissance that is not ju st going to m an ifest in the fu tu re, but is alread y now m an ifestin g. It has not m ade o u r lives e asi­ er; it has m ade life m ore d iffic u lt. B ut each o f us, u p on signing o u r oath s, up on b eco m ­ ing a m em ber o f this organization, has freely given o f o u rs e lf to acco m p lish these ends in a re sp o n sib le fash io n and to build and rec­ ognize o u r o p p o rtu n itie s. W e have d one this. A gain , it is ju st a beginning. A

T H AN K

YOU

The Im perator, Suprem e and G rand Lodge officers take this means o f thank­ ing our Fratres and So ro res throughout the world for their most kind C hristm as G reetings. Because o f the num ber o f these G reetings, we must take this means o f thanking each o f you.