─ Chapter Nineteen ─ The Letter Kills

Callum had always loved Charles—his friend and “adopted” father and  despite being asked to return as butler to the family following the collapse of his father’s business and imprisonment Charles left on a pathway to deeper self-discovery.
He travelled, read widely and had an extraordinary life. Callum’s parents died together in mysterious circumstances and Charles inherited a huge amount of money of their through honest investments. Unbeknown to Callum Charles decided to follow the Sufi Naqshbandi path having encountered Irina Tweedie in the 1980’s in London.

     Callum and Charles were reunited through telepathy and lucid dreams and met physically after many years of separation in 1994 in Moscow where Charles had been researching an ancient and forgotten mystery school. They met twice a year at least after that. Their reunions were always special and joyous. They had both walked the narrow way through a narrower gate to forgive Callum’s father for their mistreatment and—perversely—for the huge sums of money they had each inherited. Both had anonymously donated over two-thirds of it to projects that Spirit guided them to.

     Brexit had been dealt a final death-blow in a referendum in 2020 and no one political party was in power. The UK had become a divided nation though there were signs of healing of the deep resentments and bitterness on each side. Sadly the divide between rich and poor people was widening. The issue that kept many awake at night was the fact that the human race was slitting its own throat—literally through deforestation—trees are the lungs of the world and enable us to breathe.

     Callum arrived at a care home near Regents Park to meet his old friend. He pressed the bell which sounded similar to the one in the 2019 Downton Abbey movie. A rather flustered duty manager opened the door of the huge Georgian house and guided him through to a small comfortable lounge.

     ‘Please take a seat; there is something I would like to speak with you about—it is extremely delicate.’

     ‘Is Charles okay?’ asked Callum.

     ‘Yes, it’s about his relationship with one of our residents—George.’

     ‘What’s the issue?’

     ‘It has come to light that Charles and George are having an intimate relationship.’

     Callum chuckled—he knew that Charles was gay ever since he was a young boy.

     ‘This is not a laughing matter!’

     ‘I do apologise but Charles has never made a secret of his sexuality and, as far as I’m aware, there’s no law that says he can’t have an intimate relationship with another man—good for him I say, particularly as it is his 99^th birthday in a couple of months’ time!’

     ‘Oh, I thought this news might shock you.’

     ‘Is there anything else you need to tell me?’

     ‘I wanted you to be forewarned; it’s just that…’

     ‘Look, I know Charles and I’m sure he would not act in any way that might cause problems in this home.’

     ‘No, of course not, his and George’s behaviour is exemplary—beyond reproach.’

     ‘So what’s the issue?’

     ‘One or two of the younger residents here—particularly younger gentlemen in their 70s—have become somewhat jealous of their relationship.’

     ‘I see, is there anything you think I can do about that?’

     ‘I really don’t know—I have never had to manage this kind of thing before.’

     ‘Have you told me everything?’

     The manager squirmed in his seat, rubbed his hands and thought for a few seconds.

     ‘We are a little concerned about George’s mental capacity and whether he understands completely what is going on between him and Charles.’

     ‘Are you suggesting Charles is coercing or manipulating George in some way?’

     ‘No—they do, however, spend a considerable amount of time in each other’s rooms.’

     ‘Have you done everything within your safeguarding policy to ensure George is protected.’

     ‘Yes, our head of safeguarding has spent quite a lot of time with them separately and together and is satisfied that no harm is being caused—in fact both seem to have an even greater zest for life.’

     ‘That’s good to hear. You have taken all the necessary steps and it seems that their relationship is beneficial to both.’

     ‘There is one other thing—and this may be the cause of the jealousy amongst other residents...’

     ‘And what’s that?’

     Callum was beginning to feel a tad irritated but as soon as that arose in him he quietened himself and listened intently.

     ‘They go out together for long walks. They go to the theatre and cinema. They eat out in fine restaurants. They even went to see Chelsea beat Manchester City last Saturday! The other residents do not go out much , despite our encouragement and support and are jealous of Charles and George and the increasing vigour and verve they display.’    

     ‘Perhaps they will motivate others to do the things they enjoy. How old is George?’

     ‘A young 85.’

     Callum got up to leave.

     ‘Thank you for your time Mr Callum.’ as the manager usually called him.

     ‘I’m looking forward to hearing all about it from Charles.’

     Callum climbed the six flights of stairs and felt rather puffed when he reached Charles’ door—wishing he had taken the lift. He had not seen Charles for six months so was looking forward to meeting him. He knocked and heard a strong “Come in Callum” from within.

     Charles was sat on the balcony overlooking Regent’s Park. The long net curtains were moving gently with the breeze. Charles entered the room to greet his friend.

     ‘My dear boy, how you’ve grown!’

     This term of endearment was Charles’ typical greeting to Callum. They embraced.

     ‘Gosh, I can’t believe how well you look Charles—it’s amazing.’

     ‘I feel better than I did in my sixties and I fancy you know why, judging by the time it has taken you to get up here from your arrival. Percy, no doubt, wanted to bring you up to speed about George?’

     ‘Got it in one Charles, astute as ever.’

     They talked and laughed for two hours then went to Charles’ favourite restaurant where Callum was introduced to George. Their spiritual relationship was far more important to them than their physical intimacy. George had joined them for lunch a little reluctantly as he knew that Callum and Charles’ time together was precious. Callum was magnanimous in greeting George and immediately sensed the loving spiritual bond between them. Callum learned about Georges’ extraordinary life as a professor of theology and philosophy and the influence of the Christian Mystics on his spiritual journey.

     ‘It is likely Callum that Charles will pass within the next few years—leaving his physical form—unless I beat him to it! Thankfully the day or the nature of our passing is not known to us. We are privileged to live a life of 18^th century luxury in the early 2020s in that gorgeous mansion over the road. I have dementia—call it what you like. My grey cells are rotting away and synaptic firing is not what it was; but this is happening to us all to a lesser extent as we traverse the stages of later middle to older physical age. Your friend, my friend and lover is a glorious exception. We have discovered that the letter kills and the Spirit gives life is one of the most important lessons a human being can learn. It is written that “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Our Sufi and Christian paths are entwined in a helix mystical Divine love and our descriptive words are becoming more feeble than ever. It is the Spirit that breathes life—that ruach that beats and blows within you—the very wind and breath of the Divine.

     Oh my, I have started to preach!’

     They laughed and enjoyed their desert before going their separate ways.

*

Castlethorpe’s curriculum and library had grown considerably since the Seven first encountered each other. By 2019 the Six were all living the best part of a year at Castlethorpe. They each had their own areas of interest and expertise in spiritual matters and were constantly evolving as a soul group with Leonard and guests from other groups—though none of them were attached or identified with even this. They had each grown in wisdom and discernment, something that Val was passionate about. Ecstatic and mundane experiences were welcomed equally. In recent weeks there was a growing sense that they should increase the amount of time they devoted to teaching, or as they preferred to call it, to facilitate and encourage learning and, above all else, a deepening love for the Divine amongst Castlethorpe students.

     Spirit had reminded them of the power and paucity of words and how important it was for students to grasp this spiritually as well as intellectually. Each of the Seven had different ideas how to go about this and they formulated a list of learning topics into a special series entitled “The Letter Kills”. This was a deliberately provocative phrase, taken out of context from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians 3⁶.

     An opening introductory session was held in The Place of Gathering. The Seven had worked together on this with the assistance of Jorge’s technical wizardry. They had decided to display the planet’s religious and mythical history using the twenty seven 60” screens that were hidden within panels around the room. The images projected were blown up sections of Simon Davies’ “Evolutionary Tree of Religion” and “Ethnic Regions of Folklore and Mythology.” Their detailed richness is overwhelming at first but they provide a fascinating overview of the diversity of human spirituality, myth and organised religion.

Patrick opened the session.

     ‘Welcome everyone to this special series of learning. Some of you have been here for several years, others have arrived in the last few weeks. No-one is greater in learning than another. We are all students of life. God, Spirit, Divine is in each of us in this temporary physical form of ours. We have all experienced different ages of earth-measured time in this current form and come from a wide range of backgrounds. Most of you are familiar with us. We were, still are (laughter) Castlethorpe students.

     Images and words have been the main means of communication between human beings for thousands of earth years—stories being the most powerful and memorable way of preserving truth and inspiring people. The written word, as I’m sure you are all aware, is a relatively recent invention and now we have access to trillions of words at the touch of an electronic button.

     You may be wondering why we have chosen “The Letter Kills” as the title for this series—we will leave that for you to discover as the learning progresses; but here is a clue and it is the words after “kills” that are important—“…but the Spirit gives life.” When you study carefully the evolution of religions you begin to grasp the power that human beings give to the words themselves. I’ll leave it at that for now.’

     Val then took over and explained how the course worked and the various pathways of learning they could choose. This took nearly an hour and there were many questions about the approach. What the Seven were seeking to achieve was a constant feedback loop between the learning groups and the larger gatherings so that everyone benefitted from others’ learning. Although fluid it was also quite rigorous and demanded a considerable amount of time commitment and an openness to learn and share with each other—key principles of Castlethorpe’s success as a learning establishment.

     ‘Before we break for refreshments we will take a journey through earth time.’ Said Val.

     As she said that the room dimmed, the panels revealed the screens and one by one they illuminated to reveal a section of Davies’ intricate presentations of the evolution of religion and myths. Val gave them a short instruction.

     ‘When you are ready walk around the screens starting with the one that has a blue lit border and then walk round counter-clockwise at your pace and take in the images and words from the screens. Take as long as you like and then leave for refreshments.’

     It took about 40 minutes and hardly a word was spoken. After a break—during which many conversations took place digesting the visual extravaganza they had experienced—they reconvened for another 90 minute session to share their feelings and thoughts that Sarah facilitated. Their journey had begun.

*

Patrick was leading the “Creeds, Councils and Controversies” stream of “The Letter Kills” and he designed this session around two documents—the first was a statement of beliefs from the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), the second a document explaining the Beliefs, Ethics and Eleven Principles of the Sufi Naqshbandi Path.

     The students had downloaded these two documents from the series’ learning page on Castlethorpe’s intranet. Patrick asked them to read each document on a separate day and to suspend all judgement and thought as they read. After reading they were asked to quieten themselves and then read it again—a technique based loosely on the Lectio Divina method that was used extensively at Castlethorpe. He asked them to note down anything that Spirit revealed to them.

*

Jordan a young poet from Melbourne turned on his laptop and sat on a cushion on the floor of his room. He sat quietly for a few minutes and then opened the FIEC document. And got ready to read.

The churches of FIEC are committed to these truths of historic, biblical Christianity. Below is our Doctrinal Basis.

1. God

There is one God, who exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is unchangeable in his holiness, justice, wisdom and love. He is the almighty Creator; Saviour and Judge who sustains and governs all things according to his sovereign will for his own glory.

2. The Bible

God has revealed himself in the Bible, which consists of the Old and New Testaments alone. Every word was inspired by God through human authors, so that the Bible as originally given is in its entirety the Word of God, without error and fully reliable in fact and doctrine. The Bible alone speaks with final authority and is always sufficient for all matters of belief and practice.

3. The Human Race

All men and women, being created in the image of God, have inherent and equal dignity and worth. Their greatest purpose is to obey, worship and love God. As a result of the fall of our first parents, every aspect of human nature has been corrupted and all men and women are without spiritual life, guilty sinners and hostile to God. Every person is therefore under the just condemnation of God and needs to be born again, forgiven and reconciled to God in order to know and please him.

4. The Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life in obedience to the Father. He taught with authority and all his words are true. On the cross he died in the place of sinners, bearing God’s punishment for their sin, redeeming them by his blood. He rose from the dead and in his resurrection body ascended into heaven where he is exalted as Lord of all. He intercedes for his people in the presence of the Father.

5. Salvation

Salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace and cannot be earned or deserved. It has been accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ and is offered to all in the gospel. God in his love forgives sinners whom he calls, granting them repentance and faith. All who believe in Christ are justified by faith alone, adopted into the family of God and receive eternal life.

6. The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven to glorify Christ and to apply his work of salvation. He convicts sinners, imparts spiritual life and gives a true understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, brings assurance of salvation and produces increasing likeness to Christ. He builds up the Church and empowers its members for worship, service and mission.

 7. The Church

The universal Church is the body of which Christ is the head and to which all who are saved belong. It is made visible in local churches, which are congregations of believers who are committed to each other for the worship of God, the preaching of the Word, the administering of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; for pastoral care and discipline, and for evangelism. The unity of the body of Christ is expressed within and between churches by mutual love, care and encouragement. True fellowship between churches exists only where they are faithful to the gospel.

8. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper have been given to the churches by Christ as visible signs of the gospel. Baptism is a symbol of union with Christ and entry into his Church but does not impart spiritual life. The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice offered once for all and involves no change in the bread and wine. All its blessings are received by faith.

9. The Future

The Lord Jesus Christ will return in glory. He will raise the dead and judge the world in righteousness. The wicked will be sent to eternal punishment and the righteous will be welcomed into a life of eternal joy in fellowship with God. God will make all things new and will be glorified forever.

As much as Jordan tried he could not suppress his indignation at the dogmatic statements he was reading. Spirit gently, but firmly, spoke to his heart “Breathe, relax and put your reactions to one side.” He felt calmer, after all, ‘These are just words aren’t they?’ he said to himself. He noticed a paragraph below that said:

We also have accepted ethos statements to which our member churches agree to abide. These are intended to bring clarity to our life and ministry as a Fellowship, not to be raised to the level of our Doctrinal Basis:

     ‘Ah, so there is a pecking order between doctrine and ethos statements.’

     He downloaded all three of them and read them slowly, praying all the time that any anger that welled up within him would fall away.

Gospel Unity statement

FIEC's policy on uniting with other churches and groups is set out in this document.

This ethos statement was approved by FIEC’s affiliated churches in November 2011. It is an updated and revised version of the policy that was first approved by our affiliated churches in 1996

Introduction

The FIEC was founded in 1922 with the purpose of expressing visible unity between churches on a non-sectarian basis. The FIEC has therefore always been a fellowship of churches which rejoices in our unity in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. While we may differ with one another on a number of matters not essential to salvation, we strive to maintain the unity we enjoy together in Christ. We also seek to express Christian fellowship with other Gospel churches and para-church groups outside FIEC. Our commitment to the Gospel means that we are unable to express Christian fellowship with those who cannot affirm the fundamental truths of the faith.

God’s Purpose of Unity

From the very beginning of creation God’s purpose was that the entire human race would be united in fellowship under his good rule of love and blessing. Tragically ever since Adam and Eve rebelled in the Garden of Eden, sinful humanity has been characterised not only by alienation from God but also by broken relationships, suspicion and division from one another. However God, in his great grace, purposed to save a people for himself out of the broken community of this sinful world, and to build a new humanity united as a single body.

   The ultimate fulfilment of this vision is the single people united in worship before the throne of God in glory (Rev 7v9). This unity of God’s people is affected through the saving work of Christ on the Cross. Through him both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled to God:

   “…His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross… For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (Eph 2v15-18 NIV)

   The whole church is to be built up “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ.” (Eph 4v13 NIV). This is part of God’s cosmic purpose “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” (Eph 1v10); indeed all things are to be reconciled in him:

   “For God was pleased to have all his fulness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col 1v19-20 NIV). Christian unity is therefore at the heart of the purposes of God.

Unity in the Gospel

Christian unity is established through the Gospel. It is through this message that we are saved and united to Christ (1Cor 15v1-2, Rom 1v16, Eph 1v13). When the Lord Jesus prays for unity, it is amongst those who receive the Gospel (John 17v20). Some say that we are united as believers by our experience of the Holy Spirit. This is true, but it would be wrong to set the Holy Spirit in opposition to the Gospel. We receive the Spirit through the Gospel (Gal 3v2, Eph 1v13). It is the Spirit who gives us new birth (John 3v5-8), but he brings this new life through the Word (Jam 1v18, 1Pet 1v23). If we have a real experience of the Holy Spirit, then we will find that he deepens our understanding and appreciation of Christ, and his Word (1Cor 2v9-16). When we work and cooperate together, it is in the cause of the Gospel (Phil 1v27).

   This truth finds practical expression within FIEC by the prominence that we give to the essential truths of the faith. If we are to find common cause with other believers, it will be partnership on the basis of a shared commitment to the Gospel. This will be expressed by a shared doctrinal basis.

Rejection of False Teachers

Whilst we long to enjoy unity with all who profess the name of Christ, the New Testament warns repeatedly of false teachers and false prophets coming into the church. Whilst such false teachers profess to know Christ as Lord, and appear as brothers, they are in reality wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7v15, Acts 20v29-31). In twisting or distorting the Gospel they rob us of our message for the lost, and instead of building up believers in the truth lead them astray to spiritual ruin (Col 2v18-19, Rev 2v20-23). Elders are charged with the primary responsibility of guarding the flock against such malign influences, and we are commanded to reject them and remain separate from them (Rom 16v17, Gal 1v8-9, 5v12, Phil 3v2, 2Pet 2, 2John 9-10, Jude). These New Testament teachings require us to stand apart from those who would deny the core truths of the gospel, whether implicitly or expressly.

   It is important to understand the pastoral motivation of Jesus and the apostles in warning against false teachers. Matters of spiritual life and death are at stake if these false brothers are accepted and their deviant doctrines embraced.  We are therefore obligated by love to stand apart from them, both for the sake of the church and its witness to Christ, and also for the sake of such false teachers themselves, as we would long for them to come to repentance and true saving faith.

Summary of Implications for the FIEC

   Jesus prayed for the unity of his people, and this is an essential element of our witness (John 17v23). We are urged to maintain spiritual unity, in the face of differences of belief and practice which are not essential to the Gospel. Our commitment to unity extends not only within FIEC, but to all who are united to Christ in a variety of church and para-church groups. We look forward to the day when all of God’s people will be united before him in glory.

   This spiritual unity is to be expressed amongst all who confess the truth of the Gospel. It is through the Gospel that we are saved and built up in the faith. Jesus’ prayer for unity was for those who would believe in him through the message preached by the apostles (John 17v20). Our Doctrinal Basis affirms that true fellowship between churches exists only where they are faithful to the gospel. The gospel of salvation by grace is so precious to us that we desire to stand together with all who believe and preach it. For the same reason, we cannot express Christian fellowship with those who reject it. The New Testament warns us repeatedly to guard the church against the influence of false teachers who deny the truth. Therefore we cannot join in partnership in evangelism or activities of Christian fellowship with those who are unable to affirm the essential doctrines of the faith as expressed in the FIEC Doctrinal Basis and similar statements. We are unable to affiliate formally to groups such as Churches Together which exist to express unity between churches naming Jesus as Lord, but without concern as to whether they hold to the core doctrines of the gospel as expressed in our Doctrinal Basis.

   There are many opportunities for us to find common cause with others (both inside and outside the professing church), if these do not compromise our distinctive testimony to the Gospel. For example we may be able to speak together on moral issues, in defence of our religious liberties, or to work together in acts of practical charity and compassion. Such activities are at the discretion of local church leaders.

Jordan had stayed calm though was getting overwhelmed by the iron curtain of doctrine and its lure into “I’m right—you’re wrong” thinking. He opened the next document.

Women in Ministry statement

Our position on the role of women in the church is explained in this document.

   This ethos statement was originally approved by the FIEC Annual Assembly in November 2011 and updated by the Annual Assembly in November 2016. It was adopted to bring clarity to our work and is not intended to be raised to the level of our Doctrinal Basis.

Introduction

When the FIEC came into being in 1922, the issue of women in ministry would not have been particularly contentious. The consensus within independent evangelical churches was that the role of pastor and elder was open only to suitably qualified men. Whilst mainline denominations and other Christian groupings have shifted from this position, it is our conviction that the traditional view is in line with Scripture. At the same time, we also want to affirm that women have a very significant place in the ministry of our churches – not only, as has always been the case, in such areas as care and hospitality, but also in terms of teaching.

Gender

God created us male and female, and calls us to live according to our gender identity which is inseparable from our biological sex determined at conception. Our gender may not be changed or reassigned.

Joint heirs in salvation

Before examining the biblical data which address the issue of women in ministry it is essential that we reaffirm the equality men and women have in creation and redemption. Both men and women are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Both men and women receive the Holy Spirit and are heirs with Christ. We are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-29). Women as well as men belong to the body of Christ and their service and gifts are essential for the proper functioning of the body (1 Corinthians 12:7). It is within this context that discussion about the role of women in the church takes place.

Complementary in ministry

   At the creation God stated that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Men and women are to work together in partnership both in the family and the church. There are, however, distinctions in the roles. The biblical texts which speak directly of the roles of men and women in Christian ministry have attracted much attention over the last few years. It is our conviction that, although some of the details may be debated, the essential thrust of these passages is clear:

   1 Timothy 2 and 3

Timothy was charged with bringing order to the dysfunctional Ephesian church (3:14-15). There had been problems within the leadership of the church (e.g. 5:19-20), and a key aspect of Timothy’s role was to make sure the church in Ephesus had suitably qualified elders (3:1-7). The qualifications assume that the elders will be men (3:2). This should not surprise us given that he makes it clear in the immediately preceding context that men, and not women, were to do the authoritative teaching (2:11-15).

   1 Corinthians 11 and 14

At first glance, there appears to be a contradiction between 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, which assumes that women will pray and prophesy, and 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 which commands that women be silent in the church gathering. However one seeks to resolve this tension, it is clear that restrictions of some kind are being placed upon women. In 1 Corinthians 11, whilst Paul reminds us of the interdependence of men and women, he also makes it clear that issues of authority are at stake: man is the head of woman. The section in 1 Corinthians 14 also indicates that the women do not have the same freedom to speak in the gathering as the gifted men.

Creation and Trinity

Paul roots the prohibition of 1 Timothy 2 in creation (vv. 13-14) and that of 1 Corinthians 11 both in creation (vv. 8-9) and the nature of the Godhead (v. 3). These commands are therefore driven neither by culture, nor by a particular crisis in the church; rather, they are deeply rooted in who we are as creatures and the relationships within the Trinity.

Marriage

Paul’s teaching on marriage also has some bearing on this discussion. There has been debate as to whether the term “head” implies authority, but the command for the wife to submit implies/suggests that it does. Husbands and fathers have responsibility for the welfare of their families and they should exercise authority in a loving way for the spiritual and physical welfare of their wives and children.

Role of women in the Old Testament

What we see in the New Testament is, as we would expect, a reflection of patterns laid down in the Old Testament. Leadership and teaching were reserved for men; priests, prophets and kings were men. There were exceptions with regard to prophecy, but these are few and far between. However, as in the New Covenant so under the Old, women are co-workers with the men. In the book of Proverbs, we note that both the mother and the father are to be involved in the teaching and training of the children, and the virtuous woman of the closing chapter has a wide remit in terms of service.

Role of women in the New Testament

Women, like men, receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit and are involved in the work of the gospel. Women are witnesses to the resurrected Christ (e.g. Matthew 28) and are to pass on this good news. Many of the gospel workers mentioned by Paul in Romans 16 are women. Women are included in the command for us all to teach one another in the body of Christ (Colossians 3:16).

Implications for church life

Reflecting upon the biblical data, we can see that the primary leaders and teachers of the church are to be suitably qualified men, which does not include those presenting as male by virtue of gender reassignment.

   Teaching, though, is not to be restricted to pastor/teacher/elders. All Christians are to be involved in teaching and encouraging one another. This includes women who are to teach other women (Titus 2:4) and who may well be involved in teaching in other forums. How exactly this works out in practice may well vary from church to church.

Implications for the FIEC

To ignore the prohibitions of Scripture is not something we can endorse, nor can we be silent on the issue. Healthy oversight is essential for the welfare of the churches, and we believe the word of God makes it clear that this must be done by suitably gifted and qualified men.

   This will mean that churches belonging to the FIEC should not have a woman pastor-teacher or women elders.

   This also has implications for those wishing to join the Pastors’ Network. Those applying to do so would need to accept the position of the FIEC on this issue.

Jordan was absolutely fuming, however, this felt a righteous anger. Jordan had got to know Patrick quite well and, as always, Patrick was open about his gender journey. The statement used polite terms to conceal a profoundly deep misogynist attitude—backed up, according to its authors, with “biblical  evidence”. Spirit spoke to Jordan again ‘

“Do not be surprised by what you have read, neither let it provoke an unloving reaction.”

     He opened the third and final statement about same sex marriage.

Same Sex Marriage statement

FIEC's convictions about the issue of same sex marriage are explained in this document. This ethos statement was approved by FIEC’s affiliated churches in November 2013.

Historic Convictions of FIEC

FIEC holds to the traditional Christian ethic: Sexual intimacy is a gift from God and is to be enjoyed exclusively within the context of marriage. Marriage is, by definition, heterosexual.

   These convictions are derived from the clear teaching of Scripture: in both the Old and the New Testament, marriage is painted in a positive light, and homosexual activity, along with all other sexual intimacy outside of (heterosexual) marriage, is declared by God to be sinful. Nowhere in the Bible is there an expectation that marriage can exist between two or more people of the same sex.

Old Testament Background

In the beginning God created Adam and Eve – one man united to one woman (Genesis 2v18-25). It is to be noted that sexual intimacy was part of the pre-Fall relationship between the man and the woman and is a gift to humankind. Reading through the rest of the Old Testament, it is apparent that the model set forth in Genesis 2 is the God-given pattern for marriage (e.g. Genesis 24, Song of Songs, Proverbs 31v10-12). Wherever sexual activity occurs outside of marriage it is presented in a negative light, and the Mosaic Law expressly forbids adultery (Exodus 20v14) and fornication (Exodus 22v16), as well as homosexual sex (Leviticus 18v22, Leviticus 20v13).

New Testament Confirmation

It has been pointed out that not all the commands of the Mosaic Law are carried over into the New Covenant; for example, the food laws are rescinded (Mark 7v19), and the New Testament commands loving church discipline, as opposed to the death penalty, for those who wilfully and persistently break God’s laws. The New Testament, however, upholds the teaching of Genesis on marriage; Jesus when asked about divorce refers to Genesis 1-2 (Matthew 19v5-6), showing that he understands marriage to be a one-flesh relationship between a man and a woman. Further, the presupposition in Paul’s teaching is that marriage entails a husband-wife relationship (Ephesians 5v22-33). Again, all the references to homosexual sex are negative and indicate that it is sinful (Romans 1v18-32, 1 Corinthians 6v9-11, 1 Timothy 1v8-10).

Reaffirmation of FIEC Convictions in the Current Climate

1. Despite pressures from society, FIEC churches will continue to uphold the traditional biblical view that:

2. Sexual activity is a gift to be enjoyed only within (heterosexual) marriage and that, outside of this setting, it is sinful;

3. Marriage involves a man and woman, bound together in covenant relationship – a relationship that cannot be redefined. At the same time, we will always seek to make clear

4. The forgiveness and grace that extend to all repentant sinners – including those for whom sexual sin has formed a major part of their backgrounds.

Implications for Practices of FIEC Churches

In line with the above reaffirmations,

1. We will seek to uphold traditional biblical sexual ethics in both our teaching and our practices within our local churches and our Pastors’ Network.

2. None of our churches or accredited pastors would in good conscience be able to perform, bless or host same-sex marriage or wedding ceremonies.

3. Recognising that many Christians struggle with sexual temptation (whether same-sex attraction or heterosexual), we will prayerfully foster, within our churches, gracious support of one another in such struggles.

Jordan was not going to rush out and become a member of a FIEC church!

     It took some time to allow the dogmatism of the statements to release their tentacles from his mind and heart. He already knew from a separate learning session that the positions adopted in the FIEC statements were, despite their content, quite conservative and measured compared to some extreme groups across several denominations that would adopt a strict Calvinist view that states that humanity is divided into two groups—those that are saved—predestined to heaven and the rest that are predestined to hell with the Devil and all his angels where there is fire and gnashing of teeth!

     The following day Jordan settled himself once more on his favourite cushion and settled himself in preparation to read the next document. His spiritual pathway was influenced in his early life by Judaism and Indigenous Australian religion. Reading the statements written from a Christian fundamentalist perspective had been an enlightening and challenging experience. He did not know what to expect as he opened the next document. He knew little about Islam, had not yet encountered Rumi and assumed wrongly that Islam was more about hate than love. He was in for a surprise when he eventually started to read Rumi’s work and become friends with several Muslims. Putting these thoughts to one side he started to read.

The Beliefs and Ethics of the Naqshbandi Path

1. We believe in the Oneness of Being.

2. It is the Source from whom all life flows and to whom all life returns.

3. It appears by countless names and attributes.

4. It is the Creator of all; all creation is encompassed within the mercy of the Divine.

5. Mercy and benevolence also include strict and majestic guidance.

6. On the level of manifestation the Beloved reveals Itself through two complementary aspects: beauty (mercy) and majesty (justice).

7. Humanity was created "by the 'hands' of the Beloved."

8. In this primordial state of utmost nearness all humanity recognized the Beloved as Lord.

9. All humanity carries deep within its innermost being the flavor and memory of this primordial nearness. This creates a tremendous longing: men and women long to return to "the state in which they were before they were."

10. This latent memory is revived through the practice of dhikr: the remembrance of the Beloved.

11. In the Naqshbandi tradition the dhikr is practiced in silence. The silent dhikr produces in the heart an intense and imperishable impression (naqsh = "impression, print"; band = "to bind, to fasten").

12. There are no set times or places for practice of remembrance; the Beloved is remembered always and everywhere, either individually or in groups. When we meet in a group we practice the silent meditation of the heart.

13. We believe that our life is a journey to the Beloved. Although this is an individual journey we join together to support each other and to strengthen the energy of love.

14. We believe that the journey is not possible without a guide. The guide is our teacher.

15. The teacher is a human being who has surrendered totally to the will of the Beloved and has thus become a mirror in which the different aspects of the Divine are reflected.

16. We believe that ultimately the outer teacher points to the inner teacher, who resides in the depths of the hearts of all men and women.

17. Apart from the silent dhikr there are very few specific practices. We believe and aspire that all our activities, day by day, minute by minute, should be in surrender to the will of the Beloved.

18. We lead ordinary lives and work respectfully within the scope of our particular inclinations, talents, training, and professions. Many of us work within the community as teachers, therapists, practitioners, artists, and craftsmen.

19. We believe that family life facilitates maturity, responsibility, and inner growth.

20. Whatever we do and wherever we are, we try neither to be possessed by our occupation, circumstances, or belongings, nor to be possessive towards anyone or anything. This we call traditionally "solitude in the crowd" or "the poverty of the heart."

21. We abide humbly and strictly by the laws and rules of the countries in which we live.

22. We try "to clean our own courtyard" rather than preach to our fellow men and women how to "clean" theirs.

23. We avoid demonstrations and unnecessary public argumentation.

24. At times of collective hardship we pray silently in our hearts for the well-being of the world.

25. At every gathering, before our group meditation, we pray silently in our hearts for the well-being of those in need, according to the requests of their friends or relatives among us.

26. We respect the variety of human paths, beliefs, opinions, and ways of conduct. Among us are members of different religions and creeds.

27. We believe that our individual freedom ends where that of our fellow men and women starts.

28. We try to give precedence to our friends over ourselves; yet we use our honest discrimination so as to not abuse our sense of self-respect.

29. In all our circumstances, which oscillate between joy and pain, we practice the correct attitude towards the Beloved: in joyful times the attitude of gratefulness, in painful times the attitude of perseverance.

30. We believe that the path is eternal, and that its message has been transmitted, in different places, through an uninterrupted chain of teachers, from time immemorial.

31. We believe that all paths lead to the Beloved.

The Eleven Principles of the Naqshbandi Path

The first eight principles are from 'Abd ul-Khaliq Ghujduwani (d. 1220). The final three principles were added by Baha ad-din Naqshband (d. 1389).

1. Awareness in the Breath—Awareness in the Moment (Hush dar dam)

"Every breath which is exhaled from within must be exhaled with awareness and presence of mind and so that the mind does not stray into forgetfulness."

   Baha ad-din Naqshband said: "The foundation of our work is in the breath. The more that one is able to be conscious of one's breathing, the stronger is one's inner life. It is a must for everyone to safeguard their breath in the time of his inhalation and exhalation and further, to safeguard their breath in the interval between the inhalation and exhalation."

   As you become occupied with the exercise of the moment (i.e. remembering the breath), you turn your attention from remembering the past and thinking of the future, and focus on each breath until it is expired.

   Sa'd ud-din Kashghari added: "Hush dar dam is moving from breath to breath so there is no heedlessness but rather there is presence, and with each breath that we take should be the remembrance of the Real."

   Sheikh Abdul Janab Najmuddin al-Kubra said in his book, Fawatih al-Jamal: "Dhikr (remembrance of God in the breath) is flowing in the body of every single living creature by the necessity of their breath—even without will—as a sign of obedience, which is part of their creation. Through their breathing, the sound of the letter 'Ha' of the Divine Name Allah is made with every exhalation and inhalation and it is a sign of the Unseen Essence serving to emphasize the Uniqueness of God. Therefore it is necessary to be present with that breathing, in order to realize the Essence of the Creator."

   The name Allah, which encompasses the ninety-nine Names and Attributes, consists of four letters, Alif, Lam, Lam and Hah (ALLAH). The people of Sufism say that the absolute unseen Essence of Allah Exalted and Almighty is expressed by the last letter vowelized by the Alif, "Hah." It represents the Absolutely Unseen "He-ness" of the Exalted God (Ghayb al-Huwiyya al-Mutlaqa lillah 'azza wa jall) in which mystics lose their separate identity with every "hah" in their breath. The first Lam is for the sake of identification (tacrif) and the second Lam is for the sake of emphasis (mubalagha).

   The soul has long been thought to be in the breath. "For the early thinkers the soul was visualized sensuously as a breath-body." Awareness of the breath makes us aware of the soul and the inner body, inner self, which belong to the moment.

   In the path of the Khwajagan awareness in the breath is a very great principle. Those in this path regard it a great transgression to become unconscious of the breath.

2. Watch your Step! (Nazar bar qadam) Direct yourself constantly towards the goal.

Sa'd ud-din Kashghari added: "Looking upon the steps means that the seeker in coming and going looks upon the top of their feet and thereby their attention is not scattered by looking at what she should not look at." When the beginner's attention is taken by shapes and colors outside of herself, her state of remembering leaves her and is ruined, and she is kept from her objective. This is because the beginning seeker does not have the power of the "remembrance of the heart," so when her sight falls upon things, her heart loses its collectedness, and her mind becomes scattered.

   Watch your step can also refer to watching circumstances, feeling when is the right time for action, when is the right time for inaction, and when is the right time for pause. Some have said that Nazar bar qadam is an expression which refers to the wisdom inherent in one's natural disposition.

   Fakhr ud-Din Kashifi added: "Nazar bar qadam may be alluding to the seekers traveling through the stages of breaking from existence and putting behind self-love."

   Of these three interpretations, the first refers to beginners' use of this aphorism, the second refers to those in mid-progress on the Way, and the third to the Attainers.

3. The Journey Home (Safar dar watan)Your journey is towards your homeland.

Remember you are traveling from a world of illusion to a world of reality. The wayfarer travels from the world of creation to the world of the Creator.

   The Journey Home is the transformation that brings you out of your subjective dream state, so that you can fulfill your divine destiny.

   From the Rashahat-i 'ayn al-hayat: "[The journey home refers to] that traveling which the seeker makes within his human nature. In other words, travel from the qualities of humankind toward the angelic qualities, moving from blameworthy qualities to laudable ones." Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi (d. 1624) said: "This blessed expression [traveling in the homeland] means traveling within the self. The source of its results lies in putting the final [practice] at the beginning, which is one of the characteristics of the Naqshbandi Way. And although this [inner] traveling can also be found in other tariqas [schools of Sufism], [in those] it is found only in the end after the 'traveling on the horizons' [referring to the Qur'anic verse (41:53): 'We will show them Our signs on the horizons and within their selves until they know He is the Real']."

   "Traveling on the horizons" is traveling from place to place. At the beginning of the journey it can mean leaving home to find a guide or teacher. Also it happened in former generations that when the wayfarer had become established in a place, got accustomed to it and become familiar with its people, they took on traveling in order to break down habit and comfort and cut themselves off from renown. They would choose travel in order to experience complete emptying.

   It means traveling within oneself, looking at oneself, examining oneself and one's reactions, and how they act upon one.

   This reflects the stress that the Naqshbandi path puts on the inner states, stages, processes.

    Be an external resident and let your heart travel.

    Traveling without legs is the best kind of travel.

4. Solitude in the Crowd (Khalwat dar anjuman)There are two kinds of retreat.

One is the outward kind in which the seeker, far from people, sits alone in their cell until they come into contact with the spiritual world. This result comes about because the external senses withdraw themselves and the inner senses extend themselves to signs from the spiritual world.

   The second kind of retreat is the hidden one, where the seeker is inwardly witnessing the secrets of the Real while being outwardly surrounded by people. Khalwat dar anjuman is of this second type of retreat: outwardly to be with people, inwardly to be with God.

   In all your outer activities remain inwardly free. Learn not to identify with anything whatsoever.

   Khwaja Awliya Kabir, one of the deputies of 'Abd ul-Khaliq Ghujduwani, explained khalwat dar anjuman as follows: "'Retreat within the crowd' is that state when one is so constantly and completely absorbed in divine remembrance that 'one could walk through the market-place without hearing a word.'"

   They are with their Lord and simultaneously they are with the people. As the Prophet said, "I have two sides: one faces my Creator and one faces creation."

   'Abd ul-Khaliq Ghujduwani himself was known to say: "Close the door of the formality of sheikhhood, open the door of friendship. Close the door of khalwat (solitary retreat) and open the door of suhbat (companionship)." Baha ad-din Naqshband said in this connection: "Our path is in companionship. In [physical] retreat there comes fame and with fame comes calamity. Our welfare lies with the assembly and its companionship, on condition that [self-] negation is found in one another."

   When Baha ad-din reached Herat on his journey to Mecca, the Amir Hussein arranged a gathering in his honour. At the assembly the Amir asked him, "Since with your Presence there is neither audible dhikr, nor voyaging, nor audition of special music and poetry, what is your path?" He answered, "The pure words of the tribe of 'Abd ul-Khaliq Ghujduwani, which are 'retreat within the crowd,' and we follow in their Way." "What is retreat within the crowd?" the Amir asked. "Outwardly to be with the people while inwardly to be with God," said Naqshband. The Amir expressed surprise and asked whether this was actually possible. Baha ad-din replied that if it were not possible God Most High would not have indicated it in a Qur'anic verse which describes those who are not distracted from the remembrance of God even while in the marketplace: "Men whom neither business nor profit distracts from the recollection of Allah" [24:37]. This is the way of the Naqshbandi Order.

   Ahmad Faruqi Sirhindî, Mujaddid-i-alf-i-thani (the Renewer of the second millennium), said: "Retreat within the crowd is derived from traveling in the homeland since if traveling in the homeland is properly accomplished, then retreat within the crowd will properly occur. The seeker within the diversity of the crowd travels in his own land, and the diversity of the horizons finds no way into the meditation cell of his inner self. This treasure will manifest with difficulty at the beginning and with no difficulty in the end. And in this tariqa it is the portion of the beginning while in other paths it is at the end. This is so because the treasure is derived from traveling within the self (with presence in the moment), which is at the beginning of this path, while traveling on the horizons takes place simultaneously. This is the opposite of the other paths which make the traveling on the horizons the beginning and the traveling within the self the end."

   In the words of al-Kharraz: "Perfection is not in exhibitions of miraculous powers, but perfection is to sit among people, sell and buy, marry and have children; and yet never leave the presence of Allah even for one moment."

    In constant communion with the Beloved within,

    a stranger to the world.

    Those endowed with such beauty are rare indeed

    in this world.

5. Remembrance (Yad kard) Concentration on Divine Presence.

For the Naqshbandiyya remembrance is practiced in the silent dhikr. 

   Keep God, the Beloved, always in your heart. Let your prayer, dhikr, be the prayer of your heart.

   According to Khwaja Ubaydullah Ahrar, "the real meaning of dhikr is inward awareness of God. The purpose of dhikr is to attain this consciousness." The purpose of the dhikr is to keep one's heart and attention entirely focused on the Beloved in love and devotion.

   The dhikr is not just repeated as words, but is in the heart.

   Remembrance of the tongue becomes remembrance of the heart. Abdu'l-Qadir al-Gilani said: "At the first stage one recites the name of God with one's tongue; then when the heart becomes alive one recites inwardly. At the beginning one should declare in words what one remembers. Then stage by stage the remembrance spreads throughout one's being—descending to the heart then rising to the soul; then still further it reaches the realm of the secrets; further to the hidden; to the most hidden of the hidden."

6. Returning (from distraction), Going Back (Baz gasht)

Travel one way. The return to God. Single-minded pursuit of divine truth.

   This means banishing and dispelling every thought, good or bad, that comes to mind involuntarily during the dhikr. When performing the remembrance the heart is required to attain the calm contentment of: “Oh Allah, my goal is You and Your good pleasure; it is nothing else!” So long as there is any space left in the heart for other interests, such calm contentment cannot take shape, and the remembrance cannot be genuine. Even if this tranquility cannot be attained at the outset, one must not abandon the remembrance, and it is necessary to persist in its performance until this feeling is acquired.

   The meaning of baz gasht is the return to Allah Exalted and Almighty by showing complete surrender and submission to His Will, and complete humbleness in giving Him all due praise. The reason, mentioned by the Holy Prophet in his invocation, ma dhakarnaka haqqa dhikrika ya Madhkar (“We did not Remember You as You Deserve to be Remembered, O Allah”), is that the seeker cannot come to the presence of Allah in his dhikr, and cannot manifest the Secrets and Attributes of Allah in his dhikr, if he does not make dhikr with Allah's support and with Allah's remembrance of him. As Bayazid Bistami (d. 874) said: “When I reached Him I saw that His remembering of me preceded my remembrance of Him.” The seeker cannot make dhikr by himself. He must recognize that Allah is the one making dhikr through him.

   “Beloved, you and your approval are my purpose and desire.” This attitude will rid one of impure thoughts and distractions. It relates to the path of absorption. One Sufi was concerned that she was not sincere, and was ashamed. So her sheikh took her to a Sufi who was on the path of absorption, and this sheikh told her that absorption, not hair-splitting, would free him from his problem. The wayfarer realized that in her worry about her dishonesty and shame, her wants and needs, she had been focused on herself, separating herself from her Beloved.

   According to Khwaja Ahrar, the saying “returning” means that we have within us the goal of our striving. The seeds of transformation are sown in us from above and we have to treasure them above all possessions.

7. Attentiveness (Nigah dasht)

Struggle with all alien thoughts. Be always mindful of what you are thinking and doing, so that you may put the imprint of your immortality on every passing incident and instance of your daily life.

   Be watchful. Be aware of what catches your attention. Learn to withdraw your attention from undesirable objects. This is also expressed as "be vigilant in thought and remember yourself."

   Nigah means sight. It means that the seeker must watch their heart and safeguard it by preventing bad thoughts from entering. Bad inclinations keep the heart from joining with the Divine.

   It is acknowledged in the Naqshbandiyya that for a seeker to safeguard their heart from bad inclinations for fifteen minutes is a great achievement. For this they would be considered a real Sufi. Sufism is the power to safeguard the heart from bad thoughts and protect it from low inclinations. Whoever accomplishes these two goals will know their heart, and whoever knows their heart will know their Lord. The Holy Prophet has said, "Whoever knows himself knows His Lord."

   Sa'd ud-Din Kashgari said: "The seeker must, for one hour or two or whatever he is capable of, hold onto his mind and prevent thoughts of other [than God] entering." Another description from the Munahej ul-Sair has it that: "[Nigah dasht is the] guarding of the special awareness and presence which have resulted from the noble dhikr, so that remembering of anything other than the Real does not find its way into the heart/mind."

   Yet others have written that nigah dasht also applies to the time of the dhikr itself: "Nigah dasht is when the seeker at the time of the dhikr holds their heart/mind upon the meaning of LA ILAHA ILLA 'LLAH so that thoughts do not find entrance into their heart, because if thoughts are in the mind then the result of the dhikr, meaning presence of the heart/mind, will not manifest." It has also been said, "Nigah dasht is an expression meaning the prevention of the occurrence of thought at the time one is occupied with [repeating] the fragrant sentence [of LA ILAHA ILLA 'LLAH]."

   Abdul Majid Il Khani said that the meaning of preserving the heart/mind from incoming thoughts is that they lose their hold on the mind. In this connection Khwaja Ubaydullah Ahrar said: "The meaning of preserving the mind [from thoughts] is not that the seeker can avoid thoughts at the beginning [of their attempts], but rather that thoughts do not disturb the attendance and presence [required for the dhikr]. [Thoughts] can be likened to straw which has fallen onto moving water and yet the water is not prevented from its course. 'Abd ul-Khaliq Ghujduwani said: "It isn't so that thoughts never enter the heart/mind, but rather that at times they do and at times they do not." His statement seems to be supported by Khwaja 'Ala al-Din al-'Attar who reported: "Succeeding with thoughts is difficult or even impossible. I preserved my heart for twenty years from thoughts, after which they would still appear but they then found no hold there."

8. Continued Remembrance / Perpetual Invocation (Yad dasht)

   Constant awareness in the presence of God. "The complete experience of divine contemplation, achieved through the action of objective love."

   Those on the path maintain that when inner love is always present in one's dealings with the world, then one has achieved this mindfulness.

   This is the last stage before transformation is completed. The seeker becomes aware that his loss of "self" will be compensated by objective love. The humiliation (abnegation of self) that leads to this stage ceases to touch the seeker for he discovers the unlimited joy that Truth will bring.

   Yad dasht refers to the durability of the awareness of the Real in the path of "tasting" (living in the multiplicity of illusion). In the Rashahat-i 'ain al-Hayyat it is stated: "Some have said that this is a perceiving/witnessing which is the domination of witnessing the Real in the heart through essential love."

   Ubaydullah Ahrar said: "Yad dasht is an expression meaning the durability of the awareness of the Glorious Real." He said further: "It means presence [with God] without disappearance."

   Regarding the use of the term for the period of the dhikr itself it has been said: "Yad dasht is that which the dhakir (person practicing dhikr) during the dhikr maintains [fully the meaning of] negation and affirmation in his heart in the presence of the Named."

   Khwaja Ubaydullah Ahrar has described the principles five through eight as following each other in this manner: "Yad kard (Remembrance) refers to the work of invoking/remembering. Baz gasht (Returning) means turning to the High Real in the manner that when saying the fragrant sentence of the dhikr the seeker follows this in his heart with "God you are my true goal!" and nigah dasht (Attentiveness) is the holding on to this turning [to the Real] without words. Yad dasht (Recollection) means constancy/firmness in [the holding on of] nigah dasht (Attentiveness)."

9. Awareness of One's State of Mind / Time (Wuquf-i-zamani)

Baha ad-din Naqshband said that this consciousness is the maker and guide of the disciple. It means to be attentive to one's state of mind at any given moment and to know whether it is a cause for giving thanks or for repenting.

   It means: To keep account of one's temporal states. To distinguish presence, huzur, from absence, ghaflat. Baha ad-din described this as "self-possession" or "mindfulness." He added that one should always be grateful when one returns to a state of presence.

   In wuquf-i-zaman the seeker remains constantly aware of his changing states. Baha ad-din Naqshband explained: "Wuquf-i-zamani is the work of the traveller on the Way: to be attentive of his state, and to know whether it is a cause for giving thanks or for repenting, to give thanks while feeling spiritual elation, and to repent while in spiritual dryness or contraction."

   He also stated: "The foundation of the work of the seeker has been established in the awareness of time [exercise] as seeing at each moment whether the perceiver of breaths is [breathing] with presence or with forgetfulness."

   Maulana Yaqub Charkhi, in his Explanation of the Names of Allah, said: "Khwaja [Naqshband] instructed that in the state of qabz (contraction) one should seek God's forgiveness, whereas in the state of bast (expansion) one should offer thanks. Close observation of these two states constitutes wuquf-i-zamani." Wuquf-i-zamani of the Naqshbandi path is equivalent to the term "mohasseba" (keeping account of/close observation) used by other Sufis.

   Jami, in the Resalah-i-nuria, said:"Wuquf-i-zamani is a term meaning the keeping account of the times one passes in [a state of] dispersal (tafriqah) or collectedness (jam'iyyat)."

10. Awareness of Number (Wuquf-i-adadi)

An expression meaning the observation of the number of individual repetitions of the dhikr. Jami said: "Wuquf-i-adadi is the observation of the number of dhikrs and of whether this [observation] yields results or not." According to Baha ad-din Naqshband, "The observation of the number of repetitions of the dhikr of the heart is for gathering thoughts/mental activity which are scattered."

   According to Khwaja 'Ala al-Din al-'Attar, "The important thing is not the number of repetitions but rather the composure and awareness with which one makes them."

   According to Baha ad-din Naqshband, this awareness is the first stage of entry into the spiritual world.

   This could also mean that for beginners, reading about the achievements and states of consciousness demonstrated by those advanced in this practice would be helpful, since in reading about another's state of nearness, one acquires a certain quality of inner inspiration.

   For advanced disciples, this technique, which facilitates the initial stages of acquiring inner intuition and inspiration, brings a consciousness of the unity of diversity:

    This diversity and proliferation is all but a show,

    The One is manifest in the all.

Diversity, if you look with open eyes, is naught but unity. No doubts for us, though there might be in some minds. Though appearance is in numbers, the substance is but one.

   (It should be noted that inner inspiration, that understanding which brings the practitioner and people on the path closer to higher teachings, comes through divine grace and is not due to mind discoveries. "Knowledge comes from grace. The difference between divine inspiration and divine knowledge is that divine knowledge comes through internalizing the light of the Essence and the divine attributes, while divine inspiration is gained through receptivity to inner meanings and those types of instructions which manifest within the practitioner.")

11. Awareness of the Heart (Wuquf-i-qalbi)

The heart becomes aware of God. This marks the awakening of divine love. Individuals become aware that their existence is an obstacle to their final transformation and they no longer fear to sacrifice it because they see for themselves that they will gain infinitely more than they lose.

   Wuquf-i-qalbi has been described as having two meanings. One is that the seeker's heart in the midst of the dhikr is conscious and aware of the Real. On this point Khwaja Ubaydullah Ahrar said: "Wuquf-i-qalbi is an expression meaning an awareness and presence of heart toward the Most High Real felt in such a manner that the heart feels no need of anything except the Real." This meaning is similar to that of yad dasht.

   Heart consciousness means heart's resting with the Beloved, as if nothing and no one else existed.

   The other meaning is that there is awareness of the heart itself. In other words, the seeker during the time of the dhikr is attentive to the cone-shaped heart which is the "seat of subtlety," and prevents it from becoming unaware during the saying of the dhikr.

   Baha ad-din Naqshband did not consider it necessary to hold the breath during the dhikr as is done in some tariqas, even though he considered that practice to have its benefits; nor did he consider essential the wuquf-i-zamani and wuquf-i-adadi (awareness of time and awareness of number). But according to the Qodsîyyah he considered "the observance of wuquf-i-qalbi the most important and necessary because it is the summary and essence of the intention of the dhikr."

   Like an expecting mother-bird,

   sit watchfully on the egg of your heart,

    Since from this egg will result your drunkenness,

   self-abandoned,

    uproarious laughter and your final union.

(Updated in 2022)

Jordan appeared to be in a trance. The phrases—"Hush dar dam, Nazar bar qadam, Safar dar watan, Khalwat dar anjuman, Yad kard, Baz gasht, Nigah dasht, Yad dasht, Wuquf-i-zamani, Wuquf-i-adadi and Wuquf-i-qalbi” flowed like a refreshing stream through his mind, heart and soul. It was not the words—it was how they made him feel.

     ‘The Spirit, without question, breathes life.’

     Later Jordan reflected on the contrasting feelings between the two sets of documents. Before he started to read he imagined that the FIEC statement would be more aligned with his heart than the Sufi principles. His experience told a totally different story—one that he would take to the learning session.  

*

Patrick had read the two documents over and over. The FIEC statement brought back many memories of his early experience as a Christian. He thought deeply about the words, meaning and intent of both. He thought no thoughts about them both but opened his soul to their authors—this became very instructive. He was taken aback by several powerful telepathic exchanges.

     Patrick passed Callum and Folina’s home and saw them hugging in their lounge. He loved the affection and love they showed for each other. He paused and chatted with Jorge who was struggling to fix a programming issue in the control box of tricks near The Labyrinth. It was an overcast day and The Labyrinth was gently illuminated with brown, orange and ochre lights. As no-one was on it they increased in intensity following the path to the centre.

     ‘D’ya know Jorge, that path is beautiful. If I didn’t have a session to facilitate I would walk in right now.’

     ‘Time could stand still for you Patrick.’

     Patrick left his satchel on the ground and walked into the path. He felt he had entered a portal as soon as his bare feet touched the path. Many beings were present, moving alongside him. Gradually he became aware his feet were not touching the ground—he was walking on air about two feet from the pathway. There was no verbal communication with the beings that accompanied him to the centre.

     He noticed hundreds of biblical characters pass by and nod to acknowledge his presence. Among them were Mary, Leah, Joseph, Ruth, Moses, Dinah, Solomon, Martha, Saul, Esther, Hagar, Amos, Mary, David, Deborah, Pilate, Miriam, Jesus, Rachel, Huldah, Lydia, Phoebe, Priscilla, Tamar, Anna and Mary.

     Patrick was now in the centre. It was silent—totally silent. He could not hear his own breath or the beat of his heart. He had never experienced silence like this until now. He floated up and could see the labyrinth below spinning with increasing speed until the coloured lights blended into a colour like English mustard. He was rotating gently in the opposite direction. He felt so calm and centred. He gradually descended; the lights became still and he found himself on the edge of the The Labyrinth. Patrick felt he had been gone for hours – days even, though linear time was irrelevant.

     ‘Decided not to go in then Patrick?’ asked Jorge with a glint in his eye.

     ‘I was in there for ages—it was an amazing experience.’

     ‘Ah, that explains the power surge in the system.’

     They looked at each other with respect and fondness, smiled then Patrick picked up his satchel and went on his way.

*

15 students were assembled ready to start the session. Patrick greeted everyone, took out some papers from his satchel and set them down on a side table. He stood and was quiet for a while, making eye-contact with the group before speaking.

     ‘The Letter Kills series focusses on the written word. There are innumerable written words from the earliest symbols crafted into rock and other materials to the digital text we produce today with the tap of a key or touch on a screen. The number of spoken words is, of course, many times greater. Language is a most complicated and extraordinary thing—whatever your view about Babel is. Yet do words matter on their own—for their own sake? Do the makers, the authors of words have a clear and specific intention for them? Sometimes yes—sometimes no. Are words more like a work of art? Artists may have some intention about the images they create but they have no control about how those who see or hear them will react.

     You may or may not be familiar with the book Lord of the Flies. I remember going to see the film at school. I found it terrifying. There have been many studies with children who are asked to imagine they are marooned on a desert island. They are asked a number of questions as individuals and groups about what they will do, how they will live and what they might learn. These studies are carefully led by skilled psychologists and behavioural specialists to ensure that no harm comes to the children, aged between 10 and 16. What is striking about the studies is that, almost without exception, the children feel the need at an early stage to make rules about how they would live together. This was after a very brief period where they felt totally free to do whatever they liked without regard for any standard of behaviour. The rules they made were quite strict. Leaders would emerge as would differences of opinion about what was right or wrong.

     From the earliest times human beings have created written and unwritten codes of behaviour and imposed these on themselves and others. Those that refused to accept the rules could not be a member of that community, however defined. Consider for a moment the development of Mosaic law in the Bible from the Ten Commandments through to the modern-day Torah. Religion created law—the law of God. Refusal to obey could result in banishment or death. Was Mosaic law really the first law? Historians would disagree, providing evidence of human beings creating forms of rules thousands of years before Moses.

     If we return for a moment to the opening session of this series with the whirlwind tour of the evolution of religion, myth and folklore. What we see there is diversity of experience and opinion that was orally expressed or written down in symbols or words. This quickly led to identification with and an attachment to a particular set of beliefs, experiences and movements that, within themselves were subject to a changing raft of rules. Whether the intent was to control individuals or protect the purity of a particular faith community is unclear. What is clear is that over thousands of years rules have evolved into highly complex codes of belief and conduct that create an identity for those that submit to their authority—for submission is the only way that an individual can be accepted as a full member of a particular religious faith or non-faith community.

     “That’s not true, I hear you cry!” and, of course, you are correct. For example I live in the United Kingdom and am therefore subject to all laws within the United Kingdom. However, I then discover there is Scots law and Northern Irish law which, though similar, has many differences. For example same-sex marriage was allowed in England, Wales and Scotland but not in Northern Ireland. You will note that the FIEC statement has its own rule regarding same-sex marriage, whatever the law says. This example supports the assertion I made earlier.

     I have opened this session in this way to illustrate the context of The Letter Kills series and to remind us of the complexity of the written word. The spoken word is much more complex. Written words are open to interpretation and debate—how much more spoken words are with all the nuances of non-verbal communication, inflection of voice, the use of the pause and the injection of emotion.

     The two documents that I hope you have read, studied and inwardly digested offer an interesting starting point. In 1966 a controversial speech by Dr Martin Lloyd-Jones at the National Assembly of Evangelicals called for evangelicals to stand together and show greater unity, even if it meant removing themselves from denominations that weren’t wholly evangelical. Though other evangelicals disagreed, it did inspire many churches to join FIEC. The FIEC statement of doctrine was formalised in the 1980s through various statements had been produced before this. The FIEC stated that “Unity is precious but truth is essential.” What is truth? What is unity? You may well ask.

     The Beliefs, Ethics and The Eleven Principles of the Sufi Naqshbandi Path are a wholly different kettle of fish. The Naqshbandi Path emerged during the Islamic Golden Age between the 8^th and 10^th centuries—there are many references to prominent figures throughout the text.

     Common to both texts is that they were probably written exclusively by men.’

*

The session lasted the whole day—eventually ending at 6.15pm. They had worked as individuals and groups. Each of them had given a short talk on the thing that struck them most powerfully from the documents. It was a profoundly deep and rich learning experience for them all. They did not draw any conclusions—that was not their task. They made a number of observations—two seemed to stand out among many.

     Firstly it appears that many fundamentalist Christians are more in love with the Bible than the Holy Spirit that inspired it. They claim that the Bible is inerrant—infallible. A cursory examination of the historical facts about how the books of the Bible were written and later selected or rejected for inclusion tells a different story. The apocrypha and pseudepigrapha contain texts that do not contradict biblical teaching yet are not included in most versions for various reasons. The emphasis given to written religious texts such as the Bible offers a narrow view of Divine revelation. It is as though God only speaks through the Bible. This “worship of the biblical canon” could be referred to as a form of modern idolatry—a perverse contradiction of what they intend.

     Secondly “belief” is a prominent word in both sets of documents. The students felt that the need to believe is an odd notion—and must allow for the possibility of non-belief. So if “God” exists then this is a fact whether a person believes it or not. It must also be true that if “God” does not exist then this is a fact whether a person believes it or not. Patrick had anticipated this conundrum would surface and from his extensive research had found nearly all writing to be biased in one way or another to varying degrees. However, he found one philosopher, Roy Clouser, Professor Emeritus of the College of New Jersey, that made a serious attempt at teasing out the key features of religious and spiritual belief and he summarised them in an additional hand-out that he circulated on the day:

What exactly is a religious or spiritual belief? In order to make that determination we must first define the term in such a way that it is neither too broad nor too narrow by listing all of the features that are true of all religious and spiritual beliefs and true only of religious and spiritual beliefs. While this may appear to be an obvious point, we are often surprised to find what has been pruned when a definition is stripped to its essential components. Imagine, for instance, trying to define the concept of tree in a way that is limited to what is true for all trees but only true of trees. Paring the explanation down in such a manner would not only be difficult but would leave us with a curious, and likely unsatisfying, definition.

   What is true of trees will be equally so for religious beliefs. After we cut away the foliage and underbrush that are features of specific religious beliefs we are likely to be unimpressed by the bare, slender reed that remains. We should also expect to find that a minimally precise definition will have exposed the fact that some beliefs that we might have considered to be religious really are not, while finding that others are actually more religious than we might have imagined. Nevertheless, while we might be surprised, unsatisfied, or unimpressed, the important point is that we have defined the term correctly.

   There are two features that are commonly (though mistakenly) believed to be essential to religious and spiritual beliefs. Firstly, that they require a belief in God or gods. One of the most common misconceptions about religious belief is that it requires a belief in God or a supreme being. But such a feature would be too narrow because it would exclude polytheistic religions that do not recognize a supreme being. In fact, we cannot include the concept of god or gods at all since some religions (e.g., Brahmin Hinduism, Theravada Buddhism) are literally atheistic.

   Secondly that religious and spiritual beliefs are beliefs that induce worship or worship-related activities. This feature is also defeated by the counterexamples of Brahmin Hinduism and Theravada Buddhism, neither of which practices worship. The same is true for the religious beliefs of some ancient Greeks such as Aristotle and later the Epicureans who thought the gods neither knew about nor cared about humans. They certainly felt no obligation to worship such apathetic beings.

   Having excluded gods and worship from our definition, we are left with very few features that all religious and spiritual beliefs could possibly share in common. What common element can be found in the biblical idea of God in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in the Hindu idea of Brahman-Atman, in the idea of Dharmakaya in Mahayana Buddhism, and the idea of the Tao in Taoism? The answer is that every religious and spiritual tradition considers something or other as divine and that all of them have a common denominator in the status of the divinity itself.

   While many religions and spiritual movements disagree on what is divine, they all agree on what it means to be divine . The divine is simply whatever is unconditionally, nondependently real; whatever is just there. By contrast, everything nondivine ultimately depends for existence (at least in part) on whatever is divine. This idea of nondependence or its equivalent is the shared feature in all religious and spiritual beliefs.

   A belief is a religious or spiritual belief provided that it is (1) a belief in something as divine or (2) a belief about how to stand in proper relation to the divine, where (3) something is believed to be divine provided it is held to be unconditionally nondependent.

   The conclusion we can draw from this definition is that everyone holds, consciously or unconsciously, a religious belief. For many of us, this will be as obvious as finding that our entire lives we’ve been speaking in prose. Others, though, will have a reaction similar to those who argue that while everyone else may speak with an accent, they themselves do not.

   Although it may be true that not everyone has a religion (a system of religious or spiritual beliefs, practices, and rituals), it would be rather absurd to believe that there is anyone who does not have a religious or spiritual belief.

   This can be shown by focusing on a theory or belief that many people mistakenly believe to be the reverse of religion—materialism. Although the idea of materialism has been around since at least the ancient Greeks, it has only recently been considered to be a non-religious idea. This is rather odd considering that it explicitly claims that matter (or some other physical entity) is unconditionally, nondependently real and draws conclusions about nature and humanity based on that belief.

   Materialism, in fact, fits the definition more closely than some related beliefs, such as atheism. Just as monotheism claims that the number of gods is one and polytheism holds the view that the number is more than one, atheism simply claims the number of gods is zero. Because it merely takes a position on a nonessential element of religious belief, it would be erroneous to claim that atheism is inherently a religious or spiritual belief. Materialism, on the other hand, fits the definition in a categorical and clear-cut manner.

   This definition is neither too broad nor too narrow, is applicable to every known religious and spiritual tradition, and is logically forceful. Still, I don’t suspect materialists to bend to its logic and admit that they too have a religious or spiritual belief. When pressed on this point many materialists tend to resort to special pleading or wrangling over the semantics of using the term religious. If you insist that whatever you believe to be divine isn’t religious for you, you’ll have to admit that for those of us who hold such a belief and admit its religious character, your belief is going to appear to be religious for reasons that are far from arbitrary. In other words, call the belief what you want—it certainly looks and functions like a religious or spiritual belief.

The hand-out left the students scratching their heads and would take some time to sink in. In the final element of the session the students explored the power of the written word in relation to their own experience of the Divine. It was here that revelation and crystallisation occurred. Each student was asked to state briefly how their experience either resonated in agreement with the written word or resonated in contradiction of the written word. Patrick had to rephrase the purpose of the task several times but after a while all the students were clear what was being asked. It was an astonishing conclusion to the session and they left elated, inspired and energised. In the final analysis if a person has to believe then they have probably not experienced the Divine Spirit within themselves. Belief implies adopting some kind of a position. Living as Divine human beings requires no belief—just experience.

*

Patrick went home and poured himself a glass of Merlot. As he sipped and savoured the classic vintage he remembered taking a bottle of Merlot and drinking it with Shamsha many years ago at Castlethorpe following his first encounter with Folina. He put the glass down and turned to see a beautiful woman in her 40s raising a glass to him.

     ‘Here’s to The Letter Kills Patrick.’

     Patrick recognised the voice at once.

     ‘Shamsha, you look fabulous!’

     ‘You are looking pretty good yourself old boy.’

     They chuckled and talked for a while about things that can’t yet be mentioned and then she turned to leave and vanished.

     ‘Don’t forget what we discussed’ were her parting disembodied words.

     A little while later Jorge knocked and entered holding aloft an even better bottle of vintage Merlot. He walked over to Patrick and kissed him on the cheek.

     ‘I saw what happened this morning and just now. You are one of several that have been caught up in The Labyrinth and experienced real silence. Shamsha saw it too because she was one of the beings with you.’

     Patrick’s jaw dropped.

     ‘I love the fact that I can be surprised about stuff like this. If only my parents could see me now from their podium of evangelical superiority.’

     ‘Who says they can’t?’ replied Jorge with a raised eyebrow.’

     ‘As ever, my friend, there is so, so much more to you than I think I know.’

     ‘Cheers.’

     ‘Cheers—here’s to The Letter Kills.’

     Patrick prepared a pasta supper and they drank a little too much wine and talked for several hours. It was unplanned and much appreciated. After Jorge had left Patrick sat down and took out a sheet of paper from his satchel that had several biblical verses written on it—headed  “Difficult passages re The Letter Kills”. Two caught his eye.

   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John ^1-3)

   Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5^17-20)

He pondered these for a while, especially the underlined words, then decided it was definitely time for bed.

*

Folina and Patrick experienced an almost identical sequence of dreams that night that flowed through biblical events involving Judges, Priests, Prophets and Kings—racing through Christian church history up to the present day. They saw the execution of saints and martyrs and people branded as witches who performed miracles. They watched Luther hammer his Ninety-five Theses to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg. They heard him declare “Papal decretals are the devil’s excretals!” They observed various councils decide what was and was not approved theological doctrine. They witnessed an attempt to suppress the Divine Spirit that was manifesting all over the Globe and in mystery schools in particular. It seemed that, for a while, the human race had become its own God and anyone who spoke Divine truth was a heretic and had to recant or face the utmost cruel penalties. In the past two centuries the rate that schisms happened was dizzying—spawning many new movements that also split over theological and spiritual differences—some becoming cults, others forming independent charismatic groups following modern apostles.

     The final dream dropped them in a huge market place of modern spirituality. Each stall expressed a different form of spirituality from “The New Atlanteans”, “Gnostics Reborn” to “The True Church” and “Heaven on Earth Collective. There were thousands of these stalls and each had their appeal to the undiscerning eye. The New Age of Spirituality had dawned and was not immune to the errors of the past by formulating words into statements and spiritual laws.

     They both woke up early and remembered a large amount of detail in their dreams which they started to unpick over coffee later that morning. The time had come to dive into the realm of multiple dimensions of human spiritual experience and how spiritual progression is expressed in words and images. Folina and Patrick knew it would not be easy but knew they would be given the wisdom to rise to the challenge.