Episode:The Celestial Artisans (Part 1)
Meet the celestial artisans, master artists of the morontia and lower spirit realms. Using manifold techniques, these skillful and brilliant beings bring the delights of Havona out to the worlds of space.
Keywords: Urantia, Afterlife, Heaven, Artisans, Music
Note: James was unable to join this week due to technical issues. There were only 3 co-hosts, plus a call from Justin Michael.
Summary by Kermit
We began the study of the celestial artisans (CAs) who help to manifest the beauty of the central universe of Havona in the local universes. Here we are given a glimpse of some of the marvels of heavenly ascending life, stretching the limits of our ability to imagine these glorious realms of amazing efficiency and enthralling beauty. By contrast we are also subjected to sobering reminders of our lowly estate. As one of our co-hosts puts it, this is the archangel “smackdown” paper.
While the CAs function throughout the grand universe, their chief realm of activity is at the constellation worlds. Here the ascender is faced with the arduous challenge of socialization, while enjoying the foretaste of Havona beauty.
The CAs are a composite group of selected and recruited beings originally from the central universe, and increasing to include volunteers embracing ascending mortals as well as numerous other groups. Reminder that as we ascend we begin to function as part of the celestial economy, depending on our skill potential.
Any morontia personality or spirit entity can joint the CAs (below the rank of divine sonship) if sufficiently gifted, but not for less than 1000 years of superuniverse time (8200 of our years). This underscores that we aren’t simply ascending to Paradise, but we are living lives as cosmic citizens, contributing our talents and abilities to the society in which we happen to find ourselves.
We were introduced to the seven major divisions of their activity. In this broadcast we covered the Celestial Musicians. Underscoring the fact that we living in an evolutionary realm, we are told that the CAs have improved in technique and execution of their arts from age to age. This idea contrasts markedly with the traditional beliefs in the perfection and changeless nature of heaven.
The authors took us on a little side journey in helping us to better understand the notion of spirit substance. The archangel author portrays the differential perception of matter and spirit substances by the different types of beings.
We discussed the fascinating topic of varying abilities of various types of beings to discern various kinds of substances i.e. matter, morontia and spirit. High spirit beings can’t discern matter and require the assistance of energy transformers to present to their minds a spirit counterpart. Spirit beings don’t see matter as molecular, but may see it as an ultimatonic object-phenomenon. We are given this information to give us a sense of the literality of the realms being described.
Some high beings are able to discern the full range of creatures from material to spirit. Ascending mortals are also able to discern all lower levels of creatures as the angels are able to see us as we are in our molecular structures. These aspects of the dimensionality of the different levels of matter/energy are most mysterious and complex to ponder. Suffice it to say, these things are real and literal.
Paper 11:0.1 p.118; Paradise is the material foundation of creation. Even the Universal Father stands on matter, material abodes. Matter and spirit are connected.
We retain the ability to recognize former levels of existence, while adding additional groups of beings discernable as we ascend. This is made possible by the indwelling Adjuster. Spirit and matter can be traced back to the Eternal Son and the Paradise Isle respectively. Continuing on, spirit and matter are ONE in the Father and the Adjuster is a Father fragment, thus pure spirit AND pure energy. Thus we have the potential to relate to any and all types of substances. The Adjuster is therefore a pre-differentiated spirit-energy fact.
Here the archangel describes the futility of trying to convey the CAs wonderful work, settling on simply emphasizing the FACT of the reality of these transactions of the morontia and spirit worlds. These things, difficult to understand as they may be, are REAL.
The Celestial Musicians
Here we find the lyrical description of the work of the Celestial Musicians. The vast range and cosmic weave (soul of expression) are beyond human comprehension. This refers not only to spiritual perception but cosmic character.
Here we are introduced to the seven spirit forces manipulated by the CMs to produce their melodies. Of these, five are unrecognized by our bodies, but #5. Harmony of associated spirits and #6. Melody of thought are coordinated and ever so faintly accessible to us.
Cosmic character confers upon one’s being the harmony of the cosmos, thus such beings can be arranged to generate superadditive consequences of this harmony i.e. majestic melodies. Cosmos means both universe and harmony. Through encircuitment in the Holy Spirit humans can tune into the harmony of the cosmos. We’re being given a clue here to inspire us to work on striking step or tuning into the cosmos. i.e. develop cosmic character, not just spirit.
We are here told that being placement and personality arrangement find crude and grotesque analoges in our ensembles of dance. We recently studied personality as a harmonizing influence. Had we more personalized selves, we might begin to appreciate the melody of thought, and recognize the harmony of personality arrangement.
If we only had received more of the Adamic inheritance our musical appreciation would now be significantly greater than it is. We have made progress but the author does not want us to be satisfied with our current state.
Tuneful syncopation represents an step towards expressionful harmony and meaningful melodies from primitive musical monotony. Even so, the exertion of the higher intellectual powers are not required for their appreciation, thus the appeal to immature or spiritually indolent individuals.
Here they bring in the levels of meaning. The barbarous monotony is at the level of the flesh. Tuneful syncopation moves up a notch to feelings, still short of the higher powers.
Our best music is still a fleeting echo of that which comes from above. Art is that which stimulates us to transcend our lowly material estate.
While we’ve produced some beautiful melodies, we have far less than if Adam and Eve had left more of their musical legacy. Here we are alerted to the possibility that a real musician may appear to enthrall whole peoples towards producing worldwide harmony.
We enjoyed a caller sharing his pre-Urantia Book musical experiences beckoning him to reach for higher levels of consciousness.
Domain of kindred minds lies above the faith grasp of kindred spirits.
