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“THE SPIRITUAL SCOOP”

Monthly Newsletter
of the
American Fellowship Church
April 2011 Issue #6

The Spirit of Spring

Spring is the season of renewal.,
a time to refocus the mind, rededicate the will,
and a fine time to renew ID cards about to expire!

Reverend Theodore H. Swenson, Founder

American Fellowship Church, since 1975

The Triumph of Spirit God

April opens us to the blooming beauty of spring.
The buds of late March open; spring flowers burst
upon the scene. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is as
though life begins yet again.
April is a month of hope and trust…that life, like
spirit, is ever renewed. The Hindu New Year, April
4, celebrates rebirth; the traditional Chinese
Qingming festival, April 5, welcomes the dawning of
spring’s new greenery. April closes with the Festival
of Ridvan celebrating the Baha’i Garden of Paradise.
In the Christian faith, it is the resurrection of Jesus,
The Master, that brings sacred reassurance that that
good triumphs over evil, that life not only goes on but
triumphs over death, that spirit trumps the grave.
Consider that: Spirit trumps the grave! That which
appears to fade, to die away, rises out of its earthly
grave and blooms again in the Light of Spring.
Let us, too, rise again, our lighter, brighter spring-
time selves, renewed in trust, triumphant in Spirit.
Let us honor those whose earthly lives are taken in
conflict and disaster, secure in the knowledge that
they triumph in Spirit, blooming again in Paradise.
“When I was young, I thought I knew exactly what the
word “God” meant. It was clear to me because I learned
in my church, in my family, and was limited in exposure to
other people’s views. It was tidy. To be honest, I simply
rejected all concepts that were foreign to mine. Some-
where God existed on a throne in “Heaven.” That was
enough. A child’s trust is easily given; the joy of
exploration gets ripped from the heart.
“Then, as I grew older, I met good people from other
cultures, places, churches, and they had other names for
‘God.’ Some had more than one deity, prayed to saints or
knelt before statues. I did not know about theology. I only
saw ‘my’ church’s certainty it was right and ‘we’ were
saved. But other churches thought the same thing, and
tolerance was not granted. It seemed to me that if ‘God’
loves everyone, then we are all blessed, church or not….
“My ‘God’ is life-force, unbounded, and is love
indefinable. I am part of that Spirit, and feel joy through
connection. When people refer to ‘God’ now, I have no
idea what they mean, so I ask. They often don’t know.”
From Atoms of God: Reclaiming Divinity
by A. R. Omikami, 1st Books Library, 2002,
pp. 77-78, with permission.

Let us hear from you! Comments are always welcome. Newsletter contributions are subject to editorial review.
Email us at: TheScooop@amfellow.org
 Web site: http://www.amfellow.org/home.php?ss6
Christ Consciousness
From the AFC Well-Being Course, Lesson 14
Most of us today can relate to the fact the air is full
of radio waves carrying programs to our radios and to
our television sets. But just as the radio waves are
present, so are waves of Christ Consciousness. We
are surrounded by streams and rivers and oceans of
spiritual energy. It is everywhere. You simply need
to tune into it. Each of us has within us the ability to
receive the spiritual energy – the Christ
Consciousness which surrounds us. If we choose, we
can open ourselves to it. If we ignore it, it will
remain like radio waves without a radio receiver.
●●●●●●●
It may take a lifetime to fully develop Christ
Consciousness. It is an ongoing process. It can and
will begin even before you have sufficiently satisfied
your basic needs. You will have “flashes” of Christ
Consciousness billowed by moments of Christ
Consciousness followed by periods of Christ
Consciousness. Be thankful for whatever you receive
and be prepared to keep on going.
For information about our Minister’s Training,
Well-Being, Bible Study, and Counseling, courses,
click here!
Nuptials in Florida
All regularly ordained ministers of the gospel or
elders in communion with a church, or other
ordained clergy...may solemnize the rights of the
matrimonial contract. Marriage is not to be solem-
nized without a license. Before any of these
ordained ministers or elders solemnizes any
marriage, he or she shall require of the parties a
marriage license issued according to the require-
ments of Florida law.
NOTE: To remain in good standing with the
American Fellowship Church you must hold an
unexpired minister license ID card and be in "regular
communion" with the Church. That means you
must contact us at least once a year, and if any of
your contact information should change (your name,
physical address, or email), you must notify us within
two weeks of the change.
Let us hear from you! Comments are always welcome. Newsletter contributions are subject to editorial review.
Email us at: TheScooop@amfellow.org
Email: TheScoop@amfellow.org 2
AFC Ministers’ Message Board
What a wonderful newsletter. I found the
information very timely and helpful as a community
college student advisor and as an American
Fellowship Church Minister. God Bless everyone
who is a part of this worthy publication and thank
you for the wise words within. Rev. Rhitta
***********
Thank you for the newsletter and spiritual gui-
dance. God bless you and the World. Chap Janet.
***********
Thank you so much for your newsletter. I am very
impressed with your website as well as the ministry. I
have been in the ministry for over 35 years beginning
when I was very young in full time music ministry. It
is so great to know that there are legitimate min-
istries out there to further the work of the Lord and
help individuals to prepare for the call God has put
on their life, unfortunately I was taken advantage by
one such ministry…. I feel we need to watch out for
our brothers and sisters in the world and warn them
of impending problems we see or know about. ….
Thank you for your time and the work you are doing
in changing peoples lives. God Bless, Rev. Sonny
***********
Thank you so much Rev. Swenson for the Spiritual
Scoop. I found the articles to be very inspiring and
helpful. I especially (appreciated) the non-
judgemental listening article. May God richly bless
you in your work. Rev. Paul
The Message Board is available for brief posts from you,
our AFC clergy. All submissions are considered for
publication and are subject to editorial review.
Our Thanks…
…to each of YOU, our Spiritual Scoop readers.
We welcome you to the American Fellowship Church,
your on-line neighborhood church, always as close as
your computer keyboard and your iGadget.
The American Fellowship Church is here to support
your ministry, ethically and practically. For certificates
and other documentation, for training courses and
professional development, we are your primary source
and resource.
__________________
The Spiritual Scoop is published monthly for the
ordained ministers of the American Fellowship Church by the
Church Board of Directors, editor, Rev. B. L. Mallory. Please
address all correspondence to TheScoop@amfellow.org