FAMILY HOME CHURCH MOVEMENT
As organized religions wait for their EXIT from theworld stage the FAMILY HOME CHURCH will be the hope of the future. Are you ready to take the spiritual development of your family into your hands? Do not wait for tomorrow because tomorrow might be too late!
Most if not all of us were indoctrinated to believethat we needed to go to a church, a temple or a Mosque to pray to a cultural God and in some places a foreign cultural God for the forgiveness of our sins or to include us among the list of people who would go to heaven after we die. It never occurred to us that all these institutions were setup by other human beings mostly for power, control and financial benefits.
Are you frustrated with organized religions? Do youwant to take your FAMILY back from organized religions? Are you tired of the threats of hell and damnation? Have you become immune to the promises of heaven? Do you want to be in control of the spiritual life of your family? Welcome to the FAMILY CHURCH MOVEMENT that is taking the world by storm! Begin your FAMILY CHURCH today!
Why A Family Home Church & Why Now?
Every generation must decide how it will cultivate meaning, identity, and spiritual grounding. In a world marked by rapid change, digital saturation, and increasing fragmentation, families are searching for ways to anchor themselves. One of the most powerful yet overlooked tools for doing so is the creation of a family sacred place—a dedicated physical or symbolic spacewhere a household gathers for study, meditation, reflection, prayer, connection, and renewal. This blog explores the concept of a family sacred place, its historical and spiritual roots, its psychological and relational benefits, and why the present cultural moment makes it not only valuable but
essential.
Defininga Family Sacred Place
A Family Sacred Place is adedicated physical area within the home intentionally designed and reserved for family spiritual life—such as prayer, meditation, worship, study, and rituals—that foster family unity, divine connection and spiritual growth. It is more than a mere corner or altar; it is a symbol and embodiment of the family's commitment to living a faith-centered life. This sacred space becomes a refuge—a sanctuary that nurtures the soul and reinforces the family's spiritual identity amid daily routines. In the presentation on the Power of Myth on PBS, Bill Moyers asked “What does it mean to have a sacred place?” Here is what Joseph Campbell said:
A sacred place is anecessity for everybody. You must have a room or a certain hour a day or so where you do not know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe to anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes you; but a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are---what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you might find that nothing is happening there, but if you have a sacred place and use it and take advantage of it something will happen.
Biblical and Spiritual Foundations
The Bible depicts the home as a vital environment for spiritual nurture and divine encounter. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 emphasizes the importance ofteaching God's commandments within the home; Joshua 24:15 declares,“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord,” signifying a family's active commitment to divine service in their dwelling; Psalm 127:1 states,“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain,” highlighting the necessity of divine blessing and presence in the household; 1Corinthians 6:19 states, “Do you not know that your bodies are templesof the Holy Spirit?”; Deuteronomy 6:7 instructs parents to teach children God's word constantly, reinforcing the home as a place of ongoing spiritual formation; Ephesians 6:4 urges fathers to bring upchildren “in the training and instruction of the Lord,” emphasizing the family's role in nurturing faith.
The Urgency and Relevance of a Family Sacred Place
Modern life often emphasizes individualism, consumerism, and digital distractions, leading to social and spiritual disconnection; Participation in traditional religious institutions has waned in many societies and many individuals feel disconnected from or skeptical of organized religions; a Family Sacred Place provides a home-based,accessible environment for ongoing spiritual practice outside institutional settings.
Benefits of Creating a Family Sacred Place
Provides a dedicated environment for encountering the sacred and nurturing spiritual bonds; Shared spiritual practices strengthen trust, love, and mutual support within the family; includes spiritual habits into the daily life of the family; Passes on faith and values to children and future generations; Serves as a refuge during difficult times for prayer and reflection; Reinforces the family's collective identity rooted in faith
Howto Setup a Family Sacred Place
Selecta quiet, accessible corner or room in the home. You may also use a designated room outside the home. Incorporate symbols, icons, or objects meaningful to your family tradition. Establish regular times for Study, prayer, meditation, or reflection in this space. Encourage all family members to participate, making it a shared family project. Use candles, music, or natural elements to foster reverence. Keep it clean, welcoming, and ready for use. Incorporate Scripture, art, Family History, Ancestors and journals to deepen spiritual engagement.
Possible Objections to a Family Sacred Place
We have no Time: A sacred place does not require hours—it requires intention. Even a short period of shared presence can reshape a family’s emotional climate.
We are not Religious: A sacred place is not about dogma. It is about meaning, connection, and grounding. Every family—religious or not—benefits from a place of sharing and reflection.
Our Home is Too Small: Sacredness is not measured in square footage. A single candle, a chair, or a corner can become a sanctuary.
Conclusion
Ina world increasingly characterized by chaos, distraction, and disconnection, cultivating a Family Sacred Place is a timely and transformative act.Rooted in biblical principles and spiritual wisdom, such a space serves as a sanctuary—a tangible reminder of divine presence—where families can find peace, strength, and purpose. Now is the moment to prioritize creating sacred environments within our homes, turning everyday living spaces into holy ground where faith is nurtured, legacy is built, and divine-human encounter becomes an integral part of family life.
Your Family Testament of GOD
In the beginning GOD created the FAMILY andentrusted them with the spiritual Development of the children! Throughouthuman history, sacred texts have served as anchors of spiritual identity, moral guidance, and cultural continuity. From the Torah to the Qur’an, the Bhagavad Gita to the Bible, such writings have preserved the wisdom and divine encounters of entire communities. Yet while societies revere these collective scriptures, individual families often leave behind only scattered memories and oral stories. The idea of The Family’s Sacred Text invites households tocreate their own enduring record of faith, values, and lived experience — a personal scripture that sanctifies the family’s story and secures its spiritual legacy.
Why a Family’s Sacred Text?
The purpose of a Family’s SacredText is not to rival traditional scriptures but to personalize spirituality.It recognizes that every household experiences divine presence in unique ways —
through births, trials, acts of love, or the daily rhythms of life. A Family’s Sacred Text provides:
A Testimony of the Sacred: Preserving how divine grace has been revealed in thefamily’s history. A Moral Compass: Codifying the values that shape familylife and relationships. A Legacy for Generations: Passing down storiesand principles for the continuation of the family. In this way, the Family’s Sacred Text is a microcosm of scripture: universal themes madeparticular, eternal truths woven into everyday life.
TheStructure of the Sacred Text
Though no two families areidentical, a Sacred Text often contains similar elements to traditional holy writings. These may include:
The Sacred as the underlyingprinciple: A declaration of faith affirming Sacredpresence within the family. The Book of Blessings: A chronicle of majorevents — unions, births, healings, moments of providence, rituals, and answered prayers. The Values of the Family: A set of guiding principles chosen bythe Family (e.g., love, forgiveness, honesty, hospitality, respect for creation). The Psalms of Gratitude: Prayers, songs, or reflectionswritten by individual members, creating a chorus of thanksgiving. The Bookof Hopes: Expressions of the family’s vision for the future: commitments tojustice, dreams for children, or promises to serve the wider community. TheCovenant: A closing section where the family seals its collective promiseto live in alignment with the Sacred and with one another, often signed and renewed regularly. This framework echoes the familiar literary forms of sacred texts — history, law, poetry, prophecy, and covenant — but situates them in a
deeply personal context.
The Process of Creation
Writing a Family’s Sacred Text isitself a sacred act. It requires intention, reflection, and participation from every member of the household. Families may gather to recall blessings, discuss values, and write prayers together. This collaborative process deepens bonds, creates dialogue across generations, and elevates the home into a space of worship and remembrance.
The text may be handwritten in abeautiful book, typed and printed for framing, or even crafted into an
illustrated family manuscript. What matters most is that it reflects sincerity, reverence, and unity. Over time, it can be revisited and expanded, becoming a living text rather than a static document.
The Significance of a Family’s Sacred Text
A Family’s Sacred Text sanctifiesthe Family. Just as temples, churches, and mosques preserve sacred scriptures, the family home becomes a repository of its own. The act of writing shifts the
household from being merely biological or social to being spiritual: a “Home Church” or “Family Temple.”
Moreover, such a text functions as aspiritual inheritance. Children raised with access to their family’s sacred writings not only hear about God from distant scriptures but see how divine
presence manifested in their own lineage. This bridges the gap between universal religion and personal experience, anchoring identity in both.
Conclusion
The Family’s Sacred Text is arevolutionary yet ancient idea: revolutionary in that it encourages every family to articulate its own scripture, ancient in that families have always told sacred stories around firesides, tables, and bedsides. By recording blessings, valuess, prayers, hopes, and covenants, households create more than a book — they create a living testament of faith. In a fragmented age, such a text offers stability, memory, and identity, ensuring that God’s presence in
the family is remembered not only for a lifetime but for generations to come.
The Family Church, Ministry or Temple
The FAMILY is a spiritual union bound by aninvisible thread that stretches from the beginning of time into eternity. The expression “blood is thicker than water”, is often used to remind us of the
importance of blood relationships or the FAMILY. The FAMILY is so importantthat in Orisha, an African Religion, if you were to prepare a sacred table for your ancestors and for those who are not your ancestors but who have also influenced your life; you could only do so with separate tables. You would prepare one table for your ancestors, and another table for those who are not
your blood relatives. It is that important in the spiritual world and no organization whether religious or circular may interfere!
The Family is still important if not themost important unit in our modern society. And the survival of the Family should be paramount in all we do because the state of the family reflects the state of the society. The increase in homelessness, crime, hopelessness, helplessness, sickness and poverty in our present day society could partly be attributed to the lack of proper Family Support within the Family. FAMILY CHURCH is a vision for all families to take control of the education and spiritual development of the family.
History of the Soteme Family Ministry
The Soteme Family Ministry started in 2010 as a Family Sacred Texts Study Group. The SOTEME FAMILY met every Sunday to meditate and to share their thoughts on various spiritual lessons on human and spiritual development like love, tolerance, compassion, kindness, marriage, fidelity, unity, interdependence, cooperation, etc from different Sacred Texts including the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Tao Te Ching, Bible, Qur’an, Dhammapada and the Rig Veda.
After acouple of years or so the Name Sacred Texts Study was changed to Awakened Living Study to reflect the fact that the Group also used circular sources of information in addition to the Sacred Texts in order to give the study an all inclusive package.
The Name Awakened Living Study remained with the Group until Dr. Soteme, founder of
UNISM had an insight in June, 2024 while writing about the FAMILY in a manuscript to change Awakened Living Study to FAMILY MINIDTRY to enable all Families to take over the Spiritual Development and Education of their children from organized religions!
What is Family Church or Temple?
A Family Church or Temple is a FAMILY that is dedicated to the education, spiritual development, success, mission, achievement and vision of the FAMILY without the interference of organized religions or any other organization for that matter. This is your FAMILY and it is yourresponsibility to lead the FAMILY to success without relying on anyone outside the family including organized religions.
You have been told by the organized religions that you are helplessand you believed. They have called you a SINNER and you also believed. They have threatened you with HELL and DAMNATION and you felt hopeless. Then they promised you HEAVEN if you accepted a SAVIOR or a CULTURAL GOD. And they also told you that GOD is in a book that you did not write and you believed. Now you are fully controlled, afraid, hopeless, helpless or in a fool’s paradise. But no one ever told you that YOU are helpless because of yourfalse beliefs about yourself. No one told you that whatever you do in this world could affect something or somebody negatively and that even if you sin on a daily basis SIN is not your preoccupation because you are a MOTHER, a FATHER, a PHYSICIAN, a TEACHER, a MUSICIAN, an ACTOR, a WRITER, a FARMER, a SCIENTIST or anything that you like to do for the general good. No one told you that HELL is not for you if you do not believe in it because what you do not believe will never influence your life. No one told you that you do not need to go to anyone’s HEAVEN more especially the heaven of people you have never met because
you could also create your own HEAVEN even if you are not a savior, a God or a Buddha. Lastly no one told you that you do not even need to believe in any of the Gods setup by the religions because YOUR GOD is everywhere and is also within you!
If YOUR GOD is within you does it make sense for anyone outside ofyou to make decisions about YOUR GOD? Does it make sense for another person to write the book concerning YOUR GOD? Does it make sense for you and your FAMILY to go somewhere else to worship another God when you should be worshipping YOUR
GOD? Does it make sense for you to accept what is already within you? Does it make sense for you to read about the experiences of other cultures at the exclusion of the experiences of your people?
YOUR GOD is part and parcel of your life and it makes sense thatyou communicate directly with YOUR GOD. It makes sense that you do not accept any God outside of you irrespective of promises and threats. It makes sense that your Sacred Text is about your experiences instead of the experiences of others. It makes sense that you worship YOUR GOD in your FAMILY instead of in a place with a God for everyone and a book for everyone. What is for everyone is for no one because each FAMILY is unique and it is your responsibility to
demonstrate your uniqueness with YOUR FAMILY CHURCH or TEMPLE and YOUR SACRED TEXT! This is an opportunity to bring the FAMILY together and work toward a brighter future where homelessness, crime,hopelessness, helplessness, sickness and poverty are reduced.
FamilyTemple, Ministry or Church Setup Meeting
One of our primitive human instincts is to use others negatively for our own success and that was why we practiced slavery, colonization and apartheid. In the same way organized religions use people’s ignorance to their advantage and ignorance is the worst thing that could happen to any group of people because it affects
not only the present generation but also future generations. Thus you have a great obstacle ahead of you as a FAMILY more especially if some of you are religious and believe strongly in the supremacy of your organized religion.
Those of you who can easily see the SUPREMACY of the FAMILY as opposed to the Supremacy of your organized religion are called upon to take your FAMILY to a new height of love, education, compassion, cooperation, unity, success, achievement and interdependence. But you cannot take for granted that
family members who are strongly religious would easily agree to the SUPREMACY OF THE FAMILY. This is where you could use compassion, understanding and empathy to work with your FAMILY MEMBERS to achieve your goals.
In working with your FAMILY it is very important to know that beliefs cannot be easily dispelled by reason so your success will depend on your approach. Here are a few suggestions on how to share the importance of
your FAMILY TEMPLE but only use suggestions that you think could work in your particular situation.
1. Family Unity: Use unity within the FAMILY as a platform for yourFAMILY TEMPLE. You may schedule a FAMILY meeting to discuss issues pertaining to the unity of the FAMILY. The mood of the discussion will determine how you could present the possibility of a FAMILY TEMPLE. For instance if you attend
religious services in the morning and in the evening, you could suggest using the morning for things that would enhance the FAMILY. This approach might be useful for families where members essentially live their own lives but meet occasionally for family activities and it could include parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and cousins.
2. Family Business: In today’s economy having a family businesscould help to improve your finances as a FAMILY and also influence your relationships in many ways. Some of the determinants of a healthy family are
spiritual connection, open communication, mutual support, togetherness, commitment and a shared vision. The idea of a spiritual connection could help you to consider your FAMILY TEMPLE because seeking an outside source for your spiritual blessings is in opposition to the unity within the FAMILY. What GOD has put together stays together without outside interference!
3. Family House: At a time when homelessness is becoming part ofeveryday life we cannot overemphasize the importance of a FAMILY HOUSE or a FAMILY HOME. It is normal to leave the FAMILY in search of our dreams but we should never forget the FAMILY and having a FAMILY HOME where FAMILY members
could meet during the life cycle makes it easy. A FAMILY HOME could also serve to provide shelter for FAMILY members more especially when they get fired or laid off from their jobs. The discussion on having a FAMILY HOME could be a platform to introduce your FAMILY TEMPLE.
4. Family Values: Today many families look up to organized religious values to live their FAMILY lives. The problem with this trend is that not all FAMILY members agree on religious intrusion on the FAMILY. The FAMILY and RELIGION are two different institutions with the FAMILY ordained by GOD for the education of the FAMILY and Organized Religions created by Humans for power and profit. The FAMILY is directly connected to GOD; organized religions on the other hand have no connection with GOD. Organized Religions use the name of GOD for power and profit but the FAMILY is the dwelling place of GOD! Thus your FAMILY VALUES can only come from the FAMILY and not from any other source. But since you have been indoctrinated to believe otherwise you think GOD is somewhere else, like in a book put together by humans. You may call a meeting today to decide on your FAMILY VALUES, write them down, frame it and hang it where every member of the family could see it. You could introduce your FAMILY TEMPLE at this time.
5. Family Vision: AFamily vision is the type of FAMILY LIFE you want to live. What type of life do you want to live as a FAMILY? A Family Vision statement taken from the Universal Holy Book could get you started: Our vision is to maintain aloving and supportive home, where each person is loved and grows, and develops
to become a well adjusted and contributing member of society. This is a general statement that needs anelaboration and the elaboration is this case is a Mission Statement, and the goals that would help the family to realize their vision. A Family Vision Statement is a very important component of the Family and if you do not have one this is a good reason to get together and decide on a Family Vision and at the same time introduce the possibility of a Family Temple.
Purpose of Your Family Temple
The mainpurpose of your Family Temple is evidently to take back what belongs to you as a Family from Organized Religions. Family Temple is essentially about happiness, success, health, financial stability and being aware of the world around you. You could achieve all these only when you are directly in charge of your FAMILY. A secondary purpose is to help you to begin a worthwhile way of life for you and your family. Preparing the lessons for your weekly meeting, each family member taking turns to lead the meeting, learning from universal spiritual teachings and discussing them as a family is sure to enhance your unity as a family.
An equally important purpose of Family Temple is to developleadership skills in your children. Family Temple gives an opportunity to each person within the Family to lead the presentation. This is a time to encourage
your children to lead. I remember including our children in the program when our son was 7 years old. But the fact is that anyone could lead the Family Meeting the moment they can read. Let the Family Temple prepare your children for the future.
Further Family Temple could help families to clarify their values.Spiritual values strengthen families. The values of compassion, love, honesty, courage, respect, kindness, generosity, responsibility, consistency, shared vision and mutual support help families to grow in more ways than families without those values. Your Family Ministry or Temple will help you to share these values with your children by seeking similar thoughts from famous quotes as well as from sacred texts quotes from around the world. Children need to be
reminded of the values that enhance our lives and we can only do that successfully by meeting weekly to talk about them and demonstrate them in our lives.
Family Ministry or Temple will also bring you in contact with the thoughtsof the many successful people in history and the advice of many people who faced and overcame their challenges. It is also an opportunity to learn from the universal spiritual teachings of the world. Family Ministry will also give you the opportunity to discuss issues that you are shy to discuss under normal conditions like sex, religion, teenage conflicts and marital issues and enhance your life and that of your family.
Life is happiest when it is shared. Share in thethoughts and teachings of those who have lived before you so that you may learn and also share with the world what you have experienced. This is how civilization survives and Family Ministry will surely lead you to the source of knowledge to help you to pass the touch to the next generation! Knowledge is POWER, knowledge is SUCCESS, knowledge is ENLIGHTENMENT, knowledge is
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, knowledge is KINDNESS, knowledge is COMPASSION, knowledge is EQUANIMITY, knowledge is WISDOM and knowledge is AWAKENED LIVING. Study with your family and learn! Study with your Family and Grow! Study with your family and change your life!
Benefits of Starting Your Family Ministry
The main focus of Family Ministry is Education! It is an opportunity to learn something new each time you meet. Learning opens the door for insights and insights have a way of transforming our consciousness. Sometimes we fail to succeed in life because of the way we look at things but studying about how to live in this world could really change your life! Family Ministry has many benefits and you will experience them as soon as you begin your Family Ministry.
For instance thereis a certain kind of freedom that comes with getting your information about a subject from several sources. It makes you the judge instead of the one that is being judged. As the judge you decide the case and that puts your life into your hands instead of in the hands of people you do not even know.
When we study and practice with our family members weenhance our relationships. It gives us another way to relate to our family members. What makes us a strong family is not only addressing our material, emotional and physical challenges but also our spiritual challenges. Family Ministry is an opportunity to learn, to eat, to sing, to play your musical instruments, to share your poems and to dance.
One of the greatest things that could happen to anyhuman being is self-knowledge. The Awakened Living Study Guide contains liberating thoughts, teachings and ideas from around the world for you to examine them, talk about them, reflect on them and to decide on your own what you think about them. This process of examining and deciding has the effect of broadening your mind and leading you toward self transformation.
This Guide may sometimes present you with conflictingideas. The uneducated mind could simply look for a quote from a famous person or from a sacred text and stop the conversation. The worst thing that could
happen to our civilization is to stop the conversation. If you want to know all aspects of a subject you must first listen to what others are saying and search for as much information as you can on the subject. Then analyze the information and compare the information. What you decide on after comparing the information
is not someone else’s quote but yours and that is how to enhance our civilization. You have a moral responsibility to rethink the world. Please do not waste it by believing what others have put in place for their own benefit without proper examination! Family Ministry will give an opportunity to rethink the world and open doors for a new religious and spiritual vision.
Family Ministry is your Guide toward a comprehensive education.Examining the thoughts of others in the crucible of our experiences and knowledge helps us to know more about life and in the process we could enhance the lives of all people. Family Ministry also gives each member of the Family an opportunity to share their thoughts. This is the proper environment to resolve issues. What life issues are you dealing with? What questions do you have? Do not hold back because this is the proper environment to resolve all issues and
misunderstandings! Do not settle for aquote from a sacred text or from an important historical figure. You are the LIGHT and it is your responsibility to find out instead of believing! You are not here to believe; you are here to know!
There is a kind of support one feels by belonging to a Family thatis in charge of their spiritual development more especially when members of the family sincerely care for each other. Family Ministry has a way of bringing the family closer together. In this way you could totally depend on your family for support on the personal challenges you face in life.
Family Ministry provides another setting for your Family to meet.Usually Family Members eat together, have weekly or monthly meetings and go to places together. Family Ministry provides another platform for the Family to meet. Meeting to study, worship, meditate, chant, visualize or pray has the potential to strengthen the family.
Family Ministry or Temple Setup
As Parents you areordained by GOD to foster the Physical, Mental and Spiritual Development of
your children and no Man, Minister, Pastor, Bishop, Preacher, Evangelist, Savior, Imam, Bodhisattva, Buddha, Sannyasin, Pope, Man of God, Kannushi,Cultural God, Cultural Sacred Text or Scientist may interfere!
Let us assume that your family wants to setup a Family Ministry oryou want to setup a Family Ministry for your Family; now what? For the NATIVE this might seem complicated but it is really easy. The NATIVE is a person who is at the bottom of the spiritual progression ladder according to Dr. Sonari’s Stages of Spiritual Development. You could setup your Family Ministry by first reserving a place for the ministry. This could be in your Family Room, a Child’s Room, a Spare Room, a Separate Room outside the Family Home or a Building.
Decorate Your Space
Beforeyou decorate the space you need to first decide on the location for the altar. You might also need a rectangular table, a podium, candles, chairs, pictures of your Ancestors, picture of the head of your family, picture of your family members, symbol of spiritual significance, national flag, family flag, your family sacred text, sacred texts of theworld, and music player for playing inspirational music.
Now you can decide on the location for the altar. Here is where youplace the family flag, the national flag, the family picture and the podium. Place the Podium in front of the sacred place with a reasonable space between the sacred place and the podium. Next place the rectangular desk in such a way that it faces the podium and the sacred place. If you are using a bigger room like in a building you could have several rectangular tables with chairs. This arrangement is intended to convey an environment for study and research as opposed to a place where you are told what to believe.
Family Altar or Sacred Place
The Altar is a Sacred Place, a sanctuary, a shrine, a place of reverence or a place of spiritual significance. It is usually a place set aside for prayer, thanksgiving, visualization, chanting or meditation. It is also a place for
study, research and reflection. This is what Joseph Campbell said about the Sacred Place: A sacred place is a necessity foreverybody. You must have a room or a certain hour a day or so where you do not know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe to anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes you; but a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are---what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you might find that nothing is happening there, but if you have a sacred place and use it and take advantage of it something will happen.
Benefitsof Using a Sacred Place
As I said above a Sacred Place is a Holy Place thatcan be used for prayer, thanksgiving, chanting, visualization and meditation but why should you have a Sacred Place? Have you ever woke up in themorning and started using your cell phone or some other gadget? Have you ever got out from bed and not knowing what to do with your life that day? If you answered yes to both questions you are not alone, but you can change both. The sacred Place will help you to organize your life and later help you to create the circumstances of your life. The Sacred Place is also a place of refuge where you could feel safe, rejuvenated, and reassured after a day of problems and challenges. Further the Sacred Place is a place you could associate with miracles, love, joy, motivation, success, peace, happiness, achievement, health and wellness! When you associate these qualities with your sacred place they have a way of manifesting in your life. Here are other benefits of the Sacred Place:
Organize Your Life: Havinga Sacred Place and using it regularly could organize your life. It organizes your life as soon as you begin to use it. Using it means that the first thing you do in the morning after cleaning up is to go to your Sacred Place at a definite time. You also do the same in the evening and at a definite time. I go to my Sacred Place at 6:00 AM in themorning and at 9:00 PM in the evening. You may choose another time for your practice if this does not work for you. The practice of waking up at a definite time to engage in spiritual practice and to plan your life has a way of organizing your life that gives you a purpose.
Get what you want with Ease: TheSacred Place could help you to get what you want with EASE. Getting what you want is not a mystery because the Universe loves you without conditions and there are no requirements to meet. You simply decide on what you want and go and get it. The Kama Sutra teaches us that “The mortal gets what he wants”. The Tanakh also teaches us the same lesson: “What you decide on will be done and
light will shine on your ways” Using the Sacred Place on a daily bases increases your vibrations and makes you a center of attraction. When you become a center of attraction you can easily attract the things you want.
Activate Your Spiritual Gifts: SpiritualPractice could activate your spiritual gifts. As you become centered and
organized your natural gifts are easily expressed. Spiritual gifts like healing, compassion, generosity, kindness, knowledge, wisdom, unity consciousness, cosmic consciousness, etc come to center stage and you could use them to improve your life and help your fellow creatures.
Increase Your Awareness: Spiritualpractice includes studying, research, reflection, introspection, contemplation and meditation. These activities tend to increase your awareness and the more you are aware of your environment the more you tend to love all creatures without conditions and the more you become part of the creature family.
Become a Center of Attraction: RegularSpiritual Practice could make you a center of attraction. As you manifest Universal Love within you and around you other creature will notice. You have something they need and that is why a stranger will come to you for alms or just to say “Hi”. This reminds me to encourage you to give if a beggar singles you out and approaches you for alms. This is not a situation where you give
alms and leave. Instead it is a human moment; an opportunity to communicate and exchange ideas and to find out more about the person. You might learn things from the person that could influence your life.
Have Peace of Mind: Regularspiritual practice could give you peace of mind. What is important is no longer
your job, what you owe to anyone, what anyone owes you, your problems, or the cell phone. Instead you are now the most important person in your life. As the most important person you need to take care of yourself first when you wake up in the morning. You can take care ofyourself by first going into your Sacred Place to meditate, pray, think, study, plan, visualize, affirm or chant. These activities give you peace of mind and
when you are at peace you can easily help your fellow creatures.
Heal Yourself: RegularSpiritual Practice could heal you. I once had mental issues in my life that were compounded by a loss in the family and I started having negative thoughts about life. What healed me was setting up my Sacred Place and using it daily. Your Sacred Place could be that powerful because you associate it with unconditional love, compassion, miracles, healing and other spiritual qualities. When life throws you around and it looks like you are at the cross roads simply retire to your sacred place and sit still! Connect with your inner Teacher: Thesense of inner knowing is the gateway to wisdom. Using your sacred place daily and practicing meditation could help you to connect with your inner teacher. The Katha Upanishad teaches us that: “The Self cannot be known through studyof the scriptures, nor through the intellect, nor through hearing discourses about it. The Self can be attained only by those whom the self chooses….”(The Upanishads by Eknath Easwaran, P79). The way to be chosen by the Self (inner teacher) is longing for it in your meditations!
Be Inspired: Thesimple act of seating in one place and closing your eyes could open the door of INSPIRATION. If you really want to get what you want there is no other way than to seat in one place, close your eyes and become open to the UNIVERSE! The greatest minds that ever lived on this plane never copied the ideas of others; they were inspired! You could also be inspired!
Have Inner Joy: Have youever wondered why people practice the spiritual life and sometimes sit in one place
for hours? I have not yet sat in one place for hours but the simple act of sitting in one place, closing my eyes and letting go of everything gives me the greatest joy even if it is for a single moment! Sitting in one place and doing nothing could be burdensome at the beginning but do not lose hope because the price of inner joy awaits you!
Love without conditions: Spiritualpractice helps the practitioner to realize UNITY in life! Personally I have
been helped by different people in many ways irrespective of their beliefs, religion, race or nationality. Sometimes strangers have also come to my rescue in difficult times. So I strongly believe that we are here in part to help each other and regular spiritual practice could help you to realize this TRUTH and help you to love without conditions!
Manage your life: Whenpeople think of MYSTICISM or SPIRITUAL PRACTICE they often associate it with
union with GOD or COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS. The Buddha never thought about union with any God; he just wanted to know why we suffer? In the same way my motive for spiritual practice is not Cosmic Consciousness or Union with a God but to have firsthand knowledge of what it means to be alive and to manage this life
in such a way as to have the greatest joy and happiness!
You can see that many things could happen when you use your SacredPlace. The Practice helps you to change your whole way of life from one who is outer directed to one who is inner directed and that is a major shift in life! The external world has lost its grip on you and you are now on the driver’s seat of your life! You can now think through things and make up your mind on your own without the external pressures. There is no more need to follow blindly because this is your life and you decide what happens to it!
FamilyTemple Dedication Ceremony
Now is the time to dedicate your space, room or building for thespiritual work of the Family. By this time you have already setup the room and all the materials you need for the ceremony are within reach. The Dedication Ceremony could be performed by only one person or by the whole family. The following description concerns the ceremony by one person. Here are the major materials you need for the ceremony: Temple Regalia, Candles, Candle Holders, Incense, Incense Burner, a digital clock, a lighter, Table, Chair, a candle snuffer, a Glass of Water and a Bowl of Earth. My Temple Regalia was revealed to me in a dream but you could use any regalia that appeals to you. The most popular regalia is the graduation gown.
1. Determinein advance when you want to perform your dedication ceremony, 6:00AM or 9:00 PM
or a suitable time but make sure that you are alone and there are no
distractions.
2. Havea shower.
3. Atthe appointed time go into the room and put on your Temple Regalia
4. Siton the chair facing the Altar
5. Lighttwo or more candles (You may use Flameless Candles)
6. Light the incense
7. Become calm and peaceful
8. Recitethe Universal Love Prayer:
Oh LOVE who pervades the Universe!
We thank you for your unconditional Love.
Your Presence is our Guiding Light.
And your Love is our ornament.
Protect us from evil.
And heal us of all infirmities.
Lead us at the crossroads of life.
And reassure us when we are in doubt.
Be our guide when we are helpless.
And impress upon us that you are near.
Give us the courage to ignite the Light within us.
And let IT glow wherever we go.
To enable us to help others to see their own Lights,
For our own Enlightenment and for the triumph of Universal Love. Amen.
THE UNIVERSAL HOLY BOOK: Book of Love: 7:1-17
9. Nowvisualize Universal Love as a White Light that pervades the Universe. Next direct this LIGHT into the room. See the White LIGHT surrounding you and in every part of the room. Now use the White LIGHT to clear your body, mind and spirit of all obstacles beginning from your head to your toes. Next give thanks for your new life and reflect on the contributions you want to make to the world. With a sense of peace and love recite the following prayer:
O LOVE who pervades the Universe
May you fill this space with YOUR Presence
As I dedicate this alter for the work I and my Family need to do in this life.
Amen
10. Nowlook at the altar and recite the following statements:
I welcome this day in all its beauty and wonder.
I welcome all the inhabitants of the earth to this day.
I welcome men, women, children, plants and trees, the birds of the air, the
fishes of the sea and the animals around us.
May my thoughts contribute to the beauty and wonder of this day and may my
activities transform the face of the earth for the joy, fulfillment and
happiness of all creatures.
Amen
Present at the altar are lighted candles in candle holders, acandle snuffer, lighted incense in an incense burner, a digital clock, a Glass of Water, a Bowl of Earth and our Family.
May the Love of the Universe sanctify this altar for the good andwell being of our Family! Amen
May the LIGHT of the lighted candles illuminate our way and may theflames of the lighted candles consume all obstacles on our path. Amen
May the digital clock remind us that our time on earth is limitedand we should use each moment we live as a moment of love, peace and happiness for our family and for everyone we meet. Amen
May the Glass of WATER cleanse us and heal us of all infirmities ofbody, mind and spirit! Amen
May the Bowl of EARTH anchor our feet and regenerate our lives!Amen
May our FAMILY always be an inspiration for all family members!Amen
11. Nowuse this time to affirm the blessings of Universal Love:
The blessings of the Universe are unconditional: Freeair to breathe, free rain to water our crops, free sun to keep us warm, free snow that invites all creatures to play, free fruit bearing trees and plants for food, free flowers to brighten our days, free creatures to keep us company, free parents to love and raise us and UNIVERSAL LOVE to guide us through the journey!
The Universe loves us without conditions. We rejoice in theunconditional Love of the Universe! Oh Space, Solar Systems and Galaxies let us praise the Universe for Unconditional Love!
The Universe leads us at the crossroads of life. We rejoice in theleadership of the Universe. Oh Planets, Stars and Moons, let us praise the Universe for abiding leadership!
The Universe turns our sorrows into joys in mysterious ways. Werejoice in the unity of the Universe. Oh rain, snow, hail and sun, let us praise the Universe for the unity that exists in life.
The Universe provides for all our needs. We rejoice in theProvidence of the Universe. Oh men, women, and children let us praise the Universe for the Providence that never fails!
The Universe looks after us in uncountable ways. We rejoice in theguidance of the Universe. Oh animals, birds and fishes let us praise the Universe for directing our steps.
The Universe blesses the works of our hands. We rejoice in theblessings of the Universe. Oh mountains, hills and bodies of water let us praise the Universe for success and achievement.
The Universe directs our lives for our good. We rejoice in thewisdom of the Universe. Oh trees, plants and all vegetation let us praise the Universe for abiding wisdom.
12. Youmay now offer the final invocation
The purposes oflife are to give, to serve and to love. LOVE is the underlyingESSENCE of the Universe. All things came out of LOVE and we are here because of love. Earthly life is brief like a candle that burns on both ends but in this moment we have all the time to emanate LOVE in our thoughts, to demonstrate LOVE in our actions, to share LOVE in our activities, and to manifest LOVE in our interactions. LOVE is the most important purpose of life and we love because we are born of LOVE! Thus mayUNIVERSAL LOVE bless this alter and let it be a sanctuary of LOVE for our Family and for everyone we meet! In the name of LOVE, the EARTH and the UNIVERSE! (Touch your heart for LOVE with your right hand, your stomach for the EARTH with your right hand and your forehead for the UNIVERSE with both hands). Amen
13. Besilent for as long as it is comfortable.
14. Nowtake the Bowl of Earth in both hands and offer the following prayer:
The dust of the EARTH is the foundationfor all lives.
We live because of the dust of the EARTH.
Therefore we respect and honor the EARTH.
May the EARTH continue to nourish and to sustain us
All the days of our lives
In the name of LOVE, the EARTH and the UNIVERSE. Amen.
Now take a little part of the EARTH and rob it on your forehead
15. Next hold the glass of water in both hands and offer the following prayer:
Water is the lubricant that fosters growth on EARTH
Water is the source of our wellbeing!
Therefore we appreciate and rejoice for the gift of water.
O Precious and Life giving water!
May you heal us and make us whole
All the days of our lives
In the name of LOVE, the EARTH and the UNIVERSE. Amen
16. Nowyou may have a sip from the glass of water.
17. Nextyou may repeat the following affirmation:
We are healed and we are whole!
We are Healthy!
We are Attractive!
We are Happy!
We are Compassionate!
We are Prosperous!
We are Generous, and
We are Peaceful!
18. Be silent and feel Healthy, Attractive, Happy, Compassionate, Prosperous, Generous
and Peaceful!
19. Nowrob the forehead of each member of the Family with a portion of EARTH.
20. Nextlet each member of the Family have a sip from the Glass of Water.
21. Nowput out the candles with the following invocation
As the light of the candle is extinguished,
So the LIGHT of the Universe is born in our souls. Ame
22. Closeyour dedication ceremony by removing your temple regalia and resuming your
normal life.
Using the Family Temple of Sacred Space
YourSacred Room is ready for use immediately after the dedication ceremony. You can use it for studying, prayer, meditation, chanting, visualization and giving thanks. You can also use it for Life Cycle Ceremonies like Birthdays, Life Transition Ceremonies and Healing Ceremonies. There is no more need to go elsewhere for
your spiritual and religious life. You have everything in your Sacred Place!
It is important that a Family member is responsible for theDedication Ceremony instead of an outsider irrespective of the person’s qualification.
