Spiritualist Basics

Prayer for Spiritual Healing *

I ask the great unseen healing force to remove all obstructions
from my mind and body and to restore me to perfect health
I ask this in all sincerity and honesty and I will do my part.

I ask this great unseen healing force to help both present and absent ones
who are in need of help and to restore them to perfect health
I put my trust in the love and power of God.

What is a Spiritualist Church like?
Spiritualists sing hymns and listen to the lecture (sermon) and take a collection the same way other religions do. There are some significant differences though.

A healing service often takes place before the regular service. When the regular service begins, the healing list is read. The healing list is a list of people who are in need of some form of healing. If you know someone who is in need of healing, be it physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, you can put their name on the healing list. The list is read before the congregation, who are asked to focus their thoughts and to see the people on the list in perfect health. The Prayer for Spiritual Healing is then read aloud.

The Declaration of Principles is also read aloud. After a few short announcements the lecture begins. Lectures are commonly about the applications of Spiritualism to daily living and are very down-to-earth and easy to understand. Many lectures are often based on quotations from the Bible or other inspirational works.

After the lecture, the message service begins. Mediums are called one at a time to the rostrum (podium) and give messages to people in the congregation. The service concludes with a hymn and a closing prayer.

Spiritualism is not Christianity
Spiritualism is considerably different from Christianity - God is not defined as a super-being that sits on a throne and watches over you. Spiritualists do not worship God in that sense. God is defined as the "God of your understanding." There are no symbols like the cross that Spiritualists pray to. The sunflower is the symbol of Spiritualism but is not prayed to either.

Some Christian religions consider Spiritualism to be the work of the devil. This idea just doesn't make sense - Spiritualism expresses a belief in God, promotes healing, and brings communication from our loved ones in the spirit world.

No one has to be saved to become a Spiritualist, and Spiritualists don't go out saving anyone. The Spiritualist viewpoint about saving is very straight forward. Save your self now. You are responsible for your own happiness and unhappiness.

Jesus and the Bible
The major focus of many Christian religions is on Jesus' life with the disciples, his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. The stories of Jesus' accomplishments are told and retold many times. Spiritualism does not have any one person (or experience) whose story is told and retold and made the major focus of the religion. Spiritualism does not believe in Jesus as the savior of the

* National Association of Spiritualist Churches (http://www.nsac.org) version