The Community’s annual Convocation officially opened on Wednesday September 9. It was prefaced on Monday and Tuesday September 7–8 with Residence Training III seminars on Color and Sacred Imagery for those Consociates needing to complete these requirements. These early attendees also enjoyed an evening at the Steamboat Hot Springs Spa on Monday evening. Another such spa evening was offered on Wednesday as well.

The first Convocation event was a Project “X” seminar on the ancient solar cultures of Greece and included lectures given by the Right Reverend Gene Savoy Jr. during the Project “X” tour of Greece in May–June 2009 as well as talks by guest lecturers the Reverend Dr. Bill Bartlett and Dr. Tom Lee, the new Community Archiater (physician). Dr. Bartlett spoke on solar teachings in the Buddhist tradition, and Dr. Lee on health and healing modalities planned for Steamboat Healing Center. The lectures were offered in the Chapel of the Holy Child and the Monastery Gardens in Sanctuary.

The usual annual Convocation events took place over the remainder of the week, including the Andean Explorers Foundation meeting and awards banquet and presentation held at the Tuscany Room of the Peppermill Resort and Casino in Reno on Thursday evening. The Right Reverend Sean Savoy presented slides and commentary on his recent trip to Peru to continue the society’s work there.

The week’s events included the thirtieth annual Clergy Counsels, lectures held at the Monastery Gardens in Sanctuary on Asclepian healing traditions and techniques. Again, these lectures were adapted from those given by Bishop Savoy in Greece earlier in the year. This year’s program included a celebration of The Community’s Golden Jubilee, commemorating fifty years (1959–2009) of the Second Advent Church. A high point of the celebration was the interfaith prayer service for world peace held at sunset on Friday evening September 11 at the open-air Church of New Pentecost and Church of the Americas at Red Rock Consecrated Sanctuary. Clergy from numerous sects and denominations around Reno participated and offered prayers for peace from their traditions. It was a special experience and a fitting tribute to the second anniversary of the passing into Light of The Church’s First Apostle, the Most Right Reverend Gene Savoy Sr.

As a side note, unbeknownst to The Community members at the time, the evening also introduced it to one Devashish (aka David Mitchell), who was a last-minute replacement for Rajan Zed, the intended representative of the Vedic tradition. Devashish was quite taken with the experience at the Sanctuary and later introduced Community leaders to his teacher, Swami Sri Atmananda of India, and the Satya-chetana Movement that the swami heads and with whom The Community has since formed a collaboration to reintroduce the Teachings of Light to the Vedic and Brahmanic traditions (see related articles).

On Saturday evening, topping off a day of final Clergy Counsels, Communion Service, and the Emancipation of Acolyte Marie Walters, was the Counsels banquet and program at Bishopstead. As a Golden Jubilee celebration, the dinner was deemed a Vigil Meal and began with a simple course of Essene bread and wine similar to a Community Pannuches meal. The evening’s introduction also included the first-level ordination of Dr. Tom Lee and a rededication of the Chapel of the Innocents at Bishopstead. A buffet supper in several courses created by Community chef Francine Petrovich followed this ritual course. Between courses, the attendees were treated to musical performances by the Community schola, directed by the Right Reverend Gary Buchanan, as well as relevant readings from Second Advent scripture.

The final day of Convocation, Sunday September 13, began with a concelebrated Jubilee Sunrise Divine Service at the Cathedral Church of the Americas at Red Rock Consecrated Sanctuary, followed by the second-degree ordination of the Reverend Dr. Bill Bartlett. Afterward, a fellowship breakfast at the open-air refectory was enjoyed by all. The final event at Red Rock was the rededication of the open-air Church of New Philadelphia in the northlands of the Sanctuary. The church’s table had been restored after being damaged by vandals and the elements. Head bishop Gene Savoy Jr. presided.

The Convocation ended with an optional trip to Lake Tahoe on Sunday afternoon.

Reflections of the Greek Tour

by the Reverend William Bartlett

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a difficult battle.

— Plato

The unexamined life is not worth living.

— Socrates

I was asked to write a few thoughts about our trip to Greece. Many years ago, I read a book entitled The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman. Dan spoke of a spiritual teacher named Socrates who humbly worked the night shift in a gas station near the hills of Berkeley, California. Dan wanted to become a disciple of Socrates who would not begin teaching him until he had demonstrated that he had something important to say. Dan spent the first night sitting on a rock behind the gas station thinking of things to say. It was only at the bright sunrise that he came to Socrates with the thought, “There are no ordinary moments.” Then the learning began.

That echoes my thoughts about our journey in Greece. It was extraordinary. The moments did not seem at all ordinary as we walked the ground of the real old sun priest Socrates and many others. His disciple Plato later opened an academy that we had the good fortune to visit. We were actually in the land where these philosopher/mystics asked the important questions. What is life for? Why am I here? Is there more to me than this body? Is happiness a foolish dream; can it actually be found without closing my eyes to what I see? In fact, can it be found by having my eyes open to the great Light that guides us?

We arrived in Athens, Greece, the evening of May 21. It was late and we were tired. Yet, when we went to the restaurant on the 10^th floor we saw a magnificent and illuminated view of the Parthenon and the Acropolis on a rocky hill in the middle of Athens.

The next morning we boarded the Aegean Pearl for three days of touring the Greek Isles and Turkey. The first stop was an afternoon/evening spent on the beautiful island of Mykonos. We then sailed to Patmos, the mysterious rocky island where St. John is said to have dictated the Book of Revelation. From there we cruised to the Turkish port of Kusadasi, then were bused to the ancient city of Ephesus. It was marvelous to experience the marble streets, the famous library, and many other buildings as they were in the high years of the Roman Empire. Then we continued on to Crete and the famed 1500-room Palace of Knossos where Minos ruled the Mediterranean with several thousand ships. Afterwards we visited the fabulous Archeological Museum of Minoan Art. My favorite art display was a very ancient clear crystal sun that gave clear hints to the spiritual beliefs of the early Minoans. The last stop on the cruise that day was a perfect evening and sunset on the magnificent isle of Santorini before the overnight cruise back to Athens for a free day of wandering.

Wandering in the “Plaka,” dozens of blocks of tourist markets and restaurants below the Acropolis, I again thought of Socrates. He is quoted as saying when he wandered the agora and market some 2300 years ago, “The market reminds me of how many things I do not need.” Yet it is required to buy gifts and such, and it was a wonderful place to buy things not needed.

After another day in Athens visiting the Acropolis and touring Athens the nonordinary land tour began. The group, 20 of us, had an extraordinary guide named Peggy. She shared her insight and experience as a tour guide and as a staff member at the prestigious University of Athens Archeology Department. She shared how the archeologists who write lofty and arcane articles for professional journals saw themselves as superior to those who shared their knowledge with the many tourists who come to see the historical and sacred sights.

Peggy actually “put in” to be our guide when she saw the sites we wanted to visit. She held great esteem for the sights and the places of the philosophers/mystics we had asked to see and was quite interested in our teachings. She told us that many Greeks didn’t have much interest in the historical sites, referring to the tours as “going to see the stones.” It reminded me that many Nevadans only go to casinos when relatives are in town though casinos are not a very good analogy to these holy places.

And I think she saw that most of us really felt a reverence for the land and the life of old. So many have lost that, including the modern Greeks who see the sites as just stones. When we lose the mystical, Einstein suggested, we are like a snuffed out candle. When we become mired in Third-Dimensional existence, we experience existential despair. Perhaps that is why so many Greek men twirl a little circle of beads called “worry beads.” I was especially interested to hear Peggy say that these beads had come from the Buddhist influence of the “mala” or “juzu” prayer beads (similar to rosary beads) showing just how international and cosmopolitan the ancient times were.

The land tour took us to various wonderful places. My favorites: Epidauras, where we visited the Asclepian Temple of Healing; Olympia, the site of the original games; Delphi, known as the navel of the world, where the great oracles spoke and where we held a sunrise service; and the Temple of Apollo.

Both on the cruise and during our time in Athens Bishop Savoy gave timely lectures about the ancient Greeks and the religion of Light that heightened our appreciation for many of these sites.

Back to Socrates. As you will remember he was convicted of corrupting the minds of the youth and showing impiety to the many gods. He seemed to only have reverence for the one God, the God of Light. Shortly before his death, Socrates speaks his last words to his disciple Crito: “Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius. Please, don’t forget to pay the debt.” I do not think that Socrates was interested in the sacrifice of a chicken. Rather, he was pointing out that Asclepius was the Greek god of curing illness, and it is likely Socrates’ last words meant that death is the cure—and freedom—of the enlightened soul from the body.

It was an extraodinary journey to Greece.