Articles of Faith

Edna Lister was inspired to receive these Articles of Faith in the Golden Silence of the Soul between Palm Sunday and Easter, 1933.

Crusaders of Light

As Crusaders of Light, we accept our responsibility to live as nearly as possible the life portrayed by our Master while he walked on earth. We feel that this is a life of joy not sorrow, success, not limitation. There is no place in it for death nor darkness.

We leave nothing out of this life. We believe that every creed, every denomination, every religious dogma, every teacher, minister, rabbi, and priest is appointed to give something of God to the world. In each we find truth, and our business is to relate all these different ideas into a perfect, beautiful, coordinated working whole.

We subscribe our lives to do this in as unobtrusive a way as possible, taking no credit to ourselves, but giving God, as all the Power there is, the whole and complete credit.

Great Creed

I believe in God, the Manifold Creator, the Father-Mother of us all, Maker of the visible and invisible universe.

I believe in Father-Mother God as both the Source of all life and the expression of all life.

I believe in Father-Mother God as both Personality and Principle: Personality, which is the Father of Wisdom who plans and the Mother of Love who sustains all which they create; Principle as both spiritual Substance, which becomes, and divine Law that directs and controls.

I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, begotten, not made, before all worlds God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, who was incarnate by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, who lived on earth, suffered and was crucified.

I believe his soul ascended to his Father at once—that his body was buried and raised to be ascended the third day. I believe we must judge ourselves each day according to his standards.

I believe in turning to Light from all darkness and that, through surrender to the Power of God, all darkness shall be overcome. I believe we must be resurrected from all weakness into all strength.

I believe we may, by following our Lord Jesus Christ all the way, see the unseen, commune with the saints and bridge the abyss from the visible to the invisible here and now.

I believe we must ascend to our Father-Mother God for the life everlasting.

The Lord’s Christed Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed is thy name. Thy kingdom is come, thy will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Thou hast given us, each day, our daily bread. Thou hast forgiven us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. Thou leadest us not into temptation, but deliverest us from all evil, for thine is the kingdom, and thine is the Power, and thine is the glory, forever and ever, amen.

The Creed of Christ

Our creed is Love.
Our Path is Service.
Our Goal is God.

Declaration of Unquenchable Love

Love is a flame and fire that burns ever.
Love cannot be quenched.
True love needs no assurances.
True love knows itself and its own.
Love is the fire that enthuses.
Love is a fire that ever burns higher, always upward.
True love is the end as well as the beginning.
True love feeds upon itself and not upon the loved one.
True love magnifies the one whom it loves.
Love asks no favors and gives all.
Love’s strength lies in its self-sustaining ability.
Love’s keynote is a deep, abiding devotion to the one who is loved.
True love burns steadfast under all conditions, joy or sorrow, separation or unity.
True love counts no effort too great nor too small, and no task too hard nor too long.
True love is lifting, opens all doors and is all-compelling in its power to unite.
True love is never conscious of giving but like sunshine shares itself with all.
True love withstands all separation and lives forever.

Declaration of Unconquerable Faith

Faith is the golden stream of all life flowing from the Heart of God.
Faith is the ever-flowing bloodstream of the White Light of the Christ.
Faith is the beginning and the end of all life.
Faith is the substance underlying all manifestation, its foundation bedrock.
Faith is the everywhere evenly present substance from which all creations are fashioned and formed.
Faith is the flame of life within the heart of the co-Creator with God.
Faith is limitless, inexhaustible. Faith is unending and all enduring.
Faith is unconquerable. Faith is all-conquering.
Faith is complete here and now. Faith is ours to use here and now.
Faith can open all doors, overcome all darkness, overlook all weakness and perform miracle after miracle.
Faith is the Life of my life, the Heart of my heart, the Soul of my soul.
Faith is the divine rod of Power between God and His Sons and Daughters.
Let faith now rule our lives and reign upon earth forever!

The Vows of Consecration

Neophyte: I vow to make my body a fitting dwelling place for my soul.
Disciple: I vow to surrender completely to become the servant of all the Power.
Adept: I vow to be selfless in my release of Power.
Mystic: I vow to keep my silence shining and golden.
Master: I vow to be master in all responsibility.
Priest: I vow to keep pure in heart, mind and purpose.
Christos: I vow to make my supreme vow of complete surrender of self.

Ten Commandments: of Moses and of the Mystic

The Lenten Vows

I Vow to Know:
That Lent is the season appointed for the cleansing of soul from all earthly stains.
That at this time all the Power of heaven is working for me, with me and through me.
That as I prepare my soul for the reception of the Power and Light,
it will go forth and bring to pass all the dream-desires of my soul.
That “according to my faith” is but the limit which
I myself place upon my ability to release Power.
That the Father puts no limit upon my release of Power.
That my own consciousness determines my results in the outer.
That I shall be powerfully selfless in my actions,
powerfully determined in my steadfastness,
powerfully strong and humble in my heart.

I Vow to Promise Myself:
To surrender to the whole Light of God.
To become the servant of all the Power.
To speak only the things the Christ would speak through me.
To hear only the things the Christ would hear as me.
To think only as the Christ would think about my brothers as me.
To act only as the Christ would act toward my family and the world as me.
To do something each day to show forth this Spirit of the Christ as me.

I Vow to Face My God:
Each night with a pure heart and clean hands.
Each morning with a song in my heart, which shows forth my gratitude.
Each noontide with a greater surrender of myself to the fullness of His glory.
Each feast time with praise for the release of His substance
to rebuild my life and my body temple.
Each business hour giving over every detail into His charge and keeping,
ready and waiting for His right answer.
Each social hour of diversion with the completeness of His joy so possessing me that
I shall radiate the happiness to recreate all things new.
Each quiet time of silence with the tranquility and devotion of Spirit
that makes the angels of heaven rejoice that earth is becoming heaven. – Edna Lister

Let Me Keep Lent

Let me keep Lent,
let me not kneel and pray,
Forego some trifle every day.
Fast … and take Sacrament …
And then
Lend tongue to slander, hold ancient grudge,
Deny the very Lord whom I would glorify.

Let me keep Lent,
Let my heart grow in grace,
Let Thy light shine till my illumined face
Will be a testament
Read by all men
That hate is buried, self-crucified – new-born
The spirit that shall rise on Easter morn.
– Elizabeth Badley Read