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Happenings In Churches

 

Two churches, actually, both in New York State. Over this past weekend, I attended a seminar/retreat/presentation at church discussing the development of worship, and the speaker mentioned as an important point, we should always be aware that in church we are in Heaven with all our loved ones around us. (Especially the ones who made it to Heaven rather than the other place.)

First incident took place in 1985, either late May or early June when I had just turned 18 and was no longer eligible to be in the youth group but remained an adviser, and also an altar server. During the meeting in the church basement, I got up to get something from the kitchen and noticed a tray that needed to be in the altar server's room the next day for services, so grabbed it and took it up. After making proper reverences, I entered the server's room to put the tray down. Glancing up, I saw a figure standing in front of the altar itself, glowing a soft blue-white. It looked human in shape, standing about 6 feet tall, and had what appeared to be wings. It watched me take care of business and then flee the area at a relatively high speed.

The second incident happened just last night, and I would have posted this last night if I wasn't so tired.

During a Lenten service, I had to use the restroom, so went to the basement where they're located by way of elevator, took care of business and returned. The elevator, of course, has a safety feature to prevent the door closing on anyone, and around all the elevator landings, motion sensors turn lights on and off. So I'm standing alone in the basement by the elevator when a set of lights which had been off, turn on. There were two sensors in the basement, one right by the elevator where I was and the second by the restrooms, and the restroom light came on.

When the elevator doors opened, I hastily boarded and hit 'close door'. The doors started to close, and less than a second later stopped and opened again.

This is not the only such incident I've had with elevators. Those things are spooky at times.

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LuciaJacinta (8 stories) (291 posts)
+1
6 years ago (2018-02-04)
Here's another slightly older story I'm going to bump up.

So, let me preface this by saying that this is only a theory and I'm not saying I'm right but it's just a view point I'd like to present. Apologies in advance.

Firstly, I've always been fascinated by eastern orthodox. I don't understand all the beliefs but to me it's pretty fascinating. So now coming from a Roman Catholic background, to summarize, that we believe that the angels are present around the altar. We worship with "the communion of saints" so that is similar to what I think they were saying when they said that your past relatives are present at the altar. I agree with what was commented earlier about past relatives being present at all times, but I think it relates back to the idea of this community at the altar which is what your (priest?) Was saying. He wasn't saying they aren't always present but it can be believed that those in heaven are present at the altar during communion.

Secondly, what people can believe in their religions can be a truth to them and if this (priest?) Was saying that he believed that the deceased were with them, coupled with the faith of the parish they could have collectively brought their relatives to the altar as we are still with the deceased in many ways, as some believe, and they could "hear" what was being thought/said.

Now if it was an angel which it sounds like it could be, it refers to some scripture versus that many people have quoted me. Now I don't necessarily agree with it, because I am still discerning the meaning but it relates back to why some women wear head coverings in Church, "because of the angels". Because of the order and hierarchy of the spirit realm. The angels are to give an account at the judgement.
Which I was going to quote stuff but everyone can just look it up in their own versions of their Bibles if they want to...it's "1 Corinthians: 11-10" which is what a lot of people quote when they say that you are to wear head coverings in Church because of the angels. There are also other verses that relate to the angels being present at the altar as well.

Now that's if what you saw was an angel. Being that it had wings, it's a possibility. I know most of the topics on here are "ghosts" but to me angels are in the spirit world as well and it in my mind should be in the same topic realm. Whenever I have seen "ghosts" throughout my life I had to question if it was an angel, ghost, spirit, guardian... Etc there are many things it could be. I'll also offer the idea that it could have been a dark force as well... I have known stories that people who have worked in churches have told me where they felt dark prsecence as well. Just because it's in a church doesn't automatically mean it's good... I don't know... Possibilities.

But I just wanted to present the theory and you can discount it if you don't agree. Peace. 😊
Integrist (83 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-04-02)
Biblio,

Thank you very much. I'll keep an eye on the other topic.

Best regards,
Integrist
Bibliothecarius (9 stories) (1091 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-04-02)
Integrist, I thank you, also, for the civility you have displayed in our debate, here.

I'd hardly be worthy of the name "Bibliothecarius" if I could not remain civil in discourse and be willing to engage in expanding my own knowledge through reading the responses of others.

At the moment, I'm taking a coffee break while I am cataloguing Jewish theological texts into the computer, so I do not have the time to compose an in-depth response. It is customary, on YGS, to avoid detracting from the original poster's narrative with side-conversations for an extended period, so I shall copy-and-paste your response into one of my own narratives' comments section "My Parents' First House" (#23606), so that I may review it later (I've scanned it, which does not do it justice), and my further thoughts on this topic will also appear in the conversation on that page.

Best,
Biblio.
Integrist (83 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-04-02)
Hello Biblio,

Perhaps some clarification on my part: I am male.

"Hell was added after the Christian sect had separated from Judaism."

This is an inaccurate description. The "Judaism" we now know today it not quite what it was prior to the destruction of the Temple (turning it into a new religion of "Rabbinical Judaism"). The concept of damnation - as opposed to the periods of purification espoused by modern Rabbinites - is supposedly still believed in by some "Jewish" sects (or apostate ones if one were to go with the mainstream Rabbanite position) such as the Karaites (at least according to what I have been told regarding their beliefs, but my interest in such sects is minimal, so there is a lot of room for error on my part in this case).

"Saint Jerome decided that "Gehenna" meant "Hell" by conflating it with the lake of fire from John's Revelation on the isle of Patmos (because nothing explains the writings of an already-3000-year-old religion by conflating it with the writings of a shipwrecked man sitting on a sun-baked rock in the middle of the sea)."

A difficult thesis to uphold indeed, considering the view of the permanence of perdition can be found in both Testaments already - prior to St. Jerome's translations.

"So the "Morning Star" (i.e.: The King of Babylon) from Isaiah 14:12 gets mixed in with the role of God's Court Prosecutor to create "The Devil" around 300 years after the death of Jesus, and Hell is created around the same time as a place for the Devil to live in."

This is a strange suggestion if one is to keep in mind that the New Testament is but the written form of some of the teachings handed down since the time of Christ on earth. That manuscripts already existed prior to St. Jerome.

Then we have the testimony of the Fathers. Here is some of it:

"...thus also the punishment of those who do not believe the Word of God, and despise His advent, and are turned away backwards, is increased; being not merely temporal, but rendered also eternal. For to whomsoever the Lord shall say, 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,' these shall be damned for ever; and to whomsoever He shall say, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you for eternity,' these do receive the kingdom for ever, and make constant advance in it; since there is one and the same God the Father, and His Word, who has been always present with the human race, by means indeed of various dispensations, and has wrought out many things, and saved from the beginning those who are saved, (for these are they who love God, and follow the Word of God according to the class to which they belong,) and has judged those who are judged, that is, those who forget God, and are blasphemous, and transgressors of His word." Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 4,28,2 (A.D. 180).

"But do you also, if you please, give reverential attention to the prophetic Scriptures, and they will make your way plainer for escaping the eternal punishments, and obtaining the eternal prizes of God." Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus, 1:14 (A.D. 181).

"The Jewish "Hell"--which is separated from "Abraham's Bosom" by a chasm-- is much more in keeping with the notion of "Purgatory" from Catholicism."

This is accurate: though it is difficult to understand how they interpret all the passages speaking of its permanence in a way that would make it temporary.

E.g.:

"The sinners in Sion are afraid, trembling hath seized upon the hypocrites. Which of you can dwell with devouring fire? Which of you shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Isaias 33:14

"And they shall go out, and see the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched: and they shall be a loathsome sight to all flesh." Isaias 66:24

"For he will give fire, and worms into their flesh, that they may burn, and may feel for ever." Judith 16:21

Also, when one asks whether the perpetrators of the Shoah will then be sitting side-by-side with the victims such as Anne Frank in Paradise, the vehement opposition against the eternity of damnation generally dies down. Whether there is a "dogmatic" position on this among the Rabbanites is questionable since there is - like in Islam - not really a final authority to settle the issue of interpretation.

"As you can see from the above paragraph, I thought very carefully about why I was rejecting religion before doing so. Learning through historical research that most of it was made up after the key individuals had died turned out to be the deciding factor"

Based on the information you have provided, it does not seem that your historical studies were as thorough as you may have thought.

I hope this clarifies my contention with the previous posts.

Thank you for the civility despite our disagreements.

Regards,
Integrist
AugustaM (7 stories) (996 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-04-02)
Thank you for your posts, Biblio - I always look forward to them! I am an agnostic with somewhat pagan leanings and I always find your discourses fascinating and wonderfully researched. I don't mean to derail the discussion - just wanted to say thanks:)

And I'll be picking up a copy of 'What Dreams May Cone' I saw the movie years ago and found it visually stunning as well as truly thought provoking... Though I've not watched it again since I cried my eyes out watching it the first time! In the way that books are almost always better than the resultant movie - I am looking forward to the read!
Bibliothecarius (9 stories) (1091 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-04-02)
Ooops!
I meant to recommend Richard Matheson's "What Dreams May Come" in my first post. I should not include "typing" to my list of actions I can't multitask!
Biblio.
Bibliothecarius (9 stories) (1091 posts)
+2
7 years ago (2017-04-02)
RC:

Integrist's critique of my over-simplification of centuries of people making up Christianity as they went along is accurate. Integrist has no indication of gender in his or her diction, nor on his or her bio page, making pronoun selection awkward.

My point was about a Christian mystic, Swedenborg, and his focus upon LOVE being the essence of GOD, and Angels being considered as representations of God's Love and/or Power. As I was not advocating any specific religious teaching being intrinsically "better" than any other, I did employ broad generalizations instead of pedantry to demonstrate that Rook's Church's rituals are in keeping with other Christian groups' beliefs and dogma, if not within the specific rites of a given church; these rituals parallel observations of religions outside of Christian doctrine, too. Sociologically, this is an interesting phenomenon.

However, if my statements in the previous post need clarification, I shall endeavor to shed light on the material I elided in deference to Christians observing Lent.

Hell was added after the Christian sect had separated from Judaism. Gehenna, as I've stated elsewhere, is an open pasture at the foot of the Mount of Olives to the south of Jerusalem; it was where unrighteous Jews were cremated, and thereby denied a traditional Jewish burial. Saint Jerome decided that "Gehenna" meant "Hell" by conflating it with the lake of fire from John's Revelation on the isle of Patmos (because nothing explains the writings of an already-3000-year-old religion by conflating it with the writings of a shipwrecked man sitting on a sun-baked rock in the middle of the sea). This new "Hell" was a suitable place to put "The Devil" which was a new version of "Ha-Satan" or "The Accuser appointed by God" whose job was to present precise accusations of each person's wrongdoings after death. So the "Morning Star" (i.e.: The King of Babylon) from Isaiah 14:12 gets mixed in with the role of God's Court Prosecutor to create "The Devil" around 300 years after the death of Jesus, and Hell is created around the same time as a place for the Devil to live in. The Jewish "Hell"--which is separated from "Abraham's Bosom" by a chasm-- is much more in keeping with the notion of "Purgatory" from Catholicism. Unfortunately, Judaism seldom discusses the afterlife, as it is a religion focused upon moral actions and religious obligations for the living, rather than promises of a vaguely metaphorical postmortem reward.

As you can see from the above paragraph, I thought very carefully about why I was rejecting religion before doing so. Learning through historical research that most of it was made up after the key individuals had died turned out to be the deciding factor. However, I have no wish to use facts to offend people who practice a religion, as I have become quite friendly with several of you on YGS over the last few years. Oddly, there is little to no evidence for an afterlife, other than that provided by encounters with ghosts, spirits, elementals, angels, demons, djinn, and analogous phenomena.

I do hope that this has resolved any confusion over the theological issues I glossed over in order to get to my point.

Best,
Biblio.
Integrist (83 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-04-02)
Perhaps a short comment on some things posted:

"As for spirits changing their religious affiliation post-mortem, several erroneous translations fro Hebrew and Aramaic made it into the Greek and Latin versions of the Bible"

It should be pointed out that the Septuagint is more reliable than the later (yes, later) "updates" of the Masoretic text, which is what most people rely on for the Hebrew text. Easterners normally go the the LXX or Peshiatta translations instead of the Masoretic (which most protestants rely on).
The same then applies to the Vulgata of St. Jerome: older than the Masoretic recension (6th-10th century).
Fr. John Whiteford (Orthodox priest) has a good essay on this topic with some examples.

"I'd like to point out the longstanding Christian tradition that after his crucifixion, Yeshua Ben Yosef entered into the realms where souls were in torment so he could preach the "good news" of love and forgiveness to them. Additionally, this is one of the reasons bereaved Catholics would pay an honorarium to their local diocese to have a Mass said in memory of the deceased"

These are two different issues.

The descent into hell/hades where the righteous also abode - though not in Paradise - ("bosom of Abraham" or "limbo patrum") - had the purpose of opening up to them the Gates of Paradise after the Crucifixion. No "change of mind" on behalf of the righteous, but rather an action from God Himself permitting a change for them: i.e. Entrance into Paradise.
Purgatory is something else: this is where remnants of sin (venial) are purged and final satisfaction made for forgiven faults in life. Again, no "change of mind" in this case - but a different case than what happened to the righteous who died prior to the Crucifixion.

Regards,
Integrist
Bibliothecarius (9 stories) (1091 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-03-31)
Greetings, RC.

Your friend who told you, " A piece of dust, and it need not be a big piece of dust, at just the right place, can trigger the door sensor," is absolutely correct, *especially* if there are other lights on in the area and the dust catches the light and becomes more visible by virtue of reflecting some of that light in the direction of the sensor (that type of reflectivity is called "albedo," just like moon dust reflecting sunlight). HOWEVER, this perfectly normal phenomenon does not explain the elevator doors' behavior immediately afterward. (Sidebar: I was in an elevator in a hospital's parking garage, on my way to visit a friend, when a lady on crutches (& in a cast) tried to get into the elevator, too; I put my arm out to stop the door, but it tried to close anyway, giving my elbow a bit of a bruise. While I was annoyed that an elevator in a medical facility could be so abrupt/violent, I was relieved that it bounced away from my arm instead of bisecting the other person.)

As for spirits changing their religious affiliation post-mortem, several erroneous translations fro Hebrew and Aramaic made it into the Greek and Latin versions of the Bible, which were then repeated --or compounded!-- by translations into English, French, etc. Not every teaching about the afterlife's "Permanent" assignment of a soul to one place or to another is based on the original language & cultural norms of the writers. (If you can get a hold of the novel "What Things May Come," a fair amount of Matheson's writing was based upon research into the writings of OBEs, NDEs, and mystic philosophers & astral travelers. The paperback editions often include some of his source materials.)

There have been various descriptions of the afterlife provided by apparent visits to (and returns from) that particular realm. The most interesting (my opinion) of the philosophers/mystics was the Swedish scientist and inventor Emanuel Swedenborg (b.1688 - d.1772), who claimed to have gone to heaven in his in his astral travels, where he met married angels, the spirits of deceased pagans (Greek and Roman), along with Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It was his contention that selfishness condemned one to torment in the afterlife, but that God **really is** Love; in Swedenborg's writings, all good, loving, selfless acts lead to the Almighty. Please bear in mind that this guy wrote 33 books & essays on this topic, so I'm not doing him justice in this brief paragraph. Those writings inspired and provoked other major writers of the last 200 years both in the western literary canon and in the realms of philosophy & psychology, including William Blake, Jorge Luis Borges, Arthur Conan Doyle, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry James, Sr., Carl Jung, Immanuel Kant, HonorΓ© de Balzac, Helen Keller, August Strindberg, W. B. Yeats, Edgar Allan Poe, and --in a limited fashion-- Stephen King (his Americanized adaptation of the miniseries "Kingdom Hospital").

I know that Rook has mentioned that his Church holds Services for the deceased, should they wish to change their minds about how they're experiencing eternity. While that may seem unusual to other branches of the Christian faith, I'd like to point out the longstanding Christian tradition that after his crucifixion, Yeshua Ben Yosef entered into the realms where souls were in torment so he could preach the "good news" of love and forgiveness to them. Additionally, this is one of the reasons bereaved Catholics would pay an honorarium to their local diocese to have a Mass said in memory of the deceased (thereby diminishing the time -if any- that person's soul would need to be purged of Earthly sins in Purgatory). Jews have a similar tradition on the anniversary of the death of a loved one; it is a good deed (a "mitzvah") to pay for the service in memory of a loved one, but *because* the loved one is deceased, the credit for the mitzvah is attributed to the deceased's spirit, not the living person.

I have never seen an angel, to the best of my knowledge, RC, but I have known far too many honest and reliable people who have had that experience to deny their existence. Hope some of the contextualizing data here proves helpful. Some angels apparently radiate love & peace, but people forget that their job is to be an anthropomorphic embodiment of the will of God; "Power" is exactly the feeling they should radiate to others.

I enjoyed reading this account.

Best,
Biblio.
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
+2
7 years ago (2017-03-31)
RC,

Thanks for your reply.

My question was meant to make you think of that was happening at that time AROUND you as well as 'to' you. I state my reply this way because this 'sighting' may not have been meant for just you... It may have been something you just happened to 'see'. The Church, or another member may have received a 'Blessing' at this time OR something special happened at/for the entire congregation OR it may be as simple as you 'questioning things' and this appearance being an answer to your questions. Because you 'feel' the way you do, and did, at the time of this experience I'd venture to say the actual 'blessing (s) (if any occurred) happened to someone else or the Church as a whole... Just my opinion.

A word on being able to 'change Faith's' across the veil... My Church teaches that it is possible, we even have Temple Ordnances for the Dead we preform so that IF an individual (former human spirit) 'converts' those 'Earthly Ordnances' have been preformed for them and they merely have to accept them.

Respectfully,

Rook
Macknorton (5 stories) (646 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
Interesting point. I believe people can change their beliefs at any time that they are ready to change. That's spiritual evolution at work. As we evolve we become more and more aware of the greater and mysterious aspects of the Universe that we are in.

Good example (but very simplistic) is Santa. How many adults now believe in Santa? Stop reading right here if you do!πŸ˜†
To many children, Santa was absolutely real, no question, but then as they grew and became more rational and mature, and could use their developed reason and logic, Santa's existence no longer seemed feasible so that belief naturally changed.

Same as any religious / spiritual beliefs I imagine...?

Regards

Mack
RCRuskin (9 stories) (811 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
Lady-Glow, I used to be Roman Catholic also, but when I was about 14 converted to the Eastern Orthodox church. Both these events occurred in an Orthodox church. (I'm not the best example of an Orthodox Christian, or even a Christian at times.:P)

Whether folks can change their beliefs on the other side? That's waaaaaaay above my paygrade.

Val, there was, it turns out in retrospect, a particularly bad thing happening on that campus. I can't recall any family stuff going on at that time, but my brother, who told me he's now lurking here, might be able to remind me of stuff.
lady-glow (16 stories) (3149 posts)
+2
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
Hi RCR: your story is very interesting and intriguing.
Though I grew up a catholic, I do not necessarly believe in only two destinations (up or down) for the souls of dead people (or three, taking purgatory into the equation). I guess at some point I began asking too many questions for which there're no answers.

I wonder if the spirits of our atheist/agnostic loved ones would be happy to join a religious service, or if they have a chance to change their beliefs once they found what's on the "other side of the veil".

I digress, there's not much I could add to the previous comments, but I would like to set a CCTV camera in, and around the vicinity of that elevator. Whit some luck it could record some ghostly activity.

Thanks for sharing.
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
+1
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
RC...your comment, " not getting the money to attend the university of my choice," makes me wonder a bit. Have you looked at that time period to see, if perhaps this was a good thing? A bad event at that campus, or an event at home, where you were needed but otherwise wouldn't have been?
Or maybe... Just maybe you stumbled across a sight-seeing angel. I figure if regular spirits can just pop in to places, it could be true of angels too. Just passing through and checking the place out. Seeing you and thinking, "oh! There's one of those mortals. I'll just stay still and maybe he won't be too scared."
RCRuskin (9 stories) (811 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
[at] Val and [at] Miracles: It feels good to be so popular... πŸ˜†

[at] Rook: Yes. We do believe angels can interact with us on the physical realm, that they have in the past, they do so now, and they will do so in the future. Though also, not everything that seems to be an angel is an angel. (All angles, as I kept mistyping, are angles. Some are cuter than others.)

The appearance of the angel in church, that is what I believe it to be, whitelady, did not give me any idea except to hasten my departure. I did stay on with the church youth group for a while as an adviser, and eventually served on the parish council. (There's another story there, but it involves both religion and politics, and neither ghosts nor spirits...)

So, Rook, at the moment, I can't think of anything specific around that time frame, outside of not getting the money to attend the university of my choice. I don't feel there was a relationship there.
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
+3
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
Rc - so sorry. Seems Miracles and I were typing at the same time (I was interrupted) so it took me longer to post.
Now, about your experience I am very curious as to your reply to Rook, as I have the same question.
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
+4
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
talib,
I deleted your last 2 comments, because honestly I felt they were rather insulting, and juvenile.
Both lady_glow and Miracles have proven their intelligence, and fairness to other members of this site many times over. I can not say the same for you. When you speak to Miracles or any other member of this site you should show a bit of respect, and if you can not, then either avoid commenting to them or go else where. That simple.
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (4999 posts) mod
+3
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
RC - sorry about the interruption. We will continue on, with comments directed only to your story. If anyone feels that have something to say that isn't concerning RC's experience, move it to your own story.
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (4999 posts) mod
+3
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
talib - as you said, stop this nonsense. From our Comments Guidelines: "If you are the author of a story, please be aware that users of our site, many from different backgrounds and cultures, will provide feedback to your story and you may not personally agree with all of their comments. However, it is the nature of the web to have debates with very different opinions, and although you may be the only person who truly knows what happened in your story, you should not take it personally when some users disagrees or ask for additional information, but understand that it is part of normal discussions where people exchange ideas." And neither should anyone who is not the author.

I also read lady-glow's last 20 comments. I've actually done this twice in the past week because of accusations made against her. There is nothing in any of her comments that I feel should have been deleted. I am sure lady-glow is aware if we (mods) feel she crosses the line, her comment will be deleted.

Please do not tell me how to do my job. If you have a problem with how I moderate, feel free to contact our site administrator.
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (4999 posts) mod
+2
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
talib - perhaps you are not aware lady-glow, as well as many others, do not reserve their comments for stories that are only from India. Maybe you should read all the stories, not only those that take place in India or are submitted by members who live in India.

And like I said, any further comments from you to lady-glow that are confrontational will be deleted.

By the way, I've been accused by one of our members of being racist, which is complete and utter crap. Maybe you need to stop looking for racism in lady-glow's comments.
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (4999 posts) mod
+1
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
talib - this is the second comment of yours I have deleted. The next time you address lady-glow, lose the sarcasm. 😐
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
+6
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
talib,

Would you stop with the 'cheap shots'. Thanks... πŸ˜•

RC,

Thanks for sharing... I will start with your second experience first.

There are to many variables in the 'natural realm' that could have caused both the light by the bathroom AND the elevator door sensor to activate... The fact that Both occurred makes me curious and would be worth further investigation, but natural causes can NOT be ruled out.

The glowing figure you saw did not 'vanish' before you made your 'hurried departure' so if it was not some 'odd trick of light; I would venture to say (My opinion here folks) that the 'spirit' was non-human in nature and a fairly strong one at that, based on how long it held its shape and the fact you stated this in a reply...

"My memory's a bit fuzzy, but it stood about 6 feet, maybe a bit over 6 feet and it radiated great power. It felt neither good nor bad, just very, very powerful.

Like Chuck Norris would not stand a chance against it."

Does your Church (or did this Church) believe that Angels could manifest in/on the Physical Realm?

After this 'sighting' did anything 'special' happen for/to you or someone very close to you? Or was a difficult decision suddenly made clear? Or possibly even the Church itself, something 'good'. If so it may 'speak' to the nature of this 'spirit'. Just a few thoughts.

Thanks for sharing.

Respectfully,

Rook
RCRuskin (9 stories) (811 posts)
+3
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
Tweed, the figure did not move. It just stayed there, between me and the altar table. That story is an interesting read, but I did not get any sense if the figure had a gender. I'd probably describe it as masculine, but that could just be cultural bias.

Talib, I discussed elevator doors with an engineer who knows of these things. A piece of dust, and it need not be a big piece of dust, at just the right place, can trigger the door sensor, so I assume it could also trip a motion detector. Thus we can pretty much rule out a spirit in front of the bathrooms.

And where is Lady-Glow? I would love to have her opinions, and those of other frequent contributors.
Tweed (33 stories) (2475 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-03-30)
Hi RC,

Did you notice which direction the blue figure went? It doesn't really matter, I'm just curious.😊
Not sure if you've read this before or not. But I was reminded of it after you described the figure as blue.
Http://www.yourghoststories.com/real-ghost-story.php?story=23399
whitelightlady (1 stories) (13 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-03-29)
Greetings RCRuskin, I get the feeling the blue/white apparition you saw is a light angel, as for the elevator situation, I'm not sure, Could be electrical issue, sensor issue, or a spiritual roamer. A "roamer" is a soul who just roams, and could be good or bad.
RCRuskin (9 stories) (811 posts)
+2
7 years ago (2017-03-29)
To Kiki: Yes, there is more than I told here. It's something I discussed with a few others And Mack brought up a good point that many more aware than I mentioned to me.

Evil spirits, those who wish to bring us to ruin, will most certainly be active especially in places of spiritual growth and understanding. I've mentioned before about spirits who want to destroy us.

To Mack: Correct, to spirits it does not matter. To us, who are matter, it matters. Does that make sense? In worshiping, we physically go to a place that we've dedicated to the higher power we worship. In many temples and churches, it is designed to look, as far as is in our power, like the realm where we believe that higher power dwells.
Macknorton (5 stories) (646 posts)
+7
7 years ago (2017-03-29)
Hi RCRuskin

Thanks for sharing. The restroom sensor light coming on could have been a number of explainable non-paranormal reasons. Electrical fault would be the first port of call on that one. I guess if you're standing in a place and you are feeling afraid already, then a light coming on unexpectedly would alarm anyone.

Can I say, and I don't want to appear combative, but just to consider another viewpoint about what your speaker said about: "... We should always be aware that in church we are in Heaven with all our loved ones around us. (Especially the ones who made it to Heaven rather than the other place.)..."

I'm pretty sure that the spirit realm is all around us, we are effectively in it, but we are expressing our selves (souls) through matter because that's exactly where we are and need to be in terms of our spiritual (and physical to a point) evolution.

From my own personal experience, low level, un-evolved, (or even demonic) spirits can, and will manifest wherever they choose. As can your loved ones. They can appear to you in a coal mine, on a plane or on top of Mount Everest. Where you are physically, in my humble opinion, shouldn't make a shred of difference when it comes to spirit contact or manifestations. Be it a field, a shopping mall, a church, an office.

Spirit doesn't discern between bricks and mortar, stone, wood, grass or plastic. That's all just shadows and crumbling dust to them compared to the enduring, eternal power of spirit.

That's my 10 cents worth anyway...

Regards

Mack
KikiGirl (8 stories) (207 posts)
+2
7 years ago (2017-03-29)
RCRuskin, thank-you for posting this story. I feel there is an importance to it in some bigger way, but, I can't really put my finger on it. Well done for having the guts to go into the theme writing of churches and ghosts/the paranormal! At first, I cringed thinking that this could only have a bad outcome in terms of response, comments and theorizing, but now, I definitely understand the significance, empathy and curiosity behind your communication.

Mostly, I have felt very safe in churches, but, it does not mean it cannot accommodate spirit/s or ghosts, however, it would be of the good kind, I imagine.

I can tell you have a lot more to say about what you saw in the service room but maybe, don't quite have the words to describe your thoughts and the other events surrounding your experience? I hope that in time, you find a way to digest the information and re-tell it to yourself, I am sure it will reveal more answers.

Thanks again!
RCRuskin (9 stories) (811 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-03-29)
Hi, Sheld. Well, this was 32 years ago. My memory's a bit fuzzy, but it stood about 6 feet, maybe a bit over 6 feet and it radiated great power. It felt neither good nor bad, just very, very powerful.

Like Chuck Norris would not stand a chance against it.
sheld999 (14 stories) (74 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2017-03-29)
Can you describe anymore features of the blue figure? Or if it felt bad or good

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