The Little Church That Could

            How has every religion started?  With the revelation of the Creator and a meeting in someone’s small home, in a cave, under a tree, on a mountainside meadow.   In February 1992, Medicine Signs Spiritual Center was born in Miami, Florida in a modest two-story townhouse with a tiny backyard and flower garden.  The name of the housing development, aptly enough, was “The Crossings,” a pretty tree-lined community with a nearby lake ideal for contemplating quiet, star-filled evenings or jogging around on sunny days.  The spiritual center’s name derives from the Native American concept of “medicine,” the sacred and personal life energy and power of each human being, animal, plant, mountain, star, ocean, and raindrop.  It is the life energy of all things and it is the energy of Great Spirit expressed through each and every thing in the universe.  Thus, Medicine Signs refers to the sacred power signs that are all around us every moment of our existence.

            The spiritual center arose out of a call from Holy Spirit that something new was needed; a new or renewed spirituality.  Some five years later, in March 1997, I began to receive revelatory messages that out of the spiritual center we were to form a church, since we did all the things a church did anyway.  I even received an additional name, The Church of the Way of the Messiahs.  I resisted this notion, as did others in the center, because we felt the word “church” was too “churchy” and many would associate the word “church” only with Christianity.  However, our spiritual guidance, what we consider to be the voice of Holy Spirit, was quite firm and further related that the energy of the name, The Church of the Way of the Messiahs, would have a powerful meaning for people seeking a new way.  In retrospect, we all agree that this has turned out to be true, so we are glad we listened.  As Spirit foretold, we are redefining and transforming the meaning of “church” back to its original koinonia and ecclesial community origins, signifying that a church is a spiritual family and a spiritual community.  The church’s name also connotes that we are all messiahs.  Many of us may be Messiahs-in-kindergarten, or we may be lost or wayward or blind or rebellious Messiahs, but the Messiah Within, the Christ Within, the Buddha Within, the Avatar Within, the Yogi Within, the Goddess Within, the God Within, the Shaman Within remains an accessible God-potential for all people.  This has contributed to the egalitarian, community theology of the church.

            From these meager beginnings the church began to grow with teaching work (classes and workshops) throughout South Florida, Florida, the United States and the world (six continents).  Since 1997, in addition to its meditation groups, spiritual classes and social activities, the church initiated weekly Sacred Circles (worship services) that have been held in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida, and are continuing to expand.  We like to keep things simple, so we are a home church and our services naturally are held in the homes of our congregants or in spiritual centers, such as spiritual bookstores and apothecaries.  Recently, the church instituted a Light University in which students are discovering their Higher Purpose and Spiritual Mission, and turning that learning and training into action.  The church has come a long way since 1992.  It has touched the lives of many thousands of people, so we are excited about what is yet to come and expanding our island of light.

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With Love and Light,

Tom and Cathy Norris