As many in the world are filled with paranoia about what the new millenium might bring, whether famine or well-stocked supermarkets, whether poverty or everlasting social security, whether disease or ever-ready health-care institutions, how should a church relate to the challenges of the next millenium? There are those in The Liberal Catholic Church who look forward with a certain degree of optimism and self-righteousness as to what might come. They rest in the surety that mankind will want the same as before, a nice church, a church that does not rock mankind in their vested beliefs, a church that gives full attention as to what is politically and emotionally correct, and above all a church that is comfortable and sociable.

In contrast to this, it is widely expected that in years to come the world will be rocked by violence, wars and disasters, which will strain the world’s resources and challenge mankind into reassessing values hitherto accepted as their birthright. From this turmoil, something new will be born: a spiritual awakening of such magnitude that many will be groping for a new direction in faith.

Will Liberal Catholics, whether lay or ordained, know what the role of the church in the next millennium might be? From the exciting early beginnings of the church in the times of Bishops Wedgwood and Leadbeater, and such wonderful people as Jinarajadasa, Hodson and others, the church has in many respects sunk into being a comfortable church endowed with a liberty towards satisfying emotional niceties. The result? In many places, the church makes little impact upon society with her oft-greying presence. Of course many blame the lack of young blood on the youth for being undisciplined and lacking a commit-ment to serve a church of such noble ideals. The young who are eager to develop a higher consciousness would rather drift to Eastern philosophies, often being prepared to adopt even the most stringent of disciplines.

Where, then, are the challenges, which go beyond the emotional and the rational? Where are the visions of exploring the divine laws hidden in sacred writings, such as the Bible? There is often a fear that a deep commitment in church to explore the esoteric and the occult might drive people away. If so, is this not a sign that we could perhaps, instead, have attracted a different type of people who do sincerely seek spiritual enlightenment beyond dogmatic beliefs? Krishnamurti, when he turned his back on thousands of followers, realised the meaninglessness of large numbers. His words ring true today, as they did at the time when he said words such as the following: "if only five will follow me, who have their faces turned to the eternal, who are free, free from dogma, free from fear … it is sufficient".

Mankind without a commitment to spiritual practice will always corrupt and lower the magnificent to the mediocre. We shall have to stand firm if we are to be ready to face the challenges of the new millenium. It is believed that we have entered the Aquarian Age. The symbol of Aquarius is one of pouring water from a jug. Water will indeed be one of the critical resources of the future. It goes, however, a great deal deeper. The waves of the water are symbolic of waves of energy, such as light and heat, but also of energy waves in the subconscious. The tremendous advances in data transmission are but the outer signs of much greater advances in becoming aware of cosmic energies. Are we ready for the latter?

Two thousand years ago when the Piscean Age was heralded as the new dispensation of the time, the Lord Christ through Jesus tried to raise the consciousness of the Jews to make them ready for the magnificence of the Piscean Age. Many Jews thought that the prophet Jesus was talking about consuming fish and being a fisherman, instead of realising that Jesus, being a strict vegetarian, was beckoning mankind to take onto themselves the spirit of the New Age of that time, namely that of Pisces, the fishes. The Jews were so entrenched in their beliefs, and feared that Jesus’ ideals would destabilise the comfortable establishment of trade and traditions, that only few were prepared to follow him. Each era has brought forward a World Teacher to lead mankind through the turmoil of a changing scenario. As we move from Pisces to Aquarius, many expect the Lord Christ to appear again on earth as we are moving into the next millennium. Would this within the present humanity again lead to misguided fears and organised opposition to the teachings of the Lord? Regrettably, this is very likely to happen again because many, embedded in their dogmas, will be fearful to let go of their comfortable beliefs.

One of the motives to separate The Liberal Catholic Church from the roots of the Orthodox was, and still is, to prepare mankind for the Second Coming of the Lord Christ, and be ready to serve Him through sacred rites and an enlightened way of living. This enlightened living makes one eager to explore the hidden truths in Sacred Scriptures, of which the Bible is one. Only then will we be able to see the hidden truth in the often tragic, but sometimes also bizarre, biblical accounts which many people assume to be historical facts. A typical example of the tragic is the belief in the historical account of the crucifixion. From esoteric studies it would not appear that this was the way Jesus was put to death.

To the contrary, it is seen as an initiation rite, well known at that time in Egyptian and also some Eastern mystery schools. The candidate is bound on a cross, while he goes into trance. The ends of the rope are left loose, leaving the neophyte free choice to endure the initiation. Upon completion of the rite, he is raised from the dead by pulling him up by the Masonic lion’s grip. In The Liberal Catholic Church, the Holy Week and the Feast of the Resurrection retain their deep devotional meaning of introspection ending in the joyous celebration of Easter. Without being limited by stifling dogmas, the Liberal Catholic is able to come to a deeper realisation of what Easter really means. It is the path to be followed by anyone aspiring to a Higher Life. It was the path of Jesus having found such grace that he could pass through this most difficult and taxing initiation rite, him having been "crucified" and "resurrected from the dead", which make Easter the greatest church feast day of the year. The victory over death during his initiation does indeed send waves of the greatest joy throughout the world.