Some Cry and Some are angry (Weekend Workshops)

Barbara Mikesell [Ten Wolde]
June 1971
Washington, D.C.

After the lectures the workshop joins the Family for an evening of sharing

In Washington, we have been developing a program of weekend workshops. The purpose of the program is to first introduce people to an understanding of the Divine Principle. We charge people $12 or $8 (students) and they come to spend the weekend from Friday night with us. During this time, we teach the entire, Principle briefly, and also have programs to introduce them to experiences of our way of life.

Our general practice in the past was to teach Principle one or two chapters at a time in evening lectures. Sometimes it might take a week or two for someone to hear Principle, sometimes it might take several months. Satan had great freedom this way, because often people would get too busy or not be interested by the first lecture and would not return to hear the rest of Principle. We had been experimenting with other ways of teaching such as an all-day study of the Principle, but these too were unsatisfactory.

Last year in early fall, a number of our members had the opportunity to go to the Orient: some for the Wedding of 777 Couples, and others because of our Freedom Leadership Foundation political activities. In Japan, Mr. Sudo shared with us about their training program, starting with a four day program of teaching the Principle then deeper programs. We were excited by this idea and have been working since our return to develop our own programs.

So far in Washington, we have been having a weekend workshop every other weekend and between 15 and 25 people have been attending. We find this a very satisfactory way of presenting Principle. People now hear Principle over a short period of time where it is much easier to grasp its essence. While they hear Principle, they also participate in the rich spiritual atmosphere of the center instead of returning to Satan's world after each Chapter.

Each weekend I am amazed by the response. Friday night I look around the room of new faces: Many of them are dark and hopeless. There is such a mixture of people, how can we be united?

Almost every weekend we have had a priest or nun. We have black and white„ people who are taking drugs and revolutionaries, teachers and businessmen and women. We have mothers of Family members and bearded, long haired youths. Friday night we are all strangers, but by Sunday, the loving spirit of God has been moving in the hearts, and faces are shining and filled with hope. Although they don't deeply understand the implications of the Principle yet, they have been given a new faith and hope in God, in the world and in themselves. We feel close together because of our experiences of the weekend.

During the meals, they discuss Principle and answer questions.

Occasionally people leave before the weekend is over. Last weekend two revolutionaries left because they did not like (or were scared by) the idea of God. Once a fellow that was spiritually possessed left when he found we believed in spirit world, and believed that mental disturbances were often caused by spirit possession. Generally everyone stays, even if they don't agree with things we speak about. Sometimes they don't know why they stay but they must.

Of course, the climax of the weekend is when we announce the conclusion: that Christ is now on earth. The participants are very surprised, even though some of them may have been sensing what it was we were going to say. Generally they are very happy. Some cry and some are angry. A common response is "Did I hear you correctly? Did you just say that Christ is on earth now?" or "Would you repeat what you said? What was it that happened in 1960?" Once a man said, "You tricked us by having us come here for this weekend and hear these lectures! Why didn't you warn us about what you were going to say?" One girl said in a silence that followed the "WOW!" (She is now living in the Center). One woman had been looking at the dates that had been put on the board all day. I watched the date 1920 and 1960 written and all of a sudden I was jolted up: That's now!" Last weekend as soon as the final lecture was over, one revolutionary started yelling about Communism being in the Cain position. I was sitting next to him however, and I saw that his hands were shaking and his eyes were full of tears. When I talked with him later I found he had been shocked and also deeply touched by the conclusion. "I didn't mean to get angry but you shouldn't do that. How can you just stand up there and say something like that? It was too much for me." This guy has helped organize violence, he has stolen dynamite from construction and other things. Now he and his friends are deeply interested in the Principle, two of them have already moved into the center. They know that this is what the young people are really searching for. This is true revolution.

One weekend is not enough to deeply understand the Principle. At this time we have stud_ sessions in the evenings during the week for those who have attended the workshop. They also come for Saturday night prayer meetings and Sunday worship, and join us for witnessing. Some come and spend a weekend or week or two at the center for deeper understanding. We are also working to develop what we call "Level Two Training," which is a ten day program of study at a small center in another part of town. Philip and Vivian Burley are in charge of this. So far, only our members from the Washington Center have been participating in this, but in a short while we will send people from the weekend workshop. Then they can more quickly come to understand the Divine Principle and the times we are living in.

I am very grateful to be able to serve our Parents by working in the weekend workshop. I find it to be a rich experience and one that is deepening my understanding and appreciation of the Principle and also of the people that we must win from the world our enemy Satan has been ruling. I thank the Heavenly Father for this.