Recruiting for the S.S.
Jack and Eulalia Luckett's First Intensive in Australia

Australia may never be the same again after a very different pair of teachers blitzed the continent from November to January with a series of daily outdoor meetings for two weeks straight at Sydney, Toowoomba, Nambour and Perth. At the introduction to the first meeting Jack announced that they were not here to teach us A Course in Miracles® as each one of us has our own Course In Miracles according to our own interpretation of the teachings. Never the less the Course says we cannot fail to teach every instant of the day and Jack and Layle were no exception.
The lessons taught were sometimes subtle and sometimes anything but subtle. Outrageous, crazy, hyperactive and zany they transplanted their La Jolla meetings to Australia without change. They taught us the valuable lesson of being able to question many phony values that we all hold so dear. Even Course purists were given opportunities "to question every value that we hold" as Jack and Layle required that the Course be read in the first person at their meetings and referred to the workbook as the "playbook" In direct and indirect ways they were teaching everyone not to judge. Even when statements were made that seemed 'off track' with the Course, both facilitators thanked the speaker without comment rather than alienating the person with a correcting statement.
They told the story of a Miracle meeting in the San Deigo area where two men were vigorously disagreeing about the meaning of a page in the text being read. The disturbed facilitator unable to decide who's interpretation was correct, decided he would ring Bill Thetford (picturedtbelow left) the next day and find out who was right and how the matter could be resolved. "How would you have handled this 'problem'?" the facilitator asked of Bill. Bill's informed him that what he would do in that situation would be to "tear out the page" demonstrating that being right is no big deal and nothing is worth the separation of two brothers.
Many students who have been working with the Course for some time feel confused about the need to do something in the world and to "make a difference" Jack told the story of being asked whether he would help mobilize Miracle groups to make their presence more publicly visible by "getting involved" and be seen to be doing good in the community as a group maybe by visiting hospitals, Jails, nursing homes etc. Jack's reply was that if students felt guided to organize themselves to doing 'good' as a group that would be fine but being a Miracle student is not really like being a member of the Lion's Club or Rotary or any of the other service clubs doing a wonderful work in the community in their own way, but more like being in the secret service. They reminded us that we have so much to do with those already in our lives including those whom we may only briefly encounter from day to day, perhaps by only giving a smile when once we would have condemned. We can accept the atonement for ourselves when we forgive and let the past go. This is not to say that if the Holy Spirit guides us to get involved in some public activity we would not do so. Teachers of God are required everywhere. They taught us that we need be constantly aware that our 'good intentions' often have ego origins, keeping us so busy 'doing good' that we have no time to look at our own feelings of guilt or heal ourselves and our relationships with those close to us in our lives.
Reports filtering back from other Centres have painted a glowing picture of the effect their visit had on the people attending. At their last point of call they held meetings in a Perth Park from 5.30 am to 7.30 am each day for 14 days finishing up with 130 people on the last day. Jack and Eulalia returned to Hawaii for more garden meetings and have planned a busy schedule of meetings on mainland U.S.A. including facilitating a daily Miracle group on an ocean liner to Alaska and return arranged by the Portland Centre for A Course in Miracles®. We wish them well in their unique ministry and send them our thanks and love from 'down under'.

Bill McDonald.
Printed in Miracle Link 1990