The First Book
For several months I have had a copy of Greater Community Spirituality (GCS) at my bedside.
Three nights ago I accidentally spilled a glass of water on it and several other books and taking it out, I looked closer to discover that this book is likely the very first copy of GCS printed and given to my father Marshall Vian Summers back in 1997.
Here on the title page in Marshall’s handwriting: “GCS #1.”
Almost every single page he carefully and lovingly reviewed and marked with his inspiration.
The tattered cover and curled pages (not to mention other water stains from long before my time) show how many hours this book has been held, read and studied over the last 23 years.
GCS has been a key teacher for many of us over the years. I know for me, some of my most poignant memories circle around this book in some way: a chapter I read that opened up a greater vantage point on my life and the world; a passage that tipped me into real action and next steps; seeing another student or member of the Society point to this book in a moment of realization. We have all had our moments with GCS.
More than any other book of Revelation, I feel GCS represents the inner heart of the New Message. This is the passageway into the Greater Community Way of Knowledge, the deep and timeless tradition of redemption and return to God practiced in the universe that the New Message is here to reveal and root in our world for the first time. Reading GCS has always brought me back to this tradition and a sense of my long involvement in it beyond this life, and with that, an expanded my view of my life here in the world and my participation with the mission of the New Message and the Messenger.
A few nights ago, I sat in bed somewhat awestruck to be holding this first copy, knowing what it represents—the rooting of a Greater Community tradition in the world, this book one of the first roots to be sent down, and with the timeworn marks of so much love and care and intention from Marshall that it be so: that this tradition be rooted here in the minds and hearts of human beings.
Thank you Marshall, and thank you GCS for all you have given me.
(And I’m sorry about that glass of water!)
Wow GCS #1. My first New Message book was also GCS. I was buying a lot of different books then and to save money, I bought a used copy, which also included handwritten notes and quotes from the previous owner. From the Will to the Word to to the world, through the hands of all who carry the book forward, the path to be redeemed, to be reclaimed is mysterious, miraculous. Truly it can only be experienced to know that which my words cannot yet convey.
Thank you Reed for sharing this. The reverie is palpable. I feel grateful for the blessing of that water to bring this experience to us all.
Nasi Novare Coram
Thank you Reed- so moving to see a book that our Messenger has held in his hands, and read and notated. It took me a long time to be willing to “mark up” my sacred texts of the NM! A seer I studied with helped me understand- that we are here to leave tracks…not no traces! And that reading a book that the reader before has left their footprints in, is a kind of wayshower in itself- and to behold a book that our Messenger “marks up” – saying: take note of this, etc is a second blessing beyond the sacred texts themselves! Very moving to be given these glimpses.
Thank you Reed. This was the first book of the New Revelation, which i read when i found the NMfG.in 2015.Thanks to the translating work from Heidi i could read it in german. I knew this is a really new form of spirituality on planet earth. It aknowledges the real in the former traditions and also speaks to the present and more so to the future, Something of this kind i have never before encountered, and i have searched for decades.This book is a deep well of inspiration……So your glas of water maybe nourishes the seeds of Knowledge and Wisdom in this living words.
Thank you so much for sharing Reed.
This is the book that called me to translate. I remember seeing it online and just being mesmerized. I could not believe my eyes and somehow felt I was seeing the real thing for the first time and after so many years. It really was so powerful that it just made me translate a few lines and send it through the website, not knowing and not really caring where this would reach. I really felt I was touching something divine just by translating it. The rest is history.
Thank you so much Reed. Thank you for this sharing, the photographs and relating this piece of the oral history of the New Message from God. You and Patricia’s blog posts and stories, as well the stories of Darlene, Marshall and others connected to this from the early years, really have been a key part of an important initiation into the New Message as a beginning student, it has felt like both a sparking and a confirmation.
Hello, I new, may I have the firt book please?
Hi Handley, this is talking about the first copy of the book “Greater Community Spirituality”, you can read it all here: https://www.newmessage.org/the-message/volume-2/greater-community-spirituality
Thank you for sharing this, Reed. Very moving to see and hear about this book and its content.
Thanks for sharing Reed, this is uniquely precious and inspiring…
Thank you Reed.
Thank you Reed for sharing this very personal and enlightening moment and the book now has patina! I have to say it is my favourite book of the New Message and is always a great comfort to read. I am just about to set up a new group and saw the lines:-
“Knowledge is the beginning of religion and Knowledge is the completion of religion” highlighted. How beautiful, how deep and how expansive the relationship between those phrases within the Greater Community Spirituality and beyond. Let the love and care of these sacred texts be in each of our hearts as we reclaim Knowledge the gift God gave us, and the gift The Messenger has brought for us to Know. Nasi Novare Coram
Thank you Reed “A few nights ago, I sat in bed somewhat awestruck to be holding this first copy, knowing what it represents—the rooting of a Greater Community tradition in the world, this book one of the first roots to be sent down, and with the timeworn marks of so much love and care and intention from Marshall that it be so: that this tradition be rooted here in the minds and hearts of human beings.” May it be so, NNC~
Thank You Reed for sharing your story and pictures of that first copy of Greater Community Spirituality . GCS was the first book that I read when I first found the New Message and started to take the Steps. This is the third time I am reading it and it is like I am reading it for the first time, finding new insights to inspire me on this journey.
I remember reading GCS for the first time. Every page was like a discovery journey, being struck again and again. I was reading for hours on end, unable and unwilling to put the book down. A truly unbelievably important book.
Oh, and I remember what it is like to spill a glass of water over a NM book that I had next to my bed. It was The Power of Knowledge. However, I could just replace it with another copy of the book.
Anyway, thank you for sharing this with us Reed.
Its moving to see that book, thank you for sharing Reed. I resonate with what you say here: “This is the passageway into the Greater Community Way of Knowledge, the deep and timeless tradition redemption and return to God practiced in the universe that the New Message is here to reveal and root in our world for the first time. Reading GCS has always brought me back to this tradition and a sense of my long involvement in it beyond this life, and with that, an expanded my view of my life here in the world and my participation with the mission of the New Message and the Messenger.” This is a multi-life, multi-world mission! Encapsulated beautifully in this book, here for the first time on this planet… wow….
@raoul-tomasi @jim-brennan @roberto-chavarria and Farhad, thank you for reading and sharing in this moment of discovery. I’ll be putting this book in a safe place for the future. GCS is a special place within the New Message texts. In fact it is the cornerstone for Volume 4 of the One Book: The Inner Heart of the New Message.
I should add here that Vol 4 as the Messenger has compiled it has not yet been added to the One Book on newmessage.org here: https://www.newmessage.org/the-message. We will be updating this soon.
Thank you Reed for sharing your thoughts and photos of the precious early books. I remember GCS was so inspiring during my very first journey with the Steps.
Thank you Reed for sharing this with the photos and your words which resonate with me strongly!
“More than any other book of Revelation, I feel GCS represents the inner heart of the New Message. This is the passageway into the Greater Community Way of Knowledge, the deep and timeless tradition of the universe that the New Message is here to reveal and root in our world for the first time. Reading GCS has always brought me back to this tradition and a sense of my long involvement in it beyond this life, and with that, an expanded my view of my life here in the world and my participation with the mission of the New Message from God and the Messenger.” What a powerful way of looking at the GCS and what it means to us as a community and more importantly what it means to the world because of where it has come from, how it was given and what this process took to bring into this world!! It brought me to tears just thinking of Marshall, The Allies your Mom and you, the Society and all the students who have found it and who are finding it or it finding them. It indeed is a blessing for me just to view these pictures and read your words. Nasi Novare Coram
Thank you for sharing this moment with us Reed
Thank you, Reed, for sharing these photos and your reflections.