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Flower Arlene Newhouse (May 10, 1909 – July 8, 1994) was an AmericanChristianmystic and spiritual teacher.
Early life
editNewhouse was bornMildred "Mimi" Arlene Sechler inAllentown, Pennsylvania on May 10, 1909. She claimed she had the gift of clairvoyance from age 6.[1]
Career
editIn 1924, Newhouse, along with her mother and sister moved toLos Angeles.[1] Newhouse soon became a guest speaker at a number of churches and lecture halls.
Newhouse's work emphasized the purpose of life is to ascend in consciousness to directly experience oneness with the infinite creative consciousness of God through the living of Christ-love and divine union. It was said of Flower Newhouse in 1947 that she was "one of the outstanding Christian mystics of our time" who authored several books.[2] Flower described mysticism as the practice of the art of divine conscious union with God and is the endeavor of the soul to draw nearer to God through the path of reverence and love into the citadel of enlightenment.[3]
She began traveling regularly to Santa Barbara and San Francisco, and eventually throughout the United States and Canada as an invited speaker. Flower became a nationally known lecturer on topics of esoteric Christian mysticism, presenting in most major U.S. cities and several others.[4] On one of these lecture engagements, she met her future husband, Lawrence George Newhouse (July 18, 1910 - January 29, 1963), whom she married on October 31, 1933.
In 1940, Newhouse and her husband founded Questhaven Retreat and nature preserve, and the Christward Ministry (640 acres in northern San Diego county - presently 655 acres).[1] Her ministry was a hybrid theology drawing on Christian mysticism.[1] Her followers describe her teachings as "not doctrine, but a practical guide to the direct, immediate experience of God."[5]
Works
editTHE ARMOR OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFETHE CHRISTWARD WAYDISCIPLINES OF THE HOLY QUESTTHE DRAMA OF INCARNATIONGATEWAYS INTO LIGHTHERE ARE YOUR ANSWERS (VOL. 1)HERE ARE YOUR ANSWERS (VOL. 2)HERE ARE YOUR ANSWERS (VOL. 3)THE JOURNEY UPWARDKINGDOM OF THE SHINING ONESTHE MEANING AND VALUE OF THE SACRAMENTSA MEASURE OF DAYSNATIVES OF ETERNITYREDISCOVERING THE ANGELSSEVEN PATHS UPWARDSONGS OF DELIVERANCETHESE TOO SHALL BE LOVEDTRAVEL WITH INNER PERCEPTIVENESSTHE QUEST
References
edit- ^abcdSherman, Pat (April 18, 2007)."Questhaven Retreat has been a spot for spiritual growth for almost 70 years".sanelijolife.com. San Diego Union Tribune.
- ^"Church Sponsors Two Talks Here".Spokane Daily Chronicle. April 30, 1947. RetrievedMarch 18, 2025 – via Google Books.
- ^Newhouse, Flower (25 April 2017).The Armor of the Spiritual Life. Christward Ministry.ISBN 978-0910378543.
- ^"Noted Lecturer Here Friday, June 2".The Vancouver Sun. May 27, 1939. RetrievedMarch 18, 2025 – via Google Books.
- ^"Flower A. Newhouse Biography". Questhaven Christward Ministry. RetrievedJune 3, 2019.
Further reading
edit- Isaac, Stephen (8 June 2017).Songs from the House of Pilgrimage: The Biography of a Mystic and a Way of Life that Foretells the Future of Christianity. Christward Ministry.ISBN 978-0910378444.
- Newhouse and Issac, Flower and Stephen (1 August 1998).Touched by Angels: How Angels Influence Our Daily Lives. Bluestar Communication Corp.ISBN 978-1885394316.
- Hulbert, Gwen (18 June 2021).Chantel's Song: Based on the Teachings of Christian Mystic Flower A. Newhouse. Christward Ministry.ISBN 978-1-7374607-0-1.