Free Online Ordination: April 2008

Friday, April 25, 2008

Metaphysics

In metaphysics we develop power, intelligence and wisdom. Wisdom is a blend of knowledge, understanding, and experience directed by the principle of love--unconditional love. It is thinking with the heart and feeling with the mind using that mind. This distinguishes the higher metaphysical development of spirituality from the lower metaphysical enfoldment of psychics. In a lower metaphysical development we may solely possess psychic ability or power but no wisdom and understanding to use it. We unfold in an unbalanced way.

When power exceeds the wisdom to apply it, the seeds of self-destruction are inherent and might be the probable outcome. Advanced metaphysicians have all three aspects of divinity in full development or unfolding in a balanced and harmonious way, these three are: the aspects of love/wisdom, power/will, and intelligence/activity. I also believe that we must believe in what we are doing and yes indeed we must in God. I think my strongest point was get a friend feel me as I sent her roses she told someone I get feeling that he is talking to me when he is near but I feel this in my mind. The part I do not believe in reincarnation this I feel is not possible because when you die your soul goes to heaven so not you are not whole so you can not be reincarnated. There where times that I actually felt Jesus when I mediated I actual felt this man touch me and could say it made me feel very warm he is a very peaceful man.

Getting to blow up roes is kind of cool and how you get you energy and you can feel the warmth. People have told me why do you not forget the past but I learned here that you can have no present or future without the past. I also feel many times that Jesus used Metaphysics to communicate will his disciples.

Rev. Bruce R. Wallace

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

Druidism

Some novel characteristics about the druid society included sometimes being led by females. Leading females were sometimes referred to as “Goddesses”. There were occasions in some tribes in which the leaders would engage in ritualized contests, that would result in moving up in power and importance in the tribe. These could be fights to the death.

It appears that the druid philosophy or religion was completely communicated through oral tradition – not a single ancient druid document from the pre-Christian era exists, according to online sources. Song cycles, prayers, instruction in magic and divination were only taught face to face. Because the societies that druids served had written language, this oral tradition apparently served to maintain the secrecy of the teachings. Advanced students were taught at a special school on an island off the coast of Wales. Reportedly, the schooling could take 20 years.

One of the few first had reporters on druids, though he had his own prejudices, is actually the Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar. In “De Bello Galico”, he writes: “…the main objective of all [druid] education is, in their opinion, to imbue their scholars with a firm belief in the indestructibility of the human soul, which… merely passes from one tenement to another… which robs death of all its terrors…”

Central to druid values is the natural world, and in particular sacred groves of trees, in which their most important ceremonies were held. The sun, moon, and even the shapes of clouds and the flight paths of birds were looked to for signs and interpretations to divine the future.

Some controversial reports claim that in their most grisly, druids offered human sacrifices, and read the future by the ways in which the blood ran, or the way the victim convulsed, after a sacrificial knife is plunged into his chest.

According to Lesson Six, this is unconfirmed myth. It is suggested that these notions exist because of prejudices against the druids by the Christian church, which “banned paganism and anyone practicing any of the old rituals.”

Central to druid views is the sacredness and healing power of trees, particularly oak, ash, and thorn. And example of this comes in paper Lesson 8, attributed to druidy.org.

“Approaching a tree we approach a sacred being who can teach us about love and about endless giving. S/he is one of millions of beings who provide our air, our homes, our fuel, our books.. Working with the spirit of the tree can bring us renewed energy, powerful inspiration, deep communion.”

Rev. James D. Connor

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The Four Gospels

First of all I would like to say that this course was very interesting and thought provoking. To be able to choose just one specific area is going to be difficult but I would like to talk about the book of Mathew.

It’s interesting to first note that the gospels are not placed in order in the bible, but rather in the order of what makes sense. I was looking at the estimated dates of when the gospels were written and discovered that the gospel of Mark was actually written first, followed by Luke, then Mathew and finally John.

However, having said this, I find Luke to be the least in depth of all the gospels and Mathew to be the most detailed. I seemed to be constantly drawn toward the book of Mathew for the main reason that it’s the first book in the New Testament and has often been unofficially declared the “New Genesis”, meaning that it is the book that sets the foundation for the New Covenant.

Upon reading the book of Mathew we see that it starts with the outline of Jesus’ lineage demonstrating that His return was indeed foretold from the very beginning, in fact it was talked about in the book of Genesis. In fact it is quickly understood that Jesus is God incarnate and that He is coming to live as man so that He can fulfill the promises for the new kingdom, Jesus has to become a human and live among men not as a rich man but as a man of humility, He is born of a virgin whose husband is a carpenter. This picture of humility is illustrated many times throughout the bible as it is the spirit that is more important, the body is just a temporary shell and as we know, God does many great works through those who are looked down upon by the world. Jesus was no different, He was disrespected by many in His time but He demonstrated great faith and continued to share His teachings to all who would listen. Despite what people thought and said, Jesus was to become the new Adam except this time to live a life that was sinless, in a sense, cleaning up Adam’s mess!

The first part of Mathew talks about the birth of Christ and the visitation of the 3 Magi or Priests. We see right from the get go that Jesus was threatened with death by Herod so He had to be taken to Egypt until it was safe to return to Nazareth.

John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin paves the way for Jesus saying to the people that the Messiah is coming and when He does come, Jesus is baptized by John. We see that in order for the new covenant to succeed, Jesus has to experience all that man has had to experience, including being tempted for 40 days and nights by the devil. What this demonstrates is that Jesus not only became human but it shows that with the faith that Jesus had in His father, man can overcome anything, this is important because in order for Jesus to truly understand what man is, He has to become what man is, including the experiences of man.

After Jesus calls His first disciples, he travels throughout the land performing miracles, which included healing the sick and raising the dead. This is also the time when Jesus lays down the law, so to speak, starting with the beatitudes and reaffirming that the law will indeed be upheld until the end of time and if any of the laws or commandments are broken, they will be called least in the kingdom, but for those who practice and teach the laws, will be great.

Jesus, for those who may have had a memory lapse, provided some refresher courses around the commandments so that all knew what had to be done. Jesus also taught about other things that must happen, from practicing humility, feeding the hungry, loving your enemies, fasting and prayer, just to name a few.

The book of Mathew is a book of great wisdom and is an instruction manual for eternal life and riches. Jesus had never ending wisdom and that wisdom He taught through parables, in fact the book of Mathew is the first we see of the parables and we see 14 of them, the other gospels talk about the parables but in less detail. The idea behind the parables is that if you have the “eyes and ears” needed, meaning the true faith of God, you will understand Jesus’ parables. I have found this in my personal life as I have grown in my faith. When I first started out reading the New Testament, I didn’t really understand, I saw Jesus’ parables as really confusing stories, but now, I have re read them and they make a lot of sense, the depth of such wisdom in them is unparalleled anywhere else, in fact many times in Mathew we see the disciples asking Jesus what He meant by His many stories. This has always been a surprise to me, even after they saw Jesus perform such wondrous miracles, they still questioned their faith and they still questioned Him, can you imagine!

As part of Jesus’ ministry, we see Him cast out demons and thus we have the first exorcisms recorded, and with His great teachings, the disciples learned to do the same thing. This demonstrates and foreshadows on a smaller scale, the predicted defeat of Satan, the defeat that will signal the beginning of the new kingdom.

Mathew is also the book where we see the great sermon on the mount, when Jesus knows that His end is near and He has gathered all in the land to pass on the things that must be done in order for the new kingdom to be successful. The sermon on the mount is what Christians should be abiding by today…He basically has said that we are the body of Christ and that it is important for us to go forth as the arms of Christ and reach out to all that need to be saved, helped and healed. This sermon is probably one of the most important ones in the entire bible and I would say that this is the “backbone” of Christianity.

Jesus demonstrates a couple of times in this book, the awesome power of faith and prayer, specifically demonstrated with Him feeding the five thousand and the four thousand; during these times, Jesus goes off on His own and prays to God demonstrating to the people that God is indeed their provider, as a result all of the people were fed with food left over.

As we approach the end of Mathew, Jesus predicts His death, a death that has to happen in order to fulfill the new covenant. He gives 3 of His disciples a “sneak preview” of what is to come at the resurrection, but He is sure to tell them not to say anything until He has risen. Jesus foretells who is going to betray Him and later as we see, is subsequently arrested, all for things He didn’t do. When looking at this, Jesus is also teaching that just by being a Christian, we will be unjustly persecuted as He was but if you have faith and do not deny Christ, you will enjoy glorification in Christ’s name and have eternal life.

In the final chapters of Mathew we see the fruition of Jesus’ prediction and He is put to death on the cross and 3 days later He rose from the dead in His entire splendor, fulfilling the predictions from Christ Himself.

The book of Mathew is a fantastic book, a book filled with such great wisdom that despite the number of times you read it, there are many treasures to be unearthed. It is a book of hope, of awe, of wonder and excitement, it is a book of things to come, and it is “the new beginning”.

Rev. Jason Casey

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Wiccan

Having been a practicing pagan, and at one point a devout wiccan, for several years I decided to take this course for three reasons, none of which were to actually learn anything new. I took it to see what kind of courses and what quality of courses ULC Seminary offered, to reaffirm the ideals and beliefs that I had already had and ultimately as a step towards completing the ULC Seminary Program. Having taken the course I can honestly say I learned some new things that I had not originally thought I would.

After practicing for almost ten years and doing a fair amount of research on my own I thought I knew a fair amount. However, I discovered through the course that there are different ideologies within Wiccan than those that I personally was taught and followed. In fact some of those ideologies and practices are quite different from my training and practices. I attribute part of this to my specific group following a Celtic Wiccan path and part of it to the differences between Gardnerian, traditionalists and modern eclectic Wiccans see and do things. A good example of this is the different grounding rituals. This course taught a grounding and banishing ritual based on Jewish tradition and my personal grounding and banishing ritual is based on the tree of life.

The course also brought about some new thinking and contemplation on my part. Lessons 6 and 7 on Dowsing and Lessons 8, 23 and 24 on Magic, for example gave me new ideas on spell craft and implementation. Some of the things mentioned are things I already did while others were things I had never even thought off. The magic lesson covering morality was nice to read as I know a lot of my fellow pagans do not have a strong moral compass with regard to magic use and will now have guidance on proper use and disuse.

In short, while I went into this course feeling that I wouldn’t truly learn anything and that is was just a simple step on the way toward my goal; I discovered a wealth of knowledge and view points I hadn’t seen before, which caused me to open my mind a little further and refreshed my thirst for knowledge.

by Justin M. Oles

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Defining Spiritualism

Defining Spiritualism is a very insightful course that gives a terrific overview of how various philosophies have influenced religion and how such extremes in thought developed. It is very helpful in understanding others and how to minister to them – especially those with a more scientific worldview.

The lesson on atheism was very interesting. I always wondered how people could hold this philosophy and where it came from. This philosophy is based on an extreme view of science, and assumes that nothing exists outside of our five senses. It does not recognize our spirit or unconscious mind. It is a very narrow view of the world.

Many of the world’s atrocities were justified by the concept of predestination. This was one aspect of Christianity that I always struggled with. I could never understand how Christians could kill others in the name of Christianity. It was interesting to learn that if someone was not “called” to Christianity then it was assumed that they were somehow “predestined” not to be saved.

In summary, I really enjoyed the course and would recommend it to others. I think it is very important to understand how various philosophies were created and how they have influenced the modern world. As ministers, we need these insights and understanding in order to be of most benefit to those we minister to.

Thank you for making this course available!

Rev. Patricia Buben

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Spirit Quest

Spirit Quest was my favorite course to date. It is a journey that promotes growth, self-awareness and peace of mind. The techniques in forgiveness, grounding and meditation have helped to increase my peace of mind and release negativity. I especially like the protection rose and use it daily to keep me from absorbing negative energy. This was an area that was a problem for me. For many years, I absorbed and was affected by other people’s negative energy. I can notice the difference!

Meditation is very important in quieting the mind and being centered. At first it was hard to sit still for more than 5 minutes; I look forward to it now on a daily basis. It helps to clear my mind and at the same time, I can use techniques to balance my chakras. Keeping your chakras balanced and silver cord cleared helps to promote health in mind, body and spirit.

I use the protection rose every day and find it keeps me grounded and from absorbing negative energy. One of the more interesting lessons was on money and how being reluctant to let it go will make it reluctant to come back to you. It is interesting how we can create more money for ourselves. We need to determine what the money means to us and how much we need to attain our goals and then focus our energy on the specific amount needed using meditation techniques. Since I have been using this technique, I have not worried about money at all! In fact, I hadn’t even thought about it until now.

The newly-published book is a great addition to the course. It is a great reference for both looking up information and for the meditation techniques. Thank you for making this course available. I found it valuable and would highly recommend it.

Rev. Patricia Buben

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A Course In Miracles

I have been studying ACIM for the last seven years. I cannot discuss it with the average Christian in the Bible Belt area in which I live. It is very metaphoric and requires deep thinking but most of all a willingness to question how one could be among the few that was lucky enough to be born in the Bible Belt and to have all the answers to Spiritual questions while the rest of the world is wrong.

At first I had problems believing that a person claiming to be an atheist would have Jesus come directly to her to enlighten our generation about our mis-guidings about the real truth of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Still, something kept me reading and searching for more on line and local classes to help me understand it. Seven years later and a study of the book almost daily, along with the classes I have taken, I find myself with an inner peace I never knew possible. I pray in a totally different manner now, not "Why me Lord?" but "What can I learn from this?" I bless with gratitude my pain as much as my joy for I learn from both to be a better person.

Forgiveness has a total new meaning to me. I no longer forgive because it is the Christian thing to do because God said to do it, but I forgive because we all fall short and to forgive others is to forgive myself when I fall short. Now, I see myself not as separate from others, but one with others, even one with Mother Earth. I bless a blooming flower, singing bird and falling leaves or dead leaves for I am one with them, as well. A car with a handicap stick drove up and suddenly cut in front of me and too the parking place I had been waiting for while the lady was putting away her groceries in the back seat. In the past something like this would have had me fuming not just all day but perhaps for several days. This time I just thanked the Universe that I was not in as much pain as usual and perhaps I could walk a longer distance this day and perhaps the man that took my parking place could not, and I sent him the energy of inner peace and love that I had come to know since I had been reading ACIM.

Fear, shame, and guilt had been the tools I allowed others to use to control me all of my life but now I attempt to stay so forced in divine love that those games of manipulation no longer work on me for perfect love cast out all fear.

In my garden is where my peace seems to unfold daily in my meditations. There are rabbits that come and sit in perfect stillness. Their big eyes seem so wise as if finding a special inner peace. I painted one and put it up by my deck to remind me to choose peace always by refusing to judge, forgiving others and myself, and having a deep gratitude for the simple beautiful things in life. When I am tempted to go the old ways of my past I look up and read "I can choose Peace, instead of this" and I do.

From where ever ACIM came there is a wisdom there that supersedes even the Bible, that gives clarity and understanding to the teachings of Jesus and it has colored my life with JOY … and if there is ever to be a path to peace, I think the teachings of this book will take us there.

Rev. Linda Francis

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Miracle of Prayer

The Miracle of Prayer course was one that I completely enjoyed. It does a wonderful job of taking the concepts from A Course in Miracles and bringing it to a level of understanding so that it can be applied. Each lesson took a concept that I had difficulty with when reading A Course in Miracles and explained it in a simple, yet thorough, way.

I loved the lesson on forgiveness—it completely resonated with me. I learned there are many types of “forgiveness to destroy”. It is an arrogant type of forgiveness that feeds the ego. As a result, it creates negative feelings, guilt and a sense of superiority because you as the person doing the forgiving must be better than the person who wronged you. Any type of forgiveness that causes a sense of guilt is destructive. Forgiveness is supposed to free, not bind the individual. True forgiveness is done for us through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. We cannot do it on our own, but lift it up to God in prayer and let the Holy Spirit do its work.

Another concept that really stood out was the whole concept of prayer as being communion with God, not asking God for preconceived specific solutions. As ministers of God, we must learn to be open, patient and wait for the real answers to come from God through the Holy Spirit. We are teachers, not mediators.

What I got out of this course was much more than I ever would have imagined. I learned that things I have not forgiven in others are the same faults I see within myself. Doing the prayer exercises and visualizations brought me complete peace of mind. The insights that I gained through the new perspectives that this course gave me allowed me to heal my fears and approach everything with love and forgiveness as well as remember to see the Christ in everyone.

Thank you for making this course available. In the past, I had a very difficult time understanding A Course in Miracles. After taking this class, I have a renewed enthusiasm for going back and studying the Course again with a better perspective!

Rev. Patricia Buben

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Prayer, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Metaphysical Healing

I was excited and enrolled in the Master's of Metaphysical Healing class for two reasons. First I am a Master Level Reiki healer and use this almost daily and so I am always interested in other natural and spiritual healing methods. The class paralleled much with my professional training in the three levels of Reiki classed I was certified in a few years ago, so in this way it was a good review. At the same time it went far beyond that, as well, and added even more expertise to my spiritual healing practice. Some of it was far above my comprehension and this is one class I wished I could have taken with hand's on experience.

Almost four years ago I was asked to write and illustrate a biography of the son of a African King who was visiting in the United States. Much of my art, my storytelling, and even my dress is often with an African flavor, and in past life regressions I have been told I have lived there often, and perhaps this is the reason I played with black dolls as a child instead of white ones and I have a house decorated with African art in every room, even the bathroom, and last my nickname is "Tiger;"

Writing the biography of the son of a African King, I learned that King Alu had been married to an African healer and it had been his wives' desire that their son come to the United States and study medicine so that he could combine his professional study with her herbal and spiritual healing. One of the illustrations of the book is a painting of the spiritual doctor gathering her herbs and carrying them in a basket on her head, telling her son as an American plane flew over that one day when he grew up that he would travel to the U.S to study medicine, and she was sure with the two combined that he would make one of the best doctors in African.

Unfortunately, Dr. Alu had to return to Nigeria before I finished his book and communication in his remote village is rare with the outside world unless he travels out of the village. However, perhaps the time will come I will finish the book and travel there when it is published and I can proudly say, "Yes, I have study on a small scale, as a African healer,too."

While the typical degree certificate will with this class I wished the Professor Kruger would also send us a certificate saying something to the affect of, Completed 20 weeks of study in Spiritual African Healing Methods, or at least add something to the regular degree showing the study was in African Healing Methods? Is this possible? I hope so. I want to show my publisher my certificate when my book, King Alu's Last Wish is published.

Rev. Linda Francis

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Paganism

I started on this path as a Pagan 21 years ago. I’ve learned quite a bit about whom I am and that it’s all right to change and go through changes. Change is necessary for our growth. It gives us a chance to learn about who we really are.

When I decided to become a minister I was happy to learn about ULC Seminary. This has been a great decision to me to take courses online and incorporate my own beliefs in a ministerial way.

I just finished the Pagan Course and was happy to see the way it was put together. Sometimes when we have been on a path for many years we can think we either know it all or may not have something else to learn. I took this course with an open mind and heart.

I loved how the Paganism course began with Creation and the story of Chaos. The story was beautifully written and offers a great example of the Goddess and God’s creation and how their love created everything we have.

The history of the Deities was good reading. Breaking up the All into God and Goddess. Transforming into each God and Goddess. I really loved the explanation of the Goddess in her many forms and the God’s many forms. It explains the balance and blending of each and why both are needed and not just one!

Being a Pagan and believing in reincarnation and an afterlife I was glad to get to the lesson on the afterlife. Seeing the difference of a patriarchal religion vs. a matriarchal one. It was nice to see the differences of the names of the afterlife depending on the different pantheons. I also enjoyed reading the article about Immortality and Life after Death written by Stephen Richards included in this lesson.

The Sabbat lesson was well written and easy to follow. I do know about the wheel of the year and practice each holy day but I found the explanations great for novice and practitioner alike. It gave refreshing outlooks to each Sabbat.

Creating sacred space was excellent. I loved how it went through various ways in creating our sacred space. I was glad to see how when we create we must also take down and the reasoning behind that.

Each lesson was well written and I am ever happy to have taken the Paganism course. It gave me some outlooks I hadn’t thought about as a teacher. Thank you for a great course.

Rev. Darlene M. Meehan

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St. Paul

To spend 20 weeks in the study of St. Paul or NOT?, was the question I asked myself twenty weeks ago when I was deciding which class I wanted to take next.

To complete the PhD program I needed 60 hrs and I had already taken the classes I knew I would like, so I took this the Study of Saint Paul by default, telling myself after all Paul was a man who could "almost" make a complete change in his life patterns when shown an enlightened and better way.

Peter and especially St. Paul. were two of the early Christian leaders I felt the least passion for as I studied the history of the Bible. Both Peter and Paul appeared to have turned the axes of the Christian church away from bestowing honor to humankind by balancing ones self with both male and female energy. Thus, the study of Christian church often appears with an aggressive, "power hunger" ego nature, verses a loving, forgiving,, nurturing, peaceful, soulful nature. Governments from which the church had controlled for many years were also ego center and aggressive. After all, most wars were and still are about power to control or religion views (the one and only "right ones"). Peace, that should come with a spiritual enlightened life has yet to be discovered, for the most part, by those of us who call ourselves Christians. Females, until lately, have always been degraded, and even still the movement forward is slow. Attacks, excommunication or even death awaited anyone that so much., as even questioned the creeds or rules of the Christian church. Fortunately, early founders of the United States of America had the foresight to see that the United States constitution took the control of government away from the church. As our citizens were given a free education, at least through the 12th grade, and more and more make the decision to attend college, humankind is regaining it’s female energy from knowledge and the wisdom about the need for balance, the rights of all, and a need for peace if we wish to survive as a world rather than little groups, here and there, pitting against one another for power as each wipe out the other.

After the completion of this study I came to realized Paul himself faced a struggle with the Jews with all of their many rules, narrow mindedness and a need for control when he tried to establish the Christian faith in honor of the teachings of Jesus. Paul was very aware that Jesus saw all men as equal both slave and master, rich and poor, and he also had to see the female was equal to the male, where he liked it or not. Paul does make a point to let us know his views of marriage and perhaps about females in general are his own, not the teachings of Jesus. Perhaps having this weakness of his own flesh enabled him to work more patiently with some of the communities of the early Christian church that wanted to keep the new church strongly leaning in the path of the older teachings of the Jewish community. "Old dogs have problems learning new tricks" as the saying goes, even though they may appreciate and even understand that the new tricks lead to as a better path. In my driving patterns, I can at least have compassion with Paul as I often choose to travel the old rural route rather than take the new modern bypass.

I especially, liked the last class of the course on Spiritual Gifts. As a young age of six and even more as I became an adult, I have been a prophetic dreamer - dreaming of things before they happen and being told how to deal with them when it dose happen. Often I am given a wiser view in which to see the tragic event so that it was not near as traumatic without the knowledge of the dream. At first, I was often troubled by these dreams and asked God not to send them. For a while they actually stopped, but as I grew older and wiser I came to see there was no need to fear these dreams in the least. If flowers need rain, as well as sun, so do we humans. The dreams have returned and now when problems come I asked not. "Why me Lord?" but "What can I learn and how can I grow from this?"

Two days before the 9/11 attacks I saw them in a dream. When a colleague called, "Come quick! Look what just happened," I ran to the television screen to see the second tower hit and knew this was what I had seen in my dream. An angel had appeared as the ashes came down upon my head and feet, telling me to get up and go read from the Bible a passage from Lamentations. (The night of the dream I had awaken and rose from bed the find passage and it read something to the affect, - An Jerusalem shall be destroyed but it will be built even stronger. ) The angel in the dream continued to tell me I had used my own painful childhood to seek God all the more and had found the love and peace within I searched for, and that as tragic as this event would be I was to send love and blessings to both sides, the attackers and those attacked, for both were in pain and needed to know the positive energy of love, for perfect love cast out all fear. The day of the real attack, I stood and watched in tears and horror but even at that moment I sent love to both sides. I have continued to teacher others from that point forth, that hurt people, hurt people, and that the negative energy of fear only attacks more fear. However, love and forgiveness can break the chain of both fear and hurt.

Reading this last lesson on Special Gifts, I came see my dreams are nothing less or more than special gifts from God that I am to use like a great singer to lift the spirits and hopes of others.

In the last few years another of my reoccurring dreams is where I am in a play ground with a partner "see sawing" and I am loving it as if I am a child again. I am thrilled both at being lifted into the sun and the big blue sky, and in love lifting my partner for those brief moments, as well. Then an angle appears and stands in the middle of our "see-saw" and holds us both in perfect balance. We are told to close our eyes, and to slowly breath in and out and then to hold the breath and feel the perfect stillness of balance,. Then the angle continues with advice. "Life is not just about the ups and downs but the perfect stillness - the balance that always takes two. Now as I step off, the two of you balance together," the angel directs us. We do and it is good!

Perhaps the time has come for all humankind to find balance amidst our ups and downs - the yearnings of our souls for perfect peace -Divine Love where "Self" includes all things created on this universe as One Whole, be it male, female, communities, nations or humankind and the flowers, trees, rivers, birds or the sun that greets all with rays of warmth.

Rev. Linda Francis

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Mystical Christianity

I usually take 3 to 4 classes at a time and I open my favorite classes first and Mystical Christianity is always my first lesson to open and read each week. Last year I became interested in the imbalance of the white man's female and male inner emotions as seen by the red man, the American Indians and the effect it had had upon society as a whole. In their tradition there is a legend that the red man will help the white man reclaim himself with balance and save mankind from destruction. As I began to read on this subject I learned that many faiths point to this same turning point and most give a date around 2012. Thus, this class was of great interest to me in learning more about the subject, since of my own dreams were pointing in this direction, as well. I was surprised to learn that details in my dream journals were much like the lectures, books, classes and spiritual teachings of these ancient people from all around the world.

At the same time I was going through great emotional problems in the death of my beloved husband and many health problems that forced me to give up a job I dearly loved and was very good at in counseling children. At first, I could not believe so much misfortune was coming my way all at once, for I felt God had called me to work with children and now I did not have the health to do so. Between the angel that kept appearing in my dreams and this class I have come to accept that I am where I am supposed to be and not to worry about it. Each time a large sum of money was needed for a bill that I owed, I have surrender it to the universe and just before it was due the money showed up from some unexpected source, but also just before it did I would have this inner voice telling me the money was coming.

I am no longer upset over having to give up my joy either. I am seeing the whole so called problem with new vision. Having the health problems that kept me from working on a public job has allowed me much free time at home, writing, painting, reading and enriching my spiritual life in a very personal way. Even thought I felt my calling was to help others it seemed the angels on high needed me right where I was, bound at home so they could help me grow in my spiritual faith of appreciation for simple things of joy. I have learned the art of living in the "Now," not in the past or the future, but finding beauty in my garden, the sound of the rain or birds outside my window, and while I having been living with less in some ways, it seemed to be I had more joy than in all my life before. Also, my grief lifted about my late husband. An angel in a dream came and told me all I grieved for in my loss of him was nothing more or less than the way he allowed God to show through him and that was in me as well by just honoring my highest self. This course has helped listen to these angels in my dreams and to let go of my fears.

Even before my late husband's death an angel appeared telling me I was going to be very unhappy that my husband would be departing but that I was not to give up on life, and wish to go with him for my best and most useful days ahead were yet to come. After my husband’s death he came in my dreams telling me a time was coming soon that I would teach what he taught and showed me for the world needed what I had to share. What he showed me with his example of serene peace was there was no room in this world for guilt, shame, and fear but only non-judgment, forgiveness and unconditional love.

I have no idea the direction my life is to take, the present is still full of physical pain and if I was the same person I was before I took this class I would be living in much fear and depression, but somehow each little weekly lesson has moved me closer to trusting the dreams, and inner voice that comes and promises me I will walk again without pain and teach and guide in a way even more productive in the past. I have an inner peace even in the middle of the storm for I find beauty and love in each moment in some small way and know the energy I honor will come back to me. I no longer ask, "Why me Lord?" I asked, "Now, Lord how can I grow stronger and learn from this?" And yes, I am learning, growing and living in love and peace even in the middle of the storm of life and perhaps soon I will be up and about teaching others to do the same.

By Rev. Linda Francis

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The Four Gospels

The four gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in it's original Greek text gives the reader a better understanding and chance to interpret the events that took place with the gospels and Christ.

With Matthew, one of the ideas that made me stop and think about the wisdom of Christ was when he was with his students in Israel. As he was seated at the table in his house with tax collectors and godless people, with Jesus and his students. The Pharisees said: why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and godless people? Jesus replied: It's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. My interpretation of this is that I'm here to help those that need help with understanding the word of god. Another example was when Jesus said: Don't judge, so that you won't be judged ; you will be sentenced to the same sentence you sentence others, and by whatever standard you measure you will be measured. In our days, as well as then, it is hard not to pass judgment on our fellow man. I will have to make an effort to not judge others and remember that there is only one force in our world to do just that.

It is hard for me to except that Jesus had such awesome power to cure the sick with every disease and every infirmity while making his rounds of all the towns and villages, in their synagogues, proclaiming the good word of the kingdom of god. I sometimes wonder if some of these "miracles" were maybe exaggerated a little when written. The twelve students he refers to are the twelve apostles, one of which is Matthew the tax collector.

According to Mark, John came along, bathing others in the wilderness and announcing the washing of a changed heart for the forgiveness of wrongs is the first Baptisms being held in the Jordan river. The people of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem were admitting their mistakes and John was washing away their sins. I'm glad there's fast food restaurants today, because John's diet of locusts and wild honey would get old fast for me.

Luke's account of Joseph and Mary from the town of Bethlehem is very interesting. Because of a census of the world by Caesar Augustus, everyone was to be registered to their own home town. Joseph was from the city of David and was registered with Mary as his fiancee, who was pregnant. Here, she bore her son, her first born, in a grain crib. A messenger of the lord came and gave the good news that a savior was born to the city of David. This account sounds like the story told so many times at Christmas every year.

John tells the story of Jesus washing the feet of his students, Peter has a problem with the lord washing his feet. Jesus replies that he is just setting the example. He also knew who would betray him. He dunks a piece of bread and offers it to Judas Simon Iscariot. What a toast that must of been.

I learned a lot of important wisdom by reading this book, and I know that it will help me in my daily endeavors. I can only hope that the wisdom of Christ will shape my life and make me a better human being.

Rev. Robert Kenneway

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Religious Philosophy

Why ask “Why?”

Because we need to know.

God created man so that man could create God. Or is it the other way round?

Religion is defined as the expression of man’s belief in and reverence for a higher power, whatever form that may take. Philosophy is the inquiry into the nature of things. Religious philosophy is therefore the inquiry into the nature of man’s belief in and reverence for a higher power. Again, in whatever form that may take. It is therefore appropriate that we ask the question here of why do we need to know the answer to the age-old question, why are we here, how did we get here and what is our purpose?

If Ludwig Feuerbach is right and man did create God in his own image, then why? What purpose does that serve?

I have always believed that we as human beings have the capacity for reason and therefore must ask the question “Why?” Pigs don’t ask why they like to role in mud. They know it helps their physical bodies work better. That is an answer of course. But to a question not asked by the pig, but by us, man. The horse does not ask, “Why does my tail swat at flies?” The horse just knows it does and it feels good. We however as human being are always asking “Why?”

As such, we are a needy species. We spend billions of dollars trying to discover if there ever was or if there still exists life on Mars. Who cares? Well, we do. This is our nature. Now the question here is why do we believe in God, or Gods, or more generically a Higher Power. Is this really the question? Or is the question really what purpose belief or non-belief serves in the human condition?

We have learned in this Religious Philosophy course over a 24-week period that religion takes many forms and serves many different purposes to the different people of our global community. The Western religions of one God and the multiple Gods and the personal enlightenment religions of the East and South exist side by side on this planet. Each answering questions of how we handle the great problems of social interaction, internal self-awareness and our battles to dominate or co-habitate, with our planet and the political boundaries, however arbitrarily drawn. We have all attempted to ask not does God exist but how does the existence or non-existence of God benefit us in our lives on this planet?

We turn to our personal belief systems to seek the answers to all the questions that our minds must ask. For me personally this begs the question raised in lesson number four, The Savage Philosopher. Are we just the result of centuries of common acceptance of believable answers? Faith requires no proof. Belief in God works, therefore God exists to answer the questions of our times. Each society shapes those answers as best they can and religion, a reverence for a higher power, acts as an opiate as Dr. Karl Marx suggested.

We spend billions of dollars each year as a species on scientific research to prove either the reality of God’s work or the success of nature with or without God. Regardless of the aspect of who is right and who is wrong as to the existence of God, or one or more Gods or not necessarily knowing the answers, but looking to oneself for enlightenment and therefore spiritual success. The fact of the matter is, and will continue to be that we as human beings have a need to ask questions, a need to debate the answers and ultimately a need to decide which answers best fit our own needs. Whoever we are on this planet.

The answer to our question of why we need to know is that it is our nature, God-given or not. We ask why and we expect an answer. Religion offers answers, and for the vast majority of us those answers are acceptable. Three hundred thousand Atheists are not wrong. They just accept a different answer to the same questions.

Rev. Kirk Haas

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COMPARATIVE RELIGION

Final Essay

Rev. John R. Greisen

This course gives an insight to each of the major religions. Also it identifies the reasons for the sub groups or spin-off religions, and how they differ from the parent religion. I feel that it is imperative to have a strong understanding of the parent religion to understand the belief structure of the spin-off religions. Without this understanding, we can not understand why there are so many religions that feel that they are the “true” religion, or that they are the only way to achieve salvation. It is interesting how so many religions can believe in the “One True God”, but are so adamant that they are right and everyone else is wrong and could face eternal damnation for believing in their personal religion. It is also very enlightening to see how many of the “main” religions owe their traditions and beliefs to many pagan beliefs.

As stated above, the thing that I liked about this course is the knowledge and insight to religions that I had heard about but did not have a working knowledge of their belief structure. The layout flowed in a logical progression and did justice to most of the religions. (I will discuss some of the areas I feel could be improved later)

Probably one of the problems that arise is the use of titles and beliefs. Being foreign to many of the readers I feel that a glossary and explanation of the pronunciation of the words would improve the study. This could be placed at the end of the course or at the end of each chapter.

The area of this course that I feel does it a disservice is using Google to explain a religion. I am well versed in the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) (Mormons). Much of the rhetoric I have read and heard before. The question of whether the LDS church is Christian or not can be answered in the true name “Church of JESUS CHRIST…”. The title “Mormon” is like a nick name and has caused much confusion. Be assured the “Mormon” church is a Christian church. The main scripture used by the church is the King James version of the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Convents. All of these state the belief in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior.

I know that the “Mormon” church is more than willing to discuss their beliefs. This would be a good source rather than Google.

The course just scratches the history of the Roman Catholic religion, I know this could be a course by itself if one delves in to the church's history. It would be of benefit to learn more of the history to understand how the church has evolved to its status today.

The chart showing the religions and how they relate to each other was helpful in understanding some of the belief structure and how it developed.

I do feel that this is a very good course for a basic understanding of several of the known and not so well known churches in today’s society.

Yes, I would be interested in taking another course from Rev. Kythera Ann. Her material flows and is easy to understand, except for the areas discussed above.

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics, as well as courses in Mystical Christianity, Buddhism and Comparative Religion. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Spirit-Quest

Beginning with the very first discourse, I began a life changing journey and the development of tools that I anticipate using throughout the rest of my life. The concept of setting Spiritual Goals was my first revelation. I have been good about setting goals in my life but took spiritualism for granted, I had not ignored it, but realized that I have not taken a proactive role in the process. Then, Discourse 2 hit me between the eyes. I have been working on the blessing of unconditionally forgiving others for years, the problem was, that I could not forgive myself for choices I had made that caused pain to others. Even if I knew they had forgiven me, I had no idea how to forgive myself. The lessons pertaining to meditation, imaging, grounding, energy, and the creation and blowing up of roses gave me a venue where I could picture what self forgiveness would feel like and rid myself of the negative energy that kept those self hate feelings alive. I learned through subsequent lessons how to manage positive energy more effectively and put out my intentions to God and the Universal Energy that flows from and back to God. In this way, I knew that my intent reached our Creator and in a loving way, my prayerful meditations were answered. I was surprised and amazed at how powerful the exercise of mocking up an intent and then visioning the intent as if it were already reality could be. Through this process, the way I look at life and the abundance provided by God’s Universe changed in a most profound way.

Another aspect of this course has also had a profound impact on my life. During my meditations, I began to see how my ego and worldly self has been an obstacle to connecting with my spiritual self. The idea of being created in perfection by perfection took on life. I began to understand that to be created in the likeness of God did not mean a physical appearance, but deep within is the spiritual likeness that only by shedding the bonds of ego could I begin to reach and actualize. The spiritual qualities that I had searched externally for and prayed to possess were already present. It was my task to remove the obstacles and tap into the God within. Only then, did I finally realize what a Spiritual Journey really was. I continue to build upon this daily, always aware that ego lurks just outside the cocoon of divine light. That not only I, but all people have the same origin and are created in perfection, by perfection, and for perfection. We are all related and come from one original source. Not only has this course given me a more energized and enlightened way to see myself but to see others in that same light. I truly know what it means never to look down on another person unless you are lifting them up.

The course in its entirety has been a help and a blessing. These are but a few of the high points that have made my life and ministry richer. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

Rev. Michael Babb

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Wiccan Basic Training

The Wiccan Basic Training Course did not hold my interest as much as the other courses I have taken though the ULC Seminary. I truly had misgivings when I found most of the course online at another website and for free. By time my concerns were passed onto the Seminary, Lord Skywalker had passed into the Summerland. Perhaps communication with him would have removed the barrier I had erected regarding the validity of this course.

That being said, Lord Skywalker touched on many subjects and showed the variety, scope and depth of Wicca.

This is obviously a subject which cannot be learned through reading but must be lived. The course was written from personal experience and holistic viewpoint, unlike some agenda driven books I’ve read on Wicca and practitioners encountered. Any magik works and ceremonies were pleasant, gentle and always reminding of the nature of magik and its power, his web links fun and informative.

I particularly liked the lessons on pendulum use and dowsing. These were non invasive uses of energy and fun to play with. As with all Wicca, practice, total concentration and dedication made worlds of difference in the outcome. I found the most successful attempts at these occurred when I didn’t have any stimulant in my system i.e. coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar. Windy days seemed to interfere with dowsing as I couldn’t keep a steady energy going and consecrating the dowsing tool with the element searched for seemed to make a positive difference in the outcome.

The Banishing Lesson #24, confused me, why were Wiccans using the Hebrew Kabbala and invoking the Hebrew God Yahweh and archangels Rapheal, Gabriel, Auriel and Micheal? And then end with an Irish blessing? All the components, deities and rituals are familiar to me; I’ve not encountered them in this combination. This lesson just didn’t have the feel of the other lessons, although it does demonstrate the variety and freedom Wicca allows.

I would recommend this as an introduction to Wicca; it appears some on the Forum has taken to filling some of the blanks left by Lord Starwalker’s passing, thank you.

A personal note, Wicca is an earth religion; therefore the practice of it is subject to one’s surroundings. The ceremonies, herbs, simple feasts, garments or lack of, tools etc…in my opinion, should reflect and be a part of the natural surroundings. The ethics, soul and spirit of Wicca is universal, the practice is regional.

May the Energy Which Animates Your Heart bring your Hearts desire, and the Lord and Lady bring their Blessings.

Rev. Linda Spicer

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Sunday, April 06, 2008

Religious Philosophy

To say that I enjoyed the Religious Philosophy course is a great understatement.

Granted that many of the materials presented were familiar but that’s not unusual for anyone that has been studying religion and religious topics for any length of time. Nevertheless, it was presented in such a manner that made it refreshing and thought provoking. This aspect alone is a monumental credit to its author, Robert Chamberlain.

Recently, I read an article on the value of studying religion and philosophy. The author of that article stated that the study of religion is not only for the religious but for all who see that religion is a key element in all cultures. For those who are so inclined to study religion in search of that truth, this course offers an excellent launching pad for that study. It has provided valuable information as well as establishing a solid base for questions that will be asked of ministers and clergy throughout their careers.

In today’s world, conservatism seems to be the norm. People are scrambling to establish or re-establish their roots while all around them, societal standards that seemed so solid and viable are crumbling. While people regroup and reassess, understanding, compassion and acceptance are placed on the backburner and all too often, other groups suffer under the weight of scrutiny. This is especially true in view of recent acts of violence in the name of religion and religious beliefs. Eastern religions known for their passivity and quiet mysticism usually do not fare any better than their western counterparts.

Most religions espouse peace and compassion as fundamental values and issue volumes of works justifying that philosophy. Ironically, it is religion that inflames passions and directs action, often expressed in horrid acts of violence that helps man progress as he attempts to understand peace and compassion as a way of life. Most of our great way- showers and examples of living have been embroiled in violence and controversy before their messages were accepted or even considered. The study of religion will always engage controversial concepts and questions. How we respond to these questions will determine whether or not personal and communal growth happens.

Throughout the course, I was impressed with the unbiased and objective presentation of various religious viewpoints worldwide. This provided insights into my own opinions and feelings on many topics and I must admit to my surprise, I came up short a few times when compared to the material presented in the course. It certainly has been a growth experience.

I was also impressed that a comprehensive study of various religious philosophies could provide the possibility of a unifying faith that borrows readily from other belief systems. Think about it! a belief system or religion that takes into account everyone’s feelings and opinions and is able to coexist. In the words of John Lennon….”Imagine all the people…living for today….A brotherhood of man….Imagine all the people ..Sharing all the world”

I was further impressed by a final essay written by a recent graduate wherein she related her story of a spiritual journey that spanned her entire adulthood. It was so similar to my own experiences that it was uncanny. Having started out studying in a traditional setting and steeped in denominationalism (Roman Catholicism), I spent some years in a religious community studying for the priesthood. If nothing else, it set the course for a very interesting live, certainly not traditional by any means and as I often state…”I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” I look forward to future courses from the seminary…thanks

By Rev. Ernest Kayorie

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