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These are some of the most amazing stories about what a great job our Universal Life Church ministers are doing. These are stories of why they became ordained, the courses they've taken, and the great things they are doing with their ministries.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Universal Life Church

Some very important info that was sent to me by an Attorney Friend anddddddddddd  it is free!

ATTORNEY'S ADVICE - NO CHARGE 

 Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday.  Maybe we should all take some of his advice!  A corporate Attorney sent the following to the employees in his company.

     1.
Do not
sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED."

     2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card Accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line.  Instead, just put the last four numbers.  The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.

     3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home Phone.  If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address.  If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address.  Never have your SS# printed on your checks.  (DUH!)  You can add it if it is necessary.  But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

     4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine.  Copy both sides of each license, credit card, etc.  Y ou will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call to cancel.  Keep the photocopy in a safe place.  I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad.  We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

    Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have firsthand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. 

    Within a week, the thieve(s) ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more.  But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:

     5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately.  But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call.  Keep those where you can find them.

     6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen.  This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.) 

     7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number.  I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the internet in my name.  The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit. 


    By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done.

    There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert.  Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in).  It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

    Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, etc., that has been stolen:

      1.) Equifax: 800-525-6285

      2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742

      3.) TransUnion : 800-680
-7289


     
4.) Social Security Administration               (fraud line):       800-269-0271

We pass along jokes on the Internet; we pass along just about everything.

If you are willing to pass this information along, it could really help someone.


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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.


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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Religious Philosophy

Michael S Barth
Master of Religious Philosophy Final Essay
            This was a terrific course about religious philosophy.  Prior to this course, I had never to a philosophy course at all.  This course was very interesting to me.  Some of the terminology I had knowledge of but had never considered that these terms would be in a religious philosophy class.  There was some information that I had no prior knowledge of before taking this course.
            The format of this course is excellent.  The way the lessons came and the way the information was presented made it real easy for me to read and learn at the same time.  Some of the new information in this course got me to think about things or put a new light on information that I already knew.  I would have never imagined that I would really enjoy this philosophy course.  In the past, I would have passed over this class and probably would have taken something else instead, but something caught my eye about this course.  I am glad that I took this course and this course got me to think about religion in general.
            The first thing I learned in this class was the difference between what a World Religion course or a Comparative Religion course and what this class was going to cover.  I thought this was going to be another Comparative Religions/World Religions type class but it was not like that.  This course looked at the very essence of religion itself.  After the first lesson, I realized I was in for a great time with this course.  I also did not know that religious philosophy is a newer field of study.  I would have thought this field of study would have been around a lot longer than it actually has been.  I did not know that religious philosophy had started in the first half of the 1800's in Germany by a philosopher by the name of Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach.
            I am glad that the instructor of this course gave definitions to terminology and the way the terms were going to be used in this class.  There were quite a few new terms for me in this course which is always helpful.  I also learned where some of the terms came from (e.g. Latin, Greek, etc.)  This I found very helpful since I had no prior knowledge of this.
            This course taught me the difference between what organized religions is versus what a cult is.  Before this course, I had always wondered how cults were defined by people and philosophers.  I found the 5 points/questions to be very helpful in helping me in how to determine a cult.  I also liked how religion was defined in this course, too.  Even with both definitions of cult and religion, I still found it very interesting that there is no fine line between cult and religion as pointed out in the case studies in Lesson #3.
            Other topics in this course that I enjoyed learning about include religious forms (e.g. individualistic, communal, shamanistic, ecclesiastical), religious classifications, and ecclesiasticism.  This course taught how religion is viewed from the philosophy point of view which is very helpful to me.  This is one of the best courses that I have had throughout my life.  I would take another course like this again.  I benefited from this course greatly.
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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.
Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.
The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.
Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Monday, January 26, 2009

Spiritual Awareness

Michael S Barth
Doctor of Spiritual Awareness Final Awareness

       This is one of the most interesting classes that I have taken.  In the first lesson, the instructor said that there would be new things we would learn and there would be old things where we would look at them in new ways.  The instructor was definitely right.  I did learn a lot of new things and I am definitely looking at old ways in a new light.  This really blew my socks off when I was going through this course.
            The first thing that got my attention was a quote by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce.  Chief Joseph said "We are not humans having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience."  This quote by Chief Joseph really hit home with me.  This was the first time I had seen this quote.  It sticks out because it really went against my thinking the first time when I had read it.  But as I went through the course, I realized that Chief Joseph is right.  We are "spiritual beings having a human experience."  We are all spiritual beings that are here to learn lessons that would take a lot longer if we just stayed as spiritual beings.  All of us, as spiritual beings, need to have this human experience to learn the lessons that we need to learn.  These lessons could be such things as dealing with anger or jealousy.
            I liked the lesson on evolution.  At first, I was trying to figure out how evolution had to deal with spiritual awareness and that thought was quickly answered.  I had never considered before that the spirit evolves into higher and higher levels of being.  I had never thought before that as a spiritual being, that we could evolve into higher beings.  In science class, I was always taught about how species evolve to adapt to new environments but never thought that spirits did the same thing to learn new lessons to evolve into higher levels of being.  In the past, I figured that I had been on this planet before because of dreams that I have had and that I have been to places and have said that I have been here before but not in this lifetime.
            I like the section about choice.  I never considered the fact before that we make choices and we can either learn or lose by our choices.  By our choices, we also decide on how we are going to learn the lessons that we have chosen.  This fact was totally new to me and I had never thought about my past and current choices that I have been making.  Over the years, I have learned many lessons through good and bad choices which I never had thought about before taking this course.  Both the good and bad choices have taught me lessons that I needed to learn as a spiritual being.
            The section about balance really got me thinking about myself.  I tend to act in extremes.  With me, there seems to be no middle ground.  One minute, I could be really happy and then the next minute, I could blow up with anger at someone for something that they said or did.  Obviously, this is just one example with me but I need to find balance and try to find that middle ground.  I have been this way as far as I can remember in this lifetime and only since I have been taking this and other courses here at the ULC Seminary has it occurred to me that I need to be more loving and find more balance in my life.
            I loved the section on Universal Laws.  I did not realize that there were so many of them but saw some that I need to apply.  The Law of Abundance is one that I need to apply and have started applying since I started taking this course.  I have started branching out more in my educational pursuits.  The Law of Action is another one I needed to apply because I kept waiting for things to happen but the things never happened.  I have been applying more of this Law of Action such as trying to understand things better and trying to learn about things that I am interested in.
            This course is one that I could keep writing about since I learned a lot of new things and look at things completely different.  This course really got me thinking about things which is great.  I know that I need keep applying the Universal Laws.  Now, I know that I am a spiritual being here learning new lessons that I need to learn so I can keep become a higher and higher level of beings.  This class was wonderful.  I wish I had taken it sooner than when I did but I am glad that I took it now.  I loved all the new things I learned and how this course got me to look at my old ways in a new light.


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Ordination with the Free Online Ordination button.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.


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Buddhism

Michael S Barth
Master of Buddhism Final Essay
            This course about Buddhism was fascinating.  I have heard people talk about it but I never knew too much about Buddhism.  I felt that this course was presented well with great explanations of Buddhism terms and ideas/concepts were.  I started learning things about Buddhism from the very first lesson that I received to the very last lesson.
            I really loved the first lesson and how Buddhism got started.  I did not know that Buddha meant the enlightened one.  I always had thought that Buddha was the actually name of the person who started and founded Buddhism.  I did not know that the Buddha's actually name was Siddhartha Gautama.  I found his early life, before founding Buddhism, very fascinating.  I was very surprised that he had never left his home until he was 29 years old.  I also learned that the Bodhi Tree- the Tree of Enlightenment- was the tree that Siddhartha Gautama was sitting/meditating under when he experienced enlightenment.  I also enjoyed how he set out to explain to people how he had found enlightenment.
            I also liked learning about the Four Noble Truths.  I had heard of the term the Four Noble Truths before taking this class but did not know what the Four Noble Truths consisted of.  I am glad that this class went into each of the Four Noble Truths and how the Buddha explained them to his first disciples.  I had also had heard the term the Eightfold Path but did not know what the eight different points were in the Eightfold Path.  I enjoyed how this course described the Eightfold Path.
            The topic of the Three Jewels was totally new to me.  I had never heard of the Three Jewels before.  I was really grateful that the Three Jewels (The Buddha, The Dharma, and The Sangha) were explained beautifully in this class.  This class went into some detail about the Three Jewels and learned quite a lot about the Three Jewels.  Also, I enjoyed the lesson about the Buddhist Councils that were held and what was discussed at these council meetings.  I liked how this course explains how the world ended up with different branches of Buddhism that came out of the Second Buddhist Council.
            I liked the section on how Buddhism spread into the different countries in Asia and then into the West.  I feel that it is too bad that some of these countries that people practice Buddhism have tried to control Buddhism or eliminate Buddhism (e.g. China, etc.).  I was surprised that the Dalai Lama had been exiled from Tibet since 1979.  I know who the Dalai Lama is but did not know he had been exiled for so long.
            Karma was covered in this class and I was glad that I learned how and what Karma is and is not.  The Wheel of Life was something totally new to me.  I did not know that there is a pig, rooster, and a snake at the very center or that the two paths around the center are the dark path and the white path.  I also did not know before about the six realms around the Wheel of Life.
            Some other topics I enjoyed learning about include enlightenment, meditation, and the different branches of Buddhism.  I did not know that the Dalai Lama was the leader of Tibetan Buddhism.  I had previously had thought that he was the leader of all Buddhists in the world.
            This was a great course for me.  I learned a lot and each lesson contained a lot of information that I had never known before and could go on much longer about all the other things that I learned in this course.  I am glad that I took this course because I think it is important for me to know about other religions/philosophies when I do my work with people.  I think this class is worth taking and I think that this course would broaden the horizons of a lot of people who do not know very much about Buddhism.
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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. 
 
Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. 
The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.  
Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

The Life of St. Paul



Michael S. Barth
The Life of Saint Paul Final Essay
            After going through this course about the Life of Saint Paul, I am truly amazed at what he had to put up with when he was spreading the news about the Life of Jesus Christ.  I had no idea about the amount of geography that Paul had to cover in that day and it is amazing that Paul covered it with the transportation that was available in that day.  I was also amazed that Paul had been a Pharisees before spreading the news of Jesus.  I would have never guessed that he persecuted the early Church before helping go out and help it spread.
            I also did not know before taking this class that Paul, his Roman name, was used after his conversion and that he was called by his Jewish name of Saul.  This had caused me confusion in the past but now understand the Bible better with the clarification of his name.  I also did not know that he was a member of the Benjamin Tribe and that he had a sister and son.  I found Paul's early life very intriguing with Paul being raised in Tarsus and being a student of Gamaliel.
            I found his conversion very intriguing too.  I had not known before that he converted after seeing and talking to Jesus Christ while Paul was on the way to Damascus to persecute the early Church there.  I also learned that he was left blind and was astonished.  It surprised me to learn that he was greeted in Damascus with the salutation of Brother.  I learned that it was here in Damascus that Paul developed his approach to teaching the Gospel by entering the first Jewish synagogue.
            I am glad that Paul started teaching the Gospel to the Gentiles because if Paul had not, I do not think I would be a Christian now-a-days.  Also, I am glad that Paul put his effort into spreading the Gospel because Christianity might not be the religion it is today and may have never spread.  Paul's missionary journey's were just amazing to me like doing all that walking and sailing that Paul did to reach his destinations.  I am glad that Paul did not give up either especially after being beaten, jailed, or left for dead.  It goes to show how courageous Paul was and how Paul was dedicated to spreading the Gospel.  I do not think I would have that strength to continue even if Jesus Christ was by my side.
            I am glad that Paul's Letters are still in existence, even if they are copies now-a-days.  I think his epistles go to show what early believers went through.  The temptation the early believers put up with was amazing even if they did fall to temptation.  I am glad to see that Paul kept encouraging the early believers to stick to the path of Jesus Christ and not to give into the devil.
            Paul's trip was incredible to me because of the hardship on the ship and on the island.  I am glad that the centurion, Julius, treated Paul kindly.  I also find that Paul's poisonous viper bite is not fatal and this shows to me that God does exist and that God did not let the poison kill Paul.  It was hard for me to learn about how Paul died in Rome.  I think that Paul showed his faith in God by going to Rome and not running away from his trial and punishment.
     I think that taking this course was a great experience for me.  I liked the study questions that were at the end of the lessons.  The study questions were really helpful to me in figuring out what was important to learn.  The questions also helped me concentrate on the lesson(s) involved.  This course was very worthwhile because I learned a lot about Paul that I never knew before and this course straightened some confusion out that I had about Paul.  I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to know about the Life of Saint Paul.


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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.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Friday, January 23, 2009

Spiritual Awareness

Insights Into Spiritual Awareness
Rev. Thomas A. Voss
My first encounter with a 'spiritual' teacher was a regular Sunday school class taught by Dorothy Johnson at Christ Church Episcopal.  I was six.  Though I really tried to be a true believer, by the time I was a teenager I was not buying into the Christian explanation of the cosmos. Now I'm not certain we could accuse the Episcopalians of being too spiritual.  
The reasons I saw for non-believing were written in the Christian Bible.  The whole of the Old Testament to me is simply Jewish folklore no different than the tales told of Gilgamesh on the cuneiform tablets from Sumer.  Many bible stories seem to be like those coming out of the cities of Akkad or Ur from where Abraham and his clan came forth to the land of Canaan. The stories of the flood, for example, are too similar to be talking about different historic events.  As the tales were told and retold by the descendants of Abraham they eventually formed the book of Genesis. In the West we inherited Adam and Eve, Noah, and his Ark – not the Mesopotamian hero with his rafts.
There is a real problem with any "god" that would tell a Jewish general like Joshua to descend upon the cities of the Canaanites (his cousins) and kill every man, woman and child therein because Canaan was the "promised land." Wow – That just sounds like a very poorly disguised justification for mass murder and stealing land from the descendants of Ishmael.  And, they're still doing it!  God doesn't tell people to kill their cousins or anyone else. Nearly everywhere on Earth nature is proactive about life. From single celled microbes to whole galaxies it is clear that Universal Intelligence is abundantly creative not destructive.
Another baffling segment of Judeo-Christianity is the tradition of sacrifice. Apparently for thousands of years their god was satisfied through the offering of bled out, burnt, dead goats, sheep, or birds even his own son - the "Sacrificial Lamb!"  Whoa!  What kind of a mind does it take to be pleased by the death of innocent beings – over and over, again and again?  Well, the truth is, I think, those "offerings" allowed the priests to eat very well and the god took all the bad press. Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tsu and others touched upon real power and experienced Universal Intelligence then, priests and scribes (the literate people) came along and wrote those experiences in a bible form so as to create a hierarchy with themselves on top.      
The memories of when I became less Christian, un-enchanted with the bible, and more eclectic are dim.  What people said back then about my change escapes me now.  I do remember that life seemed less certain because there were so many different spiritual ideas.
There is so much out there that talks about what is or is not spiritual. It could be so that from each and all these sources we are getting little bits and pieces of the Great Puzzle. The Celestine Prophecies certainly are a part of the answers and the questions we seek. Teaching people about the Insights is a good idea if only to expand their horizons.  Within Reverend King's course her discussions of the First and Fourth Insights were the most moving for me.  And, I particularly liked all the different exercises she provides such as the "Sacred Place", the "Shadow Exercise," and "Awareness through Movement."
Awareness is everything for homo-sapiens. Awareness of our awareness is the crowning attribute of the species. Without it we would've all been eaten alive long ago.  Without it we wouldn't have begun to have questions about the hereafter. We wouldn't wonder about the cosmos and there would have never been a Stonehenge or Hubble Telescope.
All people need to take notice of those little incidences of life (First Insight) that may in fact bring life altering adjustments on their path to enlightenment.  The more a person observes coincidence in life the more he or she understands that there is a power operating behind all the pettiness and egotism. "Becoming conscious of the reality of coincidences and developing an awareness of their message and meanings constitutes the first step to evolving consciously and more quickly." These words of Reverend King summarize the First Insight. It is the beginning of our own involvement in our own spiritual evolution.  
We need to teach the First Insight and the others to everyone. When someone is on a path to spiritual evolution it isn't likely he or she is going to go out to kill anybody, (unless, of course they're a crazed, misguided Muslim looking for heaven and a bevy of 'heavenly' virgins.) These poor sons o' Muhammad are just more proof that we need to teach the Insights to everyone. I certainly intend to teach what I can about each of the Insights along with Rev. King's exercises such as the "Sacred Place" and meditation among others. We must get people started.
It is my prayer that we do not have to wait for long to reach some sort of "critical mass" before real positive effects of spiritual cognizance can be lived here on Earth. From where I'm standing a thriving, new spiritual awakening around the world is growing, but slowly. The people dying of aids, starvation, and e-coli in Africa haven't any room to think of their spirituality; slow death owns their whole minds and souls. The Near East is at war and boys and girls blow themselves up in the name of their god!  In Western countries including the United States, people are spiritually challenged by having to live what I call "capital slavery." 
Capital slavery is a nation living under the illusion of freedom while it takes both parents working long workweeks and maybe some "side jobs" just to make ends meet.
When house payments are missed whole families are put in the street in a matter of days - their banks do pretty well, though. . . When they make mistakes the government hands them bailouts while the capital slaves get taxed more to pay for them. Over 40% of the people's time and money goes toward taxes. People barely have time to work and get their kids around to soccer practice. And, if they can make it to church on Wednesday nights and/or Sunday services that's about all the "spiritual awareness" for which they have any money or time to experience.
Most the people get a couple weeks vacation time each year. But, over three quarters of them can't afford to go anywhere entertaining or just to relax, let alone to study spiritual enlightenment. Oprah mentioned on her TV show that she has spent some time studying inner awareness and spiritual things. Evidently having complete economic security presents opportunities that most Americans do not ever see.
That's because most people in Western civilization are slaves of capitalism and fundamental to all capitalism is materialism.  So much of the time like the proverbial donkey, capital slaves have the "proverbial carrot" hanging just above their heads. They plod away their lives on paths they never see and are forever trying to catch up to their carrot; it might be a car, a new, HD, flat screen TV, it can be anything that is for sale.  Whatever it is, it keeps them deeply in debt with credit cards maxed out wondering when their life will have some meaning.
Truly, economic systems are the bane of spirituality. That's what the "Awakening" is up against. Within our beloved economic system are embedded the very power struggles that keep people shut off from Universal Energy. I hope the Celestine Prophecies and Reverend King are correct in what she wrote in Lesson 16 about the negativity over the last two thousand years being collected and will be eliminated so as to allow the cycles beginning in the new millennium to start fresh.
Perhaps in this century's fresh start will come a socio-economic system that doesn't have greed and materialism at its foundation.  I haven't a clue what that could be but it isn't Devine Right of Kings, Communism, or Socialism – these have shown their inherent weaknesses and they make real slaves of men, women, and children.  One powerful condition that will help usher in spiritual awakening and social change is that there are so many of us who want something more than extreme debt in our journey.
Through the light of the Fourth Insight we see one of the most important steps of the entire journey. Each of us must learn and then teach others about sources of energy and it's misuse. They must become aware of the "Master Addiction" and the "psychological lift" they are getting through present strategies of communication and interaction with others.  Most of all they need to know how stealing energy from others cuts them off from the truth and real energy. 
Eric Berne aside – Lesson 4 touched me more than any of the other lessons. Long ago I didn't care for Mr. Berne's book or Trans-actual Analysis simply because it isn't necessary to teach people how to divide their minds into multiple personalities in order to help them. The one personality they have is already complicated enough.
Part I and Part II of Lesson 4 are good processes for getting people to be in touch with a new path to energy. Connecting to our own "higher wisdom", understanding competition, and energy are all about the first steps to spiritual consciousness.  It was Lesson 4 that was sent to me via e-mail to show me what Reverend King's course was going to be.
When I first read it I knew she had something good to say and, I will be using it in to teach others.  The best way to show a congregant is by being. Next, the minister needs some processes as Reverend King placed in the course.  Through out the course there are wonderful exercises and process she teaches to help the reader and later, his or her flock. I would use first, as she did, the sacred place exercises.  From there she has constructed a stairway to allow us to show our people the way to becoming a Multi-sensored being in the new millennium as in the Ninth Insight.
We have to do some work about getting people to drop their baggage.  L. Ron Hubbard called it "getting clear."  EST called it "getting it."  What needs to happen for the client is a disassociation from their habits and new cognizant processes formed to move them toward the light. That may take a week, month, or a lifetime. Only the "congregant" will be able to say – it depends on how badly they need their problems. It is about overcoming their present personality and who they think they are and giving them the tools to move beyond their world of only five senses to the richer association between their personality and their soul.  This being will "sense" with the spirit for that which is spiritual and the normal everyday senses i.e. "the Multi-sensored Being." 
Reverend King said, "Understanding the Fourth Insight is a matter of seeing the human world as a vast competition for energy and essentially, power. When we can stop depending on control as the sole impetus for change, the Universe guides us and puts the mystery back into life and makes us feel truly alive again." I believe if we teach just the essence of Lesson 4 alone we will change the world.  People would immediately recognize their control measures and how needless they really are. When congregants do see, we can show them the process of connecting with the Universal Intelligence and its abundant energy.
The Seventh Insight tells us to focus on beauty, iridescence, and mindfulness then let these lead us to intuition.  The persons from whom we need answers and information will be placed in front of us. It teaches us our dreams and daydreams contain information and that we need to focus to glean from them what is there for us. Again, within Lesson 6 and Lesson 7 regarding the Seventh Insight Reverend King teaches exercises and processes (tools) to help her students and then, their students to focus on the environment, learn to build energy, ask the right questions, tell the difference between intellect and intuition, and then to follow intuition. 
The lesson of the Seventh Insight is all about evolving consciously and staying alert to the things the Universe provides. . . in other words – Awareness.  To teach people to be aware and open to the Universe is our mission or, at least it is my mission and Reverend King has provided some fine methodology to use every day.
"How will society change in the coming millennium as a result of the growth in awareness and conscious evolution?  What is the reason for people being here on this planet?  What is the spiritual intent and meaning of life?"
Wow!  Would that I could know all that.
I would hope that in this millennium people will stop the vicious competition for energy and power.  When that happens we will be a kinder, gentler race. We will focus more on the real things in life rather than materialism and "One upsmanship."  Perhaps 'power' will come to mean electricity and nothing else. We will come to know that, "Love is not an intellectual concept or a moral imperative. It is the background emotion that exists when one is connected to the energy available in the universe. . ."
Michael Murphy is saying that there are extraordinary human abilities in communication and the paranormal that will be far more prevalent in this millennium.  I look forward to that; there do seem to be more and more people talking about and willing to explore things like ESP and other psychic abilities  
If one is a Christian then one is on the planet to please and believe in Jesus the son of God and that will get you to "heaven." If one follows Islam then one has calloused knees and awaits Allah to take s\he to a different "heaven."  I'm not too sure exactly what awaits Gods people - Israel, but it is another heaven, I think. . .  If you are Hindu you get to keep reincarnating into new bodies until you get it right – karma and all, then, you get to join the "One" much like Lao Tsu's "Tao." At any rate, each man and woman has their own answer as to why they are on the planet.  Hopefully gaining spiritual consciousness is a big part of that.  For all we know this is already heaven and it's up to us right here to make and keep it that way.  The Ninth Insight says that, that is so and we all will learn to vibrate at a higher level and stay right here.
The spiritual intent of life is to evolve above materialism while respecting and nurturing body, mind, and spirit.  The meaning of life is to nurture and love all peoples, especially the little ones and leave our little corner of Earth a better place than we found.  
All in all I really enjoyed the course, Insights Into Awareness.  Reverend Elizabeth King did a great job in bringing the Insights to my level of understanding.  I have never read the Celestine Prophecies and I probably won't.  I am not one to readily believe in reincarnation and/or vibrating until others can't see me. But these things are only the 'frills' of Reverend King's course, not the meat – like having a 'savior' for Christians.  Just as there is so much more to Christianity in the teachings of Jesus than in some need to believe he was sort of a sacrificial lamb who was brutally murdered for my sins, there is far more in Reverend King's course than souls zipping on and off the planet gaining karmic knowledge.  It isn't likely that too many Christians will buy into the reincarnation story. So? We can teach them spiritual evolution anyway without ticking them off or alienating them. The substance of Reverend King's course is to evolve spiritually. That can be taught to any of my congregants from whatever background of faith they come.  
I mentioned earlier that I particularly liked Reverend King's use of exercises and processes along with our notebooks wherein she achieves getting her student to live within the particular Insight she was teaching in the lesson. I must say, though, I do not intend to go out and try to teach Rev. King's stuff right away.  That's because every time I re-read a lesson or do an exercise over, something else to think about pops up. It's wonderful!  Her course is still unfolding within me and probably will until I die. After awhile when I feel a bit more stable thinking within her concepts I'll be teaching them.  The world needs to know about the Insights, about energy, about evolving spiritually.  Reverend King's course is a great place to start.  
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas A. Voss
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Friday, January 09, 2009

Comparative Religion

Final Essay……Comparative Religion (Kythera Ann)
Submitted By Rev. Ernest Kayorie
It has been some weeks since I finished reading and re-reading the materials that comprised the Comparative Religion course and now feel that I am ready to write the final essay. 
Initially, I would like to express gratitude to the Reverend Kythera Ann for putting together an excellent course on Comparative Religions, Part One.  The format of the course and the fact that it was an in depth overview and introduction to the study of Comparative Religions was truly refreshing.  Usually, courses on Comparative Religion end up presenting an extensive look into various religions with sidebars that attempt to explain  how they are similar or dissimilar. Because of this introductory format, it was relatively easy to establish a foundation on which a study of the various religious traditions could be started.
I enjoyed the sections that explained the difference between exoteric and esoteric aspects of the religious experience and how that expresses itself in society among various cultures.  As ministers, we certainly should be aspiring to enter the inner courts of that temple and as such should be familiar with the various initiations that are required.
Although the esoteric tradition was adequately represented , it might be interesting to expand the section on the mystical tradition, a tradition that pervades every religion  and in addition explain the difference between esotericism and mysticism. 
The pursuit of these "isms" have been accelerated  in modern society as people search for a new way to delve into their own spirituality.  The old is quickly passing away as those so inclined turn to alternate expressions and find that they can go directly to their inner selves and find the strength and solace that the exoteric religion traditions have failed to provide.
In an attempt to protect the "truth" or their version of it, traditional religions have thrown the baby out with the bath water.  Centuries of greedily guarding the message from those who were not prepared for it unfortunately crystallized this stance in a system that became rigid and dogmatic. It has never recovered …nor can it…To this day, traditional religion devotees adhere to the exoteric rites and rituals of their tradition and have no interest in pursuing further.  That is left to the meanderings of the select few (saints and mystics). 
Ironically, we all possess the faculty to delve deeper and to understand.  After all, did not the Master Jesus tell us that we would do all that he did  and even better.  Matthew records that  the people were astonished at what he said and taught as if one having authority and not as their teachers who mouthed  meaningless doctrines and laws. As exhibited in the example of Jesus, we too are able to speak with authority as masters of our own lives. We are searching for their own individual truths separate from the dogmatic "truths" of  established institutions. When faced with this pursuit, it is easy to follow a path of esoteric and mystical experiences unhampered by rigid rituals and established doctrine.  
I am not sure where I read or heard this but it seems to express what I am attempting to convey….. 
Esoteric thinking is concerned about a sincere interest in investigating different levels of consciousness and viewing them as "way stations" and not as obstacles in your search for God/Truth. 
Mysticism, on the other hand, focuses on reaching God/Truth in the most direct manner as possible and as such is an intensely personal journey that cannot be expressed in ordinary terms. 
In short, the mystic wants to reach the destination as quickly as possible and the esotericist wants to learn  about the landscape on the way. 
While I was reading the weekly lessons, I was also reading a self selected text that presented all religious traditions and belief systems written under current scholarship.    Michael Molloy's, Experiencing the World Religions  Tradition, Challenge and Change provided  an excellent backdrop for the course.
Hopefully, this course will be the first of a series examining the various aspects of the study of Comparative Religions. I anxiously wait……
  
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Thursday, January 08, 2009

Metaphysics

Spirit Quest Final Essay
By Reverend Rob Kenneway

I thought today would be a great day to write my final essay for the Spirit Quest course that I have just completed. There's nothing like Christmas day to inspire ones faith to grab hold and take you for the ride of the year. The birds sing louder and the breeze blows fresher.
Ever since I was a boy I heard people say that you should watch what you say and do, because it will always come back on you. Well, karma has always been a big part of my life and the lessons that came with it. After reading about karma in this lesson, and practicing or applying those principles, I'm even more of a believer than before. I can notice a change in my life when I'm more careful of how I say and do things each day. Karma has a big part in the happenings in our lives. I think it's Gods way of telling us to do that which is right.
The meditation part of the course was a little too bizarre for me. I guess that I'm just not ready for that. I did get a lot out of sitting quiet and still and just thinking about all the negativity and bad things that go on in my life. I've been having some difficulty getting over a divorce for the past two years. When my ex-wife remarried, she moved 3,000 miles away with me five year old daughter Miranda. I was beating myself up pretty badly. I created a glass bulb with all the negative and energy zapping stuff, and smashed it into the walls. My daughter Miranda is my golden sun, the best thing in my life. I've had some personal healing energy that keeps me from putting the blame on and carry on like the wayward son.
By not reacting, like I used to, to a very aggravating, pompous and obnoxious supervisor at work, I took away the energy that used to make me want to punch his lights out. Now I understand that I was feeding the energy by reacting to his insults. A lot of people are controlled by the big green monster, and treat others badly when under it's spell. Insecurity also plays a big role in such behavior.
I learned quite a lot from the Spirit Quest course, and am a better person because of it. I try to better myself in any way I can and try to be a better representative of the lord above. By knowledge and understanding myself and other people around me, I will be better to myself and the rest of the world. There's much that we don't understand about our world and life itself, but I do understand that we are here for a reason. The biggest part of it is for the good of people and the lord above. Merry Christmas.
Reverend Robert A. Kenneway



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Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Druidism


Druidism – The Faith of the Ancient Celts of Ireland
     I love to study different cultures.  As a teen, I would read books and magazines about different peoples:  Eskimos, the Cherokee, pygmies, the Polynesians, to name a few.  Recently, I was drawn to Ireland.  My great-grandfather emigrated from Ireland to the U.S. in 1848.  After my father died, I inherited his files on our family history.  About the same time, I read a book, Celtic Evangelism, that tweaked my interest in early Christianity among the Irish.  I then began finding other books about the Celts and the Christian movement during the period of 300 AD to about 600 AD.  There was one piece missing – the Druid religion.

            The Christian mission to Celts was among the first outside of the Roman Empire.  It was also one with little or no bloodshed.  What made the difference?  I suspected that it was partly due to the nature of the religion and culture of the Celtic people.  I was drawn to this course to gain more insight into that process.  I also wanted to learn principles that transcend time to incorporate into the ministry I am called to.
            The primary sources of Druidism are found in the writings of Julius Caesar and other Romans.  Archaeology has filled some of the gaps.  Tombs, artifacts, uncovered corpses, and homes have all given additional insight into the people who practiced Druidism.
            Druidism is a religion that falls under the category of "paganism."   It is a system of worship and spirituality that honors creation.  It includes many gods and goddesses.  It promotes a belief of reincarnation.  This produced warriors who valued life differently than other cultures.  They would be fierce fighters who did not fear death. 
            Both the Druids and Celtic people loved knowledge.  A typical Druid spends a lifetime in study.  Thus, this would promote an emphasis on elders.  There would be respect for these elder Druids to such a degree that they could move with impunity throughout the isles and advise kings without interference.  Kings and royalty would often send their children to be educated by the druids.
            Bards were a very important part of the religion and culture.  Music, poetry, and stories were the media of the Celts. Theirs was a rich oral tradition.  They developed a system of stories and songs designed to pass on learning, tradition, laws and history. 
            The Ovates were the prophets and the physicians of the druids.  They connected the people with the dead.  They were consulted by the people when crops were failing or a business was starting.
            I was able to see the connections between the early Christians and the Druids.  These connections were vital to the advance of Christianity into the Celtic culture.  The following are just some of what I discerned from this course:
            1)  The emphasis on the good of creation is found in much of the writings of the early Christians in Ireland.   This appears to be an influence of Druidism.
            2)  The monasteries established by Christians became a form of university or college for the Irish.  The Christian monks copied not only scriptures but many ancient documents of their world.  The love of learning was carried over from the Celts to the Christians is certainly an influence of Druidism.  It may have been fueled by bards and druids converting to Christianity.
            3)  The early Christians in the British Isles developed a literary form called a "hagiography." These hagiographies were stories of the early saints.  These stories are filled with miracles and wonders that make the early saints appear almost godlike.  Again, I see the influence of the Druid bards.  I recently uncovered a book published in Dublin, Ireland, in 1906 by Richard Eglinton titled, "Bards and Saints."    Note the following excerpt from this work:
But besides the advantage of Patrick's personality, Christianity seems to have been able to profit by an imbroglio arising out of the defection from Druidism, about a century and a half previously, of the great Kjng Cormac, who is said finally to have been slain by the Druids for having renounced their teaching. The bards, we may believe, went mostly with their king, and there was a consequent division between bardism and Druidism which proved highly serviceable to Patrick (Eglinton, 27).
            4)  The Celtic culture and the Druids placed a higher value on women than other cultures of their time.  St. Brigit established a double monastery and it is believed she was ordained a bishop as well.  The fact that she was not hindered in her work suggests that the culture was still open to women leadership in Christianity as they were under Druidism.
            5)  Community and family were valued by the Celts and Druids.  This concept carried over into Christianity.  The typical monastery was constructed along the lines of Celtic custom.  The monasteries in time became towns as those who converted moved to be closer to their "new family" in Christ. 
            6)  The relative freedom that the monks, priests, and bishops enjoyed in the Isles appears to be a hold over form the freedom that the Ovates, Bards, and Druids enjoyed among the Celts.
            Overall, I enjoyed what I learned from this course.  There is much to like.  The discussions on the Druid forum were encouraging.  This course caused me to continue my search for more on Druids and also opened me up to study paganism – another course on my list!

Rev. Daniel Moore


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As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church  materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.


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Shamanism


Shamanism by  REV. KURT FONDRIEST

Reading the various lessons on shamanism enabled me to understand how this form of consciousness has evolved throughout the years.  It also had a profound impact on how I view my own metaphysical- christian faith.

     Shamanism for me is a connection made by an individual and his or her relationship to the environment on a physical, spiritual and mental level.  It is expressed through various rituals and symbols that become part of one's daily life.  It is an opening of one's awareness of the various elements of earth and our relationship with our earth mother.

     As a Metaphysical Christian I can see certain historical figures fulfilling the role of "Shaman", however the most prominent one would be St. Francis of Assisi.  This figure has always been a spiritual role model for me.  The connection that St. Francis made with nature is more then just historical but more metaphysical.

     This gentle man finds the spirit of all within the wild of an untamed nature.  The church at the time saw him as a heretic. He  left the ornate structures of religion to discover inner faith among what religious society found unacceptable.  He challenged the way his contemporaries viewed the hand of God.

     The church cast Francis  into exile for his belief "That God is all".  He builds his basilica not out of the prestige bricks or stones, but rather out of mud , rocks and sticks.  His congregation is not that of the wealthy but that of the animals of the forest.

     In many ways, St Francis becomes a spiritual Robin Hood.  He understands that the "EGO" is what causes the fall of ones faith.  He communes with nature to discovered where faith truly is " Everything in nature" including man himself being nature.  This was not accepted by the church leaders, that heaven exists in the realm of nature.  Francis saw that nature was the physical attribute of heaven.  This understanding could enlighten the symbol of the trinity which are physical, mental and spiritual.

     His order of the Franciscan priests and nuns, still exists today as a testament to the belief of the awareness in the "NOW".  I truly believe this priest was in essence the definition of shamanism.

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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.


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