Spirituality Course

This blog is about the various courses on Spirituality offered through the ULC Seminary. The students offer responses to their various lessons and essays upon completion of the courses.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Spirituality Course

Spiritual Awareness Lesson 9


Hello: Enclosed is a test for lesson nine of the Dr. of Spiritual Awareness. 
  In order to assess your comprehension of the material that you are receiving, we are including periodic quizzes with this course. Completion of these quizzes is required in order for you to receive your certificates of completion. Upon successful completion of the entire course, a special degree from Spirit Circle will be awarded.
        1. As used in this course, the term "spirit" refers to:
        a. A beverage containing at least 20% alcohol. ------
        b. An intelligent, immortal energy that is the real you. X____
        c. The bubble in a carpenter's level.-----
        d. A get up and go get 'em attitude.____
        2. There is no difference at all between religion and spirituality:
        a. True____
        b. False X____
        c. Briefly explain your answer here: Spirituality relates to the ethereal while religion is the physical, material manifestation which may retain a spiritual bases.
        3. There is only one "right" spiritual path that leads to salvation, all other paths lead to eternal damnation:
        a. True____
        b. False X____
        4. Any spiritual concept that I read of in this course, regardless of how logical or how far fetched it may seem, can be taken as absolutely true:
        a. True____
        b. False X____
        5. Reincarnation is a new spiritual concept that began with the New Age movement:
        a. True____
        b. False X ____
        6. Everyone has psychic abilities:
        a. True X____
        b. False____
        7. We choose to have physical lives simply for the fun of it:
        a. True____
        b. False X____
        8. Briefly explain why we come into physical life: "To work out and/or improve exigencies experienced in a previous existence."
        9. Spirituality is really a very complex concept:
        a. True____
        b. False X____
        10. Self doubt is a contributing factor to ones inability to advance :
        a. True X____
        b. False____
        11. All that I have to do to become a very spiritual person is read through these lessons and take the quizzes:
        a. True____
        b. False X____
        12. Psychometry is feeling the energies around people and other things:
        a. True X____
        b. False____
        13. When we give love to another, unless they return that love, it has been wasted:
        a. True____
        b. False X____
        14. Briefly explain what a chakra is. "One of the seven centers of spiritual energy in the human body according to yoga philosophy. [Sanskrit cakram, wheel, circle.]"
        15. Only a person who is very advanced spiritually can project healing or cleansing energy:
        a. True____
        b. False X____
        16. What is an aura? "Aura" is a Greek word, and it refers to the energy pattern around any living thing."
        17. What do the words " Gnothi Seauton " mean, and are they important? Important? Yes. To thine own self be true.
        18. In this course, I will learn to shoot fireballs from my eyes:
        a. True____
        b. False X____
      
Brother Joseph H Kovacic, Fr.

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have various classes in Christianity, one on Wicca, along with several Pagan courses, more than a few courses about Metaphysics with more being added regularly.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, legal and lasts for life, so please take advantage of our Free Online Ordination.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of minister supplies.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and am proud to have started the Seminary.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Spirituality Course

This is the first course I have taken from the ULC Seminary.  It is interesting. I find the idea of spirituality very interesting.  The discussion of the Celestine Prophecy this way is different than how I interpreted it in the book.


I'm looking forward to reading more.


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To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link.

Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church, as well as an online seminary program and a chaplaincy program.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Spirituality Course

Universal Life Church
Lesson 7


The ultimate goal of prayer is communion with God and there is no other way to do this than by true prayer. As pointed out, God has given us our needs but amid the worries and thoughts of the world, we fail to see them. The ladder of prayer gives us a way of progressing on our journey to God by stages as we rediscover the way of true life and love. God's Holy Spirit is there to help us to find the way of love, if we approach Him and ask. Our primary need is to love our fellow men - not treat them as enemies as this will hinder our journey. We can only journey together, sharing  the ultimate goal with them.


As the Bible says - 'Love your enemies' as a direct command from Jesus. Every so-called enemy is a hindrance on our spiritual journey, and we need the love of God in our hearts to overcome these obstacles, and to see these people in a new light. As it says in the 9th chapter of Genesis (V6)'In the image of God has God made humanity' and we must see God in every person we meet, just as they should see God in us . This course is showing me a new way to proceed to enhance and enrich my life. Although I have much to learn, I am trying to open myself to a closer realization of God's love and life by using the words of Christ through the course to bring a new meaning to His words in the New Testament. As Psalm 108 says, 'God's love is higher than the heavens and his faithfulness reaches to the clouds'. We need to use our share in this love, given to us through Christ, to assist us in climbing the ladder of prayer.


Rev. Derek Kemp

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To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link.

Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church, as well as an online seminary program and a chaplaincy program.


Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Spirituality Course

Spirituality Course

I didn't want to just go in to an essay of what I was supposed to learn, or information to which I could relate too. I want to begin at the beginning for me of spirit and communication. Which was many years before I had ever heard of spiritualism, mediumship, or spirit communication. I come from an ordinary family, in fact no body in my family is even the slightest bit religious. The only time we ever entered a church was for a family christening, wedding, or a funeral.

As I grew up, I always new and felt different, but as I was only around the age of 9 when I started thinking about things, I really didn't understand as to why. I remember the first time I had an experience, we had just moved home, so that would make me
7yrs of age. I was standing outside the front door of our new house for the very first time. My father opened the door, and as I looked up the stairs I saw a dark shadow go up the stairs and round towards the bedrooms. I didn't know what to make of this, but as no one else saw it I thought it best not to say anything about it. Many people would read this and say, are you sure of what you saw, It probably was just a shadow, and I can understand them saying this, but as a spiritual person I try to be open to every type of persons belief, but i know what i saw.

After that I didn't have any spiritual experiences until the age of
22yrs. Now this seems like a long time between spirit communications, but from that first sighting at the age of 7yrs my life would never be the same again. I always found myself asking who is god, what are we here for, and why do I have such love for this man I didn't know, called Jesus. It would take fifteen years of life filling lessons to understand.

As a young boy, I always had to walk passed a church whilst I was on my way to and from junior school. I never entered the church, as I was to scared, but it didn't stop me standing outside, and letting my little mind wander every time I walked by. Jesus was knocking on my door and asking me to trust him. The funny thing was it felt so right. I felt as though he had been in my life forever.

As I was growing up, I didn't make many friends as I was a very shy young boy. Even if I was with my friends, I would feel as though my friends were all enjoying themselves in a room and I was looking at them through the window from outside. Mostly I preferred my own company. I would take the dogs for a walk up the fields every day. The strange thing was I never felt alone. It seemed so right. It gave me time to ask questions in my mind. I would even walk to the
cemetery at the end of our street, and sit by my grandad's grave and talk to him, even though he had passed away when I was just 4yrs or age.

Like i said though, my real spiritual experiences started at the age of
22yrs. I believe that spirit train you through our lives and depending on how well we do, they will consider using us to do spiritual work. This could be in many different fields, healing, mediumship, teaching, ministering, etc.
You say that there are basically two types of people, those who are driven by the heart and those who are driven by the mind. This I agree with in part. I do believe there is a third option, because sometimes I am driven by my heart and sometimes by my head. Depending on the situation, and the person that I'm dealing with. I believe as ministers, mediums, or healers we have to wear many hats.

You asked for our first homework to practice our powers of observation. I really found this enjoyable as it was something that I have always done. For me observation comes in many different forms. I love to watch people living their everyday lives. This has served me very well throughout my spiritual development. As spirit now allow me to feel when something is wrong with people before they say anything or before their body
language shows it. It was one of my hardest lessons to learn, feeling other people's emotions and learning to separate myself from them.

This course opened my eyes to many different aspects of how spiritualism has evolved throughout the ages. The church has had a
fundamental control over what everyday people were allowed to openly believe. There seemed to be an immense fear from the church of losing its control over the people. So spiritual people had to hide inside behind locked doors but luckily we have moved passed those times. They say to know the future we need to understand the past. I disagree. I believe that even though all the scholars of the past were very wise, many of their ideas were grounded by lack of knowledge or understanding. Just like society today, we only know what god wants us to understand. If you put the universe 1000yrs in the future people will have a greater understanding of god and the world. Weather that be spiritually or scientifically. Hopefully the two beliefs will be closer together, because really is there any difference between the two? I don't believe there is.

Jason Dawson



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To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link.

Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church, as well as an online seminary program and a chaplaincy program.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Spirituality Course

Spirituality Course
As a Christian, I believe that prayer should be a complete drawing close to God. The prayer visualization demonstrates the need for a complete reliance on God, giving up oneself to Him in love and peace, letting His Spirit flow into us. We are told in the New Testament that if we ask, we shall receive; seek and we shall find; knock, and it will be opened.If we truly believe then we shall receive all these things and more, because we shall be in full communion with Him. Only then shall we know that we have received what we really need. The Course mentions that 'true prayer is a time of listening and loving' resting in God's peace and thanking God for what we have already received.
I have found that the words of Christ in the New Testament have gained new meaning through the reinterpretation in the light of this lesson. One begins to see beyond the literal meaning to a deeper lasting meaning that connects us with God in a different but more spiritual and lasting way.It is difficult at first to accept that perhaps I have been praying in the wrong way and even more difficult to change established thoughts and attitudes, but seeing things from a different angle is very stimulating and thought-provoking.
D H Kemp

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To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link.

Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church, as well as an online seminary program and a chaplaincy program.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Spirituality Course

Lesson 5

I am finding this course very challenging, both as regards content and my current beliefs, although there is much that is still found in traditional Christianity. I have always accepted the Holy Spirit as the third person of the holy Trinity providing a Guide and Helper to all who believe. The Holy Spirit came down on the disciples after Jesus' ascension, not so much to remind them of the truths that Jesus had told them, but to give them power and support  to preach this new Gospel. The disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost and fearlessly went out immediately to start their preaching..

The Holy Spirit fills us all as we believe and provides us with the way to come closer to God. He is always there whether we realize it or not, to give us help in whatever way He sees best for us when we ask. The prayer included in this lesson is valuable to teach us to trust in Him and accept his guidance on all matters. The more we use the prayer, the more the Holy Spirit will fill our hearts and minds and souls to become truer disciples and therefore closer to God. By showing the 'little willingness' to accept His guidance, we can develop a 'big willingness' to serve God in whatever way we are called. By surrendering ourselves completely to Him, all our problems, doubts, fears etc will be swept away and we shall find the true way where we should be heading.

I find the concept of the Holy Spirit shown in the 'Course' fascinating in its interpretation and going further than I have considered before. I am learning much that is new on a number of different aspects of Christian thinking, and believe that the Holy Spirit is indeed the 'bridge to God'. The Holy Spirit has been with us since the beginning of time when 'the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters' at the creation of the world (Genesis 1 v 2) and is therefore nothing new in biblical terms.

Derek Kemp

*******************************

The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have various classes in Christianity, one on Wicca, along with several Pagan courses, more than a few courses about Metaphysics with more being added regularly.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, legal and lasts for life, so please take advantage of our Free Online Ordination.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of minister supplies.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and am proud to have started the Seminary.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Spirituality Course

Comments on Lessons 1 and 2 of Dr of Spirituality course


I have found this course to require some deep study and to be honest, it was not what I was expecting. However, I have found the first two lessons very interesting, if a little unusual. It seems strange to look at God from this angle but it does tie in with traditional Christianity.


At least so far. We are told in the Bible that 'God is Love, and he that loves God is born of God' and that 'God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth'. To regard this world as an illusion is rather strange when we see it all around us so solid and safe, but I can see how different our world would be if all-encompassing Love (ie God) was filling everybody. We must learn to live in a more loving society, however small may be our beginnings. We cannot do this overnight but each one us in a small way can start the process, and I am trying to look at things in a different and more loving way. I look forward to future lessons to see how they can help me to help others see the Light of Christ in and around them.


The key to this course is Belief, particularly belief in the presence of total Love. We may be far from this total presence but if we belief that it is there, then this a good start in bringing it more and more into our lives and those whom we meet, whether known or unknown.


The prayer visualizations produce a deep sense of calm and enable one to look at prayer in a different way to what one normally does. Instead of prayer being just an asking for something that we need, it becomes deeper as we look at it from a different perspective.


Derek Kemp


********************************************

To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link.

Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church, as well as an online seminary program and a chaplaincy program.