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.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Spiritual Awareness

Awareness Final Essay
Rev. Anna M Pohl

As I studied this course it became very personal to me. Not surprisingly my life began reflecting the lessons and the discourses became indicators for what was going on in my life.

It's ironic that the course tends treats the World View a bit like a task that is very difficult to accomplish, or at least out of the norm for our human sensibilities. The truth for me is quite different.

I find that the totality of our spiritual life and the World View is easy for many of us to include in our practice and service but when it gets personal? Whew! then it becomes a bigger issue. Then any Hollywood drama pails in comparison to the mess we can allow our spiritual life can become.

I've always been a person who followed my intuitions, not because I was any Intuit guru, oh no, but because I was always excited to see where they would lead me. Never being really attached to the outcome I was kind of on a adventure more then a human five sensory life you could say. Except of course in my personal relationships, now that was quite a different story. When I tried to use that in personal relationships well let's just say it was interesting.  And even now with all my life work, study and practice it is really not so different, (I'm shaking my head here)

So for this essay I will tell you a story, while I answer the question at hand.  Just what did I get out of this Awareness course?

We met at a coffee shop. I was sitting in a nice comfy chair by the window having come in just to use the wifi. I was wondering to myself "Who would leave that just laying around in a chair life that?" The black brief case was sitting across from me kind of tossed there without much care.  As the battery slowly died on my laptop I soon found out the answer to my question. He said "Hi" and I said "Hello" it was kind of a strange moment actually as we both donned looks that said more "what the…who's that?"

We didn't speak again till I was leaving and as I passed him on the way out there literally was a clap and a white flash of light. Our eyes connected in a solid rock like gaze and in that second time stopped, literally the rest of the world seemed to be in slow motion, and I said "Good bye" and nodded. He said the same turning in the chair to keep the connection. As I watched myself like an out of body experience my feet slowed and I found myself wondering if he was going to follow me as I walked out the door.  He didn't. And I got in my car and drove away.



Of course though I had never been in that coffee shop before that in my life, I ended up back there the next morning and so did he. Synchronicity? Coincidence? That is a Not so Coincidence. This was a meant to be.  We found common ground immediately and began a relationship that would take me through the rest of my course.

We began exploring, attempting to make our lives together consciously. We were opening up our personal journeys and we talked constantly about the shift that was happening and how we were to be an interracial part of that in our area. We watched as the world around us began to change by our presence and consciousness. We could walk into a room and the entire tone of the people changed. This couple stopped bickering and began holding hands. That one began to relax and a man actually stopped breathing problems right in front of us. It was so rare.

We discussed what brought us to this point and found more coincidences every day. I had had a vision the morning of the day we met and he had prayed to God for 10 things the day before. His real soul mate was #9.  Other things started to happen and the numbers 3, 9 and 11 were showing up for us everywhere. He read the Celestine Prophecy. I had read it before and now was taking this course. What a glorious time of discovery.

It was during the time when I was studying more on how to stay tapped into the universal energy and sharing that our control dramas reared their heads. Fear of rejection took him over and for him it became a violent time, not physically but emotionally and the fall out became the bullets I was dodging more and more. He was the changes as meaning there was something wrong with him and that, that is what I was telling him.


The more intense it got the more it became the same terrorism our instructor talks about in lesson 19 on print page 8. Though she was referring to the world on the whole, fear acts like terrorism. These personal attacks trigger our deepest fears and we are vulnerable. I responded with fight or flight and he reacted through suppression and denial. We did revert back to dualistic thinking and chaos ensued. The whole beautiful vision began to fall apart. I'd forgotten to tap into the greater source and my person was being drained like a tub whose plug has been abruptly pulled. We both began to manipulate our circumstances. Competitions was thick. By the time a few days had passed and I was able to remember myself, I found out later, we had already created a new trigger point in me. This was hit later and compounded the now certain deterioration of our relationship.

Even though we prayed, meditated and tried I was not the same. And he had not yet come to terms with what his responsibility in the situation was. He was cruel and oppressive and I was weekend and fought back.



Trying to become light, happy, buoyant and at peace became more and more a conscious effort instead of reality for me. And each time I attempted a fix or to make peach with the issues it blew up even bigger. I began to be swallowed up by it all and found I needed an escape. Now our personal dramas were the norm and our visions for the work we were going to do faded as our lives became a mess.

Toward the end of our time together we realized how much we Loved each other, here and in the Spiritual plain but we couldn't save us. Upon our parting we held each other consciously filling each other with light on a conscious level and then accepting the thing we feared most, separation.

The habit of control dramas can be devastating. We came to an understanding of these dramas too late it seems. We both believe their will come a day when we will see each other again. And this time we will be prepared to extend the World Vision through ourselves as individuals and with each other.  This was a spectacular learning experience. A living drama of the course.

If I could offer something to our students it would be; know yourself, accept where you are in your evolution graciously, and with forgiveness. Recognizing that is paramount. Grow in that knowledge first, so that you can begin healing. This is of the highest importance. Too often we see our level as something wrong with us. Too often we judge ourselves lacking before we even analyze who we are and why.

Take some time to learn yourself. Accept who you are, light and shadow alike. Use your spiritual tools. Send your Love and light out to yourself and all around you. Look at your own beauty. You are a wonderful creation and should be admired just for existing. Yes attempt to find your birth vision, attempt to find your center. But more importantly be joyous and replace fear with Love and contentment whenever and however you can. Then we can begin our work in the World Vision. Only then we become part of the whole.

I have enjoyed this course. I did feel there was a lot stuffed into it and it did veer off subject a bit much sometimes. However it is an invaluable recourse and I appreciate the instructor and the Seminary for creating it. Mother Father God Bless you.  My thanks.

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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, February 26, 2011

Spirituality Course

I must admit when I first started on this course I wasn’t really sure where it would take me. I have always had a deep faith and have regularly attended a very traditional church all my life taking my place most Sundays in the choir for the past 36 years. However although I have found great solace and a connectives to God I have never really questioned my beliefs. Well actually that’s not strictly true. At the age of 21 years I did a Bishops Course which moved me into thinking I had a calling towards ministry. However I had recently lost my Mum from cancer, was having to look after the family and wanted to get married, all of which pushed my feelings into ministry well and truly into the background.

I suppose I re-entered my spiritual journey about 2 years ago at a time I was feeling particularly detached from God. I attended a prayer meeting which, although I didn’t realize it at the time, was to become particularly significant. Our priest prayed a very moving prayer for me which left me with a wonderful sense of peace. About a year after this I was inspired to write a song. Now although I can sing and play the violin, I have never attempted to write music before. A friend of mine told me there was a song in me to which I replied don’t be daft. However a few weeks later “The light at the end of the Tunnel” was written. It relates to a moving experience I had while visiting a waterfall where I felt the presence of God coming through in nature. My 2nd song” Holy Spirit come down from above” was written a few weeks later and relates directly to the prayer which was prayed for me a year earlier.

I mentioned the above as I feel these events were a huge influence on the rebirth of my spiritual journey .As I worked my way through the course I began to appreciate that life is filled with co-incidences and I gradually became aware of different situations occurring at appropriate times and to trust my intuition. I have always had dreams but never paid much attention to their content. However I have come to realize that our dreams have meaning and together with our intuition can guide us to our destinies. When I kept a record of co-incidences for a week I was amazed at how they linked up to my dreams and intuition.

I had always found meditation difficult but was able to create my own scared space and I now retreat to it often when I need “time out”. I became aware of the energy present all around us and often take time out to reconnect with the energy field. I find this particularly helpful when I need to face stressful situations which would leave me shaking and quivering as I realized how other people can drain our energy from us and instill in us feelings of fear and negativity: feelings such as hate greed anxiety, jealously. I overcame these feelings by learning to analyze situations by using the parent, child, adult theory and can now face up to these situations which I would have previously run away from. An example of this is how two years ago I was asked to set up and run a music group in the church. There was a lot of opposition to this from the rather aging congregation and the very traditional church choir. I have to admit to quaking in my boots at the time. However after a year or more of opposition, by using the material I’ve learned on this course I managed, much to my own surprise, to deal with the conflict and move this project on. Now the music group is very much a part of worship in the church playing at 2 services a months bringing in more contemporary, spiritual feel to our worship.

I gradually began to realize that by replacing negative emotions with positive emotions you replace the feelings of fear hate greed etc with feelings of love empathy joy admiration etc. This guides us to a place of love and healing in our hearts and makes us one with the universe. I feel spiritually is not connected to any one religion but is a way of life that brings us to a feeling of wholeness and peace within oneself thus enabling us to live a fulfilling life of love ,compassion, and being non-judgmental towards others.

I still have along way to go on my journey and my prayer is that God will guide and protect me along the way continuing to fill me with spiritual awareness to enable me to reach my destiny.

Rev. Julia Clark

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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
 

Friday, February 25, 2011

Prayer Course

Dr. of Spirituality
Lesson 7 Response
Denise L. Graves

1.       Explain how the ladder of prayer has affected your understanding of prayer.
I have never explored the leap from asking God for something and thanking God for ITS will and provisions.  Somehow I moved from “now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.  Bless mommy…..” to affirming God's intention, will and provisions.  Before this lesson I did not know what to do with those whose behavior produced things and situations I did not like.  So I continued to use Bible scriptures verbatim just to assure I was praying according to the “Word.” For so long my prayers were “give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses.”   The routine of asking God for my needs was complicated. I often would rationalize that since God sees and knows everything then God does not need me to ask for what I want.   Because to ask God for my needs was a sign that I was aware of my lack, guilt, and sin.  The ladder of prayer explains the evolution from asking for needs to be met to asking for freedom from bondage to the arrogance of praying for “those who spitefully use me/enemies” (now this feels so self-righteous) to joining and to humility.
Prayers of need are motivated by my underlying feelings of lack and vulnerability. It never occurred to me that when I tell God what I need through the act of prayer, I am really saying in ignorance that I know more than God. The act of saying to the creator of the universe “you don’t know how to sustain your creation for your intention so I am going to tell you what I need” feels so insane after this lesson.
Prayers of freedom are motivated by feelings of lack and guilt. As I ask for things of this world or overcoming my enemies, I am holding myself hostage.  This deliverance that I request keeps me more deeply tied to the illusions that more is better and power over others is the optimum position.
Prayers of joining are to acknowledge the common goal of love with all.  The word love has been so corrupted, to presume that someone I perceive separate from me as sharing this goal requires journeying to God.  It requires recognizing that only together can we know the peace of heaven.
Prayers of humility represents full communion with God.  At this fourth step on the ladder, we know what Jesus knew – there is no separation between myself and God.  There is no lack or unworthiness.  We are willing and able to give up any barrier to the truth of connection to God.

2.        Write a prayer of need, freedom, joining and humility.
a.       Dear God,
I find myself in need of a new work location that pays a better salary, has spiritual co-workers who honor and respect me, where I receive appropriate recognition and the people we work with and for by summer of this year.  In the name of Jesus, Thank You
b.      Freedom
Dear God,
I feel so small in my work environment since the director arrived.  It seems that he usurps the recognition, prime conversations and gives little time to partnering with me to do this work.  I am angered by this.  It reminds me of surreal it felt when no local business would fund the organizing work in and I was no longer a project director.  I feel the presence of racism and patriarchy once again.  This director has assumed oversight of all national issues, assigned himself as the key organizer and remove me from every place I held leadership in this organization. Please free me from this.  I pray to see and receive my redemption provided for me by Jesus.  In the name of Jesus I pray, thank you and Amen.

c.       Joining
Dear God,

The director and my two male friends share the goal of heaven.  It appears that we each seek to arrive to heaven by a different path.  We have been joined to walk together for a purpose. I pray for heavenly rewards and the will of God concerning us. In the name of Jesus, Thank you, Amen

d.      Humility
Dear God,
I surrender my life to the will of God.  I take my cue from Jesus who communed with God.    I accept that the affairs of my life are mediated by the Holy Spirit.   I release my desires and hopes for things, power over people, a need to judge, ignorance of God and other barriers. I see only the good of God.  I line up with the will of God and am at peace at how Gods’ will unfolds in my life.  I walk with my brothers and sisters in peace to heaven.  This is true. I accept this truth. In the name of Jesus, my elder brother; thank you and Amen.


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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 and lots of free online sermons for your use. 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

Thursday, February 24, 2011

A Course in Miracles

Following is the assignment for Lesson #3

I am always in conscious awareness of how my actions affect others.  But the greater lesson for the ego is when others' behavior gives lessons:  currently I am scheduled to teach some classes here where I work in Old Town Florence. There are not many students coming to the classes..........and this is interesting..............except for the Meditation class!  For the other classes of T'ai Chi Chih and Yoga, sometimes no one shows up.  So we are offering a discount for senior citizens which will hopefully help.  However, the emotionality created by my ego is not so comfortable and I have noticed this quite a bit during the past three weeks.  Just the past few days, I have "awakened" to the fact that if I allow this situation to continue........myself accepting the victim state.......this destroys any hope of enjoying the present!  So, I am realizing that this is a lesson that I need for advancement out of my ego state of the chemical reaction state of existence to a state of being aware the whole situation has a purpose for my higher good needs attention.  My overall intention must be misdirected which has certainly gotten my attention!     I have not ever experienced not having a bunch of students, so the lesson has not been so comfortable..............and so be it.  This gives me the opportunity to know that all events are happening as they need to. 

Additionally, there is an individual that I work with that has been challenging to "get along with" and has brought up fear thoughts.   One day I sat down with her and expressed this and she was shocked at the fear part.  Since  100% of the time we are in either Love or Fear thinking and feeling,   I realized that she brought up fear for me.  After the talk, I felt and thought better, much better and now the relationship is on its way to healing. 

I have learned so much from ACIM regarding the psychology of behavior and am humbled by the simplicity at times.  Love, Elizabeth


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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 and lots of free online sermons for your use. 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

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Spirituality Course

Dr. of Spirituality: Denise L. Graves
Lesson 5 Response
1.        How do I agree and/or disagree with the Course’s definition of the Holy Spirit?
According to the Course, The Holy Spirit is God’s perfect, eternal love, inspiration, peace, and life, dwelling within us and consoling and comforting us always.
I agree with the Course’s definition of  the Holy Spirit however, rarely have I compartmentalized the role of the each member of the Trinity to the degree I am able to know the composite of the God –“head.”  The roles of Jesus and the Holy Spirit have often been articulated as one in the same.  The major difference was that Jesus saves and brings to the father while the Holy Spirit inspires.  In some ways, this definition implies that Jesus brings and the Holy Spirit is.  For example, Jesus brings peace, the Holy Spirit is peace.  The idea that the Holy Spirit is the thought of God provides an expansive infinite capability of the Holy Spirit.  It is not contained in the limitation of the familial structure of “sonship.”  The Holy Spirit provides comfort to me in any familial role I can accept it.  It, the Holy Spirit, is the knowing of God and was present at my creation, fully equipped to keep me connected to my source. 
2.       My personal example of how I believe the Holy Spirit has functioned in my life
The Holy Spirit as the thought of God, provided me with answers to life questions only known by God.  As a child, my mother used to ask me what did I see or know about a thing.  When I was near death and it appeared I was going to surely transition, I left my family and began to talk with a man, I now will call Jesus.  My family was praying at my bedside.  When I awakened, my mother said “tell me what you saw.”  I described the man and shared our discussion and left  that conversation with an assurance that I would never be alone and would always know what to do when the time came.  In that situation I experienced the healer, teacher, mediator, advocate and comforter.  I recall asking, what will happen to my mother if I leave now. Almost immediately the hole in my heart closed up, I became warm and felt this heat from a light all over my body. This lesson has inspired me to reconnect with amazing provision of the Holy Spirit as I discern “ what will you have me to do, where would you have me go, what you would have me say and to whom? I turn to you Holy Spirit.”



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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 and lots of free online sermons for your use. 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, February 21, 2011

A Course in Miracles

Homework for Lesson 5
Interesting that I am teaching a Meditation class right now!  The synchronicity of events in my life are truly amazing at times.   So practicing Meditation is normal and natural for me.  The breathing instruction is interesting in this lesson by Loretta and I emailed her about this some time ago.  With no pause between the inhale and exhale ongoing can be uncomfortable and dangerous for some folks.  Although seated upright, breathing in this fashion should not be a problem; however, one should not lie down breathing in this way or s/he could wind up in a full blown rebirthing experience and without a coach....could possible get into a fearful state.  

Anyway, I expressed this to Loretta, so will wait to maybe hear back from her.   I would advise a pause at the top if each inhale to the same count and then exhale to the same count..immediately inhale, hold, then exhale, etc and on going.    I have Meditated for years and find ways to practice Meditation throughout each day as many times as I possible can.  

Love, Elizabeth

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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 and lots of free online sermons for your use. 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, February 18, 2011

Spirituality

Michael S Barth
Doctor of Spirituality Final Essay

            Working on this course was really fascinating to me.  I really enjoyed the time working on it and learned quite a bit.  Before taking this class, I had never heard of the course or book called A Course in Miracles.  While taking this class, I ended up buying the book/course at a bookstore to read and even signed up for the newsletter from Foundation for Inner Peace.

            This course is about prayer which is a tool that I realize now that I need to utilize more often to communicate with my Heavenly Father.  I realize now that through prayer, I can be one with my Father.  When I was a kid, I would attend church and I was told to pray.  I did not pray much as a kid because I felt that God was not listen or not answering my prayers.  I would also gripe at God about all the problems that my family or I were having and would tell God what should be done or what I wanted.  This course really got rid of that view which had been diminishing over the years.

            Over the years, I always had thought that God was a completely separate entity but learned in this course that God is in each and every one of us and that God is waiting for us to come back to him.  The section on free will also really changed how I viewed free will.  I had always thought that I would be happy in whatever choices I made but that turned out to be wrong.  I stopped going to church and did things my own way.  I ended up in a lot of pain.  This is when I realized that things would be a lot better if I did them God's way.

            This course really changed my view on God too.  A little piece of me always believed in God and I always feared God, but realize now that God is all encompassing and is all love.  Growing up, I was taught that if I did something wrong or bad God was going to condemn me and judge me to an eternity in Hell but realize that this is not what God is since God is all love.

            I also was taught about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ with less emphasis put on the resurrection.  After taking this course, I realize that the lesson was the resurrection of Jesus Christ because he was one with his Heavenly Father.  I have felt a lot better since taking this course which clarified a lot of mis-perceptions that I had held about Jesus Christ.

            The material mentioned above is just a little of what I learned from this course.  This course has also been very helpful to me.  I have suffered from mental/emotional disorders for the last 10 years.  This course has given me hope by teaching me about miracles and prayer.  Since the start of this course, I have had fewer symptoms because I have been able to take things from this course and apply them to real life.  The biggest change that this course got me to do is to listen to God and let God into my life.  I am currently reading the course/book that this course is based on.  By taking this course first, I am understanding the course/book a lot better and getting a lot out of it.

            This course is easy to follow and presented very well.  The instructor does a wonderful job in this course.  I loved all of the lessons and the prayer visualizations that came with it.  I would definitely recommend that people take this course.


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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 since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Thursday, February 17, 2011

A Course In Miracles

Homework for A Course In Miracles  Lesson #6
What do you desire to attract into your life?   I desire to attract developing a Yoga teacher training program into my life  ( the only condition is that it has to be for my higher consciousness or I do not want it).  I am attempting to keep ego out of my desires and this is difficult.  I believe that Yoga is good for every Body at some level of practice.  I have also a second desire and that is to live with my lover of over 50 years; we have been reconnected after not seeing one another after almost 50 years and have seen each other for over three months and want to be together; the only thing: we live currently over 2500 miles apart!  So those are my two desires.

How much do I really really really want these two desires?    Well, I really want both of them and believe they are both realistic and doable.  I probably want to be with my soulmate more that I want to train Yoga teachers, but want them both very much.  I think about both of these desires all the time.  I want both desires very strongly.

What's preventing me from attracting these desires?   Nothing on  (almost) both desires.  I am awaiting approval of my insurance company on the Yoga teacher training desire and if I do not get approved, that one will need to be shifted to something else relating to yoga.  Nothing is preventing me from getting the second desire other than deciding where to llive and how many months in each place and so on.

How have I failed to attract what I desire into my life?  Well, I actually do not feel at this point that I have failed on either desire.  They both just take time.  

What is your fear will happen if you don't manifest your desires?    I do not have any fear regarding the first desire of training Yoga teachers,but I do have fear relating to the second desire.  I admit that I want this man in my life and that if I do not get him, I will have to go through some great loss over it and start all over, do a lot of soul searching,, crying and so on.  I am assuming that our relationship will work out at this point.

What do I fear if I do manifest what I desire?   Well,  if I am approved to do the Yoga teacher training program I will have a ton of work to do if I do get on with it.  The other fear relating to my lover is that I will have to spend more time in Dallas Texas and not live in Oregon as much and I love Oregon!    I guess this is more of a reality than a fear, but there is some fear involved due to the fact that I've moved so much in my life that I have some negative thinking around having to move again. 

I will say that it is quite interesting that I am doing this program at a time in my life when I am in transition after divorcing my husband of 31 years  (my choice), moving to a new town, spending more time in Mexico with my sister and now falling in love with my childhood sweetheart.............again. Oh, and building an office, taking on teaching a ton of classes and trying to keep a private counseling business going and doing seminars in Energy Therapy............Emotional Freedom Techniques....15 years training and experience with the teaching the techniques.  
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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 and lots of free online sermons for your use. 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

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Miracle of Prayer

At the start, the 1st discourse I thought, this is going to be long and a real darg. You see I thought I knew what I needed to know regarding the bible. I soon found out that after a few of the exercises really got me on a new life with God. We must have love, we must give love and care for our people that we share this earth with. Also that we are a family and jesus is infact our elder brother. The importance of forgiveness and how it's best to forgive and let go of the matter. That alot of the time it's us that needs the comfort of saying I forgive you. Sometimes it's your action of kindness and forgiving that shows Gods love. I also understand how to pray and what I should be praying about. It's not all about my financial problems. But the opportunity to serve Gods will. For many of the discourses I would spend time seeking God with quite time. I now ask God each day to use me in his work and the best possible way. We need to go out each day and use our gifts that God has given. I like the saying that It's sometimes better to show God's love in a more pratical way then talking. I truly believe that this life on earth that we spend so much of our day's working for bigger and better things. Larger, nicer and more, puts us on the track of no purpose. We are on this earth for just a short time. This time should be used to do Gods business. And use this time as a proving ground for what's to come after we take our last breath of air. What a great course, so much information. I will be using the information for years to come as a minister. Yes I do feel stronger and more set to serve God.

Mike Zhmendak

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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 and lots of free online sermons for your use. 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, February 14, 2011

Spirituality Course


Comments on Lesson 19 – Dr of Spirituality Course

Truth

We all need the Truth as expounded in the Course to live our lives fully and properly. We have learned about the real Truth during the lessons and this may have caused some problems to those of us who have had a more traditional Christian upbringing. It is necessary to recognise that we come from Love and that God is that Love and the only way to access this Love is through prayer. I would agree that there is indeed nothing more powerful than prayer. As far as working miracles is concerned , I would like to feel that I could do this in due course but I feel that I need more 'training'
in this aspect and perhaps a little more 'forgiveness'!

Prayer

As pointed out above, there is nothing more powerful than prayer but there is a need to pray properly and make closer contact with God. The course advises that one should make prayer into  communion with God. We are perhaps more inclined to 'talk' to God through set prayers setting out our requirements whereas God knows what we need to put our lives on the right path.  So I agree that we need to listen more to what God wants to say to us. So we need to do this through the Holy Spirit who will guide us to a p;roper level of understanding to open our minds to His words. This should be one of the foremost of a minister's duties to teach others the right approach and by so doing to improve our own contact with God.

Freedom

We need to be free from the guilt placed on us by the ego and we need to use the power of forgiveness provided by Jesus.  I agree that when we acknowledge and accept the mistakes that we have made we open ourselves to forgiveness and make room for Love to flow once more into our lives. The various situations that have arisen throughout our lives have happened so that we can learn forgiveness and show compassion to others in a similar position. Whilst it can be difficult to realise how much we need to forgive ourselves at first,  by doing so we can start the 'miracle' process with others.

The ways shown to us in the course can be very strange at first but with further study, we can open our minds to a new view of our faith and use those ways to enlighten ourselves first and then to produce help towards the Truth for others. The presentation of this course has been exceptional and maintained interest at all levels.


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The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers and lots of free online sermons for your use. 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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Sunday, February 13, 2011

Spirituality Course


Comments on Lesson 12 – Dr of Spirituality course

There have been times in the past when I have felt my self-esteem rather low and felt that I have needed to improve my perception of myself. It has caused me to look at myself objectively and deeply to see what needed to be improved. Sometimes it has taken some time to find the cause of the problem but usually I have found the answer that I needed to lift myself up to a more acceptable level. Perhaps I had been too concerned with things that did not really matter and which, to be frank, were nothing to do with me! It is amazing how we can get ourselves so involved with something that is not really of any concern to us and through it, reduce our self-esteem!

I have found prayer to be very helpful in combating any wrong feelings of any kind but particularly where I needed lifting up from the depths. By realising the presence of the Spirit, the bad feelings start to melt away and one realises that they were nothing at all.

We need our lives to be filled with Love and the more we try to attain this, the more we rise above the petty matters which bring us down. I have found over the weeks doing this course that I have overcome at least some of the fears and guilt in my life although I feel the need to continue and be patient in my efforts towards further improvement. The prayer exercises have been useful and uplifting providing a way to reach out to the path of light that opens the way to overcoming the fears we all feel. I am finding the course more relevant to my situation as I progress and although I found it difficult to start with, I believe that at last I am feeling the benefits.

D H Kemp


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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 and lots of free online sermons for your use. 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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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Spirituality Course


 Comments on Lesson 16 – Dr of Spirituality course

We all need to form relationships whether with members of our family, friends or ultimately with a spouse as a lasting one with someone we feel we can spend the rest of our lives with. Relationship with anyone comes from a true deep feeling of love – a true love borne of a real understanding and empathy with the one we love.  As pointed out in this lesson, only a union with God provides us with an everlasting and really true love on which our own efforts are modelled.

We can form relationships with anyone we meet which may be lasting or very short and transitory. All these contacts should be founded in love and should enable us show love in our approach even though the contact may be very short. Even a short contact should enrich us by what we give and receive from the other person.

In a closer life contact with a person, we search for the ideal opposite number, someone special but very sometimes difficult to find. Regrettably, our efforts are sometimes in vain and we settle for someone who appears at the time to be the right one, but after a time we begin to see our choice differently and the relationship goes downhill from then on. We realise we have made the wrong choice and the illusion of love makes itself felt. Despite attempts to improve the situation by counselling, inevitably we reach the point where the only course is to terminate what we thought was a relationship of love.

The course points out the need for forgiveness whichever path we choose, and forgiveness and love can go hand in hand if the partners in a relationship look deeply into their motives before finally committing themselves to each other. Mutually shared goals assist the completion of a partnership when both partners know fully what thoughts the other one has on key subjects affecting each of them. Even things which appear to be obstacles can be sorted out and come to an amicable conclusion even though there may be some differences of opinion on which the partners can agree to differ. Nothing is too difficult for the Holy Spirit to solve if we turn to Him for help.

Holy Spirit, I turn to you to ask for your help in learning understanding and enlightenment  and to  give us strength to follow your way each day. Help us to bring to you our difficulties and differences so that a true solution may be found. Show us the way of  forgiveness that we may receive your Truth in our lives and grant that true Love of God may guide us in all we do. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Derek Kemp


**********************
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 and lots of free online sermons for your use. 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