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.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Spirituality

Master of Spiritualism
“Defining Spiritualism”
Rev. Justin Oles

            The basis of this course was first and foremost a philosophical look at religion, ideas, and spirituality throughout about the past 3000 years and then explaining how these same ideas are woven into your daily world.  Small sections of the course also went beyond just explaining the philosophical ideas to showing practical uses and placements of those same ideas in modern spirituality and society.
            I liked that the author covered various philosophies some of which may not have explicitly been directly related to religion, such as socialism.  The author does bring up good arguments for all of the theories he covers including socialism, which once looked at through the right lens does relate very well to spirituality and religion.
            It was also nice of the author to bring their personal experience in views into the lessons.  It’s unfortunate that the author has had to go through some of the trial and tribulations that they have but they seems to have grown from it.  Hopefully all of the students taking the course are also able to learn something vicariously through their experiences.
I can personally say that while I have not lived anything to the extremes that the author has, I did see certain parts of the story that related to me.  For example, I’ve been lost in the woods alone in the winter in New York State before, true I was not lost for days I was only lost for hours but it gives me an inkling of the feeling the author must have felt.  I’ve never dealt with an abusive lover but I was a child that had to listen to his parents fight all the time.
These things cause us to grow over time and lead us to be the people that we are today.  We have a choice, we can either learn from our life, from our successes and failures; or we can choose to keep doing what we’ve always done, the only problem with that is, as the saying goes, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.

Universal Life Church - Online Seminary Program 

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


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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Spiritual Awareness

Spiritual Awareness
This was a great class. I would like to thank Rev. Elizabeth King for writing this great course. It was very informative. I would also like to thank Amy for all your hard work.

One of my favorite quotes from this discourse (Lesson 12) was “How can I approach such a situation next time with more awareness or more knowledge.” I say this every morning during my prayers and meditation. It has helped me a great deal with how I face the day.

The course talked about nine insights. These teachings can be found in many cultures from around the world dating back to approximately to 600 BCE. Each of the insights is devoted to a particular revelation into the actual essence and meaning behind life on this planet. People will begin to grasp these insights sequentially. One insight will reveal itself, then another, then another as we move from where we are now to a completely spiritual culture on earth.

I learned about your Sacred Space, my journey to inner discovery. My Sacred Space is a place where no one can enter without my permission. When I meditate, this place can be indoors or outdoors. It is a place where you can work on your Higher Self, Spiritual Guides, Angels, and the Holy Spirit to gain understanding and guidance on how to become a Being of Insight and Awareness.

I personally have worked especially on my Angel connections a lot. During the day or evening I read or listen to audio books about Angels. Most of them are by Doreen Virtue, PhD. Then I get up at 5:30 in the morning (everyone is sleeping) and I have about an hour and a half for myself in my Sacred Space. It is quit relaxing and I can become one with my awareness. Part of the time is also spent with the Holy Spirit in prayer. This way my day starts off very relaxed, yet I’m energized. I’m aware of smells, sounds and my other senses.

Finally, I would just like to say this course has taught me how to come to be aware that my life has a purpose and events happen for a reason. I realized that what I pay attention to will expand. This is a must course for everyone.

Rev. Nancy Rutledge


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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.


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Saturday, June 18, 2011

Spiritual Development

Final Essay
Judith G. Wolf, Ph.D.


This is a dynamic course, one which should absolutely not be missed. As stated first and foremost by the author, the purpose of this course is to actualize our spiritual potential. He then proceeds to help us with this Quest; to meet and know the divine within and without. I love the metaphor of dialing in our spiritual radios to clearer stations or shining a cleaner light to achieve Mindful Living with focus on the Spirit Quest.

It stands to reason that if energy follows thought, we need to live mindfully with purpose and with focus to make any sort of progress. Clearer Light or clearer stations translate to FOCUS; that is, Mindful Living with a Focus on the Quest. The end of the Quest is the knowledge that in our core nature we are divine. According to the author we have forgotten that are divine. This course clears the way to remembrance.

There are so many positives, so many truths and exercises to reach these truths that I could not possibly cover them or even try in this essay. Instead I would rather comment on the two experiences that evolved from the course and it's exercises.

The first is the meditative method for meeting your soul. Called the Self Inquiry Method. This method requires that you ask the question, "Who Am I Really?" When the answer comes back, attend to it, appreciate it and then keep going deeper by saying, That's fine BUT "Who Am I Really." It is suggested that we do this nightly or whenever it occurs to us.

My experience has been marvelous. In no time I had penetrated layers and was floating in the cosmos; part of ALL THAT IS. After several days I had the distinct feeling that I AM divine. It is a wonderful place to return to over and over. I feel lucky because it took so little time to achieve this, I feel I have a marvelous place to go to and a new tool to use. Putting these experiences into words is not easy and I would not want anyone to think my responses diminish the divine in any. The experience is tremendously expansive and joyful, one for which to be grateful.

The second major plus is Generative Visualization – when you ask your inner wisdom for answers. I have been doing this for years talking to my Spirit Guide and Teachers. BUT as a result of this course I know I am not "crazy." I can now use this skill attentively and joyfully.

Again I cannot recommend this course highly enough. A real winner.



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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. 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, June 12, 2011

Spiritual Awareness

Spiritual Awareness ProgramAs I would sit weekly reading and re-reading my lessons for the Masters In Awareness course I was struck not by the new-ness of information that it was imparting to me but by the verification that these are universal and eternal lessons. I did not have a real « a-ha » moment but spent a great deal of time nodding my head in agreement. Agreement in that this course was a continuation and affirmation of all my previous studies. It brought to light the validity of starting from the very beginning in finding my sacred space and making it my refuge to commune with the Spirit and my own spirit and give myself the ability to absorb the lessons I need to learn.


I firmly believe in two emotions and two emotions only : Love and Fear. And that was no more evident than in the lesson on Dealing with Fear. If you hone down each emotion to its essence you will see any negative feelings – hate, jealousy, anxiousness, anxiety, greed, can be distilled down to fear. Conversely, if you examine all positive emotions you will see their essence is intrinsically love – joy, elation, empathy, admiration, et al. With that knowledge you can examine your reactions and actions and make a concerted effort to come from a place of love and heal that which comes from a place of fear… but that knowledge can’t be attained overnight.


My 7 year old son and I were having a discussion about energy and energy fields around people and he just couldn’t wrap his mind around it at first. He had come into my room and was standing over me, my eyes were closed, and I said « Hi, honey ». He asked how I could have possibly known he was there. I told him I felt his energy. I asked him to close his eyes and be still for a moment, then I put my face close to his, he squealed that he could feel me ! I also explained that energy was in everything and some energy fields are quite big and some are quite close to the person or thing and it depended on their life force. To him this was a revelation, to me it was a further example of our interconnectedness. But it also is a prime example of how energy can be exchanged from entity to entity. A room of negative people can permeate a positive person’s energy and it takes a lot of work to protect one’s self from absorbing that energy. Energy is so blatantly moved around on very unconscious and sometime conscious levels. No wonder our world is filled with so much destruction and misery. Energy can influence so insidiously. However, I do believe there is a shift in the universal consciousness taking place and the horrors of our universe are slowly being recognized. Thus, those on the path to enlightenment are endeavoring to purge the negative energy or at the very least show how the power of loving energy can practically move mountains.

Intuition is a powerful tool to assist us in living more spirit driven lives and making good choices that affect us personally, within our community, and on our planet. When we can tap into our intuitive centre and quieten ourselves long enough to acknowledge the signs and directions we should take, I believe our lives can be on a more inspired path. The challenge is not to dismiss our intuition as just wishful thinking, coincidence, fantasy, or an overactive imagination. As children we are so pure and unspoiled by the bombardment of « can’t, don’t, shouldn’t, impossible » et al. Children are receptive vessels to their surroundings, completely. And those surroundings are from many planes. They open their minds to gentle nudgings from places they may not understand but then again, do not question. They are taught to hate and fear and judge. It is amazing to see a child with no judgment ask someone in a wheel chair why they are there or question everything or challenge everything. In their innocence confrontation does not exist just curiosity and wonder. My son used to talk about the spirit in our attic when he was 1 ½. He described the man in detail and the man’s sadness. He would not go in the attic by himself not because he was afraid this person he saw would do him harm but because the man was so sad and he wanted us to help him feel better. AMAZING.

I find myself more and more being introduced to like-minded people. People on a path of self renewal and discovery. A casual word to a friend, a chance meeting on the street, a conversation that takes a prophetic turn. When I least expect it, the right thing happens at the right time to supply me with answers, direction, inspiration and guidance. Therefore, when I make a point of tuning in to my Higher Power and making the effort to absorb that which I need to know, there is a paradigm shift in the atmosphere around me. An almost surreal transcendence of that which is earth bound and that which is ethereal. Once I am able to blend the two as seamlessly as possible in this realm, I find a blissful calm comes over me and I can handle whatever comes my way. I am in sync with the universe. And when there is no flow I know I am out of balance and not taping into the Higher Power for guidance. Or at the very least not keeping myself receptive to Spirit. Granted, it is a long, sometimes arduous journey but one worth making. One that teaches me something everyday. One that will hopefully radiate from me and make me a positive force in the universe.


For now I see our spirituality not so much tied into any formal religious affiliation but as a way to live more thoughtful, compassionate, non-judgmental and loving lives. Being open to the journey without fear and confident we are provided for in every aspect.



Rev. KaZ Brownlee


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

The Universal Life Church offers handfasting ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and free minister training.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge selection of Universal Life Church  minister supplies. Since being ordained with the Universal Life Church for so many years and it's Seminary since the beginning, I've watch the huge change and growth that has continued to happen.



Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Lesson 17 Response

Denise L Graves
Lesson 17 Response - A Matrimonial Service

I like this. My changes are in the following areas:

1. God gender language. I replace He and Father with Creator, very present God or mother father God.

2. I changed Heavenly with ever present because I believe that using Heaven would require quiet a bit of explanation. Heaven is not a physical location.

3. I would remove the story of Jesus turning water into wine and replace with a story of the miracle of beginnings like the creation. Gen 1:26 and 27. It describes the equality of humankind and later talks about Gods charge to Adam and Eve to be good stewards, be fruitful and multiply Love.

4. I like the temple being a place where Love and forgiveness flourishes. I would add that the temple is not static. It is always growing, transforming and relevant.

5. The opportunity to describe how they met publicly seemed a little time consuming. I reworded the "question - what attracted you to.?" If these questions are asked in counselling then the nervousness that often accompanies wedding will be eased when answering publicly.

6. I added that marriage is an example of joint leadership. There are times when situations require skill sets to make room for following with joy and leading with care. No one person leads all of the time. God made no one person to follow all of the time. As both female and male were made by God to compliment one another.

7. Love is a fact not an Illusion... I would remove the following sentence because the process required would take significant time to be appreciated.

8. Marriage is a temple where love is released. Here I added "to the bride/groom take this moment to forgive the other and release them to their highest good. Now forgive yourself for past hurts. This scared act of forgiveness frees us all to be present in this new future."



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Friday, June 3, 2011

Spirituality



This course both surprised and delighted me. The surprise was the focus on Religious Philosophy, and the delight was the focus on Philosophy. The course title lead me to believe that the teachings would be based on various forms of spiritual beliefs and practices, the surprise was finding this in Philosophy. The depth of thought that each included Philosopher expressed through his particular writings, on metaphysical subjects, by itself was impressive. The fact that these same great thinkers, using all their intellect, could reach such divergent conclusions is truly a testament to the complexity and perpetual change of creation.

Obviously from the above you can assume that my previous exposure to Philosophy was minimal. This fact alone made the course extremely valuable to me, by opening up many new avenues wherein to seek truth.

The first 17 chapters are so filled with great thoughts and truths, that it is hard to pick a particular favorite. Chapter 18; however, started out great in comparing Marx, Darwin, and Freud, then makes the statement that "nothing in any philosophical belief … can … give meaning to existence". The exact opposite seems perfectly clear to me. The flow of different thoughts & philosophies, thru the differing time periods proves and validates "existence" as a constantly changing 'educational tool' to prepare us for the next level of development in mankind.

A chick becomes alive within an egg, but has to learn to use its beak to first feed itself, then beak the shell, before it is allowed to join the next step in its existence. We are on a somewhat grander scheme than the chick, but the same principle, of learning before becoming, still applies. The flow of thought changes through history, delineated in the course lessons, clearly shows a development of our 'beak', our mind, toward our next becoming.

The 'dark night' description in chapter 19, in the authors' life, was an excellent inclusion. It may be a little 'out of sequence', but having gone through several 'dark nights' along the way, it is very valuable validation and preparation for any students who have limited experience with these phenomena.

The above exception notwithstanding, the course was delightful and very instructive. I would recommend the course and the author to any others seeking truth.

Sincerely,

Reverend William Fowler


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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