Spirituality Course

I would like to thank Amy for all her hard work. This was a great discourse and a great discourse to help with my ministering.

One thing I learned was that, with metaphysical discussions, you can’t move too fast or too soon or you will scare off science minded people. It is easier to minister to heart minded people. Heart minded people are easier because they intuitively feel the truth of the message. We must remember that we are ministering to people who are searching for meaning. It is important, therefore, that we learn to minister to all people.

Things to look for in heart driven people: feeling oriented, intuitive, receptive to spiritual ideas, touchy-feely, warm and compassionate, accepts contradictions freely and they accept things on faith.

Things to look for in mind driven people: they are analytical, rational, and somewhat distant, reject any contradictions, logical, does not believe what he cannot see, and thinks faith to be an illusion.

I learned that it was important for the person you are ministering to, to seek knowledge. Remember to be patient, kind, accepting and remain alert to signs that you are beginning to push someone too far too fast.

This discourse talked about a lot of philosophers and their viewpoints. Some of them that were covered are: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Saint Augustine, Immanuel Kant, Schopenhauer, Fichte, Hegel and most influential are Karl Marx, Freud and Darwin.

Another point I learned was, with greater understanding of the forces motivating the people we minister to in this society, it gives us a greater ability to help them in their times of need.

Spiritualism has a lot to do with faith. We have learned many ways to minister to those who are logically minded and who reject spiritual ideas, simply because they don’t understand faith even if they reject faith.

Here’s the bottom line for me. God teaches through people. I can convey what he compels me to convey. I can be kind and giving and love all people, but I allow the power of God to flow through me, for I have no qualifications myself to minister without God. 

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.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Metaphysical Healing

Subject: Master of Metaphysical healing     First let me say that I am grateful to have this opportunity to be able to partake in the lesson.     It is understandable how throughout the ages humans have lived in fear of what they do not understand. The practice of any type of healing is as old and intriguing as the universe itself. From the first person to figure out what plant caused what reaction to the hands on faith works of today.      Slowly ideals of what is traditional for healing are changing. Sadly a lot of the indigenous tribes which have practiced traditional healing for their entire existence are slowly disappearing due to modern progress.     It is uplifting and a blessing that there are some individuals that have the awareness that all things are connected and that modern medicine and traditional medicine can co-exist. I find it interesting that no matter how you examine true healing, it is all a matter of spirituality.     It is important that any healer have a base knowledge of body function to help assess any treatment. However it is imperative that that healer also have a secure understanding that the soul and spirit must be treated as well. In treating the spirit and body we can use many different methods from hands on to spirit quests, oils and aromas, even working with energy fields. I think that the most important here is that the healer has to make the spirit and physical connection of the one in need of healing. They have to make that connection for both to receive that divine energy.      There is also another faucet to this healing triad. Let us not forget the mental aspect. Sometimes it is not always physical. Healing is also about breaking old behaviors and self destructive patterns and helping secure a spiritual connection. It may have to go as deep as a life recall in order to understand the damages so the healing process can begin or the process may be as simple as stating some loving, healing and some type of positive affirmations each day.     With all the things that happen in the medical world these days, it becomes ever troublesome to find some one to trust. This is even harder for those in the fields of Natural Healing. I truly find it appalling that some one would take such a divine gift and cause harm or give false practice. I believe that in order to respectfully assist any one in the healing process you need to make sure that they are open fully to the experience. Be certain that you have knowledge of any prior treatments, both traditional and medical. I also feel that it is imperative that you get as much back ground information (fears, traumas, etc) as they are comfortable in giving. It is my thought that you can not fully treat the person if you do not understand why they came to you in the first place.     I feel that any one making a conscious decision to pursue this path has a strict moral and spiritual obligation to adhere to the Healers Oath. Many Blessings Ed Click ******************************* The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity two courses in , Wicca, several in  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

Spiritual Development

Essay for Doctor of Spiritual Development I was originally drawn to this course as it was probably the only one I have seen that links up NLP and hypnosis with aspects of spirituality. I have to lay my cards on the table and say at the outset that I am not exactly new to the subject of NLP. In fact, I have been associated with it now for a number of years, qualifying first as a Practitioner and, in 2009, finally achieving the status of Master Practitioner. I am also a registered hypnotherapist in the United Kingdom with a lifelong interest in that subject. However, I am aware that this is not the "be all and end all".  All systems of belief and practice have their limitations and constraints. The danger of misusing systems such as NLP is that they can achieve an almost cult-like status. NLP has its followers, its own language and jargon, its "founding fathers" and influential writers and teachers. It is tempting, although unhelpful, to live within an NLP world seeing everything in these terms. In my model of the world, I see NLP as most useful when it is integrated into everyday life and practice rather than as a belief system operating on its own (and perhaps that seems strange, coming from an NLP Master Practitioner!). To me, one of the great strengths of NLP that differentiates it from a cult is that it never seeks to assess or judge anyone's beliefs. It does not say what anyone "should" or "should not" believe. It does not question anyone's beliefs. It simply asks the question "Is this belief useful for YOU?"  If someone wants to believe in God and that belief is useful for him, that's fine. If someone prefers to believe that there is no God, and for him, that is a useful belief, that is also OK, from an NLP point of view. Now, for all of us, beliefs are really important since they affect who we are. They are the basis of our values. In other words they are part of our identity. When our beliefs about ourselves and the world are attacked or under threat, we will react in some way, even if only through a strong emotion or sense of anger. Many of the dreadful terrorist activities that have taken place in the last ten years can trace their origin to beliefs and values being under attack (or, more exactly, the perception that they are under attack). Many beliefs are formed in us when we are young. "Don't talk to strangers. They're all bad." "People are out to get you – you can't trust anyone." "Little boys should be seen and not heard" "If you don't do well in school, you'll fail in life."  "A woman's place is in the home" We are all, at least to some extent, the products of our own background and upbringing. We will have cause to follow – or else consciously reject – what our parents, teachers and mentors have told us, whether that has been done expressly or by implication. So, if a child is brought up to believe that he is clumsy, stupid, talented and clever or whatever, this belief about his capabilities will be deeply seated. And the problem is that useful beliefs and non-useful beliefs are equally powerfully rooted. Our unconscious does not know how to differentiate the one from the other. So, if I have a belief that I cannot add up a column of figures, it will, in essence become a self-fulfilling prophecy. [Some people would say that all prophecies are self-fulfilling. That is another story.] If, on the other hand, I believe that I am "good" at addition, I will almost certainly find that I am good at addition. Also, some beliefs are useful but have only a limited shelf life. It is a useful belief for a young child that he needs to check things out with his parents and cannot stand on his own two feet. Young children need protection and guidance. But that need does not and should not last for ever. The time comes when that same belief needs to be changed. The "child" is no longer a child and needs to make his own decisions. He is now independent of his parents or at least moving in that direction. That process of change can prove difficult and painful. Some aspects of personal change can certainly be difficult. But not all personal change needs be so. Some changes can be made surprisingly quickly by using appropriate techniques of NLP or hypnosis or other related disciplines. Reference has already been made to the fact that the subconscious (or the unconscious) does not make moral distinctions. It will seek to reinforce a belief that is already programmed because it thinks that if that belief is there, then it must be useful and in the person's best interests. So, the person who believes in God will look at the world for all signs of a creating and loving God to reinforce that belief. The atheist, on the other hand, will look at the evil in world and ask how a loving God could possibly allow such terrible things to happen. They will also tend to gravitate towards people who hold similar views. At a more mundane level, when a person who believes deep down that he cannot do a particular thing – and is then asked to do it – his subconscious will send him the protective message – "No, you cannot do that; remember?" The subconscious perceives that it is working for the best (and the subconscious always tries to do its best) in preventing the person from attempting something he cannot do, with all the repercussions that brings. In NLP terms, this "cannot do" is an example of a "limiting belief". Some of our limiting beliefs have been with us for a long time and may be so deeply seated that we may not even be consciously aware that we have them. (Of course there are many very useful beliefs that are also programmed in, such as that fire burns.)  Scientists have proved that, aerodynamically, a bee should not be able to fly. Of course, no one has told the bee that!  Just recently, I observed my neighbour's tabby cat running up a vertical garage wall. Again, that "shouldn't" be possible, but the cat didn't know that. I remember reading in an NLP book (unfortunately I cannot remember which one) that the most important question anyone can be asked is "What do you want?"  I remember being just a little sceptical when I first read that. However, the more I think about it, the more I realise just how insightful this statement is. If we can actually work out what it is we do actually want, we can move on from there. It is easy to drift through life without any aims, objectives or goals in mind. If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there, as the Cheshire Cat said to Alice. What NLP and hypnosis can do is to allow the conscious and the subconscious to function together, find out what the person really wants and begin the process of moving in that direction. There is no doubt that NLP received a rather bad press in the 1980s when it came to be associated with techniques used by the less reputable end of the used car market. Similarly, for many years, hypnosis was viewed with suspicion although even today it seems to be much more main stream in the USA than it does in the UK. However, if we are thinking (as we are) of the ethical uses of such techniques, we have to be aware that we only seek to help people do what they really want to do. I am sometimes asked, for example, if I can "make" someone stop smoking. The answer to that is a clear "no" – I cannot make anyone do anything they do not actually want to do. I can, however help that person to improve his clarity of purpose. But how does all fit in with the spiritual issues involved? Coming myself originally from a mainstream Christian background, I know that Christianity (and probably all the major world religions) seek to put the puzzles and challenges of life into a meaningful context. Jesus said that he had come to give life and give life abundantly. He healed many people who were sick, not only physically but mentally. It is God's purpose for us to be well and not ill. Indeed, Jesus went even further and told his disciples that they would be able to do greater things even than he had. This was a very radical statement. It is something the mainstream Christian church has not yet come to terms with. Of course, a great deal of what has just been said will clash with our rational minds. If we cannot make sense of something then it doesn't make sense – at least this is the way in which Western society has thought since the beginning of the Age of Reason. We have had a long love affair with reason and tend, culturally, to believe that reason must always triumph over feelings and intuition. If it cannot be measured, we assume only too quickly that it does not exist. (Actually Charles Dickens wrote his novel "Hard Times" to ridicule people, known at that time as "determinists" who believed that everything could, sooner or later, be measured!) Yet, the mediaeval mystics were able to recognise that something can be "true" without there being scientific proof. I can believe that the Genesis account of creation is "true" from a theological and spiritual point of view yet I can also accept that an evolutionary scientist also produces a different version of creation that is "true". If both sides in the creation argument could see that, a great deal of human energy would be saved! In the developing world, some amazing things have taken place even in my own lifetime. This is because people in some of these cultures believe that the words of Jesus are actually true. There are amazing modern accounts of healings through faith, even accounts of people being raised from the dead. This is more than we can take in the Western world.  We often block the power of the spirit with our chilly rationalism. In Capernaum, even Jesus could do no mighty works because of the unbelief of the people. Spiritually, we need to be able to tap into our mystical and intuitive sense in a new way – or else rediscover the older way. It seems (to me) that the world is full of "religion" yet is spiritually parched. There is an old Gospel hymn that has the chorus "I will pour waters on him that is thirsty" There is such a need for a time of refreshing today among all the great world religions. As a registered hypnotherapist, I know that even in a light trance, it is possible to access our true desires even, dare I say, to regress into past lives. In fact our most useful state is that area of light trance – such as when we awake in the morning. People such as Thomas Edison and Winston Churchill were able to put themselves easily into that state and came up with their best solutions as a result. In the Old Testament, many of the prophets went into trance-like states. It is said that the famous Anthony of Padua could, in such a state, bilocate, i.e. be in two places at once. Saint Teresa of Avila could get into such an ecstatic state that she actually levitated and the other nuns had to hold her down! I believe that, in the western world, our religions have become far too cognitive. Certainly where I live, in Scotland, in centuries past it was very important to know what people "thought" from a doctrinal point of view – with much less importance being placed on what they did or how they practiced, far less how they felt. Alasdair Bothwell Gordon Aberdeen, Scotland (UK) ******************************************** 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. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Spirit Quest

We Are Experiencing the Grand Cycle by James Gilliland

Author of Reunion with Source, director of Self Mastery Earth Institute and ECETI

We are experiencing a Grand Cycle where our solar system is moving to a new place in the universe with more available light and energy. Many refer to this as the photon belt. Russian research has proven the leading edge of our heliosphere is glowing with up to a thousand times more light as we move into this highly charged area. The planets within our solar system are also emitting up to three times more light and are all undergoing atmospheric changes. Our sun is also changing. What once was a yellow orange sun is now white. The hydrogen helium mixture is changing and the mega solar cycle with its unprecedented CMEs, coronal mass ejections and solar flares has continued to increase far beyond any 11 year cycle. In fact a whole new cycle is starting in 2007 which will be much more intense than the last solar cycle. Scientists are expecting to lose many of their satellites, even more severe weather, and an increase in number and severity in tornadoes and hurricanes.

How does this affect the Earth? When the Earth is hit by a CME or solar flare the first effects are the bioelectric fields around the physical embodiment. Stanford Research has proven when monkeys were exposed to changes in the magnetic fields they exhibited behavior from comatose to self mutilation. We are experiencing massive shifts in the magnetic fields which reverberate when hit by a CME or solar flare. Major changes throughout history have been tied into solar flare activity. Some of the symptoms are extreme mood swings, emotional outbursts, sometimes followed by extreme lethargy. This has a major effect on relationships and society in general. There is a grand uncovering of all that is hidden. All of the injustices and deceptions will rise to the surface along with old wounds, traumas and wrong conclusions from past experience.

There will be an acceleration of the action/reaction principle or Karma. You will see kingdoms built on deceit rise and fall especially within the political arena. Whenever you create a position of power outside of self that position will be sought out by men/women who lust for power over others in ignorance of the real power which is to serve and empower the individual. Advanced cultures choose their leadership according to their spiritual advancement and record of service to others. Our system worships those who have amassed wealth and power unfortunately in most cases at the expense of humanity and the Earth in direct violation of universal law. Then we wonder what happened to our freedom, our prosperity, and our environment?

These social changes are followed by erratic weather, an increase in tornado and hurricane activity along with a warming up or drought in some places and a cooling down or floods and freezes in others. The jet streams are also affected which move the weather patterns which in turn affect crop production. What once grew in some places will grow in others. Deserts will bloom etc. As the energy is absorbed through the poles the Earth begins to overheat. The overheating causes pressure which has to be released through volcanoes and earthquakes. When you add the greenhouse effect caused by man made emissions we aggravate this cycle causing more heat to be trapped within the system. The undersea volcanoes are heating up the oceans creating changes in the ocean currents. Changes in the ocean currents create changes in the weather and climate of whole continents. The massive storm and cloud cover along with volcanic eruptions creates a natural shielding effect. It is the Earth's way of defending herself and adjusting to the new energies.

There is another unnatural shielding effect, known as chemtrails, a joint Canadian and American secret military operation which now involves other countries which is crisscrossing the skies with what seem to be contrails in X patterns. What was once blue sky turns into a gray toxic artificial cloud cover. Exposing the people and the environment to deadly carcinogens which are in the chemical makeup of this aerosol spraying is adding to the already polluted environment. This will only accelerate the cancers, open the door to more pathogens and pandemic disease along with shortening the life span of humanity. The short term gain of cooling down the planet in order to continue to burn fossil fuels is very short sighted and will have long term effects which will be disastrous.

There have been many predictions and prophecies concerning the destiny of humanity and the Earth. They come from every culture; every religion and they all share a common theme. Some have come to pass, some have not. Timing is the hardest aspect of prophecy due to the visions in most cases not coming with a date. There are changes in the collective consciousness, divine intervention which includes a greater family of man some call extra terrestrials or untradimensionals along with ancient civilizations which exist to this day on the interior. These entities have technologies beyond your wildest dreams and, if circumstances allow, can intervene.

Universal law does not permit any grand intervention due to trespassing on free will and interfering with soul evolution. The more we choose to evolve and operate within the universal principles necessary for a healthy society and environment and initiate contact the more we can receive assistance.

We gain wisdom through experience, for every action there is a reaction and as a civilization we have not acted in the highest and best good of our fellow man/woman or nature. In accordance with universal law these negative actions have reactions or consequences.

We have become a society ruled by greed, the lust for power and wealth has hijacked the noble vision upon which this country was founded. We have fouled the air, water and land. We are subject to up to a thousand more toxins than our grandparents. Most city tap water has up to 850 toxins some of which are deadly carcinogens, the oceans are dying with over 50 dead zones some of which over 700 miles wide. Fish are disappearing; the plankton to support them is gone due to radioactive materials and petrochemicals dumped in the oceans. Whole species are disappearing and becoming extinct at an alarming rate. The rapid deforestation is also a major factor in decreased oxygen levels as well as changes in climate.

The oxygen levels have dropped from 35% to 07% in some major cities. Our food has become acidic, over processed and laced with chemicals with little or no life force. Otto Warburg a triple Nobel Prize winner gave us the cure for cancer as well as a way of destroying pathogenic virus and bacteria naturally. Lowering the PH and making the body acidic lowers the oxygen levels. This creates the perfect medium for harmful pathogens most of which are anaerobic and the proliferation of cancer. The cancer cell is anaerobic. To reverse cancer and eliminate the harmful anaerobic pathogens you raise the PH becoming more alkaline and increase the blood oxygen.

As a civilization we are doing everything possible to shorten our life span and open the door to pandemics most of which are genetically altered bacteria and virus coming out of our very own laboratories. Oxygen is the highest systemic antibiotic known to man. When you add the chemicals in the food, water and air along with the diminishing oxygen levels we are on a fast track to extinction. This unsustainable lifestyle and fast track to extinction is driven by greed and ignorance. We should never create nuclear waste without the ability to render it harmless. We have not needed nuclear power or gasoline since the forties. The technologies to provide all of our transportation and energy needs fuelessly exists today. We have the technology to clean up the environment, and end the unnecessary wars to control the oil. The only thing missing is the leadership.

Unfortunately our leadership does not operate in the highest and best good of the people and the environment. Profit for the elite, the lust for power and wealth at the expense of humanity and the Earth is what is guiding our destiny. The false belief in separation, greed and competition is the foundation of today's governing forces. Ignorance of universal law due to the arrogance of the elite with its separative attitude always ends in disaster. The karmic backlash affects everyone. We have all become willing participants in our own demise to one degree or another. Now is the time to become willing participants in redirecting our own personal lives and pressure those who lead us to act in the highest and best good for humanity and the Earth. There is no profit in environmental collapse which, without a course correction, is our destiny. We can choose the downward spiral into social, economic and environmental collapse which will affect everyone - the rich and the poor. H istory has proven in the end to take it out on the rich - or we can take the upward spiral. Remember the revolutions? Who lost their kingdoms and their heads?

There is hope and there are solutions to this dilemma that will avoid the severity of the reaction and the Earth's need to cleanse. The answer has been given throughout history by sages, saints and master teachers within every culture along with the warnings of things to come if we do not change. We have stepped outside of universal law and if we are to continue as a civilization we have to step back into universal law. You don't have to go to college to get a degree in universal law. It is written within the heart of hearts of all humanity. It is the innermost desire of all humanity. The innermost desire of all humanity is to reunite with their Creator, Spirit, Source or what ever name you wish to give it. It is also the innermost desire to live a loving, joyous, long and prosperous life in harmony with nature. Name one person who does not desire love and joy? Name one person that desires disease, poverty or wants to live in a poisoned environment? How many people want their families to die needlessly in unethical wars?

It is all about doing what is right, opening up to an extended family and cleaning up the very platform for life, without which the game is over. There is an old Cherokee saying:if it is not good for everyone it is not good. We should not create anything or act in any way that is harmful to others. Others include all of creation.

To be more definitive, here are some simple solutions to a complex problem which is complex only because we do not want to change and solve the problem. We are going to have to rise to the occasion, work together for the highest and best good of humanity and the Earth if we are going to get through these tumultuous times. There are shifts in consciousness and energy that will support the upward spiral. It is up to us to initiate these changes along with the assistance on high through prayer and meditation followed by right action.

1. All government, religious and business institutions must accept and act according to the universal principles and understandings necessary for a healthy society and environment. Principles such as Brotherly/Sisterly Love, Universal Peace, Individual Freedom and Prosperity for All with a strong reverence for Life in all Forms. It is up to the people to hold these institutions accountable to these principles. Greed, profit and power over others rather than empowering the individual are no longer acceptable motives to drive our civilization's destiny. It is time for those who have been blessed with abundance to invest in the awakening and healing of humanity and the Earth. We must take all measures possible in the restoration of the environment.

2. The environmentally friendly technologies must take precedence over all other technologies and need to be implemented immediately especially where fossil fuels and nuclear generators are concerned. Your nuclear generators are flawed, have cracks and are poorly designed, producing deadly waste at an alarming rate with no solutions to render this waste inert. Global warming is here; it is on the increase and the science is there to back it up. If it continues at the same rate we will experience more severe natural disasters in the days to come. Strong measures must be taken to insure there is no more interference or suppression of these new technologies.

3. The military needs to redirect their energies to disaster relief and clean up. The profit needs to be taken out of war and invested into peace and rebuilding the infrastructure of nations. This will be imperative in the days to come that all available resources return to assist in the rescue, clean up and rebuilding efforts. The last Great War will be with Nature. To war with Nature is to lose. We must flow with the changes and prepare on every level - physically, mentally emotionally and spiritually.

4. It is said that food should be your medicine. Organic soil enrichment methods need to take precedence over chemical fertilizes and pesticides. Our food needs to be fresh, natural, and free of pesticides, herbicides and preservatives which are unnatural. We need to re-mineralize the soil as well, which creates healthy, disease and pest resistant crops high in vitamins and minerals.

Volcanoes are nature's way of bringing minerals back to the soil. Crushed rock from specific places is another. There must be a movement back to the land, to what once was called victory gardens. It is said if you want to harden a man's heart take him out of nature. It is imperative that we reconnect with nature for our own well being.

5. The medical and pharmaceutical industry needs a total overhaul. As long as there are enormous profits in disease the cures will not come forward. We are not synthetic beings, we are organic beings. We heal through organic methods. There are natural inexpensive miracle cures, frequency emitting devices that accelerate healing and eliminate harmful pathogens which have been suppressed and blocked from coming forward. There are frequency devices that can wipe out a pathogen, "virus or bacteria" in entire cities with a flip of a switch. It is time to implement these alternative methods, utilize unbiased research and use whichever method works best in bringing about a cure. The health and well being of the patient must come first and foremost - not one's bank account.

6. Education is imperative. We need to end the power struggles over which name, image or doctrine is used within our schools. There are universal principles and understandings which are the golden threads that bind all religions and cultures together. They are necessary for a healthy society and environment. We need to find agreement and teach these principles and understandings to our children as parents. Our schools also need to support these teachings. Science is merging with Spirit. The latest breakthroughs in physics prove we all live in a sea of consciousness and energy where everything is connected.

We all originated from the same source, regardless of color or belief, and share the same air, water and planet. What is done to one affects the whole; if one suffers it is felt everywhere. This is why the Bodhisattva makes a vow to return to end all suffering. It is ignorance of our connection with each other and all life that is the source of crime, violence, wars and needless suffering.

7. You are not alone in the universe. The universe is filled with life. There are spiritually and technologically advanced civilizations, not just in this dimension but others as well. It is part of an unseen brother/sisterhood that loves you greatly. It is time to expand our views of the universe and educate our children to the existence of a grander reality. They are there waiting to assist on a grander scale, yet this must be initiated and earned by our own choice and action.

There are more solutions to the growing pains of humanity. Templates, a physical example of how a spiritually and technologically advanced civilization in harmony with the environment would live, are manifesting around the world. It is where the knowledge will be preserved, where the tools to the awakening and healing process will be kept. There is a greater plan - yet this plan depends on us, our desire to change and work in the highest and best good of humanity and the Earth. We have to become very clear in our motives and intentions with constant self assessment, with brutal honesty as to the true motive and desire in all that we say and do. It is time to choose a spiritual, wholesome way of life in harmony with each other and nature. Our religion should be kindness. It is truly that simple.

James Gilliland, Author of Reunion with Source, director of Self Mastery Earth Institute and ECETI www.cazekiel..org www.eceti.org

Pass it far and wide permission granted

Sunny Ariel

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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.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.

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

Spirit Quest

Spirit Quest

Thank you, for all the “discourses” that you covered in “Spirit Quest”!

I enjoyed all 30 Discourses, several of the courses I already knew about and the others will serve to be very valuable in my life journeys. I especially liked Lesson #8 on “mock ups” and Lesson #29 about “money”.

The discussion about “money”, is a very captivating. Your opening statement of this lesson sums it all up about “money”. And it was an eye opening to see it in a different light, as you elegantly put it: Well, money itself isn’t necessarily all that much to look at, but really it’s what money symbolizes that is a beautiful thing. On page #2 paragraph 5 is my favorite; People can choose to be happy whether they are rich or poor and they can choose to be unhappy in the same situations. Thank you….

Lesson #8 about “mock up”, “being specific” and “letting go” really hit home. The part about making sure that it’s your “mock up” and not someone else, because you may not be able to fix theirs but yours you may. In your writing you talked about doing something for someone & it wasn’t what they wanted. The situation was the very same thing and it was my own child (she didn’t want to go to college; she wanted to start a family).

All of being specific & letting go is something I had to learn in order for me to be where I am at now. Surrendering is what I was taught in my life as a “minister/reverend”. And how surrendering to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ will set me “free”…..It’s always easy to talk about what we should do and it’s very hard to actually do it! As it has taken me this long in my life to be doing what really makes me “happy” in trying to “guide” people on their path. And once again I thank you for all my new tools that I will be able to use to serve help others.

Reverend Flaviana Kalehua Vidinha

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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.

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Metaphysical Healing

Metaphysical Healing Course Final Essay Rev. Lindsay Baldassano I began this course a few months ago during a time when I was seeking to refresh my Reiki practice and further my knowledge and understanding of subtle energies and healing. I was very excited about the new seminary program being offered by ULC and am still excited to continue learning in this fashion. I have always been a student at heart and actually looked forward to having to do homework again and having the chance to collect my thoughts about a topic and put the words down, to both express the lesson and what I have taken from it. The range of topics and intensity of knowledge being passed on was impressive for an online course. Teaching such a physical practice as healing can be a challenge when done through a non-physical medium like the Internet. While this course could not provide every little nuance of the hand-on aspects of the healing work, it certainly provided the internal assessment tools to be able to discern when and how you are connected to the Divine energies. These are important tools for healers beginning on their first forays into the healing arts. The thought that the energy bodies and organs of a person is analogous to the physical circulatory system is an extremely important concept to grasp in modern energy medicine. There is a still a dichotomy of information types out in today's field in the States. We are still placed between purely intuitive energy medicine and the energy medicine concepts which are trying to be furthered by the scientific communities. I do feel that once we have a way to better talk about what is perceived and what science can prove with what equipment they have (our current equipment may not be able to read the types of information our bodies perceive and interpret naturally), we will better be able to define our energy systems and their components. It was also very exciting to hear of the advances in the field of professional Traditional healers. It is my hope that this trend continues through out the world, so that in time it is the standard, rather than the exception that we are all assessed and treated holistically. Thank you for offering this course, it was well worth the time and investment it took to make this course an option for me! ********************** 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. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Spirituality Course

Universal Life Church
Defining Spiritualism;

Final Essay

Rev. Kipper T. Rowen

To begin with, let me just say, and I know I’m not the first to say this, this course in Defining Spiritualism is exactly NOT what I had envisioned or expected. But to be honest, I’m not exactly sure what I expected. In the same honesty, I thought I knew what “to be spiritual” and “spirituality” meant. To know the story of Jesus Christ; to know the CORRECT explanation of His parables; to know GOD’s ten commandments; to live a moral and upstanding life based on what our present day culture dictated; and finally to be able to blurt out any Scripture in any Book in my favorite Bible from memory. Then I would be wise, a sage, always having the right Scripture and band aid for every situation I would ever encounter. In short, bearing part of my soul, I would hold a position of knowledge and respect, setting me aside from all the ‘have nots.’

What I did find has in all probability been said by many students before; but I, have to say it. Socrates’ famous self-analysis statement totally rocked my foundations of what I thought my belief system was composed of. “The only thing I know is that I know nothing”. All of my lifelong attempts at gaining knowledge of a certain subject were accomplished by delving into books that taught me to ‘learn’ facts.

This course in fact actually MAKES you unlearn what you think you know. For many of us ‘old timers’, this shakes the very roots of a long life of learning experiences. We are to remember we are ministering to others and not to ourselves; as Jesus commanded; which can be found as a connecting thread through most religions I have been exposed to.

The beginning discourses, appeared to me at first glance was to just be another collection of philosophers, their theories, failures and success that contributed not only to Western thought, but also built up and in some cases, was the ultimate downfall of many governments. “What does this course have to do with me MINISTERING to others? You will notice the word MINISTERING is in all caps. This was because of my terribly distorted view of what a minister does. The word minister has so much power and purpose on its own, that all smaller case letters satisfies the need of that series of letters, to produce a word and ultimately a picture in your mind.

This I shall call the most important thing I learned from this exquisite course. What I do when I enter into a situation in which I may be asked to minister to someone. The first thing I will do before entering the room for the initial confrontation with someone ‘in pain’, is to remove any identifying and tell-tale signs that would tell anyone that I am a minister. I will enter as a new babe, with the addition of an ability to understand languages, the ability to listen and not condemn. My only tools of my ‘trade’ will be a totally open, loving and compassionate mind. An attitude and demeanor I would ask of someone entrusted to ease my suffering.

Besides the long list of contributors to Western Thought as explained; Socrates; Plato; Aristotle; Pythagoras; Descartes; Immanual Kant; (one of my favorites; Werner Heisenburg); on and on. To try to describe what I ‘learned’ from each discourse would in all reality just be retyping what was laid out for us. But then I began to feel a progressive train of thought that could very easily be redirected into a non-religious type of Christian Apologetics. defending the faith against all who would tear it down; in particularly the people who have a death grasp on their Religion of Science. But I was wrong again. What is truth for me obtained from this course may not be the same truths for you. Distilled down, what overwhelmed me the most, consists of four items; 1)As I understand it and embrace it, the statement made by Socrates; The only thing I know is that I know nothing”; 2) Socrates also said “The most important thing you can do is to know yourself” 3) The power of the collective mind is unfathomable. In the cases in the New Testament of the Bible, when Christ was attributed to the miracle of ‘healing’, there is hidden in those Scriptures an overlooked common thread. The one that comes to mind is the instance in which a woman of some age, who had been plagued by ‘an issue of blood’ for many years, approached Jesus from behind so as to not be noticed. She then touched the hem of His garment and the issue ceased.

Christ knew someone had touched Him. When He inquired who had touched Him, she could not withhold, she came forward and made herself know to Jesus who told her “…..your FAITH has healed you….” I’m compiling a booklet on the subject of Christ’s healings with respect to faith and the mind. It may never be seen by anyone, but this course has further influenced me to continue that labor of love with more interest than ever. “Your faith has healed you………………….”is repeated time and time again by Christ.

He appears to be the conduit through which the GOD mind communicates between HIS willing creation's minds”. 4) The simplest of truths for me is simply “Things are all just as they should be.” So when confronted with an apparent evil, we must remember, good cannot exist without a counterpart, evil, to give a substance to the word ‘joy’. The good balances out the evil. Nature strives endlessly toward the state of perfect balance. So the Tibetan Buddhist accept a life of cold, harsh weather, lack of food, no heat, running water, everything we take for granted, JOYFULLY. They know their reward will come when they pass. Therefore they cry at a birth and rejoice at a death/funeral. That person has attained ‘Liberation’ from this worldly suffering.

Although I’m now a Christian, I practiced Zen Buddhism for 14 years now and in my studies my teacher taught me many truths about suffering, especially that of those beautiful people in Tibet and the ones in exile. They all are fully aware of the calling of the universal mind, to bring them back to its eternity, when all lessons had been learned. To return back to the unending collective mind.

What did I like best about this course? Discourse #6 really put my mind into overdrive; Socrates et all. The contents of which cannot, and I emphasize cannot be fully drawn into the correct perspective with 2 - 3 reads. I have so been enthralled with this discourse #6 (The entire course itself), that I have put it in a protective binder to carry with me always. When something has the impact on me that this Course has had, it becomes a source of ‘spiritualism’ (how about that?) in my life and won’t ever leave.

The only point I can truthfully say, that though it isn’t a point I dislike, it is one that makes me a little uncomfortable when I read it. I firmly believe the murky water will clear as I grow. That topic was presented I believe, not so much as an accepted truth, but as a motivation for further considerations. Basically it stated that if we are simply an arrangement particulates, then if I were to shoot someone, there is only the re-arrangement of those particulates, with nothing driven from existence. Does that constitute murder?

At this point in my journey, if good and evil are two sides of the same coin making it a whole, then there must be a source in that coin where good is the only attribute on the one side of the coin, with evil the only attribute on the other, a ‘balance‘, yet separates. Therefore some experiential knowledge of good and bad must exist and in creation this ‘moral standard ‘is imparted to it by its creator.

In conclusion, let me applaud Chuck, on this wonderful course and now for his “BOMB SHELL” of a closing discourse. He not only bared his soul to us, but in my case, he also gave me the strength, to simply put it……look at myself in the mirror, the first time in such a long time, I would only be presenting a guess as to how long it’s been. His story is so amazing, not from the content, but in his ability to offer it to us as a learning experience. Coincidentally, the Doctor I see recently instructed me, in an attempt to teach me to love myself, to embrace all the things, good and bad that is/ WAS me in the last 54 years, and to make each failure as I journey, a learning experience and not another failure.” Amazing! Then I read Chuck’s testimony of his ‘40 years in the wilderness’ and yes, I had a tear or two. Thank You Chuck.

I won’t ever be the same. I won’t ever ‘shove my beliefs’ down someones throat. It’s now apparent, it’s my life’s calling to plant a mustard seed and there my job ends. I’m not a missionary, I’m not an evangelist. However I am Kip with a capitol ‘K’ now.

I’ll let my GOD, your Creator, your Gods, your Gods/Goddesses; the universal collective Mind, do what they do best; nurture what we have planted into

whatever existence requires, to balance it self. Each of us as ministers, were not at first “not ordained” then suddenly “we are Ordained” with all the knowledge we need to minister is automatically ours to expound. Just as everyone else before us, with us, and that will come after us, are on spiritual journeys, whether they know it or not, we too have our own journeys, as ministers, where every experience is one of learning. We MUST be good listeners, sometimes with a tear. It’s been my focus of late, to love everyone, non-judgmentally. Chuck you have made my journey, so much more joyful, giving me the example to follow of simple acceptance that I am me, and not anything else. Everything is just as it should be.

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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 hand-fasting 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.

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