Seminary Program

This is where we post the essays from many of our Universal Life Church Seminary students. When students finish a ULC course, they write a comprehensive essay about their experiences with the course, what they learned, didn't learn, were inspired by, etc. Here are their essays.

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Monday, April 24, 2006

Spirit Quest

Metaphysics Course Universal Life ChurchTaking the Spirit Quest course has been a life-changing event for me. The course has, quite literally, saved my marriage. The course has revealed possibilities that I had never appreciated before. Spirit Quest opened a closed mind, and infused me with a desire for further personal and spiritual exploration. In addition to learning some excellent tools, like creating/destroying roses and grounding, I have come to better understand myself as a spiritual being. The course has been very interesting, thought provoking, and challenging. I have especially enjoyed the many examples discussed throughout the course, since I could really relate to them. In fact, the examples seemed eerily familiar. It was almost as if the events had actually happened to me.

The course was very well designed. I reviewed each weekly offering at least three times, as suggested, prior to the next installment. I found that certain concepts, such as Forgiveness in week 2, needed to be reviewed more often. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand the concept; rather, it was usually that the lesson held particular meaning for me. The lesson on Forgiveness was especially important to me. It taught me that people are often not against you, but merely acting as a result of their own pain. This simple truth was a profound revelation for me. It enabled me to see my role in causing pain in those that I love, and it made me understand that their actions were a result of their own pain. “It” wasn’t about me; it was about their own pain and spiritual path. This realization made it much easier to forgive. The idea that “carrying a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die” really illustrated the fact that forgiveness is for you- you need to forgive, other people do not need to be forgiven. I now understand that forgiveness is a gift that you give yourself.

The idea of forgiving oneself was a truly new concept to me. The understanding that I have been acting out of my own pain allowed me to begin to forgive myself for emotionally hurting those that I love the most. I am, and always will be, still responsible for my actions. However, I have been able to let go of some of the extreme guilt that I have been taught to carry. My burden, while not lifted, has been eased. I can accept myself for who I am, and I can get on with my life.

I am grateful for the many tools embedded in the Spirit Quest course. The lesson on “Grounding” has been especially helpful to me. I was not sure that I was doing the exercise properly until I began to see the effects on my surroundings. For example, prior to a budget meeting at work, I grounded myself and the room. I got to the room early and set the energy. The meeting was to be a follow-up to a particularly contentious management meeting. I knew that division directors were coming to the meeting prepared to do battle over scare resources, while attacking the proposed staffing allocations for other divisions. I spent ten minutes grounding the room prior to anyone else arriving for the meeting. The meeting was very successful and actually quite cordial. Several managers commented after the meeting that it was one of the most productive meetings that anyone could remember.

The Spirit Quest course is unique. There is such a tremendous amount of information in the course that it deserves further study. I printed each lesson and placed them in a binder. I review the lessons periodically, and I use them as a spiritual reference guide. When I am confronted by a particularly difficult situation, I refer back to Spirit Quest. This action has helped me to remember to use the tools that I learned throughout the course.

Spirit Quest has re-awakened my desire to learn and grow as a spirit. Once again I look upon the universe with a sense of wonderment that I last had when I was a child. Spirit Quest has enabled me to transcend my personal situation and given greater meaning to my seemingly mundane daily existence. I have truly been inspired. I look forward to taking additional courses from the ULC Seminary.

Please sign me,

Reverend Aaron


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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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