Defining Spiritualism

Defining Spiritualism Final Essay

Rev Sharon J. Mayer

This is an extraordinary course in ministry. It has laid the groundwork for assisting others in the understanding of the complexities of belief. I enjoyed the whole course and the way it was relate to the ministry of the Universal Life Church. The author kept simple many ideas and teachings while not being overwhelming in fact or intellect. I am sorry the course has come to an end I did look forward to each lesson to gain either a way to move forward or an understanding of where I was and what needed to be learned or changed to move forward. This has been one of the more insightful classes I have taken from the seminary.

This will be a course that I will be able to use as a background to assist those I minister. Many of the people I come in contact with have a background in extreme religious Christian churches and have left this and grown away from any form of religion or spirituality. They are tired of being told they are not good enough to have love in their lives and to live life to the fullest. Because of this they are lonely and feel unworthy. This was a point brought out in Lesson 8 of the course. Unfortunately the younger people of today seem to be those that are the most affected by the thought they are not good enough. My little group has people in menial jobs, overcoming addiction, bad relationships, and despair. None of us have much formal education but we all have a desire for a better existence for ourselves and the world.

I believe one of the most destructive concepts of church writing was the concept of predestination. This is the major thought I have to overcome with my group. Many seem to feel this is Truth so why care? I was once asked to leave a church because I taught that God loves us all just as we are. I was using the church learning tools but when someone overheard me saying “No matter what you do you can overcome it because God still loves you.” They spoke to the church council who before speaking to me asked me to leave. Some did apologize when the realized it was from the church curriculum but I never when back to the church. If they could not understand of all groups why should I want to be with them?

In view of the events at VT I am again drawn to Lesson 10 and the paragraph that reads “So try to remember and be understanding of the fact that someone completely contained in his or her conscious mind is suffering greatly. These people believe themselves to have an absolute understanding of that which cannot be absolutely understood. When life acts in ways other than their absolute understanding, it affects them greatly. They suffer depression, anger, hostility, all host of negative energy emotions because they think they know absolutely and they are proven wrong every day.” I have compassion for the families of those who lost their lives but I also have compassion for the young man who felt he had The Answer. He never saw the beauty in life.

As to what I received from the lessons I can only repeat what the instructor stated. The more I study the more I realize I know nothing. I will take the ideas and suggestions given in the closing of the course to heart and realize that I can not change what I do not own and I own nothing. Each person in the world sees with only their eyes and each life is that persons alone.

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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.

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