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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Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Spirit Quest

Dear Amy,

Thank you for all the Spirit quest program. I wanted to focus my 300 word final on Discourse #29 MONEY!!! I guess that gives it away. The exclamation point that is. I consider myself a spiritual being living and adapting to a overly materialistic world. In a way materialism is part of our being. We possess our body and organs so life as we know it is biased towards materialism. What I appreciated about this session is that you where not resisting money and you where reflecting that like everything else its what you do with it. I think I have gotten to a point that I believe you either have it or don’t and live a wondering monk’s life. That is not a choice since I chose to be a proactive part of this world and am married with two wonderful children (9mos and 5yrs old). So I am committed. So how can I make friends with money since I actually would like to have a lot of it and I want all the luxury and freedom that comes with it?


First focusing on the idea that money is good but my impression of people that have it is not very good. I have not met many people that accumulated wealth that I truly respect. The people that are making a lot of money today in especially in sales and money mgt world are mostly fake and are just gaining peoples trust to get their way. So I need to earn my keep by doing what I believe and am good at in the most sincere matter and not getting disappointed when people don’t believe me. I need to use the rejection as a learning experience and not try to save or savor it. I need to move on with that learning experience to the next relationship and sharing of my story and why I am doing what I do.



Another great point was about doing what you love. I love helping people and helping them overcomes their obstacles. I should have become a psychologist but I didn’t because I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I have all these ideas and things in my head that I need to bring to life but get stuck after the creation part. After it is created then the only motivation is money and I don’t follow through. I love working with people so I need to stick it out and reach out despite the rejection. I need to put my self in their position and as I get more confident and can prove my sincerity I will gain the like minded people that can see through me and can place their trust in me.



So I will stop procrastinating and don’t try to make money evil so I don’t have to earn it.



Thanks,

KS

*******************************

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.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Christian Studies


Preface

First let me begin by thanking the authors of this course and the ULC Seminary for making this course available to everyone and anyone who has a desire for knowledge or those like me who may have a personal or spiritual quest.

My own quest is one of a spiritual nature in which I have many unanswered questions and issues that I wish to try and resolve in my life. Some of which have been answered and are continuing to be answered on a daily basis and others which I still continue to seek. I personally don’t label myself as a member of any particular religious sect or denomination but simply as a disciple of Jesus Christ and a believer in God and His Holy Spirit.

Philosophically I base my current beliefs on basically the same God of the Bible, which ever version of the Bible one may choose to use as a source document. It is true in my case that if one knocks on the door it will be opened and if one seeks he will find. Sometimes the answers come quickly and sometimes slowly. Biblical philosophy and teachings have stood the test of time and in my opinion still apply today. I speak only for myself and the lessons I have learned so far in this quest and humbly wish to share them with you.

I believe that I cannot express my review of this study in only 300 words in regards to this particular course and ask that you bear with me as I am very passionate about what I have learned and continue to learn so far about the life of Jesus Christ, who he was upon this Earth, his teachings while upon the Earth and who He is now. This is well documented in the various translations of the four gospels in several versions of the Holy Bible and our source document for this course The Unvarnished Gospels by Andy Gaus. I have found the papers and study guides of this course to be both stimulating and insightful and thank you for your hard work and efforts.

This course has led me not only to study the words and translation of The Unvarnished Gospels but also to research other scholars and authors and gain greater knowledge and some historical background on the person known as Jesus Christ, his life and his teachings.

First let me say that I believe that no one figure in human history has made more of an impact on mankind than Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth if one prefers. Even the unbeliever cannot argue this point. Believe me I have tried many times in the past as I once was an unbeliever myself. Certainly there have been many great men and women who lives and deeds have been recorded throughout the history of mankind’s existence. Yet none have sparked more interest, debate, wars, changing of lives and years of proving and disproving that Jesus was the Son of the living God. The list is endless and the debate continues to this day.

As I began this study I had a hard time understanding the basic translation in The Unvarnished Gospels. It took me awhile to get into the flow of the writings, but once started, I began to understand the basic word for word translation from the Greek text. With that being said this further led me to read three different texts of the four gospels using three different versions of the Holy Bible. The King James Version, the American Standard Version, and the New International Version were the versions that I used for my comparison studies and further formulating the basis of this document.

I found the message in the four gospels to be basically the same yet the wording and structure obviously is different. I can understand why it can be somewhat confusing to one who has never done a comparison study of the several versions of the bible made available throughout the world. Each version I am sure has been the subject of hours of debate amongst many theologically minded people. However I do suggest than one reads the different versions in order to choose the one which you feel is best suited for you personally.

Other sources I used to formulate my opinion was one from Dr. James Tabor, author of In Search of Historical Jesus and Professor and Chair of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. Dr. Tabor is one of the foremost modern scholars on Biblical history and the Dead Sea Scrolls. His book is insightful, neutral and leads the researcher to draw upon their own conclusions. I highly recommend this book to anyone who seeks greater insight as to who not only Jesus historically was but also those people who were close to Him and those people who made an impact both historically and theologically for what has become the basis of most modern day Christianity. Thanks to my wife and partner for having the insight and for bringing this book home for me to research and for encouraging me to continue my studies. I am truly blessed by God to have this person in my life.

I felt that in order for me to get better understanding of the four gospels, I wanted to have a better understanding of who the “Apostles” or disciples were both historically and theologically. I therefore used the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary 2004 edition as another source of my research. This dictionary includes all the major translations of the Holy Bible and has proven to be an excellent and valuable source of information and I recommend this publication be added to your library.

I tend to agree with some biblical scholars that many of the writings in the four gospels were or may have been written by different authors inspired by God with the exception of those I will discuss in this paper. I therefore begin to finally get to the heart of this task on how the four gospels have impacted my life, what I feel the important lessons are that I have learned and how I apply them in my life today.

So I begin with the Gospel of Matthew.

Rev. Dennis W. Zerull

Gospel of Matthew

It still amazes me that God has the insight to pick certain individuals from various walks of life and very diverse background to become apostles of Jesus. Matthew a tax collector, whose duty it was to collect toll or transport taxes from both local merchants and farmers, was an employee of Herod Antipas and it is said that he was hated by his fellow Jews. Matthew had leased his toll collecting privileges by paying the annual fee in advance thus collecting more than enough and growing wealth on his profit. This could account for the hostile feelings towards him.

Yet he had the gifts to be trained as a disciple and kept meticulous records and was a potential recorder or author of the Gospel. Scholars from the earliest times believe Matthew to be the author of the Gospel that bears his name. The Gospel begins with the declaration “the historical record of Jesus Christ”. I believe Matthew’s purpose was to show that Jesus had the power to command His disciples to spread His gospel throughout the world. Through out the entire Gospel I am reminded of many experiences during Jesus’ ministry that proved three themes in this gospel. I took me a while to realize that Matthew shows us how Jesus demonstrated His authority, the teachings he employed, and His concern for all mankind and nations.

The Gospel opens with the royal genealogy and builds to the proclamation of God, “this is My beloved Son”, then when Jesus comes to John the Baptist the Gospel makes it obvious that Jesus is designated by God to be the Messiah with authority for all nations. This is further emphasized by the Sermon on the Mount were the nature of his teachings are “but I tell you”. His authority further means demonstrating authority over disease, natural catastrophes, demons and death. Two of these examples amongst the many in the gospels stand out for me.

First is the healing of lepers. It is amazing to me that the malady which to this day we can only contain was and still is a dreaded malady which in biblical times rendered its victims ceremonially unclean. Further anyone who came in contact with a leper was also considered unclean. Skin running sores to the loss of digits on the fingers and toes. Yet Jesus did not consider this distinction between clean and unclean valid.

A person’s outward appearance does not make one unclean but rather that which comes from the heart determines one’s standing before God. Jesus did not hesitate to touch the lepers and once again used His authority to command his disciples to cleanse the lepers. Cleanse the lepers? That would indicate that the malady was gone and the person was clean or healed of the disease. Such faith not only by the leper to believe that Jesus could heal them by just a touch but that fact that Jesus had the authority from God His Father to perform such a miracle is almost mind boggling. Further the disciples to have such faith and courage to carry out the commands of Jesus demonstrates God’s power and the power of faith and complete unselfish love.

The next lesson I learned truly baffled me for a couple of months. The story of the fig tree had me scratching my head for quite some time. I knew that it had something to do with bearing fruit but I still was not sure what it all meant. I lost several nights of sleep thinking about it and prayed and meditated countless hours over this story. I finally came to a conclusion after much research and knocking on enough doors until one finally opened as well as seeking until I found.

Jesus preformed many miracles. Not all miracles are necessarily ones that heal or having a burning bush attached to them. This particular miracle that Jesus performed puzzled even the disciples because it was not even the season for figs. We know that Jesus has hunger and finds the fig tree which bears no fruit. After Jesus curses the fig tree, without explanation, Jesus led His disciples into Jerusalem where He cleansed the temple. This is further explained in Mark as well. The temple by all outward appearances looked as if there was daily activity and spiritual life. But Jesus found no spiritual fruit. Israel, the tree, was supposed to provide a house of prayer for all nations but instead turned the devotion into financial profit. When Jesus answered the fig tree that it would no longer bear fruit he pronounced a curse on the Jewish religious leadership and demonstrated His divine displeasure by cleansing the temple and upon a return trip to Jerusalem, history tells us that Peter and the disciples find the cursed tree dead.

Without faith and works we can bear no spiritual fruit thus we cannot feed those who depend upon us for spiritual guidance. When we bear no fruit, we become spiritually starved and will feed upon ourselves and eventually die of starvation. We rely on self and not God. This miracle taught me that I must keep my own house in order and keep God first in my life. Sometimes when I pray and meditate the answer was no or answer came to me. It may mean that I have not done enough work or the time is not right. But I feel that eventually God gave me the answer that I was seeking through some studying, head scratching, reading and a radio message from a Pastor that I had been listening to one morning. He just happened to be talking about this very same subject. His take was basically the same. Was it odd or God?

Gospel of Mark

According to early church tradition Mark recorded and arranged memories of Peter, thereby producing a Gospel based on apostolic witness. This may account for it being the shortest book in the Gospels. It would seem that Mark wrote this gospel for the Gentiles as he explains Jewish customs in detail for the benefit of the readers. Considering the time frame in which scholars believe this gospel was written and the fact that he was close to Peter while in Rome would suggest that it was written with Roman Christians in mind.

Mark has been called the “Gospel of Action” by some scholars. Jesus is constantly on the move. One day He is instructing the multitudes by the sea and then travels to Galilee, calmed the storm, healed the woman with hemorrhage and raised a girl from the dead. It almost seems as it is a writing using an arbitrary collections of stories. But it does tell the story of Jesus as a whole.

What I did learn from this Gospel is that Jesus is identified with humanity. The “Son of Man”. He possesses every human emotion such as anger, frustration, mercy and sorrow. From the beginning Jesus knowingly lived in the shadow of the cross, experienced the agony of Gethsemane and faces the unimaginable pain of torture and in the end during his own execution by crucifixion.

But Jesus also shows amazing wisdom and insightful rationale as the Pharisees on one occasion try and entrap him and ask him whether they needed to pay taxes to Caesar. He simply tells them to give “Caesar’s things to Caesar and God things to God”. Jesus already knew the answers too many of these questions and traps that were set for him by the Pharisees. I further believe that he knew that the time was not right for the beginning of what was to be the last chapter in his life until all prophesies were fulfilled.

Jesus displayed incredible courage knowing what the final outcome was to be. Methodically planning and carrying out those plans in order to fulfill His Fathers plans for the salvation of man. However in the end the message that rings true throughout all the Gospels is that one must love God.

Gospel of Luke

Luke was known to be a close friend and traveling companion of Paul. Luke has been identified as a physician from the early accounts of Paul. What is interesting to me is that early sources and traditions indicate that Luke was a Gentile. Paul distinguished Luke from those “of the circumcision”. Tradition holds that he was Greek, never married or had children but served the Lord until his death at the age of 84 in Boeatia. Tradition for Lukan authorship is strong although he is never mentioned by name as the author of Luke or Acts. “But early descriptions of New Testament books dating between A.D. 160 and 190 agree that Luke, the physician and companion Paul wrote the Gospel of Luke”, as quoted from the Holman Bible Dictionary.

Luke the longest of the Gospels presents a historical work in order with most of the stories falling in chronological sequence. Again scholars believe that Luke connected his story with the larger Jewish and Roman worlds and was designed to show Roman authorities that Christianity posed not political threat. He also wrote the Gospel for the Gentiles and Christians who needed strengthening in faith. Though Luke was not an eye witness to the earthly life and ministry of Jesus he was in intimate contact with many who were.

For me the gospel of Luke makes clear a couple of things. First the Holy Spirit has chosen this Gospel to reach all nations and points to God’s love in Jesus Christ as described in chapter 2 1-20. Secondly, Jesus tells his disciples that they are to represent Him in His name and that by people receiving them, they will be receiving Jesus which in turn they will receive God. It is spelled out quite well in the study guide by Rev. Amy Long and deserves my thanks for this insight.

Luke again demonstrates how Jesus threw out demons, cured countless people of all kinds of afflictions, made the blind to see and the mute were able to talk. It introduces the Lords Prayer and talks about love for God and your fellow man, which ultimately is the key to a better and more spiritual life. But he also talks about the struggles we will face as believers and doing what is expected of us according to His commandments in order to receive salvation. To me this means making amends to those I have hurt and clear up my past and not expect praise or accolades for it. Simply put, love God and my fellows. It’s all about Karma that is mentioned throughout the study guide.

Lastly Luke describes Jesus’ high regard for women. Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna the prophetess. The Gospel goes on to mention Jesus’ dealings with the widow Nain and the sinful woman who anointed Him and how he forgave her. All wonderful teachings and ones that I personally need to work on.

Gospel of John

The fourth Gospel of John is distinct from the Snyoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I agree with the study guide and the traditions of scholars that John is John of Zebedee. The Holman dictionary states, “Much of the weight of the traditional view of authorship of the Gospels rest on the testimony of Irenaeus, bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul.” Upon further research this tradition fits the details of the Gospel, however, it also has historical credibility in that Irenaeus was from Asia Minor when he is said to have encountered Polycarp of Smyrna, who claimed to have been taught by the Apostle John.

There are some very distinct differences in John’s Gospel. First John omits events and references that are important in the other Gospels such as the baptism of Jesus and the breaking of bread and giving of the cup at the Last Supper. Jesus refers to the kingdom in the skies in only one conversation in John whereas this seems to be a theme or central topic in the Snyoptics. Jesus does not heal lepers or performs exorcisms. He also does not include the parables that are common in the other Gospels. Secondly, Jesus’ ministry in John features conversations with individuals such as Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman and the disciples in the upper room. But he does include the raising of Lazarus which the other Gospels do not and records the washing of the disciples’ feet. Jesus is also called the “Lamb of God” only in John. He is the good shepherd and the disciples are His flock.

Significant to me besides the amazing events that were previously mentioned is that John reminds us that knowing God and believing in Jesus are expressed in action. Life and unity is found in Him and we must know love for one another, sacrificial love, and even laying down our lives for others. This is a powerful message.

Last be certainly not least the courage and passion of Jesus’ control of events. He instructs his adversaries on how to arrest Him. Pilate struggles with his decision, but Jesus knows what will happen. Jesus is executed and dies as the “Lamb” and is sacrificed at the very time lambs were being sacrificed for Passover. Finally John calls on each of us who sense spiritual thirst to come to Jesus who gives live-giving water. In Jesus we find light, life and love.

In conclusion I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this course, the well thought out study guide and personal shares. It has led me to further seek a spiritual path and a higher consciousness of my own potential as a human being. Thank you once again for offering this wonderful experience to all who seek it. May God’s greatest blessing be upon you .

Please send my certificate of completion and seminary credits to:

Rev. Dennis W. Zerull


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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.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

A Course In Miracles

Doctor of Metaphysics Final Essay
By: Rev. Cynthia Ewing

Taking this course has been a pleasure. It was nice to learn about A Course In Miracles. I have read about
it in different books and have heard other people mention it in passing, but have never truly looked into it myself. This course uses the teachings from A Course In Miracles all throughout this lessons. I also found that many of the lessons presented were things I already have known about or were working with.

There was one lesson that made me think of another person I work with. It was lesson 17. This lesson
talks about relationships. I found the holy and unholy relationships fascinating. This man that I work with
has been having relationship problems with his wife.  He has been trying everything he can to help fix the marriage. His wife on the other hand is constantly blaming him for all their problems. This to me at least seems like an unholy union. A holy union is where each person already knows what they want and are
focused on achieving it together.

These lessons talk a lot on the basic level. They introduce you to the three minds the conscious,
unconscious and the higher mind and explain their functions. It also talks about how this world was
created by a dream of separation from God. Our whole lesson here is to find our way back to God and his
limitless love. The Ego tries to keep us from achieving this goal every chance it gets. I know mine
still tries to play with me every now and then. I have had an under inflated ego growing up. I was completely
stifled by my mother. Once I moved out of the house it was no longer under inflated. At that point I knew nothing of about spiritual teachings I was only 18.


This course also spotlighted on our thoughts. We create what we think and say. If we speak in the negative all our higher self hears is positive. If we say we do not want this to happen it believes we do want it to happen. We need to change our thought patterns since we are not our thoughts, but just choosing them.

This course also offered meditation as a way to get in touch with our higher selves, relieve stress from
our physical bodies and create rest and balance.  During meditation we move out of a state of fear and into a loving state. It brings us closer to God.

This was a very pleasant course to take. I believe everyone will get something from it whether they are
just beginning their spiritual quest or are seasoned veterans. We all find something new with each lesson we are dealt. Thank you for the experience.


*******************************

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.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Metaphysics and Miracles

Metaphysics- the Miracles of Spiritual Living

Final Essay Rev. Lucinda Parker

In 1996 as a result of a personal incident I thoroughly studied A Course in Miracles. I had no phone, no tv, no job and a real need to discover. Dr. Loretta M. Siani’s, course is absolutely the best discussion of the ACIM philosophy I have ever seen. She has remained true to the teachings and thoughts of ACIM. It was a great review for me. It actually was a wake up call for me.

The lessons are well thought out and logically organized. Letting go, surrendering our egotistical beliefs, learning to accept and pay attention, performing true miracles in our own life are the core philosophy of ACIM. Dr. Siani takes each principle and explains, expands, and makes one really think. Most importantly, this course makes us personally and spiritually act.

I needed a refresher in some areas. This course came into my life, again, at the right time. And while I am not suffering from any personal dramas at this time, this course made me realize that I was straying from my own personal power ever so slowly, but ever so definitely! Even what we envision as success can cause destructive imbalance within our life, and I was headed there.

The most important lesson, and the one I was totally forgetting about, particularly at work, is about perception and being right. We get wrapped around ideas that we think are the only truth, that we must be right. That ego within us will destroy us. As I worked through the perceptions and beliefs that I was feeling at work, I realized I needed to realign my thinking and adjust my behavior. I’m glad to report that the stress and frustration I was feeling two months ago with individuals at work is gone. I can see the situations and people for what is really occurring. I don’t come home upset anymore and the stress dreams have stopped.

Thank you for offering this course in Miracles. I enjoyed it and it has put me back on track.


*******************************

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.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Monday, July 02, 2007

Metaphysics

My journey through Spirit Quest may have been a bit unusual considering that this is basic information. You see, I have been studying independently for nearly 40 years. So I really did not learn anything new except for some techniques. And of course I had techniques of my own that I have been using for years to accomplish the same things.

For instance, you talked of using roses to clean out unwanted negative energies. I have always used the transmuting violet flame. This actually makes a lot of sense for me as my Master Teacher is Count Saint Germain. But now I will also be teaching my students about roses as well.

And to get rid of energy ties from others I would use a knife or more often a sword of energy to cut those links. It has always worked well for me. Sometimes these energy links are set up unknowingly by those who are less aware, at other times they may be created by those who know exactly what they are doing. In the latter case, when I would cut the link I would often feel a flash of anger or frustration from the person who had established it. And I would feel suddenly "lighter." Some energy links may be very subtle, and you may not notice them. For this reason it is a good idea to periodically go through the procedure of cutting all links. In fact I just did this and found two that I had not been aware of.

I do like your use of mock-ups. It can help with manifestation. I have been suffering from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and have been using affirmations to help. But you showed me how to improve them and they now seem to be working better.

Your method of grounding is a bit different than what I had known and taught. Now I will be teaching both my old method and yours and let them use whichever works best for them. Personally, I do not ground, rather I use a link to the I AM presence and find that works well for me.

In the final discourse you touched on Spirit Guides. I have an entire site set up that teaches what Spirit Guides are and how to establish communication with them, among other related subjects. It can be found at http://spiritrus.com/spiritguides/

With Love and Light,
Rev. Charles Grooms


*******************************

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.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Comparative Religion

I enjoyed this course immensely and hope that there is going to be a Part 2 by Rev. Kythera Ann down the road. I would definitely take another course taught by her. Her clear and unbiased presentation was straightforward and factual, without being overly dry.

I enjoyed the teachings, but also the graphics that were included within the lessons. The only thing I would have changed would have been the colors, not aesthetically, but simply due to increased printing costs.

I gained an added appreciation that, most faiths, believe in almost the same thing, only seemingly based upon geographical differences. We might call ourselves a minister, rabbi, priest, or (insert your favorite clerical representation here), but we are not without common beliefs or shared experiences. In one of the earlier lessons Rev. Kythera Ann implored us to search for commonality rather than confronting our differences.

I wonder why geography plays such a big part in our choice of religion. Had I not been born in the Midwest and raised by my father, I wouldn’t have been a Presbyterian who dabbled with Catholicism. At an early age, I was given the opportunity to visit various religious services and encouraged to “think for myself. What would life have given if I had been born and raised in Iraq? I certainly would not have had the same choices or even a chance to choose. I admire my father for giving me the freedom to actively pursue religious education but my very life did not depend upon my choices. How very different it would have been if looking at another religion was an instant death sentence, possibly for both my father and me. In the “free” world (U.S., England, Canada, Australia, Scotland, to name a few) we take for granted our right to worship freely, hardly realizing that in some countries the same action would mean harsh penalties, including stoning. Can you imagine growing up in a Christian region and changing to Buddhism? You might get a few questions, but most people will say that it is your decision. Now imagine that same thing in Iran, deciding to go from Muslim to Christian. You would be lucky to keep your house and life. Besides the affront to your religion, your clan members would view your change as harmful to the family since it would denigrate the show of family unity.

In Part 2, I hope Rev. Kythera Ann will introduce some direct comparisons between not only major religions, but also different sects of Christianity, to include Mormons, Quakers, Eckankar, Rosicrucians, and Scientologists. I know it is difficult to get into the nitty gritty with only 20 lessons, but a couple of lessons detailing who believes what would be very informative.

Thank you for such an interesting and valuable course.

Rev. Ron Boucher

*******************************

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.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Paganism

The Choice to Learn: An Essay on Learning about and Understanding the Spiritual Philosophies of Our Fellow Pagans

by Rev. Amber D. Gray

“It is requisite that those who are willing to hear concerning the Gods should have been well informed from their childhood, and not nourished with foolish opinions.” – Sallust [Gods and the World]

“That person is all-best who themselves works out every problem and solves it, seeing what will be best late and in the end. This person, too, is admirable who follows one who speaks well. They who cannot see the truth for themselves, nor hearing it from others, store it away in their minds, those persons are utterly useless.” – Hesiod [Works and Days].

The decision to take the Masters of Paganism course was not easy. I didn’t know much about the broad subject of Paganism. What I knew of Wicca, were the little bits I learned when I was 17, and general Paganism, I admittedly knew nothing about. My entire life, my religion has been Hellenismos, also know as Hellenic Paganism or Reconstructionism. I had been sheltered and separated from other Pagans, who like me, were devout and true to their belief system. I had come across two passages which ultimately helped me to decide to take the Masters of Paganism course. I decided to learn about my fellow Pagans and what their belief systems were, as well as what moved their hearts. This course helped to pave that road for me.


The course was broken up into twenty parts: creation, deity, pantheon and culture, magical beings, the after life, pagan celebrations, sabbats and many other aspects of New Age Paganism. One of the most interesting aspects to this type of Paganism is that New Age Paganism pulls from several different religions. When I was learning about New Age Pagan beliefs in creation, I noticed that the Hellenic view of Chaos is shared between the religions. However, one of the first variants I noticed was a dyadic system, in which it appeared that the universe, world, nature and all of life was comprised of a masculine and feminine power. Another variant that was interesting was that New Age Pagans appear to be pantheist, where All Gods are One. This is a foreign concept to me, being a rigid Polytheist. While I understand the conceptualizations presented within the course, I was not as receiving of this point of view. However, while I didn’t agree with the philosophy, I most certainly would not censure the belief of others. Another concept that got my attention was the wheel of the year philosophy. It was remarkable how that philosophy was able to be adjusted to all Pagan beliefs in some form or another. Finally, another lesson which held my attention was the two part lesson on the Great Rite. The Great Rite seems to be a ritualistic aspect in New Age Paganism that gives its members a sense of oneness, unity and communion with their spiritual deity. I believe that a person, who is spiritually in tuned with their divinity, truly understands the importance of piety and wholeness.

Things that did not work for me, were things that I felt I could not put into a philosophical context, that I could understand. For example, the lesson on magical beings and spiritual guides was philosophically understandable, until it had rationales in it that stated things like, “Demons only have the power that we give them.” Inimical spirits within my own belief system have metaphysical powers, whether a human being believes them to or not. Thus, the conceptualization of that particular line of thinking was particularly arduous for me.

Another concept that did not engage me was the concept of magick: the manipulation and vibration of energy for a positive change. This concept reminded me somewhat of Christian prayer, and “making things happen.” It is my belief that the will of the Gods changes things, and no chant or manipulation of energy can force the hand of the Gods. On the flip side, when put within the context of advanced prayer, suddenly, the concept of magick seemed to bring humans back down to earth and was far more palatable. Overall, this was an interesting experience.

Personally, I feel like this course helped me to understand where New Age Pagans are coming from, and why certain Pagan populaces receive this group well, or do not receive this group of Pagans well. This course opened my eyes to a groups understanding of how the universe functioned, and how one could be in communion with their God. New Age Paganism is very in tuned with nature, other religions, and a myriad of philosophies and concepts from all over the world. To understand New Age Pagans, from their own words, text and philosophies will help me to be a better Pagan Priestess, and have a better understanding of a group which is often ostracized by other Pagan groups. That sort of spiritual growth is favored most by the Gods… and should be favored by all Pagan Priesthoods.


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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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Comparative Religion

By Rev. Cynthia Ewing

When I first signed up for this class I was not sure what to expect from it. I had already taken a handful of classes that focused on spiritual development and knew that the class was not going to be the same as these other classes. Boy was I right on that part. There was so much information in each discourse. However all this information just barely scratched the surface of this vast topic.

One of the first things the class did was to define why religions came about. Man needed something higher then itself to help explain everything that was happening in their lives and what to expect after death. With this in mind deities were created. A hierarchy all its own sprang out of these deities. There was the supreme deity who created everything, its army of perfected beings like angels and lesser deities and always their nemesis demons, divas etc.

Out of all the different religions presented I found myself being more attracted to the Zoroastrian religion. I guess it was because I originally thought it must be some kind of Reggae religion. I found out by looking more into it that it is actually an older Iranian religion. The stories that the religion presents are comparable to the Protestant religion that I was brought up with. The religion helped me to recognize that although all religions are not the same they are definitely similar and used for similar purposes.

This course had many colorful pictures in each lesson. I liked this because it was nice to be able to see some of the things created by these religions. The architecture and drawings helped to point out what can be created when a person has something higher to believe in. Even the drawings helped to illustrate the different points the instructor was making.

The stories that were created to teach the people of these different religions and to lead them down the right path were very similar. They all taught about the golden rule, to treat others as you would want to be treated. They would teach about peace and love. This would include peace and love for the planet, water, life etc. Also they taught about listening to the voice within each of us, which is our access to
the supreme deity.

While taking this class I learned a lot about different religions and how they are all not so different from each other. Even though one may say their religion is better than another or the only true religion, each one has its place and purpose. It is not for us to decide who is right and who is wrong, but to live and grow with each other. I hope more people will take this course and grow as I have done.

Thank you for the experience.


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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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Christian Studies

Understanding the Bible
By Michael Gehrmann-Gacasa, Ph. D. (Rel.)

The “four Gospel course” inspired me to compare two Bible Versions, please read by yourself what I found out, maybe you are also surprised like me!

The Gospels of Matthew and Mark in different Bible Versions Comparing the King James Version and the Peshitta (Lamsa Bible) The oldest Gospel we have, is Mark (but not the oldest book in the NT!), we know that Matthew was using Mark as one of his sources! There we find in the KJV Mark 15:34: And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Could that be, that Yeshua ( Jesus ) said to God: ”....why hast thou forsaken me? ” I can not believe this, because he said always that the father and he are one and every thing he did, leads him in this situation, so why will he complain like this? There must be a explanation about this, but which? We will find the answer in the “Peshitta”! This Bible is a translation from the
language Jesus spoke, aramaic not from greek, like all the others we use!! There are no changes made, no editions, since the time of Rabbi Yeshua!!

The “Peshitta” written in aramaic The King James Version, from greek
Lets us see how this is translated by Dr. Lamsa, who was a native speaker of aramaic:
And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and said, Eli, Eli, Lmana, shabachthani! which means, My God, my God, for this I was kept!

That makes really sense! Jesus knows that his mission is fulfilled on the cross!
Let us look at Matthew 6:9-13 KJV The Lords prayer, millions are this praying each Sunday in there church, around the world: After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

How can that be, that we are praying to god .....And lead us not in temptation, again this makes no sense for me!
We will look again in the “Peshitta”, translated by Dr. Lamsa:
Therefore pray in this manner: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven so on earth.
Give us bread for our needs from day to day.
And forgive us our offenses, as we have forgiven our offenders.

And do not let us enter into temptation, but deliver us from error. Because thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Amazing, isn't it? This makes also more sense: And do not let us enter into temptation......., because god leads not in temptation, this is another one, the Satan who leads in temptation!!!

An other example is Matthew 19:24 KJV:
“And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
Let us see what Dr. Lamsa's translation in the “ Peshitta ” is:
“Again I say to you, It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
So no camel, a rope, that makes much more sense!!!!
Another point is, that the Gospel of Mark ends in the oldest Versions with chapter 16:8:
“.....and they said nothing to any man, for they were frightened”, so that means nothing is written there about Yeshua that he ascended to heaven and sitting on the rigth hand of god etc.! This is later added and not in the original!
I learned, that we have to be careful, if we try to understand the Bible and I will tell that all the people in the future, who believe that they know the Bible.....
A very good source for comparing different Bible Versions is: http://www.studylight.org
A Online-Version of the Lamsa Peshitta can be found at: http://www.aramaicpeshitta.com
I highly recommend 3 books:
1. Misquoting Jesus, by Bart D. Ehrman
2. Yeshua A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church, by Dr. Ron Moseley
3. When Jesus became God, by Richard E. Rubenstein
contact email: frater_m@37.com
Picture from the “Hagia Sophia” in Istanbul

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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.


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A Course in Miracles

Final Essay for Doctor of Metaphysics Degree
By Reverend Mirisa Kintaro

I especially want to thank Rev. Dr. Loretta M. Siani for this amazing course and also Rev. Amy Long for making it available through the ULC Seminary.

Without giving my age away, let me first say I have been a student of metaphysics for many years now. My studies have included participating in a year-long rather intensive study group on A Course In Miracles. While I did enjoy this study group, I did feel I got a bit “lost” in the actual wording of ACIM. The beautiful gift of Dr. Siani’s work is that she has taken a lot of teachings which can be confusing when reading ACIM, and simplified those teachings to make them much more easily understood, without losing any of the essence of the teachings. Consequently, I feel I have finally “gotten” some of what was rather nebulous to me in my previous studies of ACIM.

I very much enjoyed the teachings on meditation and the beautiful meditation tape included with the course. I have a very busy life and really needed to be reminded to slow down, go within and connect with what is really important.

The past year of my life especially, I have known I have needed to let much go in my life in order to let in new things of a higher energy level, but I have had trouble letting go of the old to let in the new and better. I signed up for this course hoping to get some help with this particular challenge, and now, having just completed the last lesson, I can say my self-imposed energetic logjam is finally starting to move. An example…the old car I was nursing along for years now finally got to the point where I had to let it go. I still had some fear about committing to a car payment, but the fear was not crippling, as it would have been a year ago. I was able to let go and let God, and God brought me a better new car for a lower payment than I ever could have done “on my own.” This to me definitely qualifies as a miracle.

The lesson on relationships was a huge one for me. Most of my life, I have been a “pleaser” so people would like me, and consequently I have had a lot of relationships where I was badly treated or taken advantage of and said nothing. Somewhere in the 20 weeks of this course, some truly miraculous changes took place. I have finally learned how to stand up for myself, in a loving manner, but firmly, letting people know I love them as a brother or sister and child of God, but I will no longer tolerate any behavior that is disrespectful of or does not honor me. One “friendship” has gone away, but that is OK because I realize now it was a co-dependent friendship and not healthy. The next thing that needs to change is my job because I deserve to have a job where I am respected and fairly compensated and not taken advantage of just because I am “nice” (but seething with anger inside because of how I allow myself to be treated).

One particular area in which I could really see the lessons of this course being brought up for “show and tell” was the area of personal male-female relationships. I am a widow and have been thinking for about a year now that I would like to find a life partner. But, pleaser that I was before this course, all I could seem to attract were really “needy” men. A few weeks into this course, I met a man who became a HUGE mirror for me of my own neediness and of all the areas in which I was out of balance in my own life. It was like all my faults which I nurtured in secret this guy played out in living color and at maximum volume right before my eyes! Yet I had this huge attraction to him and fell right into my old pattern of trying to please him and fix him and make everything OK for him, all the while being very conscious of just how co-dependent this relationship had the potential of becoming. Well, I am happy to report that Mr. Big Example and I have now parted ways, peacefully, but most definitely. And I know my next relationship will be a much healthier one, both for me and for the other person involved.

To anyone thinking about taking this course, I would say, “If you are really ready to make some very positive changes in your consciousness and your life, then take this course. If you take it seriously, it WILL change your life!”

Again, many thanks for this wonderful course!

Love & Blessings,
Rev. Mirisa Kintaro

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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.


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Metaphysics and Miracles

METAPHYSICS AND MIRACLES ESSAY

By Kimberly A. Moe

How do I write what these courses in Metaphysics have done for me? The answer I was given with help was to write from the heart.

We grew up believing from my mother that you do not have to go to church to believe in God. I was always one to pray, however doing it wrong, and believing. When I got married I joined my husband’s church and had the kids go to be confirmed so they could make up their own mind. The minister at our church however turned them completely away from it. My daughter who wanted to go to church all of a sudden completely turned away from believing because of the church. He is one that unless you donate a certain amount of your income and are there all the time you are nothing. He can walk past you and not even see you. That is not what I want my kids to learn. I have forgiven him but still do not understand him.

After these courses and the way they have changed my life they are starting to come around. So with this essay all I can do is tell what it has done to change my life.

I was a full time bartender, Municipal Judge and had my own dog grooming business. I thought I was losing my position as Judge so decided to go online and become ordained because I really enjoy performing weddings. That is when I decided I could not call myself a Minister until I took the classes.

This is my second course and I look forward to taking the rest.

After the first course in Metaphysics it gave me the strength to do online schooling. I was over whelmed working 70 hours a week and trying to study. When I got to the part in this coarse that said focus on one thing it gave me the courage to quit working full time at the bar and focus on what I wanted and how I could best be of help. My main love is animals. I have since become a Reiki master/ teacher, canine massage provider, studied animal communication, a better groomer and a certified aroma therapist. I now make my own products called Therapeutic Naturals for animals and people, have turned my dog grooming over to complete holistic and will have my own web page up called holisticpetpampering.com., by the end of this week.

The intent and attention is used in everyway thru it all. I would not have been able to do it if it were not for these courses. I have always believed things happen for a reason. I know the reason now.

I now know how to pray and ask for help and am finding ways to help others. I know I am meant to work with the animals and love every minute of it. My love shows thru my work. Some customers even call me the dog lady.

I have always got this feeling that trees are talking to me. I always thought I should write a book on what they are saying. Maybe that will be my next project. My husband has always told me I am like Doctor Doolittle. He was right. This is what I am meant to do. I know that now.

My love for all spirits has grown no matter what form and I love them all. Hopefully I can get that message out. With God’s help I know I can make a difference.

I have learned to call in my Angels and know when they are there. Also my animal spirit guides. I come up to our 10 acres by myself and meditate and talk to God and the spirits. My husband can not understand how I can come up here and close off the gate and not see anyone for days at a time. Hopefully I can get him to do the same and get him to read the course and he will understand.

WHAT A FEELING IT IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD AND TO UNDERSTAND.

I truly believe and always have if you make a mistake it is a mistake unless you learn from it and use it to get where God intended you to be, then it is not a mistake but a learning experience to enrich your life and those around you.



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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.



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