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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Sunday, July 20, 2008

SPIRITUALISM

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 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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