Metaphysical Healing

Master of Metaphysical Healing

Final Essay

This course begins with a bang and just gets better. The thing I enjoyed most about this course was the introduction it provided to the system of spiritual and traditional healing as it is practiced in South Africa. The selection and training of spiritual healers as it is practiced in that society and as explained by the personal experiences of Rev. Katharine Lee Krüger. This was fascinating and in fact, made me a little envious. I wish our own system could involve alternative practices to such an extent and in such an enlightened manner.

I always enjoyed the insights Rev. Krüger provided on the practices of other cultures including the San of the Kalahari.

This course was not just information and theory however. It contained serious practical information about the practice of healing. It provided specific pointers on how to deal with contaminated energy for example. Its explanations of soul loss and soul retrieval were detailed and useful. It is the first description I have ever seen of this process that actually explains enough of the process to enable actual application and practice. The same type of useful detail was provided for past life regressions and other techniques. Another interesting aspect of this course was the explanation of absent healing. Again the practical details are useful enough to actually facilitate application. I also enjoyed the useful information on reading auras as well as the background information on anatomy and physiology.

In addition to this practice information the student was provided with some very sound advice on ethics and the administrative and business aspects of being in practice as a healer. Even though much of this information was set in the context of South Africa where healers work within a defined legal code, I felt it was useful to anyone in any setting who might wish to practice spiritual healing in a competent and professional manner.

By Rev. Robert Nelson

Universal Life Church Minister

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Spirit Quest

Spirit Quest – The Book

Rev. Nick Federspiel, M.Min.

FIRST, I am a practicing Minister at a college campus chapel, but I don’t consider myself a “spiritual man.” What! you exclaim how can that be? A believer I am, yes; a Christian historian, yes; an apologeticist, yes; but a sitting cross legged and humming spiritualist – ah - No. One Spirit Quest e-lesson inspires one to send a grounding rod to the center of the earth! Now, I am a dual discipline educated engineer, and WOW, I know that will be a project. The earth has a radius of 3,912 miles plus or minus some ruts in my ranch road. My ranch is in oil and gas country and anybody around here will tell you that a drilling operation of that scope using typical fifty foot steel drill stem will take 414,672 pieces of it! Now just to get that delivered will take 4,000 semi truck loads of drill stem, and OMG what will the federal drilling site land use permit look like!

See, that is my problem. Everything in my life has been accompanied by a sanity check and cost benefit and time study analysis. My project sanity, cost benefit analysis, spread sheet and power point ” for Spirit Quest is about an 8 hour reading session, an 8 month study project; (30 ULC e-lessons); $70.00 tuition and the benefit, aside from the spiritual, is 5 ULC credits. Rev. Amy Long, the author, says at the top of page 8 of 312 pages that I am to start with a project title: “MY SPIRITUAL GOALS” and I quote: “in nice big letters:

• Learn the spiritual tools to protect oneself against a negative life,

• Learn the secrets of spiritual growth

• Learn where you fit in the universe!!!

• Make room in your life for love and joy….. and so much more…..

Okay! Let’s drill! Ah, But why?

Amy Long relates a story of a woman at work on the receiving end of an (unjust) tirade. She “took a deep breath, closed her eyes enough to imagine her grounding cord, the onslaught of negative energy slammed into her, dropped down her grounding cord to the center of the planet;” sort of one’s lightening rod. A ‘strike’ is grounded.

A Rose is a Rose … One loves roses, at least the ladies, and when a guy slips up, he likes them also as that seems to be what men get for the ladies when, well, Mars fails to align properly with Venus. What are we to do we do with the perfect rose? “This rose has the ability to collect negative energy, a personal ‘NCG Enterprise force field’ when it withers get (create!) another.” Each time one uses (up) one’s grounding cord and protection rose one creates another, each better through spiritual exercise and practice then its predecessor. Ever better successors make for more enjoyable successes. Chance favors the prepared; but (you) leave nothing to chance, keep a protection rose handy at all times! It will drive everyone else that is not a spiritual horticulturalist completely nuts.

One seems to be exposing roses to danger which ruins its beauty – better the rose than you! I am not sure why a rose, perhaps its beauty puts the spiritual enemies into a false sense of security. Amy Long says when the overloaded rose explodes it leaves a vacuum in the energy force field to be filled ASAP with one’s good energy. That energy comes from one’s on-call gold sun – one’s ‘Ra.’ As in Egyptian Amun Ra, all things good radiate from the sun. I call this one of life’s “truisms:” bad people hurt good people – or try. Amy Long puts it simply, “Bad people destroy what good people create.” Your ‘gold sun’ is your spiritually sensitive positive energy source. Destroying the negative and the old spiritual junk one replaces it with a new rose and grounding cord. The Good News is the more one practices the sequence the better one becomes at doing it and the greater the realized benefits.

I paraphrase a recent ULC course statement that said that: science wished it could peer into the mind of God and see his will interacting with his energy to create all we see and use. I added in my Sunday sermon: in which He is (was) well pleased. Amy Long in chapter seven, “As you know your body is made up of energy.” What would a scientist say? The formula is mass (your body) is equal to your Energy plus the speed of your golden sun light squared i.e. E=MC2

“From your comfortable spot,” Amy says, “and while sitting in the center of your head, I’d like you to imagine that you can see far into the universe … until you see an area that is clean and pure.” A Christian minister might be reminded of Heaven. “and collect,” she continues, “its cosmic energy, clean, pure, light the healing energy for your body.” Hmmm, then perhaps to an engineer does this mean ‘your mass’ equals God’s willed energy, us created in his image, thus all energy in him is in us (you) times the speed of his delivered identity speed = ‘light healing energy’ to you squared. Mathematically, therefore you equal God’s Willed Spiritual Energy (WSE) cubed (3). Bring on that golden sun! You = WSE3 Perhaps that is not perfect math but it makes the point – you are a lot of energy.

Chakras? Chakras! “Your body as you may be aware,” Amy reminds us, “is made of energy, a point on which spirit and science agree.” (i.e. my ‘you’ = WSE3 ). “Chakras” are the control center for your energy for your body (page 111). Amy Long continues: “Your fourth chakra is your heart chakra … where people get the idea that ‘things come from the heart.’ This sequence of chakras crowns one’s head where knowingness is … where epiphanies come from…”

I have to ask if we are peering out into space to find the pure energy, are we talking about one of the fundamental elements of the universe? Did God, who created it all, create pure energy regions within the universe? Science says all the known mass of the universe leaves the majority of its matter unaccounted for. Since matter is the storehouse for energy, according to the laws and the theorists of physics, then perhaps the vast “dark matter,” the missing invisible matter as physicists referred to it, is at least in part, this pure cosmic energy. It is invisible, as ‘pure cosmic energy’ might well be considered to be. If so there might well be an unlimited abundance of it for our ‘ChakRas’ to control and use for creating and recreating an ever improved self conscientiousness. The sun is the visible energy of the universe and the dark matter is the invisible pure energy of cosmos and God’s will awaiting your discovery. Go for it!

Karma, the old saying is: good karma begets good karma, and bad karma, well, is not so good. Almost at mid book (page 135) Amy Long brings up karma, “at its most basic level is the law of balance … if you are a fan of Star Trek the Federation of Planets was formed when all the Earth was at peace … obviously that has not happened yet … energy is intensity and intensity is karma …” and Page 143: “When you are operating out of love (certainly good karma projected to reinforce others’ gold suns) then one is:

• A perfect being

• God Loves you, (as)

• By perfection,

• For perfection,

• Your success is guaranteed.”

I know that is the way it is: John 15:12; GNV: This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Genesis 1:28-31: God created man and women in his own image (his conscientiousness image i.e. Genesis 1:26) of which he was well pleased. Finally in Genesis 2:4: “and that is how the universe was created.”

How is spirit communicated is the topic for chapter 19 which says: “When scientists were (are) searching for life out in the universe they projected numbers as a basic means of communication between two species assuming intelligent life will understand them.” A true fact as numbers were part of the symbolism, which includes our solar system, aboard the Voyager space craft, now well out of the solar system and still functional. When and if it finds an alien species I trust they will be all of good karma. Amy Long says the number ‘three’ is a good number as in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for example, the “3 triads” include: stop, look and listen; love-fear-anger; and love-trust-hope, etc.

Want more fun out of life? Amy Long says sex is the closest some people get to saying a ‘spiritual Hello’ to a partner, and “the other benefit of sex is that ‘done right’ … try sending gold bubbles of hellos to you partner and see what the response is to the energy from your chakra to their chakra.” I’ll quit there on this one!

What happens if you get stuck along your spiritual journey? It happens to all of us. “If I get stuck” Amy Long writes, “on a word or a concept that I don’t understand or that I am not ready to hear, then nothing afterward makes any sense … if your mind is closed to new ideas and new people you will quickly find yourself stuck …” One has to use all the tools to get unstuck and resurrect creation energy – one tool being meditation.

DREAMS are the stuff of lesson 25. I don’t know about everyone else, but if I am stuck I dream – even ‘Walter Mitty’ a bit. What could I be if I get unstuck? My dream answers that thus to me day-dreaming is not all bad. Amy Long calls it astro-travel using your trance-medium channels. “When you are asleep, you go through your third chakra, connected to a silver cord of energy (pg 251) which connects your physical body to your astral body … something you can visualize during meditation … genuine dreaming is when you review the events of the day and process them. It is what you do when you are working through a problem. This is why people always say I’ll sleep in it.”

Alas, I have tinnitus. When I get a good night’s sleep and perhaps including a good karma dream, I awake tinnitus free. If I go to sleep ‘stuck’ and awake unrefreshed, then my tinnitus ruins my next day. I suppose in that case my astro-traveling went no where. I failed to connect to my ‘healing energy.’ It may be defined as a dream, but to me it is reality. Frankly, a pure spirit, roses, grounding cords, silver cords and astro-travel aside, or included, the failure to rejuvenate one’s creative spirit is a creative energy power failure; or put another way a stuck spirit, which all leads to bad physical health. Regardless of how any self help spiritualist like Amy Long, or any others, define the benefits of spiritualism, the bottom line is if one desires to live a happy healthy life physically and emotionally, to be perceived as a great person, a nice person, one who Jesus will not blot out of the Book of Life (Rev. 3:5) then one needs to pay serious attention to the concepts of spiritualism.

The truth will set you free, if you recognize it that is. Rev. Amy Long writes, “The way to determine this (a truth or a lie) is fairly simple you put up a rose for a truth or a lie. The rose stands strong and tall if it is the truth. If it’s a lie, then it withers.” (Maybe the lie’s captured negative energy explodes it.) These days lies and scams are omnipresent because of the failure of religion to reach enough people and the laziness of people to accept spiritualism and religion over the last two generations (post 1960s). One reason for that are politicians who restrict the morality and teachings of ethics inherent in most religions, Eastern and Western, from being taught to the young and impressionable while in school. “In the ULC Seminary there are tons of belief systems represented … People search until they find what they are looking for .., Pg 313.” I hope they have their silver cords connected so that their ‘Chak-Ra’ control center always is in need an upgrade to keep pace with the ever increasing collection of willed spiritual energy inherent in the universe, as God made it, and available to us all.

“Be Well.”

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The Universal Life Church, is free place to become ordained,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button to get started today.

The ULC Seminary was created to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. The  Universal Life Church has grown over the years and its Seminary has added the continual growth of the church.

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Four Gospels

ULC

The Four Gospels Course

by Rev J. Duguay

What does "Blessed" really mean?

by Rev JoAnna Duguay

After doing more research I would have to say that the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes have a much bigger and profound meaning to me now.

“And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.”

Matthew 5:1-12 A.S. Version

According to Scripture, those who are blessed are those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those that hunger for rightness, those who show mercy, the pure in heart, those who seek after peace and those who are persecuted for rightness. In other words; the low of the low (as defined by our society today) are blessed by God.

What does it mean to be 1) poor 2) a mourner 3) meek 4) to hunger and thirst for rightness 5) merciful 6) pure in heart 7) peace seeker and 8) being persecuted?

For me these eight blessings mean the following:

Poor: Poor here does not mean having no money, living in the slums, homeless, etc. What it means is those people who choose to live an uncomplicated and unbusy life. Those who choose not to let money, fame, their job or even their relationships define who they are. Being humble and knowing your place in world.

Those who Mourn: Mourning and being blessed seem like a contradiction, doesn’t it? By mourning, I think this passage is trying to convey mourning of spiritual matters. Seeing sin and evil in the world and feeling it’s consequences. Seeing a friend or loved one choose the “wrong” path. A mourner is one who can sense the rightness and wrongness of the world and feel overwhelming burden of trying to right the wrong or make it right.

Meekness: This word definitely does not mean you let other walk all over you and become a victim. It means strength under control. Instead of becoming angry and yelling or screaming, you take a breath and become calm and determine the right way to deal with things. A meek person desires peace and chooses to be humble in all things.

What is it to hunger and thirst after righteousness? I like to call it “rightness.” Like the ULC motto claims. “Do that which is right.” It means even in the hardest decisions of life, you are going to choose the high road, the road that takes you upstream, not downstream. The road “less traveled.” Never ever compromising what you know is right even if it makes you very unpopular.

Merciful: Those who show compassion on people others won’t. Forgiving where others will not forgive. Knowing God’s grace is all that separates us from the darkness and sharing the light with all who need it.

Pure in Heart: Simplicity. Living life in it’s simplest form. Not bragging, not showing off, not judging. Believing in miracles and seeing the light through the darkness. 

Peacemaker: A uniter not a divider. Seeking the “peace profound” in each and every part of life. War is never of God.

Those who are Persecuted: Staying your ground when it seems like the whole world has a different viewpoint or belief than yours and not being afraid to share it.

The older I get the more I realize the real meaning or significance of my life is who I am on the inside and how I react to the world around me. It’s not about money, fame or power. It’s not about rushing to a decision but trying to determine that which is right and doing it. Never letting someone else make a decision for me. Being willing to travel down roads untraveled, unmarked or with no directions. Simply traveling your own “True North. The direction you were meant to travel regardless of the consequences.

In conclusion…….. Life is a Journey, not a Destination!

Rev J. Duguay

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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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Chaplaincy Studies

Certification Essay ~ Master of The Chaplaincy Studies

Candidate: Rev. Daniel P. Woodring

Resume: Rev. Daniel P. Woodring is a Minister, Author, Spiritual Advisor, Chaplain, and Certified Life Coach. Dan is the Spiritual Director for the Center for Spiritual Consciousness – an organization with a stated mission of Helping Individuals Reach Spiritual and Human Potential. Dan has combined over 30 years of experience with advanced academic credentials in spiritual ministries, leadership, and team building. Dan has helped thousands with his book “No Regrets, a Comprehensive Guide and Work Book for Mapping Your Life’s Journey – Regardless of Age.”

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In the process of completing this 20 session Master of the Chaplaincy Studies course with Universal life Church, I also participated in a 6 week Hospital Chaplaincy Program through West Chester Medical Center. With completion of these programs, and as of this writing, I am a volunteer Hospital Chaplain at the West Chester Medical Hospital.

There were many discoveries and awakenings during the process of taking these programs. One of the more significant was ten questions requiring much thought and deep medication for the answers. Here are the ten questions and my deep discoveries:

1. What calls me to ministry?

I am called by an inner knowing, the Spirit within, to a personal mission of “Helping Individuals and Organizations Reach Potential.” This mission came to me about 30 years ago. To me this means helping individuals with their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. In the past I was focused on working with individuals and businesses. Today I am being drawn to focus primarily on helping in the area of individual emotional, mental, and spiritual needs.

2. What is my personal experience of illness, suffering and death?

My first and most formative experience of death and suffering was with my mother who died of cancer at and early age of 58. Mom was diagnosed with cancer of the liver and was given 6 weeks to live … or could extend the time line somewhat with chemo. She chose the six weeks, and during that time helped all those around her with a deep understanding of love, faith, suffering, death, and dieing. It was a blessing to all those who came to visit her. We had many personal “chats” that left me with a deep positive experience about God working in and through other people during times of suffering and death.

My second personal experience was quintuple heart by-pass surgery on myself in 2003. What a great lesson this was for me … receiving personal and powerful ministry, especially from my wife but many other care givers, family, and prayer warriors. The ministries received included physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual and represented a balance of what I see now as a part of my personal ministry.

3. Where was God in that experience?

As said by many people at the time and since, “God was all over this situation.” God used many people for the flow of His love, peace, and compassion, and healing.

4. Who am I? Do I know myself intimately?

I am a child of God, a spirit having a human experience. I am love and peace; I feel I am continually growing in self-realization ~ knowing myself more intimately on a daily basis; knowing the power of God within.

5. What do I hope to gain? What do I hope to give to this ministry?

This experience or ministry is not about “gain”, it is about “Being”. I hope to be an instrument of God … and give or allow the power and grace of God to flow through me to others.

6. What do I expect to learn from this experience that may be my “growing edge”?

I expect this to be an experiential learning lab … learning from the experience of others in the group, group leaders, patients we visit, and authors of material we will read. The “edge” will be growth in the process of learning to “Be”, to do what is mine to do.

7. Who will guide me and support me in this ministry?

First and foremost, the guidance and support come from the Holy Spirit directly, and then indirectly through my wife, family and others praying for me.

8. Why do I want to be a “hospital chaplain”?

I have had confirmation from others that “this is excellent venue for use of the talents God has given to you.” It has thus become a passionate desire.

9. Can I minister to patients/families that are of different faith or no faith?

Yes; I have had education and training in comparative religions and feel comfortable in this situation

10. Can I minister without praying after each visit?

Yes; ministry to others takes many forms. Individuals or families need someone to listen, give comfort, be compassionate, give hope, and, sometimes that means just our “presence” is all that is needed. Asking first if prayer is appropriate is always a good idea.

Other discoveries and reminders included a close look at a compassionate approach to my ministry. Some of the key points included:

 It is not about us … it’s not about ego … God is the source

 We volunteer for pastoral ministry because we are needed

 God has given us the authority

 Matt 25:34-37, 40 … Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

 Healing and miracles: we are called to perform healing and miracles … to bring the assurance of God’s love to those who suffer. Remember the promise and anointing: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12)

 Together we are the body of Christ … empowered by the Holy Spirit

 Our calling: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:21)

 Together we possess gifts of compassion, understanding, wisdom, peace, comfort, healing and prayer to offer the sick and suffering

 A cure for an illness may not always be forthcoming, but healing is always possible … healing of their fears, doubts, guilt, anger, loneliness, etc.

 Sympathy vs. empathy: Sympathy ~ feeling sorry for; more sentimental emotion than supportive action; more pity than compassion. Empathy ~ to move emotionally into another person’s skin attempt to comprehend the level of pain or loss. Compassion is empathy’s companion

 At times, our only ministry is the ministry of “presence”

Probably one of the biggest reminders was the fact that we should always recognize and practice the “Theological Order” of ministry. The following needs to become a part of us as we deliver pastoral care:

 The essential task of pastoral care visits is to increase the patients’ awareness of God’s presence in their lives … and to be the focus of prayers

 God is in all the incidences and events surrounding our ministry

 Our ministry is bringing God into the lives and experiences and help patients with their spiritual growth

 Our ministry is to help patients recognize God in the experience of sickness and be able to articulate that understanding … to develop an openness to God’s presence.

 Today medical science acknowledges that physical cures are more attainable when spiritual healing has occurred

 The psalmist advises simply, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

In the final analysis, this chaplaincy study is but one piece or skill set that will help in my ministry to others. As Spiritual Director for the Center for Spiritual Consciousness, the tools, discoveries and skills learned will help me BE a better instrument of the Universal Force.

“WHAT COULD IMPROVE THIS COURSE?” Here are some ideas:

 A more user friendly system to post and share information with others taking the course. I still don’t know how to access others’ work or find “The Forum”

 Adding insightful questions (as noted above) that would help students go deeper into themselves and look at motives and decision points of becoming a chaplain.

 Requiring some kind of Verbatim midway through the course

Thanks for the opportunity … keep up the good work.

Respectively Submitted:

Rev. Daniel P. Woodring

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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site 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

Wiccan Studies

I enjoyed this course tremendously! In October my dad came to live with me after a massive stroke left him bedridden. Between his care and 6 children of my own, I had a busy busy time! I did try to keep up and loved the info I learned! My dad passed on 4/23 and I now have the time to sit and do this essay.

I've been a Solitary Wiccan for a couple of years now, worshiping the sacred as immanent in nature. I am raising my sons in the ways of the earth and it's cycles. This course has clarified the religion for me, although I still feel it's a religion all your own.I've taken your class teachings and my experiences and strengthened my knowledge in the craft and my perception of the world around me.

I learned to add my energy in ritual by the elements.

Earth-Body and movement. Swaying back and forth to the rhythm of my chants, radiating heat and energy of my physical life force.

Air- In ritual I add air when I speak aloud my intentions or wishes.

Fire- Rhythm by clapping or stomping.

Water-I can connect to my intentions of my rituals through touching hands of others.

I feel witchcraft usually begins on a personal level with spells for health,love or wishes. As we mature in the craft, we become more adept at raising power and using it for the good "all" around us!

My wand is my dearest treasure. I made it from a fallen Oak branch. It has beautiful natural grain and devots where I inserted crystals for calm, balance, peace, happiness,and protection.

Season after season, nature shows her wonders, beauty and growth. Sometimes she even shows her grief. Flower petals fall,leaves blow in the wind and plants go dormant or die. This cycle repeats over and over in life. We made a special garden between my pet cemetery and our wetlands, that is a dedication to all those we've loved and lost in this lifetime or those we send intentions for. A bleeding heart bush for my Grandma, Lilly of the Valley patch for the needy in Haiti, and a newly planted patch of daisies for my dad. My children bury stones and pieces of wood they've found on our land in honorment of a deceased pet ,friend or relative. We have large rocks circling this area where we can sit, reflect, meditate and remember! There is a natural stream that flows next to it and the sound of the water is relaxing and spiritual. Here is where I hear a whisper within me that says" I am the Goddess inside of you. I am wisdom, compassion,magic and grace. Look deep inside yourself and you will find me." The magic of Wicca is love,and the right path for me. This course has definitely proven that for me. I'm proud that Wicca is an accepting, open minded faith that celebrates diversity and considers us all to be children of the same mother. Our temples are our gardens,backyards,beaches and porches. I feel no one is born Wiccan, but it's a belief system that emerges in our hearts and souls.It reflects who each of us are in this miraculous world with personal integrity and respect for Mother Nature in honorment of the God's and Goddess. Thank you for the lessons learned and the empowerment to achieve greater knowledge of the craft.

Blessed Be.

Barbara B Decker

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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site 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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Buddhist Studies

Reflecting on Buddhism Rev. Katherine MacDowell While not a practicing Buddhist, the Tricia Stirling's course highlights critical touchstones for any individual interested in living a spiritually resonant life. She creates a course that is a rich blend of both historical and philosophical information coupled with modes of application and real-world examples. Additionally, she ensures that her lessons are tied not only to the scriptural doctrines, but also to contemporary commentary and applications. She also takes time to examine critical issues on women's location within Buddhism and without creating a positional statement presents the controversy of whether the religion in some facets risks misogyny. She also extends the discussion into contemporary hot-bed ethical-based social issues such as capital punishment and abortion and how Buddhism may encounter these issues from its own ethical standpoints. Finally, her course also extends into a discussion of how Buddhism situates the human/non-human relationship and our responsibility to the Earth in a wider framework. All of this contributes to a well-organized and well-written course with ample resources for the novice student to engage in their own deeper exploration. What then do I come away with from the course beyond a firm grounding in the broad religious philosophical tradition itself? This is a more difficult question to answer as it involves my own personal belief and ethical framework that informs my own life. I personally can say that much of what is elucidated in Buddhism at the broadest level resonates with my own personal spiritual understanding. I personally find that elucidating and consistently contemplating and acting out the four immeasurable of metta (loving kindness), karuna (compassion), mudita (sympathetic joy), and upekkha (equanimity) are central toward living a life. I would go so far as to say these are not nouns describing a way of being, but rather would best be translated as verbs connoting a continuous mode of action. In this fashion, thinking of these "immeasurables" (a term itself that implies they are part of the beginningless of life itself devoid of all boundaries and limitations of measurement and also what can be comprehended by the rational mind, which itself is defined by its capacity to measure—ratio) is about action or doing: to metta or to karuna. It is through the conscious and unconscious engagement of these actions that we ultimately find ourselves walking on the eightfold path or coming into wisdom of the noble truths. It strikes me that through the constant focus toward being-doing these actions that we also free ourselves from the ten fetters such as an unbalanced ego, self-doubt, ill will, materialism, etc. I think focusing on these four actions and ways of being is far more liberating than directly attempting to prohibit behavior or combat negatives. While some might suggest that renunciation is a path toward enlightenment, I tend to argue for empowerment and what we can build into our lives rather than focusing solely on what we ought to let go. Thus the four immeasurables present a unique option toward embodying an ethical and spiritual fulfilling life. If we act in these actions then we do not need to focus on what we should not do, as we will innately be the right individual. Rev. Katherine MacDowell ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site 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

Final Essay for Comparative Religion

By

Robert Nelson

               I have a bachelor's degree from a traditional university in Asian Studies with an emphasis on comparative religion and history.  I have been fortunate enough to have done field research on Buddhism and Shamanism in Korea, Japan and Okinawa.  I have also been a chaplain in the U.S. Army and so been exposed to a number of religions through classroom instruction and through direct contact as their advocate and minister.  I am happy to say that even with this background I have been very impressed with the Comparative Religion course from the ULC Seminary.

               I particularly enjoyed the way each lesson took a different component of religion as the basis for comparison.  This was much more meaningful and instructive than the usual approach of devoting a lesson to one religion and then another.  I think in many ways this course was much more truly comparative than many other courses and texts I have experienced.  The lesson on ceremonies for example allowed me to actually compare and ponder the nature of sacred ceremonies among various worshipers.  The idea that religious ceremonies among different religions can share the "sacrament" I think is insightful and allows a much deeper understanding of religious activity and experience.

               Each lesson included an impressive array of suggested readings and activities.  This supplemental information was invaluable.  It allowed me to hear and in a way participate in the experience of other traditions.  I have yet to exhaust the potential of these resources and am very grateful for this part of the lessons.  I have discovered a whole new world that is much more complete than I had previously known.  This includes in particular my appreciation and understanding of Zoroastrianism and the connections or parallels between Zoroastrianism and Taoism.

               There was so much information in this course that I will be pondering it for some time to come trying to internalize it and incorporate it into my own ministry.  I think to a certain extent this course has already helped me move beyond the "exotic other" aspect of other religions and into an awareness of the true commonalities. 

There remains the issue of how to incorporate these insights into my own personal spiritual practice and ministry.  I am not interested in picking and choosing to create a hodgepodge or "cafeteria style" religion.  But I am interested in understanding how fundamental truths can be approached through different venues and tools.  For example, it is clear that certain Western religions can benefit from the inward-looking approaches of certain Eastern religions.  At the same time, I see that certain Eastern religions can benefit from the outward-looking service orientation of certain Western religions.  To a certain extent I can see that these various approaches – like the various types of yogas – may depend upon the individual's personality, strengths, and preferences.  It may be that as a minister I might want to focus on contemplative approaches with one person while emphasizing activity and service with another.  Still another might benefit from an intellectual approach.  Some might benefit best from certain types of ceremonies and liturgy while others might be served best with quiet and meditation.  Clearly the more I understand, the more I will be able to assist others along their spiritual path.

Thanks for a great course.

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

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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Chaplaincy Studies

Final Essay for Chaplaincy Course

By Robert Nelson

               This is a wonderful course.  As a former military chaplain I wondered if I would benefit from the course and I am very happy to say that I benefited greatly.  The course covered every aspect of being a chaplain from the calling, theology, and liturgics to the nitty-gritty logistics of this type of ministry.  I think there is enough detail here about the actual functioning of a chaplain that it would benefit anyone interested in this type of ministry including chaplains in the U.S. Army's Basic Chaplain Course or even chaplains with several years experience such as myself.

               For me personally there were several areas that were especially beneficial.  I thoroughly enjoyed the sections on the logistics of ministry.  I think this is a weakness for many chaplains who confine themselves to an office and seldom venture into the world of those they serve.  For me, ministry of presence is the essence of chaplaincy.  Reverend Moore highlighted this in several ways as he wrote of learning the institution.  But to conduct this ministry effectively it takes a certain amount of preparation and I think the concept of creating "tool boxes" is probably the best idea I have heard in a while for organizing and preparing for this type of ministry.  I have used this concept to a certain extent myself in the past but think I can do it much better with the intention and detail that Rev. Moore suggests.  In the past my tool box might have been whatever I threw in my pocket but now I think I can do much better by intentionally creating a tool box for the situations in which I will be serving.  My tool box for working with homeless people will be different from that I will use at a nursing home or the one I will use when working with veterans.  I am really excited about this concept and have great hopes for its application.

               I also found the lesson concerning sacred space, objects, and symbols to be particularly beneficial.  As a counselor I have long conceived of the creation of a safe space as an important step in counseling and now this concept has grown to involve the creation of a sacred space (and even a sacred time) as part of ministry.  Certainly this involves a certain logistical reality but to a greater extent it is a function of the attitude and spirituality of the chaplain.  Years ago I discovered that as a chaplain I was much more useful in the motor pool or on a road march than I was sitting in an office in the chapel.  I was able to provide more ministry to more people.  Now I see that when I was most effective I was creating a sacred space or perhaps more accurately, carrying a sacred space with me as I traveled around in my ministry of presence.  This involves logistical factors such as in some cases some sort of privacy and a certain amount of comfort but it also involves creating at least an illusion of having plenty of time and through symbols, actions, and interactions the creation of a sacred space.

               Sometimes this sacred space is created with little more than a smile and a prayer.  At other times it might involve more elaborate interactions and symbols.  But whether it involves a full-fledged altar and vestments or simply the reading of a scriptural passage and a prayer, it is essential to the ministry of a chaplain.

               The sections on counseling, especially grief counseling, were interesting to me since I have spent most of my professional life doing some sort of counseling.   Even at that I found that the section on grief counseling was both interesting and informative.  This highlights another aspect of the course which was valuable to me – the rehearsal of basic principles.  There is often little to be said that is completely new.  We are after all speaking of religion, spirituality, and ministry – ancient activities which are based in ancient traditions of wisdom and which at a certain level are fundamental to being human beings.  But newness is not a requirement for wisdom.  It may be important to fashion and marketing but for ministry it is less important than ancient, profound fundamentals such as compassion and spirituality.  I believe that the pursuit of excellence requires a frequent rehearsal of fundamentals.  This is certainly true in such things as sports where the athletes who are best at fundamentals such as running, jumping, blocking, tackling, and throwing are the ones who are usually victorious.  The same is true for other areas of achievement and such basics as reading, writing, performing arithmetic, and so forth.  So it is with ministry and especially chaplaincy.  Certainly there is a value to gaining as much knowledge as possible and exploring advanced aspects of hermeneutics, liturgics, and homiletics.  But in the end it is the basics of caring, connecting with others, and being present that will bring the most comfort to those we serve.  It is the remembrance of our calling and our personal spiritual foundation that provides depth and meaning to our ministry.  Rev. Moore has reminded me of that principle and has provided a useful handbook for the frequent rehearsal of some of those fundamentals.

               The section on avoiding traps is one of those important fundamentals.  Rev. Moore has spelled it out clearly and reminded me to beware of the temptations and even the appearance of evil.  I have seen far too many ministers who have ruined their calling and their lives through various traps involving sex and money.  I have seen many more flounder because of the trap of pride.  These traps are with us always and frequent, even daily reminders, are important to help us stay the course.

               I am not sure what I could improve in this course.  There are things I would do differently  but that is more a matter of personality and preference than of a critique of substance.  As I was going through the course there were times when I thought something should be added or expanded but on later reflection I felt that some of this was more cosmetic.  In other words, I liked this course.

               My personal goal is to shift gears in my career.  I have been mostly a counselor since I got out of the Army.  I have done some limited volunteer chaplain work with the Veterans Administration and among the homeless but hope to expand that aspect of my life.  I'm looking forward to completely the complete chaplain program and the D.Min. program and expanding this ministry with my wife into a holistic ministry and health education among several populations.   I hope to continue working with the homeless and to expand my ministry among the elderly and veterans.  Together with my wife I hope to also do ministry among people who are interested in improving their health.  I would like to get an endorsement from the ULC as a chaplain. 

               Thanks for the inspiration and direction.

Rev. Bob Nelson, Ph.D.

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

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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Spiritual Awareness

Rev. Gene Rapalyea Final writing, a postulation For Master of      Spiritual Awareness Spirit "The breath of Life," after temperature and pressure is our primary need and function. If we stopped our own breathing or an animal stopped breathing or had its breathing stopped it died. This was good cause for us to have considered the breath the life force. What is the true spirit? How do we come to know it? When we had a break for a moment in the attention it took for our struggle for survival, our attention turned to questions about our own being, what and why possibly first, who, when and how many, following.  The beginning of a greater awareness was under way. All of life is a growing experience; a dynamic meditation. Even the most boring or arduous of tasks can be accompanied by day dreams or insights about the out come of enduring the boredom or challenge. Dreams for example like the weekend at the lake, the show or dance on Friday night, putting the kids through college, or how to get that raise. These even if we are unaware of it are ventures into future realms. Ventures that lead us to question the efficiency of our action and how we might better accomplish the desired out come. These questions continue to move us forward in our understanding, while our sensual experience motivates us further to desire. To fulfill our desires we have to take action whatever direction that ends with the out come expected. We get experience by getting the unexpected a "bump on the head." That bump is a knock on the door. The bump either discourages us and we change direction. After enough unanswered knocks or the door opens and we get to experience the fruit of our labor until we are full and our expanded awareness precipitates another desire. So we move on continuing to ask the questions above, each one taking us to new territory.  The mystery and myth begins and the secret which is the spirit appears when we get to the edge of our world. This is an understanding that when we try to express it in words and it defies expression but becomes evident by coincidence and happenstance. It can be heard in nature (this is inclusive of the man made world) first as a meaningless cacophony, then if we allow, it takes on meaning. We see it in visual display in a glimpse but loose it when we try to grasp its form. The secrets intrigue us further into our inquisition. While the other side of us that demands certainty and control states, this can't be, I don't believe in it, it's a machination, a delusion, and ties to prove the dis belief to be true, but still the secret persists. So we give it a name God etc.  Now we might be able to pigeon hole it, find the rules (Laws) so we can use or abuse it be a prophet to our profit. The question then becomes what really does profit us? We have been going though experiencing the ramifications of the fear of scarcity and death since the Garden of Eden, Pandora's Box or other stories that convey a myth that carries us from a state of innocence through the experience of ever atrocity imaginable, the key word here being imaginable, how ever long ago that started in metaphoric reality terms. Our understanding was put up your guard, and grab what you can by whatever means possible and of those that aren't so quick to grab save six for pallbearers, but soon we notice no matter how much we get or try it doesn't satisfy. The questions continue now that we have had a snapshot of a larger friendlier place. Now our focus becomes how do we enter and stay in that world, the one that does satisfy.  The search for methods begins, there are many. Most having there roots in prayer and meditation (sitting or moving) and ritual.  Meditation (sitting) can be introspective or focused on a goal and guided then reinforced by ritual (actions speaking louder than words).  Moving meditation on the other hand, we are including any of the activities that focus the mined. Examples might be Sports of any kind, riding (including driving and flying), writing, mathematics, shooting, (including golf and pool) music and art any other activity that one might think of that might focus the mind. Once again as we tighten our focus our awareness expands.             As our individual awareness expands those around us also get more room to expand so that loving our neighbor becomes more of a reality and we are not waiting for the other person to do unto us first before we decide what to do, as we take up preemptive kindness and love. Those that we were at odds with and had to struggle to pray for become fewer and fewer until we can say "God is in his heaven and the world is at peace."             A dream some might say? Like a long journey a dream is accomplished by continuing in the direction of the desired out come. No one can do it for us.             Just imagine how that would be, the possibilities our endless.    ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site 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

Comparative Religion

Course by Rev.  Kythera Ann

Essay by Rev. Mary McGar

            I thoroughly enjoyed this course.  I gained far more knowledge and understanding of religious terminology, history, concepts, titles, sacred instruments, etc. from this course than I had expected.  It would be easy to devote the entire essay to what I have learned and still only barely touch the surface.  While I certainly can't remember all the material presented I now have a useful, detailed reference book constructed so that a particular topic can be easily and quickly located.  I learned that many religions have commonalities even though geographically separated by vast distance or separated by centuries in their development.  I gained a better understanding of what various religious groups believe which also often explains why their followers behave in certain ways.  The multitude of symbolism used by various faiths was extremely interesting to me and I believe will be very useful to me in my future volunteer work as a Chaplain.  Using esoteric and exoteric terminology is an interesting method of sorting world religions, even though no religion is purely one or the other, enabling a student to better understand them.  The flowchart depicting the evolutionary history of different religions was extremely helpful.  The sociological fact that most people throughout history, regardless of geographical location, race, ethnic identity and material development have carried a belief in some type of higher power or natural order and that structures for those beliefs have benefited them in areas of security, community identification, behavioral guidance, common values, inspiration, gratitude and hope was re-instilled in me during this course.  I intend to continue to study the lessons and each subsequent review of this course material will continue to increase my knowledge of religion.

            The immense scope and in-depth treatment of topics in this course greatly impressed me.  The way in which it is formatted flows logically and the graphics are beautiful and memorable.  The course treats each religion with balanced respect and without a discernible bias.  There are so many aspects I truly liked in this course it is difficult to choose a particular favorite portion.  However, one of the most interesting lessons to me was Lesson Twenty and, especially, the flowchart of the origins and evolutionary paths of religions.  Presenting the information in such a concise, structured manner is beneficial to the student, in my opinion.   I enjoyed learning of Pagan religions as I knew very little about them, and much to my surprise, held many misconceptions regarding even the definition of Pagan.  I also especially enjoyed the lessons on mysticism and spirits as those topics are not always covered in traditional religion courses and are a part of my religious beliefs.  Most of all, the course caused me to reassess religion in both general terms and on a personal level.   I discovered that my own beliefs consist of a combination of pieces of several very different belief systems; some ancient, some contemporary, some traditional and also include some pagan beliefs.  In realizing this and by developing a greater understanding of both my own beliefs and of those religions from whence they developed, my beliefs have been strengthened and my perspective on religion in general is now more inclusive.  This broader and more inclusive knowledge and attitude will assist me in becoming a better Chaplain.

            There is nothing that I disliked regarding the course as I think it is one of the most interesting courses I have ever taken.  However, I do feel it would have been helpful, at least to me, to have split some of the more detailed and longer lessons into two lessons even though the course would have lasted for more than twenty weeks.  Had those lessons, which were complex and often filled with terminology unfamiliar to me, been shorter I would have been able to better absorb the new information.  Again, there is nothing I disliked; I just would have preferred a greater number of  lessons.

  

            The only suggestion I have for improvement or change in the course (and it might be covered in a, hopefully, upcoming Comparative Religion, Part Two Course) is to incorporate more  information on the differences in some Protestant denominations and sects.  While there are many similarities among them there are also many specific and, often, irreconcilable differences, in the beliefs of, for instance: Presbyterian and Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptist and Scientology, Christian Science and Methodist, Unity and Unitarian Universalist and many others.   It would be interesting to me to have more knowledge in that area and, where possible, to learn why the differences may have occurred in addition to having a list of the similarities. 

In conclusion,  because I enjoyed this course so immensely I am indeed looking forward to taking other courses by Rev. Kythera Ann. 

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

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site 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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Biblical Egyptology

By: John Francis Cavener

Doctor of Biblical Egyptology Course

About the Exodus Out of Egypt

I have greatly enjoyed the challenges presented in this course. There are many questions and fascinating discoveries surrounding the events depicted in the Bible. I am most intrigued by the "Exodus" of the Israelites out of Egypt. Among Egyptologists there is much controversey over the alleged great Biblical Exodus of Israelites out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses. Some Egyptologists point to the critical lack of evidence that the event ever occurred and speculate that what may have happened, was that there possibly could have been a relatively small migration of Israelites who fled Egypt during a period of depression. The difficult times of drought or famine quite possibly may have been a result of a series of unfortunate natural disasters, such as the Santorini volcanic eruption; thus leading to assigning of blame for the events to the Israelites. The events, some believe, were then greatly embellished in later generations to add far more drama and luster to the story.

One of the more curious details about the whole Exodus story is one rarely mentioned or discussed, but may in fact be the one detail that hints at what may have actually ignited the rapid rush out of Egypt and the subsequent pursuit of the Pharaoh after the Israelites.

The book of Exodus chapter 12 verses 35 and 36 states:

"And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver and jewels of gold, and raiment (Holy Bible, Exodus 12:35):"

"And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians (Exodus 12:36)."

This tells us that this was done in obedience to earlier instructions from Moses as supposedly predicted by God:

"And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go (Exodus 3:20)."

"And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty (Exodus 3:21):"

"But every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians (Exodus 3:22)."

This allegedly fulfills an earlier prophecy found in the book of Genesis chapter 15:13-14 that reads:

"And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them  four hundred years (Genesis 15:13);"

"And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance (Genesis 15:14)."  

The great marauding and plundering that supposedly takes place on the last night, the eve of the Exodus, was also the night all of Egypt's first born children are killed by God during the first Passover. The story goes on to tell us that Pharaoh was so upset and distraught, he commanded the Israelites to leave Egypt because it appeared as if their presence seemed to have brought a terrible curse upon Egypt.

What happens next is somewhat peculiar; consider the following events.

Exodus 14:5 indicates that word reached Pharaoh that the Israelites had fled the land which, if we recall, was ordered by the same Pharaoh. Here he seems stunned that they actually left and it is even more surprising when you consider the large number of Israelites that left Egypt according to the Bible. If Exodus 14 is to be believed, it's as if the Pharaoh was completely oblivious to this.

As a result, we are told that Pharaoh has "a change of heart" and amasses an army to go after the Israelites to bring them back into slavery. That Pharaoh having a change of heart is puzzling considering he gave the order for them to leave Egypt in the first place. Considering that in a superstitious world, it would be very easy to believe that as long as the Israelites remained in the land, Egypt would continue to suffer from one disaster after another while the Israelite groups in the Goshen area of Egypt were unaffected by the plagues. Why would Pharaoh want to bring them back knowing the disaster their presence brought?

What some scholars have suggested is, the 'mixed multitude' of Israelites actually marauded and plundered as opposed to borrowing Egyptian items on their migration out of Egypt as indicated in Exodus 12: 35-36. The theory is that Pharaoh was actually pursuing the Israelites to take back and return what was stolen from and rightfully belonged to the Egyptian people. The rest of the Exodus story, they posit, is highly propagandized and/or embellished to sanitize it in favor of the Israelites while simultaneously demonizing the Egyptians and Pharaoh.  It leaves me asking the question as to why would the Egyptians and Pharaoh have been so sympathetic toward the Israelites and in such a giving and generous mood when it was quite evident the Israelites were responsible for all the ills and despair Egypt had suffered compounded by the deaths of all their firstborn.

The much, so much more to explore and learn about humanity's past. How we evolved and developed through the ages. How we humans learned and explored our environment and our inner being guided by a spark of curiosity, awe, faith, and mystery. How we learned to socialize, grow and develop fantastic civilizations and beliefs as we continue to occupy this planet. We all still have much to learn as we continue our quest to learn who we are. Thank you for a great course.

Work(s) Cited

The Holy Bible. Authorized King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 

       1987.

Best Wishes,

John Francis Cavener

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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site 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