The challenge that I have before you today is to offer some insight into leadership for our mission of developing study groups and sharing this great revelation of God and his universe.
I think we are all paused by the realization that leadership is difficult to teach.
Leadership is something that depends on experience and service. What I can impart about leadership skills may or may not be helpful because what may be effective to one leader in one country, may not be relevant to another leader working in a different culture.
So, perhaps it is best to speak more about the perspective of a leader. That is what this day really is about — understanding the origins, history and destiny is about understanding the broader perspective of our leadership environment. This perhaps is most important to a leader. After all leadership is about taking people to a place they have never been before and if this is true, then leaders must have the depth of perspective to know the right direction.
To understand the cosmic perspective, I want us to contemplate those leaders who perhaps have the best view of an evolutionary planet, progressing towards light and life. Who, better to consider for this perspective than the Most Highs — our universe leaders, from the Paradise Father, the Eternal Son on down to Michael, the Local Universe Mother Spirit, and the local universe administrators. After all, these are leaders are they not? These are the servants of the universe who lead us heavenward.
How do they see the struggles of an evolutionary planet? What are the problems that they must grapple with in their efforts to uplift this planet both materially and spiritually? How might the challenge of presenting to an evolutionary planet be for them? If you think of their brilliant minds, their spiritual luminosity, and their vast depth of understanding how challenging it must be for them to present advanced teachings to a finite, mortal evolutionary world. How difficult it must be to impart just enough light to attract the mortal mind, yet so restrained as it does not blind or create turmoil.
It is ironic that these infinite and perfect leaders are limited in their leadership abilities by our own evolutionary, finite imperfection.
This is the cosmic problem that our universe leaders must face. And if we look back at every epochal revelation, it becomes very apparent. Our universe leadership must find the methods and techniques to lead in a way that is consistent with the natural pace of evolutionary mortals.
And this in sum, is the cosmic challenge of our universe leaders – Cosmic Leadership.
How do they present advanced revelation truths, insights and wisdom with out being revolutionary. How do the lead us, but not blind us or create upheavals? How do they present revelation with out being revolutionary?
We all know that advancing the mortal mind or an evolutionary civilization beyond its capacity is dangerous. The revelators told us in their instructions that over rapid growth of the Urantia Movement would be suicidal. The fall of Adam and Even was the failed attempt to short circuit the natural pace of evolution.
Said the revelators:
“You must again study the times of Jesus on Earth. You must take note of how the kingdom of heaven was inaugurated in the world. Did it evolve slowly and unfold naturally? Or did it come with sudden show of forceand with spectacular exhibition of power? Was it evolutionary orrevolutionary?” (Publication Mandate)
This is the problem that our Universe leaders face. And we as leaders on this evolutionary world partake of this saame problem. We share the same struggle. So, how is it then that we can take this advanced revelation and present it to a world that by all appearances is not yet ready for the full revelation of these advanced teachings?
Image today, if a local or national association received a on $1,000,000 donation. And with these funds those leaders went into communities, creating a large organization, set up local store front offices, invested in advertising campaigns, handed out free books, paid followers to knock on doors and preach in the streets. Image if all of sudden, in these local communities, there was a great presence in name and people of this new Urantia Book revelation.
What would happen? What would be the reaction to this sudden presence and appearance of power? Would the community be receptive? Or would they reject such a campaign. Who might such a campaign attract?
Now, contrast this with a small group of two or three people. They have no money, just friendship, fellowship, a love for each other and a desire to expand their knowledge and love for God by coming together each week in a study group. These individuals live in their community, they are doctors, or carpenters, teachers and housewives, they each have their own personal connection to their brothers and sisters in the community and to their own families.
Those who live in their community know the individuals in this study group. They seethem in church, schools, work, they partake of their spiritual fragrance, and benefit from the spiritual insights and wisdom that they have to offer.
Slowly this study group grows, to five, then ten…..after some time this group grows and becomes two, or perhaps three groups. There is no sudden show of force, they are not visible as an organization or institution, but just as a presence — like water that is absorbed into the ground.
This pattern of growth through groups is a pattern that we see in epochal revelation. When the revelators gave us the instructions to form thousand of study groups, they were offering this guidance with a cosmic perspective. They knew that this method was the most effect means for integrating a revelation into evolutionary society.
When we speak of leaders– what is most important to know is that those men and women who foster study groups, bring people together in fellowship and study are the most important leaders for the revelation.
We must understand that the weight of the world is not upon us. We must not feel so pressured to transform the world. Hard not to feel this pressure as we know what light and life looks like. We know the worlds potential. We are incredibly inspired by the ideals of a powerful revelation. We must work to transform our “local universe.” Our community and study group is our local universe. This is were we can be most tranformative. This is where we can proceed at an evolutionary pace.
In each of the previous revelational epochs, there was one central location for the revelation. But with the 5th epochal revelation, there is the potential for thousands of revelation centers. Each study group is like a Garden of Eden, a Melchizedek Colony or an apostolic corps, that becomes a center for fellowship and advanced instruction or that produces missionaries who go out to other communities.
Perhaps this is the divine plan. We know the world is not ready for The Urantia Book, but some are. We know we must prepare teachers and leaders and the best place to do this is through study groups.
So image if, 100 years from now, a Trinity Teacher Son arrives or a planetary shift in spiritual receptivity occurs. What if the world becomes very interested in The Urantia Book revelation? What if large numbers come seeking a better understanding of this great revelation? Will we be ready? Will we have thousands of study groups in many countries around the globe? Will we have families and communities prepared to teach and lead?