Tidings – June 2019
(Note: To print a hard copy of this Tidings click the “Print Version” button above. After the print version appears, right-click into any white space and choose “Print.”)
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In This Issue
- President’s Message – June 2019 – Chris Wood, USA
- Comments on the ISB Elections – Rick Lyon, USA
- 2nd European Conference in Tallinn – Last Reminder – Conference Committee
- Pre-Conference – 2nd European Conference in Tallinn – Anna Zeven, UYAI Chair
- Post-Conference – 2nd European Conference – Risto Mäntynen, Finland
- Urantia Midwest Conference 2019 – Rick Lyon, USA
- Annual Retreat for UK and Ireland 2019 – Chris Moseley, UK
- Urantia Global Experience – Vancouver 2020 – Nathen Jansen, Canada
- Urantia Life Lessons – Alice Wood, USA
- 18th National Meeting of Readers in Spain – Olga Lopez, Spain
- The Parliament of the World’s Religions 2018 – Alain Cyr, Canada
- Urantia in Medellín, Colombia – Tamila Ragimova, Colombia
- Farewell Moussa Ndiaye – Gaetan Charland, Canada
- Upcoming Events
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Chris Wood, USA  This summer, the European Continental Conference will be hosted by the Estonian Association in Tallinn. The theme of the conference is: “Sowing Seeds—Qualitative Internal and Quantitative External Growth” and the conference will focus on the relationship between the internal growth of the individual and our external growth in service.
In our local study group recently, we read about Jesus going to John for baptism. The Urantia Book explains that the people being baptized were not doing so as a sign that they are ready to enter into Faith, which is how we use the baptism ceremony today; rather, they were submitting to baptism on behalf of their people, hoping that if enough people submitted themselves to God’s will then the trials of their nation would end. It was in this spirit that Jesus submitted himself to baptism, as the Son of Man, as a representative of his people—all humanity and all mortals.
But Jesus of course had a second nature—the Son of God. As the Son of God, Jesus goes to the baptism as a representative of God’s commitment to all people. Abraham made a covenant with Melchizedek, that man would have faith and God would do the rest. Jesus goes to the baptism as a symbol of this commitment. Whatever actions we do as a sincere symbol of our faith, God will meet us there. If that means going to the river for baptism, God will meet us there—just as Jesus did. If that is to sit in daily meditation, God will meet us there as well. Or dancing in the aisles of a church. Or servicing with a charity. Or praising God in nature. No matter what way we choose to express our faith, if we are sincere, God will meet us there.
The catch here is that we do not all express our faith in the same way—what is a sincere expression for one person may not have the same outcome for another. We must each find our own method of communicating with God and be ready for those methods to change and evolve over time.
These are a few ideas about Internal Growth of the Individual. If you would like to discuss these ideas, introduce a few more, and explore how they relate to External Service, then I hope you can join us in Tallinn, Estonia in July. (See our Events Calendar for more details at: https://urantia-association.org/events-list/.)
In service,
Chris Wood
President
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Rick Lyon, USA Editor’s note: The following was written by Rick Lyon, Vice President of the Urantia Association of the United States (UAUS) to the Representative Council (RC) after the recent elections were held for the members of the International Service Board (ISB)
Greetings to the RC team!
UAUS wishes to acknowledge the many years of service by Gaetan Charland, former President of Urantia Association International and more recently the former Study Groups Chair, Susan Owen as the Association’s Secretary, and David Linthicum as Dissemination Chair.
Gaetan’s leadership served to put the Association onto a solid foundation and into a service-oriented direction when he served as President, and he continued to serve this revelation and all the people involved by his position as Study Groups Chair. I once introduced Gaetan as my teacher, mentor, friend, and brother. He is all that as well as a great leader of this revelation and this organization.
Susan brought knowledge, wisdom, experience, loyalty, and passion to this position as Urantia Association’s Secretary and the entire Association benefited from her service. Saying “Thank You!” for such service cannot begin to express our gratitude and appreciation for her leadership. As the former Executive Director Urantia Association, I worked very closely with Susan for many years and I can tell you from first-hand experience that she did a wonderful job and gave all she had to this organization and the people we serve—many times doing important things that nobody even knew about.
David has served UAUS as a past President and he is a loyal, dedicated, and willing friend and servant to all members of Urantia Association and the Urantia community. David’s leadership provided the Association’s main program ingredient for the hugely successful 2011 Leadership Symposium.
We have no doubt that their efforts have been noted and recorded by our unseen friends and their efforts will be rewarded by even greater service opportunities and spiritual satisfaction for a job well done.
We also wish to thank Andres Ramirez for his service as the Association’s Vice President and congratulate him for his new opportunity to serve replace Gaetan as the new Study Groups Chair.
We are grateful to Kathleen Swadling and very appreciative of her willingness to continue to serve as Communications Chair for the extremely important Association website, Journal, Tidings and other communications. Image is everything and ours starts here. Kathleen actively served this revelation long before many of us even found the book!
With sincerity and on behalf of all UAUS,
Rick Lyon
UAUS Vice President
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Conference Committee  A reminder that the time for the 2nd European Urantia Conference that’s being held in Tallinn, Estonia, 11 – 14 July 2019 is almost upon us.
The theme of the conference is: “Sowing Seeds– Qualitative Internal and Quantitative External Growth” and the focus will be on how we can grow internally in spirit and externally in numbers. Students of The Urantia Book from all over the world are welcome.
The program will concentrate on spiritual growth potentials and on growing the numbers of readers. A variety of readers from different countries in Europe and other continents will present their experiences, examining what they have done to find new readers and to form new study groups.
The Estonian Urantia Association (Eesti Urantia Assotsiatsioon – EUA) will be hosting this conference, which will take place at the Tallink Spa & Conference Hotel in Tallinn, Estonia. The main language spoken during the conference will be English, but If your native language is not English and it is difficult for you to understand it, you should know that we plan to translate all presentations into several different languages (depending on how many volunteer translators we find) and have them available at the beginning of the conference as printed text.
The conference website can be found at: www.urantia.ee/conference2019 and will give you detailed information about the program, registration for the event and reservation of your hotel room.
Register Now!
Contact:
Karmo Kalda
Vice President, Estonian Urantia Association (EUA)
email: urantia@urantia.ee
Phone: +372 5 200 300
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Anna Zeven, UYAI Chair  Sowing Seeds in Tallinn, Reaping Flowers in Vancouver
Hi Young (hearted) Readers!
Please come and join us at the Pre-Conference event of the 2nd European Urantia Association Conference in Tallinn this summer. We have an exciting and inspiring program ready for you designed to bring us closer together. If desired, sightseeing included!
The Association’s Urantia Young Adults International (UYAI) committee and the Fellowship’s Youth and Young Adult (YaYA) committee have joined together to host this event.
Why “Sowing Seeds in Tallinn and Reaping Flowers in Vancouver”? Because this pre-conference in Tallinn is the first joint event hosted by the two young adult committees; the next one will be in Vancouver in 2020.
About Pre-Conference Tallinn 2019
What?
Pre-conference prior to the 2nd European conference in Tallinn July 2019.
For whom?
Young readers who are physically or heartedly up to their mid 40’s.
When?
7—11 July 2019
Location:
Old Town Hostel Alur, Lai 20, Tallinn, Harju Maakond 10133, Estonia.
See hostel details at: http://hostel.alur.ee
And directions at: route
Price:
€150 for lodging and food. Suggest you reserve a budget of €45 for extras like optional sightseeing.
Additional Sightseeing:
Sightseeing is excluded to keep the price low and to give you a choice on how you spend your time.
What’s Included?
Lodging, food (and food for thought), a lot of fun and good company 😊.
Program:
Sunday: Check-in and starting at 4.00pm, welcoming dinner.
Monday: Walk to the beach, connecting activities, lunch and reading session at the beach, walk back to the hostel, dinner, socializing time.
Tuesday: Meditation, Future Youth workshop, lunch, optional sightseeing: cathedral + castle, dinner, reading session.
Wednesday: Worship, Pray and Love workshop, lunch, optional deepening hour of Worship, Pray and Love, optional sightseeing: Multimedia Art Show Klimt2Monet + Rotermanni neighborhood, socializing time.
Thursday: Free time/optional visit to the Kadriorg Palace and start main conference.
Cheap Stay During the Main Conference
Just want to stay at the hostel during the main 2nd European Urantia Conference 11—14 July 2019? It’s only €20 p/p a night, meals not included.
So, if you feel like hanging out with us, sharing and feeling surrounded by your Urantia family Register Here ASAP!
In light and life,
Anna Zeven
UYAI Chair
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Risto Mäntynen, Finland Hosted by Finnish Urantia Association Members and Friends
 14 – 16 July, 2019
For those of you staying longer in Tallinn-Estonia after the main conference there will be a post-conference organized by the Finnish Urantia Association members and friends.
There are only seven weeks left before the 2nd European Urantia Conference starts and everyone on the conference planning committee is working hard to make it a great conference; they are looking forward to welcoming you very soon to Estonia.
To make the total experience more complete after the 2nd European Conference we are organizing a post-conference for additional socializing and sightseeing among Urantia Book students. If you are interested in staying longer after the event, then check this out!
Visa-Free Cruise to St. Petersburg
Visit the former capital of Russia, the city of Czars. St. Petersburg is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places on earth and virtually any building in the large historic centre, threaded with canals dotted with baroque bridges, can be considered an attraction and indeed, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is a magical city, with a long list of major attractions. Its Hermitage Museum, housed in the Winter Palace of the Romanov Dynasty, is both one of the world’s greatest and oldest collections of art, treasure, and antiquities, and one of its most beautiful buildings.
For Who
Open to everyone from all age groups who want to stay longer in Estonia and/or its neighboring countries after the 2nd European Urantia Conference. For us your age 18+ does not matter as long as you don’t mind hanging out with us.
When
The cruise with program starts at Sunday 14 June at 12:30pm and we will back in Tallinn-Estonia on Tuesday 16 June at 9:00am.
Program
Sunday 14 July
12:30 Departure from Tallink Spa and Conference hotel
13:30 Departure from the Tallinn Harbor to Helsinki, M/s Tallink Megastar
15:30 Arrival in Helsinki West Harbor
18:00 Departure from Helsinki West Harbor to St. Petersburg, M/s Moby
Monday 15 July
09:00 Arrival in St. Petersburg
10:00 City tour and visit to Hermitage Museum
16:00 Free time
18:00 Embarkation
19:00 Departure to Tallinn
Tuesday 16 July
09:00 Arrival in Tallinn Harbor
Pricing
Package prices start from € 143.50
Full package including F/B and city tour with a visit in the Hermitage Museum € 334.00
Prices include transfer from Tallinn to Helsinki and all passenger fees!
Visit St.Petersburg http://www.visit-petersburg.ru/en/
MobySpl https://stpeterline.com/
Tallink https://www.tallinksilja.com/book-a-cruise
How to Register
To register your post-conference cruise package with accommodation, meals and other extras, you need to send an e-mail to Risto Mäntynen via risto.mantynen@gmail.com and follow the “Extra Registration Instructions” below. If you make your selections clear to us, then we can calculate the price for you accordingly and confirm your registration with giving you a total registration price. Make sure you mention also your preferred payment options in that email.
Extra Registration Instructions
- Choose the cabin class:
- Class B2V for two, bunk beds, € 67,50 pp
- Class B2 for two, twin beds, € 80,00 pp
- Class A2 for two, twin beds with a seaview, € 103,5
If you want to have the cabin by yourself, you have to pay double the price.
- Choose the meals:
- Buffet dinner on Sunday night € 31.00
- Breakfast on Monday morning € 13.00, deluxe breakfast € 18.00
- Buffet dinner on Monday night € 31.00
- Breakfast on Tuesday morning €13.00, deluxe breakfast € 18.00
You can buy the meals on board, but the price is slightly higher. There are two á la carte restaurants and a café on the ship as well if you prefer not to have a buffet meal.
- City Tour
There are three options:
- only transfer to and from the center of St. Petersburg, included in the price, no extra charge
- 3-hour city tour € 35.00
- 6-hour city tour and visit to the Heremitage Museum € 85.00
Other expenses:
- Ferry ride from Tallinn to Helsinki € 34
- Harbor fee € 17
- Visa Free Surcharge € 25
The visa-free opportunity to visit Russia is available only from the harbors of the northern Baltic!
How to Pay
We try to handle the payments by the bank account of the Finnish Urantia Association. In Europe it’s easy to transfer money between the banks via wire transfers. If there is anybody outside Europe who wants to register for our post-conference, and they have problems with transferring money to our bank account, then they can transfer the money to the PayPal account of Risto Mäntynen, the President of the Finnish Urantia Association. Mention this extra payment option via PayPal in the email that you need to send him to complete your registration successfully when selecting your package .
Need More Help?
If you need more information, don’t hesitate to contact us by sending an e-mail to risto.mantynen@gmail.com or by phone +358 50 390 3040.
Hope to see you at our post-conference!
Best Regards,
Risto Mäntynen
Link to official event brochure
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Rick Lyon, USA  The Inevitabilities ~ Burdens to Blessings
We invite and encourage all students of The Urantia Book to attend this year’s Midwest Conference in Normal, Illinois 16—18 August, 2019.
The uncertainties of life and the vicissitudes of existence do not in any manner contradict the concept of the universal sovereignty of God. All evolutionary creature life is beset by certain inevitabilities that, while wise in their manner of teaching and problem-solving development, make life seem harsh and confusing to us mortals. The ultimate question being: “Why do bad things happen to good people?” That is sometimes followed by: “If God loves me, then why does he not remove the cruel and unjust situations of life?” or “Why didn’t Jesus just heal everyone?”
Uncertainty with security is the essence of the Paradise adventure. The Inevitabilities illustrate the uncertainty we have unified with the security we need—uncertainty in time and in mind, uncertainty as to the events of our lives, uncertainty as an inexperienced citizen of the universe—a “child” of God; security in spirit and in eternity, security in the unqualified trust of the creature son in the divine compassion and infinite love of the Universal Father; security as an ascending child of an all-powerful, all-wise, and all-loving Father.
Our indwelling Adjuster cannot stop or even materially alter our career struggles of time; the Adjuster cannot lessen the hardships of life as we journey through this world of toil. The divine indweller can only patiently look on as we fight the battles of life as it is lived on Urantia. But the valiant Adjuster will fight with us and for us if we invite and allow him to do so. We can be comforted and inspired, enthralled and intrigued, if we allow our Adjuster to show us the real motive and the eternal purpose of all this difficult, uphill struggle with the commonplace problems of daily life.
Through the Inevitabilities, we see both the hardships of life but the reason and purpose for them. How can we calm and strengthen ourselves to bear these burdens and work with our Adjusters to turn them into blessings and recognize the benefits and value of this forward struggle? How do we conquer our fears of human forgetfulness and mortal inconstancy, avoid doubts of failure or perplexing confusion, and not falter or question our status and standing as a child of God?
At the 2019 Urantia Midwest Conference, we hope to learn how to recognize the spiritual counterpart of all these strenuous life struggles; allow our Adjuster to strengthen us with spiritual truths while we wrestle with the difficulties of “such a life on such a planet,” be encouraged by the heavenly helper to cheer us with a clear vision of the eternal life as we gaze in perplexity at the problems of the day.
We hope that by attending our event you will be enlightened and inspired by a cosmic viewpoint while you toil amidst the handicaps of time and flounder in the maze of uncertainties.
The main program will consist of three study periods. In each study period, Benet Rutenberg will introduce three of the Inevitabilities. We will then break up into discussion groups with an assigned leader and one of the Inevitabilities. Michael Painter will then lead the group discussion at the end of each period.
On Sunday, Alice Wood will conduct a wonderful worship based on a service by Marcia McFee but adapted to the Urantia teachings. This will include some musical worship as well.
Following Alice will be a presentation by Jimmer Prieto of Goshen, Indiana about “The Lord’s Prayer.” Jimmer gave this presentation in a workshop at the Netherlands conference. We heard many good things about this presentation and participated in it as a study group lesson. You will find it very interesting and inspiring. Jimmer will also be offering his spiritual Tae Chi each morning.
You will also have the opportunity to meet leaders of this revelation in the United States as the Council of Local Presidents from Urantia Association of the United States will be hosting their annual meeting on Friday afternoon.
Normal, Illinois, is a true midwestern town with the feel and hospitality midwesterners are known for. We invite all students of The Urantia Book to join us and participate in this event.
Click here for logistical information on costs and registration.
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Chris Moseley, UK  Being About the Father’s Business
6—8 September 2019
Once again it’s time to invite you to the annual summer retreat of British readers of The Urantia Book—a chance to relax for a weekend in congenial company and beautiful surroundings with fellow truth seekers. This is the first gathering held by our new British-Irish organization: Urantia Association of Great Britain & Ireland (UAGBI).
We welcome our members as well as other students of the revelation both at home and abroad to this annual event.
The location of our meeting this year is at the beautiful Belsey Bridge Conference Centre in Bungay, Suffolk, in the east of England. Full board and accommodation are offered.
About the Theme
Do not entertain the idea that, since the Universal Father has delegated so much of himself and his power to others, he is a silent or inactive member of the Deity partnership. Aside from the personality domains and Adjuster bestowal, he is apparently the least active of the Paradise Deities, in that he allows his Deity co-ordinates, his Sons, and numerous created intelligences to perform so much in the carrying out of his eternal purpose. He is the silent member of the creative trio only in that he never does aught which any of his co-ordinate or subordinate associates can do. [Paper 32:4.1, page 362.5]
Jesus too was a greater delegator. He fashioned a team of apostles of different talents, backgrounds and spiritual capacities, allowing them to organise themselves and to make their own unique contribution. How are you going about the Father’s business?
The program is to start you thinking about your contribution; we are always looking for people to contribute to as well as participate in the Annual Retreat. This does not necessarily mean a formal presentation. It could be:
- Leading the study of text from the book
- Getting people to consider questions that have arisen from your study
- Sharing your experience of being about the Father’s business and other service activities.
We hope you will add to the fragrance of our weekend with your presence. The venue people are asking us to provide a deposit by the end of May, so please note the date for sending us an indication of your commitment to attend.
If you would like to give a presentation at the retreat (click the “read more” button below for the draft program) or if you have any other questions about transport and directions, please get in touch via email with either:
Chris Moseley or Ade Awoyinka
Read More for the Flyer with more details on the program and registration.
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Nathen Jansen, Canada  Vancouver, Canada 15—19 July 2020
Lifting Together—United in Purpose—Serving God the Supreme
Call for Volunteers. The Urantia Global Experience is an upcoming gathering of minds dedicated to serving God the Supreme through the exploration of solutions for the progressive evolution of civilization. We believe the overall success of this experimental endeavor rests on our spiritual unity—our common motive to express the will of God in our personal daily lives as well as in our social institutions.
The format of this gathering will be a little different than past related experiences. Rather than a series of lectures or workshops, all participants will engage in discussion groups focused on a variety of topics drawn from The Urantia Book (see Paper 71:4 Progressive Civilization). From these discussions, we hope to derive common ideas, solutions, and purpose.
To implement these grand ideals, we need your help. We are currently taking applications for Facilitators and Visionary Exploration presenters, as well as volunteers.
- Facilitator Pairs—are required to moderate the discussions in both Focus Groups and Vision Teams. These discussions will focus on the 12 points of progressive civilization as placed in the context of working with the Supreme, and all Facilitators should be conversant in these areas.
- Presenters—further discussions (Visionary Explorations) are dedicated to the advancement of civilization through current active projects, planned projects, and great ideas for new projects.
- Volunteers—anyone who would like to lend a helping hand as custodians or ushers, as well as setting up equipment, cleaning, or doing a great variety of minor chores.
The UGE website will be published and announced on July 1, Canada Day 2019.
Contact – Urantia Global Experience:
urantia@telus.net
urantiacanada.mail@gmail.com
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Alice Wood, USA  A Personal Outreach
I’m Alice Wood and I am the creator of the YouTube channel, Urantia Life Lessons. This is a platform designed to walk people through the teachings of The Urantia Book as they relate to our daily lives.
Being a second-generation student of The Urantia Book, I became aware that children who are raised with the book are exposed first, to the values of the book, rather than the details which are so often overwhelming to people who are not familiar with it. It is those values that I bring forth in a way that I hope is appealing to both long-time and new students of The Urantia Book.
Feel free to share these videos below with anyone you think may benefit from them.
Introduction and Thank You to Urantia Association
Getting inspired to serve and share the teachings. Good things happen when Urantia Association brings people together. Visit their website at www.urantia-association.org.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQDXwQ0daDs
Heroic Creation of the Soul
Throughout this life and the next, our souls undergo an adventurous evolution from imperfection to perfection. When we consider the magnitude of this objective, and when we appreciate that it is our decisions and fortitude that help us to meet that goal, we begin to realize that we are heroic in the creation of our souls. Jesus, in his early manhood, set the prime example.
https://youtu.be/FC2B6BpkOrs
Just Try
In life, we don’t always know the way forward, but with one foot in front of the other, and by accepting God’s encouragement, we continue to progress our souls toward perfection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrJUAYJgdr4&t=2s
Save Us In Temptation
The Urantia Book‘s version of The Lord’s Prayer and Pope Francis’ new revised version are brought closer together in meaning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA6HNdlIqcM
To Crave Reproof
Why should we crave reproof? It sets us free to be our imperfect selves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ7dEX3d0gg
A Panoramic Image
Civilization at the time of Jesus as a metaphor for our expansive universe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_Lnl_paAok&list=PLyWjRQTGTD6K_ExQP-0B58ws0NZr8Gxwd
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Olga Lopez, Spain The Inner Life
 The 18th Meeting of readers in Spain began on Thursday afternoon, April 25th at the Hotel Estival Torrequebrada, located just beside the Mediterranean Sea in the town of Benalmádena (Málaga, Spain). Forty-five attendees came from all over the country and also from abroad, including Germany, Finland, Israel, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland. Among our guests were Antonio Schefer, Urantia Association’s Conference Committee Chair, and Sebastian Nozzi, European Coordinator. Thank you all for coming!
On this occasion, the conference theme was “The Inner Life,” in connection with the general theme for conferences called “Living the Teachings.” More specifically, we explored the inner life in four subthemes:
- Inward
- Upward
- Godward
- Outward
On the first day, we welcomed other presentations not related to the main theme. First, and following with the cycle of presentations about the history of the Urantia movement, Eduardo Altuzarra gave a presentation about the history of the movement in our country, more specifically about one of the first people to introduce The Urantia Book in Spain, a civil engineer and truth-seeker by the name of Pedro Valverde Tort.
Then Olga Lopez gave a short speech in memory of Richard Keeler, who graduated last January. She reminded us of Richard’s bond with Spain and its people, and his commitment to translations in general and the Spanish translation in particular.
The next presentation of the day was given by Carmelo Martinez. He gave an overview about the last places that Jesus walked in his final hours in the flesh, comparing information in The Urantia Book to the present geography of Jerusalem. He focused his presentation on Golgotha and the tomb in the garden, where Jesus’ body was laid before his resurrection.
After dinner, and as a last-minute addition, Rafael Mondejar, a Spaniard living in Colombia, gave us a presentation about “The Spiritual Fraternity of the Sons of God,” in which he conveyed the significance of spiritual fraternity in the application of The Urantia Book teachings to the people around us, and in order to make the Kingdom of Heaven a reality here on Urantia.
The next day, we started our activities by watching a film-documentary related to the conference theme: The Shift, by Wayne Dyer. After a short discussion of this film, we began dealing with the four aspects of the inner life as follows: one person gave a 20-minute presentation on a subtheme, after which a breakout session followed.
Attendees were assigned to a group and given a set of questions to discuss. These groups had a moderator-facilitator and were organized so that each one of them was as diverse as possible (men and women, new and long-term readers together), with the purpose that all members in the group got to know each other and felt at ease sharing their insights. After the breakout session, all the groups got together again to share what they had found.
The presenters for each one of the subthemes were:
The Inner Life – Inward: Maria Jose Sanchez. She invited us to consider three couples in The Urantia Book: Andon and Fonta, Adam and Eve, and Joseph and Mary, and she helped us to reflect on the challenges they faced and the way they overcame them.
The Inner Life – Upward: Ana Maria Garcia. In her presentation, she invited us to consider our level of spiritual development by responding to a simple test. There were also other questions related to this aspect of inner life, which were addressed in the later work in groups.
The Inner Life – Godward: Olga Lopez. She focused on the inevitabilities of life as a way to progress through the worlds of time and space and at the beginning of the morontia life, where the possibility of evil as well as physical and mental poisons are pitfalls that we must get over to progress spiritually. In the breakout session, we focused on these obstacles to spiritual development and ways of overcoming them.
The Inner Life – Outward: Santiago Rodriguez. In his presentation, special emphasis was made on service as a key to projecting our inner life. A rich inner life dominated by spirituality can’t be kept within us but is projected outward to help our fellows. In the breakout session, our discussions deepened on this topic.
Friday afternoon we had a special workshop, called “El Juego de los Valores” (The Game of Values). Using the same groups as we had for the breakout sessions, each group was given a deck of 52 cards. Each card had a (moral) value on it and a short text. Each member would pick one card at random and share with the others what this value would suggest to them: if it was something that needed improvement, what experiences related to that value (or its absence), and in general any idea that was related to it. Here is a brief sample of the values discussed: detachment, forgiveness, optimism, compassion, and sense of humor. It was another good occasion to deepen our fellowship.
On Friday night after dinner, we played the quiz game called “La Carrera a Nebadon” (The Race to Nebadon). We created six groups (representing the original six colored races) and we advanced along the game board until the winners arrived at Salvington, the final goal. Like last year, laughter and good humor were more important than the game itself, in which the only prize was personal satisfaction.
Saturday afternoon was time to socialize. We took a bus and went to Málaga, one of the most important cities in the area. After enjoying the beautiful views of Málaga from Gibralfaro in the upper part of the city, we took a walk through the center, ending up at El Tintero, a famous restaurant in the city located next to the beach. This added a plus of fun to an atmosphere of fraternity and fellowship that we all look forward to experiencing in our meetings.
On Sunday morning, we said goodbye. But before this, we had some time to discuss association business and to ask the attendees about their opinion on the meeting. Our deepest gratitude to the Málaga Study Group, they did a great job with the venue and with the excursion to Málaga.
In service,
Olga
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Alain Cyr, Canada The Promise of Inclusion, the Power of Love
 I volunteered to assist in the Urantia Book booth at the last year’s Parliament of the World’s Religions which was held in Toronto on November 1-7, 2018. There were around 72 Urantia Book readers present at the event and many of us who volunteered were kept busy appreciating the multitude of smiling faces on the people who passed by, many of whom stopped at the booth to fraternize and investigate our book. The event was held in the huge Metro Toronto Convention Center, and we enjoyed the contact of so many open-minded thirsty souls. People are really thirsty for world peace!
This message was particularly felt within the global call for unity that was highlighted within presentations and plenaries. What hit me most was this Interfaith phenomenon that is growing globally; there is an increasing willingness to collaborate. People of all faiths are gathering all around the planet to foster joint venture projects on behalf of social progress. This is quite encouraging! Surely the Most Highs must take delight in such happenings… as they rule in the kingdom of men (and women of course).
Nathen Jansen, a fellow Urantia Book reader from Canada, has also shared his experiences at the Parliament event as a participant and a Urantia booth volunteer. Here are some of his comments:
‘’As a participant at the Parliament of World’s Religions 2018, I reflected on a mind simulation of what it might feel like to be at a future Urantia conference where 7,500 personalities were in attendance with the theme The Promise of Inclusion, the Power of Love. The single most compelling experience I had was observing the unity that was shared in the midst of religious diversity, there being over two hundred of the world’s great religions represented at the conference. At the Urantia booth the volunteers endlessly took turns sharing their understanding of true religion with people passing by, and during the many discussions we shared together in the ideal of truth, beauty and goodness. I believe that most people had good thoughts about what was said of the teachings in The Urantia Book. I had a few people say that they have heard of the book and picked up some printed information or bought one.
“During the event there was a full vegetarian lunchtime meal called ‘Langar’ served almost daily to all 7,500 people registered for the conference. This meal, along with dessert squares and Masala Chai Tea, was provided by the Sikh community of Toronto, Canada. (Langar—a free meal served to all visitors without distinction of religion, caste, gender, economic status or ethnicity.) This offering was served with much joy by the Sikh adherents with a personal bright yellow headdress being applied for everyone. ‘I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me, I am a friend to all’ says Guru Granth Sahib.
“The Parliament’s Program Schedule for this event was beyond a doubt the pursuit of understanding, reconciliation and global transformation. The next Parliament of World’s Religions will be in three years, in a city and country yet to be announced, and I encourage the Urantia community at large to attend the event for a lifetime experience of this dynamically service-motivated worldwide interfaith movement.
‘’And so, it went for seven days under one roof getting to know each other’s belief of God our Universal Father, about building a harmonious foundation for a more peaceful and friendlier worldwide interfaith community with his mortal sons and daughters, Agondonters.’’
As in previous events such as this prestigious one, the Urantia Foundation was faithfully supportive in co-sponsoring the costs inherent to our lovely Urantia Book booth. And as Canadians, we were honored by the presence of all who contributed by their presence.
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Tamila Ragimova, Colombia  Every year at the beginning of March, we hold a conference on a Sunday at the Intercontinental Hotel. The theme of our conference this year was “Science, Religion and Spirituality.” Presentations were held on a variety of topics from The Urantia Book as well as the application of the book’s teachings to our contemporary life.
This year the event was held on March 10, 2019, starting with 35 participants on the terrace of the Citará event room. On this occasion, as in previous years, people from different cities of Colombia came to the conference; they came from Bogotá, Rionegro, Caucasia, Montería, Medellín, among others.
The morning sessions consisted of presentations on the following topics: “Pedagogy of Jesus” by Juan Carlos Franco, “Des-Covering” by Jairo Mosquera, “Mixed Races of the Earth” by Tamila Ragimova, and “The Great Decision” by Javier Chaverra.
In the afternoon, group workshops were scheduled in which the participants were divided into teams of seven people, and everyone one was able to express their opinion about the chosen topic. This year, the theme chosen for all the groups was the same “Thought Adjuster.” There were forty questions for Papers 107 – 111 and each group discussed seven of these questions. At the end of the conference, each group made a presentation of the answers to the questions discussed.
All the participants were happy to share a day in love and friendship, talking about the things of God.
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Gaetan Charland, Canada  On the 29th of March of this year Moussa Ndiaye, a long-time reader and a great teacher of The Urantia Book teachings, passed away. Moussa was the first president of the national Urantia Association of Senegal and over many years traveled to Europe, Canada, and the United States to attend conferences as well as to present a series of seminars based on The Urantia Book teachings. His goal was to help uplift spiritual consciousness in men and women of many faiths whether they were Urantia Book readers or not.
I first met Moussa in 2000 in New York during the Urantia Association’s international conference at Staten Island. From my first meeting with him, I was impressed by the man and by what he had achieved in his country. He was able to share The Urantia Book’s teachings to more than eight hundred people of the Muslim faith with the help of a unique method he devised called “Progressive Divine Wisdom,” which is based on The Urantia Book’s teachings.
Moussa was a professional teacher by trade but, for the most part, he preferred to be a teacher of truth. He never tired of talking about our spiritual Father’s infinite love for mankind. He truly committed his life to helping everyone he could achieve God consciousness so they would be spiritually free and able to progress on their own with God as their partner.
Many have been privileged to know him as a teacher and learn from him. His spiritual legacy is still very much alive in Senegal in a group of spirit-born individuals who have been trained to pursue his method of teaching in the Muslim community not only in Senegal but also in other countries of Africa. His legacy also lives on in the hearts and minds of those men and women he taught during his life. A series of his seminars are available in French on YouTube.
Safe journey my friend in your new adventure in our local universe.
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Check out Urantia Association International’s Events Calendar at http://urantia-association.org/events-list. Upcoming events can be viewed in a List or Calendar view.
Urantia Book reader events provide opportunities for students to gain a deeper understanding of the ideas and concepts presented in The Urantia Book and help to facilitate a personal commitment to the ideals of spiritual living. We hope you can make it to some of these events and experience the joys of meeting and studying with fellow readers.
If you’re planning a Urantia Book reader event in your region and would like help in promoting it, please send us your information and we’ll consider it for our Events Calendar.
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