President’s Message – June 2019

From , By Chris Wood, USA on

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.

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Comments on the ISB Elections

From , By Rick Lyon, USA on

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.

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2nd European Conference in Tallinn – Last Reminder

From , Presented by Conference Committee on

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.

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Pre-Conference – 2nd European Conference in Tallinn

From , Presented by Anna Zeven, UYAI Chair on

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.  

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Post-Conference – 2nd European Conference

From , Presented by Risto Mäntynen, Finland on

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!

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Urantia Midwest Conference 2019

From , Presented by Rick Lyon, USA on

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.

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Annual Retreat for UK and Ireland 2019

From , Presented by Chris Moseley, UK on

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.

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Urantia Global Experience – Vancouver 2020

From , Presented by Nathen Jansen, Canada on

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.

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Urantia Life Lessons

From , By Alice Wood, USA on

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.

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18th National Meeting of Readers in Spain

From , By Olga Lopez, Spain on

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:

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The Parliament of the World’s Religions 2018

From , By Alain Cyr, Canada on

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).

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Urantia in Medellín, Colombia

From , Presented by Tamila Ragimova, Colombia on

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.

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Farewell Moussa Ndiaye

From , By Gaetan Charland, Canada on

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.

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Upcoming Events

From ,

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.

Annual Conference for French Speaking Urantia Book Readers

Hosted by French Association of Readers of the Urantia Book

June 13 to 16, 2019

Theme: “How does the soul function within you?” 

Location: Hostellerie Notre Dame Des Lumieres, France

2019 ANNUAL NATIONAL MEETING 

The Association Francophone des Lecteurs du Livre d’Urantia (AFLLU ) invites you to the Annual Conference for French Speaking Urantia Book readers to be held in June 2019 as of Thursday 13, 6 pm through Sunday on the 16th at 2 pm at Notre Dame de Lumières – 84220 – Goult.

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SuperMeditation

From , By Neil Francey, Australia on

…Meditation in the Superconscious with the Spirit of the Infinite, Eternal, and Universal

This is a comprehensive work based on the Urantia Papers that explores meditation in its ultimate form: SuperMeditation. It is based on the highest revelatory truths of the modern age.

SuperMeditation links our day-to-day life with spirit influences. It is not a quick and easy method. It works in a natural way over time and seeks to balance all attributes, powers and components of our being. There is no set method or sequence for the study of these modules. They need to be studied and applied in practical life circumstances.

SuperMeditation is the connection of material reality and our spiritual nature through the thinking mechanism we call mind. By attempting this liaison we develop our ability to face the demands of living more effectively.

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Finnish Summer Conference – 2019

By Finnish Urantia Association on

7—9 June, 2019

We invite you to join our 2019 Summer Conference for Urantia Book readers in Finland at Päivölän Opisto, Tarttila which is 135 kilometers from Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Our theme will be: “Thousands of Study Groups Must Be Brought Into Existence”

During this conference there will be a mixture of presentations, workshops, study groups, discussions, walking in nature, a social program, and other Urantia-focussed activities.

For more details see our program below.

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Journal Editorial May 2019

From , By Suzanne Kelly, USA on

Greetings Fellow Urantia Book Readers,

The first production of the Journal for 2019 highlights authors from around the world and their in-depth presentations of those portions of the book that spoke to them personally. In sharing their experiences, we hope you will discover a greater understanding as well.

Our first essay by Jeanne Vasquez from Uruguay, The Function of Prayer to Strengthen our Faith, was presented at the 2nd Latin-American Conference, São Paulo, Brazil, on November 2018. To clarify her understanding of faith and the function of prayer in making her faith stronger, she first examines this quote:

Belief has attained the level of faith when it motivates life and shapes the mode of living. The acceptance of a teaching as true is not faith; that is mere belief. Neither is certainty nor conviction faith. A state of mind attains to faith levels only when it actually dominates the mode of living. Faith is a living attribute of genuine personal religious experience. One believes truth, admires beauty, and reverences goodness, but does not worship them; such an attitude of saving faith is centered on God alone, who is all of these personified and infinitely more. [Paper 101:2.1, page 1114:5]

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The Function of Prayer to Strengthen Our Faith

From , By Jeannie Vazquez, Uruguay on

(Adapted from a presentation given at the 2nd Latin-American Conference, São Paulo, Brazil, on November 2018)

To start the analysis of this subject and to understand more clearly the function of prayer in the strengthening of our faith by making it experiential, living, and growing faith, let’s start by seeing what faith actually is.

Belief has attained the level of faith when it motivates life and shapes the mode of living. The acceptance of a teaching as true is not faith; that is mere belief. Neither is certainty nor conviction faith. A state of mind attains to faith levels only when it actually dominates the mode of living. Faith is a living attribute of genuine personal religious experience. One believes truth, admires beauty, and reverences goodness, but does not worship them; such an attitude of saving faith is centered on God alone, who is all of these personified and infinitely more. [Paper 101:8.1, page 1114.5]

According to this quote, a belief in divine teaching, even a belief in The Urantia Book, unless it gradually becomes a living reality in ourselves, is not faith. Faith is a living attribute of genuine personal religious experience [101:8.1, 1114.5], and this experience has its origin in the spiritual presences that guide us.

Let us consider how we can progress from a mere intellectual belief in God and the divine teaching delivered to us by his Sons, to the application of these teachings in our lives. In my view, to attain such progress, it is essential to make a sincere consecration to seek divine realities and spiritual and eternal objectives. This consecration enables us to make the decisions and carry out the actions that realize our eternal destiny. The revelator in The Urantia Book says:

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Worship—A Son’s Experience

From , By Mark Blackham, Canada on

The Life Experience

I write this account as a way of sharing my personal religious experience in the acquired art of worship. For me, the telling is somewhat therapeutic and, for others who may have encountered similar circumstances in their lives, I hope it can serve as a positive affirmation.

Worship is simply the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for Deity. It is an extraordinary act of personal communion with the living presence of God. It is a way of tapping into a divinely creative power to bring about positive transformations of character, and it can provide remarkable spiritual insights. This is why The Urantia Book urges us to worship on a daily basis.

But over the years, I discovered that many spiritual seekers, including many readers of The Urantia Book, have difficulty engaging in sincere worship. This was certainly the case for me. It took me a long time to overcome this stumbling block, and I was able to do so only through some deep reflection, timid prayer, and the kind assistance of others. My ability to worship in a wholehearted manner was not something that came to me all at once, but rather bit by bit over an extended period.

I discovered the revelation at the age of twenty-three. From the moment I began to read it, I was convinced I had found the truth. At first, I was particularly drawn to the historical and scientific content, subjects that I readily absorbed. But, in retrospect, my understanding of the spiritual content was severely limited.

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