Urantia Hackathon 2020 – an Invitation

By Urantia Hackathon Team on

You are invited to a day of high-quality creative hacking by agents of progress in the Urantia community!

Zoom Online Sessions 18 July 2020

Watch the Urantia Hackathon – 2020 promo video in English:

Click here for Spanish PDF flyer and watch video it in Spanish here:

To attend the Zoom online event Register by July 15 at:
https://bit.ly/UH2020go

Urantia Hackathon 2020 is a Urantia community effort to come together in creative loving service to offer a spiritual response to the coronavirus crisis.

Seven teams with members from more than 18 countries in 4 regions of the world will be hacking practical solutions to post-crisis challenges, inspired by the progressive wisdom of The Urantia Book.

You are warmly invited to join us in witnessing all these hacks being created in a fun and fast-moving environment, and make your opinion count. You will be able to participate via any hacking team’s chat moderator and join the plenary vote for the best hack of the day!

The event will take place online on Zoom Saturday July 18th, 2020 and will run non-stop over 8 hours (from 12:00 to 20:00 GMT). 

If you need to find out what GMT zone you are in, visit   https://bit.ly/UH2020gmt

You can find the event program on:  https://bit.ly/UH2020ep

Facebook page:   Urantia Hackathon 2020

President’s Message – June 2020

From , By Chris Wood, USA on

Two themes of The Urantia Book that stand out to me are the journey to perfection of an individual and the journey to perfection of a global society. As individuals, we are born into a world and get to grow and transform as we learn about the experiential relationships between morality and ethics and duty and service. Our ascension career will be a tapestry of good works as we become more and more perfect in our worlds, just as God is in his. 

As a society, we began as families and slowly grew into tribes, clans, cities, and nations. As we travel and exchange languages, thoughts, literature, and culture, we come to realize the folly of sectarian divides. We are a global family of brothers and sisters united by our material origin and our spiritual destiny.  

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First Urantia Book Conference of the Philippines

From , Presented by Nestor Seda Jr. and Eugene Asidao, Manilla, Philippines on

The first Urantia Book National Educational Conference for the Philippines was held in November 2019 at the Gems Hotel and Conference Center in Antipolo City. The theme was “Introducing the Fifth Epochal Revelation.” The goal was to inform interested individuals on the basic teachings of The Urantia Book and to link up with the different regional groups of Urantia Book readers in the Philippines. 

The selected topics presented were: 

  • History of The Urantia Book and the Five Epochal Revelations 
  • The Plan of God 
  • Life After Death (the Mansion Worlds & our Journey to Paradise) 
  • Scientific Evidence and The Urantia Book 
  • Who is Jesus and What are His Teachings? 
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The Urantia Book in the Philippines

From , By Eugene Asidao, USA on

At the age of 49, I started to increase my efforts as a spiritual truth-seeker. Before that, in my early adult years, I was involved in social service work fields centered on peace and justice issues, but I was always attracted to spirituality. I acquired many books on religion and spirituality and one of those was The Urantia Book. I read a few papers that interested me but put it aside to become part of my classic book collection.

During my time of searching spirituality, I went to different study groups, teachers, gurus, and I checked them all. I did different types of spiritual and esoteric practices of meditation, affirmation, and prayers.

I also organized a spiritual forum in my home that attracted between 10 to 25 people. We explored all types of spiritual disciplines, from near-death experiences, Ascended Masters, spiritual healing, meditations, prayers, etc. One of the speakers we invited was James Woodward, who had worked in Reader Services at Urantia Foundation. He came to our meetings and gave us an introductory presentation on The Urantia Book. 

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Virtual Study Groups and Conferences

From , By Kathleen Swadling, Australia on
Wildflower by LedyX

The era of virtual study groups and conferences is upon us! With the entire world in lockdown due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus, unexpected opportunities have been arising in Urantia Book reader communities. Students are discovering how easy it is to meet with other readers from all over the world from the comfort of their own homes! Thanks to conference calling programs such as Zoom, study groups and conferences are happening with very little organization at virtually no cost. 

Urantiathons – 24-Hour Online Conference Events 

“Urantiathon” is a new phrase that’s been coined to describe events like the two recent online 24-hour conferences that were held via Zoom and sponsored by Urantia Association International—one on 21st March (A Reward of Isolation) and the other on 2nd May (We’re in this Together).  

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Meditation Mantras for Adjuster Attunement

From , By Mark Blackham, Canada on

Suggestions of a Solitary Messenger 

The following list of meditation mantras is taken from the practical suggestions and spiritual attitudes required for Adjuster contact as presented by a Solitary Messenger in The Urantia Book, Papers 107-111. I’ve taken the liberty of paraphrasing these directives in a positive and active voice and, therefore, all interpretations and possible errors are my own. I encourage all readers to verify the content for themselves. This is by no means a comprehensive list of the many spiritual suggestions and techniques for Adjuster communion given to us throughout the book.  

The Adjusters are the will of God… [Paper 108:4.2, page 1190.3] 

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Urantia Hackathon 2020 — A Call for Team Volunteers

From , By The Urantia Hackathon 2020 Ideation Team on

In the middle of this pandemic, have you perhaps stopped to wonder: “What will the future look like after all this has passed?” 

We have as well, and would like to invite you to join us in crafting together some practical solutions to help us face the upcoming post-Covid-19 challenges with a steadier mind and a blossoming heart. Of course, with the guidance and inspiration in the beauty, goodness, and truth of The Urantia Book.   

We all know Urantia is in an acute crisis due to the current coronavirus pandemic. As in every crisis, this one will offer opportunities for personal progress and spiritual growth. We believe that one such unique opportunity will be to seed the teachings and insights from the revelation in the minds and hearts of members of our global communities in practical, utilitarian ways. We will focus on spirit-led active service.  

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African Continental Coordinator

From ,

The future of The Urantia Book in Africa very much depends on having a group of core readers who are committed to the ideals of the book—readers who are willing to work towards providing dependable support and direction to the growing readership on the continent. As such, we are pleased to announce that Collins Lomo from Accra, Ghana has been elected as Urantia Association’s new Continental Coordinator for Africa.  

Collins has been fostering the development of Urantia Book reader activity in Ghana and various other African countries since 2014. He represented Africa at the Urantia Association’s 2018 International conference in the Netherlands and facilitated the joint conference held in Lagos, Nigeria in December of 2019.  

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New Secretary for Urantia Association

From ,

John Nugent from Missoula, Montana was recently elected to be the new Secretary for Urantia Association International. (John replaced Joycee Patterson who needed to step down as Secretary for personal reasons.) John has been a student of The Urantia Book for close to 50 years, having been introduced to it while in the Jesuit Seminary.  

John holds a BA in Philosophy from Gonzaga University and a Masters degree from San Francisco Theology Seminary. He has a special interest in the instruction from the Publication Mandate, “You must again study the times of Jesus on Earth.” He says that he considers the three greatest influences on the “times of Jesus” to be the Jewish culture, the Pagan practices and religious rituals, and the Greco Roman philosophy and political governing philosophy.  

Over the years John attended national and local conferences, participated in study groups, and was a member of both the Urantia association in Southern California (SURF) and the Urantia Book Los Angeles association (UBLA). Since moving to Montana he has been hosting his own small study group. 

John is retired after a career in health care administration and was married to his late wife for 45 years. He has two adopted sons. Welcome to the Board John and thank you for stepping up to be of service. We look forward to working with you.  

International Service Board

From ,

Members of the International Service Board (ISB) are elected by a vote of the Representative Council (RC). The officers and committees of the ISB and the Executive Administrator plan, coordinate, and carry out the activities of Urantia Association that are international in scope and have been authorized by the Representative Council. They also serve as an information resource for the constituent associations by compiling and sharing information and experiences of other associations. Read on for the list and functions of the current ISB personnel.

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About Tidings Newsletter

From ,

The Tidings newsletter is an on-line publication that serves as Urantia Association International’s primary communication tool for reaching out to the Association’s membership, supporters, donors, volunteers, and general readership friends. It provides news and information on the many activities and events of the National and Local Associations around the globe as well as information and announcements from Central Office, the International Service Board, and the Representative Council. It serves to keep members in touch with one another and gives readers a sense of belonging—of being an integral part of a truly international movement that is designed to promote the Urantia revelation to all corners of the world.

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Journal Editorial—May 2020

From , By Suzanne Kelly, USA on

Greetings fellow Urantians, and welcome to the first edition of Urantia Association International’s 2020 Journal. These are truly trying times during the coronavirus pandemic and I’m sure the following insight and wisdom offered in the five incredible essays will provide guidelines for living in the 21st Century and will bring peace and enlightenment to your corner of the world at this time. “Such a life on such a planet!”

Our first contributor is Luis Garcia-Bory (Switzerland), who champions a new way of living on such a planet by reflecting on what he calls, A Positive Shift in Planetary Consciousness. Using the current worldwide spread of the coronavirus as a case in point, Luis summarizes the affect that this virus and the media-driven hysteria has had on the people of the world. He offers some encouraging remedies to help cure the side effects for everyone, not just those with the virus, as he states, “A conscious move from fear, inertia, and inaction might be required from each one of us so that we faithfully elevate our planetary consciousness and leave the individual selfhood-based realm of thinking in this pandemic and start reflecting on what The Urantia Book calls a ‘brotherhood ministry’ that focuses on unselfishly yielding fruits the spirit. That might require the enhancing of our mindsets from the question ‘How is this pandemic going to affect me and my loved ones?’ to ‘What can I do myself and how can I collaborate with others to be helpful to a larger number of people around me, especially the most vulnerable?’”

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A Positive Shift in Planetary Consciousness

From , By Luis Garcia-Bory, Switzerland on

(Transcribed and edited from an online presentation given at the 24-hour Online Urantia Event, March 21, 2020)

The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 is likely to go down in the history of our planet as the moment in which most of us were urged to understand that Urantia is a self-contained living ecosystem, where anything occurring in one part of the web will impact, at varying degrees, all of us and the biological environment in which we all co-exist. This understanding, however, is not happening quietly. Struggle, pain and suffering are present in many corners of our world. And the most grievous aspect is of course the loss of thousands of lives we are already witnessing.

In many countries affected by the pandemic, millions of people are instructed to stay home as hospitals and health services are stretched to their maximum capacity. Many poor countries struggle to even start the basic efforts needed to protect their people. Hysteria bubbles up and misinformation becomes rife. Panic dominates reason and irrational fear becomes commonplace. We empty grocery shelves and become obsessed with separation and individual safety. Our global supply of goods clogs up and economic calamity ensues. We start to understand that we are likely to witness the most severe economic depression of our lifetimes.

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The Benign Virus of Love

From , By Rick Lyon, USA on

(Transcribed and edited from an online presentation given at the 24-hour Online Urantia Event, March 21, 2020)

The name of my presentation is The Benign Virus of Love, which I thought was fitting since we are here in large part due to another type of virus. We are certainly not making light of the seriousness of the Covid-19 coronavirus but rather, we are trying to find comfort in the analogy and security in these teachings. We have seen how quickly a harmful virus can change the world. A benign virus can do the same but in a positive way and even more so.

First, let me thank Chris Wood, Antonio Schefer, Urantia Association, the angels, and my Indwelling Spirit for this opportunity. I really like the idea of an around-the-world 24-hour study group because this revelation is a worldwide gift and people of all faiths, races, cultures, and demographics are studying and living these teachings 24/7. The sun never sets on the Urantia community.

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The Beatitudes Revisited: A Philosophy of Living

From , By Patty McGrath, USA on

(Transcribed and edited from an online presentation given at the 24-hour Online Urantia Event, March 21, 2020)

It was early afternoon in mid-January, A.D. 27, when Jesus called the apostles from their fishing nets near the shores of Galilee and led them into the highlands north of Capernaum. The chosen twelve were about to be ordained as public preachers of the gospel of the kingdom. As Andrew, Simon Peter, James and John Zebedee, Philip, Nathaniel, Matthew, Thomas, James and Jude Alpheus, Simon Zelotes, and Judas Iscariot were seated about Jesus, he told them,

And it will not be so much by the words you speak as by the lives you live that men will know you have been with me and have learned of the realities of the kingdom [Paper 140:1.7, page 1569.4]

Then the twelve knelt in a circle about him and he ordained each one in a solemn and sacred ceremony placing the affairs of the divine brotherhood of man under the direction of human minds [140:2.3].

Jesus then spoke to them saying:

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Soul Rebirth and Morontia (Soul) Mind

From , By Stuart Kerr, USA on

The phenomenon of mortal death—that transaction on the borderland of the physical and morontia realms—remains a supernal mystery to humankind. Clearly, the revelators of truth have been restricted by the celestial governing authorities of Urantia from disclosing to us its full exposition in The Urantia Book:

There are many interesting details which might be presented, but I withhold them upon the advice of your immediate planetary supervisors [Paper 112:5:11, page 1234:0]

The reassembly of a surviving being takes place in the resurrection hall of the first mansion world, which serves as the rendezvous point for the seraphic destiny guardians, the Thought Adjusters, the archangels of the resurrection, and the Life Carriers. The first step in the reassembly of the constituent parts of a onetime material personality begins with the fabrication of a suitable form, a morontia energy pattern, which the seraphim of assignment “provides” as the new life vehicle for the immortal soul and for the indwelling of the returning Adjuster. The attending seraphim provides, with the assistance of the Morontia Power Supervisors, the undifferentiated morontia material wherein the new morontia life can be initiated. It is within this suitable morontia form, as projected by the guardian of destiny, that …the new survivor can make contact with nonspiritual reality, and within which the morontia variant of the cosmic mind can be encircuited [Paper 112:5:17, page 1234:6]. This morontia mind individualizes the morontia form for all mortal survivors, being of the same creature mind-matrix and passive potentials of identity that were entrusted to the keeping of the seraphic destiny guardians.

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Managing Your Model

From , By Mark Kurtz, USA on

I feel like sharing a concept heard from a Sunday school teacher about 30 years ago. Not recalling the topic, I do remember the concept—people develop a personal model of life and relationships, including religion, financial management, child rearing, jobs, free time, food, sex, well… everything. Many live according to what parents and grandparents modeled and according to what is perceived as community normal. This model contains the acceptances, decisions, priorities, and motives that drive everyday life. The teacher asked us to think about what we would do if something comes along that doesn’t fit our model. He said there are only two choices: 1) accept it, which is a revision, or 2) reject it and leave the model unchanged.

True, we can delay a decision, which doesn’t change the model, but the choice may bother a person until a decision is rendered. And perhaps many years are needed to move on a decision.

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About the Journal

From ,
journal

The Journal is produced twice yearly and contains essays, articles and study aids by readers and for readers of The Urantia Book.  To read current and past issues click here.

Subscriptions

The Journal is available electronically free of charge for anyone with an email address. Join our mailing list to receive free electronic copies.

To receive hard copies, you may subscribe to the Journal at the annual rate of $10.00 USD via any of the following methods. 

  • To subscribe on line click here
  • To subscribe by telephone call:  +1-773-572-1180
  • To subscribe by check or money order, please send in $U.S. dollars only and make payable to “Urantia Association International”. Mail to: 

Urantia Association International
4000 W Montrose Avenue #606
Chicago, IL  60641

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Program – Another 24-Hour Online Urantia Event

Presented by Conference Committee on

We’re In This Together!

Here is the Program for the second 24-Hour Online Urantia Event which will take place starting this Saturday May 2, 2020. (If you live in the United States it actually starts on Friday 1 May at 8:00pm EDT.) Here are the times in 3 major cities of the main regions of the world to help you adjust to your own time zone:

New York: Friday 8:00pm to Saturday 8:00pm
London: Saturday 1:00am to Sunday 1:00am
Sydney: Saturday 10.00am to Sunday 10:00am

This Program is still in development so is incomplete. We will update it as more details emerge.

LondonNew YorkSydneyPresenterPresentation Title
1:00 AM8:00 PM10:00 AMDavid KuliekeThe Affirmations of
a Friendly Universe
2:00 AM9:00 PM11:00 AMTim DuffyDiscerning the Father’s
Will
3:00 AM10:00 PM12:00 PMBenet Rutenberg“God is no Respecter of
Persons.” How do we
understand this today?
4:00 AM11:00 PM1:00 PMBen Bowler,
Pato Banton,
Antoinette
Rootsdawtah		The World Unity
Movement & its
Inspiration from
Revelation
5:00 AM12:00 PM2:00 PMGeri Johnson“Of all human knowledge,
that which is greatest to
know…”
6:00 AM1:00 AM3:00 PMRobert CoenraadsEvolutionary Timeline
(Part 2)
7:00 AM2:00 AM4:00 PMSandra Burga-
Cisneros		A First Step Towards
Compassion
8:00 AM3:00 AM5:00 PMSebastian NozziAssertiveness “Jesus Style”
9:00 AM4:00 AM6:00 PMIna TerraJesus’ Teaching Methods
10:00 AM5:00 AM7:00 PMGuy Perron,
Agnes Lazar		The Most Intriguing
& Challenging
Partnership
11:00 AM6:00 AM8:00 PMAde AwoyinkaSharing the Inner Life
12:00 PM7:00 AM9:00 PMEnrique TraverGod’s Time
1:00 PM8:00 AM10:00 PMBarry CulliganBecoming Godlike
2:00 PM9:00 AM11:00 PMAprilhelenCommuning in
Community
3:00 PM10:00 AM12:00 AMMerritt Horn,
Andre Radatus		Is The Urantia Book
Scripture?
4:00 PM11:00 AM1:00 AMGeorges
Michelson-Dupont		A Liberating Perspective
on Death
5:00 PM12:00 PM2:00 AMMark HutchingsServing the Revelation
Through Serving
Community
6:00 PM1:00 PM3:00 AMDr James Perry,
Sherry Cathcart
Chavis		Brotherly and Fatherly Love
During Covid-19
7:00 PM2:00 PM4:00 AMMarilynn KuliekeCultivating the Habit of
Service
8:00 PM3:00 PM5:00 AMVictor Garcia-BoryEducation in The
Urantia Book: Purpose,
Origin, and Destiny
9:00 PM4:00 PM6:00 AMLuis MoralesSelf-control, the Path
to Divinity
10:00 PM5:00 PM7:00 AMGard JamesonPlanetary Angelic Support
During Covid-19
11:00 PM6:00 PM8:00 AMElisabeth Callahan,
Marvin Gawryn		Religious Institutions
& the “Living Organism”
that Jesus Envisioned
12:00 AM7:00 PM9:00 AMMo Siegel,
Chris Wood,
Geoff Theiss		“Presidents’ Hour”
hosted by Gard Jameson

Please join us during any of the above time frames by following this Zoom link: 

Topic: 24 Hour Event
Time: May 1, 2020 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6174949574
Meeting ID: 617 494 9574 

or via our Facebook site  facebook.com/urantia.association

Short Promotional Video:

In service, 

Chris Wood
President
Urantia Association International

Another 24-Hour Online Urantia Event

By Chris Wood, USA on

We’re In This Together!

As the world continues to practice social isolation to help slow the effects of the Covid-19 Corona virus, the Urantia Community is coming together to offer another extraordinary online event to help bring people together.

For this 24-Hour online Urantia Event—We’re In This Together!—Urantia Association will be joined by the Education Committees of Urantia Foundation, the Urantia Book Fellowship, and Urantia University Institute to bring 24 unique presentations from around the world. The final presentation will be a jointly held open meeting of the three Presidents of the Association, Foundation and Fellowship to discuss our visions for the future of the Urantia Community and to answer questions for attendees. 

This event will take place starting this Saturday May 2, 2020. (If you live in the United States it actually starts on Friday 1 May at 8:00pm EDT.) Here are the times in 3 major cities of the main regions of the world to help you adjust to your own time zone:

New York: Friday 8:00pm to Saturday 8:00pm
London: Saturday 1:00am to Sunday 1:00am
Sydney: Saturday 10.00am to Sunday 10:00am

Like the last one, this conference will be interactive via Zoom and will be live-streamed to Facebook. It will include presentations, discussions, and group studies of The Urantia Book. It will also be recorded and available on Urantia Association’s YouTube channel for those who want to catch up outside of the scheduled times.

Program:

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