By Richard S. Omura

• Be truthful to yourself. See yourself as you really are, without ego and pride, without fear, shame or guilt, without making excuses or rationalizing. If you see the goodness of your life, be thankful and acknowledge the people and circumstances that have blessed you and give back. If you see within yourself some darkness, some negativity, a part of you that you don’t like, that is okay. By acknowledging it you shine the light of truth on it and it will no longer be dark. Forgive yourself, for the Creator has already forgiven you in infinite mercy. Then you can move on. It is only by seeing yourself as you really are that you can better yourself.
• Balance the good and the bad in all things. Going through life, you will see both the positive and the negative. Focus on the positive but face up to the cause of negative occurrences. Sometimes the negative will fade by its own weight of non-reality as long as it is not focused upon. Sometimes one needs to take positive action in order to counter the affects of negative action.
• Make a direct, personal connection with the universal parent. Have a one-to-one relationship with the Creator and Source. Refrain from allowing other people and things to make the connection for you; other people and things such as scripture, clergy, gurus, wise men, prophets, books and organized religions. Appreciate them but don’t give them power over your own convictions. If you don’t know how to connect with The Source one-to-one, then learn! That is your first priority, because that is the foundation for true happiness and fulfillment.
• Express the love within you – reach out to others. Spirituality is about sharing love. Love, when stored, will stagnate. Love cannot be stored, it must be shared for it to remain love. Love must flow from person to person for it to be more than a feeling. Love without action is just a sentiment. True love is always founded in action.
• Relax. Tenseness immobilizes the body, mind and soul. Relaxing opens up the heart and allows love to flow out. Relax in oneness with the universe. Realize that everything is getting better. Relax, knowing that Universe loves you.
• Be of good cheer! Smile! Humor allows you to relax and realize the friendliness of the universe. Taking yourself too seriously saps your drive and makes you tired. A sense of humor will give you more energy. Focusing on just your own needs weakens you. Strength comes from being one with the whole: the family, the city, the nation, the Earth, the Universe!
• Be thankful. Be grateful for what you have been given. Lack is an illusion. You have everything necessary for happiness. Appreciate them and give thanks. If you are not grateful for the good things that you have been given, how can you expect to be given more?

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What It Means For The World To Ensure Spiritual Unity

By SanSkritA Dell Erba

I had the blessing of attending the YA YA Regeneration Conference in Gloucester, MA on April 18-21. I live at Global Community Communication Alliance in Tumacácori, AZ, and when my brother was invited by Teuvo to join this event he of course thought to bring some friends along. It ended up that 4 of us geared up and took to the sky, my little sister DesManae had not been in a plane since she was 7, I had not been in one since I was 16, my brother is in them all the time and La’Far is superman so he never really even uses planes. I am always excited about meeting new friends and finding common ground among people, but in my own heart I also held a fear of attending this event. This fear is not illusionary, my community has felt the brunt of false accusations and animosity for many, many years by many individuals in the Urantia Book movement. Fortunately, I was able to get over my fear very quickly by realizing that many of those who would be attending this particular conference were open loving individuals, full of the adventurous spirit that youth usually carry. I wanted to meet that point blank, because I too am an adventurous person and terribly curious about people, especially fellow UB readers! What I experienced at the conference exceeded my fondest expectations and truly surprised me. I was inspired by the love, kindness, enthusiasm, sincerity and over all goodness of those I met. Did I die and go to heaven? I am familiar with this where I live, but to step out the community and meet another whole group of young adults who were exhibiting the fruits of the spirit was a beautiful sight to behold. But we must remember, we were TOGETHER, and our union was effective because we all had a common understanding of the revelation as it is given in the Urantia Book. This type of mindal unity and spiritual unity is paramount to creating a new culture and will help us foster a living revelation in our daily lives.

Each one of us desires to be surrounded by like-minded people; it is somehow the deepest desire of the entire human race. What has caused battles over the centuries is due to many factors, but a prevailing fact is that religion in all of its beauty has also been the cause of untold horrors and division. Peace is simply unity. But how is unity attained? Our spiritual concepts must match, but the way in which we perceive our lives, economy, education, politics, foreign policy, marriage, ethics, etc. varies greatly, due mainly to our individual experiences. Even Jesus was instructed before his 7^th bestowal not to get into political, social or economic discussions as each generation must find for themselves the answers to these problems. But what Jesus did teach in depth was the importance of seeking the Fathers will and living in the Kingdom of Heaven which invariably lives within us. This spiritual teaching encompasses each generation and can be a common thread that unites us regardless of present day societal problems. The Spirit of Truth always remains the citadel of our lives and will activate in us a keen sense of unity should we begin more and more to tap into it.

There is a direct power when two great minds come together to share in their wealth of spiritual and intellectual concepts, such as Albert Einstein’s meetings with Indian mystic Rabindranath Tagore or Harry Belafonte’s work with Russell Means, Dennis Banks, John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. Imagine this multiplied by 1,000. How about 1,000,000? The Urantia Book stretches our minds to new limits and enlightens many parts of ourselves that were kept in the dark before and that maybe we did not even know existed within us. This happens over time, but given the chance it surely will transpire. This expansion of our souls could captivate the whole human race and ripple through in a trillion different ways and the golden effect of spiritual unity could take place. But it takes work and leadership.

How can we take what we experienced at the conference and cultivate it? We touched upon it at the conference as we all tried to brainstorm how we could come together as UB readers outside of a conference that happens a couple times a year. Some of us suggested a coffee shop with the UB on the table; another suggested doing a mural; while yet another suggested community service projects. These are all wonderful ideas, but whence to make them happen? And then what after they have been accomplished? It must begin and never end. The momentum must be charged by enlightened leadership and sustained by willing workers who are ready and capable to lend themselves to a progressive movement of change. It takes dedication and loyalty to commit yourself to progress, no matter what the obstacles. Sacrifice is needed in order to succeed. God will lead you to that next big choice that will greatly shift the course of your life and those who are in it. Big changes are scary, but without them we can get stuck and God cannot do all that He could do with us. We are the instruments and we choose how well we are in tune with His will and to the degree in which we can bless the world with our skills. God’s perfect will is the ultimate unifier that will bring us together.

It was outstanding to come together for a few short days and be able to talk UB lingo with young people that I just had met. We grok eachother. (read “Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert Heinlein to know what that means, or for instant potatoes, Google it) But then we go home to our individual lives, surrounded by a world of people who do not read the UB and who we cannot fraternize with in quite the same way. At the conference we experienced firsthand the magic of higher group consciousness. And we loved it. It is healing, uplifting and energy giving. It is true that no matter whom you  meet you should always seek common ground and certainly love should go before you, but there is a special treasure to be had in this shared spiritual unity that we all profoundly felt.

What we need is radical unity worldwide and it starts with building community. We had a taste of what group unity can be like, let’s not lose that flavor, indeed we should be creating and re-creating this for each other and the world!

#BuildItAndTheyShallCome #AreYouALeader? #StartInitiating! #CommonGoals #HoldFast #WeCanMakeItHappen! #FaithInEveryChoice #LifeOfPurpose #SeekAndServe

Thanks to the YA YA Committee for your open invitation to the 4 of us from Global Community Communications Alliance who attended the conference. We felt right in the pocket of Gods outworking and He led a magnificent way.

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It seems whenever a pivotal, epochal revelation of truth is given to our beleaguered planet, forces are immediately on hand to attempt its unraveling.

Fortunately, the powers of divine administration, infinitely patient as they are, always prevail in the end. Look for the pattern in each of the five epochs:

• The infamous Prince Caligastia’s reign came to an inglorious end due to his transgression of the divine plan, so thorough an end that only scarce traces remained.

• Adam and Eve’s noble efforts were curtailed shortly after beginning due to the wily voice that suggested a friendly “shortcut” from the divine plan.

• Melchizedek’s ministry was remarkable and effective, but it was no surprise that his missionaries’ teachings were soon watered down.

• Then, shortly after Christ was born, Herod the Idumean, King of Judea, became apprehensive about the possibility of the child’s spiritual and political impact. So manic was his concern that he ordered all boy babies under the age of two in the Bethlehem area to be slaughtered. Joseph and Mary narrowly escaped the assault by traveling with Jesus, just over one year of age, in a nighttime escape to Egypt. [1]  I hope the reader will pause to consider how thorough, forward-planning, and malevolent anti-revelation forces have been and can be.

Flight to Egypt

(by Michael A. Wilson, used by permission)

Sometime between 1906 and 1911, Dr. Lena Sadler, a leader in the medical community, came to know her patient in Chicago, a man now known as the “contact personality,” through whom the Urantia papers were conveyed. From this initial contact followed hundreds of sessions where revelation of epochal significance was given. In 1923, as Dr. Lena Sadler’s meetings with the contact personality continued, Miss Emma Christensen came into the Sadler family circle by way of medical treatment she received from them after a purported taxi cab accident near the Sadlers’ home on Diversey Parkway. She was eventually adopted into the Sadler family, even though she was more than thirty years of age (born in 1890), and then took on the activities of a secretary for the Sadlers.

Some in the readership community hold to the idea that Miss Christensen was a sort of stranded

individual. In actuality, she was an influential woman in the Chicago and regional business community. Shortly before meeting the Sadlers, she moved to Chicago and took up the post of Manager of the Capital National Bank Examiners for the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank, Seventh District. This was a position of authority and responsibility that oversaw the operation of banks in several states. [2]

She held this position for 28 years until her retirement in the 1940s, working both positions—manager with the Federal Reserve Bank and secretary to the Sadlers—while she typed the Urantia papers. During those years, the operations of the Fed were little understood by the public. Since that time, numerous books have been written on the subject, showing that organization by some estimates to be highly secretive and powerful.

Taking Another Look

Dr. William Sadler

Emma Christensen

Dr. Lena Sadler

Vern Bennom Grimsley

The passage of time can clarify and clear the air for another look and a reappraisal of the meanings of historical events. Today’s readers of the Urantia papers generally accept them as a revelation but are also likely to question the validity of purported superhuman communications beyond the revelation itself.

Emma Christensen brought additional doctrines into the readership community. The most significant of these are related to her claiming to be a conduit for messages from superhuman personalities. Communications coming from her and in some cases from those she worked with, which were presented as being authoritative include, notably:

• Instructions to go slowly with the dissemination of the Revelation [3]
• Statements about the importance of protecting the name “Urantia” and the concentric-circles symbol [4]
• Claiming knowledge that certain persons were Reserve Corps of Destiny members or had certain imperative responsibilities [5]

Each one of these points can be examined now from a farther vista in time.

• What value was gained or what pitfalls were created by the “slow growth” policy?
• What conflict and division were caused by insisting on a flawed copyright, curtailing use of the symbol, and harassing creative individuals, and at what cost?
• What confusion was created as Christy filled a primary leadership vacuum during the illness and after the death of Dr. Sadler, by directing leaders in the movement based upon her claims of extranormal knowledge or information?

In my opinion, these policies fostered by Emma Christensen, and participated in by some close associates, fell into misapplication, error, or distortion. In serious matters of this nature, at least three possibilities of genesis present themselves:

1.  The actor was well meaning but exercised poor judgment or was deluded.
2.  The person knew an act was in error, but for some reason proceeded anyway, perhaps being manipulated.
3.  The individual willfully and consistently over time followed a plan to infiltrate, deceive, and redirect a group away from its principles and high calling.

I have struggled with the contemplation of these possibilities. It may not be possible for any mortal to ultimately discern which of these three apply; further, it is not within the purview of this article. However, it may be important to realize that any of these three, or variations of them, could be possible, and to not inappropriately or prematurely conclude upon any particular one of them.

Also, we cannot accurately estimate the damage that may have accrued by these actions. We do know that progress may be delayed, but not stopped. We also know that the results of rebellion in times past have amazingly redounded much more to the good. Perhaps this is just the case today. Each one of these questionable policies has been somewhat mitigated or ameliorated. The delay in publishing the book is now over 70 years in the past. The slow-growth policy has been trumped by the Information Age. The Book is now in public domain and use of the concentric-circles symbol is less regulated. The policies to centrally control and direct an entire movement have given way to a more matured environment in which initiatives are somewhat decentralized—and can stand or fall on their own merits.

Getting “Messages”

An additional important issue remains, and that is Emma Christensen’s contribution to the idea of channeling information from superhuman sources, an idea that she practiced in her own way even after the transmission of the last paper and after the Book’s publication in 1955, and one which thereby came early into acceptance within the movement. One related outcome is that Vern Grimsley, an effective witness to college students and a worldwide radio broadcaster, who was devoted to her, began similar practices. In the early 1980s Dr. Paul Knott examined and interviewed Vern. Vern declared that Christy had told him he was a Destiny Reservist. Dr. Knott asked how Christy would know this. Vern replied: “I don’t know, but I think she got messages the same way I got messages.” [6]

Another result is that today, the channeling movement proceeds, as viewed by some leaders in that movement, as a continuation conceptually of the earlier practice as begun by Miss Christensen. The act, during channeling, of assuming to speak for another, without that person’s direction and permission, is a serious matter.

Consider this quote:

“ . . . [T]here is an instinctive longing in the heart of evolutionary man for help from above and beyond. This craving is designed to anticipate the appearance on earth of the Planetary Prince and the later Material Sons. On Urantia man has been deprived of these superhuman leaders and rulers, and therefore does he constantly seek to make good this loss by enshrouding his human leaders with legends pertaining to supernatural origins and miraculous careers.” [The Urantia Book, p. 1008]

With this in mind, I can certainly understand my brothers and sisters giving in to such efforts, but I  sorrow for the difficulties which can result.

Being Sophistry-Proof, Wise, and Good

Students and philosophers of organizational behavior have postulated that organizations, businesses, churches, schools, and families have psychological makeups analogous to that of individuals. A person who is troubled may visit a psychologist to present his problem. The physician will do a work up and history. Commonly, in therapy, a trauma from earlier times will be identified that the physician may want to investigate in order to assess how it is affecting his patient’s emotional state. For example, a thirty-five-year-old person may have had a trauma at age seven that holds a part of his psyche in a childish stage.

The patient could later talk with his friends and they may say, “That happened to you a long time ago. Just get over it and move on.” That might work for some in some cases. Others will feel a need to continue with professional help to truly understand themselves (and others), and heal.

Dr. Sadler is considered by some historians to be the father of American psychiatry. [7]  He traveled to Vienna in the early 1900s and studied with Sigmund Freud, along with Dr. Alfred Adler of Austria, and Dr. Carl Jung of Switzerland. These three—Sadler, Adler, and Jung— were called Freud’s “fair-haired boys.” [8]  I wonder sometimes . . . if we could have Dr. Sadler here today, what would his analysis of our group psychology be? I, for one, own up to my part in our movement’s collective emotional health, and I hope I’m not presumptuous in encouraging everyone to do likewise.

If this article can help any of us to lovingly and better understand ourselves as part of a movement that has a great calling and most interesting history, then it has done its job. The wonderful thing about mercy is that any individual can exercise it, and freely. The sobering thing about justice is that it always takes place eventually, when and where as needed . . . but by the group. If enough members of the group forswear long-standing prejudices, become freed of collective amnesia long enough to remember, and have the requisite cosmic insight to correctly interpret their past, then more of God’s goodness can shine forth into our present and future.

Did Herod’s Sword swing again at the outset of the Urantia Revelation, as it did in Palestine about 2,000 years ago? I feel it did. Jesus called King Herod Antipas, son of King Herod the Idumean “that fox.” Also remember that Serapatatia did not realize he was being deceived, used as a tool of the evil one. Could Caligastia have  agents in the Urantia movement . . . his own “reserve corps?” I think so.

Caligastia, Daligastia, Satan, Van, Amadon, Adam, Eve, those who heard Melchizedek’s message, the apostles, and the early members of the Urantia movement all had opportunities arise for them to withstand sophistry and deception. We are called, in our own time, to do likewise.

Endnotes

1. The Urantia Book, 122:10.4.

2. Urantia Book Historical Society, ubhistory.org, “Stories and People.”

3. Larry Mullins, A History of the Urantia Papers, ch. 10, section titled “A shift to authoritarian leadership” (Boulder, CO, 2000).

4. Ibid., epilogue, section titled “There are no secret documents.”

5. Ibid., epilogue, section titled “The end of proprietorship.”

6. Ibid., ch. 10, section titled “The Grimsley WW III ‘channeling’ episode” (letter from Dr. Paul D. Knott to undisclosed readers, November 20, 1983).

7. Ibid., ch. 1.

8. Ibid., ch. 2, endnote #1.

About the author: Joshua Wilson is an educator and holds a degree in Business Administration, specializing in Computer Information Systems and Human Behavior in Organizations, and a certificate in Not-for-Profit Management from ASU. He co-founded the predecessor organization to the Grand Canyon Society of Readers of the Urantia Book.

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The Revelation tells us that every true relationship is an end in itself (112:2.8). This means the bonds we create on Urantia are eternal in nature.

Since I became a member of the YaYA Committee of the Urantia Book Fellowship, I have been actively working to help create a foundation of individuals and resources to grow the youth community through personal relationships. In the past two years I have learned an incredible amount about not only myself but students of the Revelation all across the country. I have started a successful Urantia Book-based website, made a video introduction to the Urantia Book, and spent almost six months traveling and evangelizing. These projects have been realized by my desire to follow the leading of my indwelling adjuster, and possible only because of the incredible support of the Fellowship, friends, and my family. This last YaYA gathering in Gloucester, MA was a landmark for me. It felt like the culmination of these two years of hard work and effort.

Our YaYA gathering was significant for me based on a number of reasons, but two stand out: First, it was our largest gathering with 32 registered participants and even more attendees from the local area. Second, it brought together many different groups or sects of the Urantia community.

There are many students of the Urantia Book who have very strong feelings about not only what other Urantia Book students believe but how they practice these beliefs. I understand the Revelation to be clear about how we should approach others’ beliefs and religious practices, but some have judgment or disdain for those who practice anything unfamiliar to conventional Urantia Book students. The Revelation tells us:

“While your religion is a matter of personal experience, it is most important that you should be exposed to the knowledge of a vast number of other religious experiences (the diverse interpretations of other and diverse mortals) to the end that you may prevent your religious life from becoming egocentric—circumscribed, selfish, and unsocial.” 103:1.3

I’m of the opinion that those who focus on the divisiveness of our differences represent the fringed or the few. However, I have personally experienced people in leadership positions holding some of these views. What I have also experienced, and surely did in Gloucester, is a very real shift in the desire to take on this problem through the spiritual unity of our community.

The reality is that I now, more than ever, understand how these cultural pitfalls came to be. In the last six months I have personally dealt with much angst and confusion in my efforts to grow the kingdom of God on Urantia. I have dealt with the censorship of content on UrantiaNow, I have tried to understand a lack of enthusiasm for doing traveling outreach from many of my elders, and I have been verbally attacked and accused of ignorance for my efforts to build bridges with Gabriel’s community and the UAI. Don’t get me wrong: I’m clear that once you step to the front lines, as I feel I have, you must be prepared to deal with these types of conflicts. What’s been hard for me is the reality that all of the work I do is a result of my deep love and joy for my fellows and for the future of this expanded truth for OUR beautiful planet Urantia.

Workshop of Urantia Book youth creating goals in the Gloucester community center

I am left with the insight that a genuine, heartfelt desire to contribute to the good of a community or the world through creative projects is sometimes met with push-back, judgement, and negation because of fears. Those fears are many and often fully justified but they are fears. Those who desire to push the forward the conversation must be prepared to work with all sides in finding common ground and unity of purpose.

The reality is Gabriel claims to have new Revelation, the teaching mission claims to be communicating with our cosmic family, and the Fellowship, UAI, and Foundation all have differing ideologies and ideas of how best to be stewards of the Fifth Epochal Revelation. Does this mean we must retreat to our corners and write each other off? Does this mean we are incapable of coming together with a common love of our Master? Does this mean we have let our intellectual concepts of these new teachings overcome our love and devotion to one another? I’m here to tell you for me it doesn’t. And for those who desire to keep a focus on our differences you would be wise to understand that times are changing and what we want, more than anything, is for you to join us in building this new spiritual community. A community focused first on our unity of spirit and second on our common goals.

What I realized from the incredible weekend in Gloucester is that what I have been working toward has become a reality. Through the incredible support of my fellow committee members we have created a NEW culture based upon our interpretations of love, service, and brotherhood. We have refused, through action, the inheritance of past pitfalls and have, together, pushed off the shore and toward the high seas of adversity to create a new era focused on spiritual unity and spiritual brotherhood–not our diverse interpretations of truth.

Final circle together on Sunday in Gloucester

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Hi everyone,

Thanks to your voices, UrantiaNow continues to grow. The moment has come to articulate our vision and content guidelines for the site. The complete Vision and Guidelines can be found in our menu under About, as well as in the drop-down window below.

Our vision is to foster spiritual unity through the positive free expression of personal religious experience as revealed in the Urantia Book.  This means we desire to provide a home for the sharing of your spiritual adventures, to act as a portal for healthy discussion of what it means to grapple with the meanings and values found in the UB, to be a nexus of events, happenings, and testimonials, and to operate as a center for constructive personal and familial resources related to the Urantia Book’s teachings.  It is our desire for the content guidelines to provide a constructive framework within which we can foster a community that lives up to the ideals of fellowship revealed in the Urantia Book.

The easiest way to do any of these things is to fill out our Submit Post form in our menu under Contact or here: http://urantianow.com/contact-2/submit-post/.  If you would like to get in touch or collaborate for any other reason, please fill out our general contact form here: http://urantianow.com/contact-2/.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported the growth of UrantiaNow to make it what it is today.

With love,

The YaYA Committee

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Calling Young World Travelers! 

And Supporters Too!

The “2 x 2 =MORE” project, sponsored by the Northern Light Society of Alaska, is headed into its second year of assisting young adults to accompany an International Outreach Team as they venture to Book Fairs in both Guatemala and the Philippines this summer and fall.  Our first sponsored, young adult, Janelle Mazza of Las Vegas successfully represented this project in Santiago, Chile in October 2012.

Book Fairs have been a great way of introducing and explaining The Urantia Book to people of all different faiths, races, ages and beliefs.  They generally take about 5 days (plus travel days) and end with a mini conference or study session. Every day is a surprise as you meet and greet your fellows.  This kind of a trip truly gives you the opportunity to grow your own skills, talents and soul as you listen, talk and share with new people and great team members of the International Fellowship Committee, led by its chairman, Buck Weimer.

Dates

Guatemala:  July 26-August 4, 2013

Philippines:  September 11-15, 2013

The Northern Light Society members developed this project after traveling to Nigeria in May of 2012 and learned how valuable this experience was to our growth.   We now fundraise throughout our Urantia community to educate about the efforts of the IFC and to ask for support in helping us with the travel costs and expenses of those wanting to participate in the “2 x 2=MORE” project.

Participants will need to have a spirit of adventure and stamina, be at least 21, have a valid passport, answer some vetting questions and write a short essay to help with this selection process.   To learn more about this project, please view our video at www.urantiaalaska.org  To begin this process, contact me, Barb Maier, Secretary of the Northern Light Society of Alaska and a member of the IFC at barbmaier@gmail.com.   Do it as soon as possible please.

We also encourage financial support from our greater Urantia community!  Donations can be made through the Pay Pal button on our website.  Any adults that would like to travel with us are most welcome too!

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By Darren Atherton

On the Saturday night of the YaYA conference in Gloucester the group participated in a “Jesus Party.” The idea was simple. Many people of various theological leanings, though primarily Christian, gathered in one place to celebrate a shared appreciation for Jesus, our beloved teacher, even our Savior. The purpose of this gathering was not to focus on the intellectual hang ups we may or may not have, but to join in a single fellowship of individuals that have had a similar spiritual experience. I was personally moved by this event with its relaxed simplicity and its degree of success. After everyone had returned home I thought, why couldn’t this kind of event be arranged where I live? There are more than a few handfuls of churches, there a lot of people who share a love for Jesus  -  and even if they only like Jesus they could still join in. So why not?

The other night I discussed the idea with a young pastor I’ve known for many years, and after presenting it in what I thought to be a sincere, clear, and enthusiastic fashion, I was dismayed to see him return an uneasy expression. While he hesitated to even commend the effort, he told me that his participation in, especially his support of, such a gathering, would run contrary to his concept of the gospel and its associated church. He agreed that there is indeed a union of the faithful from all traditions in Christ, but he nevertheless felt a Jesus Party to be a compromise of some nature. He pictured attending it and feeling little aside from the need to debate with others. I told him that healthy debate wouldn’t be an uninvited guest, but the point of the event was not so much to glorify or justify our respective beliefs, but rather to rejoice in a shared experience of God. This description wasn’t met with much less scepticism.

Later that night I felt compelled to re-read Ernest Fremont Tittle’s wonderful 1928 book, The Religion of the Spirit, and I couldn’t get past the first page. On it the author writes,

“The mere recognition of the fact that there are religions of authority and the religion of the spirit is one of those flashes of spiritual insight for which we can never be sufficiently grateful.”

Although I agree with Tittle, that we cannot be sufficiently grateful for the ability to make such a distinction, I had to wonder whether I was even moderately grateful for the little spiritual insight I possess. We can occasionally think something is so apparent and obvious that we overlook the possibility of others seeing it a different way. I was so shocked at my friend the Pastor’s negative reaction to the concept of a Jesus Party, because I had simply assumed the truth at the heart of the effort to be a matter of course. I figured it was a concept he would readily accept and support as an individual who follows Jesus.

Someone familiar with the gospels might recall Jesus being repeatedly amazed or astounded at the disbelief of his listeners. A student of the Urantia Book might call to mind some strong responses from Jesus to the misunderstandings of his apostles, many a “How long shall I bear with you?” One reason Jesus often felt this way was due to his having had such a profoundly real experience, and such a wholehearted human acceptance of, a God that he personally knew  – the same God all of us are coming to know. We are taught within the Papers that the religionist can take salvation for granted so long as the focus is turned to toward the unselfish urge to love (188:4.9).  We read that Jesus never stooped to argue about the Fatherhood of God or the brotherhood of man, because he was too busy living both (196:1.5). As Urantia Book readers we can easily observe that we have some very different opinions regarding the teachings of the book. But that didn’t stop us from sharing an experience of true fellowship with people who do not study these same teachings. It didn’t hold us back from enjoying one another on a very fundamental level. Even more than a week after the conference I am still coming down from the spiritual ‘high’ it triggered, and I’m becoming ever more certain that it affected a much more enduring, unemotional change within me as well. But the experience the lot of us readers had in Gloucester was real, it was spiritual, and this enhanced experience of truth led me to the predicament Jesus so often encountered – amazement at the lack of insight others possess. Not to judge my friend the Pastor, who I know to be a dedicated servant to his community, but it appears that the ‘flash of spiritual insight’ Tittle described is a flash this Pastor has yet to experience. And it truly is amazing. It’s amazing that so many individuals dedicated to the welfare of humanity are still hindered, theologically or otherwise, from supporting such a spiritually simplistic event as a “Jesus Party.”

In spite of the obstacles worked around to make it happen, and God willing, you’ll be reading an article about another “Jesus Party” later this summer! (And if you have any suggestions or ideas for me, please send them my way – dtatherton@gmail.com)

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On April 18-21, against the backdrop of current events that held the greater Boston area in fear, the YaYA Committee held its fifth Youth and Young Adult Conference in Gloucester, MA on the theme of Regeneration. This was one of the most powerful examples of love destroying hate that many of us have experienced. Over thirty young people attended the conference. Here are a few of their voices:

This weekend has markedly influenced me and undoubtedly changed the course of my life. It was true, beautiful, and good in ways I had not anticipated. I am currently experiencing a ‘peace which passes understanding,’ an experience which is hitherto foreign to me. This is obviously a result of, or rather a proof that, brotherhood is the surest way to everlasting peace. I am certain our community will last a lifetime and am most honored to be part of it. I love you and pray the heavens embolden us on this immense task of bringing light and truth to this most devastated, but beloved, planet.

-Michael Viviano

The Apostle Paul taught those he wrote to: “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” This was something I was amazed to see genuinely practiced from start to finish at the Gloucester conference. It seemed we came together with the goal of exploring the topic of Spiritual Regeneration, and went away with actual experiences of regeneration and so much more. We started building bridges between each other, bridges I believe will last – pathways that will be happily walked along again and again. I’m so, so glad to have come together in one place with such a like-spirited, yet beautifully diverse group of God’s children.

The experience overall has made the true gospel and all of its wonderful implications more real to me. There is so much love and so much promise for this world, but I suppose that’s just the feeling one gets when you put so many forward thinking soul-cultivators in the same place. Something really happened! From the bottom of my heart I want to thank the organizers (seen and unseen) who brought us all together. It was simply extraordinary.

- Darren Atherton

Attending the YaYA Regeneration Conference exceeded my expectations and buoyed my spirit. I was deeply impressed and inspired by the beauty of the souls I met and also took witness of sincere goodness in each person. I feel enlivened to know that there are youth in the modern day society who stand strong in dedicating themselves to bettering this planet through service. There are many distractions that can take us away from communion with the Father and yet I felt close to Him while at the conference. I personally felt the glory of the Spirit of Truth in each person. The activities were diverse and there was nothing dry or boring about the conference. We were able to socialize and get to know each other at deeper levels and through that a sense of companionship began to foster. Everything in life begins in steps and this was a step that I felt brought me closer to humanity. I would hope that we continue to make steps forward and that everyday can carry us through with this spiritual brotherhood in mind. It is not an end, but a beginning and I seriously consider it a fine start. God directs us all in ways that sometimes we cannot fathom. I believe that more magic will happen in the future for this group of UB readers. Thanks for making it happen! – SanSkritA Dell Erba

We just got back from The Urantia Young Adult Spiritual Regeneration Conference. I really feel VERY spiritually regenerated! I continue to be in awe every time I meet these people—some I know, many I met this time for the first time—but it is amazing what God does in the lives of those people who choose to do God’s will every day. Everyone is so strong, beautiful, loving, and full of light! The spiritual unity felt between us was so amazing. Everyone delights in each other’s presence, genuinely wants to get to know everyone else more, and truly values the relationships being built. I have definite regenerated hope for the future and can’t wait to see everyone again and meet new people as they continue to join us more and more each time. -Miranda Clendening

This past weekend of fellowship was particularly regenerating to me both on a soul and a mind level. I found myself drawn to every one of you as the beauty of your personalities manifested in our interactions. We all celebrated the spirit of the Father’s love and rejoiced in the amplified realization of being part of his magnificent family.

I felt deeply moved and honored by the insights many of you had to share. Having returned home refreshed and inspired, and reflecting on what transpired in Gloucester, I also find my mind particularly nourished. Thank you everyone for making our weekend gathering so beautiful and special. I certainly feel that this was a beginning of life-long relationships and I look forward to seeing you all again in the near future! -Mahtab Tehrani

I have greatly enjoyed spending time with you over the weekend. I know Lila feels the same. I was especially gratified to witness so many bright, spiritually motivated, young minds at work – and all readers of the Urantia Book to boot. What a treat! I am sure that among you whom I have met this past weekend there are many who can help the Fellowship grow into a more robust and more fragrant group so it can better pursue its lofty goals. Thanks again for allowing Lila and me to share in your regenerating and uplifting weekend. -Avi Dogim

I personally feel spiritually regenerated by fellowship with the brotherhood this past weekend. My heart has been filled to overflowing and I look forward to being a part of the continued growth of this living organism. Additionally, I had the privilege of Amadon of Arizona and his crew coming up to my humble dwelling in Maine after the regenerating weekend, along with several others from the Gathering on Cape Ann. The evening, and following day spent with them, reached some of the most profound heights of spiritual fellowship and joyful mirth that I have experienced in some time. I have been changed by my experience with the Amadonites of Arizona. When they left, not only did I feel cleansed in my soul, but they physically cleansed my house. They left everything cleaner and in superior order than when they arrived. I am reminded of the teaching of our Master: You will know them by their fruit. I am thankful to be a part of a real and inspiring brotherhood that is as diverse as is the potentials of the Unqualified Absolute. -Jonathan Zoba

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A presentation by Jonathan Zoba at the Spring Youth and Young Adults Conference in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

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I went to an epic party when I was about twenty years old. I made some new friends, one of whom told me about The Urantia Book during one if our philosophical discussions. This resulted in an immediate and life-long love affair with the Revelation. It satiated my burning appetite for truth ,a gift for which I am immeasurably appreciative. It was, however, a lone journey. In six years, I never met another who knew of the life-giving book. Never did I succeed in my attempts at bringing friends and family to drink from this well of truth. Happily, I stumbled upon the YaYA group on the internet a few weeks before the event this April in Gloucester, MA. I signed up immediately. Never did I expect to find such a warm, intelligent, and enlightened group of young people. It was thoroughly life changing, mentally refreshing, and spiritually awakening. During our first meeting, I looked around and knew these people would be part of the rest of my life. I now have restored hope in humanity’s future, and an awareness that young UB readers have a large part to play in it. I am exceedingly grateful to those from the Fellowship who made this monumental event possible.

Michael Viviano

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