Life of St. Paul

The Life of St. Paul interested me in many different levels.  First I wanted to know who he was beyond what the Bible says.  Then I wanted to know his suffering in relation to Jesus and how the two have parallel lives. While reading on his life, I find that I have shared some of those struggles as well.  With God by my side, I knew that I would overcome all adversaries and be used as His instrument of teaching, like St. Paul.   I also found his travels to be of interest as well, how he had use of the roads and knew the Greek language and was able to make East meet West.  No small feat by any means!  I learned that Paul was a very educated person, highly intelligent, great use of logic, creative and had clear thinking of what his subject was.  He was meticulous about Laws and keeping them.     I found Paul's time of conversion to more than humbling.  To stand before Christ "trembling and astonished", would be such a blessing today, even if blinded by the light of the Lord.  When Paul finds "his work" you almost feel a great sigh of relief and cant wait to see what happens next, which of course if his first missionary journey.  Paul to me is an extraordinary man and suffered and was blessed beyond most comprehensions.  Being stoned to near death and overcoming it to still spread the word of the Lord. This is a man I want to spend time with, almost as much as I want to spend in the presence of Jesus Christ.  The power that Paul had even in writing, to move the people of cities and inspire in his sermons, a man truly touched by God.  Paul's voyage to Rome must have been a pivotal point in his life, knowing how dangerous the trip would be and yet he pushed on.  Its a shame there are not more people in the world like Paul!  Our world already has enough chiefs, and not enough great chiefs to lead the peoples of the world back to the word of Christ and bring peace upon the world once more. By Rev. Michael Belair ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Christian Studies

Final Essay on The Four Gospels           
          

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Unvarnished Gospels".  It read like a story and I was not distracted by chapter and verse, and small print like most bibles have.  It was an easy read for me and all the participants in each gospel were so alive!

At times I felt like I was walking with Jesus and witnessing the miracles of the loaves and fishes, turning water into wine, walking on water…the remarkable healings and casting out of demons. Which brings me to the point of what Jesus taught and how he wanted to save us by making us aware of a higher calling, higher understanding, and an awareness of the limitations we put on ourselves. Jesus was patient and sometimes impatient in what he was trying to teach then, and what He taught is true for us today.

Jesus wore so many hats. He was a prophet, a counselor, a healer, a master, a psychic, a teacher, a savior and a Son of God. The works He did we can do also. And it is not Jesus but through God the Father that He (Jesus) is able to do these things.

My background is Christianity. At first, traditional teachings of the bible was the only way for me until I had an experience that changed my life. It was a visit from an angel!  For now just take my word for it because I would like to get to the meat of the Four Gospels.

It is true, that we hear more scriptures quoted from the Gospel of John regarding the four gospels, because it is direct and to the point. And, although it may seem that Jesus' portrayal in this particular gospel was out of character, I think it showed Jesus with some human characteristics which we had not seen before, at least not as pronounced, in the previous gospels. The fact that Jesus was so bold did not bother me. Wouldn't you be irritated if you had to constantly go over the lessons you were trying to teach, and  still your students didn't understand or doubted what you were saying?

This brings me to the "comforter" that Jesus said would be coming.  I do not believe this was the second coming.

Jesus, after ascending, would not physically be with them.  Jesus did not want them to feel that they would be alone and spoke of the comforter which was the Spirit of God working through each person who believed in the teachings, miracles and healings that Jesus preformed.  It brings me to the thought that when I am "spirited" (In-Spirit or inspired), moved, or motivated to do something,

things happen.

The demonstrations and miracles that Jesus did was to teach us not to be so limited in our ways or in our thinking… to go outside the box, so to speak. Since my angel experience, and it wasn't an instant transition as I had a lot to work through, I was led on a path to know my true self. It was a freeing experience for me at the time as I lived inside the box most of my life, and afraid to be who I really was. I didn't know who that person was anyway. However, traditional teachings brought me on the path for my search for truth. Much later in life, I learned to turn the knowledge I received to something I could apply in my life, and eventually saw the wisdom in it. 

Jesus knew because of His foresight who believed or didn't believe in his teachings. He states that we are not to judge least we be judged also. "And if I do judge" He states… I really don't think this is a contradiction as some may imply. My understanding is if Jesus does judge it is "right judgement" or discernment, a knowing that what He discerns is true. The meaning of "judgement"

can get so out of hand, like political correctness.

This course has given me more insight than I expected. Usually, I focus on staying neutral with no expectations except to learn what the course wants to teach me.  Previously, I did not know that Mathew, Mark, Luke and John did not live in the same timeframe as Jesus did, and I want to research that further. I started on a metaphysical path 28 years ago after my encounter with an angel. This encounter was published in the book called  "Angel Visions" by Dr. Doreen Virtue Ph.D., should you want to read about it.

Thank you for the inspiring, and mind expanding views of this course.

In His service,

Rev. Nancy Kimes

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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Christian History

A Time Without Schisms AND THE "SCHISMS" CONTINUE… on and on, perhaps as long as the spirit is housed in a human body, or leaves hang on the limbs of a tree, but for sure, as long as the ego is in control of man's soul. My family came to what is now the United States in the middle 1700's.  Family oral tradition passed on stories of priest within my mother's family that broke with the Catholic church over the requirement of celibacy, but also over the political control that had replaced sincere spiritual matters.  They settled outside of Philadelphia (in Reading, Pa.) and organized the first Lutheran church and later other Lutheran churches in North Carolina and Tennessee.  As former priest, they were educated and wanted an education for their children in the new world, so they went in search in their new communities, for good teachers, as well as building new churches.  However, when two brothers moved south and married two Methodist sister (who were teachers), the family faith would have their own schisms. Again like the Eastern and Western Catholic church they would split.  Those in the North remained true to the original Lutheran believes and the two moving to the South gave way toward the Methodist faith.  Of course like myself these Methodist children would marry and the schisms of faith would continue, some believing one must have his head and body dipped under the water and other believing just a few symbolic sprinkles for cleaning was enough to show the world you had made a commitment of faith to God. Being highly developed in my right hemisphere I was not one to follow the minister or my parents when told "to do as I say for I know best."  If they all believed in the same God, how could they all be right, I questioned.  I loved my family and all the extended families.  However, I could not understand all of the many religious family members who each disliked the other - for sure they had the "one and one only" path to finding God.  Nevertheless, they all agreed on one point. "All Catholics were going to hell! Had not our ancestors risk their lives to come to a new unknown land to flee the evil Catholic Church?  I wasn't allowed to play with Catholics at school or date them in college.  I even dated a Muslim a few times and while my family did not like the idea they were sure if I brought him to church with me he could be converted. But they were equally sure that a Catholic was set in his ways and could not be changed, and thus, he was doomed to hell.   Well, I did date a Catholic even one that was studying to become a priest. (We kept his faith a secret and I did not take him home.) I learned, actually the two of us believed almost the same things.  He did not "buy into" his faith 100's anymore than I did mine.  What I knew foremost, was this guy had a soul of so much love and compassion for mankind that he could love my family even though they could never love him. Thus, I knew too, the part about all Catholics going to hell was not right. Of course the "celebrate priest" rule put limits on our relationship, but the schisms were put aside for a wonderful friendship where we both saw the honoring of Love for God, self, and mankind as equal duty, and if love always came first who need all the other "stuff."  We both felt Jesus himself, and perhaps even the Buddha had came to tell mankind we had our focus too much on the ego and it's need for power and not enough on Love, Compassion and Forgiveness.  Knowing my friend's heart to serve mankind I can see why he may have chosen the path of priest as a career path, but for me that same heart chose a path as a professional student studying psychology, philosophy and religions around the world to help find a reason for all the schisms and a way to live in peace with one another without the schisms.               I have been enrolled in two classes in the History of the Christian faith this semester.  The local class has many elder students like myself seeking answers to "why."  I wonder about my Catholic friend, the priest. Has he studied the whole history behind his church as given in these last lessons, or does he have to remain blind to it to remain Catholic.  I am finding to remain Christian harder and harder after my studies in Christian History, but then again, I have studied most world religions and could not adopted them either. In the study of religion the leaves of faith come in so many colors.  As a child most of the leaves seemed to be green.  As an elder facing the fall season of my life cycle I am finding myself less and less religious but more and more spiritual. Perhaps when the wind comes to snatch me away from the tree and gravity finds me on the ground looking up at the big tree I will finally begin to see it was never about the leaves or me but about the big picture - THE TREE.  In fact, as a creative dreamer I could see this almost as a child, but it often appears religious people know more about facts, rules and power than creative imagination that might allow them to see the whole tree before that final snip of the wind that takes them to look from below the tree and see the whole picture. There is a legend that the American Indian came to know God through the voice of Mother Nature but he allowed the coming of the big white sails (thought to be birds at first) with white men aboard to trick his vision and he gave way to their ways. However, it is predicted that a time will come when the native American Indian will remember the ways of his Father and he will teach the white man to return to listen to the voice of Mother Earth and Father Universe. Nothing is possible if mankind cannot dream of it first… Cars instead of buggies, electric lights, phones, computers etc.  If this legend should have any truth within it then I choose to dream of time without schisms….. PEACE.        Rev. L. Francis ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button. As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Mystical Christianity

People need to read, to study, to question what are their beliefs, and what meaning does their Faith have in their lives.

When someone says, "I love you," what does that mean? Everyone says it sooner or later. We need to pin the person down and ask, "Why do you love me?" Many times that will bring a sudden silence and confused look on your partner's face. "I love your blue eyes." Lots of people have blue eyes, do you love them too? "Well, I love your great personality." Lots of people have great personalities, do you love them too? "When I am with you, I feel peaceful, happy and complete." Ah, that's better. That's the key. We all are looking for answers to why we are here, now and in this body. The mystical path helps us to look and search within for what connects us to God.

When I first began studying this course, I felt a sense of happiness and satisfaction in knowing that there were others in this universe who believed as I believe. I felt a sense of final validation of concepts and ideas, of questions that no one would answer. As a child, I tried to ask these questions, I was told, "you think too much," "It's a matter of faith," or the famous response, "What difference does it make?"

What difference does it make, is probably the most profound statement of all. We are taken as children taught, molded, and directed in certain truths. These truths are to be the foundation of our very beings. They help to shape the people we will become. But what if what you hold as most dear, is based on a lie? A lie that grew out of control. One lie built on another. One lie to back up another lie. So it all makes sense somehow. In the end the truth is lost, hidden amongst the lies.

I do not believe that it was done out of maliciousness. I believe it was done out of great love. But as so often happens when one loves so fiercely, that it turns into fanaticism. Fanaticism leads to the ridiculous.

As I read from lesson to lesson, I also felt a growing sadness. Something so beautiful and simple as Jesus message was turned into a mega production of spin doctoring. Jesus - Love -Love one another - do not kill -God is everything.

SIMPLE.

Why is it so important to dot every "I" and cross every "T"? Now I would like to ask -- What difference does it make :

Who His mother was?

Virgin or not?

Who was His father?

Where did He come from?

All of these questions are fine, to discuss over coffee, but none of it changes the message Jesus taught us. The "Message" is the key, not anything else. Jesus taught peace, tolerance, acceptance and unconditional love. That message doesn't change whether Jesus was a prince, a soldier, a thief, a murderer, or a Messiah. The message is the same.

That is what Christianity really is about. Everything else is just filler. Nice but really not necessary.

Jewish scholars had this little practice of "fixing" documents also. If a translation wasn't quite clear they would add a little here, subtract a little there, till it made sense to everybody. (sort of like making soup ). But when you did this, you essentially change the story.

Another example of this, was the four Gospels. The Gospels were supposedly written by men who were not around when Jesus taught the message. And what of the Church leaders, who centuries after Christ, take the writings from the people who were there with Jesus, and forbid others to read them. And in some cases, actually destroyed these documents. Ex. "The great rejected books of the Bible." These so called scholars thought we were not intelligent enough to make the proper choices regarding what is true and what is a lie. Maybe they were afraid, that if we did read these forbidden books, we would notice the "fixing" that went on in our teachings.

Which brings me to Mary Magdalene. I found Mary Magdalene extremely interesting. It seems we should have had a female in Rome as well. Can you imagine the Mother Church, headed by a female Pope. Instead of "Viva el Papa", we would hear "Viva la Santa Madre!" Would things be different or the same? I was wondering why the Blessed Mother was not elected head of the church. After all, who knew Him better, who was closer to Him than His mother?

Religion is the tool man uses to fix what is already perfect and change it into something unrecognizable. The truth does not need fancy buildings, ceremonies or an all powerful hierarchy of men telling everyone what to do and believe. Jesus had no building to call His own. The world was His temple. The seeking of truth is at the heart of mysticism. It encompasses it's own power. The early Christians had the right idea. They would gather together in their homes and discuss Jesus and His teachings over the family hearth. Others would meet on the street and discuss the same as they walked in the evening sun. Women talking at the market. Children playing in the sand. All had the truth there in their hearts.

Truth is liken to a Jewel. A beautiful, simple, uncomplicated diamond, that should not be changed. I honestly believe that Jesus never intended to start a new and separate religion. I believe Jesus wanted to reform Judaism and bring it into alignment with the path of God, the Father. Jesus was a Rabbi. He loved and respected Judaism. Jesus knew that people needed to refocus and center their lives on God and goodness, not wealth, rigid laws or unkindness to their fellow man.

All the folk lore, all the ancient stories of gods and goddesses, were just man's way of looking for the truth. Jesus was, is and evermore will be the Truth we all long for in our lives. We are all brought together in Christ Jesus.

Reincarnation to me is the one means of searching and finally reaching the truth. Karma is the pathway to a better life. Together, Karma and Reincarnation can lead us home, back to heaven and oneness with God.

And the Churches that claim to be the One true Church, well, people need to wake up and smell the candles! There is no such thing as the one true Church. There are only the true teachings of Jesus. That's it.

I truly enjoyed this course, thank you.

Rev. Nitza L. Melgar

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics, as well as courses in Mystical Christianity, Buddhism and Comparative Religion. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

Christian Studies

Master of Religion
This discourse covers many different topics of the Bible and the various relationships of the religions and the Bible. It answers many questions about God, the Bible and religions as well as gives us some insight on various religions.

Personally I believe as the author does that sometimes religions get in the way of Christianity and God. Many wars are still to this day fought over religious beliefs. Our faiths are similar in many ways and different in many ways but the one truth remains that most of us believe in one God.

God of the Old Testament was very unforgiving and believed in punishments. When He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, He changed to a more forgiving God. I do believe that once God knew all the trials, the temptations and the tribulations that we, humans, encounter, God became a much kinder, gentler, forgiving God. His Son experienced all that life at that time in history offered, therefore God, the Father, experienced it as well.

Even though Christ told us that the most important commandment of all was to love one another, He did not say we should disregard the Ten Commandments nor pick and choose which ones to obey.

I must admit that I deem many of the letters from the apostles are taken too literally and without forethought on the times in which these people lived. The apostles had the daunting task of spreading the Word to people who either thought Christ to be blasphemous or a lunatic or maybe some of both. Spreading the Word to the Romans created a need for a different approach because they believed in many Gods. For the Romans I think Constantine influenced them to convert to Christianity more so than the apostles.

Just as in the beginning of Christianity there were many denominations and still are today. I give credit to the Ecumenical Counsel for bringing many of the denominations to the understanding of each other.

As life on Earth continues I pray so will our trust, our confidence in God, the triune, will continue to grow. The history of Christianity continues on.

By Rev. Diane Petit

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.

The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

St Paul

This is my first experience studying anyone particular St. in depth. I found the course easy to follow and understand.

Taking the time to look up each of the Bible versus outlined in each lesson was a wonderful experience for me. As I reflected back on my growing up years the lessons read at Church each Sunday took on a new meaning to me. Of course at the time I was growing up we did not dig as deeply into any Bible Study as I have been doing lately. As I prepared Messages for our Sunday Worship Services during the last twenty weeks I was able to use the Lessons sent each week from ULC Seminary to have a clearer understanding of the Epistles and then relate them to those attending our Services. I look forward to being able to continue this process throughout the rest of this year.

After completing this course I now understood why in the first lesson you would write that Paul was the ‘chief of saints’. The life St. Paul led was one devoted to living out the teachings of Christ. If we could all follow this Christian experience what a better world we would live in.

Thank you for the last few lessons particularly on What is Sin? And What is Grace?

My prayer is that I will be able to use these lessons in helping our congregation understand these to important lessons as we move forward in our church development.

Lesson nineteen Life’s Big Question added the scripture for that perfect healthy diet, agricultural and economic policy. Thank you for those enlightening versus.

It would not be right not to comment on Lesson Twenty Spiritual Gifts. One of the requirements for an individual joining our congregation is that they complete a Spiritual Gifts Questionnaire. This questionnaire consists of 168 questions to determine what gifts an individual will bring to the congregation. This is a great help in getting a new person volunteering in the area that they are best suited for at that time.

I look forward to continuing my education through ULC Seminary,

Rev. Don Eck

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

The Four Gospels

A Reflection on the Parable of the Good Samaritan

The power, relevance and intense meaningfulness of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10, 25-37) has particular resonance at the present time as we reflect on some of the theological controversies tearing Christians apart and distracting from the fundamental message and impact of Christ’s legacy. In particular, a virtual schism in the Anglican Communion, as events are acted out in the United Kingdom, the USA and Africa, is threatening to tear that Church apart. Many of us in the Universal Life Church with its principles of tolerance and acceptance, will surely find it well-nigh impossible to comprehend the legalistic nature of this debate which concentrates upon minute points of interpretative exegesis at the expense of those virtues of understanding, outreach and brotherhood which would seem to be the way forward if contemporary religious bodies are to provide the guidance and spiritual counsel for which this age of uncertainty and shifting moral values cries out.

As a corrective, the parable of the Samaritan could be said to encapsulate, on a number of levels, the essential meaning and timeless appeal of the Christian message and outreach which should never be forgotten however intense the theological debate may become. Initially, it may seem to be just a lesson in social responsibility that is universally applicable (and, indeed, it can be seen as such) but it is crafted in such a way as to suggest a new beginning for followers of Christ and to underline the inadequacy of the pre-existing Law. The questioner (almost an interrogator) is a religious lawyer who seems to epitomise the genre; his in-depth knowledge of all 613 points of the Torah appears to afford him authority and certainty, but it can also be seen as a barrier to a true relationship with God. Instead of allowing easy access for those who wished to approach God, the system was obsessed with regulations and caveats which made communion with God more of an obstacle course than a spiritual journey designed to weed out and reject rather than welcome the sinner.

Jesus clearly has learned how to deal with this mindset; he answers the lawyer’s initial question (verse 25) with another question (verse 26) – a typical lawyer’s ploy, some would say - and when the lawyer responds by quoting from the Law (verse 27), Jesus applauds him and agrees that that is the proper way. The lawyer, however, is not satisfied with this and asks a supplementary question, perhaps hoping to disconcert or trick Jesus and this provides the trigger for the parable.

On a superficial level, the parable is a well-chosen example designed to appeal to his audience and drawn from the contemporary context. One long section of the Jerusalem-Jericho road, was so perilous and notorious for robberies and assaults on travelers, many of whom would be priests or temple-officers traveling back and forth, that it had been named The Way of Blood. Doubtless, as in contemporary British society, plagued by knife-crime, the received wisdom was not to ‘have a go’ but to pass discreetly ‘on the other side’ so as to avoid a similar fate. The priest and the Levite do just this, but the Samaritan, regarded by the Jews as an outcast and unbeliever, not only stops to administer first aid but gives generously of his time and money to help the victim to recover fully. Asked the ‘killer’ question by Jesus, the lawyer has no choice but to say, probably reluctantly, that the Samaritan was the good neighbour. This seems to convey the underlying meaning that the standards preached by Jesus apply to all communities and ethnic groups not merely to those whom God has allegedly chosen. The parable, in its entirety, also suggests that the Samaritan really represents Jesus, whose intervention is required if such rigorous standards are ever to be met; the implication is clear: that the priests, despite all their minute regulation, their continual sacrifices and almost obsessive compulsive attitude to religion, fall woefully short in this regard. It is Jesus who will safeguard the traveler on ‘the journey’ and sustain them in times of trial or flagging spirits.

Let us pray that this simple but powerful message may remain uppermost in the minds of those who are inclined towards controversy and schism at the expense of the spiritual needs of those to whom they minister.

From: Rev. Graham Louden (UK)

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics, as well as courses in Mystical Christianity, Buddhism and Comparative Religion. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

Four Gospels

Contradictions and inconsistencies are numerous in the book of John, as many statements seem to negate the major theme and strengths of previous books, which emphasize love and nonjudgmental attitude toward others. Here, in parts of the book of John these major points are somewhat negatively modified.

In chapter 15 Jesus takes the glory for himself with the statement no one can bear any fruit without him. It is more about following the words of Jesus than following God’s words. By doing this in the writings he creates a separateness, divisive attitude among people in fact excluding those that may have a different point of view, a different belief system in place, a path that doesn’t include Jesus being the one and the only way to God.

The stories do seem to be written bluntly and in a more direct way. It is his (Jesus’) way or the highway. There is no room for questions or misinterpretations, or discussions. Freedom for a person to reflect on the words of Jesus and show their love for God is not possible if not through Jesus. You must and can only be granted a place in heaven by being a student and believer in Jesus. This is exclusionary and judgmental of other great religions that may share messages that are valid and very similar in many areas. With this divisive language it changes the focus of previous books to now the messenger IS the message.

There are other areas of the book that I feel are positive and supportive and that enhance positive growth for the followers. Why are there injustices in the world? Why is a person born with afflictions? This section brings insight to dispel thoughts of a curse by God but rather emphasizes that the person is an instrument to bring forth lessons to others that could not have been conveyed and achieved without their affliction. To learn all the lessons one needs to learn you must and will get different perspectives based on perhaps a series of incarnations. That may include different genders, races, physical handicaps, etc. Spirit lives on and is everlasting and this is what Jesus was showing people with the resurrection.

There is however inconsistencies here in John concerning judgmental attitudes. Though he espouses that “only through me” as previously discussed, here in chapter 12 he expresses how important people’s works and deeds will judge them. “What comes around goes around”, “Judge not lest ye be judged”. And in chapter 13 when Jesus washed the feet of other students he was basically supporting the idea that all people are equal and no man is above another; a symbol of equality.

The fact that there are so many obvious contradictions and inconsistencies supports the possibility that there were not only different authors but they were written during different times and circumstances reflecting such diverse interpretations.

Rev. Denise Ostopo-Gliozzi

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics, as well as courses in Mystical Christianity, Buddhism and Comparative Religion. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

Life of St. Paul

When, I first heard about St. Paul, I didn't want to know him, never mind study about him. The truth is, I felt something was not quite Kosher about the great St.Paul. I fought the idea of taking a course about him.

I do consider myself an honest and just person, so I decided that it was not fair to judge this man, simply because I didn't like the cut of his chin.

St. Paul proved to be a very strong idealist and warrior for his beliefs, even if they may be wrong.

It takes a strong man to admit, not only to himself but the world that he has made a mistake.

He got up on his high horse a "Prosecutor" and fell off, only to get up a "Protector"

Once converted, St. Paul pursued his task with vehemence and stalwart dedication. He gave his all. No holding back for any reason.

It was written, that St. Paul came to interpret Christ's teachings. At first, this really angered me. For, I felt that Christ needed no interpreter. Christ spoke plainly and in the language of the people. The fact that they did not accept His teachings or misunderstood them, was to do with their own limitations. After reading and researching St. Paul's interpretations, I understood what he was trying to do.

There were many people out there saying and teaching some wild and crazy ideas and calling it Christ's teachings. St. Paul was not so much interpreting, as correcting the teachings that were being spread by others.

The other thing that bothered me, is when St. Paul spoke of the women in the church. That they should be SILENT. 1 COR 14:34-35 That if they have any questions, they should wait to ask their husbands when they have returned to their homes. That's when I almost put the book down and walked away.

But I began to think of St. Paul........

Paul = Hebrew =Hebrew upbringing = ancient times = belief women are property and not even allowed to have an education =male chauvinism at it's peak = Paul didn't know any better.

Paul, as always, used what he knew. It was what it was. The world was run this way at the time. I would hope that if St. Paul showed up now, he would have a different view.

After all, God did not knock down Joseph and take a rib from his side and create, Jesus. God chose a woman. A woman was at the center of this most sacred act. Somehow, I feel God does not think of women as such low creatures. The vessel of womanhood held the Son of God.

THE MEN OF THE WORLD HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

Thank you for this course. I have learned a great deal about St. Paul and I have learned to respect him. I have also been made stronger and prouder in my own Sacred Feminism.

+Peace of Christ to all.

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

MYSTICAL CHRISTIANITY

I found this class the most profound and reflective of my own spiritual journey from all the classes I have taken so far in the seminary program. I decided to express my connection to the information I received weekly to what enabled me to connect to my spiritual self.

I feel the course brought "HUMANITY" to our belief system. I could connect with the Gnostic writers. It seemed that the writings were of simple truth. Today when one reads the gospels they seem so distant in meaning and are locked in a certain time period. The gospel of Mary Magdalene had the truest identity I thought Of who Jesus was and what his teachings could aspire to. It was perfectly natural in reading and I accept this as my belief in the relationship between Jesus and Mary. I feel this should not be viewed as heresy rather as "HUMAN REVELATION." It brought Jesus down from the exception to the example.

During my reading of this course the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" kept coming to my mind. I love this interpretation of the man called Jesus. The part where Mary Magdalene sings "I don't Know How To Love Him" is a pivotal part of my concept of Jesus-Christ. He was a man who had a deep spiritual connection. A Philosopher, Teacher, Lover, Friend and Enemy. He lived and died. His teachings are for me the symbol of his Resurrection.

I felt as I read these words of the Gnostic Gospels a connection to the humanity reflected in Teacher Jesus. Throughout many teachings of Christianity I feel we have lost the simple connection of these simple passionate spiritual people who have shaped the traditions of our modern church, not from themselves but from the power of men who wanted to write the word of God as a fearful law. Somewhere their voice and vision was changed.

The chapters on Mother Mary again reflected my belief on the concept of the profound love of Mother and child. In every culture I feel there is an innate bond between Mother and Child. These lessons I feel were enabling me to connect further with my inner God. As I write this paper I'm listening to the Musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" This again is a strong social statement on what really was happening during the time of Jesus, what would his journey be like if he would come today? Would it be all that different from two thousand years ago? Have we as a species really come far with the development of our human ego?

The Gospels are not stagnant. They are breathing life into our understanding of our spiritual belief. We are creating our own gospels as the bridge between creation and our creative world. What Jesus spoke of still remains as substance to debate. This demonstrates that his life, teaching and spirituality still harness our imagination and will to find our place in the continuation of divine thought.

Rev. Kurt Fondreist

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

Four Gospels

Katherine MacDowell, M.Ed.

When considering what topic to focus on after exploring The Unvarnished Gospels and the course study notes, I found myself returning to the Gospel of John’s chapter 15, which demonstrates a fascinating theological linkage between all three prior gospels’ use of the God the sower/farmer, vineyard, and fig tree parables and events. In John, Jesus states:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. Each branch of me that bears no fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He cleans so it will bear more fruit….If someone doesn’t remain in me, he’s already thrown out and withered like the branches which are collected and thrown into the fire and burned.

One of the more confusing passages in the gospels occurs in Mark when Jesus comes to the fig tree just outside of Jerusalem and curses it when he finds it has no fruit and he is hungry. The passage acknowledges that it is not fig season, so it makes little sense that Jesus would have been surprised to find the fig tree not bearing fruit given the emphasis on agrarian knowledge of his time and the internal emphasis on agrarian cycles within the gospels themselves. As such this passage must either assume the reader holds prior theological information about the Jesus and his relationship to fruit-bearing trees or later gospel writers sought to elaborate on Jesus’ inconsistent and petulant behavior. Here we can begin our journey in Matthew.

Chapter 24 indicates there is a lesson to be learned of the fig tree, whereby the fig tree is utilized to teach the disciples how to recognize the presence of God and His judgment. Here, God is likened to the cycle of spring and summer, reflecting bounty, nourishment, and harvest. In this capacity, Jesus is assuring his disciples that, not only are they learning the natural signs of God, but that when God does appear in judgment it is a time of abundance and bounty. It is a fruit-bearing time (at least for those who know the signs). If we interpret Mark through Matthew’s fig lesson elaboration, we can suggest that Jerusalem is not in season. It is not a place where God’s presence is ready to flourish and indeed, Jesus curses the tree so that it can never bear fruit. Given the fruit and flourishing reflect the presence of God nourishing those who receive Him, one way of interpreting this passage is as a reflection of God withholding His nourishment from Jerusalem. Given the gospel writers were writing after the final destruction of temple of Jerusalem by Rome, early Christians likely utilized these events as support for their belief in their new covenant with God

Yet this passage becomes even more complex as we explore the parables of the vineyards within Luke and Matthew. In both of these texts, Jesus likens God as the owner of a vineyard. The Vineyard is leased to the Jewish people (it cannot be interpreted as humanity at large as there is a distinct relationship of a contract or bond between the Vineyard owner and the tenants) who become unruly and unfaithful tenants, failing to live up to the contract or more accurately the covenant, becoming consumed with the need to possess all the wealth of the vineyard for themselves (a criticism that Jesus lays at the feet of the Pharisees). The servants are sent (likely contemporary prophets of Jesus such as John the Baptist) are beaten and killed. The vineyard owner then chooses to send his beloved son in the hopes that they will respect the heir, but they murder. In this capacity, the fig tree (a creation of God) of Jerusalem withholds its fruit from Jesus, denying him his rightful place as the farmer’s son. As such, Jesus, in his more sword-wielding role described in the texts when referring to the rapture, condemns the fig to wither and die (where its use becomes that of fire wood—recalling the themes of being cast into Gehenna). Thus we may also look at the Fig Tree incident as Jesus being revealed as the sword of God, the one who comes to deliver wrath (here I cannot help but be reminded of Steinback’s Grapes of Wrath). Thus we see Jesus theologically revealed not only as the passive sacrificial lamb, the final lamb of Passover to be sacrificed to God to reestablish the new covenant, but we see him as the lion that the Book of Revelations will eventually focus on. Jesus is both passive and submitting to God’s will; but when it comes to the will of man, Jesus is not submissive. Thus as John states, Jesus takes away the non-fruit–bearing tree of Jerusalem as God’s stand-in: the son who returns to the vineyard to check the progress of the tenants.

In considering this type of interpretation, it strikes me that it says more about the gospel writers’ relationship to the Jewish community and their growing need to appease Roman rulers (thus Pilate, whom we know historically was one of the more cruel governors, becomes a sympathetic figure, while the Jewish leaders become more and more demonized the later the gospels are written and gospels themselves, including several Gnostic texts become increasingly anti-Semitic). As such, I find it hard to believe that Jesus would overtly preach an ethic that condemns the Jews, since all gospels centrally agree that he retained and valued the Mosaic Law and felt, not that Judaism was evil, but rather that it needed to be revitalized and stripped down to its non-materialistic or cultural artifacts. Further, more statements from Jesus suggest he felt that if you were not accepted by any group, dust it off and move on—thus the wrathful vision of Jesus does not seem to be well supported, but may be an important image for early Christians facing significant bodily and social harm (hence the vineyard parable whereby God’s servants are harmed).

In this capacity, I think there is some value as to why when many of us read the Fig tree event it seems incongruent—overly harsh and judgmental. Yet as it is elaborated upon within the four gospels, it does illustrate what I do think is a beneficial conception of God as a farmer (interestingly echoing a new interpretation of the Book of Genesis, whereby Adam and Eve are viewed as the farmers of the world and God more distant), whereby God is diligent and ensures that His crops flourish and have all the nutrients they need to thrive and generate. In this capacity, we see it theologically revealed that God is close to us; hence John says that if we keep Jesus within us, we become like the vines of the vineyard and through this we directly benefit from an even more intimate relationship with God, the farmer.

by Katherine MacDowell, M.Ed.

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

Four Gospels

The thing that I was most touched by and reminded of is that of forgiveness and the Golden Rule in the Book of Matthew. I think I don’t forgive people enough forgiveness. A lot of people that I work with cause me a lot of frustration and anger for things that they do. I need to learn to forgive them for these things because I know deep down that these people are doing the best they can at their jobs. I think this also deals with judging other people too which is definitely mentioned by Jesus in the Book of Matthew. I have always had a part of me that judges people, mostly in a negative way. This is one of my things that I am trying to work on right now is judging people and forgiving them. Most of the people that I work with, I don’t know too well since I have been at my current job less then a year. 

A lot of the people I work with are great people, but it is the few that I really judge harshly and have the most difficult time forgive. This is where the Golden Rule comes into play for me. One of the guys in the bakery I had also thought of as a jerk and I always tried to avoid dealing with him at any cost. One day, I decided I would start saying hi to him and ask him how he was doing. Well, in a short time after starting to do this, he says hi back to me and asks me how I am doing and I don’t think he is a jerk anymore. His personality is just that way where if you don’t talk to him, he can come off as a jerk. By being nice to him, he is returning the favor to me. This has also worked with a lot of the customers that I deal with too. While I have been instructed by my employer to be nice, I had to fake it at first. But when I had been there awhile, I started to get to know some of the customers and started being friendly to them and they became friendly with me and I am starting to learn their names and what they are doing in their lives.

I had always been brought up to forgive people, not to judge people, and to live by the Golden Rule that was discussed in the 4 Gospel course. Somewhere along the way, I had gone astray and not too many people wanted to help me or forgive me for what I had done. Reading the Book of Matthew again had me thinking about the way I had been living for some years. As I am actively working on forgiving people, not judging people, and living by the Golden Rule, my life has been getting better. More people have been willing to help me and have been willing to extend their hands when I really need the help, especially when I am having a mental health crisis. So the impacts of “If you forgive people for stepping out of line, your heavenly Father will forgive you too. But if you don’t forgive other people, your Father also won’t forgive you for stepping out of line” has taken a new meaning to me now since I know that my heavenly Father might be the only one to forgive me for stepping out of line.

The other passages that I am referring to in the above essay are “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged; you will be sentenced to the same sentence that you sentence others…” has meaning to me that just occurred to me as I was rereading it. I have a tendency to be harsh to other people when I judge them and want to sentence them.

The last passage that I was referring to is “So everything you want people to do for you, you do the same for them, because that’s the law and the prophets.” I used to not want to do things for people, especially at work, but would expect them to do the same for me. Now, I am doing a lot more for people, both inside and outside of work, and I do get help from the people I have helped which is very nice to see nowadays.

By Michael Barth

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Science of Religion

I have to admit I was not looking forward to this lesson. I do not like philosophy. To me it is just people who are not afraid to speak their opinion and want to get recognized.

I was impressed with what I learned and did get some answers to questions I had and learned some things about myself.

Let me explain this way. I have always been a person that believes totally in God but have a real bad taste in my mouth for churches. When we were young and living in a house with a father who was an alcoholic, my mom taught us her way of believing and what was best for us. We had a cabin that we built as a family growing up. We did not go to church much, but were members of a church. I remember one time our minister came to the house and accused my mom of not raising us right because we were not in church. My little 5 ft mom kicked him right out the door, saying we believe in God, but the things that keeps us together is being up north. 

During the week my dad spent all his time in the bar after work, spending money we did not have and never being around when we needed him My mom not having a license had to depend on others to get groceries, hospital emergencies and most things, however when we were up north with no electricity or plumbing we were a family. We played family games, rode snowmobiles, fished, spent time with friends. It was a great way to grow up. The cabin was our house of God. That is were we were a family and felt God keeping us together.

When I met my husband and we decided to get married we went to his church, were his family was very active in the church. We wanted to get married in the yard on his family farm, but the Minister said he would not tip toe through the tulips. The minister said it was not a house of God. How much closer to God can you get than under the sky above.

When we had our children I believed it was right to have them in Sunday school and be confirmed so they could make their own choices. During that time I did teach Sunday school. My son never had much to do with the church, my daughter loved it until she got older and was totally turned off by the same Minister that would not tip toe through the tulips.

I really had a hard time with a minister who did not even acknowledge your presents when you went to church and when he sees you on the street he does not know you are there.

Getting back to the coarse, it taught me why some ministers are the way they are and I can forgive them for it. The to are a product of greed, at least some of them. It still amazes me though how people are because of one philosopher. But then I see it every day in the way people listen to the news with politics, (because it is on the news it is true). I believe in 1% of the news, especially when it come to politics. Words or a lack of them can be a very dangerous thing.

I am an Municipal Judge here in Glenwood City. The law is so much like religion. If you have a good attorney that can take one word in the law and change its meaning, he can get you off. It all has to do with interpretation.

This coarse has also taught me to get my ego in check. I had thought I was doing pretty good in that area, but have since learned I have a long way to go. Trying to build my business of Holistic Pet Pampering. Healing Energy, and all Natural Products has been hard. I have groomed for 15 years and working with the animals and the love I have for them is easy. However building this business with finances and wanting to be financially stable is getting in the way of why I started to begin with. It made me realize I have to just focus on helping as many animals and people as possible and try not to dwell on the finances. It will come. My ego also gets in the way of how I look at some people and being jealous of others successes.

The sad part about all of this, God loves us all unconditionally, but it is the interpretation of his love that causes wars and hate among others. There is some definitely wrong with this.

My sister says I should talk about God more in my teachings of Reiki and healing energy. I refer to the Higher Power. I try to explain that even though my Higher Power is God, It is not everyone’s. I have to keep religion out of it. She has a hard time separating the two. I do tell people I am a Minister and proud to be able to say that, but I specify that I am a Minister of the Body, Mind and Spirit, and the Higher Power. not a Minister of Religion. This coarse helped me to figure that out and explain the difference of the two.

Rev. Kimberly Moe

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception

The Four Gospels

The Sermon on the Mount has always been one of my favorite parts of scripture. In the words that Christ uses He explains the benefits of walking with Him. There is so much hope for the believer and His words give so many reasons to follow Him. For example:

“The poor in Spirit are in luck, the kingdom of the skies is theirs”. How many more poor people are there (financially strapped) then there are wealthy? To know that there is a hope that all they have to do is believe in something outside what they see. They can see and feel poverty but because Jesus has given them such an amazing hope, that motivates their faith to continue on. These words were a great help during many a time when we were without because we were actually wealthier then most because we had a hope.

How many of us suffer daily with just the circumstances of life and then we are given a reason to go on because of the words Jesus uses here. We are given a reason for doing what is good and right. There is a reward for all of this and it may not be here on earth but we will receive it and the way I see it is that “The kingdom of the skies” is in fact heaven. Christians have been persecuted in one form or another for believing because you can’t always see things with physical eyes. However; when the eyes of your spirit are opened it’s much easier to see the benefits of being that follower of these words. “You are in luck”. I have personal experience with seeing things with my spiritual eyes and I am grateful for each and every experience. These times are like glue that bonds my faith to the continuance of my walk, a reward here on earth.

Christ gives so much encouragement to the masses. “You are the salt of the earth and you are the light of the world”, I wish my earthly father would have been able to give me such an encouragement! To know that I can do the same things that Jesus did, that I can love, to be capable of forgiveness, then I am like Him. I can do, I will do, and our Father in heaven recognizes each and every act of kindness, each and every move we make is recognized by God and our treasures are stored in heaven waiting for us as a reward for following these words. Encouragement will always make someone want to do what’s right.

Then, He lets us all know that there are rules we need to follow. We can’t be like those that do evil. We are to set and example of being “Christ like” and that should be our goal in life: to hunger for justice, to be merciful, to see goodness in others and to be those peacemakers. If we were to post these words on our walls and read them over and over everyday would it make it easier to apply them to our daily walk. Maybe we will but if we write them on our hearts and commit ourselves to follow them, then we will see our hope, we will receive our rewards. Yes, it’s a journey but what a journey it is!

Rev. Renee Cormalis

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Four Gospels

This paper is written about a story from Luke Chapter 18. ( Pharisee and tax-collector )

There was once a pharisee and a tax-collector who went to the temple at the same time to pray. This pharisee prayed to God, thanking Him that he was glad to be so much better then the tax-collector who was behind him. Mr. Holier Than Thou Pharisee was telling God how great of a man he was and all the good things he did for the community and his church. While basking in his own glory, he was trashing this guy behind him. In fact, he was probably listing every single reason why he didn't like him and how awful he thought he was ( I've done that before).

In the mean time, this so-called sinner was too ashamed of himself to even come to the front of the sanctuary at the alter to pray (at alone look at God if he could see Him). Yet he was brave enough to go to God's house and pray. This sinner admitted to God all the things he had done wrong and expressed his own remorse for his actions. In turn God forgave him, because He saw that this man was truly repenting of his bad conduct. (REPENT means to "turn away from")

Most Christians who are "TRADITIONAL" in their faith are no different from the pharisees back in Jesus's days on earth. Traditional Christians believe or at least think that if you go to church three or four times a week in your best suit, dump a lot of money in the offering plate each time it passes by you, listen to nothing but "CHRISTIAN MUSIC", send your kids to "CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS", and talk about Jesus ALL DAY LONG in every conversation from the minute they wake up til you go to bed, you're on the way to the beautiful pearly gates of heaven.

In the eyes of most "TRADITIONAL CHRISTIANS", if you do not do everything "CHRISTIAN", you are going to this most awful place called; "HELL!" I call this NONSENSE; "THE CHRISTIAN GHETTO". The "CHRISTIAN GHETTO" HAS ABSOLUTELY NO REAL MEANING TO IT WHATSOEVER! All it means to "TRADITIONAL CHRISTIANS", is that it's a security blanket. They seem to think that when they get to the judgment bar (where God sits) after they die, they can say to Him;

"LOOK! I sent my kids to CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS and only allowed my kids to play with other CHRISTIAN KIDS! Shouldn't that count for anything on my behalf?!"

WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY IN THE PARAGRAPH BELOW MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO SOME, BUT IT'S HOW I FEEL.

Not only do I think this ideology is retarded, but it's the most RIDICULOUS ideology for someone to have. Not only is it RIDICULOUS, but it tells me that people with this type of thinking are VERY INSECURE ABOUT THEMSELVES!

AGAIN, IF WHAT I SAID IN THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH IS OFFENSIVE TO SOME ONE, I APOLOGIZE. THIS IS HOW I FEEL.

People who claim Christianity, but DO NOT claim the traditional thinking, KNOW that God loves each person unconditionally ( including themselves ). God not only loves us unconditionally, but He also forgives us for every sin we commit. They also KNOW that God is not going to condemn them for electing HILLARY CLINTON for President OF THE UNITED STATES instead of John McCain. God does not care how we dress, how often we attend church, how big of a check we drop in the collection plate, or if our kids marry outside their race.

What God cares about, is these two simple things: "Love thy neighbor as you love thyself" and "Love the Lord your God with all thy heart, soul, and mind". By following the "TEN COMMANDMENTS" we are following these two great commandments listed. Even if we fall short in obeying these commandments, God will give us GRACE. This is because, God KNOW's that sooner or later we're going to break one, two, or more of these commandments. After all, He KNOW's that we're not perfect! This is why He sent His son Jesus Christ to earth as a human being just like us. Except Jesus Christ came in a different time era before you and I did. However, it still applies to US!

Whether we obey His teachings or not, is our choice. If we decide to worship in a one-million dollar church building wearing our best suit on Sunday morning is our choice. If we decide to worship on Friday evening in the forest, wearing cut-off blue jean shorts and a tank top while holding a can of bud-light in our hand ( I prefer Budweiser Select ), that's our choice. What we wear and who we hang out with is our choice.

Following Jesus Christ does not mean that I have to follow all these RIDICULOUS rituals and dogmas. It means that I have a relationship with my creator, and what I do ( as long as it's legal and not breaking "Choose that which is right" ) is between me and Him/Her.

People with "TRADITIONAL CHRISTIAN" beliefs make me wonder if they even have an idea of what the true gospel of Jesus Christ teaches.

This concludes my paper on THE FOUR GOSPELS course.

Rev. Troy Graham

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.