Lately I’ve been thinking about where our community exists. We don’t have a single church or a center to call home base, nor do we have a network of readers homes that we can visit wherever we might be in town.

This got me thinking about a few issues that I would like to tackle.

First being the fact that we do not have a church to gather in or visit. I know that the UB does not call for us forming a church to praise and pray but it sure would be amazing to have a center or meeting place besides our living rooms that we could invite others to and have sermons by fellow readers, as well as a home base for the communities Urantia book readers and guests that we might invite. Though I very much respect the one on one interaction of an at home study group there is a definite missing. For me it is other ways to express my passion for what I learn when studying the UB. Look at the success of the large churches. They have a watered down version of Jesus’ truth and with a little light show and some music they rock the house and attract millions of followers!

Second is a network of readers who are willing to host fellow traveling readers. How much more enticing would it be to a young evangelist if he knew he had a home to stay in for a night or two in most cities? A network of loving families to support him/her while traveling for the gospel of the good news. Outreach is going to take a million and one shapes but the support for the disciples must be solid. This website will be announcing a program that you can participate in to help this much needed network start to take shape. Stay toned for more and IC’11!

There is another issue I would like to bring light to. Last week I was talking with a long time Urantia Book reader about the culture and attitude of the movement. We discussed how when many of the now older readers found the book they where immediately driven to serve. Many traveled to Chicago in search of a loving dynamic community to join and serve in. But what they found was a group of kind but inactive UB readers who looked down on these inspired souls and their desire to share this books greatness with the world. Most where told that the revelation needed to be spread through slow “one on one” introductions. This attitude still persists even now! And look where the Urantia Book sits on the world stage. It doesn’t.

Meredith Sprunger saw this happening in his community and tried to intervene. And I quote:

“ Many people who long to serve and help spread the good news of the fifth epochal revelation are confused by conflicting advice given by leaders in the URANTIA movement. Some are even afraid of violating some “hidden” or “implied” directive of the revelators of The URANTIA Book. It is time that these ambiguities be laid to rest.” follow the link for more.

Jesus tells us on p. 1729.6

“The religion of the spirit means effort, struggle, conflict, faith, determination, love, loyalty, and progress. The religion of the mind–the theology of authority–requires little or none of these exertions from its formal believers. Tradition is a safe refuge and an easy path for those fearful and halfhearted souls who instinctively shun the spirit struggles and mental uncertainties associated with those faith voyages of daring adventure out upon the high seas of unexplored truth in search for the farther shores of spiritual realities as they may be discovered by the progressive human mind and experienced by the evolving human soul.”

THIS WAS IN 1983 for crying out loud! But let me be clear the time is here my friends. The beauty and truth in the UB can not be held down anymore by those who are afraid in their own hearts to live its teachings. This generation will hold itself and those who negate the outreach movement accountable.

It says in the UB loud and clear.

195:10.5 ” In winning souls for the Master, it is not the first mile of compulsion, duty, or convention that will transform man and his world, but rather the second mile of free service and liberty-loving devotion that betokens the Jesusonian reaching forth to grasp his brother in love and sweep him on under spiritual guidance toward the higher and divine goal of mortal existence.”

Is slow growth going the second mile? I would say its surly is not. The second mile is living a dynamic spiritual life. Being upfront and proud of your relationship with God and all that it brings to your experience of existence.

This is not about making anyone or any group of people wrong let us make that clear. This conversation is about actually LIVING THE TEACHINGS OF THE URANITA BOOK! We must forgive ourselves for falling into the patterns that are natural to the nature of being human.

To let religion take over your life is to exercise faith on a level we rarely see in our culture. And when we do see such a dynamic individual we have no idea how that person achieved it. So what our goal is as young readers is to form a community of purpose driven evangelist who are always in training on ways to live the teachings of the Urantia Book. “The religion of the mind–the theology of authority–requires little or none of these exertions from its formal believers.” and not only that its not very inspiring.

This generation is dedicated to bring a world full of lost

and hungry souls to the gates of heaven.



Thank you for listening. With love and respect.

by Joseph Earle 

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Truth Seekers in Nigeria”

A Urantia Book conference in Nigeria heard a school teacher’s interesting ideas about reaching young Christians.

As ten study group leaders in Lagos took turns to speak during a meeting on September 6, 2024, to review their progress for the year, one story stood out.

Tosin Oyewol, a school teacher (pictured above), started reading The Urantia Book in 2010 because it was about Jesus, and she was a Christian. While she soon realized that it conflicted with her Bible based understanding, she found it curiously reassuring to her spirit, writes Emeka Anazodo, coordinator of the Urantia Peace Initiative (UPI) that organized the Lagos Urantia Conference where the leaders’ meeting took place.

Although the book was a lot to take in for a hardcore Christian such as Tosin, she persisted with an open mind. In his report on the conference, Emeka says Tosin got so inspired by the book that she decided to share her newfound truth with her church companions. “But, being a Christian, she knew firsthand how hard it would be for them to accept the new perspectives presented by the book.”

So she decided to devise a way to share the teachings of the book without making it confrontational in areas of apparent contradiction with Bible teachings. “Being a school teacher, she decided to form a club for her students where she would emphasize one philosophy based on the teachings of The Urantia Book,” Emeka writes. 

“She was still thinking of a name for her club when the screening of Pato Banton’s documentary, 'The  Spirit of Ubuntu,' was announced for April 7, 2024. She named her club Ubuntu, and used beautiful quotes from the book to back this African philosophy.”  

Tosin Oywol and her Ubuntu Club

Tosin now uses her Sunday school class to skillfully raise the curiosity of her students on questions created by gaps in some Bible teachings, and then she  provides satisfying bridges for those gaps by suggesting research into The Urantia Book. Some of her students’ parents have become comfortable with reading the book through her creative approach. And so, her Ubuntu club—a Urantia Book study group—is thriving, reports Emeka.

Tosin’s testimony was an inspiration to all the leaders present, he adds. “It was also an assurance that the decision of the Urantia Peace Initiative to try to spread The Urantia Book without pressing anyone’s religious buttons was a sound one.”

The other leaders at the meeting were Emeka Anazodo (pictured below), Charity Charles, Shola Agagu, Michael Anazodo, Chike Martins, Emmanuel Ajewole, Blessing Odeyemi, Maya Anazodo, and Clement Odum.  A high point was a musical presentation by Chike Martins, a saxophonist who uses his music—a beautiful blend of African and Western jazz—to spread the teachings of The Urantia Book. 

The theme of the two-day conference, held on September 6 and 7, 2024, was “Ubuntu,” the African philosophy that emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity and the importance of community, compassion, and mutual respect. 

Emeka reports that awareness of The Urantia Book is growing gradually in Nigeria. In 2022 the UPI hosted its first Urantia conference in Lagos on the theme “Religion of the Spirit” during which 60 copies of the book were handed out. The UPI Urantia Conference in 2023, on the theme “Contagious Love,” brought Urantia Book leaders together from across Nigeria. Meanwhile, a documentary called “The Spirit of Ubuntu,” by Pato Banton and Antionette Rootsdawtah, was screened in Lagos in April 2024.

“These events have contributed immensely to a remarkable surge in the awareness and interest surrounding The Urantia Book among truth seekers in Nigeria,” writes Emeka.

“Nigeria's unique cultural and spiritual landscape is at present further catalyzing the book’s growth in popularity within the region, as some religious organizations are already secretly or openly incorporating its teachings in their doctrines. A typical example is the Positive Way Mission Church in Lagos. 

“This year’s conference theme, presentation topics, and organization were carefully chosen with Nigeria’s rich tapestry of religions and philosophies in mind. The conference therefore provided a fertile ground for many spiritually inclined and curious individuals to rub minds and relish the unique perspectives presented by The Urantia Book.”  

The objectives of this year’s conference were to further the aims of last year’s event and to consolidate its gains—and to these extents the program was very successful, reports Emeka.

Attendance and enthusiasm were higher than last year, with attendance reaching 82 persons despite the fact that Nigeria was at the peak of a transportation crisis caused by an all-time hike in the pump price of petrol. More group leaders emerged, while a study group created last year, as an offshoot of the conference, attended as a group and made some presentations. Furthermore, vibrant new Urantia-based WhatsApp groups have been created.

“Urantia Peace Initiative is particularly grateful for the financial support it received from the Mustard Seed Grants Fund of Urantia Foundation and to the International Fellowship Committee of The Urantia Book Fellowship for providing part of the matching funds that made this event possible,” says Emeka. 

“And last, but certainly not least, the UPI wishes to thank wholeheartedly all contributors  and participants of this event for making it informative as well as enjoyable!

CONTINUE READING HERE ON URANTIA FELLOWSHIP NETWORK

The Power of Evolutionary Autorevelation Uplifted by Periodic Epochal Revelation

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Truth is always a revelation: autorevelation when it emerges as a result of the work of the indwelling Adjuster; epochal revelation when it is presented by the function of some other celestial agency,

Introduction

Humanity’s spiritual and intellectual progress is not a random occurrence but a divinely orchestrated process. According to The Urantia Book—the 5th Epochal Revelation—truth unfolds through two complementary mechanisms: evolutionary autorevelation and epochal revelation. Evolutionary autorevelation represents humanity’s gradual discovery of truth through reason, experience, and spiritual insight. Epochal revelation, on the other hand, is a divine intervention that periodically uplifts human understanding, correcting errors and accelerating progress.

Together, these forces shape civilization’s ascent toward higher truth, fostering both individual and collective enlightenment.

Evolutionary Autorevelation: Humanity’s Slow Ascent

Evolutionary autorevelation is the natural process by which human beings—through science, philosophy, religion, and personal experience—discover fragments of truth. This is the slow, often laborious path of trial and error, where wisdom accumulates over generations.

• Science and Reason: Through observation and experimentation, humanity uncovers the laws of the universe.

• Philosophy and Ethics: Moral progress emerges as societies refine their ideals of justice, compassion, and human dignity.

• Personal Spiritual Growth: Individuals experience divine guidance through prayer, intuition, and the indwelling Thought Adjuster (God’s presence within the mind).

However, evolutionary progress is imperfect. Misinterpretations, superstitions, and cultural biases can distort truth. Left unchecked, humanity might stagnate or even regress.

Epochal Revelation: Divine Corrections and Accelerations

To prevent truth from being lost or corrupted, epochal revelations are bestowed upon the world at critical junctures. These periodic Epochal Revelations come from higher spiritual beings and provide a corrective, clarifying, and elevating influence.

Truth is always a revelation: autorevelation when it emerges as a result of the work of the indwelling Adjuster; epochal revelation when it is presented by the function of some other celestial agency, group, or personality.

In the last analysis, religion is to be judged by its fruits, according to the manner and the extent to which it exhibits its own inherent and divine excellence.

Truth may be but relatively inspired, even though revelation is invariably a spiritual phenomenon. While statements with reference to cosmology are never inspired, such revelations are of immense value in that they at least transiently clarify knowledge by:

1. The reduction of confusion by the authoritative elimination of error.

2. The co-ordination of known or about-to-be-known facts and observations.

3. The restoration of important bits of lost knowledge concerning epochal transactions in the distant past.

4. The supplying of information which will fill in vital missing gaps in otherwise earned knowledge.

5. Presenting cosmic data in such a manner as to illuminate the spiritual teachings contained in the accompanying revelation.

The 5th Epochal Revelation Papers identifies five major epochal revelations:

1. The Dalamatian Teachings (500,000 years ago) – Early moral and governmental concepts.

2. The Edenic Revelation (circa 38,000 years ago) – Adam and Eve’s mission to uplift biological and cultural evolution.

3. The Melchizedek Mission (4,000 years ago) – The teachings of Machiventa Melchizedek, introducing the concept of one God.

4. The Life of Jesus (2,000 years ago) – The supreme revelation of God’s love in human form.

5. The Urantia Papers (20th century) – A comprehensive synthesis of science, philosophy, and spirituality and John's 14:6, prophesied coming of the everlasting gospel.

Each revelation builds upon the last, addressing humanity’s evolving capacity to comprehend higher truths.

The Dynamic Interaction Between Autorevelation and Epochal Revelation

Evolutionary autorevelation and epochal revelation work in tandem:

1. Autorevelation Prepares the Ground – Before a new revelation is given, humanity must reach a certain level of understanding. For example, Greek philosophy and Jewish monotheism prepared the way for Jesus’ teachings.

2. Epochal Revelation Elevates and Corrects – Divine revelations clarify misconceptions (e.g., correcting primitive views of God) and introduce advanced concepts (e.g., the brotherhood of all people).

3. Autorevelation Assimilates the Revelation – After a revelation is given, humanity gradually interprets, tests, and integrates it into culture, science, and religion.

This cyclical process ensures that truth is both preserved and progressively unfolded.

The Implications for Today’s Seekers of Truth

Understanding this dynamic offers profound insights for modern truth-seekers:

• Value Both Reason and Revelation: Neither blind faith nor pure materialism suffices. True wisdom comes from balancing human discovery with divine guidance.

• Embrace Progressive Truth: No single religion or philosophy holds a monopoly on truth. Each epochal revelation builds upon the last, inviting us to grow in understanding.

• Participate in the Spiritual Ascent: Each individual’s search for truth contributes to the collective evolutionary progress.

Conclusion

The interplay between evolutionary autorevelation and epochal revelation ensures that humanity’s spiritual and intellectual journey is neither stagnant nor haphazard. As we stand on the shoulders of past revelations—and as we continue to seek truth through reason, experience, and divine guidance—we participate in the grand cosmic ascent toward ultimate reality: the Universal Father.

"The search for truth is never-ending. Revelation is periodic; wisdom is eternal."

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This article discuses how to attract searching souls to the *good news of Jesus' everlasting gospel* and introduce them to the *Fifth Epochal Revelation*

We must embody the love, wisdom, and truth that Jesus exemplified while adapting our approach to the spiritual needs of this age. The work requires wisdom, divine love, and spiritual sensitivity.

The next time you see a bag of Epsom salt on sale, grab it. You‘ll be ready to tackle everything from tired feet to tomato plants with the confidence of someone who knows that frugality isn’t just about saving money—it’s about making the most of what you have. And if nothing else, it’ll give you one more thing to brag about at your next PTA meeting. “Oh, you spent $20 on grout cleaner? I made mine with Epsom salt and dish soap.” Cue the applause.

Epsom salt is often overlooked despite its numerous uses and benefits. It is an affordable and versatile item that deserves more attention in the household.

Epsom salt is a naturally occurring mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate, not to be confused with edible table salt, which is sodium chloride. Discovered in Epsom, Surrey, England, it has been utilized for centuries for various purposes, including relieving muscle aches, gardening, and household maintenance.

Relieve Muscle Pain

To soothe aching muscles, add one or two cups of Epsom salt to a warm bath and soak for 15 to 20 minutes.

Why It Works: The magnesium in Epsom salt aids in muscle relaxation and reduces inflammation, making it an excellent choice for post-exercise recovery or after strenuous activities.

Remove stye's from eyes.  Dissolve Epsom Salt in a dish of boiling water when cooled sufficiently bath the eye. in Two or three treatments the stye will disappear and never return.

Why it works. Epsom Salt is anti-inflammatory and it kills the bacteria causing the stye.

Create a DIY Body Scrub

Combine Epsom salt with olive oil or coconut oil to create an exfoliating scrub. Adding essential oils can enhance the fragrance if desired.

Why It Works: Epsom salt's abrasive texture efficiently exfoliates dead skin cells while remaining gentle enough for regular use.

Extract Splinters

Dissolve one tablespoon of Epsom salt in warm water and soak the affected area.

Why It Works: The anti-inflammatory properties of Epsom salt help draw out the splinter and reduce inflammation around the area.

Enhance Plant Growth

Apply a tablespoon or two of Epsom salt to the base of plants, or dissolve it in water and spray on the leaves.

Why It Works: Magnesium and sulfate are vital nutrients for plant growth, particularly for tomatoes, peppers, and roses. This method provides a cost-effective alternative to specialty fertilizers.

Revitalize Feet

Add half a cup of Epsom salt to a basin of warm water and soak your feet.

Why It Works: Epsom salt softens calluses and soothes soreness, providing much-needed relief and care for your feet.

Clean Tile and Grout

Mix equal parts of Epsom salt and Blue Dawn dish soap. Use the mixture to scrub tile and grout.

Why It Works: The combination of Epsom salt's abrasiveness and Blue Dawn's degreasing ability effectively cleans without the need for harsh chemicals.

Increase Hair Volume

Blend equal parts of Epsom salt and conditioner. Apply to hair, leave for 10 minutes, and rinse thoroughly.

Why It Works: Epsom salt helps remove excess oil and buildup, enhancing hair volume and appearance.

Clean Cookware

Sprinkle Epsom salt on burnt-on food and scrub with a sponge.

Why It Works: Epsom salt's coarse texture aids in removing stubborn residue without damaging cookware.

Repel Garden Pests

Spread Epsom salt around the garden to deter slugs and snails.

Why It Works: Slugs and snails avoid Epsom salt, allowing you to protect your garden naturally and economically.

Improve Sleep Quality

Take an Epsom salt bath before bedtime.

Why It Works: Magnesium can help improve sleep quality, making Epsom salt baths a relaxing and beneficial pre-sleep ritual.

Remove Blackheads

Mix one teaspoon of Epsom salt with warm water and a few drops of iodine. Apply with a cotton ball, let it sit for a minute, and rinse.

Why It Works: This mixture helps loosen blackheads and cleanse pores efficiently.

Conclusion

Epsom salt is an invaluable and economical tool for a variety of applications. Its diverse uses, from soothing tired muscles to enhancing plant growth, make it a valuable addition to any household. When you next find Epsom salt on sale, consider purchasing it to leverage its many benefits, thus demonstrating both frugality and resourcefulness.

By Ken Helsley

Are You Ready for Action?

Are you properly girded with the Armor of the Lord? In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he made this analogy regarding putting on the full armor of God. “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:16-17)

But taking up the armor implies that you are ready for action and have been trained and prepared to go out and face the trials of spiritual warfare. But how many of us, even after years of reading and studying TheUrantia Book, can say we have donned the armor that we have been provided through the Fifth Epochal Revelation to mankind?

Parable of the Wasted Treasure 

A mighty king once ruled over a wonderful and fruitful land. One day, one of his foreign emissaries came to him and said, “My Lord, I have grave news. The king of another land has become hungry for conquest and is preparing his people to march out to war. They are still a long way off, but if they are successful, they will one day come for us as well. You must prepare the people for the day when they will reach our shores.”

So, the King ordered his generals to use all the resources of the treasury to begin preparing to defend the land. They went to the village closest to the landing spot where the enemy would most likely land and spared no expense in giving them armor and weapons, so when the enemy arrived, they would be prepared. He sent his best armorers, smiths, and war trainers to that village. But the people rejected and corrupted the smiths and trainers, and they became lazy.

Five years went by, and the day came when the king went out to inspect the village that he hoped would be his country’s first line of defense when the enemy arrived. But when he came to the village, he found all of the armor and weapons he had sent them were highly polished and gleaming but used only as fancy decorations in the homes of the people. 

The king called the villagers together and said to them, “Five years ago, I sent to you my finest armorers and smiths and a great treasure, so you might prepare yourselves for the enemy when they arrive, and yet it is unused and sits in your homes as decorations. What have you been doing with this great treasure I bestowed upon this village to be prepared to stave off the enemy when they arrive on our shores?”

A spokesman for the village stepped up and said, “But my Lord, we had great fun with the armor and weapons you gave to us. We held many jousts and played many fun games. We donned the armor, held great feasts and wonderful celebrations, and pretended that we were great knights who had just saved the kingdom from destruction. We had a wonderful time with what you gave to us, and we are very appreciative of your gift. But we are just common folk, My Lord. Surely you did not expect us to train and become fit to march out for actual battle?”

But rather than becoming angry, the king became saddened, and with tears rolling down his face, he said to his generals, “These people are lost to us. I hoped that they would be our first line of defense and be able to save themselves and us when the enemy reached our shores, while we worked to call the rest of our people to arms. But, lo, they have wasted this wonderful treasure I have given to them, and they have not used the time I gave them to train for action. Take away all that I have given them and give it to the next village in the path of the enemy, so they now may be prepared when the enemy arrives. This village is of no use to us, they are as good as dead men. They had five years to prepare, and they did nothing. They have given our enemy a great advantage, but perhaps the next village will be wiser and use my treasure to better prepare for action.”

What Have You Done With Your Treasure?

Seventy Years ago, our king delivered to us a great treasure in the form of The Urantia Book. I doubt that any of us alive today has had the full 70 years to read and study this treasure, but the vast majority of Urantia Book readers have had our five years or more to prepare for action. 

So I must ask, what have you done with this treasure? Have you used it as was intended by our king? Or have you wasted it by turning it into nothing more than an object to be enjoyed and frittered away with endless academic studies and discussions? If you have been reading and studying The Urantia Book for five years or more, it’s time to show the fruits of that preparation time.

I often hear people say, “But I’m not ready,” or “I don’t know what to do.” Let me share with you some advice a very wise friend once gave to me. My friend was a pastor at the church I was attending at the time. I was in a bit of an existential crisis and feeling quite lost. I went to Pastor Ron, and I told him that I felt stuck, like I needed to do something, but I just couldn't figure out what I needed to do to get unstuck. 

Pastor Ron looked at me with patience and said, “Ken, remember it is easier to redirect an object already in motion than it is to put that object in motion to begin with. Just get up and do something. Put yourself in motion, and God can then redirect you as he sees fit from that point.”

I took that advice to heart. I began sitting on committees and getting involved in things that before I had felt I was not qualified for and not ready for, and he was right; it led in many different directions and ultimately to The Urantia Book. In that process, I found many things that I didn’t enjoy doing, and it even led me away from the traditional organized institutions I had practiced in my entire life, and I went down many dead-end roads. Admittedly, there were times when I felt like a billiard ball bouncing aimlessly around a pool table, but I eventually found my pocket when I stumbled onto The Urantia Book.

I recently came to the point in my zeal for the message of The Urantia Book that I once again felt compelled to get up and move. I reached out to the Fellowship to volunteer. This led to some very wonderful discussions with several leaders within the community regarding writing some articles and outreach opportunities with the Fellowship’s Area Coordinators. I don’t know what these opportunities will lead to, and I may be bouncing around for a while once again until I find the pocket God has meant for me, but I am confident I will find it.

Service Opportunities Abound 

The one thing I have found, however, is that there is no limit to the opportunities to serve. Part IV of The Urantia Book, “The Life and Teachings of Jesus,” has one unmistakable conclusion. Action is expected of anyone who counts themselves among the brotherhood of man. If you believe yourself to be a faith son under the fatherhood of God, then it doesn’t matter what that action is, so long as it is in service of mankind and the brotherhood.

I have learned that The Urantia Book Fellowship is always in great need of volunteers to help in many different endeavors within the community. But whether you serve within the Urantia community or in your own local civic community in a shelter or food pantry or any of the hundreds of opportunities that abound in the endless need for service volunteers in the service of the brotherhood of man, service is service. 

I understand that when you are new to a message like The Urantia Book or a new church, it can feel awkward when it comes to getting involved with the mechanics of an organization already in place. We all ask ourselves, “Will I be accepted? Do I know enough? What if someone asks me a question I can’t answer? What if they ask more of me than I can give at this time?” But just be honest with those you work with and be willing to try something new occasionally, and if one thing turns out to not be a fit for you, try something else.

If you have been studying The Urantia Book for five years or more, it’s time to take some action if you haven’t already done so. Our king is counting on us to be of service to the brotherhood. Step out of your comfort zone. Find your pocket. I guarantee you, if you just put yourself in motion and are open to doing the will of the Father, he will redirect you as needed to where he knows is your best fit.

It’s hard to be a beacon on a hill if you keep your light covered. If you have taken the message of Jesus to heart, as it is laid out for us in The Urantia Book, then put on the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, and you cannot help but shine with the love for your fellow man just as Jesus did. 

Be the light in your community. Ready yourself for action. Our king is counting on you!

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A Calling to the Sons and Daughters of God on Urantia

A Clarion Call

Are we proclaiming the Kingdom of God or are we engaged in just another academic study of yet another spiritual text? Are we letting the light of truth shine through us in service and action? Are we a beacon on the hill to those around us? KEN HELSLEY has some soul-searching questions for the Urantia community.

"We have to do more. The harvest is ripe, it's time to bring it in."

I love The Urantia Book. I found the book about eight years ago and have developed the habit of reading through it at least once a year. 

I had spent several years searching for meaning within my faith. I was sixty years old and had come out of the traditional Christian church where I grew up and served on committees, as a deacon, and even as a full-time employee for a church at one point. But I felt lost and so I began searching for something more. 

It took several years and several faulty paths before I found what I had longed for in The Urantia Book. When I first saw it on a bookstore shelf, I felt like it just jumped off the shelf and into my hand. Throughout those years of searching, I never lost my faith in God; I just knew something was missing in my understanding of God.

After reading The Urantia Book for some time, I felt I needed to find other readers to study with, so I went online and found a local group that met not too far from my home. When Covid hit, we had to disband. I then found a remote group, and over the years I’ve met and studied with several live and virtual groups and forums. I’ve truly loved every moment of every group and study session I have been involved in. 

I’ve always been impressed with the level of intellectual scholarship I’ve found among Urantia Book readers. In these groups, I’ve met and conversed with college professors, corporate executives, football coaches, nurserymen, full-time homemakers, and just about everyone in between. Every conversation has been insightful, encouraging, and stimulating, and I knew I had found my community among Urantia Book readers.

Is Our Message about the Book or of the Book?

As has become my habit, in 2024 I re-started my journey through the Foreword and 196 papers of the book. Every time I’ve done this, I’ve been amazed at what has caught my attention that didn’t seem to stay with me from a previous reading or study session. This time was no exception. 

As I was going through Part IV, “The Life and Teachings of Jesus,” something new and very startling struck me, a nagging sense that we (the Urantia community) might be heading down the same road that the early Christians trod two millennia before: are we creating a community “about,” The Urantia Book rather than one based on the message “of,” the book?

The message that Michael of Nebadon came to deliver to the world was quite simple: the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. His message was about the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. For all our scholarly research, philosophical discussions, and love for the Fifth Epochal Revelation, are we missing the entire point of The Urantia Book? 

The book tells us that sooner or later another is due to arise proclaiming “the kingdom of God is at hand”—meaning a return to the high spiritual concept of Jesus, who proclaimed that the kingdom is the will of his heavenly Father dominant and transcendent in the heart of the believer. (170.5.19) Is it time for us to recapture that message and begin proclaiming it as Jesus instructed his apostles and disciples to do? We in the Urantia Book community talk a great deal about the book, but, unless we’re studying a particular paper where it is included, we talk very little about the Kingdom of Heaven. 

The Jewish people of Jesus’s day and the early Christians had many ideas about the Kingdom of Heaven, usually based on their understanding of a physical, material kingdom here on earth. Not much has changed in that view over these last two millennia. But The Urantia Book makes it unmistakably clear that what Jesus is proclaiming is a spiritual kingdom that arises within each individual and changes each of us in such a way that the world itself will change along with us:

“It therefore is evident that the true and inner religion of the kingdom unfailingly and increasingly tends to manifest itself in practical avenues of social service. Jesus taught a living religion that impelled its believers to engage in the doing of loving service. But Jesus did not put ethics in the place of religion. He taught religion as a cause and ethics as a result.” (170.3.8)

This begs the question: are we proclaiming the Kingdom of God or are we engaged in just another academic study of yet another spiritual text?

“The Kingdom,” to the Jews, was the Israelite community, to the Gentiles it became the Christian church. “To Jesus the kingdom was the sum of those individuals who had confessed their faith in the fatherhood of God, thereby declaring their wholehearted dedication to the doing of the will of God, thus becoming members of the spiritual brotherhood of man.” (170.5.11)

What Are We Doing to Proclaim the Kingdom?

The Urantia Book’s teachings are now about 100 years old, if you include the very first messages delivered to the “sleeping subject.” Today, we stand at a crossroads, one that can lead us down the path of true righteousness or down that old path of dogma, creeds, and separate castes and factions within the Urantia community. 

The Urantia community stands at a crossroads

In my search for deeper Urantia Book understanding and study materials I have come across several different factions of the Urantia community who seem to have gone off to do their own thing. There is of course the major discord that erupted between the Urantia Brotherhood and Urantia Foundation. We are all aware of that rift, which may, after a long time, finally be healing. Some factions base their practices and beliefs on The Urantia Book. Another group believes a Teaching/Magisterial mission has begun and purports to practice  communication with morontia and spiritual  entities, while others have taken this sort of practice to an even greater extreme. I will not discuss the merits of any of these movements, but only ask the question: what are we doing within each of these movements to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven, the fatherhood of God, and the brotherhood of man, to the masses? 

We have been given the clearest, most unequivocal, and most astounding revelation that any generation has ever been given. We can know and understand things about the Kingdom that no generation before us could because we are the first generation capable of understanding these things on a technological and spiritual level.

So what are we doing with it, other than engaging in academic study?

I am not calling for the setting up of any kind of formal religion. The Urantia Book itself tells us that organizations lead to control and dogma. Rather, I am asking each one of us, individually, what we are doing with the message that our sovereign Creator incarnated in the flesh to teach us: the message about the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, and that our Father in Heaven lives within each of us.

A Book That's "Too Hard"

I’ve been engaged in several discussions stemming from the growing awareness among Urantia Book students that we are an aging population. In fact, the average age of the groups I have studied with was the late sixties to mid-seventies. Some are even in their nineties now. I know there are some younger people in the community—I’ve seen their pictures in group photos—but they are few in number. So what are we doing to attract more members into the Kingdom at a younger age? 

I was studying The Urantia Book in my office at home one day when my 11-year-old granddaughter happened to be over, and she asked, “Grandpa, what are you reading?” So I showed her and asked, “Would you like to read some with me?” “Sure, she replied.” So we read a couple of paragraphs in a paper I was studying and she looked very confused. “That’s too hard,” she said.

While she’s still young, it’s the reaction that most people have: The Urantia Book is a very complicated book. Its average reading comprehension score is college or graduate level. If our answer to an earnest inquiry about what we believe is to hand a young, impressionable mind a 2000-page tome and say, “Oh, you want to know what I believe? Here read this,” then the most common response is always going to be, “That’s too hard.” 

You don’t decide to “get in shape” after years of sedentary living by signing up to run a marathon. You start with the basics and work your way up to the bigger task; you make marathon running your ultimate goal. In school, we need to learn our ABCs before we can learn spelling and sentence structure.

The Revelation is Meant for This Generation

I’m old enough to remember the mid to late 1960s. I was still a kid, but I remember there was a huge revival in the Christian churches, at least here in America. It was called the Jesus movement. It was sparked by a bunch of radical, flower power-driven preachers who had just begun to preach the message of love and peace in the name of Jesus. They met in open-air spaces, public parks, beaches, and town squares. It was powerful. Tens of thousands of people were able to know Christ from this movement. Its message was simple: “Jesus loves you.”

Unfortunately, these preachers made the same fatal mistake as their predecessors when they sought to build congregations and organizations and obtain land and build buildings, which became just as mainstream as the churches their congregants were rejecting through the hippie and flower-power movement with their “turn on, tune in, and drop out” attitude.

The youth of this world are ready for change

I have often heard it said among the Urantia community that this revelation was meant for another generation before it could catch fire. I believe that generation has arrived. Young people all over the world are turning on, tuning in, and dropping out once again. China is undergoing a major “Lying Flat” movement where young people have just given up. Third-world countries are the only ones still producing young people in large enough numbers to replace older and dying elders, and are ripe for a major upwelling of youthful revival. Europe is floundering in decline and its youth are wondering what future they will have if things don’t change, and soon. America has a huge disparity between the wealthy elite and the deepest poverty. Its youth are aimlessly migrating looking for a better life anyplace they can find it, while surveys show that upward of 69% of young people 25 and under live in constant anxiety about the future.

But one thing above all else is clear: that the youth of this world are ready for a change. They are crying out for something new and different. 

We have the answer. We have the message: the Kingdom of Heaven (a spiritual kingdom) is within each of us, we all have one Father in Heaven and we are all brothers and sisters of that same spiritual Father. It’s time we are about our Father’s business, declare this truth to the world, and proclaim the Kingdom of God. 

I’m not advocating that we all take to the parks and beaches to hold rallies, although if you are inclined to do so and are a gifted speaker, I’m sure it would be welcomed by the youth of most nations. Rather, I am saying that we must each begin to let the light of truth shine through us through service and action, so that it will be unmistakable to the world around us that we are members of the Kingdom of God.

When the Jews rejected this message, the Father gave it to the Gentiles. When the Gentiles missed the point entirely, he gave the Fifth Epochal Revelation to the entire world through The Urantia Book. Are we going to be yet another generation who is stuck in academic debates and mired in dogma and sectarianism, or are we going to be about the Father’s business and start proclaiming the truth in a way that can be understood and spread? 

Jesus did not go about the countryside and into the towns and the villages with a Torah in hand proclaiming the law. He went about with nothing but the clothes on his back and taught the simple message of the fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man, and that the Kingdom of Heaven is within. 

Are You a Beacon on the Hill?

Each one of us in the  Urantia community may want to ask themselves: what am I doing to let the light of truth of the Kingdom shine through me? Am I a beacon on the hill to those around me and in my local community? Am I living the Father’s WILL in my life? 

We have to do more. The harvest is ripe, it’s time to bring it in.

Let us be reminded of Jesus’s words: “The world is filled with hungry souls who famish in the very presence of the bread of life; men die searching for the very God who lives within them. Men seek for the treasures of the kingdom with yearning hearts and weary feet when they are all within the immediate grasp of living faith.” (159.3.8)

Ken Helsley is a retired Federal employee who lives in Bastrop, Texas. He has been a Urantia Book reader for eight years and since retiring, has dedicated himself to becoming a better disciple of our Father in Heaven.

SOURCE ARTICLE

During the age of Andite migrations the Chinese were among the more spiritual peoples of earth. Long adherence to the worship of the One Truth proclaimed by Singlangton kept them ahead of most of the other races. The stimulus of a progressive and advanced religion is often a decisive factor in cultural development; as India languished, so China forged ahead under the invigorating stimulus of a religion in which truth was enshrined as the supreme Deity.

This worship of truth was provocative of research and fearless exploration of the laws of nature and the potentials of mankind. The Chinese of even six thousand years ago were still keen students and aggressive in their pursuit of truth.

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