Teaching Mission Newsletters

FROM THE EDITOR

This last month has been a particularly busy month for me. I have been attempting to mail the newsletter out earlier each month and set a mailing deadline for myself of May 27th for this issue. Through a process that I know is operating, but one I can't explain, everything seems to come together when it is time to work on the newsletter. This month there was just a big void when I wanted to begin. Waiting a few days, I received the latest transcripts from Ham. I know that I read them on the net earlier, but they simply did not register. When I opened them, they were new as if I had never seen them and I was struck with the richness of the material. In that moment I "knew" they were to be the start of this newsletter. I was very surprised at all of this as I have a very good recall and am quick to realize that I have read something before even if it didn't grab me at the time. This was brand new to me. Thus, I feel that this material was meant to be included in this issue. My many thanks to the Nashville Group for their wonderful work that so benefits us all and to our celestial helpers, who always seem to guide me in this process.

I would certainly like to encourage you to share your experiences. One comment I hear often is how much someone has enjoyed my editorial, which is nothing other than some of my thoughts and experiences. I am not any different from any of you. The readers would enjoy just as much, if not a lot more, hearing what YOU have to say. One of the reasons we all love to get together with spiritually alike people is to hear what they have to share. If the only way we know God is through personal experience and our personal experiences are all so unique, then sharing is one way we can learn more about God and ourselves. Each time someone shares a personal experience, new doors are opened that can lead to a confirmation, a bond of understanding, a new way of seeing, a question that leads us to another door - the possibilities are endless. Sharing is an easy way to be of service to our brothers and sisters and, in so doing, spread the good news of the Kingdom in His service. It seems so simple that it is easy to overlook how much you have to say may mean to another. These are the seeds that grow into a magnificent garden. We don't have to create the whole garden, just keep sowing seeds and watering the plants that are in front of us.

And talk of sharing - what better opportunity than at a TM gathering??? This month we will be thinking of those who will be at the SpiritFest in San Luis Obispo June 26-29 and the NW Regional Conference at Deer Lake June 21-22. NOW is the time to make your plans to attend the Boulder Gathering in August and send your registrations (if you haven't already) and final payments. The latest information from Bob Lea is that there are 92 adults and 13 children registered for the Boulder Conference.

A special thanks to the Coeur d'Alene Group and Malvantra in the last issue. If you haven't read this or tried it, you might want to look at it again. It has opened up a whole new experience for me. I'd be interested in the experiences of the group and others who are following Malvantra's suggestions.

Wishing the blessings and peace of the Father to all of you as you join together in spiritual communion this month and to those of us who will be with you in spirit.

Allene Vick

Editor

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                    FROM THE READERS

May 3, 1997

Thank you so much for putting me on your mailing list. I so look forward to receiving each newsletter. My heart pounded with excitement as the first one arrived. My residence is pretty remote. There is a Urantia Book in the library in Tahlequah but no study group or Teaching Mission as of yet.

Enclosed is a love donation for the budget. I know it's not much, but I want to help anyway.

Love & Peace,

Jim Foster

Tahlequah, OK              

P.S. I'm still searching for material on practicing stillness, and I'm not on line. If you could suggest any tapes or books, I would be forever grateful.

[Well, TeaMers since we have a lot of new people on the mailing list who may be seeking the same help, please share any thoughts or suggestions on what has been helpful for you whether it is a transcript, method, book, tape or experience and we'll share it in the next newsletter. Another opportunity to be of service and practice love in action - Ed].

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May 1, 1997

Hey  child of God I send you my warm love and light.

Thank you for printing my article. That has helped me to broaden my expression and growth.

I send visualization and energy with this donation to change the red into black.

Much love,

Frosty Johnson

Coeur d'Alene, ID

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May 1, 1997

Just a note to express my deep appreciation for your great service to us all. The T/R News Network is invaluable. I don't remember when or how much I sent in the past but accept what I can now afford to contribute as a small token of heartfelt gratitude! Daniel's comments about Debbie Roberts' life contributions certainly apply to you also.

With much love from your brother in the faith,

Jerry Dalton

Sunset Beach, CA

P.S. You can quote me!

[I am humbled by the kind words and contributions from each of you who have shared your comments through the years, but ever the truth is that it is the dedication of each one of you that makes this newsletter possible as you participate in the Teaching Mission. There would not be the transcripts and experiences to share had the teachers not found receptive and willing students to take up the challenge. The Teaching Mission is truly a team effort and the newsletter is only a reflection of all that you each have contributed. Looking back five years gives a better perspective of how much we have all accomplished, grown and gained from our participation in this wonderful spiritual adventure.-Ed]

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     CELESTIAL WORDS AND TEACHINGS

                             * MICHAEL *

My child. You shall be known by your love. Your love of all. The confused, the hurt, the misguided, the angry, the sick, the hateful. That is how others will know that you belong to Me. By your love of all!

I did not say that you would be known by your great intellect, your powers of persuasion, your great knowledge and stores of information, but by your love. Your love of all - those who fret you and those who don't. They are all mine. All are beloved by Me. These are the ones I come seeking to heal and console. These are the ones I ask your help with.

Let nothing stand in the way of love. Lay aside prejudice, lay aside preconceived notions of people, lay aside all expectations of people. Remember only that they are beloved by Me, and since you are My Ambassadors, they are your beloveds too.

Let nothing stand in your way! Spread love, spread joy, spread laughter. If you wish to see miracles, I beseech you, love all. Be single minded about love. be kind and gentle with all. Am I not kind and gentle with you?

Remember that you serve the Lord of Love. Be unstinting with your love. The universe is full of love and it is yours to use. Dwell in love and you dwell fully in Me. Jesus/Michael

Submitted by Avis Nicholas, Sarasota, FL

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These messages from Michael and Nebodonia are taken from the Nashville Transcripts of 3/30/97.

              * MICHAEL AND NEBADONIA *

Michael: Friends. Look upon me. I am dwelling always near by, even at your right hand. I have never stopped the human ministry that was ended in your records by my physical death. No, my ministry to the world exists perpetually through the actions, through the service, of my children. You who would follow me have the duties imposed by your own dedication. You are welcome to enter into this divine service. Behold, I stretch forth my arms and welcome you in the spirit. Your lives will never be the same from the moment you are ordained into my service. I accept your willingness, each one, accept in return my love, accept my own dedication to you, accept my service in your life, accept my arm about your shoulder, accept my whisper into your ear. Father, keep you well these tender children, sustain them in their hours of uncertainty, give them inner peace. Give them security. Guide them in the earthly endeavors, and allow me to hold them fast to my bosom that they may be comforted and inspired in their times of need.

Nebadonia: I am the universe mother spirit Nebadonia. I speak that you may be welcoming to me as well. Like Michael, I desire to enter your hearts and to be a source of inspiration and courageous love on this day of solemn celebration.

                                 * HAM *

Excerpts from the Nashville Transcripts.

3/23/97

Ham: Greetings, children, friends, I am happy to welcome you all here again tonight. This evening I would like to introduce to you some of the concepts of your advancing maturity. You all are growing in the spirit day by day and we want you to be aware of your altering natures. The life on Mansonia two is very different but contains similarities enough that we can make analogies.

All through the universe advancement, experience, and age are equated with wisdom. Your society, because of the unfortunate effects of aging which are due largely to lifestyle and poor health habits, fear the aging process and so you tend to denigrate the aged. Aging does not have to entail debilitation, either of the mind or the body. As your culture advances and you learn to arrest the effects of disease and correct your poor health habits, your aging will be much more pleasant and graceful than it currently is.

Age in the universe is always revered because there is no stigma attached to it. There is no appreciable physical degradation on the mansion worlds. Everyone inhabits living tissue but it is composed of a different substance, it is morontia matter. The bodies still have circulatory systems, nervous systems, and sensory apparatus. The soul is still housed in substance. These morontia bodies are more reflective of the soul than your physical bodies are. Each body is entirely unique, just like your physical bodies on earth. Everyone appears ageless. By the second mansion world, the inherent beauty that you are is beginning to make its appearance. You are becoming more poised, more graceful, more self-secure. There is no effort to change your looks. You are contented with yourself.

The second mansion world begins to witness fusion. On this world, the morontia body is not consumed by this energy, but there is a definite and immediately recognizable transformation that occurs nonetheless. But you must remember that fusion does not exempt you from experiences that are necessary for your further development. So fusion at this stage does not necessarily advance you to another mansion world. But you are distinguished from your colleagues by the donning of certain apparel that is different and sets you apart to some degree. Fusion is actually fairly rare on Mansonia two and begins to start picking up more on Mansonia three.

The dwelling places are simple and very beautiful. While it is not a truly spectacular garden world, Mansonia two abounds with life with living plants and flowers of unsurpassed beauty. There is still the process of socialization begun on Urantia that continues to occupy quite a lot of your time. There is the general study of the local universe language and history, the necessity to understand the universe hierarchies and its functions, but also you will have time for your own individualized study or pursuits. You will have access to those in your field who are knowledgeable and who are wiling to instruct you in advanced knowledge you are seeking. And, by this time in your career, you yourselves are asked to help those behind you to teach.

There are libraries on Mansonia two that would astound you. They are living repositories of knowledge. If you wanted to understand a certain time frame in universe history in a particular location, for example, you are immersed in this time in a way that a book could never tell you. You understand it as if you had lived through it yourself, and this is done in a very short space of time. The life and teachings of Jesus, for example, is a required subject and you come away from the experience having really witnessed it yourself. When you hear the sounds, you see the scenes, you feel the heat and the cold, you taste the food, you smell the smells, it is all a complete immersion.

You are expected also to understand the culture and the peoples on various other worlds. Those who are dealing with you are expected to immerse themselves in your planet experience and you are expected to do the same with those who you are dealing with. So you will not be surprised that when you are assigned to work with others, that they know about your world and the time you lived and discuss its politics. They even know what street you lived on, perhaps, and understand the local happenings in your town.

Even with this immersion knowledge of each other, there is still the intangible factor that governs all interaction between beings, what we might refer to as soul sensibility. So that even though you may know another's background, this does not make you that person, this just gives you a tool for understanding. Still, understanding is imperfect, and there are certain conventions that everyone must master to help smooth social interactions, but still misunderstandings do occur and arguments and tempers still flair.

Usually there are exercises that you all must pass through concerning team work. You will be assigned some project such as designing and building a foot bridge over a pond or beautifying a garden area, something of this nature. And, because you are all coming from such different backgrounds, these projects are very valuable in learning about each other.

There is always spiritual instruction, and indeed you will be seeking spiritual insight all the time, for this is the only way to bridge the gap in understanding between beings. The selfish side wants to entrench and defend his position and this is usually everyone's first impulse. It is sometimes only in the realm of the spirit where two souls can meet and so knowing this, you know you must abandon your entrenched position and meet in the realm of the spirit. It is hard to work with people. It is usually easier to work alone, but the lessons of the universe cannot be learned in isolation. You cannot learn about your brother if you do not meet him. Once you understand that you are both trying to meet in the spiritual realm, then forgiveness is much easier. Are there any questions at this time?

Q: I realize that a lot of the Urantia Book I read wrongly or did not understand it adequately. There is a part in it that said if you have developed to a point where you would be more advanced than the first mansion world, then you would spend 10 days on each one until you would begin your tenure.

Ham: Yes.

Q: What I had all messed up was that the circle we were in was analogous to the mansion world we would advance to. You were the one that had cleared that up and told me that that wasn't true. If it is not the circle you are in, what is it that says which ones you will skip and which one you will go to to begin your tenure?

Ham: Your guardian seraphim put in recommendation as to where they feel you would be best situated to begin your ascension career. This must be approved by the angelic authorities, the ones who are superior to the guardian seraphim.

Q: I guess I also had the misunderstanding that when you fused you were pure spirit and that you did not need any morontia body.

Ham: No.

Q: At what point do you begin taking field trips and get to see other places besides the mansion world on which your home is?

Ham: You can always visit the next world ahead and sometimes there are speakers from the more advanced worlds. On the third mansion world, you can visit Jerusem. But if you mean visiting other evolutionary worlds, you must wait until you are a resident of Jerusem.

Q: I guess by that time you really know a lot about these worlds by having gained the experience in the library?

Ham: Yes.

Q: I imagine you become good friends with all these beings you work and associated with?

Ham: Yes. The socialization process normally adapts you slowly to increasingly different types of beings. In the beginning, you work with beings much like yourself and towards the end of the mansion world experience, you work with beings that are very different from yourself.

Q: I was thinking that you would get to know people from our planet that span a very large range of time.

Ham: Yes, exactly.

Q: Do you meet your ancestors, even ones that you did not know about?

Ham: Yes.

Q: And people in history that you knew about but did not get to meet?

Ham: Yes.

Q: I can imagine that even these first few mansion worlds are a very pleasant experience for us.

Ham: Yes, I would think so. It is very different from your life here. As your planet develops and progresses, the first mansion world experiences will not be quite so different, but taking someone from say the middle ages to the first mansion world is incredibly different and takes quite a bit of adjustment.

Q: It seems to me that when you need help or are having difficulty there is always someone you can turn to for help or support which is very different from the way it is here.

Ham: Yes, exactly.

3/30/97

Ham: Greetings, children, friends, colleagues. I am happy to have you all here this evening. We are happy also that someone else is here to speak this evening as well. Tonight, the lesson again is concerning the avenue or pathway of spiritual development and personal growth of character. Character evolves fruits of the spirit, but also is more concerned or central to the trunk and branches of the tree that holds the fruits. Character must grow in strength along with wisdom that your fruits can be upheld in the world and not pull you into areas of confusion such as we have witnessed in the recent mass suicides in San Diego.

Character involves courage, and courage requires the thinking mortal to bravely listen to opposing viewpoints, accepting that others who don't necessarily ascribe to your own viewpoints are not in error. Courage involves exploring different views and attitudes and information, and from these constructing your own code of life. Courage involves allowing your own code of life to be unique and special.

Character involves something you would describe as nobility. Nobility not in the sense of the hypocritical self-righteousness that you popularly associate with this concept. Nobility meaning discovering your own morality and giving a loyalty to the higher being who is the architect of this morality. It is something akin to delighting in righteousness. Something that is very lacking in your materialistic society, because often the morally praiseworthy acts of an individual are looked upon as foolish by the world.

Character involves the steadfast dedication to the expansion of wisdom, and wisdom involves life's experiences more than knowledge of facts. When one is steadfast in the pursuit of wisdom, one allows life's mistakes and makes the decision to grow in wisdom from these mistakes. When you say you learn from your mistakes, this implies something different. This implies just don't do it again. Growth in wisdom may force you to do that same action again. The wisdom comes from how you deal with the consequences.

Think of your character as being the trunk of your tree. So one with sturdy, strong character can bear the fruits of tolerance, of forgiveness, of love under extreme and difficult circumstances. There are those who attempt to become the fruits of the spirit, who hold themselves to such extreme standards as they become perpetually false. And this psychological conflict is unhealthy and even dangerous because it can be carried to the point of denying one's own humanness and pretending to be something you are not ready to be.

So I say to you, cultivate your humanity, grow character, and wisdom in age. Allow the fruits of the spirit to be borne naturally in their time. To be on the spiritual path, first one must be true to one's self. One must accept life as we are given it to live, and honestly, without guile, open one's heart to the Father. His spiritual light shining within our heart reveals your self to yourself.

So then if you are truly sincere about opening your heart's core to the Father, then you must be sincere about accepting what you see and accepting its changing nature. One thing is a certainty on the worlds of time and space, and that is change. You are not the same person you were an hour ago and his constant metamorphosis means that something you see today might be different tomorrow and different the next day.

As you grow and go through these changes, there will be periods when what seemed to be a clear pool within your being is turbulent and muddy, and the certainties of yesterday have vanished. But this is nothing to be ashamed of, or to worry about. It is just part of your growth. In these periods of turmoil and uncertainty, you should know that soon the sediment will settle and things will be clearer once more.

Q: Ham, talk a little more about methods of developing this character which you made the analogy to the trunk of the tree instead of focusing on fruits?

Ham: Much of character growth is unconscious, but to a very large degree it is shaped and strengthened by conscious decision making. Life is full of these decisions. You are constantly being bombarded with situations that involve choosing something slightly more selfish or something slightly less selfish. Do you decide to reach out to a stranger in friendliness or do you selfishly remain inward? Do you honestly seek righteousness in terms of honesty, generosity, and ministry? There are so many decisions that influence the growth of the spirit, but character growth essentially revolves around righteousness - the right thinking, right acting of Buddhism. Always striving to act a little closer to your ideal. This is different than creating an ideal or conforming to an ideal and not honestly accepting that you cannot possibly always live up to it. Ideals are meant to be a little out of reach. So, it is the conscious striving for righteousness that builds character I would say. Is this helping?

Q: Yes, Ham. Thank you very much.

Q: Am I correctly understanding that it is that gap between our ideals and our ability to live them in the real world that is the arena wherein we acquire wisdom?

Ham: Yes, Brodan, that is very profound understanding.

Q: Would you elaborate on the mistake we make when we attempt to become the fruits of the spirit?                                                                                                                      Ham: Certainly. I think it is essentially the over-reacting of the mind for an ideal that is not realistic and when one attempts to be totally Christ like without allowing for human error, then there is a psychological tension created that can result in bizarre and tragic occurrences because on the one hand the person knows that they are not gods above others, but in the trying to be at some point turns into pretending to be. So then, the life becomes a lie and entirely dishonest even while portraying to the world a being of absolute righteousness.

Q: Ham, what is the force or almost entity like presence in the subconscious mind that must right this situation and must let the air out of this, that must balance the inner and the outer so as to right this situation through the exposing of this imbalance. There seems to be, in fact... That there is a mechanism in there that strives to end this situation. could you describe this mechanism that does that, at the impetus of the spirit of truth, the actual mechanics of that?

Ham: It is really just the tension within the mind, the personality always is seeking balance. And so, if something is off balance in one direction, there has to be a balance in the other. The exposure of the hypocrisy is just a result of this tension, this...

Q: The unconscious mind longs for balance, for truth?

Ham: Yes, for integration.

Q: Unification?

Ham: Yes.

Q: Could you relate character to personality?

Ham: Character is a possession of personality. It is the sum total of the unification or integration of the righteousness within the human mind. The mind is the mechanism through which this righteousness is brought into personality unification and character is built over the experience of years. You are not born with character, only experience and the conscious integration of righteousness builds character. Is this helping clarity?

Q: Ham, you mentioned before that it was not good to pretend to be righteous or spiritually evolved when you are not. Is it sometimes beneficial to act as if in the growing process?

Ham: Yes, as long as you know the difference. One is always striving for righteousness and so of course there are times when you can do things that astonish you by their sheer unselfishness, but gradually each person becomes a little less selfish, a little less self-absorbed only over time. The occasional dramatic act does not alter this gradual process.

Q: The thing that bothered me the most about the San Diego tragedy was the faith and sincerity of those people and even some reasonably correct beliefs mixed in with error and confusion. How do we guard ourselves against this, against embracing confusion with great faith and sincerity, without losing faith or becoming cynical?

Ham: The most sure way of protecting yourself against this kind of confusion is to maintain wide social interaction. People who are isolated can easily reinforce each other in erroneous thinking. So, maintaining wide intellectual interests and understandings and wide social interaction guards quite effectively against that kind of thing.

Q: Regarding the tragedy in San Diego, is there some truth that the comet Hale-Bopp will bring dramatic changes to Urantia?

Ham: No. It is not likely that this body can change or influence anything dramatically on Urantia at this time. Probably much understanding is that the coming of the millennium has many implications which are very real and some which are confusion and will not likely be manifest in reality. There are not likely to be more serious calamities occurring in the next three years as have occurred in the past three years.

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 This session happened while I was on my journey around the country [last] summer. I was at Allene Vick's house in Sterling, VA, where folks from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Illinois attended. What struck me about this one were the direct questions that people asked about the Teaching Mission and what was happening with it and Aaron's answers. The thing on the media was profound to me. It was a long session, so I have excerpted parts to try and cut down on the length.

Bob Devine

Pocatello, ID

Excerpts from Bob's transcript.

Iruka (Group Teacher): This is Iruka. I am delighted to be here and I am delighted that we have guests. It is always important to socialize and meet each other and put faces and names with each other and share Father's love. It is indeed one of our goals that all of you meet as many others in this mission as possible and I don't just limit that to other humans, because when you open yourself up, any teacher can also speak to you, talk to you, maybe not even give a lesson, but a word of encouragement or greeting or just share Father's love with you.

We really are in this together and you are never alone and the more comfortable you become feeling that you are citizens of a total world and then of a total universe, the more you will become at ease with all of your fellow beings, not just human.

So for now, the goal is to meet each other on the human level and then begin looking up and widen that horizon because you indeed have friends everywhere, at all times, that would delight in talking with you, leading you, learning alongside of you. I know this can be overwhelming so I encourage you to lose your fear, lose the fact that you may not be the right person because indeed you are.

Father is no respecter of persons. He will use whoever says, "yes" and so I encourage you to say yes.

Rantarason: Good afternoon, my name is Rantarason. I am a Melchizedek instructor. It is my pleasure to be with you this afternoon, sharing the commonality of purpose, that being to know the Father's will and to live it.

We, the Melchizedeks, recognize that the highest functioning occurs with cohesiveness and with unity. As a unit, we are self-controlled and our efforts widespread, diverse in our functioning. As a group, this unity is a prerequisite to the attainment of light and life.

First, if humankind can love one another, then can advancement into these stages occur. Light and life is not the point in which unity is attained. It is a result of unity.

Therefore, as you function in your lives with other individuals, be it at work, at home, in religious institutions, or simply coming in contact with strangers, look for an increased connection between and among you. Work to know each other. Enhance your association with each other by enlarging your capacity internally for compassion and love toward one another.

Master Michael's command in the flesh was to "love one another", a very simple statement with profound implications. Truly it is the command which all others will fall into line with if it is achieved. When love exists, everything else becomes possible. Without love, nothing is real.

I thank you for this opportunity to share with you and to see your spiritual luminosity individually and collectively. You are beautiful as one and as many. Thank you.

Aaron: Greetings, this is Aaron. I would like to take this opportunity today to share with you at whatever level you are willing. One of my strengths as a facilitator/guide has been with interaction with my group members and through some coaxing by your teachers and some other friends, I have stepped forward to be of service if you have any questions, comments or insights to add.

Ron: Aaron, I have a question in regards to the Teaching Mission itself. Has there been an expansion of it or has there been a retrenchment of it or better yet, tell me, if you can please, what the status of it may be?

Aaron: This is a good question, and you may rest assured that many have asked this very same question recently. I am at liberty to tell you certain things about the evolvement of this mission.

As far as material numbers are concerned, the mission has diminished, but it is in the process of stabilizing and we foresee an expansion to occur soon. This is in relation to the visible mission from mortal eyes.

As far as the Correcting Time, it is well underway. The expansion is endless and we foresee a certain destiny ahead, though its attainment is aeons from this point.

This mission to Urantia will not fail. Your particular efforts may or may not hold fruit, depending directly upon your individual expression or your group expression, meaning that the destiny you are involved in is wholly dependent upon you to evolve it.

This mission, this Teaching Mission is only as great as the people involved and is only as effective as those people have come to know God and have gained in the ability to express that to others, either individually or collectively.

In either sense, we look for great expansion and while many have questioned and had to ascertain their loyalty and dedication, this period of time is beneficial nonetheless, but the time has come to push forward, the doubts, questions, have been played out. If you believe, then believe your best and if one cannot believe, then their impact will find itself in another arena. I hope this has served some insight for you.

Ron: Yes, thank you Aaron. A follow up question if I may. I noticed in the past few weeks the terrible reaction in our press to the First Lady's attempt to ask spiritual questions for what she wished to do, and I guess the general question is, "Can Urantia overcome the media, to greater understanding?" Thank you.

Aaron: Yikes! (Laughter) Good questions. The media on your planet is perhaps one of the greatest inhibitors to spiritual progress. This is because of the influence that people allow it. Most people do not want to have control of their own destiny, but rather follow the plan of another, the words of another, the thought of another.

Our efforts are to create individuals who live in and of themselves, satisfied making choices in and of themselves, yet always aware, relating to, and concerned with all others. As our success ratio expands, those individuals who have become emboldened to live purposeful, individual lives, will influence countless others to do the same thing with support, encouragement and by example.

The problem of the media pressures will be diminished largely through the efforts of people to push away from being led by the whims of others. I once said to a group of fellows that if the media portrays life as bleak, miserable, despairing and lacks hope and the value, then turn it off.

It is much more important that you have hope than it is to be informed. Gather this hope within you, strengthen yourself with the knowledge of the gospel, recognize what the message is and then become your own media.

Be a news station. Play the music of the airwaves. Broadcast it wherever you can. As society progresses this influence of the media will diminish proportionally. Does this answer you?

Ron: Yes it does. That's all I have. Thank you very much.

Pam: Aaron I have a question. Did this plateau of the Mission surprise you or is it part of the cycle of growth that you anticipated? That we're not increasing, that we actually decreased is it part of the growth or was this a surprise that his happened?

Aaron: We were quite surprised at how little it diminished, for the example we had to go by was that of Jesus of Nazareth, who had most of his followers walk away when the amazing spectacle he would not perform, when their desire for him, he would not accept.

We have here built mountains of faith and while certainly the numbers have become smaller, we are greatly enthused that there are still so many in so many places. Your potential for expansion is vast and you have the opportunity to witness much transpire that could not have transpired if those who are dedicated and believing had not held fast to their belief and truly the belief in the the Teaching Mission is not nearly so important as the planet's progress inevitably and your capability to be a part of it.

We were not surprised that it would occur, just surprised at how little occurred.

Pam: And I am surprised at the answer, but if I had looked back to the history, it makes sense. Thank you.

Aaron: Thank you.

Elise: Is the Teaching Mission going on in places where the Urantia Book is not read?

Aaron: See, you have created these terms and applied them. The Teaching Mission designates itself to the Urantia Book mission of celestials communicating with mortals. The Correcting Time designates to all forward seeing mortals on the planet.

So with those definitions, no, the Teaching Mission refers to Urantia Book related celestial communication in groups of forward seeking individuals. The Correcting Time is occurring planetary wide and many individuals are in c6ntact with ourselves under various designations with various paths. Does this clarify for you?

Elise: Various paths, can you name a few examples?

Aaron: Without making actually known specific examples still I cannot, actually am not authorized to give...but if you look to other movements of individuals receiving spiritual insight, there are many and we are certainly working with them as well.  The degree of clarity often is relative to the preconceptions held and as we all know, there are many paths to the Father as there are people to follow.

Elise: So then it's true that the Teaching Mission has been going on just since the Urantia Book is now present.

Aaron: This particular mission is relatively new. The Correcting Time is an intensification of an ongoing process for planetary evolution that has been occurring since Dalmatia, the Planetary Prince's Headquarters and even prior to that, the efforts of various spiritual hosts.

The Correcting Time itself has been initiated due to the ending of the isolation and the adjudication of the rebellion. It is an intensification of previous efforts under way and hopefully will redirect toward higher paths of consciousness and aid in reconstructing individuals, systems.

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This transmission session was the first real meeting of the Spokane group after the first National Conference in 1994 in Cheney. People were still buzzed with the energies that had flowed at that time. Some of the questions strike me now, as to what the purpose of the Teaching Mission is and where to focus energy, etc.

Bob Devine

Pocatello, ID

Early August 1994

Aaron: What are you ready to do? What are you thinking? How have you been? I have been good. I am Aaron.

I have been so enlightened over the last few weeks, both observing you mortals and with the connection I have made with all of my friends as we gathered together. We are excited and we left this gathering with a stronger sense of commitment and understanding as well. We know that when many from far and wide gather together to share and uplift, this always brings that sense of belonging to something larger. It lifts you out of your mind and your framework to see a vision that is expanding.

Then you are back where you started, back with the individuals you so often see. It can be a let down, but at the same time you do not lose that vision, that brief time in which you saw something else, the possibility. And so you climb back up in the saddle and you go back to work and you go on.

Now, would you go on as you were before, or would you move to take what has been brought to you and utilize that in a manner which can be uplifting to you and those around you?

I would communicate with you now, allowing your questions. So much has occurred since last we met, that if you could take a few moments and think of what you've been doing and going through and feel free to question, then I and Elyon are available to answer.

Ginnie: I've been experiencing moments of, it seems to be a time warp: It's like I'm standing somewhere and I don't know how I got there, or bits of time seem to have gone by and I don't know what I've done with it. What is that? I'm experiencing changes, it seems, like in time.

Aaron: Ginnie, in your connecting and our willingness to work with and be worked with, there are a lot of adjustments that go on. I cannot explain the lapses so much as I can let you know that there are more moments of lucidity that you are experiencing and our giddiness is a sense of awareness also. It is like when someone touches your funny bone and someone tickles you with a feather. You are experiencing lightness and the vibration of closeness with spiritual receivers and senders. All of this is contributing to your overall awareness and the happenings you are going through.

The more you can focus on the Source, your Father, and allow, the closer it will be for you to understanding what you are going through.

Ginnie: I like that, moments of lucidity. It feels good. Thank you.

Mary: I would like to speak with Elyon and I would like to first express my belief and faith in the fact that there is a special place for everyone in the teaching mission. After having said that, I would like to ask for your help in dealing with the fears that I've been experiencing and the frustrations and the not knowing what my particular place is.

Elyon: There is much that is happening. Sometimes it seems that all the information is a waterfall and simply so much can give a feeling of drowning or disconnection.

                                                            There is truly a place for everyone and this place does not have to be found in the excitement and with travels abroad. This place is within you. And with all of the action and the possibility that you see occurring out there, never forget that this is the mission-- to bring the awareness of God consciousness within yourself and by doing so, it creates the possibility for you to be an aid in helping others.

Children are critical to the vision that we see here for the future and how they grow and how they expand and accept the love that is pouring forth now is quite important. You can accept within yourself many things to do and accomplish and you can know that never is there a requirement to be here or there. There are different levels of motivation.

Some would like to run to the top of the mountain and shout, "hurrah, hurrah." Some would like to institute changes in the social environment and in the political structure of the world. Many would like to be heard. And there are many that would like to advance themselves with an understanding of the environment around them, with the attachment to the material combined with a connection to the spiritual.

All of these pursuits are worthwhile. None of them are shunned. and any that you would choose, my dear, are applauded. The sincerity of what you feel, should be your motivating factor. This will bring you that sense of awareness as to what you can do or how you can approach the mission.

If you all want to write a book, feel free. If you want to establish a place, which you have done, feel free. If you want to speak and you want to teach and you want to directly associate with people, then feel free. But contain yourselves within as you go out. Direct yourselves within as you go out. The mission is to know him and the manifestation of the mission is what you would do. I hope I have not carried on too long.

Frosty: I guess the man thing is that we're all to live it and if we're bogged down from doing that, to try to live it. What the teachers are trying to do now is to get us past all that because we still have a few things that remain in our closet that we still need to deal with. So we're not quite inside living it, but we really want to, so we're just getting cleaned out. I'm getting that now, the forgiving and getting rid of old belief systems, that's got to be the first step. Am I right?

Elyon: Grab the broom. (Laughs)

Frosty: Sweep, sweep, sweep.

Elyon: Yes, This is the way. You must know yourself and understand your strengths and weaknesses before you can be of great benefit to others. You can, while you are attempting to understand this, feel free to work in both areas, but don't forget what comes first.

The story of the timber and the sliver and how you must first clean out your own eyes is quite important. Most you of you have set aside to a certain degree, judgement, and are quite accepting of each other in spite of quirks. We understand your attainment and we have seen your progress. We know that you, in some degree, have accepted the information and have worked to bring this into your being, but beyond anything this tape recorder can spew out, you have instilled connection within your being and if all you ever went around and talked about was, "I am connected to God. I feel good that I can feel the presence of God.", anything else would be unnecessary, for the connection and this awareness will take hold and you can believe that as this expands, that this written information will move people at a slower degree than the spirit will move them.

So now when you realize that you have accepted the connection, you can understand why we are progressing forward to new levels. Titles such as Phase One, Transition, they are simply a signifier. This does not mean we are now going to methodically take control of you and tell you what to do and whip you down the path. It simply means that we have realized in you an acceptance, and combined with other areas that I will not go into, this has signaled the opportunity to move forward.

This will be done methodically, with patience. It will not be a floodgate rushing forward. It will be a march, a steady march.

Elyon: I am Elyon, by the way, and I wish to ask you, Mary, how you feel about my answer to your question? Does this enlighten our approach, or your understanding.

Mary: Yes, it does. I've come to the realization that I just tend to go through ups and downs feeling like I know what's going on. I think I've been in one of the down phases. I just needed some additional guidance about how to get back up from those times and continue forward and do what I know needs to be done, to have confidence in that..

And I really appreciate your assistance and help and am really pleased to have been working around you for all this time. I feel like over this time I've really come to know you more personally and trust you and benefit from your guidance more and more as time goes on. Thank you for being here for all of us.

Elyon: Thank you for feeling and expressing. Your downtime, as you would call it, has been felt by many, and all wonder and question. Many have doubts as to their understanding. A lot is just this sense, this frustration, about a lack of clarity and direction. And I cannot direct you to myself. I can ask that you treat me like a friend and that we will associate with each other and your guide will work with you, she likes you, but we always direct you to Him, within, because He can tell you a lot more than we can.

Most of what we do is in the philosophical realm. You can feel spirit presence, but the real experience is when you gain those moments of connection with Him.

Mary: Yeah, it reminds me of the lesson you were giving on time, to try to look at time as your ally. I feel an intense desire to make a contribution or a difference, or whatever, and I guess one of the problems that I'm having feeling that I'm connecting with achieving that desire is that the passage of time hasn't happened yet. I need to refocus on that lesson and let that happen and realize tht we don't always get dramatic and immediate results, but to keep an eye on time and let things go along with the pace they have to go on.

Elyon: You recall to my mind the story about when Jesus went into the hills and his good friends went searching, trying to find him, and they looked everywhere, but they could not. Then when the Master came home, came back, and he told them that it was not necessary and that they should be with their understanding, for he was never really lost and it was never their duty to find.

In the same sense, take a brother who feels the call, and knows that the kingdom is at hand, and the other brother who feels the call and that the kingdom is near, maybe even already.

The excited one rushes out, searching far and wide for the kingdom, going to many places searching for an answer to this call. After a time this brother becomes disillusioned and loses the desire to find and so he goes home.

The other brother is there waiting patiently, all the while tending to the work at hand, taking care of what comes up, fulfilling the menial tasks, and taking on a few special ideas of his own. The disillusioned one falls into his embrace and in tears exclaims that the kingdom is lost.

And embracing this disillusioned brother, the one says, "No, the kingdom has been found."

Patience and action combined take you forward and if you can take these qualities and further combine them with your spirit seeking, Father time, you will find so many accomplishments in our history. The time is there for you. The world isn't about to crash down.

But in your patience, be careful not to get stuck expecting it to rise up in front of your eyes. You must create and anything else that we might institute will be its own action. Be ready for what can happen, but as was said long ago to my friend Simeon in a personal communication, it is not realistic that a bandwagon will roll into town asking for you to jump on. More realistic is it that you will create the bandwagon.              

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                           THE CANDLE

Jerry Dalton asked if there was any more information from anyone about experiences with the candles since the January issue. I can report that while I was visiting my friend Ellen I noticed that she had a chandelier with the same bulbs. So, as an experiment we very carefully unscrewed each bulb. We went on talking and forgot all about it. When I got up to leave, Ellen noticed that there was one bulb burning in the chandelier, which must have come on sometime while we were talking in the next room.

Anyone else with candle experiences?

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                       TM FAMILY NEWS

CONGRATULATIONS!!! to Joi-lin Viesz and Eric Johnson on the announcement of their wedding to be held on July 26 in Colorado!. 

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The following was sent by Carol Herren to their friends.

                           Call for Support

Scott Foerster will be going to trial regarding his divorce on June 10, 1997, 9:30 am at the Howard County Courthouse in Ellicott City, Maryland. He has been separated from his wife since July of 1995. Scott and his wife separated by mutual agreement and both have gone on with their lives, decisions of how to work with the children remain. In answers to Interrogatories from December Ms. Foerster claims that Scott "is not a fit and proper person to have the care and custody" of their children because of his "involvement with Urantia." She did have other issues but seems to have abandoned them over the last years, except the Urantia issue. At this time Scott's wife has also requested that the children be kept away from Urantia meetings. Scott has four children, Drew 15, Chad 13, Sarah 12, Ellen 9. He would like the issue of custody and religion to be decided by the family, with the children being given a voice. Scott was introduced to the teachings by his father when he was a young person and they have been a part of his life since then. He has taught his children the concepts of the book since they were very young. I see this as a freedom of religion issue.

If anyone from the Urantia community would like to attend the trial they are more than welcome. We have been told that the issue may not be raised at the trial, it was an issue at the last Master's hearing. We probably wouldn't be let into the courtroom unless the issue is presented. If it is brought up we may be asked to speak for our belief in the teachings to give some kind of validity to them.

Thank you,

Carol Herren

Sykesville, MD

The issues of the children and The Urantia Book are are ones that are dear to all our hearts and are sure to solicit many prayers for you. Many of us who cannot come in person will be there in spirit with you. You won't be alone!

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The following two E-mails were sent to me from Ken McCreary and I share them with you as I know many of you will include LetaMcCreary in your prayers. Leta has shared some of her beautiful angel poems in the newsletter. May Leta's angels be hovering over Ken and Leta now comforting them with loving tenderness.

May 21, 1997

This E-mail is to inform you that Leta is again in the battle for her life on this planet. We are asking that your prayers are with her however the results may be. We are comfortable in our Father's love and the presence of Michael to comfort and be with her during this time on Urantia. I'll update you when I can.

May Father Bless and keep all of you as he has us.

May 25, 1997

A line to bring you an update on Leta. I hope you got the last message. Anyway, she is doing better. They have now removed the tubes from her stomach and started feeing her some solid foods now that her intestinal track is working. The cancer they have discovered in her abdominal cavity is throughout the entire track. They are not sure if it is related to the original or not. As soon as we know, then we will know as to treatments available. However, the last time she had this, it was Father's love and her own will that pulled her through. That can hapen again, but we know that it is Father's will to be done not ours. Prayers do work miracles and we have seen a lot of those miracles happen in the last ten years to many people around us and in our own lives.

May the Father Bless and Keep you Close, with love from Leta and Me.

Ken, we pray that the Father's love and Leta's will once again will pull her through to good health.

                          GROUP NEWS

It is always wonderful to be able to share information the individuals and groups in the Teaching Mission. I came upon this on the Tml list from Deborah Goaldman and with her permission and that of the group I am delighted to share it with you.

               THE BAKERSFIELD GROUP

Howdy Teaching Mission friends,

I am one piano theory test and one performance (neither of which worry me) away from total freedom from school until August. It's been an intense past few months. In addition to my two classes I had to study for the MST (Multiple Subject Assessment for Teachers) which I took a couple weeks ago--a five hour test: two hours of multiple choice and 3 hours of short essays on every subject, including physical education and performing arts. I think I passed but I won't be sure for another 4 weeks. This test was the short cut to getting a liberal arts waiver needed for becoming an elementary teacher. My science degree wasn't good enough. "Oil Well", as we say in Bakersfield. (In case you don't know, oil is a major industry in Bakersfield and environs--my husband and I used to work for oil companies).

I'm waiting to receive acceptance into the teaching credential program through The University of La Verne which has an extension campus in Bakersfield. My interviews with them was last week; I'm confident they will accept me. The program has come highly recommended to me by numerous people, one of whom was a former supervisor of their student teaching--Dr. Chuck Wall, the man who coined the phrase "Random Acts of Kindness" (he's a professor at Bakersfield College). The credentialing program goes from August to June. Almost a year from now I'll be a schoolteacher, which will make my third career so far in this lifetime. I started out as a dental assistant, then a petroleum geologist, now a home-mom (which I didn't count as a career although in a way it is). I'm looking forward to my mid-life career change.

Well, that's what I've been up to. Now for news of the Bakersfield Teaching Mission. About a month ago I was contacted by a prisoner in a federal prison located relatively nearby. He saw our group's announcement of Urantia Book meetings in the newspaper and wanted to know more about The Urantia Book. So I have been writing him and talking with him on the telephone. Now that school is ending, I'll soon be paying him a visit. He now has a copy of the book which he purchased through his mother. I was tempted to give him a copy but I wanted him to show me his sincerity by getting the book himself. He has some Hispanic prison friends who are interested in knowing more about the book but they don't understand much English. I've informed them of how to get a gift copy in Spanish through the foundation and tried to find a local Spanish-speaking reader to talk with them but the person I had in mind is soon moving to Hawaii. Do any of you speak Spanish and would you be willing to write these men and let them call you (their calls must be collect)?

Contact with the prisoner, Jerry, caused some tension between my husband and me at first. And after one of those discussions I prayed for my Father to reveal to me what he wanted me to do in this situation. Well, it was me who got the dream the next morning. In the dream a woman from my church asked me to push her in her wheelchair in an area full of crocodiles because she wanted to find her husband. (This lady has a muscle degenerative disease so she is completely dependent for her care.) In my dream I didn't want to go into the crocodile-infested area so I found a blind person to take her in. And they never returned! For me the dream was a message that Father wants me to provide the spiritual guidance to help Jerry find the truth he is seeking to change his life. Jerry tells me that most of the prisoners want to find Jesus and he feels he can't do it alone. Maybe there are other meanings to the dream but this is how I understand it now.

I have contacted other readers in Bakersfield (some of whom are not associated with the Teaching Mission) to ask if they want to join this prison ministry and several are interested. So some day a larger group of us Urantia folk will be journeying to the prison to conduct book study meetings with all who are interested.

Some of you have learned through Allene's newsletter that Jack was to have surgery to clear a 95% blockage in his carotid artery. Well he sailed through the surgery but soon began having heart pains and was back on the operating table for angioplasty. It was found that one area of his heart was 100% blocked. He has been home for several weeks and is recovering well, though somewhat discouraged about his health problems.

While he was in the hospital, Gerry (his wife) had her first experience, like mine, with reflectivity. It has been a year since I reported my unusual experience and since there are many newcomers I will give a brief review of what Gerry and I experienced with this controversial phenomenon. Unlike, TRing, which all three of us do, the reflectivation experience is audible. We clearly heard the voice of one of our teachers, Langford. Gerry tried to ask him questions when he ceased speaking but there was no response. She felt that he had not heard her. The message, we are told, is sent first to Jack who unconsciously bounces it outward to the receiver. The intent of reflectivity is to relay a message to multiple receivers at the same time. As I understand it, reflectivation will function somewhat like an intercom or radio in transmitting messages simultaneously to all those who are "turned on." There may be a limit to the distance range that Jack is able to radiate these messages. So other reflectivators like Jack are needed for this to be worldwide. And of course, the number of receivers needed is even greater. Since the experiment with our group in initiating this process has been successful, the word from Langford is that the next test will be with someone farther away from us. Are any of you willing to participate? I know the fears that have been expressed on this list regarding reflectivation. Always must we use the Spirit of Truth to discern the truth reality in any kind of message. As far as cult abuse is concerned, our group need not be feared; ask Father to confirm this.

Deborah

Bakersfield Teaching Mission

Thank you Deborah. Not only was it good to hear your news, but in sharing you have given others the opportunity to serve by sharing any prison experiences that might be helpful to you in your efforts at prison ministry; communicating with the Hispanic inmates and/or participating in the reflectivity process with your group. One small step at a time and we will eventually reach the summit together hand in hand.

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        THE WASHINGTON METRO GROUP

Our group is based in the Washington, D.C. area. We have members in D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware and on occasion when we are lucky, several people from Pennsylvania join with us. We have been re-grouping since Pam (our main TR) and John (our recorder and transcriber) moved to Nevada in February. Thanks to the efforts and encouragement of Pam and Iruka (our group teacher), we now have several in the group who TR and, hopefully, we will soon begin again to record and transcribe our sessions.

Thanks to Willis, we started an outreach program to introduce The Urantia Book. We ran an ad in a quarterly paper that covers this area and focuses on a variety of areas including spirituality, healing, health, new age, yoga, etc. listing classes, seminars and practitioners. It's a great place to start for seekers of all kinds to start looking. We were all eagerly anticipating our first adventure. We decided to have a panel format with those on the panel explaining how they found the book and what it meant to them. There was, of course, much discussion as to whether to include the Teaching Mission or not. This is a very sophisticated area and most of the readers of the quarterly have most likely been exposed to a variety of experiences. Finally, we decided to play that by ear. No one showed up at the first session, so we went ahead anyway as a trial run and learned a lot.

The next time only one person showed up. So we spent the time talking to him. He already had started reading the book a little and had been reading the Seth material. His question to us after some discussion was, "what comes after The Urantia Book?" We sort of all looked at each other and said, "Shall we tell him?" We then shared our experiences and the history of the Teaching Mission and a brief message was transmitted. He is a wonderful addition to our group and we all agreed that the readiness of the ones we attracted were far more important than the numbers.

After that, we switched the program and ran the ad with the names of people in each state to call. From that new ad we now have two new members and a couple that have come once. From all of this we are learning and enjoying the success of the richness in experience and heartfelt sincerity that the new members bring to the group. We, also, discovered that each time a new person came to the group, we would stop and ask about their experiences, share about ourselves, try to answer their questions and this took up most of our meeting. So, now we have decided that when a new person calls, one of us will see that they get a "loaner" Urantia Book and spend time with them for awhile before they join the main group. There is a study group they can attend in the meantime that meets weekly..

We have changed our group meeting format. We decided to make our time more productive and agreed to read and study The Urantia Book, share any individual spiritual experiences since the previous meeting, and spend time in transmission followed by refreshments and fellowship. Each week one person is in charge of the meeting - the UB selection and keeping everyone on track, which with a group of enthusiastic TMers is quite a task. Our first attempt at our new format was a huge success. Elise had the honor of handling the first meeting with the new format and deserves high honors for the terrific job she did - including transmitting for the first time. We meet alternate Sundays at different homes. At each meeting a different person conducts the meeting and it may or may not be the person in whose home we meet. 

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                          NEWS UPDATE

LOVE IN ACTION - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN BOULDER - It seems this year it is going to be international. Eric Johnson has been doing  a fine job working on the outline for the conference and it's all beginning to shape up with activities for all - a worship service for Michael, large and small group T/R sessions, entertainment, time for fraternizing, small group sessions on different topics," a time for Machienta to address the group (will need T/R volunteers - unless he actually plans to become visible this time <grin>)" and all in a flexible format complete with a children's program. What more could we want?

We know what Eric wants - some more volunteers. If you have a particular interest you would like to share, please be sure to contact Eric and give him specifics. Again if you are planning to bring somethings to share, please let Eric know a head of time. Musicians who would like to entertain us are reminded to bring their instruments including drums.

Eric is still looking for one or two people to be the Masters/Mistresses of Ceremonies.

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                  UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

   NORTHWEST REGIONAL CONFERENCE

       Friday June 20 - Sunday, June 22, 1997

Camp Gifford on Deer Lake 35 Miles North of Spokane, WA

                                    * * *

                         SpiritFest IV

  The Fourth annual California Teaching Mission

                         June 27-29, 1997

The First SpiritFest Pre-Conference Stillness Retreat - Thursday afternoon to Friday afternoon June 26-27 - 24 hours of spiritual communion leading into the main conference - optional as a one-day event

Rancho El Chorro in the hills outside San Luis Obispo, CA

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         THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING

               MISSION GATHERING 1997

                  Snow Mountain, Colorado

                        "LOVE IN ACTION"

                       August 21-24, 1997

If you missed the JANUARY 31 DEADLINE FOR REGISTERING, THERE IS STILL TIME, so get your registration forms and payment in by JUNE 1, 1997..

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                    THE URANTIA BOOK

The selection from The Urantia Book this issue is unusually long. It was chosen by Willis as part of our Washingon Metro Group study session. It occurred to me that perhaps those who are new to the book and are finding it a little overwhelming (didn't we all!!!) will enjoy the rich meaning found in this simple, but profound passage.

         7. THE ACME OF RELIGIOUS LIVING

Although the average mortal of Urantia cannot hope to attain the high perfection of character which Jesus of Nazareth acquired while sojourning in the flesh, it is altogether possible for every mortal believer to develop a strong and unified personality along the perfected lines of the Jesus personality. The unique feature of the Master's personality was not so much its perfection as its symmetry, its exquisite and balanced unification. The most effective presentation of Jesus consists in following the example of the one who said, as he gestured toward the Master standing before his accusers, "Behold the man!"

The unfailing kindness of Jesus touched the hearts of men, but his stalwart strength of character amazed his followers. He was truly sincere; there was nothing of the hypocrite in him. He was free from affectation; he was always so refreshingly genuine. He never stooped to pretense, and he never resorted to shamming. He lived the truth, even as he taught it . He was the truth. He was constrained to proclaim saving truth to his generation, even though such sincerity sometimes caused pain. He was unquestioningly loyal to all truth.

But the Master was so reasonable, so approachable. He was so practical in all his ministry, while all his plans were characterized by such sanctified common sense. He was so free from all freakish, erratic, and eccentric tendencies. He was never capricious, whimsical, or hysterical. In all his teaching and in everything he did there was always an exquisite discrimination associated with an extraordinary sense of propriety.

The Son of Man was always a well-poised personality. Even his enemies maintained a wholesome respect for him; they even feared his presence. Jesus was unafraid. He was surcharged with divine enthusiasm, but he never became fanatical. He was emotionally active but never flighty. He was imaginative but always practical. He frankly faced the realities of life, but he was never dull or prosaic. He was courageous but never reckless; prudent but never cowardly. He was sympathetic but not sentimental; unique but not eccentric. He was pious but not sanctimonious. And he was so well-poised because he was so perfectly unified.

Jesus' originality was unstifled. He was not bound by tradition or handicapped by enslavement to narrow conventionality. He spoke with undoubted confidence and taught with absolute authority. But his superb originality did not cause him to overlook the gems of truth in the teachings of his predecessors and contemporaries. and the most original of his teachings was the emphasis of love and mercy in the place of fear and sacrifice

Jesus was very broad in his outlook. He exhorted his followers to preach the gospel to all people. He was free from all narrow-mindedness. His sympathetic heart embraced all mankind, even a universe. Always his invitation was, "Whosesoever will, let him come."

Of Jesus it was truly said, "He trusted God." As a man among men he most sublimely trusted the Father in heaven. He trusted his Father as a little child trusts his earthly parent. His faith was perfect but never presumptuous. No matter how cruel nature might appear to be or how indifferent to man's welfare on earth, Jesus never faltered in his faith. He was immune to disappointment and impervious to persecution. He was untouched by apparent failure.

He loved men as brothers, at the same time recognizing how they differed in innate endowments and acquired qualities. "He went about doing good."

Jesus was an unusually cheerful person, but he was not a blind and unreasoning optimist. His constant word or exhortation was, "Be of good cheer." He could maintain this confident attitude because of his unswerving trust in God and his unshakable confidence in man. He was always touchingly considerate of all men because he loved them and believed in them. Still he was always true to his convictions and magnificently firm in his devotion to the doing of his Father's will.

The Master was always generous. He never grew weary of saying, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Said he, "Freely you have received, freely give." And yet, with all of his unbounded generosity, he was never wasteful or extravagant. He taught that you must believe to receive salvation. "For every one who seeks shall receive."

He was candid, but always kind. Said he, "If it were not so, I would have told you." He was frank, but always friendly. He was outspoken in his love for the sinner and in his hatred for sin. But throughout all this amazing frankness he was unerringly fair.