© 2019 Ann Biggs
© 2019 The Urantia Book Fellowship
Hot Springs North Carolina, July 2019
By Ann Biggs
Tucked in a valley of the Great Smoky Mountains for the past nine years, is an amazing annual gathering of spirit-minded people. This year, having reached an attendance of between three and four thousand on any given day of its long weekend, I found it to be a challenging effort to describe with words to anyone who hasn’t experienced “The Goose” firsthand. Imagine a huge campground, overflowing with people from different denominations and backgrounds (mostly Christian), gathered to celebrate, share, discuss and worship in various glorious and possible ways, sometimes deep, sometimes not, but all just right.
As Urantians, seven or so of us attending this year, we felt quite welcome. We arrived and camped among the masses, a few taking part as volunteers but all as participants in discussion groups, panel and stage audiences, and performances-one was our own, “Sacred Galaxy Tour” of quotes from five different world religions with musical accompaniment. It was beautiful. Conversations with attendees were easy and natural. When questions came up regarding, “What brought you here?” it became for me, an opportunity to practice spiritual discernment regarding my level of specificity. Generally, a description of personal faith, and a reference to “a book” was sufficient. More often though, it was an opportunity for “leaning in” and learning the questions and struggles of the Christian church. There are lots of justice and equality seekers drawn to The Wild Goose, most of whom identify as Progressive Christians. Many come with impressive backgrounds in religious education and leadership, and very much invested in the traditional structure. Clearly, Christianity is experiencing some significant growing pains, both collectively and as individual organizations. So as “unaffiliated” Urantians, we could often be there to draw out the conversation with questions, even as Jesus did.
On a personal level, I left with an intense feeling of gratitude for my own faith, which The Urantia Book, along with general life experience, has so thoroughly facilitated. Admittedly, I have a long way to go in achieving “full fruit” as Jesus said, but there is something mysteriously wonderful that The Wild Goose added to my personal religion, and I look forward to flying with them again!
