© 2011 Dominique Ronfet
© 2011 French-speaking Association of Readers of the Urantia Book
| Le Lien Urantien — Issue 56 — Autum 2011 — Contents | Le Lien Urantien — Issue 56 — Autumn 2011 | Chicago, Paul and the Eternal Feminine |
An international meeting of leaders of associations affiliated to the AUI took place in Chicago from July 13 to 17. Participating from the AFLUB were: Ivan Stol, Jean Duveau, Anne-Marie Ronfet and myself as well as for the Belgian association our friends Jean-Annet and his wife Isabelle as President and Treasurer.
Claire Mylanus, who was traveling for a meeting at the Foundation, was also a valuable and warm help to us in our journey and organized a 2-day stay at 533 where we were able to rent rooms and thus discover this charming place which has kept its art-deco style and is full of history since it was the place of residence of Dr. Sadler. The volunteers present who welcomed us with great enthusiasm were very kind.
The theme of this seminar of exchanges and work focused on “the art of Leadership”, or how to embody a new dynamic in a gloomy international context where the teachings of the Urantia Papers seem to struggle to find their place. We were also invited to better understand the meaning of our adventure as an association and, for the most committed people, the level and form of our commitment. Because despite the distant perspective of an era where “men will be willing to seek truth and righteousness” should we not now avoid getting bogged down through laziness, inaction through apathy? In short, what new energy can we inject into our current of thought without falling into impatient missionary-type compulsions that would be destructive for our movement?
It is in this state of mind that we were able to attend morning conferences on the origin, history and destiny of revelation, or on self-control. These high-quality interventions were translated live by professionals and broadcast in real time by headset.
In the afternoons, through our work in subgroups, we were invited to reflect on themes such as:
The fruit of our joint reflections was noted by Anne-Marie who later returned a copy for the AUI office. With those of the other groups, it will be added to a working document of which a summary should be provided to us later.
In the evening we could also exchange our thoughts in a room around tables provided with various treats. A musician sometimes came on the piano to maintain this friendly atmosphere. When you bring together nearly 150 people from diverse backgrounds, from different countries, cultures, and languages for a work seminar, these moments of decompression are very much appreciated! In a perfect organization, the moments of listening, work and informal meetings followed one another naturally.
There was a superb concert on Saturday evening in the main chapel with very talented artists that I was discovering (Bob Solone, Cristina Seaborn). The place itself, Techny Towers, visibly accustomed to religious seminars, lent itself perfectly to our meeting. Finally, the walks in the heart of Chicago also left me with very pleasant memories. This mixture of large arteries framed by towers, never uniform, of art-deco style houses like 533 leaves a feeling of harmony that surprised me.
This stay was therefore enriching through its encounters and for us, French, a happy discovery of this American energy and warmth which perhaps we sometimes lack.
The fact that the AFLUB office was able to move (thanks to a significant personal investment) should give our association a little breath of fresh air and courage, the pioneers of new horizons that we are!
And if we are working for a distant future where this revelation should find a wider audience, we can still, from now on and through our study groups, develop, without haste but without weakness, a better understanding of the teachings of the Urantia Book.
Dominique Ronfet
| Le Lien Urantien — Issue 56 — Autum 2011 — Contents | Le Lien Urantien — Issue 56 — Autumn 2011 | Chicago, Paul and the Eternal Feminine |