© 2019 Chris Wood, Ed Owen, Esperaza Tovar Alvarado, Nathen Jansen and Katharina Becker
© 2019 International Urantia Association (IUA)
¶ In This Issue
- President’s Message – December 2019 – Chris Wood, USA
- Joe in South Lake Tahoe – Ed Owen, USA
- An Exciting Service Opportunity – Central Admin
- Language Multi-Linguist Project – Central Admin
- Incarcerated and Valued – PIRTeam, Urantia Association
- CALI International Book Fair 2019 – Members of Colombia and Cali Urantia Associations
- Bogota International Book Fair – Colombia 2019 – Esperaza Tovar Alvarado, Colombia
- Peru 2021 – International Conference Update – Conference Committee
- Florida Urantia Conference 2020 – Florida Member Groups
- Vancouver 2020 – Urantia Global Experience – Nathen Jansen and Katharina Becker
- Donating with AmazonSmile – Central Admin
- Upcoming Events
- About Tidings Newsletter
¶ President’s Message – December 2019
Chris Wood, USA
In the early days of the Urantia community, we were challenged to address six basic tasks: translate The Urantia Book, publish it, distribute it across the world, foster the study of the book, train teachers, and train leaders. Today Urantia Association International and Urantia Foundation work hand in hand to accomplish these six tasks. The Foundation focuses primarily on translation, publication, and distribution, whereas the Association is dedicated to study, training teachers, and training leaders. It’s been more than 80 years since the papers were completed, but we remain dedicated to these basic tasks. Yes, our challenges have changed radically over the decades due to political developments, the rise of mass communications, and the internet—yet our dedication to these six pillars persists.
¶ Joe in South Lake Tahoe
Ed Owen, USA
While living in South Lake Tahoe in the 1970’s, I would regularly take hikes along the lake shore where I would often see the same homeless man who would always say, “Brother would you buy me a drink?” For the longest time I wouldn’t answer him and just kept walking.
One especially cold and snowy late afternoon, he saw me and pleaded for me to buy him a drink. He was huddled under a poncho with a couple of inches of snow on his head. For some reason, I decided to talk with him. He told me his name was Joe.
¶ An Exciting Service Opportunity
Central Admin
“Service”—a search of The Urantia Book nets over 630 mentions of “service.” It is the first of the divine fruits of the spirit—loving service. Service is vital for spiritual growth, yet at this very moment, we do not have enough volunteers. There are over 30 projects supporting Urantia Association International and the revelation that are on hold awaiting volunteers willing to serve.
Over the life of the Association, there have been too many good program ideas that have been shelved because there was no one to do the work. We hope to change this with an exciting new service opportunity.
We are looking for someone to serve as our Central Office Volunteer Coordinator. Just one person with the right skills can make all the difference in the success of the work the Association does.
¶ Language Multi-Linguist Project
Central Admin
¶ Introducing Urantia Association’s Language Learning & Multi-Linguist Project
We are now in the Urantia Post-Bestowal Age. As regards our current age, The Urantia Book states:
While Jesus has shown the way to the immediate attainment of spiritual brotherhood, the realization of social brotherhood on your world depends much on the achievement of the following personal transformations and planetary adjustments:
1. Social fraternity. Multiplication of international and interracial social contacts and fraternal associations through travel, commerce, and competitive play. Development of a common language and the multiplication of multilinguists. The racial and national interchange of students, teachers, industrialists, and religious philosophers.
2. Intellectual cross-fertilization. … There must occur an exchange of national and racial literature. Each race must become familiar with the thought of all races; each nation must know the feelings of all nations. Ignorance breeds suspicion, and suspicion is incompatible with the essential attitude of sympathy and love. [UB 52:6.2-4 Emphasis added]
In a first effort to address these challenges, Urantia Association International is embarking on a new program to encourage and provide support in learning a new language, and to increase the number of multi-linguists within our community. This program will begin by finding a volunteer(s) who speaks English and Spanish to coordinate the first group of 12 Spanish-speaking students who wish to learn or improve their English.
¶ Incarcerated and Valued
PIRTeam, Urantia Association
The Paradise Father values all his children. No matter what our station in life, he forgives our sins even before we think to ask for such forgiveness. Divine mercy is beyond our mortal comprehension—it is all encompassing for those who seek such mercy. In the person of Jesus of Nazareth, we see the Father’s love through the teachings of the Master, even for those who have failed to live up to their highest potential.
We can all find comfort in these teachings as we look back upon our own lives, reflecting on our best and worst times in life, and contemplating our destiny in the life after this. For those who believe the teachings of The Urantia Book, there is a comfort in knowing that divine justice and divine mercy are available to all who desire to know the Father and live according to his will.
But does divine mercy extend to those who find themselves incarcerated in our nation’s prisons, having been found guilty of the most heinous crimes by a jury of their peers? Do those who robbed, raped, stole, deceived or even took another’s life deserve divine mercy? The answer is a definitive yes, but there is a catch!
¶ CALI International Book Fair 2019
Members of Colombia and Cali Urantia Associations
What is Urantia? What is the work of God? How do we reach him? Is there life on other planets? Did Jesus have brothers? These were some of the many questions we came across at the pavilion of the Cali Book Fair, which lasted 11 days and was organized by the collaborative efforts of the Urantia Associations of Colombia and Cali (URANCOL and URACALI). Between looks of amazement, a desire for knowledge, skepticism, and interest, more than 8,000 people received our love for the revelation and information about The Urantia Book. Eighty people asked to us to keep in touch, and 23 bought a hard copy of the book.
¶ Bogota International Book Fair – Colombia 2019
Esperaza Tovar Alvarado, Colombia
Once again, the Urantia Bogotá Association, with the support of Urantia Association International, was present at the renowned International Bogotá Book Fair: FILBO 2019.
This year we had a large stand located in one of the best pavilions of the fair—the pavilion of the universities—that brought us a more intellectual audience with deeper questions than usual. We were challenged to broaden our answers and discussions, therefore devote more time to each visitor. It was very pleasant to talk with the young university students of this city, with their outstanding thirst for knowledge and desire to understand things of a spiritual nature.
¶ Peru 2021 – International Conference Update
Conference Committee
¶ 11th Urantia Association International Conference in the Land of the Incas
- Our Theme: Towards Cosmic Citizenship… Your Time Has Come!
- Our Location: Urubamba, Cusco-Peru
- The Date: April 22th-25th, 2021
- How to Register and More: Click Here
- Event Registration Link: https://cvent.me/kMVko7
Man … can elect to become more than a man; can choose to embark upon the voyage of universe ascension, but this is because the human choice and the divine will happen to be coincident upon this point. And what a son desires and the Father wills will certainly come to pass. [UB 118:6.5]
…Your short sojourn on Urantia, on this sphere of mortal infancy, is only a single link, the very first in the long chain that is to stretch across universes and through the eternal ages. It is not so much what you learn in this first life; it is the experience of living this life that is important. Even the work of this world, paramount though it is, is not nearly so important as the way in which you do this work. There is no material reward for righteous living, but there is profound satisfaction—consciousness of achievement—and this transcends any conceivable material reward. [UB 39:4.13]
… And this entire living adaptation of love must be effected in the light of both the environment of present evil and the eternal goal of the perfection of divine destiny. [UB 180:5.10]
What is the timeline in the evolutionary history of humanity? What are the traces left by the violet race that, today, we may freely utilize? How can we become conscious citizens of the universe? How can we turn ourselves into competent and reliable beings in the eyes of the universe? What is our commitment towards the Supreme Being—the evolutionary Deity? Can the age of light and life become a reality here and now?
¶ Florida Urantia Conference 2020
Florida Member Groups
The Agondonter Boot Camp Society of Florida and the Urantia Association of Florida are jointly sponsoring a conference on Service and Ministry, 14—16 February, 2020 at DaySpring Episcopal Conference Center Parrish, Florida (45 minutes from Tampa—St. Petersburg airports).
Make this a part of your winter vacation to the Sunshine State!
What does it mean to serve? What does it mean to minister? How do we find ways to be of service and get prepared? How do we uplift service to a higher level of ministry?
¶ Vancouver 2020 – Urantia Global Experience
Nathen Jansen and Katharina Becker
University of the Fraser Valley, BC Canada
July 28 to August 1, 2020
¶ Lifting Together – United in Purpose – Serving God the Supreme
The Urantia Association of Canada and The Urantia Book Fellowship have teamed up to host this gathering in the Vancouver Fraser Valley. They invite everyone to come together to serve the global community by making a personal contribution to civilization on Urantia.
The Urantia Global Experience is a gathering of minds dedicated to serving God the Supreme through the exploration of solutions for the progressive evolution of civilization. We believe the overall success of this experimental endeavor rests on our spiritual unity—our common motive to express the will of God in our personal daily lives as well as in our social institutions.
¶ Donating with AmazonSmile
Central Admin
Did you know that when you shop for the holidays at AmazonSmile, Amazon donates to Urantia Association International?
¶ What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Urantia Association International every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at AmazonSmile you’ll find the exact same prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to the Association.
¶ How do I shop at AmazonSmile?
To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com on your computer or mobile device. (You may also want to add a bookmark to AmazonSmile to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at there.)
¶ Upcoming Events
Check out Urantia Association International’s Events Calendar at http://urantia-association.org/events-list. Upcoming events can be viewed in a List or Calendar view.
Urantia Book reader events provide opportunities for students to gain a deeper understanding of the ideas and concepts presented in The Urantia Book and help to facilitate a personal commitment to the ideals of spiritual living. We hope you can make it to some of these events and experience the joys of meeting and studying with fellow readers.
If you’re planning a Urantia Book reader event in your region and would like help in promoting it, please send us your information and we’ll consider it for our Events Calendar.
¶ About Tidings Newsletter
The Tidings newsletter is a quarterly on-line publication that serves as Urantia Association International’s primary communication tool for reaching out to the Association’s membership, supporters, donors, volunteers, and general readership friends. It provides news and information on the many activities and events of the National and Local Associations around the globe as well as information and announcements from Central Office, the International Service Board (ISB), and the Representative Council (RC). It serves to keep members in touch with one another and gives readers a sense of belonging—of being an integral part of a truly international movement that is designed to promote the Urantia revelation to all corners of the world.
Note: Tidings also occasionally provides news of other Urantia-related activities and events that may be of interest to our supporters and friends. Please note that any interpretations, opinions, conclusions, or artistic representations, whether stated or implied, are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Urantia Association International, the National or Local Urantia Associations, or the editorial team of the Association’s Tidings.