© 2023 Enrique Traver, Antonio Schefer, Jeannie Vasquez, Michael Zehr, Myra Hight, James Woodward, Moustapha K. Ndiaye, Christopher Moseley, Hara Davis, Gary Tonge
© 2023 International Urantia Association (IUA)
¶ In This Issue
- President’s Message – March 2023 – Enrique Traver, Brazil
- Latin American Continental Conference — Mexico – Antonio Schefer, Netherlands
- A Special Youth Urantiathon – Jeannie Vasquez, Uruguay
- 2024 Urantia Association International Conference – Michael Zehr, USA
- Love for the Father – Myra Hight, USA
- Focus on the Father – James Woodward, USA
- Progressive Divine Wisdom – Moustapha K. Ndiaye, Senegal
- Urantia Book Learning Centers – Admin
- Great Britain & Ireland Annual Summer Retreat 2023 – Christopher Moseley, England
- Soul Evolution Study Aid – Hara Davis, England
- My Journeys with Jesus—Video – Gary Tonge and Team
- About Tidings Newsletter
¶ President’s Message – March 2023
Enrique Traver, Brazil
Dear Friends,
More than ever, during these times of great world tension, I feel the urgency of our services to the Father and the brotherhood. By our services, I am not referring specifically to those of the Association’s legal entity, but to what it administers.
The fact that the Urantia Association International is a global organization can give people the impression that we are an institutional organization wanting to control their lives and dictate rules of behavior instead of being a welcoming center of harmony and unity, of help, support, and friendship.
I am a dedicated fan of the definition about who we are, as stated in the first paragraph of our website. See About Us – Who We Are.
Urantia Association International is a worldwide network of ordinary people who have found an extraordinary book—The Urantia Book. Students believe that the teachings of this book have the potential to rejuvenate spirituality in the world and enhance the comfort, happiness, and well-being of every person.
¶ Latin American Continental Conference — Mexico
Antonio Schefer, Netherlands
¶ The Fifth Revelation in the 21st Century
October 26—29, 2023
Come on and join us in Mexico!
Register now for the next Latin American Urantia Continental Conference! This will be the 3rd Latin American Conference and it is being organized by Asociación Urantia de Mexico (AUM). More information on the program of activities and presentations on the overall theme “The Fifth Revelation in the 21st Century” will be available soon.
This Urantia Conference will be held in Mexico, at the Hotel Quinto Sol, close to the interesting and historical pyramids of Teotihuacán. See the promotional video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BGxSgd6o_s
Hotel Quinto Sol, just 45 minutes from Mexico City, is a refuge of tranquility, harmony, magic and mysticism, nestled in the Magical Town of San Juan Teotihuacán, where comfort, rest and hospitality are mixed, offering unique experiences, outdoor adventure activities, culinary delights, temazcal and holistic spa.
We are inviting Urantia Book students from all over Latin America. The program will focus on the major themes of revelation, to inspire us to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the teachings.
¶ A Special Youth Urantiathon
Jeannie Vasquez, Uruguay
¶ The Fruits of the Spirit
The special Youth Urantiathon organized by the Urantia Association International with Urantia Young Adults International (UYAI) and Youth and Young Adults (YaYAs) Committees on December 10th, 2022, was beautiful and amazing. It offered presentations by young students of The Urantia Book from all over the world on the theme “The Fruits of the Spirit.”
The program featured four sections, one for each continent, with presentations given by young Urantia Book students from Europe, Africa, Latin America, and North America, all of whom shared their unique reflections about The Urantia Book and their personal experiences with the teachings.
The European section included two students, Genny from England, who offered a video about a Urantia study session titled “From a seed, to a Fruit,” and Moria Habte from the Netherlands, who presented an online interactive game with questions based on _The Urantia Book’_s teachings, with several options for the participants to choose the correct answer.
¶ 2024 Urantia Association International Conference
Michael Zehr, USA
¶ The Nature and Nurture of the Soul
28 to 31 March 2024
Maritime Conference Center, Baltimore, Maryland USA
Faith is to religion what sails are to a ship; it is an addition of power, not an added burden of life. [UB 159:3.8]
The Urantia Association of the United States, in conjunction with co-host Hawaii Urantia Local Association would like to invite you to attend the 12th Urantia Association International 2024 Conference, to be held from the afternoon of March 28th, until noon on March 31 in Baltimore, MD, USA.
Come study “The Nature and Nurture of the Soul” with us, culminating with an Easter worship to celebrate our Master’s resurrection. The conference will be held at the Maritime Conference Center (https://www.mccbwi.org/). The center offers gourmet food and many amenities.
¶ Love for the Father
Myra Hight, USA
¶ Cannot Be Caged
The Prisoner Inquiry Response Team (PIRT) would like to share this beautiful art, an example of the value in fostering the study of The Urantia Book in prisons. The artist is Reinaldo Dennes and he is in a Texas prison. Reinaldo was introduced to The Urantia Book eight years ago by a fellow reader doing in-person prison ministry. Reinaldo remains a dedicated student whose heart is filled with love for God and the teachings.
If you would like to use Reinaldo’s art in your Urantia works, please Contact PIRT
¶ Focus on the Father
James Woodward, USA
¶ Living in Grace
There are several things about Jesus that we are often reminded of in The Urantia Book. Chief of these is how he revealed the Father in every aspect of his living. He did this by acting as if the Father were present in himself as well as the men and women he came into contact with all his life. This behavior reflects the living of a truth that we know as fact: we are indwelt with a (pre)personal representative of our Paradise Father. When a human behaves in a manner consistent with the faith / understanding of this truth / fact, a remarkable trait of character invariably assumes dominance in that personality. Such folks are said to be full of grace.
We hear the word grace a lot, but what does it mean? Consider some definitions: elegance or attractiveness of form, movement, manner, or attitude; mercy, favor, good will; God’s unmerited mercy toward mankind; influence of God’s spirit; condition of one who enjoys God’s special favor; trait of moral excellence. How about graceful: displaying beauty in form, manner, movement, or expression. And gracious: showing or bestowing goodness, kindness, or mercy. We find all the words synonymous with grace to be exclusively positive and harmonious; beautiful, favorable, kindly, benevolent, courteous.
¶ Progressive Divine Wisdom
Moustapha K. Ndiaye, Senegal
¶ School of Divine Wisdom
Introduction
This document is a compilation of the activities of the Progressive Divine Wisdom Group (PDWG) during 2022.
It is worth noting that the initiatives outlined in this progress report are a continuation of three meetings held as part of the Dakar summits of February 2018, February 2019 and February 2020. This report comes after the reports of 2020, 2021 and 2022, which have also been published.
The objective of these initiatives is to promote the Progressive Divine Wisdom method. This method, developed by Moussa Ndiaye, consists in facilitating the ownership of the truths of The Urantia Book through a teaching method based on an understanding and living experience as part of education and sharing. It is based on the model of the life and teachings of the Creator Son of our Local Universe, during his incarnation in the flesh.
¶ Urantia Book Learning Centers
Admin
Join others in learning the teachings of The Urantia Book. Young or old, new or advanced, we can all learn something new. Take the opportunity to share ideas and to learn from others in your ongoing quest for deeper meanings and values.
Presently, classes are being offered at Urantia Book International School and Urantia University Institute. See their courses below.
¶ Great Britain & Ireland Annual Summer Retreat 2023
Christopher Moseley, England
¶ Harnessing the Combined Ministry of Nature and Grace for Growth
15-17 September/ Arrive 15 September from 16.00
Venue: High Leigh Conference Centre
Lord Street, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire EN11 8SG
Telephone. 01992 463016 Email. highleigh@cct.org.uk
Cost: £266 for the weekend Deposit: £60 by 31 March 2023 to Chris Moseley
¶ Soul Evolution Study Aid
Hara Davis, England
My latest study aid, Soul Evolution: Deeper Delvings into Divinity, is a more visual representation of concepts from The Urantia Book which give us a clearer idea of what it takes to transform ourselves and attain self-mastery. How to co-create our souls together with our Thought Adjuster and become more Godlike. God has given us all we need to do this, but we have to develop the courage to explore these unknown realms. We need persistent effort to make this shift of consciousness. We must commit to letting go of old ways of behaving and thinking to see the world and other people in new ways. We are transferring our souls to new vehicles and gaining a cosmic perspective and an eternal purpose. It takes eternity to become perfect, but we can begin that divine process now. One of the main purposes of The Urantia Book is the salvation of human souls.
¶ My Journeys with Jesus—Video
Gary Tonge and Team
My Journeys with Jesus—The Urantia Book is a five-minute video cleverly arranged by Gary Tonge and a team of writers, artists, and producers. Here is how it is described under the video in YouTube:
A young man, Ganid, reflects upon his time with Jesus when they toured the Mediterranean together with his father, Gonod. The details of this magnificent story of Jesus’ travels can be found in The Urantia Book and also in The Untold Story of Jesus: A Modern Biography from The Urantia Book (2019). Discover Jesus as never before, both as a divine Son and a human hero whose matchless life inspires, comforts, and transforms you.
Enjoy this beautiful video.
¶ 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.