© 2012 Dominique Ronfet, Guy de Viron, Sheila Keenelund, Max Masotti, Meredith J. Sprunger, Sam Réal Brousseau, Jean Annet, Jean-Claude Romeuf, Johanna Beukers, Jean Royer, Charles Roth, Claire Mylanus
© 2012 Association Francophone des Lecteurs du Livre d'Urantia
¶ The President’s Note: Reunion
Dear friends,
In a few weeks, from May 24 to 27, we should meet at the new site of the Domaine de la Neyliere near Lyon.
This traditional meeting will this year be marked by the election of our new President. I will indeed pass the torch, after 2 terms during which I hope to have properly served our small community.
Dominique Ronfet
¶ Edito: Paul and the Eternal Feminine (3)
Here is a somewhat special edition of the Urantian Link since there is no major theme but a literary melting pot intended to inspire and entertain you at the same time.
Indeed, with the reminder of the fundamental concepts of UB addressed to us by Sheila Keenelund and that of our divine filiation by Meredith Sprunger, there is the vibrant homage to François Dupont, the celebration of Life, the consenting Prayer…
Highly meditative themes that call for a more humorous compensation as imagined by our friend Jean-Claude with “the sex of Angels” or even the genetic humor dedicated to Adam and Eve, mythical characters sketched one last time in the intimate manner of Jean Effel.
The Editor in Chief
Guy from Viron
Editor’s note (editor’s note):
The Links are quarterly and appear on the 15th of March, June, September and December! They are first sent to subscribers in digital form (PDF format) on these same dates and then, as far as possible, in their “paper” form. As AFLUB prints are grouped with other periodicals, it is possible that the deadline for the paper format is longer. As for the texts intended to be published within the Link concerned, they must imperatively arrive 30 days before the aforementioned publication date and approved by our president, Dominique Ronfet, director of publication. Thank you for your understanding.
¶ Philosophy: Fundamental Concepts
Concepts in Universe Philosophy Gleaned from The Urantia Book
The following relationships between matter and spirit are brought to light by epochal revelation and are intended to encourage the unity of intelligent understanding of the universe. During our lifetimes we have seen and experienced our increasing capacity to cooperate with one another on the basis of similar ideals. Now we must go further. As leaders of the fifth epochal revelation, we are called to encourage a united philosophy of the universe. Our efforts, one by one, will be the first steps toward overcoming the philosophical chaos and spiritual stagnation that we witness almost daily in our community and in our world. Unity of spirit is reflected in unified leadership, and unified leadership inspires those who follow to elevate their religious standards.
Sheila Keenelund
¶ Maxien Quiz No. 9: The questions
Superuniverse
- We all know that Lone Messengers go very fast but do we know their exact speed?
- You all know that the Palonia system is undergoing a rebellion, but do you remember the name of the rebel Systemic Sovereign?
- In the Grand Universe, the tutelary spirits are classified into 7 orders. Can you name these 7 orders of classification?
Max Masotti
¶ Artistic scoop: Free interpretation of “Adam-Eve”
¶ Psychospi: The Seven Fundamental Realities (what is given)
3. Reality Methodology: Evolution
The most fundamental truth of the universe is that there is an operative divine plan everywhere, and that ultimately the will and way of God will prevail. The entire cosmos is designed to function as a living organism. This intentional plan has been, is, and always will be unfolding within a creative process. In the finite universe, the divine plan is underpinned by two basic realities: the deity presence of the Supreme, which acts as the catalyst for all development and progress; and evolution, which is decreed as the divine methodology for all finite growth and change.
The reason for universal evolution is intelligent design, and its underlying intent is progress. The fundamental requirement of life is growth, development, and maturation. The challenge and command of God to all mortals is growth toward perfection. Curiosity, the urge to explore, and the ever-renewed need for adjustment and adaptation to the environment are innate in evolutionary creatures and testify to the existence within them of an inherent striving toward growth and perfection. The story of the rise of mankind from single-celled marine organisms to the creative and rational dominion of the earth is a thrilling and edifying odyssey, testifying to the wisdom and grandeur of the Universal Father’s plan for his sons and daughters on earth. The experience of life is designed for educational purposes, and the entire universe serves as a vast school for evolutionary mortals.
Meredith J. Sprunger
¶ I only have you my “Father”
Of course, I have a life, a family, friends, fun
to compensate for the rest which sinks into failure with the days.
But deep down inside, I only have you as my “Father”!
There are the joys and sorrows of existence which, under pressure,
make me realize that sometimes even dreams come true.
But deep down inside, I only have you as my “Father”!
There is also this century of madness on our land forging character in strength
strengthening our faith and also helping us to forget all our bitterness.
Sam Real Brousseau
¶ PUB: Perpetual Calendar
¶ Scoop: The sex of Angels
My angel is called Jezebel
There have been many debates in the past about the sex of angels. Doubt still exists today. It is to shed light on this very important subject that I have finally decided to reveal a personal secret so that the whole world no longer remains in obscurantism and ignorance.
I can tell you, for having verified it and the end of this story will be the certain proof, that angels have no sex! We can say however, that their appearance is close to that of a woman; it is logical because angels are originally from a Daughter of the Spirit: the Mother of the local universe. Usually angels, like men and women, live in couples. This does not imply that angels are homosexual; they are simply receptive to a bipolarity difficult for us to understand, but by schematizing, as an explanation we can put forward the idea that angels with negative polarity, neither male nor female, are attractive to a positive angelic complement that does not have a sex either. A great friendship can be born between these different but associable people.
Jean-Claude Romeuf
¶ Info: Celebrating Life
“Become the change you wish to see in the world,” said Gandhi.
Why didn’t I know this existed sooner? That was the sentence that ran through my head a year ago after taking a course in “The Art of Breathing”. The transformation I felt after a 2-day, 2-night course followed by 40 days of exercises was extraordinary.
By learning the Sudarshan Kriya technique, a specific deep breathing technique, I had become calmer. I slept better, got less upset about things that were difficult to change, and had more energy. In addition, my resistance to illness had improved because I was the only one in my entire family who got through the winter without a single cold or other physical discomfort.
Johanna Beukers
¶ Reflection: The Impatients
We all know among the readers of The Urantia Book some impatient ones who want to go beyond Paradise at once, to know what it will be like after reaching the post-finaliter stage. To such we would like to recall a few facts and remarks concerning the preceding stages.
To reach Paradise, it takes at least 200 billion years. Indeed, the first arrivals of mortals in Paradise from our local universe date back only a short time, but Nebadon has been inhabited for about 200 billion years as indicated by the second of the two following quotes:
Jean Royer
¶ Genetic humor (continued)
Why was Adam always the happiest man on earth? “Because he never had a stepmother!”
Why would the world have been radically different if Adam and Eve had been Chinese? “Because they would have eaten the snake instead of the apple!”
Brief definition of original sin:
“An apple, two pears, and… lots of seeds…!”
Why did Adam marry Eve?
“Because he had nothing else to put under his (Adam) teeth…”
…and on the last day God created Man…
He looked at his work and said: “I can do better…!_”
So He created… Woman.
One evening, it is very late. Adam has been out all day and still hasn’t come back. Eve is worried… Suddenly, doubts and the first feelings of jealousy that the earth has ever borne begin to arise in her, the lack of confidence in her tender husband seizes her… As soon as he comes back, she says to him: “I find you very late this evening, what were you doing?” - “But come on, Darling, you know very well that there are only the two of us!”.
Eve is not convinced, and as soon as Adam falls into a deep sleep, she places her hand on her husband’s chest and, with her fingertips, delicately, she counts and checks the number of his ribs…
¶ Tribute to François DUPONT
On January 14, around fifteen people gathered to pay a final tribute to François Dupont, who carried the Belgian movement for almost 40 years.
His wife, Annette, was present.
Everyone was able to express in simplicity and meditation the memory they had of François. Several messages also came from France, as François had been so present in the French movement, and even one of the founders of the AFLUB.
Jean Annet
¶ Testimony: My attitude
My attitude: “It’s impossible to get better”!
Everything in life is a matter of choices.
How do I react to each event, each situation?
I choose to be in a good mood!
I choose to learn!
I choose to show the positive side of life!
I am able to choose how others influence my moods
¶ Reflection: Everything comes in its time
There comes a time when we say to ourselves: “Worrying is not doing us any good…let’s just let things happen.” And, almost miraculously, incredibly, everything works out and happens in a calm and harmonious way. It happened that we applied the principle of “Everything happens in its time.”
We feel that we are the ones who are supposed to bring about events, so we become agitated by the circumstances and situations that arise in our lives. Now, there is an easy way to approach any difficulty, any circumstance, any event: it is to let it happen. In many books, articles, meditations concerning the Truth, we read this phrase: “Let go and let God act.” This is another way of saying “Let it happen…”
Charles Roth
¶ Report: The Prayer of Consent
August Seminar in Brittany
About a year ago, I asked Gard Jameson to do a retreat on prayer and worship, as I knew he used to lead them regularly. I wanted to have this personal experience on worship because it is a difficult subject to understand. Gard decided to do it at our place in Brittany and to share it with other interested people, he wanted readers between thirty and forty years old, who could understand English, the next generation of potential teachers. So there were three of us French, a French woman living in the Netherlands, a Mexican, an English woman and four Americans. Gard Jameson, a graduate in Comparative Religion and a Doctor of Philosophy, led the seminar, which lasted a week; each day had its program with different speakers, but always with sessions of silent prayer, called “Centering Prayer” or Prayer of Consent.
Claire Mylanus
¶ Analysis: The first sentence of The Urantia Book
In the mortal minds of Urantia—that being the name of your world—there exists great confusion as to the meaning of such terms as God, divinity, and deity.
This is indeed mental, a term that will have to be defined itself. A first definition is given on page 8. The thinking, perceiving and feeling mechanism of the human organism. The total of conscious and unconscious experience. Intelligence associated with emotional life rising to the level of the spirit through worship and wisdom.
The word mechanism here translates the English “mechanism”, perhaps more complex than it may seem at first glance. The OED (Oxford English Dictionary) gives as its first meaning: The structure or mutual adaptation of parts, in a machine or something comparable to a machine, whether material or immaterial.
Jean Royer
¶ Maxien Quiz No. 9: The answers
Superuniverse
- Indeed, Lone Messengers travel very fast. Their speed in traversing space is variable and depends on a wide variety of interfering influences, but records indicate that in traveling to accomplish this mission my fellow messenger moved at a rate of 1,354,169,220,000 kilometers per second of your time. UB 23:3.3
- The name of this rebel System Sovereign was Lutentia. UB 119:2.2. Lutentia, this rebel System Sovereign, ruled autocratically on his headquarters planet for more than twenty years of Nebadon standard time. Thereafter the Most Highs, with the approval of Uversa, ordered his removal and requested the leaders of Salvington to appoint a new System Sovereign to take charge of this troubled and conflict-torn system of inhabited worlds. For the record, this was the second bestowal of our Creator Son.
Max Masotti
¶ Brother Dom’s Little Corner
- I don’t remember who said:
“The Truth is something that no one has ever said and no one will ever say.”
-
Anything !
-
Maybe not! Telling the truth is not simply saying “what is”.
Dominique Ronfet
¶ Imprint
Le Lien Urantien is the journal of the French-speaking Association of Readers of the Urantia Book, a member of the UAI, the International Urantia Association.
| Head office | rue du Temple 1, F-13012 Marseille, +33 (0)4 91 27 13 20 |
| afflu@urantia.fr | |
| Site | www.urantia.fr / http://forum.urantia.fr |
| Publication Director | Dominique Ronfet, d.ronfet@noos.fr |
| Editor in Chief | Guy de Viron, guydeviron@bluewin.ch |
| Reading Committee | Jean Royer, Max Masotti |
| Subscription | €20 per year (quarterly publication 4 issues) |
| Legal deposit | December 1997 — ISSN 1285-1116 |
| Print run | 125 copies © 1955 URANTIA Foundation |
All rights reserved. Materials from The Urantia Book are used with permission. Any artistic depictions, interpretations, opinions or conclusions implied or stated are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of URANTIA Foundation or its affiliates.