© 1996 Merlyn Cox
© 1996 The Christian Fellowship of Students of The Urantia Book
| Psalms Today: A New Song | Fall 1996 — Index | Significant Books: Science, Anthropology, and Archaeology in The Urantia Book by Ken. T. Glasziou |
To those raised in the church, and even identifying the Kingdom of God with the church, the title must seem strange. For most, serving God within the church is the norm, if not the definition, of discipleship. While many may be called to represent it on the periphery of its influence, it’s assumed that even this is the church’s outreach. If nothing else, one can always define the church as the mystical body of Christ which is present by definition where believers are gathered and at work in his name.
There are those who point out-correctly, I believe — the too easy identification of the church with the Kingdom of God, and feel the institution often stands in the road of serving God as much as it helps. Many people who have been raised and nourished in the fellowship of the church feel it’s failings so strongly that they have largely given up on organized religion.
For those in the Urantia Movement, there is the added frustration of rejection and suspicion. Not many Urantia Book readers can communicate easily and openly about the book with their fellows in the church. Many discovered The Urantia Book after a search that led them away from the institutional church. Having discovered it, it only seemed to reinforce their bias against traditional Christianity.
Many discovered The Urantia Book after a search that led them away from the institutional church. Having discovered it, it only seemed to reinforce their bias against traditional Christianity.
As a pastor I feel the same frustrations. I would love to share openly the ideas and concepts found in The Urantia Book with others who are searching for a deeper and more profound understanding of the Good News, but I realize how few people are open to even examining them. I never cease to be amazed at the irony that the one people on earth who should most quickly understand and welcome it’s message are often the most suspicious and hostile.
So I understand why many people in the movement are, in turn, suspicious of the church, and many have given up on it. On more than one occasion I’ve sensed the surprise and incomprehension on the part of readers who discover that I am a pastor actively serving a church, as if to say, “How can that be?” My response would be, “How could it not be?” I’m so convinced that the truths of The Urantia Book affirm and complement the witness of the church in all essentials, that having to apologize for being in the church seems ludicrous — as ludicrous as having to justify The Urantia Book to church members.
I do not know what the future of the institutional church will be. I’m convinced it’s undergoing great changes and there may be little in the future that will be recognizable from the past. As to its shortcomings, few could catalogue them as thoroughly as a pastor. But I would also bear witness to the fact that it is still a place where the Good News is proclaimed, where reconciliation and healing take place, where great and liberating fellowship is often found — even transcendent worship.
For those in the Urantia Movement it may also seem ironic to point out that God is no respecter of persons. He is not bound by the church, but neither has he given up on it. It is still a good place to serve, a good place to experience the gifts and graces of God’s people everywhere, and a good place to bear witness with patience, wisdom, and hope to the truths contained in The Urantia Book.
| Psalms Today: A New Song | Fall 1996 — Index | Significant Books: Science, Anthropology, and Archaeology in The Urantia Book by Ken. T. Glasziou |