© 2010 Marc Belleau, Hubert Gallet, Johanne Séguin, Alain Cyr, Normand Laperle
© 2010 Urantia Association of Quebec
¶ SERVICE, EXPRESSION OF LOVE (PART 1)
THE SEEKING OF GOD AND THE SERVICE OF THE SPIRITUAL BROTHERHOOD OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ARE CONCEPTS THAT GO PAIRS.
It seems that service is the fruit of the relationship between God and his children. Indeed, the love received from the Heavenly Father leads us sooner or later to the service of our brothers and sisters. This aspect of the 5th revelation is so important that it is worth pausing to reflect on its nature and function in the universe.
This text will be divided into 4 parts that we will explore over the coming months. First, we will look at the definition and function of service, secondly we will see that service is, first and foremost, a question of attitude. Thirdly, I will tell you about our greatest role model, our greatest inspiration to serve and fourthly, we will reflect on our modern society’s vision of service. This month, I invite you to reflect on the nature and function of service.
¶ The nature of the service
How do we express our love for our neighbor? Simply saying “I love you” is not enough. Love is a benevolent predisposition towards our brothers and sisters, and this is expressed in the gestures and actions of daily life. Being attentive to the physical and spiritual needs of our neighbor, sharing our inner life with our brothers and sisters, supporting them in their many tasks and the resolution of their daily problems are different ways of serving and embodying the love we have for our neighbor. The same is true with God; if we truly love our Creator and Father, we will put ourselves at the service of his spiritual kingdom and we will necessarily want to participate in his divine plan which consists of growing and expressing more and more divine values in our lives. Service is therefore the expression of the love we have for the human and spiritual brotherhood. In one of his talks, Jesus emphasized 5 characteristics of the kingdom of heaven; one of them related to service:
. . . the supreme satisfaction of service expression of man’s love. (UB 170:4.5)
¶ The function of the service
What is the function of service in the scheme of the universe? In addition to being an expression of love for God and man, it offers us a playground on which we can gain experience and develop. It will play this role throughout our ascension and even in Paradise:
Study and instruction are not the exclusive occupations of Paradise arrivals; service also plays its essential part in the prefinaliter educational experiences of Paradise. (UB 27:2.2)
But how does service enable our growth? It enables us to grow by solving the challenges it engenders. By placing ourselves at the service of God and the human brotherhood, we can be sure to encounter multiple problems to solve. These offer us the necessary opportunities to:
- develop control over our emotions: for example, having to adapt to opposing ideas sometimes causes a healthy questioning, but can also generate a certain amount of stress that we must learn to control. Rubbing shoulders with people who think and act differently requires a certain amount of adaptation. This can create emotional tensions that we must learn to resolve.
- develop our mind: in the service projects we choose, we sometimes need to acquire new knowledge, which leads to an expansion of our skills and abilities. We also need to organize and structure our service so that it is effective. This can involve analyzing the skills we already have and that we want to put at the service of others or those that we do not have and that we want to acquire in order to serve better. It can also involve the way we manage our time. For example, how many hours can I dedicate to the service of God? How will I reconcile the necessities of daily life and the needs of the service in which I am engaged?
- develop our soul: that part of us that seeks to be better, to rise; that drive to do better, that something that seeks to get closer to God, trying to resemble him. Service, through experience, makes us acquire (1), makes our soul grow; it is the exercise it needs to grow. (1) Experience allows the acquisition of values that become properties of the soul. I will speak more deeply about this subject in a future text.
- developing our collaboration with the spirit: to the extent that we place ourselves at the service of the spiritual brotherhood, we fulfill the will of the heavenly Father; service, in fact, allows us to resemble him more and more, because it is the generous gift of ourselves to others. Does not the Father give himself without limits, to all his creation?
So service requires the involvement of all dimensions of our being: mind, soul and spirit. What about our body? Without it, it would be very difficult to accomplish all this here below. Service is the expression of love, because it allows us to give ourselves body and soul. Love, true love is the total gift of oneself to God and to others.
Marc Belleau
belleaumarc@hotmail.com
If you have any comments, questions or objections about this text, please feel free to write to me. I will be happy to read you.
¶ The Great Challenge of Modern Man
From The Urantia Book
Part two of two
¶ Hindrances to Communication with the Adjuster
Supreme and self-acting Adjusters are often able to contribute factors of spiritual import to the human mind when it flows freely in the liberated but controlled channels of creative imagination. (UB 109:5.1)
The Adjuster remains with you in all disaster and through every sickness which does not wholly destroy the mentality. But how unkind knowingly to defile or otherwise deliberately to pollute the physical body, which must serve as the earthly tabernacle of this marvelous gift from God. All physical poisons greatly retard the efforts of the Adjuster to exalt the material mind, while the mental poisons of fear, anger, envy, jealousy, suspicion, and intolerance likewise tremendously interfere with the spiritual progress of the evolving soul. (UB 110:1.5)
A Solitary Messenger of Orvoton says: “But your unsteady and rapidly shifting mental attitudes often result in thwarting the plans and interrupting the work of the Adjusters. Their work is not only interfered with by the innate natures of the mortal races, but this ministry is also greatly retarded by your own preconceived opinions, settled ideas, and long-standing prejudices. Because of these handicaps, many times only their unfinished creations emerge into consciousness, and confusion of concept is inevitable.” UB 109:5.3
The great problem of life is the adjustment of the ancestral tendencies of living to the demands of the spiritual urges initiated by the divine presence of the Mystery Monitor. While in the universe and superuniverse careers no man can serve two masters, in the life you now live on Urantia every man must perforce serve two masters. He must become adept in the art of a continuous human temporal compromise while he yields spiritual allegiance to but one master; and this is why so many falter and fail, grow weary and succumb to the stress of the evolutionary struggle. (UB 109:5.4)
¶ Conclusion
“Today you are passing through the period of the courtship of your Adjuster; and if you only prove faithful to the trust reposed in you by the divine spirit who seeks your mind and soul in eternal union, there will eventually ensue . . . that supernal harmony, . . . that divine attunement, . . . that never-ending blending of identity, . . .” (UB 110:1.6)
I cannot but observe that so many of you spend so much time and thought on mere trifles of living, while you almost wholly overlook the more essential realities of everlasting import, those very accomplishments which are concerned with the development of a more harmonious working agreement between you and your Adjusters. The great goal of human existence is to attune to the divinity of the indwelling Adjuster; the great achievement of mortal life is the attainment of a true and understanding consecration to the eternal aims of the divine spirit who waits and works within your mind. But a devoted and determined effort to realize eternal destiny is wholly compatible with a lighthearted and joyous life and with a successful and honorable career on earth. Co-operation with the Thought Adjuster does not entail self-torture, mock piety, or hypocritical and ostentatious self-abasement; the ideal life is one of loving service rather than an existence of fearful apprehension. (UB 110:3.4)
Mind is your ship, the Adjuster is your pilot, the human will is captain. The master of the mortal vessel should have the wisdom to trust the divine pilot to guide the ascending soul into the morontia harbors of eternal survival. Only by selfishness, slothfulness, and sinfulness can the will of man reject the guidance of such a loving pilot and eventually wreck the mortal career upon the evil shoals of rejected mercy and upon the rocks of embraced sin. With your consent, this faithful pilot will safely carry you across the barriers of time and the handicaps of space to the very source of the divine mind and on beyond, even to the Paradise Father of Adjusters. (UB 111:1.9)
Selected excerpts from The Urantia Book by Hubert Gallet.
Montreal, September 6, 2010.
¶ The tenors of revelation
ON THIS LATE FALL SUNDAY WHEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD TO SLEEP FULLY, I GOT UP IN A GOOD MOOD TO GO AND ATTEND A THEMATIC DAY OF THE URANTIA ASSOCIATION.
It could have been a day like the ones I had already experienced in recent years when I was a regular at these meetings, but perhaps it was the fact that I had not attended these gatherings for a whole year or maybe it was a deeper change in my perceptions that I would not have seen coming. But the fact remains that I came out of this experience on that famous Sunday, November 14, 2010, deeply moved.
I found myself sitting at the table with tenors of revelation: Gaétan Charland, Guy Laurin, Guy Leblanc, André Bariselle, Robert Cédilot and his charming partner. Their testimonies, their comments struck me with full force. I had the honor of being in the presence of great men initiated into divine wisdom. Each one answered my prayers of the last days, refined my understanding, reassured my soul. I was dazzled by their presence and I did not want it to end. I left them with great regret, but my heart filled with their affection. Together and all together they gave life to the true meaning of fraternity and what I got from it was an added value to my own existence.
So, how can I not thank them and hope that soon I will have the privilege of hearing them again. I am blessed to have had this invigorating experience of the divine brotherhood that unites us.
Long live the themes!!
Johanne Seguin
¶ The Philanthropist
SOME TIME AGO, MY IMAGE OF A PHILANTHROPIST WAS A PERSON WHO HAD A LOT OF MONEY AND WHO TAKES PLEASURE IN REDISTRIBUTING IT TO JUST CAUSES.
What a wonderful life I thought to myself, to be able to do so much for the betterment of humanity. And if I were rich, how should I go about adequately relieving the world?
I got my questions answered. WOW, it’s amazing how simple we can be sometimes; and me… it happens to me. So, I looked at the Petit Larousse on a first point:
philanthropic adjective
From philanthropy; inspired by philanthropy.
Already here, we speak of inspiration and we all know that this is a divine gift. Being inspired to serve comes from a very personal relationship with God. It is a gift because it is free and divine because its origin transcends the human that we are. With inspiration, an added value is inevitable: The art of living in the gift of oneself is quietly implanted. Little by little, we model ourselves to the need to give to others for the collective well-being. After all, how can we be happy if everyone around us is sad? It is therefore a natural impulse to give.
Then there is this definition that says:
philanthropy feminine noun
Being a philanthropist, behaving like a philanthropist.
So here we can be either a philanthropist or a philanthropist. There is no gender to this word. It’s all a question of perspective. I noticed that at Maxi et Cie., it’s pretty much everyone who gives money to encourage the “team of young people for progress” when they come to the checkout counter to do our packaging. If the designation of the word has a feminine connotation as such, it’s surely because what counts is the spirit in which we do things.
And finally, the target word:
philanthropist noun
(Gr. philos, friend and anthropo, man)
- Aged. A person who loves all men; a friend of mankind.
- A person who seeks to improve the lot of his fellow men through financial donations, the founding or support of charities, etc.
- A person who acts selflessly, without seeking profit.
This is what is likely to happen to us if we continue to love life by wanting to share with our companions the riches it provides us. Whether it is money, goods or time; whether the scope is large or small, giving resembles the Father and He offers us eternal life.
I believe the road to Heaven is paved with philanthropy. And here’s a technique to help us stay in good shape along the way.
Worship is the technique of looking to the One for the inspiration of service to the many. Worship is the yardstick which measures the extent of the soul’s detachment from the material universe and its simultaneous and secure attachment to the spiritual realities of all creation. (UB 143:7.6)
Just put inspiration to work
Alain Cyr, Longueuil, Qc
¶ To love is to serve
Report of the theme of November 14, 2010 in St-Jérôme, Quebec
IT IS THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF THE ENTIRE TEAM OF THE URANTIA ASSOCIATION OF QUEBEC THAT THIS THEME WAS A SUCCESS.
It was hosted by Guy Laporte. The speakers were: Luciano Camellini: “Me, God and Others”; Murielle Guerrero: “The Love of God”; Isabelle Lefebvre: “Divine Service”; Stéphane Boucher: “My Daily Service”: Guy Breton: “Service, Expression of Love”. In the afternoon, we were entitled to a discussion period and a report of our reflections at the end of the day. There were 30 people in total at this meeting.
There is always “something more” that is added to us during these meetings. Contact with others is always enriching. There were people from the Montreal area, but also from Ottawa, Quebec City and elsewhere in Quebec. We also had a surprise guest who arrived from Seattle in the United States. A group of bilingual people naturally formed around her to accompany her in all our activities during the day. She was there in a personal capacity. She felt drawn to Quebec and she did not hesitate to let herself be carried away by this inner momentum.
Humans are not made to remain alone. Personalities are naturally attracted to each other to join in a circuit of communication. This is how individuals form groups. Groups intersect and universal brotherhood is established. Welcome to this great brotherhood! Of course, all this is “if the ”I“ want it.” That is the beauty of it. Everything is voluntary. It is the self that decides.
Since I am the one writing this text, it is my privilege to make a selection of ideas that came out of this theme. Here is my selection of key phrases that I retained during this theme: “The essence of Jesus’ message was ”To love and to serve“”; “Service is the expression of love”; “To listen”; “To make oneself available”; “To ask God to guide us”; “Q When I serve man, in reality I serve God”; “When a person prays for help, God will place another person in his path to help him. Perhaps it is you that God will call to serve this person. At that moment, who helps? Who answers the prayer? You, or God?” “We must also accept to receive, to thank God… and his messenger, for having served us”; “By giving, I receive”; “We must not neglect the simplicity of a gesture of help, it then becomes almost invisible.” “It is dangerous to feel invested with a divine or other mission. It could easily slip out of control at the mental level. There is no mission.” “Trust God”; “Listen not only to the other, but also to God in us”; “We must not denigrate the one who is in a period of non-service to others. The person is simply in a period of introspection where he or she accumulates strength from his or her experiences. We must expect that this person will come out of it grown and stronger than before. It could last days, weeks, years, an entire life. These are periods of empowerment.” "We must be able to love an adult as we love a child”; “We must share and redistribute the love we receive from God”; “To be someone, we must do something.” “The soul does not grow when it is stored. It grows only in action”; “To serve is a means of growing”; “To serve is voluntary”; “To serve is to do the will of the Father”. “To love and to serve, one does not go without the other”; “To love is to serve”.
Normand Laperle
A reader among many others.
I love you
¶ Activities
Annual General Meeting
Saturday February 5, 2011 in the morning
Welcome from 9:30 a.m.
Study Group Presentation at 1:30 p.m., until 10:00 p.m.
Hotel Le Dauphin, Drummondville
Thematic
Sunday March 13, 2011
The theme and location will be communicated to you later.
Thematic
Saturday May 14, 2011
The theme and location will be communicated to you later.
Picnic, Michael’s Party
Sunday August 21, 2011
Angrignon Park in Ville La Salle
Regional visit
October 1st and 2nd, 2011
The location will be communicated to you later
Thematic
Sunday October 16, 2011
The theme and location will be communicated to you later.
Holiday Dinner
Saturday December 3, 2011
The place to come.
¶ Report on the Theme of November 14, 2010
IT’S TOO LATE TO ATTEND THE LAST THEMATIC MEETING ORGANIZED BY THE AUQ IN 2010!
In fact, the latter took place in St-Jérôme at the Best Western Hotel on Sunday, November 14, 2010. The theme was “To love is to serve.”
After my welcoming speech as facilitator, Gaétan Charland, president of the AUQ, spoke to us about its mission, which is to disseminate The Urantia Book. He enlightened us on the importance of study groups and the positive effect that the themes have on them.
Four presentations were planned. Luciano Camellini spoke to us about “Me, God and Others”. Murielle Guerrero’s topic was “God’s Love”. After the break, Isabelle Lefebvre continued with “Divine Service”, while Stéphane Boucher closed the morning with “Service, Expression of Love”. These were four personal visions of the teachings of the Urantia Book on the same theme with varied personal experiences that captivated the audience.
Upon returning from dinner, the audience of 33 people from various regions of Quebec (sometimes far from St-Jérôme, such as Quebec City and Ottawa) were treated to a viewing on a big screen of a presentation by Guy Breton. The subject “Service, expression of love” was in tune with the theme of the day and completed the presentation part.
Then, in order to give everyone an opportunity to express themselves, a workshop period for discussion was planned. The audience was divided into four round tables. The time planned for this activity was one hour, but it had to be extended by 30 minutes so that everyone could find satisfaction. Proof of the interest of the subject.
In conclusion, a plenary session was held. A participant from each discussion table came to share a summary of the discussions from their workshop. Here are some of the flowers harvested at this finale. To be faithful to the theme “To love is to serve”, one must: “listen”, “be available”, “be the channel of God’s love”, “see one’s duty towards humanity and God in the same light”, “arouse the thirst for God”, etc.
May this report of this memorable day on the theme “To love is to serve” awaken in you the desire to adhere to it.
I would like to sincerely thank all those who made this happy event possible and I invite you to attend the next theme which will take place at the beginning of 2011.
Guy Laporte,
Vice-president of AUQ
¶ Thank you for organizing this wonderful thematic day!
It always does so much good to the soul to immerse oneself in a bath of Light, in the midst of the Love of Our Heavenly Father and under his tender gaze, as well as in the midst of this human warmth, engendered by his Presence…
Friendships,
Louise, Isabelle and Pierre
¶ Urantia Association of Quebec
PO Box 304, St-Jérôme QC J7Z 5L0
www.urantia-quebec.ca
Call for the Annual General Meeting
Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 10 a.m.
Hotel Le Dauphin, 600 Boulevard St-Joseph, Drummondville, Quebec
Dear members,
Please be advised that your participation in this meeting is strongly requested since these meetings allow us to redefine our goals and make decisions in solidarity with regard to the direction we want to give to the Urantian movement here in Quebec.
In the afternoon, Gaétan Charland will give us a presentation on the importance of study groups and their impact on personal and social spiritual growth.
¶ Agenda
- Opening of the meeting by the president after taking attendance and establishing the quorum
- Reading and adoption of the agenda
- Reading and adoption of the minutes of the meeting of February 6, 2010
- Reading of the activity report for the year 2010
- Financial statement report
- Election of an election chairman and reading of the election procedure
- Presentation and election of candidates for the positions of president and treasurer
- Adjournment of the meeting.
The potential of the GROUP ALWAYS EXCEEDS BY FAR THE SIMPLE SUM OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO COMPOSE IT. UB 10:5.2. IT IS HERE, NOW, THROUGH OUR INVOLVEMENT, THAT WE BEGIN LEARNING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNIVERSE.
Here comes that time of year when festivities and sharing with relatives and friends are customary.
I wish you happy holidays and a 2011 filled with material and spiritual achievements.
