© 2018 Line St-Pierre, Louis Prud'homme, Khatabe Ndiaye, Normand Laperle
© 2018 Urantia Association of Quebec
¶ Word from the President
Line St-Pierre
president@urantiaqc.org
“There is in the mind of God a plan which embraces every creature of all his vast domains, and this plan is an eternal purpose of boundless opportunity, unlimited progress, and endless life. And the infinite treasures of such a matchless career are yours for the striving!” (UB 32:5.7)
I don’t know if you are like me, but it seems to me that the months go by very quickly and here is Normand Laperle, editor of Réflectivité, calling me for the next message from the president!
What will I write for this issue? It is Sunday, October 28th and I returned from Peru yesterday morning.
Last April, during the international congress held in Amsterdam, I was invited by the Urantia Association of Peru to participate in their national congress in Lima. The theme chosen was: “Is the practice of brotherhood a utopia or a feasibility?”
Reflecting on this proposal, my heart could not help but be challenged to accept this invitation. The conference I presented was entitled: “The brotherhood of women Let us be the servants of all.”
What was preparing me for this journey was still part of my journey, but let us know that for each of us the divine plan is already established, it is simply a matter of “being attentive” to what presents itself in our life, what is offered to us and embracing it. This program of endless progression is different and unique in opportunities of service for all of us. It is necessary to get out of this comfort zone that holds us, to experience the unknown and to decide to serve.
Let’s inspire each other.
“Love of adventure, curiosity, and dread of monotony—these traits inherent in evolving human nature—were not put there just to aggravate and annoy you during your short sojourn on earth, but rather to suggest to you that death is only the beginning of an endless career of adventure, an everlasting life of anticipation, an eternal voyage of discovery.” (UB 14:5.10)
As head of the Women’s Committee for the AUQ, I had a dozen meetings with Quebec women to explore why so few women readers of the Book were not interested in the meetings that the association organized or did not wish to be part of study groups. For these women, after three years of exploring the subject, the time available was no longer favorable to continue in this project. Documenting our meetings, they were from time to time published in Tidings. In 2012 I was asked to the Chicago Foundation and since 2014 I have been facilitating retreats with my English-speaking collaborators and we participate in Urantia conferences around the world to give workshops.
As I submit articles with the impressions of the participants after each of these meetings and they are published in the Tidings and in the Foundation Newsletter and later translated into Spanish, from there I received another request from a UB student who wanted that during my presence in Peru after giving my conference at the congress, I meet with women who are not readers of the Urantia Book in Máncora, located 1165 KM from Lima to talk to them about spirituality, the importance that women have in the divine plan, their value as daughters of God and their inner beauty, all this placed in them by God for their well-being and happiness here on earth.
Another enriching experience to be able to share with brothers and sisters in God my journey, having as its central point, the teachings of the Urantia Book and always bringing me new meanings.
“The goal of eternity is ahead! The adventure of divinity attainment lies before you! The race for perfection is on! whosoever will may enter, and certain victory will crown the efforts of every human being who will run the race of faith and trust, depending every step of the way on the leading of the indwelling Adjuster and on the guidance of that good spirit of the Universe Son, which so freely has been poured out upon all flesh.” (UB 32:5.8)
¶ Taxibarman Chronicle
Louis Prud’homme
Laval
How to transmit the teachings of the Book without talking about the Book.
One challenge I believe other readers face is how to account for our Urantian worldview without revealing the origins of our beliefs. It must be admitted that outside the circle of readers, justifying a decision or even a simple opinion by referring to the Book can draw glances of incomprehension or disbelief; sometimes worried, often total. The mere reference to having faith often arouses distrust in certain circles.
In my previous post, I told you how, through a discussion with a customer [Editor’s note: taxi driver], I was able to slip into his mind a personal interpretation of a very simple Urantian concept: do what you believe is right in all sincerity and let the boat go without ever losing its course! You are not responsible for all the catastrophes on the planet!
Without ever mentioning the Book, I still reminded him of a fundamental notion: even if there was a “reset” button on man, it wouldn’t change anything: man is what he is. His self-awareness, his basic personal interest, pushes him to intervene in his environment. With the consequences that we know. But without that, he would be nothing more than an animal waiting for generations for his hair to grow naturally to protect himself from the cold!
Among the most fragile creatures in the animal kingdom, our ancestors had to unite, form clans and demonstrate intelligence to survive in nature; and cunning to survive other men!
The adventure of man is not free from error and horror, but it is the fruit sought by the creator: the birth, from matter, of new original consciences that can join the great cosmic family saturated with perfect creatures. Or almost.
If I want to pursue a relationship with any interlocutor and share with him our spiritual research, I save the Book for the end! It is better to stick to the great basic principles of spirituality: Love, Brotherhood, Sharing,
In my opinion, to counter the ambient defeatism, there is only hope. Hope that personal effort is not in vain. Hope in the human adventure, in the incredible challenge of civilization: building the City of Harmony! The grand opening is not for tomorrow, but we have to start at some point! We have already started, in fact, for a long time. It is not moving quickly and that is normal.
Earth/Urantia is a bit like a nursery for souls. Hence the importance of the simple part that each of us, according to our qualities, can bring to the success of the greatest challenge posed to the face of the universe: transforming stardust into creatures capable of recognizing their creator!
Man is a funny creature. Love him and he will improve. If you denigrate him, he will close up. If you ignore him, he will become jealous. This applies to oneself as much as to others.
To restore hope in a world where, despite appearances, everyone has their place; if they only put in a little bit of good will.
¶ WORSHIP AND PRAYERS
Khatabe Ndiaye
Senegal
Concerning worship, in the highest sense, it is a technique of contact with the Universal Father and of discovering his spiritual nature. Let us not forget that the Universal Father is the source of the “plan of achievement” UB 7:4.4. He keeps in his inscrutable nature the image of the eternal man, of what we will be in eternity, of the perfect man.
When we make a contact of worship, our Divine Personality—a gift from the Universal Father—different from our human self, puts us in contact with that exclusive portion of God that we will become in the future, and this causes a replenishment of our soul which receives new revelations of the nature of God, new strengths and abilities to invest in the experience of brotherhood with men.
All beings in creation worship God because in some way it brings them back to know the spiritual nature of God. It is through worship that the Universal Father most fully implements his “plan of consummation.” Let us review the “plans of divine perfection” UB 7:4.1 and inquire as to how the Universal Father does his part of the work.
During this contact, however brief, the Father operates changes and installs his revealing light in our soul. No one can know the Father without passing through the Eternal Son, or in our personal case, without passing through our Divine Personality which is in the image of the Eternal Son.
This shows the whole point of worship, of doing it intelligently and then getting down to work in fraternal action and service, otherwise these truths will remain at the level of our soul and will not descend into our human consciousness. It is with all this in mind that I can use the least bit of free time to make worshipful contact. At the beginning of my education on the truths of The Urantia Book I went through the different phases of thirst for knowledge about everything that related to God and the reality of His creation. And this led me inevitably to a more and more interior behavior, to the acceptance of living my inner life with God and to finally arrive at this stage of more and more repeated worshipful contact.
Having been born into a Muslim society where prayer has been a natural part of my life since infancy, it has not been difficult for me to accept prayer into my religious experience, but the Urantia revelation has given new scope and meaning to my prayers. I pray to God both personally and for the advancement of the human cadre, peoples, nations, and planet, in accordance with the will of God as implemented by the various departments of the planetary government.
Having drawn truths, strengths, and energies from my worshipful contact with the Universal Father, it is to the Universal Son that I turn whenever necessary and pray for strength of character and courage to meet the various obstacles in the path of spiritual progression. All creature prayers ascend to the Eternal Son, who in relationship with the Deity Absolute is the source of the values expressed in all creation. By depriving oneself of the habit of prayer, one also deprives oneself of an important part of the helping ministry of the Eternal Son. Make no mistake, it is God who changes us, and He does so in truth—His Truth.
It is therefore appropriate to develop in our training and that of our students, the need to pray, because it is a direct contact with the Second Center Source that is thus established. After asking us to be born spiritually and to make our human nature progress towards our spiritual nature, God also offers us the tools of our development: worship and prayer. The two are linked in God and in us. It is truly God who changes us and who also changes the living environments of men and the whole world. Jesus: “Every tree that has not been planted by my Father will be taken away”. The pride of men has led them to a materialistic civilization but the wisdom of God will rectify all the disharmonies after having allowed the necessary periods of mercy to pass.
Goodwill to all in worship and prayer.
¶ A quick word about the “Urantia Book Public Presentation” in Montreal
Normand Laperle
Lévis
As you know, this presentation took place on October 14, 2018 at the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec in downtown Montreal. The activity took place from 1:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Behind the book, there is a community of readers. It is an outstretched hand towards the general public to not only make known the “Urantia Book” (“UB”), but also to make known the community of readers, less known.
I will give you a more technical and organizational presentation than an emotional one.
There were two hours of presentation of the Book, followed by 45 minutes of discussion with the public. The audience consisted of about twelve (12) readers already part of study groups. Four (4) new ones were added (all women), three of whom already knew the “UB” and one (1) who did not know it. For my part, four new ones is a bit disappointing. But we should not expect perfection the first time. We should see what we can do to improve this account.
I really enjoyed the presentations given by Line St-Pierre, Gaétan Charland, Marc Belleau and Robert Cadieux; all members of the AUQ Board of Directors. The presentations were testimonial style, each with a particularity: Line focused on administration, Gaétan on the scientific — factual side of revelation, Marc focused more on the mental — philosophical side and Robert on the spiritual side. A very nice arrangement. There was something to appeal to all tastes and interests.
During the discussion period, we were treated to testimonies — from the newbies — about their individual spiritual journeys and some feedback on the presentation. The person who did not know the “UB” left during the discussions. We did not get his testimony or feedback.
Behind the room there was a large table with mostly free literature. There were also a few copies of the “UB”.
I thought it was a good start, but we need to go further. What did we get? What could we improve?
In the future, there will be many opportunities to make all kinds of presentations-introductions of the “UB”. It makes a good basis for work.
I believe that we need to invest time and money in developing expertise here in Quebec, in presenting it to the general public to make the “UB” known, but also, to seek out new readers to join our study groups.
You have to start somewhere, then improve.
Congratulations to the AUQ Board of Directors for this initiative.
¶ Upcoming AUQ activities
Holiday Brunch 2018
Sunday, December 9, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
You are invited to come and share a meal with the friends of the association. A choice of 3 lunches is offered for tax and tip included.
Best Western Hotel 420 boul. Monseigneur Dubois St-Jérôme, QC, J7Y-3L8.
You must reserve your place before December 1st by calling Robert Cadieux, secretary at (514) 237-3616
¶ HAVE YOU PURCHASED YOUR FUNDSCRIP CARDS? THIS MONTH?
Every time you buy Fundscrip cards, a percentage of your purchase is donated by the company to the Urantia Association of Quebec. A smart way to support the AUQ for the price of a stamp.
If you would like more information, go to the website of the Urantia Association of Quebec and click on the “Contribution” link, or you can read the excellent article written by Marc Belleau in the April 2017 Réflectivité.
You can also register immediately on the FundScrip website, by clicking on the following image.
¶ Urantia-Association-of-Quebec — 2018 Calendar of Activities
| Sunday, January 14 | Board of Directors — in-person meeting | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, February 10 | Annual General Meeting in Drummondville | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, March 4 | Board of Directors — in-person meeting | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, May 6 | Board of Directors — in-person meeting | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, May 27 | Theme day - (Life after death) | 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, June 10 | Board of Directors — in-person meeting | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, August 26 | Picnic for the Feast of Jesus — Mount Royal Park | 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, September 9 | Board of Directors — in-person meeting | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, September 30 | Presentation for Study Group Hosts | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, October 14 | Presentation of the Urantia Book in Montreal (General Public) | 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, November 15 | Board of Directors — online meeting with Zoom | 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, December 9th | Holiday Brunch | 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
¶ Study groups
This activity allows several readers of different levels of understanding to share and study together the teachings of The Urantia Book. It promotes spiritual progress by allowing its participants to find practical applications of the teachings of The Urantia Book in their daily lives. This important practice helps to maintain a broad perspective on concepts of truth.
You wish to participate or form a study group; we will be happy to assist you. If you wish to have your study group appear in this list, contact the person in charge, via email association.urantia.quebec@gmail.com or at 450-565-3323.
Outaouais Group
Region: Gatineau
Wednesday, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Maurice Migneault (613) 789-6833
Group: “The Artisans of Progress”
Region: Montreal — Center of the island
Wednesdays, during the day
Robert Cadieux (514) 237-3616
Group: “At Maisonia”
Region: Quebec
Every 2 weeks: Sundays, from 1:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Gilles Bertrand & Louise Renaud (418) 871-4564
Group: “Découverte”
Region: Laurentides — St-Jérôme
Mondays, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Gaétan Charland and Line St-Pierre
Tel.: (450) 565-3323
Group : “Le Pont”
Region: South Shore of Montreal — Brossard
Thursdays, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Guy Vachon (450) 465-7049
Group: “The United Family of Urantia”
Region: Montreal — Downtown
Wednesdays, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Mrs. Diane Labrecque (514) 277-2308
Sherbrooke Group
Region: Sherbrooke
Every 2 weeks: Tuesday or Wednesday, (to be confirmed) from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Hélène Boisvenue and Denis Gravelle Tel.: (819) 569-6416
Virtual Study Group, French
Every Monday from 2pm to 4pm Eastern Time
Via Zoom: https://www.zoom.us/j/9084766734
Responsible: Guy Perron (438) 495-7747
To see the official list of study groups, visit AUQ website.
- Go to: “Activity, Study Groups, (on the left bar): List of study groups”
- Or click directly on the following link: http://urantia-quebec.ca/activites_liste_des_groupes.php
Potential Study Groups Seeking Participants
Group: “Uni-Terre”
Region: Joliette
Sundays at 10:00 am
Contact: Eric Martel (450) 756-9387
Group : “Le portail du bercail”
Region: Sorel
Mrs. Eva & Ernest Asselin
(450) 517-0136
Group: “Saguenay”
Region: Saguenay
Contact: Jean-Guillaume Tremblay (418) 693-2049
¶ Réflectivité
Responsible: (418) 835-1809 (Normand Laperle)
Assistant: (418) 871-4564 (Gilles Bertrand)
Publication (monthly)
Last week of the previous month.
To submit your articles:
Send them to: reflectivite.auq@gmail.com
Add: Your name and city of residence.