© 2004 Sue Tennant
© 2004 The Christian Fellowship of Students of The Urantia Book
With all due respect for some fine churches and wellmeaning Urantians, how could a “Urantian Church,” established in Boulder or any city anywhere in the world, possibly be universal enough in appeal to all races, religions and cultures, reflecting the global, universal and cosmic paradigms of the Urantia Papers?
I think response to the Fifth Epochal Revelation may require something radically more than a “church” idea. I would suggest a global “network” idea which espouses a new philosophy of living and an inclusive vision of the whole human family. My experience is that Jesus’ religion liberates us from dependence on organizations in order to give us sufficient spiritual distance so that we can help transform them by creating new ways of doing things.
It seems to me that the spirit is free of dogma, ritual, and secular loyalties, and it kindly empowers each of us to channel our gifts and passion into new ways of serving the brotherhood and sisterhood of humankind. Perhaps a helpful concept of a “religious” organization might be a “learning” organization. If the creative energy of some readers is seeking an outlet independent of the Foundation or Fellowship, does it have to be a church? The Urantia Book gives us a marvelous philosophy of “Lifelong Learning”.
Why don’t we create, through spiritual education and training (SET) models scattered throughout the world, the opportunity to learn how to live by this philosophy in cosmic terms? People want the comfort of being with other people who are spiritually akin. Why not challenge them to serve the brotherhood and sisterhood of humankind by creating a model of spiritual education and training (SET)?
I see the “invisible church” as an “invisible network” of spiritual education & training schools (SETS) for the spiritually challenged human race. We need to learn and teach about the faith that leads to a universe career and training for service to transform our world. I see each model as unique, experimental and adaptive, based primarily on small groups learning to live and teach Jesus’ religion of the spirit in the context of epochal revelation. I see SETS independently developing the following (among other things):
And, I see SETSs maintaining a worldwide network of cooperation and mutual sharing of information, resources and experiences because all are striving to realize the same goal-sonship with God and the brotherhood and sisterhood of humankind. I believe I “see” this because it is in fact beginning to happen and I’m just starting to recognize it.
Sue Tennant is author of “Crossing Cultures in Business,” founder of the Ontario Chapter of the World Interfaith Education Association, and, along with her husband Derek, the owner of the Silver Springs retreat center.