© 2016 Suzanne Kelly
© 2016 International Urantia Association (IUA)
Greetings fellow Journal readers,
In this first edition of the Journal for 2016 we have four intellectual and spiritually challenging essays for the edification of your mind, body and spirit. Our opening essay God the Great Supervisor is by Marc Belleau, Canada. Marc takes on the worldwide held belief that God is responsible for everything man endures and smartly and kindly shows us otherwise. Since we are fully capable of entangling ourselves in tight situations without any external help, do we really need to believe that God sends us additional challenges to top the mistakes we are already making? Marc takes another look at the accidents of time and the consequences of our actions by scrutinizing the wrath and unloving actions of a punisher God vs. that of a true loving Father God. Wisely concluding, Our imperfection and immaturity are amply sufficient to supply us with all the trying times we are to face during our existence. However, we can learn to use our mistakes as multiple springboards toward higher levels of wisdom.
Our second contributor and most excellent Spanish Translator for the Journal, Olga Lopez takes us back to school and teaches us a valuable lesson on our mission as readers and believers of The Urantia Book in Reflections for teachers and believers in the fifth epochal revelation. Starting with the teachings of Jesus Olga restates them in modern language to make them more deliverable to those who are seeking but who have not found The Urantia Book. Restating the following: Always respect the personality of man. Never should a righteous cause be promoted by force; spiritual victories can be won only by spiritual power… [UB 159:3.2] to: In modern language, _ No matter how much we think the book’s teachings are very superior compared to any other doctrine, religion, or thinking, we should never impose them on anyone, for thus we are not respecting their personality, their path, or their free will._ Along with all of the valuable restatements she shares with us, I think the one that stands above them all, is Service is not about self-denial or sacrifice, but doing good to others with a sincere smile in our faces!
Our third contributor is long time reader, Carolyn Kendall, whose father introduced her to The Urantia Book in 1951. She has been studying the book ever since. Her essay on The Rehabilitation of Urantia encompasses the past and the future understanding, Our revelation is a unique and comprehensive undertaking, compared with revelatory bestowals on “normal planets.” The unusual form of this revelation—a book—fits well with our guinea pig status as an experimental world. From the Divine Perfection plans, up through the Melchidezek bestowals and seraphic planetary supervision she educates us on what is entailed in bringing a planet in quarantine to its shining place in light and life and how we are an integral part of its success.
Bob Ghen our final author has taken on the toughest part of The Urantia Book in his essay On Studying the Foreword to The Urantia Book. Truly an epic task on our own, the Foreword was also daunting for Bob, but he finally realized, It is self-evident that in-depth study of The Urantia Book is a lifetime project. So much more of the revelators’ intended meaning can reveal itself with even a fledgling grasp of the Foreword. It all starts with that first leg up; an intellectual boost that initiates the understanding scaffolding upon which ever higher concepts can grow. One that soon opens into an enlightening new, experiential sphere of progressive cosmic comprehension. He refers to Bill Sadler Jr, in his grasping of the real meanings and finally deduces that a focused study of The Foreword is one of the wisest investments of time and effort possible in this life.
Happy and enlightened reading…
Suzanne Kelly
skelly@wtmi.net
P.S. I am currently seeking Assistant Editors, Proofers, and as always Submissions!
Note: All submissions must follow quotation guidelines when using quotes from The Urantia Book; e.g. [Paper 141:4.2, page 1590:5]
Note from Editor:
On Urantiapedia, one of our basic principles is globalization. For this reason we have decided to follow a unique global reference system for quoting The Urantia Book; e.g. [141:4.2]. This is the reason you will find all references in articles updated to this global system.