Onlline Sermons

We have posted a lot of sermons from our Universal Life Church ministers. Some are Christian and some are not. You are welcome to use them or just enjoy them as you like.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Metaphysical Healing

          Master of Metaphysical Healing
          From the introduction phase of metaphysical healing to the ending lesson of this course has been knowledgeable to me. I will begin by saying that learning the techniques that go hand in hand and the step by step of the physical works before studying the esoteric physiology, have given me an extended insight of what and how metaphysical healing came about and how it is interpreted.
          With that in mind I enjoyed every single lesson, the human energy fields which teaches about the chakras and how the aura is an extension of the physical body was absolutely something extremely new and interesting. Getting ready and learning to use the universal energy field and experimenting in with my self was a new experience and enjoyed every minute of it. Learning of other healing methods allowed me to understand why different culture does what they do.
          In all truthfulness there is no lesson in this course that was boring per say or of no interest. Once more I will reiterate that learning the power of energy to heal is an out of the ordinary process that should be learned by every one. I wanted to investigate the techniques for my self and for my own breath of knowledge. I have been healed before by my mother-in-law that have the gift of energy healing with out the proper training or literature. That is more the reason why I was brought to the website which lead me to start the course my self.
          With this course, I must say that I have been educated that in this matchless world that we are in, that illness of countless people lies in the emotional mental field. Metaphysical healing has brought to my attention that we can give attention to illness beyond just the physical symptoms. That the cure is in the hand of the healer beside medical field lays the valuable and unrestricted universe with the energy for all of us to have.
          I am obligated to say that all that is needed is taught in this course; however there is always space for us human being to increase our awareness a bit more than we think.
I have experienced that with self healing motivation one can come out of any illness. Particularly if one has sufficient faith in the energy of the universe which can freely be provided us all without limitation.
Best wishes and May the positive energy of the universe be with you.
 Rev. Rose Palaez
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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have multiple classes in Christianity, Wicca, Religious Philosophy, three courses in Metaphysics. a course in Buddhism, a re-vamped course on Shamanism, and much more.
The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more.
The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.
Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Unvarnished Gospels

"The Unvarnished Gospels"
Mark A. Weinstein
 
One of the primary and most prominent things as a theological student that I have come to learn is that people interpret the Bible to meet their needs.  This is not to say that they purposely distort gospel for personal benefits, but it can rather be likened to wearing goggles underwater.  What I mean is this; while sight does remain when donning the goggles and going underwater, the vision is cloudy.  So too are people's perceptions when it comes to understanding the true intent of the Bible.  Because we as humans carry with us a large amount of baggage, we often see situations through a fog.  This fog works on everything we see, hear, and learn, and only in its context do we take in new information.  Hence, the word interpret comes into play.  Four letter words are wrong and should never be used in public that is my thought exactly when I hear the word interpret in conjunction with the Bible.
            People will do one of several things to "interpret" the Bible to fit their needs.  First, they simply pick out a word or two that meets their situation, and use it as a foundation for their actions.  Nothing wrong with this mind you, except that the truth is often times lost when this is done.  Secondly, they put off the meaning that they do extract from the text as simply being outdated, or caused by a language barrier.  Again, to each his own, but to play off changing the intent of scripture to an inability to truly comprehend the intended Truth is simply laziness.  If you don't understand the intent, study and learn.  Finally, we have those who profess that only portions of the text are really God spoken, with some simply being the thoughts, wishes, and direction of the author (not God but the actual writer).  To these I say, "Which brick do you take from a foundation and hope to maintain the integrity of the building?"  How can we decide which of God's words to remove from the Bible and still insure that we have kept its intent?  In the end Christ himself told us that we are either with Him or against Him, nothing in between.
            To that end, I make my segue to the text at hand.  The Unvarnished Gospels (UVG) addresses these aforementioned conditions in a way that I have not seen before.  Many translations of the Bible go a long way in helping one understand the true intent, but this book takes it one step further.  When reading this text there is no difficulty in understanding, a need to dig deep for jewels of content, or struggle to understand outdated contexts.  One can simply sit down, enjoy the content, and truly gain an understanding of the Word of God and He intended.  I am thankful to have read this book and will undoubtedly use this text for reference far into the future.  There were many instances during the reading of this book that I might say was an "AHAA" moment; I will mention just a few.
            One thing that many struggle with is whether Christ came to judge, be judged, or save.  Yes, is the final answer.  Many times in my choice of translations, the KJV, it is difficult to decipher Christ's words due to the language it is written in and with.  The UVG takes away that barrier and in plain, understandable, and infallible, language tells us that Christ came not to judge, but to be judged, yet He will be that by which others will be compared.  We must come to Christ or spend an eternity in Hell, end of point.  There is no argument against this point when read in the plain text put forth here.  Christ came to give us eternal salvation and only through his death and resurrection can that be a possibility. 
            A second point that is often argued is that of eating the Bread of Life.  Some argue that this is symbolic and open to all; others that this is actual and therefore one must be righteous do partake.  This is the first text that I know of that explains Christ's words in a way that makes it indisputable.  Symbolically we take of the sacraments in honoring all that Christ gave for us and in professing our commitment to Him and His ways.  Of course we cannot be righteous prior to accepting, or many times after taking, the Body of Christ, that is exactly the idea.  If we were righteous then there would be no need for Christ to have given His life and suffered in death for us.  Only because this book is so well written can one put to rest this age-old argument. 
            There are so many more things that come to light as one reads this book, more than I can remember.  What I will do is keep this book handy as I prepare my sermons so that this vivid and clear perspective is always available to shed some Light on whatever subject I choose to explore.  I applaud you for a well written book and class; one that I would recommend to others should I be asked.    
           
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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. 
Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.  
The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.    
Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Paganism Course

 The first thing to understand about my religion is that it focuses on the worship of and belief in the Gods and their place in the cosmos in relation to us. Every one of us is a potential God. Consider yourself God Larva; your body a temple or battlefield. The Gods are our Teachers and the narratives about them, a lesson to be learned. As with the Gods, what you do in this life echoes in eternity, if you do nothing the memory of you will fade; if you do great noteworthy deeds the memory of you will live for all time.
My belief centers on my ancestors' Gods, the Gods of the Cruithne the indigenous peoples of Western Europe before the Romans invaded the land. I being by nature a skeptical person have researched and pondered the controversy of the old ways for quite some time. I found the answer to the controversy, for myself at least.
            The methods and mechanisms of the Gods are done. What is left is for us. What I mean by the previous statement is that the future of our creed is left up to us. The Gods may lend help to us but it is best for us to develop our own strengths and find a cure for our own weaknesses. The Gods and your Family may lend aid, but it is you who ultimately need to evolve.
            In respect and reverence for the Gods, we honor the holidays and festivals apportioned to them so they will not forget our existence. Every God has his or her own holidays, the ceremonies and rites of which have been written down for centuries in the mythological cycles. The holidays are based on some action of the God the holiday honors. These actions are presented in the narratives detailing the Gods' time on this world. Every clan and culture of the Cruithne had its own Oral Tradition, but the generalizations in all those traditions are so similar as to be from one larger Celtic culture. For instance, the tales of the deeds of the Gods I tell my children are slightly different from the written versions popularized, but the outcome is the same. I have come to realize the importance of written language and urge anyone if they have an oral tradition to write it down, even publish it, to save your culture.
The pattern of ceremony and festivals honoring the Gods follow the wheel of the year, every holiday in its season and every God honored in his or her holiday.  Blessings are given by the Gods on special occasions and life changing events via the Priesthood. Geases and Divinations are also relayed through the Gods via the priesthood. A Gease is a Taboo that is given to an individual, and should be given at about age thirteen. This builds character, during youngsters' truly formative years.
The religion also gives respect and proper attention to what is known as "The Seventh Son of The Seventh Son" That is to say that any child or person who bares special physical and paranormal gifts in this world, although they may be a lay person, shall be mentored by the priesthood, to channel and hone those special qualities and to lend the schooling of the priesthood to the subject. Therefore a person with these special qualities would always be versed in the ways of the priesthood and carries the office of a priest but may choose a non priestly life. Many Cruithne Demi-Gods have grown in this way, CuChullian for example was reared for his special qualities by Scartchach the warrior priestess.  
        The Priesthood was known to the Celts in history as Druids, as it is in our priesthood. The priest must be versed in the Oral tradition, Law keeping and judgments, Medicinal studies (herbal and First aid (tribal) Horticulture, Zoology, Metaphysics, Astrology and preside over marriages, blessings, birthings, holiday ceremony, sacred ritual and sacrifice, as well as maintain the sites held to be holy and sacred. Weather or not a given Priest is a magic (magick) practitioner is a personal choice and His or her school of Magic (magick) should not affect the function as a priest, although belief in "Magic" in the Religion is very common.  
               
               Although my religion may contain Wiccans in its midst, the religion itself is not Wiccanism. This is Paleo-Paganism.
               "The Carnyx sounded upon the felling of Nuada, and it stirred Lugh from his Domain in the underworld and mounting his steed; out he strode to aid of the Tuatha De Dannan. To the East the Fomorians' felt the Sun sear the flesh on there backs and it was as the first rising of the sun for those who dwelt in the darkness and the first blessed dawn for those who defended against them."   
Rev. Russell L Lamerson.
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To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for Free, for Life, right now, use the Free Online Ordination, button -- Click the link!
As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  As an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning, I've enjoyed watching the continual growth of the seminary.
Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Christian Studies

Unvarnished Gospels
End Of Course Essay
Rev. Nick Federspiel
God's Country Fellowship Church
The course is a good chapter review of the Four Gospels and valuable to people not well acquainted with them; to others it provides an interesting point of view.
First, I must say that the Andy Gaus' The Unvarnished Gospels translation is a bit "unique" to be polite, but there are so many translations these days.  I reference the KVJ and the NKJV and when I want to speed read I use the Today's English Version of the Good News Bible.  At first I did not think I would use the Gaus version in the future, but on reflecting perhaps it is good Sermon food.  I especially will never forget the paraphrase "canon-lawyers" which in the GNV is "teachers of the law."  It is indeed these canon-lawyers that failed to understand the long term consequences of their own actions – as many lawyers also fail at today.
Secondly, the course identifies some of the inconsistencies and reporting details and styles between the four Gospels such as in lesson 6: "Also, in this book, Jesus carries his own cross, where in the book of Luke, someone else carries it for him."  Indeed in the other three books Simon at some point carries the cross (i.e. Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21 and Luke 23:26).  These apparent inconsistencies together with several others in the Holy Bible some inflate as errors that today's canon lawyers use to discredit the Bible.  In my view such trivia is irrelevant to His message yet in a way suggests that the stories are true indeed.  What if all four gospels, all books of the Bible, read alike?  Would you believe them as independently authored from witnesses to wars, miracles, and one crisis after another?  I would not.  I would conclude all four gospels were all the same as suggested by the "Q" book theory – another "missing book" assumed to be the four gospels reference text.  There is nothing like a shelf of missing books to argue over the Bible, if one is prone to such; as in my view that is a waste of intellectual time otherwise better spent.  The point is the message.  And the message to the irate and foolish fanatical Pharisees of the future is: "What goes around indeed comes around – just wait it out."
One gospel message few pause to reflect upon is, I think, that the fanatic Pharisees were fools of the highest order.  They did about the only thing they could that would create the genesis of Christianity.  Assumed to be well acquainted with the old writings, which Josephus states were indeed in the temple, one would think common sense would have restrained them from compliance with the prophets.  They did not believe, as the Apostles even doubted, that such a thing as a resurrection could be or indeed was (Matthew 28:17, Mark 16:14 GNV).  Such doubt does not give much support to the concept that the brave disciples (sic), who coward at being associated with Christ (Matthew 26:74), later challenged the Roman guards for a dead body to steal away in the night or concocted an exceptional act of flawless deception as suggested in the Bloodline of the Holy Grail. 
The lessons of history suggest that a whipping, banishment or exile and just about anything else the canon-lawyers could have impressed upon Pilate, now suddenly a friend with Herod (Luke23:12), would have ended for all of history any thought of the man Jesus, the "Christ," being the Messiah of the Torah.  Instead the canon-lawyers helped Pilate initiate his and Herod's demise along with three centuries of political turmoil for Rome resulting in Rome decreeing Christianity. 
The Unvarnished Gospel page 66 says:  " … can we remember how the fraud said while alive, "I will RISE up after three days."  So order (Pilate) the grave to be guarded until the third day so the students (of Jesus the fraud) don't come and steal him …..Pilate said to them "YOU have custody… so they went their way and stationed a guard around the grave and marked the stone with a sign IN CUSTODY."  What is missing from most analysis of the four gospels is: what were they thinkingBUT thank God for those canon-lawyers!  Amen. 
 
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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. 
 
Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free,  and lasts for life, so use the Free Online Ordination, button.We also offer many free wedding ceremonies for your use.  
 
The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.    
 
Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar