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What steps can Christianity take to re-invent itself?

197 posts · 15 participants · started May 31, 2015, 1:16 AM

SabinatuBlocked
Sep 29, 2015, 5:04 PM
Moderator-2 wrote:

I would admonish all participants on this thread to refrain from any further personal attacks and to focus on the subject of the thread. If you believe you have been unjustly treated by a fellow participant do not engage in a public conflict. You can inform the moderators by leaving a message on the Support and Suggestions forum. Persistent offenders should be ignored and left to the moderators to deal with.

I did leave a message on that “Support and Suggestion” forum which never posted while 4 posts got on there – IN PUBLIC – continuing the call for banishment and god-knows-what-else if they had their retrogressive inquisition-style ways.. Lest there be yet another opportunity to have people point out a lack of patience – is it reasonable to suggest that a week is enough time for “moderators” to get back to ME?
AnonymousInactive
Sep 29, 2015, 9:27 PM

Vern wrote:

Hi Midi, the spiritual quest is a personal experience only constrained by the depth of individual commitment—freewill choosing. “When you once begin to find God in your soul, presently you will begin to discover him in other men’s souls and eventually in all the creatures and creations of a mighty universe” discovery based upon having the desire to contemplate such eternal realities in the first place.

Granted Vern “the desire to contemplate such eternal realities” is “a personal experience” but as the following UB narration indicates which follows your usage quoted by location, indicates a passive warning.

(1733.2) 155:6.14 But do not make the mistake of trying to prove to other men that you have found God; you cannot consciously produce such valid proof, albeit there are two positive and powerful demonstrations of the fact that you are God-knowing, and they are:

(1733.3) 155:6.15 1. The fruits of the spirit of God showing forth in your daily routine life.

(1733.4) 155:6.16 2. The fact that your entire life plan furnishes positive proof that you have unreservedly risked everything you are and have on the adventure of survival after death in the pursuit of the hope of finding the God of eternity, whose presence you have foretasted in time.

(1733.5) 155:6.17 Now, mistake not, my Father will ever respond to the faintest flicker of faith. He takes note of the physical and superstitious emotions of the primitive man. And with those honest but fearful souls whose faith is so weak that it amounts to little more than an intellectual conformity to a passive attitude of assent to religions of authority, the Father is ever alert to honor and foster even all such feeble attempts to reach out for him. But you who have been called out of darkness into the light are expected to believe with a whole heart; your faith shall dominate the combined attitudes of body, mind, and spirit.

Where in an attempt “to prove to others that you have found” some evidence from within, which reflects an outward display, but only registers within the individuals own mind, from one’s everyday life of routines, interaction with and through many external realities, where those other’s would not realize similar findings when one attempts to present their personal proof’s, unless there is a measure of trust and faith mutually understood. There are however, many ways to illustrate these inner confirmations to others when one assumes that in the future many things will become more probable and feasible. Therefore, ones religious experience may be mutually understood, with a measure of common fruits of acquired faith.
chucksmith1982Participant
Sep 30, 2015, 12:38 AM
How true vern. How true.
SabinatuBlocked
Sep 30, 2015, 1:26 AM
Torpor and lack of courage. Huh.

Fruits of courage and power in USA? So merciless, it is cosmic insanity.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dorothy-samuels/certiorari-denied-bush-era-torture-victims_b_8213456.html

What’s the “suggestion” for going up against that kind of top down leadership?

I’m not over the whole bashing I just got here and carried over into the “Support and Suggestion” thread….after that bit of hooliganism, how can you possible blame “christians” for torpor and lack of courage when even quoting from TUB about religion as a mind endowment incited cries of “delete delete delete”…
VernParticipant
Sep 30, 2015, 4:42 AM

MidiChlorian wrote: …cannot consciously produce such valid proof…

Hahahah so true Midi, and it would be foolish to try. The religion of Jesus is selfless service and by selflessness it is known.

No proof necessary from a sincere soul who craves no recognition as validation of their wholehearted dedication to doing the Father’s will.

I remember the story I heard as a boy, from the Bible of the poor woman who gave a penny to the church, it was all she had, the priest looking on, sneered at such a small contribution and made a great show of the money he gave. Though many times more in amount than the poor woman’s penny, it was a very miserly offering compared to the great wealth this self-satisfied priest in fact, had. She gave everything, while he gave hardly anything and then made boastful self-congratulatory noises to belittle the poor woman and puff himself up at her expense.

Empty vessels tend to make a lot of noise.
VernParticipant
Sep 30, 2015, 5:13 AM

Sabinatu wrote: What’s the “suggestion” for going up against that kind of top down leadership?

Use the vote wisely, choose. Choose the better option based on values rather than lifestyle.

There has been a failure by previous elected governments in maintaining high moral standards of civilization, past mistakes can be corrected. Adjusting to failure is the way humans learn.

Have you considered why the Divine Indweller is called the Adjuster?

“The Bush White House disgraced itself by authorizing torture and failing to comply with constitutional limits and Congress disgraced itself by allowing it. But, as Jameel Jaffer of the ACLU says, “the signal failure at this point is the failure of courts to enforce those limits.”

“In swatting away the appeals of torture victims with serial denials of review, the Roberts Court abdicated it crucial oversight role envisioned by the Constitution, further harmed America’s reputation around the world and shut off one of the last remaining avenues for accountability.”

The reign of law is fundamental to representative government. The law must be administered impartially and with accountability to the people served.

The reign of law. Liberty can be enjoyed only when the will and whims of human rulers are replaced by legislative enactments in accordance with accepted fundamental law. ^[Paper ^{71:2.12, page 802:6)}
SabinatuBlocked
Sep 30, 2015, 7:50 PM
They grew up surrounded and steeped in political correctness and “psychology”, so I guess they are qualified to know very well that those social controls did not reveal who they REALLY are and how they want to live. So they are taking personal control of “religion”:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christian-chiakulas/churches-millennials-if-they-just-did-this_b_8215846.html

Spiritual equality, even though they might not use that language, is a “no-brainer” among “the next generation”.

The “chucks” are out there in positions to “delete delete delete” – otherwise would our “chuck” have had the “courage” to assume his will would be done here?
AnonymousInactive
Sep 30, 2015, 9:17 PM

Vern wrote:

Use the vote wisely, choose. Choose the better option based on values rather than lifestyle. There has been a failure by previous elected governments in maintaining high moral standards of civilization, past mistakes can be corrected. Adjusting to failure is the way humans learn. Have you considered why the Divine Indweller is called the Adjuster?

What you say Vern is partially true in that it could also be applied to the Churches of Christianity because they, for the most part (not all) are either self appointed administrators or governance of their organizations and we the people are not always able to select those to whom we choose to lead these churches and definitely the governance of choosing those in political hierarchy. We are given choices to elect via voting from a given group who either feel themselves qualified or justified by a party profile or experience which has little to do with the ability to perform the needs for the government by the people, which often is sanctioned only by popular electability. We are not given the opportunity to cast a “NO” vote, to emphasize that we may not want any of those selected for service, therefore having only the ability to choose the lesser of two or a few evils. Within the party system and the election process, it has become a mandate to not state what one person or group will do, and has become more so that we certainly would not do what our opponent would do, with an emphasis on doing nothing. Just more of the same governance or lifeless theology.

(802.13) 71:2.19 10. Intelligent and trained representation. The survival of democracy is dependent on successful representative government; and that is conditioned upon the practice of electing to public offices only those individuals who are technically trained, intellectually competent, socially loyal, and morally fit. Only by such provisions can government of the people, by the people, and for the people be preserved.

(802.12) 71:2.18 9. Control of public servants. No civil government will be serviceable and effective unless the citizenry possess and use wise techniques of guiding and controlling officeholders and public servants.

(802.11) 71:2.17 8. Universal suffrage. Representative government presupposes an intelligent, efficient, and universal electorate. The character of such a government will ever be determined by the character and caliber of those who compose it. As civilization progresses, suffrage, while remaining universal for both sexes, will be effectively modified, regrouped, and otherwise differentiated.

(802.10) 71:2.16 7. The right to rule. It is not enough to be heard; the power of petition must progress to the actual management of the government.

(802.9) 71:2.15 6. The right of petition. Representative government assumes the right of citizens to be heard. The privilege of petition is inherent in free citizenship.
VernParticipant
Oct 1, 2015, 12:31 AM
Sabinatu wrote: Spiritual equality, even though they might not use that language, is a “no-brainer” among “the next generation”.

Interesting Huffington article Sab, the next generation is not encumbered with the same baggage of fixated dogma and ritual that typifies unappealing current Christianity. Young people crave to relate to a courageous man of faith, the real Jesus.
“Millennials are not interested in a celestial Jesus with a permanent smile and open arms, unconcerned with the goings-on of planet Earth. We’ve heard about that Jesus our entire lives, and we’re not buying it.”

“Do you know what we would buy? Jesus the man, Jesus the prophet, the Jesus that fashioned a whip of cords and overturned the tables of the money changers for making God’s house a den of robbers. The Jesus that challenged the establishment and paid the ultimate price. The Jesus that took up the cross of the poor, the weak, and the marginalized in the name of God.”

“I spent an hour and a half at church one week and the name “Jesus” was not mentioned a single time. That is what ultimately made me decide to give up.”

“I’m all for love and a personal relationship with God, but I choose to follow the man who teaches that political action is worship, that social justice is love.”

“What I and people my age are looking for is a church that preaches not just transcendental love, but that prophetic fire that makes Jesus so appealing.”

“A church that stressed this aspect of the faith would be dangerous, to be sure. It would be time-consuming and divisive. It might not even work as a long-lasting denomination. But the inconvenient truth is that if you really want millennials back in the pews, you’ve got to light the church on fire.”

Sab, thank you for sharing this sincere plea from a young person yearning for spiritual progress in Christianity.

We now have the definitive answer to the question this topic raises

It all comes down to proclaiming the religion “of” Jesus instead of the religion “about” Jesus.

I just did a quick search on those terms “religion of Jesus” and “religion about Jesus” and came up with the following six paragraphs which will highlight how vital it is that this change comes about.

1

As the original teachings of Jesus penetrated the Occident, they became Occidentalized, and as they became Occidentalized, they began to lose their potentially universal appeal to all races and kinds of men. Christianity, today, has become a religion well adapted to the social, economic, and political mores of the white races. It has long since ceased to be the religion of Jesus, although it still valiantly portrays a beautiful religion about Jesus to such individuals as sincerely seek to follow in the way of its teaching. It has glorified Jesus as the Christ, the Messianic anointed one from God, but has largely forgotten the Master’s personal gospel: the Fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of all men.^[Paper^{98:7.11, page 1084:10]}

2

And so, under the vigorous leadership of Peter and ere the Master ascended to the Father, his well-meaning representatives began that subtle process of gradually and certainly changing the religion of Jesus into a new and modified form of religion about Jesus. ^{[Paper 1}^{92:4.8, page 2051:5]}

3

Christianity exhibits a history of having originated out of the unintended transformation of the religion of Jesus into a religion about Jesus. It further presents the history of having experienced Hellenization, paganization, secularization, institutionalization, intellectual deterioration, spiritual decadence, moral hibernation, threatened extinction, later rejuvenation, fragmentation, and more recent relative rehabilitation. Such a pedigree is indicative of inherent vitality and the possession of vast recuperative resources. And this same Christianity is now present in the civilized world of Occidental peoples and stands face to face with a struggle for existence which is even more ominous than those eventful crises which have characterized its past battles for dominance. ^{[Paper 1}^{95:4.4, page 2075:2]}

4

These various groupings of Christians may serve to accommodate numerous different types of would-be believers among the various peoples of Western civilization, but such division of Christendom presents a grave weakness when it attempts to carry the gospel of Jesus to Oriental peoples. These races do not yet understand that there is a religion of Jesus separate, and somewhat apart, from Christianity, which has more and more become a religion about Jesus. ^{[Paper 1}^{95:10.15, page 2086:1]}

5

The time is ripe to witness the figurative resurrection of the human Jesus from his burial tomb amidst the theological traditions and the religious dogmas of nineteen centuries. Jesus of Nazareth must not be longer sacrificed to even the splendid concept of the glorified Christ. What a transcendent service if, through this revelation, the Son of Man should be recovered from the tomb of traditional theology and be presented as the living Jesus to the church that bears his name, and to all other religions! Surely the Christian fellowship of believers will not hesitate to make such adjustments of faith and of practices of living as will enable it to “follow after” the Master in the demonstration of his real life of religious devotion to the doing of his Father’s will and of consecration to the unselfish service of man. Do professed Christians fear the exposure of a self-sufficient and unconsecrated fellowship of social respectability and selfish economic maladjustment? Does institutional Christianity fear the possible jeopardy, or even the overthrow, of traditional ecclesiastical authority if the Jesus of Galilee is reinstated in the minds and souls of mortal men as the ideal of personal religious living? Indeed, the social readjustments, the economic transformations, the moral rejuvenations, and the religious revisions of Christian civilization would be drastic and revolutionary if the living religion of Jesus should suddenly supplant the theologic religion about Jesus. ^{[Paper 1}^{96:1.2, page 2090:3]}

6

Some day a reformation in the Christian church may strike deep enough to get back to the unadulterated religious teachings of Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. You may preach a religion about Jesus, but, perforce, you must live the religion of Jesus. In the enthusiasm of Pentecost, Peter unintentionally inaugurated a new religion, the religion of the risen and glorified Christ. The Apostle Paul later on transformed this new gospel into Christianity, a religion embodying his own theologic views and portraying his own personal experience with the Jesus of the Damascus road. The gospel of the kingdom is founded on the personal religious experience of the Jesus of Galilee; Christianity is founded almost exclusively on the personal religious experience of the Apostle Paul. Almost the whole of the New Testament is devoted, not to the portrayal of the significant and inspiring religious life of Jesus, but to a discussion of Paul’s religious experience and to a portrayal of his personal religious convictions. The only notable exceptions to this statement, aside from certain parts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are the Book of Hebrews and the Epistle of James. Even Peter, in his writing, only once reverted to the personal religious life of his Master. The New Testament is a superb Christian document, but it is only meagerly Jesusonian. ^{[Paper 1}^{96:2.1, page 2091:10]}

It can clearly be seen from these quotes that Christianity should rediscover the “religion of Jesus” and proclaim it anew, that it can be lived in truth.

Surely the timing of The Urantia Book with the firsthand telling of his Life and Teachings is of mighty significance. An indicator that the time for change has arrived.

Consider the reason we have these words……..“The time is ripe to witness the figurative resurrection of the human Jesus…”

The time has indeed arrived for professed Christians to honestly and with courage of their convictions, to ask themselves these questions:
1. Do they fear the exposure of a self-sufficient and unconsecrated fellowship of social respectability and selfish economic maladjustment?
2. Do they fear the possible jeopardy, or even the overthrow, of traditional ecclesiastical authority if the Jesus of Galilee is reinstated in the minds and souls of mortal men as the ideal of personal religious living?
To my thinking there is evidence of change but not of the magnitude required. Letting go and letting God takes courage and faith. This change will happen……some day!

Some day a reformation in the Christian church may strike deep enough to get back to the unadulterated religious teachings of Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

We are encouraged to be patient and wise and allow evolution to take its course, yet we are informed the “religion of Jesus” is living and dynamic in its transformative power—drastic and revolutionary.

…the religious revisions of Christian civilization would be drastic and revolutionary if the living religion of Jesus should suddenly supplant the theologic religion about Jesus. ^{[Paper 1}^{96:1.2, page 2090:3]}

Mixed with the positive message of hope there is however, a warning. Just as Jesus did not receive the intended welcome among the people of his birth even though Machiventa Melchizedek had ensured the God concept was alive in the hearts and minds of the men and women of Israel, the “religion of Jesus” can likewise, be thwarted of full registry by fearful Christianity clinging to false “safety” of entrenched power and seemingly changeless tradition.

…And Machiventa was successful in achieving the purpose of his unusual bestowal; when Michael made ready to appear on Urantia, the God concept was existent in the hearts of men and women, the same God concept that still flames anew in the living spiritual experience of the manifold children of the Universal Father as they live their intriguing temporal lives on the whirling planets of space. ^[Paper^{98:7.12, page 1085:1]}

This same God concept has been severely diminished as a result of secular materialism. Will it flame anew in Christianity or will the torch of spiritual progress be passed to other enthusiastic carriers?
…And this same Christianity is now present in the civilized world of Occidental peoples and stands face to face with a struggle for existence which is even more ominous than those eventful crises which have characterized its past battles for dominance. ^{[Paper 1}^{95:4.4, page 2075:2]}

Threatened as it is, with irrelevance, consequent of dereliction of its spiritual purpose, Christianity is struggling for its very existence.
Moderator-2Moderator
Oct 1, 2015, 3:57 AM

Sabinatu wrote:

. Lest there be yet another opportunity to have people point out a lack of patience – is it reasonable to suggest that a week is enough time for “moderators” to get back to ME?

Sabinatu, I have tried to get back to you via a personal email but your server keeps blocking the message. Are you having problems with your current email address?
SabinatuBlocked
Oct 1, 2015, 7:24 AM
@Moderator2 – can you send it to me here on this site as a “chat” IM…?

@Vern – I think an individual spiritual awakening can be as “sudden”, so to speak, as any other kind of free will choice. The material outworking of a “sudden” change on “such a planet” is what the advice for patience is all about.

With God all things are possible Pretty much a “truth” that the religion OF Jesus will confirm.

Glad you enjoyed the link. People interested in ethical living will need “prophetic fire” – the religion OF Jesus – to make it happen.
VernParticipant
Oct 1, 2015, 12:05 PM

Sabinatu wrote: Glad you enjoyed the link.

Sab, thanks. That Huffington article was also shared on the Fellowship facebook group by David Kantor who considered it very important. Glad you are looking in places other than the usual watering holes for snippets of truth. There is a whole world of people out there and there are definite stirrings worth noting.

Going out amongst the people is ever going to be its own reward.
SabinatuBlocked
Oct 2, 2015, 7:25 AM
Fatherhood of God, Brotherhood of Man.

THAT part of the religion OF Jesus is a whole lot easier to present to the world when it is IN CONTEXT of Parts I – III of TUB.

Act is ours, the consequences are God’s.

The names are not known, even at this early stage, of who has kept on course with the responsibility of publishing and distributing the book and not letting any “paul” rise up to blow things off course, so to those steady captains, I thank you. It is well-nigh a “miracle” that TUB is getting out there in spite of it all…
VernParticipant
Oct 5, 2015, 8:46 AM

Sabinatu wrote: …kept on course with the responsibility of publishing and distributing the book…

Sab, I agree that the whole book, FOREWORD, parts I, II, III and IV are essential as a comprehensive whole to be readily available to every man, woman and child alive.
urantiavistaParticipant
Oct 6, 2015, 3:26 PM
Brothers & Sisters,

While considering this thread’s leading question, I think it behooves us to familiarize ourselves with the many accomplishments and ongoing individual spiritual transformations flowing daily through current Christianity – and not focus overmuch on the negative doctrines and practices.

I’ve been attending a local campus of a non-denominational Christian group (The Healing Place Church – a healing place for a hurting world). I find participation in their group worship and the fellowship of souls to be exceptional in intensity and sublimity. Their loving outreach activities – “whatsoever you have done for the least of these, my children, you have done for me“ – stretches from our locality and regional congregants to Africa, Honduras, and Nicaragua, feeding, clothing, sheltering, and educating many wretched poor, abused, and forgotten of our human family.

Yes, they fervently believe that the Bible is the literal ‘Word’ of God. Yes, they have misconceptions regarding Judeo-Christian history and doctrines. But –

I fraternize with simple friends who have totally and sincerely given their lives to our Lord Jesus Christ. Many of them have long since given their every breath to the Giver of Life for our local universe, “born again” and consecrated to WORSHIP & SERVICE. With my own eyes I see the conviction of the Spirit of Truth and the grace of our Divine Minister powerfully move among these brethren every day. Sure, we all stumble along through the confusions and vicissitudes of mortal life on earth. Who among us (the FER readership) will point to themselves and claim preferment because they have the fifth epochal revelation to read while they type unending hypocritical arguments (I’m not pointing a finger at anyone particularly…) having nothing to do with living truth?

Imv, we can be well versed in the entire wonderful tome, but until we sincerely accept God in the form of our Creator Son as our personal Savior we aren’t established in the Way to our Father’s indwelling spirit. Jesus – Christ Michael is part and parcel of the Good News of sonship/daughtership and eternal life (see Paper 157).

32:3.6 – The surest safeguard for the creature throughout the long struggle to attain the Father, during this time when inherent conditions make such attainment impossible, is tenaciously to hold on to the truth-fact of the Father’s presence in his Sons. Literally and figuratively, spiritually and personally, the Father and the Sons are one. It is a fact: He who has seen a Creator Son has seen the Father.

168:0 – Then said Jesus, looking straight into the eyes of Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live. In truth, whosoever lives and believes in me shall never really die. Martha, do you believe this?”

180:2.1 – You must abide in me, and I in you; the branch will die if it is separated from the vine. As the branch cannot bear fruit except it abides in the vine, so neither can you yield the fruits of loving service except you abide in me. Remember: I am the real vine, and you are the living branches. He who lives in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit of the spirit and experience the supreme joy of yielding this spiritual harvest. If you will maintain this living spiritual connection with me, you will bear abundant fruit.

180:4.2 – As I have lived with you in person, then shall I live in you; I shall be one with your personal experience in the spirit kingdom. And when this has come to pass, you shall surely know that I am in the Father, and that, while your life is hid with the Father in me, I am also in you. I have loved the Father and have kept his word; you have loved me, and you will keep my word. As my Father has given me of his spirit, so will I give you of my spirit.

196:2.6 – …to create a unified religion which might have given proper recognition to both the human and the divine natures of the Master as they were inseparably bound up in his earth life and so gloriously set forth in the original gospel of the kingdom.

Anyway, understanding that there’s much work to be done toward upstepping Christianity vis a vis the sage advices of the revelators, can we acknowledge the truth-value of the full gospel (which includes the “proper recognition” of the sovereignty and glory of the divine Christ) in tandem with the core gospel of the religion of Jesus, FOGBOM ? In the decades soon to come I think this will come to pass and the kingdom of the divine brotherhood will be emerging from its institutional cocoon.
MaraParticipant
Oct 6, 2015, 3:53 PM

urantiavista wrote: . . . and ongoing individual spiritual transformations flowing daily through current Christianity – and not focus overmuch on the negative doctrines and practices.

Yes and thank you for your comments. Each one of us can contribute to Christianity in our own way, according to our individual light and capacity to do so. And it all depends on if a person wants to get involved with a Christian group or not. I agree is does no good to focus “on the negative doctrines and practices.” Focus on the positive. See the good instead of evil. Have faith. Be of good cheer. Build up, rather than tear down. Jesus put something into people. He wasn’t in the business of taking something out of them.

196:0:5 Theology may fix, formulate, define, and dogmatize faith, but in the human life of Jesus faith was personal, living, original, spontaneous, and purely spiritual. This faith was not reverence for tradition nor a mere intellectual belief which he held as a sacred creed, but rather a sublime experience and a profound conviction which securely held him. His faith was so real and all-encompassing that it absolutely swept away any spiritual doubts and effectively destroyed every conflicting desire. Nothing was able to tear him away from the spiritual anchorage of this fervent, sublime, and undaunted faith. Even in the face of apparent defeat or in the throes of disappointment and threatening despair, he calmly stood in the divine presence free from fear and fully conscious of spiritual invincibility. Jesus enjoyed the invigorating assurance of the possession of unflinching faith, and in each of life’s trying situations he unfailingly exhibited an unquestioning loyalty to the Father’s will. And this superb faith was undaunted even by the cruel and crushing threat of an ignominious death.
SabinatuBlocked
Oct 6, 2015, 10:47 PM

2. Choosing the Six

^138:2.1 ^(1539.4) This first missionary tour of the six was eminently successful. They all discovered the great value of direct and personal contact with men. They returned to Jesus more fully realizing that, after all, religion is purely and wholly a matter of personal experience. They began to sense how hungry were the common people to hear words of religious comfort and spiritual good cheer. When they assembled about Jesus, they all wanted to talk at once, but Andrew assumed charge, and as he called upon them one by one, they made their formal reports to the Master and presented their nominations for the six new apostles.

^138:2.2 ^(1539.5) Jesus, after each man had presented his selection for the new apostleships, asked all the others to vote upon the nomination; thus all six of the new apostles were formally accepted by all of the older six. Then Jesus announced that they would all visit these candidates and give them the call to service.

^138:2.3 ^(1539.6) The newly selected apostles were:

^138:2.4 ^(1539.7) 1. Matthew Levi, the customs collector of Capernaum, who had his office just to the east of the city, near the borders of Batanea. He was selected by Andrew.

^138:2.5 ^(1539.8) 2. Thomas Didymus, a fisherman of Tarichea and onetime carpenter and stone mason of Gadara. He was selected by Philip.

^138:2.6 ^(1539.9) 3. James Alpheus, a fisherman and farmer of Kheresa, was selected by James Zebedee.

^138:2.7 ^(1539.10) 4. Judas Alpheus, the twin brother of James Alpheus, also a fisherman, was selected by John Zebedee.

^138:2.8 ^(1540.1) 5. Simon Zelotes was a high officer in the patriotic organization of the Zealots, a position which he gave up to join Jesus’ apostles. Before joining the Zealots, Simon had been a merchant. He was selected by Peter.

^138:2.9 ^(1540.2) 6. Judas Iscariot was an only son of wealthy Jewish parents living in Jericho. He had become attached to John the Baptist, and his Sadducee parents had disowned him. He was looking for employment in these regions when Jesus’ apostles found him, and chiefly because of his experience with finances, Nathaniel invited him to join their ranks. Judas Iscariot was the only Judean among the twelve apostles.

^138:2.10 ^(1540.3) Jesus spent a full day with the six, answering their questions and listening to the details of their reports, for they had many interesting and profitable experiences to relate. They now saw the wisdom of the Master’s plan of sending them out to labor in a quiet and personal manner before the launching of their more pretentious public efforts.

pre·ten·tious
prəˈten(t)SHəs/
adjective
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.
“a pretentious literary device”
synonyms: affected, ostentatious, showy; overambitious, pompous, artificial, inflated, overblown, high-sounding, flowery, grandiose, elaborate, extravagant, flamboyant, ornate, grandiloquent, magniloquent, sophomoric; informalflashy, highfalutin, fancy-pants, la-di-da, pseudo
“Clytemnestra is a pretentious name for a dog”

I did stop reading to ponder the use of the word “pretentious” by the Midwayers to describe the “public efforts” of the apostles.

Educating yourself is very much a personal lifelong (and eternally long ) experience, also, that is comparable to acquiring a personal experience “religion”. Acquire something new everyday, right?

So glad it is a book this time as an “epochal revelation” and not a person. Whether it is christianity or any other “religion”, the error of psychology pretentiously pretending that it can control the social outcomes of “religion” will help release the religion OF Jesus to function properly as a normal and sane cosmic mind endowment.
VernParticipant
Oct 6, 2015, 11:02 PM

urantiavista wrote: …Their loving outreach activities – “whatsoever you have done for the least of these, my children, you have done for me“ – stretches from our locality and regional congregants to Africa, Honduras, and Nicaragua, feeding, clothing, sheltering, and educating many wretched poor, abused, and forgotten of our human family.

Hi urantiavista, thanks for reminding us it’s all about manifesting “fruits of the spirit” consistent with personal integration of revealed truth.

urantiavista wrote: …to do with living truth?
VernParticipant
Oct 6, 2015, 11:17 PM

urantiavista wrote: …In the decades soon to come I think this will come to pass and the kingdom of the divine brotherhood will be emerging from its institutional cocoon.

I agree. The time in which we live is a wonderful opportunity to clearly differentiate between good and evil………contrast is a great clarifier for a truth seeker…………to steel the resolve and strive with greater zeal to do right where wrong is so clearly defined.
VernParticipant
Oct 19, 2015, 6:05 AM
When I initiated this topic I thought we would consider this question along the lines of methodology employed in professional problem solving as used by industrial designers, architects and town planners. My own qualifications are as an industrial designer and my training involved analysis of products into:
1. thing
2. need
3. form and function
4. materials
5. process
If this analysis was applied to an everyday product like “a spoon” the approach may look like this:
1. thing—spoon.
2. need—transfer food to mouth.
3. form and function—a stem with a bowl form at the end. Hand held tool with capacity to hold bite size portions. Thus its proportions are determined.
4. materials—various—historically, bone, wood, metal, ceramic—recently, plastic.
5. process—depending on use—turning and shaping, stamping, casting, injection molding, forming and firing.
If we applied these analytical steps to Christianity it may be approached like this:
1. Thing—Christianity is a religion resulting from the presence on our planet 2o21 years ago of our Creator Son Michael of Nebadon, incarnate as the man, Jesus of Nazareth.
2. Need—Reveal God to mankind and reveal mankind to God—Teach the Fatherhood of God and the consequent brotherhood of man.
3. Form and function—The church of believers growing to include all God’s children. Social evolution through mediation of spirit based on Jesus’ teaching “the kingdom is within you.” Liberating function of truth upon every believer.
4. Materials—Co-ordinate functioning of divine ministrations—The adjutant of worship, The adjutant of wisdom, The Holy Spirit—augmented by—Thought Adjusters, seraphim and the Spirit of Truth.
5. Process—Evolutionary planetary progress through socialization of truth—nobility of sonship resulting in the unified spiritual brotherhood of believers.
Christianity is a manifestation of the human instinct for Deity

I have appreciated the input from others on this topic as it has developed and made its winding course thus far. We have yet to apply Rodan of Alexandria’s technique of problem solving to this question of, “What steps can Christianity take to re-invent itself?” Who knows what new insights may come to light with such an approach?

Rodan gives great instruction regarding problem solving:
1. locate the difficulty.
2. isolate the problem.
3. recognize its nature and gravity.
4. fearlessly to face, what a sincere and logical mind discovers.
In the course of comments made, Sabinatu suggested a look at Papers 92 to 103 would be a worthy exercise. I shall now turn my attention in this direction and see what eventuates.

Paper 92 sets the scene

Religion, hence Christianity, is a superanimal endowment…….inevitable evolutionary result of co-ordinate spirit ministry of three divine ministrations.

MAN possessed a religion of natural origin as a part of his evolutionary experience long before any systematic revelations were made on Urantia. But this religion of natural origin was, in itself, the product of man’s superanimal endowments. Evolutionary religion arose slowly throughout the millenniums of mankind’s experiential career through the ministry of the following influences operating within, and impinging upon, savage, barbarian, and civilized man: ^[Paper^{92:0.1, page 1003:1]}

1. The adjutant of worship — the appearance in animal consciousness of superanimal potentials for reality perception. This might be termed the primordial human instinct for Deity. ^[Paper^{92:0.2, page 1003:2]}

2. The adjutant of wisdom — the manifestation in a worshipful mind of the tendency to direct its adoration in higher channels of expression and toward ever-expanding concepts of Deity reality. ^[Paper^{92:0.3, page 1003:3]}

3. The Holy Spirit — this is the initial supermind bestowal, and it unfailingly appears in all bona fide human personalities. This ministry to a worship-craving and wisdom-desiring mind creates the capacity to self-realize the postulate of human survival, both in theologic concept and as an actual and factual personality experience. ^[Paper^{92:0.4, page 1003:4]}

The foundation of all the evolutionary religions of the world is the co-ordinate functioning of these three divine ministrations. Only after Jesus was here have the augmented influences of Thought Adjusters, seraphim and the Spirit of Truth, has accelerated spiritual planetary progress been possible. These co-ordinate spirit agencies will continue as long as this planet remains an inhabited sphere.

The co-ordinate functioning of these three divine ministrations is quite sufficient to initiate and prosecute the growth of evolutionary religion. These influences are later augmented by Thought Adjusters, seraphim, and the Spirit of Truth, all of which accelerate the rate of religious development. These agencies have long functioned on Urantia, and they will continue here as long as this planet remains an inhabited sphere. Much of the potential of these divine agencies has never yet had opportunity for expression; much will be revealed in the ages to come as mortal religion ascends, level by level, toward the supernal heights of morontia value and spirit truth. ^[Paper^{92:0.5, page 1003:5]}

In light of the topic of Christianity re-invention itself it is worth taking note of the last sentence, “much of the potential of these divine agencies has never yet had opportunity for expression…”

The revelatory process has begun and is ongoing, the pace of revelation is dependent on capacity of reception. If we can accept and sanely integrate enlarged truth, concomitant with that, will develop an enlarged capacity to receive more truth. The scaffolding is not the building, the cocoon is not the butterfly, the river bed is not the river, if Christianity can dismantle its limiting scaffolding the building be clearly seen by all and can shelter all the people, receptive to augmented revelation “much will be revealed in the ages to come as mortal religion ascends, level by level, toward the supernal heights of morontia value and spirit truth.”

Reply on the current forum

What steps can Christianity take to re-invent itself?

We now have the definitive answer to the question this topic raises

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2. Choosing the Six

Christianity is a manifestation of the human instinct for Deity

Paper 92 sets the scene