Tidings

The Tidings newsletter is a quarterly on-line publication that serves as Urantia Association International’s primary communication tool for reaching out to the Association’s membership, supporters, donors, volunteers, and general readership friends. It provides news and information on the many activities and events of the National or Affiliate Urantia Associations around the globe as well as information and announcements from Central Office, the International Service Board (ISB), and the International Representative Council (IRC). It serves to keep members in touch with one another and gives readers a sense of belonging—of being an integral part of a truly international movement that is designed to promote the Urantia revelation to all corners of the world.

Note: Please note that any interpretations, opinions, conclusions, or artistic representations, whether stated or implied, are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Urantia Association International, the National or Affiliate Urantia Associations, or the editorial team of the Association’s Tidings.

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A Personal Testimony by Juan Jaramillo.

Antonio Schefer, Multimedia Chair for the Association, conducted several interviews at the Paris conference last June. We decided to transcribe these wonderful conversations for our readers. Or watch the first Voices of Urantia here.

My name is Juan Jaramillo. I am originally from Colombia, South America. Currently, I live in Edmonton, Canada. I am a brother. I am a friend. I am a Urantia Book reader. Service Quote here.

How did you discover The Urantia Book?

I discovered The Urantia Book while I was growing up, first in the form of a conversation with a group of friends in my childhood when I was 12 or 13 years old. We used to talk about UFOs and extraterrestrials, and there was this big, nice book that was written by extraterrestrials that was called The Urantia Book. Back in the day I guess I didn’t feel ready to get through that reading because it was a very big book. And then, later on in my adulthood, in 2019 during the pandemic, a friend of mine shared with me a YouTube video. It was called a True History of Urantia, by Jaime Rae. It was a two-hour presentation and it got me engaged with the book. And here I am.

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It is curious to see how we define our goals, values and destinies.

In any religion it is very easy to allow values to become disproportionate and to permit facts to occupy the place of truth in one’s theology. 143:6.3

Often our mortal vision is focused on immediacy. At this moment or, at most, for the period we estimate, we will live in the flesh, even without knowing when the “D” day will be.

Many times, we strive to prolong our earthly life, which is very good, but the fact is that none of us would be able to add a single day of life to our fleshly existence. Of course, good eating habits, exercise, and so forth, can make it even easier for us to live a few more years of life with better quality if we make an effort. But it is also a fact that none of us can in any way add a single day of life to our own carnal experience when the moment of death comes. When life exhales from our bodies, everything will be finished, as seen from the angle of this immediate vision.

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The International Representative Council held elections on Saturday, December 14, to fill open seats on the International Service Board (ISB) and Judicial Commission. The new terms will commence on April 1, 2025, following a three-month period of training. The election for president was postponed due to the unexpected decision by our current president, Enrique Traver, to not continue for a second term. This results of this election will be announced in the next issue of Tidings.

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Like many of you who work on behalf of the revelation, I wear several hats. My day job is working remotely for Urantia Foundation, where among other things I have the privilege of serving as executive director of Urantia Book International School (UBIS). During my spare time I am the board secretary of Urantia Association International. Over the last four years, I have observed how many local leaders are serving in multiple organizations. This should come as no surprise since a love of the revelation and a desire to serve in leadership roles often go hand in hand.

UBIS has grown exponentially over the past 25 years. From its origin as a correspondence school for English-speaking readers, the program has expanded to seven languages, offering courses in Spanish, French. Portuguese, Hungarian, German, and Polish. In January we will introduce a prototype course in Chinese. And by next September, we hope to offer courses in Indonesian and Finnish.

UBIS trains motivated readers like you and me to become teacher-facilitators (TFs). We adhere strictly to a non-interpretive teaching philosophy, and acknowledge the revelators as the true teachers. Our TFs simply facilitate the process of self-discovery of revealed truth. The school’s pedagogy is based on the Jesusonian method of questions and answers, making each student a dynamic participant. Intermittent discussion weeks are full of personal sharing and robust dialog among students from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

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Ten women, three of them facilitators, gathered last month for the first Dancing with God Retreat held at Urantia Foundation headquarters since 2019.  It was my very great privilege to be among them.  For me, it was like a homecoming.  I had attended two such retreats previously and benefited from them in so many ways.  These Retreats, facilitated by The Daughters of God, longtime Urantia Book students and leaders, Line St-Pierre, Katharina Becker, Doreen Heyne, and (previously) Carrie Prentice, have been the source of much spiritual, intellectual, and personal growth not only for me, but for many other women who have sought strength, renewal, growth, and the determination to continue their commitment to living God’s Will and enhancing the status of their sisters all over the world. [At a Dancing With God Retreat, the Daughters of God do not lead, rather they serve as guides, facilitators, for the rest of the participants to help them explore the unique ways in which they all “dance with God”.]

We introduced ourselves as we gathered over refreshments in the dining room at 533 that first evening, each of us telling where we had come from, chatting amiably, finding similarities here and there, or catching up with old friends we had not seen for some time.  Then, over the first of three absolutely delicious dinners perfectly prepared and artistically served by our two wonderful volunteer cooks, we continued our “getting to know you” conversations and shared our experiences with The Urantia Book.

It is a life changing experience and a priceless privilege to be able to lay aside daily obligations and step out of our routines, to come to this historic place and spend time in quiet contemplation with spiritual sisters from all over the globe, to share and to laugh, to encourage and uplift, to meditate and pray, and to come to a greater understanding of our worth and our opportunities!

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I was invited to Chicago in April 2019, along with other readers from other countries, to talk about the opportunities of spreading The Urantia Book in countries worldwide. I spoke about the possibilities in Nigeria, based on my limited experience of living there.

My starting point is that Nigeria is a country of great spiritual potential but is experiencing those common problems and social dislocations of a nascent democracy and emerging economy. Whilst this can make everyday life unpredictable, its unpredictability creates a fertile ground for an improved and more enlightened spiritual awakening because of the on-going struggle to resolve the problems of basic existence. The everyday living in Africa, taken for granted in more settled societies and mature economies, is precarious. Therefore, people are more spiritually attuned and are less at risk of the self-satisfied skepticism of those whose basic needs have been met.  We do not know how long this window will remain open. The increasing risk is that people become overwhelmed and respond through social unrest, making it difficult to work.

It is not secularism that is the obstacle to sharing The Urantia Book in Nigeria and more widely in Africa. The biggest barrier to spreading the word in Nigeria is the entrenched authority of organized religion. The Bible is the word and has the last word.  So where does The Urantia Book fit in?  How do you disseminate a revelation that will be judged against the authority of the Bible and other religious texts?  In my limited sharing of the book with Nigerians, I am asked—does it align with the Bible?

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A leadership crisis has plagued our world for some two-hundred thousand years. Over that very long stretch of time the turmoil of cosmic insanity gripping the planet has been widespread. The Urantia Book reveals that wise spiritual leaders have appeared from time to time and effected good progress among their followers, but for reasons scattered throughout the revelation (mostly disobedience to Deity) that progress invariably dwindled over generations.

A planetary quarantine of Urantia and the presence of unbalanced and misbehaving superhuman personalities have bequeathed us a history of error, evil, sin, and iniquity. The double default of rebellion by the Planetary Prince, and mission failure by Adam and Eve resulted in a legacy of spiritual chaos so rampant and destructive as to attract the remedial attention—the love and mercy—of Michael of Nebadon, the Creator Son of this universe.

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 If you live in the PAST, you are depressed
If you live in the FUTURE, you are anxious
If you live in the PRESENT, you are at peace
Lao Tau

The Urantia Book teaches us to think differently, revealing truths and elaborating concepts that, in my experience, had never before germinated in my mind.

So, when I realized that time and space had not always existed, and that God had created them, starting in Paradise, I was struck by this discovery, which led me to think hard about this fascinating subject: TIME

It’s very reassuring for me to know that my time here on Urantia is only temporary and short, very short. Whatever challenges I face, my time here is but the blink of an eye, compared to the eternal life that awaits me. 

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In June, the Unity Committee of the Association began meeting regularly with the Unity Committee of the Urantia Book Fellowship to explore the possibility of uniting our two organizations into …

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are approaching an important moment for our Association team. This is an opportunity for all those who wish to make a difference in the work of spreading the Kingdom of God and serving our brothers and sisters. In our daily lives, many of us have ideas and motivation to serve our Father and often do not know how to implement everything we would like to see happen. Many of us would like to be in the presence of Jesus and hear from him the famous “Follow me.” If you have the courage, the drive, and the desire to answer that call, this is one of your opportunities to do so.

…go you now into all the world preaching this gospel of the kingdom of heaven to all men. Love all men as I have loved you; serve your fellow mortals as I have served you. Freely you have received, freely give. (2053.1) 193:0.5

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Upcoming Elections

Urantia Association International is a grassroots volunteer organization. The Association would not exist without devoted members who step forward to do the important work of keeping the organization healthy and productive. The more volunteers we have the lighter the load for everyone. That’s what teamwork is all about: sharing the load. And by getting involved you can help make our mission of fostering study of The Urantia Book and disseminating its teachings a reality.

Every two years the International Representative Council holds elections to select volunteers to serve as officers and members on the International Service Board (ISB). If you are a full member of the Association, volunteering on the international level is a wonderful opportunity to put your talents and expertise to good use, to learn new skills and to be an important part of helping accomplish our mission.

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The First Urantia Book in Estonia

In the early 1970s, thanks to Finnish readers, the first two copies of The Urantia Book arrived in Estonia. In 1985, the Eduard Nurja spiritual group initiated a translation to Estonian (Eesti). In two years, the draft was ready and 50 to 100 copies were printed for people to peruse.

In 1991, Peep Sõber started a second Estonian translation with a professional translator. He had a strong conviction that our small nation of a million inhabitants needed a new translation. And this was supported by both Finns and Estonians.

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The Association’s Education Committee organizes and hosts workshops and webinars on Zoom. Last year they held seventeen! Have you attended? We hope you will join in the inspiring gatherings hosted by Jeannie Vázquez, your Education Committee Chair, and the dedicated volunteers who assist Jeannie.

Here is an example of what you don’t want to miss:

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From August 24th to 26th, the Summer Study Session of The Urantia Book Fellowship took place at the beautiful Unity Village Conference Center in Kansas City. The theme of the …

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Dear Brothers and Sisters

Reading about Jesus’ journey back from Rome with Gonod and Ganid, papers 133:4.1 up to 133:4.12, Jesus meets several people, professionals in different areas of human activity or work and advises them on how they should carry out their daily work to reveal God and do his will. Perhaps, in these papers what Jesus is telling us is that always, in whatever activity or occupation we have, we can minister God to the people around us, revealing truth, goodness, beauty, justice and righteousness.

One passage caught my attention and caused me deep reflection, and that was precisely Jesus’ conversation with the owner of a Greek inn to whom he said:

To the mistress of the Greek inn he said: “Minister your hospitality as one who entertains the children of the Most High. Elevate the drudgery of your daily toil to the high levels of a fine art through the increasing realization that you minister to God in the persons whom he indwells by his spirit which has descended to live within the hearts of men, thereby seeking to transform their minds and lead their souls to the knowledge of the Paradise Father of all these bestowed gifts of the divine spirit. 133:4.8 (1475.1) [emphasis added]

Each one of us is an inn. We host God himself within us. Could we have a more illustrious or important guest? Some Most High guest?

He is a permanent guest in our inn and while being there, we are constantly receiving the spiritual nourishment we need to ensure our survival. Imagine if you had an inn and didn’t receive guests. How long would your business survive? We must serve this guest with all honor, with all love, with the desire to always do his will, in the certainty that by doing so we will keep him with us infinitely.

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For several years, Sue Seccombe, President of the Fellowship, has been in discussion with our President, Enrique Traver, about ways the Association and Fellowship could collaborate. In October 2023, the Fellowship General Council approved a resolution establishing a “Unity Committee” to explore and make recommendations regarding “details and options … of steps toward unity between [our] two organizations.”  The Fellowship selected their Unity Committee members which were approved at their February 2024 General Council meeting.

In February, the Association approved the chartering of a Special Unity Committee granting authority to pursue discussions with the Fellowship towards unifying our two organizations. Our Unity Committee members are Gaétan Charland (Canada), Committee Chair, Michael Zehr (USA), Andrés Rodriquez (Colombia), Chris Moseley (UK), Susan Owen (USA). This committee met on April 29th to get to know each other and discuss the benefits and challenges of unity with the Fellowship. A second meeting was held May 15th to get acquainted further and discuss expectations for this endeavor.

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Come with me, I’ll take you to Urantia Association’s 12th International Conference 2024 Nature and Nurture of the Soul held from Friday, March 29 to Sunday, March 31, 2024, at the Maritime Conference Center in Baltimore City, USA.

A superb, comfortably appointed center, with indoor pool, 232 rooms, 55 meeting rooms and an auditorium that can accommodate over 350 people.

The name Maritime, referring to all that is nautical, has inspired more than one reader on the following quote from The Urantia Book:

The mind is your ship, the Adjuster is your pilot, the human will is the captain. The master of the mortal vessel should have the wisdom to trust the divine pilot to lead the ascending soul into the morontia havens of eternal survival. 111:1.9 (1217.4)

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The Children and Teen Program at Urantia Association’s Baltimore Conference provided kids with a space to play, make friends, and learn about Urantia teachings. Sixteen kids were put into two different mixed-age groups and moved through activities in the Hometown Nazareth curriculum, a Vacation Bible School curriculum made by Group (group.com). This curriculum was adapted by Urantia Book readers for Urantia kids, and it helped pave the way for the volunteers to talk about Jesus as our earthly brother, and as Michael our Creator Son. It provided fun music videos, Nazareth-themed activities and crafts, stimulating decor, and verbal prompts that the volunteers used for starting conversations. The volunteers thoroughly adopted the spirit of the program. They very often dressed as residents of Nazareth. They could be heard talking about the times that Jesus lived in, Jesus’ childhood, and when opportunities presented themselves, volunteers segued from talking about Jesus to things like Michael and the Mother Spirit, the meaning of “morontia,” and the spirit of service.

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SerphiMail for Big Kids and Teens

Your big kids and teens can receive activity pages through the post office mail. Each SeraphiMail page contains a single, simple lesson. With a quote, some commentary, and an activity (like a crossword or a prompt to draw a picture), your kids will get exposure to the simple truths of The Urantia Book on a regular basis.

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