Gnosticism Course

This blog is for the Master of Gnosticism course offered through the Universal Life Church Seminary. We discuss the course lessons, aspects of Gnosticism and essays from the students who have finished the course.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Four Gospels Course

I believe that the teachings in this book are brilliant. The way that Jesus answers the question to Pharisees about taxes was so smart. He answered the question honestly and without offense. I believe that the teaching about loving others as you would want to be loved is one of the most important lessons taught.
                             I think that the lessons about greed talk so much about the trouble the world is having today. I know that The times that we are living in now are what Jesus was talking about and I do believe that being prepared means spiritually. I think that everyone should find and get to know God and be prepared for everything has has prepared for us.
                    I think the story of Jesus being captured and betrayed teaches us that real trust is very hard to come by. I enjoyed this whole book I think that it taught a lot about today's life.
                                                                                         Gwen Simpson


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To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link.

Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church, as well as an online seminary program and a chaplaincy program.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Universal LIfe Church

Omega Dawn: This is a course deep in thoughts, scholarly, and really not Plain Vanilla Christian Theology.  The Author is very much “Drunk With Words”; this course should only be commenced with person’s whom are Mature in their own personal faith and have a solid foundation of their personal belief systems and practices. It will shake one to their inner core, by that I mean the course is not false but it will cause the student to check the references, not to validate but rather for their own increase. 

If the student were to do a web search of Traditionalism, what you will locate is not what the author is trying to teach. Again the teachings are not FALSE, but what you thought you knew, or what you find out while engaged in the course over the vastness of the internet, is not in the same Universe, as what the teachings of Omega Dawn are. I had a difficult time getting through the first pdf, for the course reads like a dictionary of theology, albeit most likely not what you are accustomed to. References, definitions, and citations are the course. Please be prepared you cannot find all references just on the internet-you will have to use your local Bible College, and Public Library Inter-library loan system. 

Some of the web version documents listed as the source are not reproduced in a readable manor; their copying and readability is not good. With the inter-library loan system it may take weeks to get the desired document or documents. Perhaps I am thick headed, but I really suggest and caution students of Omega Dawn to take your time with course. Read, re-read each pdf, then read the entire set of Pdf’s as a book. The author repeats throughout, much of the course is not what you read, but how you read each sentence, each paragraph. Your thesis of Omega Dawn is not going to be some sort of critique, not a mere book report. I cannot stress this enough, unless the student is a Traditionalist, go slow. 

When you are ready to draft the first 1500 words, re-read again each pdf and then the entire set of Pdf’s. Your thesis will be about not what you read, but what you learned. It will take several readings of the course, to get it all to sink in. This learning comes in the form of change in the student. As I write my first 1500 words, I am well past my seventh reading of each pdf, and seven as a book reading. My first few attempts to read the first pdf left me feeling this guy is heavily intoxicated with words, he repeats very much, and the jumping around all over in a jumbled Mel of a Hess. I had to put aside the course for a very long time. Then in a series of maneuvers and manipulations, such as a series of President Long’s advanced athletic moves on the mat full contact-dude you are so not ready for what I am gonna do to you-I had to read all the Pdf’s again and again. It took a while, but I learned. 

Battered, bruised, aches, sprains, and bloodied, I bowed, and limped off of the mat. What Bruce Lee did to Chuck Norris is nothing compared to what this course did to me. My biological mother taught me to read before Kindergarten, my library at home was all theological. At least one paragraph of the King James Version each day was mandatory. Gen to Rev, then she taught me how to break the bible into thirds, reading part two, then part three, then part one, part 3, 1 & 2, then 2, 1, &3; then break it down in quarters, then progressing to the 66 books, in the same fashion. I came to Omega Dawn knowing where to find what I am looking for. Omega Dawn was not a TKO; it was a severe beating, then a KO. Only will power enabled me to limp off the mat, and collapsed due to the blows I absorbed. The kind of beating where you sleep for four days nonstop, just to be able to stand beside the bed. 

This form of Traditionalist is very much not the stuff from the 1800’s or twentieth century. It is not the Bad Catholic, Sufism, Hindu, Taoist, stuff you will find online. This is Old very Old Skool, like older than Moses’ older brother as the originator and founder sort of thing. 

The use of the open foot notes is to be consulted throughout the course, do not just scan the foot notes, go to your bible and read each entry as listed. It will take a considerable amount of time to do this-“Just Do IT”, if one does not, it will be that Mel of a Hess I spoke of earlier. Do use the inter-library system, to get the full impact of what is being taught. This is very much a teaching course, not a reading course. I was aware of the usual three paths of Christian belief systems: Pentecost’s, Protestant’s, Catholic’s, and now a fourth path Traditionalist’s. Traditionalist’s claim their source to be the original source Jesus Christ and the Apostles. Old, very Old Skool. Is it for real, in as few words as I can muster that is very much up to each and every student of Omega Dawn. 

My feeling on this the author asks why has not the student sought out truth in the past. All of the tools have been give to you, was it that you did not believe or trust your Creator? Did you not love the Creator? You have to, must do; love the Creator enough to surrender completely-all that you are, do, feel, think, say, and love is a gift. But you would not or could not surrender totally, absolutely and completely to the Creator. Does the student so love this world that she/he would be in the world and of it? Should the student not be able to do just this very simple thing, you might be a child of perdition.
So as to keep a proper view, other Bibles can and should be cross checked and verified, but the Chief source for Omega Dawn really should be KJV. Be prepared for new thoughts to be introduced, Faith/tradition/& honor are the guiding principles of a Traditionalist. Honor is what the first pdf is about, honoring the Creator, Redeemer, and Savior. Multiple planes of existence cannot be a stumbling block for any student of Omega Dawn. What is this Omega Dawn stuff? I feel very sure the author would be very willing to author another course just on this subject. Omega Dawn is last chapter of the start of Factual Truth of Agape Love Jesus’ has and is for all things. Do re-read that last sentence. Maybe again!

Your Body is just a parking lot for your Soul, it is to the soul of each student the author will teach first, then the mind will follow-it must. It is obvious to the student that Traditionalism is going to be new, just as it is obvious that if you half heartily attempt this course you might not get to Book 3. Wisdom would be a good single word for Omega Dawn. The author is patient, and offers assistance in the foot notes. No Gold Star just for showing up-Omega Dawn as a course that will twist, bend and shake you real good. Common sense, a mature faith and belief system intact, will yield understanding and acknowledgement in honoring the Creator.

This Fourth path called Traditionalism is meant to be taken in small baby steps. I am grateful for thinking now here is something I do not remember, I have memory problems, so I do not trust my memory; I was scanning the Chaplaincy program, the Seminary program, checking out the HQ courses and discovered the course called Omega Dawn- no I was lead to Omega Dawn. When I got to the part about not being on the path, just heading towards it, Lights On Somebody Home! I had to see it four times, but when it hit-long weeping, mournful crying, I felt shame, disgust-for myself, about myself. Five and half decades I cheated my Creator, I stole his Honor, and still he loves me, all of us.

The format, all the foot notes are proofs required to progress, to enable understanding in completeness. I did not appreciate this format when I first read the first pdf, for the first time. The thoughts are not really new, the understanding is new. It was a real struggle to get through page 122, why that page, it did not sink in, and it was not making sense. Word Soup to the extreme, I kept thinking there is a reason, there is a message, and I did not get it. So I set it aside, and let it wiggle its way deep inside, I am so thankful it did sink in, now I do get it. I must say it will be ready for those who are ready for it-truth finds an address, once it is in the address book.


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To ordain yourself with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now, click on the Free Online Ordination link.


Rev. Long created the ULC seminary site to help ministers learn and grow their ministries. The Seminary offers a huge catalog of materials for ministers of the Universal Life Church, as well as an online seminary program and a chaplaincy program.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Gnosticism


MASTER OF GNOSTICISM
BY: REVEREND KURT FONDRIEST


This class enabled me once again to contemplate my own personal ideas and beliefs on spirituality.   I  feel  that if I am moved in any way about my point of life from a class then the lessons were successful.

Gnosticism makes sense to me.  It is enriched in our daily lives if we allow it to do so. The idea of myself as co-creator is an empowering step and ability that I and everyone processes.  We can see the world as spiritual or material.  Can we see the world as both, with a centered balance? Reading the weekly lessons along with a great reference book" LIVING GNOSIS" A practical guide To Gnostic Christianity, by Tau Malachi demonstrated for me this state of flux that is always occurring.  I don't believe there is a carved in stone answer to living a life of gnosis, however I was able to come to a clear understanding about this once tabooed way of thinking.

      The part that drew me into reflecting on my own thoughts of Gnosis was the "Sophian" gospel. This enabled me to see Yeshua as a man who was symbolic of the spiritual once he merged with the "Christo".  This enabled me to say yes to my own belief that the gospels are to be experiences in our own daily life.  These sets of books do me no good locked up or dismissed from the Contemporary Christian Counsel, who I see as the watch dogs on keeping the traditional esoteric belief in order.

This is where Christianity for me has fallen off of the human path. Yesua was a man born with no more enlightenment then any other individual is, however he seeked the mission of life and found that life was not the mission rather the mission was of life. The way ones celebrates their divine mission to the life of living.

     The connection of male and feminine being in balance and harmony is seen in the life of Yesua and Mary of Magdelene is a vision of dualistic nature within each of us. These natural states of consciousness are what will enable people to be  "LIGHT BEARERS''.  The Church of Universal Light uses the concept as part of their tenets.  I belong to this church as well and as a Holistic Minister I can see many more congregations coming back to this living of Gnosis.

     The symbolism created in Gnosticism is expressed for the person to understand it to the level of their belief and spirituality.  The expression taught in these lessons I found to be of an eclectic verse. some of these resonated with me while others were not in sync to my level of living, however I did not dismiss their teachings since living the gospels is an experience that changes daily.  All of this is based on my mental, physical and spiritual awareness at any given time on this journey.


     As with the course on Christian mysticism I found myself seeing Jesus and Mary as people who were learning about the "Christo" as they experienced it.  I have always believed Jesus was not the exception yet the example.  For me it makes natural sense that Yesua and Mary were destined to be soul mates.  Each approached their destiny from different paths that brought them together.

     For me a good contemporary reference is the Rock Musical "JESUS CHRIST SUPER STAR."

This demonstrates the life of Gnosis.  It takes all the rhetoric teachings and throws it out to the simple truth.  Again I found myself listening to the soundtrack of this musical as I read the lessons and the book on living Gnosis.  What also I found very enlightening was how Gnosis symbolizes The Creator and Satan .  It was using the dualistic elements that we as fractions of the creation of light have forgotten for some reason or another. Basically it is from Human understanding we will connect to the greatness of Creation .  Not through rhetorical principles and teachings.  We already know within ourselves what we hold true of the self and this is the step to be taken, I feel, to re-awaken our divine right and duty as light bearer's.

 


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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.  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.


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