By Gard Jameson, trustee, Urantia Foundation, Nevada, USA
“Worship and Wisdom” was the topic of the first educational seminar hosted by Urantia Foundation. The seminar started on Thursday evening, May 3, and ended on Saturday evening, May 5. The twelve participants stayed at Urantia Foundation in Chicago, and everyone enjoyed the tasty culinary dishes provided by Mike Wood and Evette Twyford.
The adjutants of worship and wisdom were well at work as the participants stepped into an in-depth appreciation of their efforts. Worship was approached topically, while wisdom was approached sequentially with a series of quotes from the beginning of The Urantia Book to the end. Questions, such as why worship before wisdom, were asked and discussed. Practical applications, such as how a worshipful moment might be beneficial at the outset of study groups, were pondered. Some of the participants already do spend a few minutes in worship at the beginning of their study group, a clue perhaps as to why worship precedes wisdom.
One participant remarked: “Last year, during the UAI’s Leadership Symposium, I asked many attendees what their thoughts and experiences were related to worship. I went away disappointed in that I was as confused about the subject as I was upon my arrival. It was no one’s fault—just not the appropriate place or time to concentrate on worship. I continued to pray, asking the Father if he would teach me about worship in a way that I could ’feelingly’ experience it. More than six months later, I received Tamara Strumfeld’s invitation to this workshop. I tell you this so that you will know that this seminar was an answer to my prayers. I feelingly experienced worship in a way that was more personal than I could have imagined.”
The trustees are more committed than ever to the work of education. Through in-house endeavors―including seminars, workshops, and internet projects, such as the Urantia Book Internet School (UBIS), conceived and developed by Dorothy Elder and now led by Georges Michelson-Dupont―Urantia Foundation is devoting more of its resources to education. The hope is that 533 W Diversey Parkway will become a dynamic and progressive educational center for members of the Urantia Book reading community
Back row: Bill Beasley, David Browe, Marvin Gawryn, Gard Jameson
Middle row: Roger W. Paul, Skip Weatherford, Carol Weatherford, Share Beasley, Steve Dreier, Jay Bird
Front row: Jake Thompson, Margaret Slater-Thompson, Sherry Layton, Kathy Hughes, Bobbie Dreier