Urantia symbolism and ritual within a religious movement........
Urantia symbolism and ritual within a religious movement........
Here is an interesting video showing where passages in the UB both criticize religious institutionalism and its socializing forms (in their negative or retarding capabilities), but also acknowledge their usefulness if these organizations serve as instruments or facilitators of spiritual renewal, regeneration and transformation. It happens to be that most mortals need some kind of symbolism, art-form, vision, intellectual-physical representation, a system of ritual to help direct one towards the true goal of religion, which is personal and communal experience with God, the inward and life-transforming experience of God-communion. If any existing or new religious movements or organizations can serve as living instruments towards this realization, with the primary impetus of inspiring the progressive evolution of the soul of man towards perfection, it will have served its purpose nobly.
I think the challenge as Robert brings up, is how and in what organized form a new religious movement can thrive without any of the retardations or misfortunes of having the ritual and symbols supplant the actual personal religious experience, lest such a religion become relegated to a mechanical practice of the outward forms without the vivifying spirit being allowed to operate thru the forms, inspiring authentic worship.
I was wondering if a new global uprising of a Jesusonian Religion should spread,...would some of it be embraced within some liberal progressive forms or organizations of Christianity, who are often more open to such things, or would some centralized religious governing body be over a network of Urantian churches, local congregations within each city, within which the Jesusonian gospel is proclaimed, lived and realized as a 'socialized gospel' of real human growth. While the UB has many educational and home-study groups,....I was wondering what a branching out or 'churching' of the Urantia Message would look like, perhaps like just another progressive New Thought or Metaphysical Christian movement? I bring this up since in many cities we have a 'church' almost on every corner, and attendance to many churches has gone down, and 'organized religion' in general has gotten a bad rap. If we rename this as 'socialized religion', it becomes more palatable....since a socialized system where religious truths and principles can be taught, facilitated and lived, is most essential...if we are to have a real living religious 'ethic', 'ritual' and 'symbolism', an effective network of human relationships empowered and united to realize the divine intent.
Here is Robert's site
here. Anyways,...just some thoughts and questions for any religionist, UB enthusiasts or otherwise. We have to question if a new religious movement or network of churches (fellowship) can have any real power to transform the strata of humanity or society. It would have to be the Spirit transforming lives one at a time, then spreading to affect whole communities. This calls us to consider how the kingdom of heaven will be realized here on earth, what are the obstacles to that, and what are our greatest tools and assets to bring that to pass. A lot to chew on!
- but worth considering if we are to be the 'light' of the world, and follow the mandate of Jesus. A 'Jesusonian' gospel is essentially relationally a 'socialized gospel' because its aim is towards the rebirth of all souls into the realization of their sonship with God, awakening their faith as being a child of God, and living as citizens of his kingdom.