GOLDEN
GATE CIRCLE
WEEKEND BULLETIN:
May
18, 2008
Society
Biz Meeting, June 8th. All Members Welcome and Cordially Invited!
The next Golden Gate Circle business meeting will be held on June 8,
2008, at the home of Dolores Nice, Redwood City, California, from 1:00 PM to
4:00 PM. Please contact Dolores at dlnice@att.net
to RSVP, for more information and directions.
IC08
Registration Discounts Have Been Extended
This year at IC08 we are focusing on children and service. Structured activities
will be offered for youth at IC08 such as: Godly Play (parables and stories from
the Urantia Book) which will be offered in the Jerusalem Market Place, and the
Tweens program. They will help the kids to assist workshop leaders with
audio/visual equipment, workshop filming, downloading film to computers and
acting as personal assistants for the younger children's program.
Everything is happening in the same building this time and
workshops are located only steps away from one another on the third floor of
Covel Commons
Because of a delayed mailing of the Fellowship newsletter, the
Mighty Messenger, registration discounts have been extended until June 1.
Don't delay! Register today! Click on http://www.ic08.org/
to register. Or call us at 877-288-3772 if you would like us to help you get
registered.
Origins
of the word "Christ" and it's Association with Jesus
In the third century before Jesus was born, most Jews continued to speak Aramaic
to each other. No major Greek translation of the Hebrew "Bible" which
included the Torah was sought until Ptolemy II Philadelphus, king of Egypt from
309 BC-246 BC, decided to commission one. Ptolemy hired a large group of
Jewish scholars (the number varies widely between 15 and 72 men according to
different sources) who had a fluent capability in both Greek and Hebrew. They
became the legendary 70 or 72 elders over time, and produced the translation now
known as the Septuagint (meaning 70 in Latin).
As we know from the UB, Jesus' family was presented with, "a
complete copy of the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures," (123:0.3)
and it came to be one of their treasured possessions. Ironically, the
Greek word Khristos, for Messiah "the anointed one," would have
appeared in this translation long before the title was given to Jesus much
later.
Those who presented the scriptures in Greek to Jesus' father Joseph
(and perhaps it was the text we call the Septuagint) were, "a few friends
in Memphis, descendants of the distant Ikhnaton, and … a small group of
Alexandrian believers." It is likely they believed that the Khristos
in the text referred to "the child of destiny," now merely a small boy
playing in their midst.
Only a few of the references to Messiah were preserved in our
current (King James) translation of "the Hebrew scriptures." One
such reference in the Book of Isaiah (9:6) to the "anointed" (61:1)
led to Handel's mighty musical creation of The Messiah. Handel's oratorio,
sung everywhere during the December holidays, preserves the idea in Christianity
that Jesus was the Messiah expected in Jewish prophecy, much to the
consternation of modern Jews who still await the coming of their Messiah.
The UB clarifies the situation, and shows us that Jesus didn't think of himself
as the Jewish Messiah.
When Jesus had begun his ministry, he realized that the concept of
Messiah was a political football just as it remains to this day. 157:5.2
(p. 1748) "Jesus had sought to live his life on earth and complete his
bestowal mission as the Son of Man. His followers were disposed to regard him as
the expected Messiah. Knowing that he could never fulfill their Messianic
expectations, he endeavored to effect such a modification of their concept of
the Messiah as would enable him partially to meet their expectations. But he now
recognized that such a plan could hardly be carried through successfully. He
therefore elected boldly to disclose the third plan--openly to announce his
divinity, acknowledge the truthfulness of Peter's confession, and directly
proclaim to the twelve that he was a Son of God."
At the next day's meeting with the apostles, Jesus said, "Now that a full
day has passed since you assented to Simon Peter's declaration regarding the
identity of the Son of Man, I would ask if you still hold to your decision?
" On hearing this, the twelve stood upon their feet, and Simon Peter,
stepping a few paces forward toward Jesus, said: " Yes, Master, we do. We
believe that you are the Son of the living God. " And Peter sat down with
his brethren."
157:4.5 Jesus, still standing, then said to the twelve: " You
are my chosen ambassadors, but I know that, in the circumstances, you could not
entertain this belief as a result of mere human knowledge. This is a revelation
of the spirit of my Father to your inmost souls. And when, therefore, you make
this confession by the insight of the spirit of my Father which dwells within
you, I am led to declare that upon this foundation will I build the brotherhood
of the kingdom of heaven."
In the same way, we can, by the insight of the spirit which
indwells us, recognize the authority of this spirit in our lives, make our
soul's confession to Jesus as a Son of God (Michael our Creator), and be
inspired to establish a brother and sisterhood of all believers.
On the day of Pentecost, the name Messiah, the Anointed, Khristos--Christ
became associated with Jesus for all time until our present age. 194:1.1 (p.
2060) "The apostles had been in hiding for forty days. This day happened to
be the Jewish festival of Pentecost, and thousands of visitors from all parts of
the world were in Jerusalem. Many arrived for this feast, but a majority had
tarried in the city since the Passover. Now these frightened apostles emerged
from their weeks of seclusion to appear boldly in the temple, where they began
to preach the new message of a risen Messiah."
(compiled from answers to a Question posed on the Fellowship Website by Dave
Holt)
New
Religions Update ...
'Darth
Vader' Spared Jail in Attack on Jedi church
Wed. May. 14 2008 6:56 PM ET (Associated Press)
HOLYHEAD, Wales -- A man dressed up as Darth Vader, wearing a garbage bag for a
cape, assaulted the founders of a group calling itself the Jedi church. He was
given a suspended sentence Tuesday.
Arwel Wynne Hughes, 27, attacked Jedi church founder Barney Jones
-- AKA Master Jonba Hehol -- with a metal crutch, hitting him on the head,
prosecutors told Holyhead Magistrates' Court. He also whacked Jones' 18-year-old
cousin, Michael Jones -- known as Master Mormi Hehol -- bruising his thigh in
the March 25 incident, prosecutors said.
The two cousins set up the Church of Jediism last year. Jedi is
regarded as the faith followed by some of the central characters in the
"Star Wars" films. The group claims about 30 members, and says on its
Web site that it uses "insight and knowledge" from the films as
"a guide to living a better and more worthwhile life." …
"Darth Vader! Jedis!" Hughes shouted as he approached.
Hughes claimed he couldn't remember the incident, having drunk the better part
of a 2 1/2-gallon (10-liter) box of wine beforehand.
District Judge Andrew Shaw sentenced Hughes to two months in jail
but suspended the sentence for one year. He also ordered Hughes to pay $195 to
each of his victims and $117 in court costs.
In the 2001 United Kingdom census, 390,000 -- 0.7 percent of the
population -- listed Jedi as their religion.
Thanks
for Listening. Please Stay tuned! Dave Holt, Editor and GGC VP
GOLDEN
GATE CIRCLE
WEEKEND BULLETIN:
May
11, 2008
Happy
Mother's Day!
L
to R: Sara, Martha, Dolores, Diana,
Cynthia, Elizabeth, Claudia, Michelle (photo taken at Women's Meeting April
2008)
Mark
Your Calendars -- Society Biz Meeting, June 8th
The next Golden Gate Circle business meeting will be held on June 8,
2008, at the home of Dolores Nice, Redwood City, California, from 1:00 PM to
4:00 PM. Please contact Dolores at dlnice@att.net
to RSVP, for more information and directions.
A
meeting of the Apostles (Giotto)
Newsletter
For Urantia Book Society Los Angeles (UBLA) is Online!
Check it out. Plenty of great pictures for your viewing pleasure. The
latest issue sent by mail was in black and white for hard copy purposes,
but it's in fabulous living color on the UBLA website! See the latest and
what is upcoming in Los Angeles at http://ubla.org/agondonter.htm
News
About IC08 : An Experience For Truthseekers, Ages 14 through 19
Once every three years, Truthseekers, age 14 through 19, gather for
the sole purpose of helping to launch creative young minds on a search for truth
in their lives. Every journey towards truth is a journey towards God! In
this world today where it is so easy to get lost, we have pledged to be an
anchor in the lives of your children. We all gain when even one more
person makes a conscious decision to seek out truth in their lives.
Catalina is a beautiful island full of coves and caves, mountains
and gorgeous views of the ocean. We have made reservations with the
Catalina Express ferry leaving from San Pedro terminal in Long Beach at 2:55 PM
on Tuesday, July 1. We plan to have a van take participants from the UCLA
campus. They must be there by 1:15 to catch the van!
The boat will bring the IC08 Truthseekers to the island, the kayaks
we'll use to play on the ocean, the tents where we'll sleep. Judy
Langston, Fred Harris, Tom Choquette and a few other older Truthseekers will
provide fun, entertainment, education, story sharing, and lots of love to all
the kids who choose to join us for this memorable trip. Kayaking, hiking,
snorkeling and massive squirt gun battles are just some of the activities
planned. For those who can't afford it but desperately want to attend,
scholarships are available in return for helping our gourmet cook, Judy, fix the
meals for the group.
What
to Bring:
Participants need to bring a pillow, a sleeping bag, sunscreen,
hiking shoes, bathing suits, and sunglasses. We will also be sending a waiver of
liability that will need to have a parental signature before a Truthseeker can
participate. We will mail explicit details to each registered Truthseeker in
June.
Truth
Seeking Youth in Asia
Requests
For Prayers ...
Sara Blackstock shared good news about Dolores Nice's son Christopher.
After 4 hours of surgery on May 8th to remove a benign tumor on the pituitary
gland, he is doing well. Dolores is very grateful and thanks
everyone for their prayers. She and Chris will need continued support over the
recovery period as Chris slowly gets off medications.
Graduations
...
Pat
Mundelius died on Friday night with her husband of 53 years by her side. For
those who didn't know Pat, she was Dr. Sadler's grand daughter. Pat served as
President of Urantia Foundation during that very difficult period in the mid
1990's. Pat truly loved the Revelation and worked for peace and goodwill
toward all readers. ... She was a grand lady of the revelation and brought honor
to the Sadler family ... [and] made the world a better place by serving this new
Revelation. (Mo Siegel)
FAREWELL WITHOUT FANFARE for Gene Joyce
Gene
Joyce died the afternoon of May 4, at 3:30 p.m. of what we would call natural
causes. She was 90. She hosted a Dallas area study group from 1968 until about
five years ago. David Glass composed the following tribute:
"It seems that Gene prefers a quiet departure, as silent as a
seraphim's wingless journey. But she will not get away without several eulogies
from her well-wishers--from those who loved her so sincerely and for so long.
Gene could and often did house (bed-down) seven or more travel-weary Urantia
Book readers in her home--plus, she had floor space available for sleeping bags.
"When I first moved to Fort Worth, Texas, in 1984, I made
weekly trips to Gene's home to participate in her study group and avail myself
of her hospitality which achieved international notoriety. I would enjoy
the study group, rest in my dormitory room, share a chatty breakfast with her
the next day, and return to Fort Worth. "Gene's Dormitory" and home
was a haven of socialization, sharing, and study for decades. Known to be
astute with her observations and clever with her repartee, Gene was a wit as
well as a most devoted student and a helper of students of the Revelation.
I visited Gene on the occasion of her 90th birthday,
"As I say my temporary farewell to Gene, the thought comes to
mind of her favorite quotation from the Urantia Revelation, on page 1773. It was
one sentence which she could quote and did quote fairly often: "Only
a brave person is willing honestly to admit, and fearlessly to face, what a
sincere and logical mind discovers."
"Gene was brave and honest--fearless, sincere, and logical.
Her keen mind discovered, loved, and shared the greatest find, the finest
treasure, the most profound truths of her era, and she sojourned among us for
almost a century.
Godspeed,
brave one--forge on--and we'll catch up with you some other time."
With Love, David Glass
Remember
the '70s?
Time Magazine Cover of June 1971
"Living as we do in a world that suffers so much, two opposing
possibilities can easily tempt us: either to turn our backs and live oblivious
to the pain or to allow the pain to overwhelm us and despair to take up
residence in our hearts. The truly faithful option is to face the pain and live
joyfully in the midst of it. Those who suffer most remind us of how tragic and
arrogant it would be for us to lose hope on behalf of people who have not lost
theirs. They are teachers of joy."
- Joyce Hollyday (from Then Your Light Shall Rise)
Thanks
for Listening. Please Stay tuned! Dave Holt, Editor and GGC VP