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There was a recent comment on the ULC Facebook site where a gal said she had been told her ULC Ordination was nothing more than a "Box Top ordination". I've written a short missive regarding that..... The ULC is often looked at as being a “cereal box ordination” or “bought credentials” and it is no wonder people, who are threatened by the vision of our founder Rev. Kirby Hensley, would think so. They still buy into the authority of the organized, mainstream religious Church. In reality, there are only twelve people that ever lived that had the “authority”, directly from the Christ (Jesus/Yeshua) to minister His message. Everyone else that came after Paul, Peter, Steven, Timothy et al followed their message and self imposed authority, dogma and doctrine. When the Christ gave the call to minister he picked fishermen, publicans and even tax collectors, as well as an assortment of regular everyday people, to teach his message of Peace and Love. He then instructed them to go forth and teach after his cruel death. In less than three years he crash studied his disciples into a Universal Message, not dogma or doctrine of a corporate organization. “Love each other.” The Christ did not issue credentials or make bold claims of his disciples having spent long, labored years in seminary learning the books of scholars. He taught them His message: Mat 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. In the early days of Christ's gathering up his followers he sought the men who had otherwise little or nothing to do with conforming to the rules and pageantry of the synagogue. Eternal Life had nothing to do with the ritualistic policies of the synagogue nor the long derasha (sermon) meant to instill fear and compliance to the whims of the religious leaders' interpretation of the Torah. As a boy and young man Christ had attempted to get the rabbis to understand that, according to His understanding of the Torah, to no avail. The Christ wanted the people to know that “salvation” came from their personal walk with God, not through their alliance with doctrine and dogmatic compliance with the edicts of men. Two thousand plus years later, we are still battling this ancient institution of organized and formalized religious practices taking precedent over the true calling of the individual's heart. And from my personal beliefs, I'll recall from one of my early Works a similar reference from The Faces of Odin (Codex 8th Century AD) that: “...many good souls are drawn to the runes, few learn them aright. Knowest thou the runes and the Mysteries contained within? Then shoudst thy calling be to them.” No hint of having to agonize through years of apprenticeships, though you'd never get Gild support without it, no “must do” one thing or another, just "read them aright" (know what you're teaching). Simply if it is in your heart to master the runes, you should do so. In short then, as ULC ministers, regardless of our religious teaching or particular Spiritual Path, if we have been called, in our hearts, to minister, it is by the Will of the Universal and Supreme Power we do so, not by the will of men. Whether we follow mainstream religious theology or that of the esoteric Orders, it is our heartfelt commitment to the message that compels us so, not because of the power of organizational leadership to pass judgment on our intentions. This is where organized religion and esoteric groups do have a common ground. If you have need of joining the club, being a legitimate part of their groups or wish to have an academic reference behind your Works, yes, of course there is a standardized protocol within most disciplines. To do so you also have to bend to the standard protocol of dogma and doctrine that applies itself to your discipline. However, to spread the Good News of Christ's words or that of any philosophy or Spiritual Path, you need simple intent. It's all within the scope of what you personally wish to accomplish. As far as the ULC being a “Box top” ordination? I don't think so, the Supreme doesn't work like that. The Spiritual Authority of our hearts will always trump the dogmatic authority of man-made institutions. Let them call us what they like and disparage the Omniscient, that in itself is all the non-credible defamation I need to not hear a word they say. Blessings of Peace,