To be ordained in the Universal Life Church is to take the responsibility of one who can be looked to in times of trouble and distress. You voluntarily accept the role as embodiment of our tenet: “Do only that which is right.” Because our Church believes all things are of the same Universe, it becomes incumbent upon us as ordained ministers to act as conduits for the positive Universal energy. We do this in many ways according to our own beliefs toward the ultimate end of improving the condition of that which we bless.
To truly bless something we must have knowledge of ourselves and our relationship with the spiritual realm of the Universe. We must be acting on the impulse to good and right and have a desire to impart that positive energy to others. We must act for the good of others and for the good of the Universe rather than from our innate selfish impulses.
A blessing need not be saying Grace at table nor invoking the power of God in a formal way. It can simply be allowing goodness and light to flow from your connection with the Universe to that being blessed. It can be asking that God or the Universe grant additional spiritual or energy resources. The blessing is a gift from our inner light to that of the other person. In traditional faiths to offer a blessing is to literally be the hand or voice of and to impart an understanding of God’s will to others.
The Universal Life Church holds each person’s right to an understanding of God’s will to be sacred. As ordained ministers of the Church we might ask to be the conduit by which a person increases and benefits from their understanding of a Higher Power. This in fact is the essence of our ministry. We require only a desire to help another and the positive loving intentions of the heart to be ordained with us. You must be willing to join with the power of the Universe in your spirit to assist another with this gift. There is no right or wrong of how to conduct a blessing.
Many find a brief period of meditation brings the right words or thoughts to mind, and speaking from the heart is the most appropriate blessing. A blessing truly given from such a place can only help and never harm or weaken others. Blessings are simple and require no special training. When something is needed, we as the ordained provide that whether it is an action, a thought or feeling, a sharing of energy or inner light, or using our internal resources to create a sacred space and peace. At times allowing the other person that room and time to come to their own understanding of the Universe and their situation is the greatest blessing of all.
To be ordained in the Universal Life Church is to accept that each person has their own connection to God, the Universe or a Higher Power of their own belief. We understand the concept of “blessing” may have different significance to each person, and so we work within their construct rather than our own. Giving another our blessing is a state of our mind and soul giving positive energy. Words and positive thoughts are found more and more by science to impact the physical world around us. As ordained ministers of our Church we model this for those who come to us for counsel and assistance.