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NCIA

The Lords Love

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Unit 1: Course Outline

1.1 Unit Objectives

CONCEPTUAL:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will be able to:

  1. Identify questions, concerns, or challenges about the course content.
  2. Develop strategies to manage potential concerns in consultation with your tutor.

APPLICATION:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will be able to:

  1. Write personal ministry objectives using the principles provided in the How to Create Meaningful Objectives (link provided below).
  2. Discuss with your tutor your thinking behind the objectives you have created in relation to your vision for ministry.

DEVOTIONAL:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will:

  1. Be aware of your inner state(s) as you engage with previewing the course content and its requirements.
  2. Comment in your journal reflectively on your sense of what comes up for you as you do this.

1.2 Journal Work

To support your learning and reflection, complete the following tasks in your journal:

  1. Record your feelings and expectations as you approach the course before reviewing any material.
  2. Read through all course materials and note any thoughts, questions, or concerns regarding:
    • The requirements of the course.
    • Its content or any areas you feel need clarification.

While previewing the course material, reflect and note:

  1. What aspects of the material excite you the most.
  2. Which aspects leave you feeling unsure.
  3. Any elements you anticipate being a real challenge.
  4. Your feelings about the course material after completing your review.

Then, reflect on:

  1. The differences (if any) between your initial recorded feelings before reading the material and how you felt afterward. Highlight anything that stands out to you.

Preparation for Discussion:
Be ready to discuss your responses and reflections with your tutor during the tutorial.

1.3 Integration Work

To integrate the material in this unit, you are required to:

  • Make a conscious effort each day to be more aware of the Lord’s love operating in your life and circumstances.
  • Record your sense of the Lord’s love as a result of this exercise and prepare to discuss it with your tutor.
  • Create two personal objectives related to the theme of the Lord’s love.
  • Reflect on how you would like to see these objectives expressed in your life to support or serve the spiritual needs of others.
  • Envision the real outcomes you hope to achieve through exploring this topic and connect them to your developing sense of personal ministry.

Essay Requirement:

  • In no more than 500 words, explore the relationship between the objectives you have created and your vision for ministry. Submit this essay to your tutor before your tutorial.

Note:
The term “ministry” is used in its broadest sense, encompassing both ordained and non-ordained spheres of service/employment. It refers to where your talents, skills, and abilities can be used to support the spiritual well-being of others.

1.4 Review for Tutorial

Before attending your tutorial, ensure you have completed the following:

  • Journal Work: All reflective tasks outlined in Section 1.2.
  • Integration Work: All activities and the essay described in Section 1.3.
  • Preview Unit 2: Identify any questions, issues, or concerns to discuss with your tutor.

Tutorial Objectives:
During your tutorial, you should be prepared to:

  • Explore the content of your essay with your tutor, linking the personal objectives you created to your vision for ministry.
  • Share and expand on your journal reflections and insights related to the integration work.
  • Discuss any questions or concerns arising from your preview of Unit 2.

Unit 2: Course Survey

2.1 Unit Objectives

CONCEPTUAL:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will be able to:

  1. Organise your thoughts on the Lord’s Love in accordance with the Broad Concept Headings for this course.
  2. Gain a fuller sense of your existing knowledge of Scripture and the Doctrines in regard to the topic and so identify gaps in your knowledge in regard to the Lord’s Love
  3. formulate a series of questions that can guide your thought throughout the course with a view to gaining further clarification in regard to these knowledge gaps.

APPLICATION:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will be able to:

  1. Appreciate the difficulties that arise from apparent conflicting ideas in Scripture about this topic.
  2. Identify gaps in your understanding regarding the Lord’s Love.
  3. Formulate a series of questions to guide your thinking over the duration of the course that can support you to clarify these gaps.

DEVOTIONAL:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will:

  1. Recognise and explore areas of discomfort or insecurity the material may evoke.
  2. Be able to frame this in terms of your spiritual growth and development.

2.2 Conceptual Work: Concept Map Assignment

Introduction to Concept Mapping

Instructions

To complete this task:

  1. Download and install the free Concept Mapping software or use another preferred method, such as paper and coloured pens. (Hand-drawn maps will need to be digitised before submission.)

  2. Open and review the example CMap file:

This example addresses the question: “What is the nature of the Lord’s Love?“. You can either build on this example or create your own map from scratch.

Focus Questions for Concept Maps

Develop a new Concept Map for each of the following questions:

  1. What does the Lord’s love seek to accomplish?
  2. How does the Lord’s love operate?
  3. What are the effects or impacts of the Lord’s love?
  4. How is the Lord’s love received and responded to by those in the heavens, the world of spirits, in hell, and on earth?

Once completed, submit your Concept Maps to your tutor.

2.3 Journal Work

Reflect on the Concept Map assignment and record your thoughts:

  1. How did you feel when tasked with creating Concept Maps? What thoughts and internal dialogue did this process generate for you?
  2. Identify where you see gaps in your knowledge. For which focus questions do you feel confident, and where do you feel less secure?
  3. Write 4–5 questions about the Lord’s Love that you want to explore further during the course. Keep a hard copy of these questions to revisit periodically, noting relevant insights as you progress.
  4. Reflect on aspects of life or doctrine that seem difficult to reconcile with your understanding of the Lord’s Love. What aspects might others find challenging?

2.4 Assignment

Choose one of the following assignments:

  1. Write an essay detailing your understanding of the Lord’s Love.

    • Include personal examples of how you have experienced the Lord’s Love in your life.
    • Use the Broad Concept Headings (see below) as subheadings in your essay.

  2. Analyze a major tragic news item through the lens of your understanding of the Lord’s Love.

    • Use the Broad Concept Headings (see below) as subheadings in your analysis.

Broad Concept Headings:

  1. The Nature of the Lord’s Love
  2. What the Lord’s Love Seeks to Accomplish
  3. How the Lord’s Love Operates
  4. The Effects and Impacts of the Lord’s Love
  5. Responses to the Lord’s Love or How It Is Received

2.5 Review for Tutorial

Tutorial Preparation:

Prior to your tutorial, you need to:

  1. Submit the following to your tutor at least 2 days before your scheduled tutorial:

    • Concept Maps
    • Your chosen assignment (Essay or News Item Analysis)
    • Journal work

  2. Prepare any questions, concerns, or points of clarification to discuss with your tutor.

Tutorial Expectations:

  • Demonstrate a growing awareness of gaps in your understanding of the Lord’s Love.
  • Show a willingness to hold and discuss the challenges the material brings up for you.
  • Engage in thoughtful discussion with your tutor about your reflections, Concept Maps, and assignments.
  • Preview Unit 3 and identify questions or areas requiring clarification for discussion.

Estimated Tutorial Duration: 45–60 minutes

Unit 3: Working with the Bible I

3.1 Unit Objectives

CONCEPTUAL:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will be:

  1. Familiar with elements of the literal sense of the Bible relating to this topic and confident in accessing them.

APPLICATION:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will be able to:

  1. engage with passages that are unfamiliar and difficult without being overawed or shy of them, and see them as a spring-board for further discovery.

DEVOTIONAL:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will:

  1. have built a better ability to be able to relate to and reflect on Biblical imagery in regard to their own states and spiritual experiences.

3.2 Journal Work A

Reflect on the following as you work through this section:

  • Observe your own inability to express love as you would like in your daily life.
  • Notice any tendency to justify unloving behaviour.
  • Reflect on how this tendency might relate to the conflicted portrayal of the Lord’s love presented in the literal sense of Scripture.

3.3 Conceptual Work

Part A: Highlighting the Lord’s Love

  1. Using a concordance or digital Bible, compile a list of Scriptural references that illustrate the Lord’s love, care, and mercy.

  2. Select key references to explore how the Bible presents the Lord’s care for us.

  3. Familiarise yourself with the following suggested passages:

    • Hosea 11
    • Psalm 91:11–16, Psalm 37:25, Psalm 18:1–3
    • Deuteronomy 33:27
    • Isaiah 1:18–19
    • John 10:14, 26–27; John 14:23; John 15:13–14; John 16:24; John 17:6–26
    • Mark 10:21; Luke 15:21–24; Luke 15:7; Luke 13:34

Part B: Contradictory Portrayals

  1. Compile a list of Scriptural references that appear to contradict the idea of the Lord as loving and merciful.

  2. Familiarise yourself with the following suggested passages:

    • Isaiah 1:20; Deuteronomy 32:29; Malachi 1:2–3
    • Psalm 137:8–9; Genesis 6:5–6; Numbers 11:10; Numbers 12:9, 22; Numbers 25:4; Numbers 32:10, 14
    • Deuteronomy 4:25; Exodus 20:5; Isaiah 45:7; Leviticus 14:34; Malachi 2:9
    • 2 Samuel 7:14, 18:19; 1 Samuel 15:1–3; Psalm 38:1–2; Revelation 3:19

Part C: Reconciling Contradictions

  1. Arrange your lists in three columns on an A4 landscape layout:
    • Column 1: References portraying the Lord’s love.
    • Column 2: References portraying contradictory images of the Lord.
    • Column 3: Comments addressing the difficulties in reconciling the passages and your thoughts for resolving these conflicts.

3.4 Journal Work B

Reflect and record:

  1. Times when you have doubted or struggled to sense the Lord’s love, yet still felt held by Him.
  2. How might these reflections help you assist others in similar situations?
  3. Be prepared to discuss these reflections with your tutor during the tutorial.

3.5 Assignment Work

Choose one of the following assignments:

  1. Essay:

    • Select five Scripture references from Part B (contradictory portrayals).
    • Write a 750-word reflective essay reconciling these passages with the image of the Lord presented in Part A (loving portrayals).

  2. Public Talk Outline:

    • Arrange a selection of conflicting references under each of the Broad Concept Headings:
      • The Nature of the Lord’s Love
      • What the Lord’s Love Seeks to Accomplish
      • How the Lord’s Love Operates
      • The Effects and Impacts of the Lord’s Love
      • Responses to the Lord’s Love or How It Is Received
    • Create a bullet list of points showing how you would address and resolve these conflicts under each heading.

3.6 Integration Work

  1. Select one or two Scripture passages that had a significant impact on you during this unit.
  2. Write a short devotional reading that includes:
    • The chosen passage(s).
    • A paragraph reflecting on the themes of the Lord’s love, its closeness, or apparent absence, framed for a reader.
    • A reflective question for your reader to carry throughout their day to heighten awareness of the Lord’s love.

3.7 Review for Tutorial

Preparation Requirements:

  • Submit the following to your tutor no later than 2 days before the tutorial:
    • Part C: Work reconciling contradictory biblical passages.
    • Assignment work (Essay or Talk Outline).
    • Integration Work (Devotional Reading).
  • Be prepared to discuss your Journal Work.

Expected Outcomes:

  • Demonstrate a connection between the material studied and your personal spiritual development.
  • Show an ability to hold and explore challenging questions raised by the material.
  • Engage in meaningful discussion about your reflections and assignments.

Tutorial Duration: 45–60 minutes.

Unit 4: Working with the Heavenly Doctrines

4.1 Unit Objectives

CONCEPTUAL:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will be able to:

  1. Reflect deeply on personal and ministry-related life situations, applying principles from the Heavenly Doctrines to foster spiritually positive outcomes.
  2. Organise references from the Heavenly Doctrines to support key doctrinal principles.
  3. Critically engage with doctrinal material, forming personal perspectives and questions.

APPLICATION:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will be able to:

  1. Identify and reformulate doctrinal principles for application in ministry and daily life.

DEVOTIONAL:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will:

  1. reflect on your own inner states of life (feelings and thoughts) and draw connections between what you are experiencing and the material you are working with as you engage with the Heavenly Doctrines.

4.2 Journal Work A

Daily Reflection:

  • Keep a daily log of your reflections on how working with the Heavenly Doctrines impacts your perspective and responses in life.
  • Observe shifts in your states of feeling and thought, both positive and negative.
  • Record what you believe is being highlighted for your further spiritual growth.

4.3 Conceptual Work

Instructions:

  1. Download and Explore References:

    • Download the provided HDReferences file and review the listed references and summary statements.
    • HD References File Download
    • Mark those references that resonate with or catch your interest.

  2. Allocate References to Broad Concept Headings:

    • Using the New Christian Bible Study website or hard copies of the Heavenly Doctrines, look up your highlighted references and assign them to the following headings:
      • The Nature of the Lord’s Love
      • What the Lord’s Love Seeks to Accomplish
      • How the Lord’s Love Operates
      • The Effects and Impacts of the Lord’s Love
      • Responses to the Lord’s Love or How It Is Received

  3. Expand Your Exploration:

    • Explore additional references as they come to mind or are suggested by your study.
    • Ensure that each reference remains relevant to the assigned heading(s).
    • A single reference may fall under multiple headings if applicable.

  4. Create a Final Selection:

    • Select at least 10 major references for each Broad Concept Heading, drawn from the provided file or your own exploration.
    • Record your thoughts on each reference, noting:
      • Its insights regarding the assigned Broad Concept Heading.
      • Any new trains of thought, unanswered questions, or challenges to your current understanding.

  5. Submit Your Work:

    • Send your organised references and notes under each Broad Concept Heading to your tutor for review and feedback.

4.4 Assignment

  1. Doctrinal Points:

    • Under each of the Broad Concept Headings, create a list of the main doctrinal points derived from your selected references.

  2. Presentation Development:

    • Choose one Broad Concept Heading.
    • Develop a presentation for a specific audience, addressing their life-needs and questions with the doctrinal points you listed.
    • State your target audience and show how your material relates to their needs.

  3. Anticipate Audience Questions:

    • List potential questions your audience might raise.
    • Provide responses drawn from your understanding of the subject matter.

4.5 Journal Work B

Reflect on the Following:

  1. How has developing the main points for each Broad Concept Heading impacted your wider life?
  2. Can you identify connections between your work with the Heavenly Doctrines and other areas of your life (e.g., relationships, work, ministry)?

4.6 Integration Work

  1. Select a Core Principle:

    • Identify a key principle from your work with the Heavenly Doctrines that resonates strongly with you.
    • Make a concerted effort to be mindful of this principle in your daily responses to life situations.

  2. Record Insights:

    • Reflect on the operation of the Lord’s love in difficult circumstances.
    • Note any new insights gained during this process.

  3. Summary for Tutor:

    • Prepare a 1–2 page summary of your work in this section, focusing on the insights and applications of the core principle.
    • Email this summary to your tutor at least two days before your tutorial.

4.7 Review for Tutorial

Preparation Requirements:

  • Submit your assignment and Integration Work summary.
  • Be ready to discuss:
    • Your journal reflections.
    • Connections between the material studied and your life experiences.
    • Any questions or challenges raised during your study.

Additional Preparation:

  • Review Unit 5 and prepare any questions or topics for clarification with your tutor.

Tutorial Duration: 45–60 minutes.

Unit 5: Working with the Bible II

5.1 Unit Objectives

CONCEPTUAL:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will be able to:

  1. Handle the concept of the Word becoming flesh with confidence, insight, and spiritual depth, drawing on Scripture and the Heavenly Doctrines.

APPLICATION:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will be able to:

  1. Engage with others to contribute to and support their fluctuating sense of the Lord’s presence.

DEVOTIONAL:
On completion of this section it is expected that you will be able to:

  1. Use your understanding of the Lord’s love to support your own spiritual journey.

5.2 Conceptual Work

Instructions:

  1. Study the Scripture Passage:

    • Read Exodus 4:18–31 for context, focusing on Exodus 4:24–26.
    • Use the Arcana Coelestia (AC) readings 7013–7068 for insights into the story. Download and reference the file provided or consult the New Christian Bible Study website.

  2. Key Summaries:

    • Summarise the passage in terms of its sequence of events.
    • List the roles and symbolic representations of the individuals involved (using AC readings, a dictionary of correspondences, or other resources).

  3. Language and Symbolism:

    • Use a Bible concordance or Hebrew resources to research the meanings of key words and names in the passage.
    • Record these meanings alongside comments on insights they provide.

  4. Reflect and Explore:

    • Reflect on the work you’ve done in relation to the regenerative process.
    • In brief note form, suggest how the difficulties in the literal sense (e.g., the Lord “seeking to kill”) might be resolved.
    • Be prepared to expand on this in your Mini Assignment later.

5.3 Readings

Primary Texts:

Study Focus:

  • Pay close attention to AC 7013, 7027, 7040, and 7052 as they summarise critical insights for this section.

5.4 Journal Work A

Reflect on the following questions and record your thoughts in your journal:

  1. What does this passage from Exodus reveal about the Lord’s love and how it operates in your life and others’?
  2. Do you believe the Lord is ever truly “against us” or deliberately frustrates our desires? Why or why not?

Preparation for Tutorial:

  • Be ready to discuss your reflections with your tutor during the tutorial.

5.5 Integration Work

Framework for Supporting Others:

  • From your study of this section, list the key principles that could serve as a framework for helping someone through a difficult time.
  • Summarise these principles, explaining their relevance and value in supporting others facing challenges.

5.6 Journal Work B

Reflect on your personal experiences using the principles identified in your Integration Work:

  1. Recall a time when you held onto a particular understanding of “truth” but had to let it go to move forward.
  2. Reflect on how this experience felt and how it connects to the passage from Exodus studied in this unit.
  3. Record your insights in your journal.

5.7 Review for Tutorial

Preparation Checklist:

  • Complete all required Conceptual Work and Journal Reflections.
  • Submit the required work to your tutor two days prior to the tutorial.
  • Review Unit 6: Major Assignment and prepare any questions or issues for clarification.

Expected Outcomes for the Tutorial:

  • Be able to connect the material studied with situations in your life and areas of spiritual growth.
  • Demonstrate a developing ability to hold and explore questions and challenges raised by the material.
  • Show willingness to engage in meaningful dialogue with your tutor about your reflections and insights.

Here is the reformatted Unit 6: Major Assignment for consistency:

Unit 6: Major Assignment

6.1 Objectives

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Integrate your learning across all domains, connecting key themes related to the nature and operation of the Lord’s love in Scripture, the Heavenly Doctrines, and personal experiences.
  2. Present your insights in formats suitable for sharing with others, demonstrating a clear understanding of the material.

Expectations:

  • Self-directed engagement with devotional/journal work is essential as you complete the Major Assignment.

6.2 Instructions

Purpose:

To consolidate and present your understanding of the nature and operation of the Lord’s love through three distinct submissions, each addressing a unique area of thought.

Assignment Objectives:

  • Explore, compare, and apply concepts of the Lord’s love in personal and universal contexts.
  • Present findings in varied formats to demonstrate your ability to communicate these spiritual ideas effectively.

Submission Topics:

  1. Society’s View of Love vs. the Heavenly Doctrines:

    • Compare and contrast society’s understanding of love with the perspective in the Heavenly Doctrines.
    • Reflect on the statement: “Love is not feeling but our response to truth.”

  2. Divine Love’s Creative Operation:

    • Describe the operation of Divine Love in terms of end, cause, and effect.
    • Provide illustrations of universal principles and their application to personal regeneration.

  3. Divine Love and Divine Wisdom:

    • Explore the relationship between Divine Love and Divine Wisdom.
    • Discuss its importance in achieving “salvation.”

Submission Formats:

  • Essay (1500 words)
  • Public Presentation (e.g., PowerPoint with speaker’s notes and handouts)
  • Small Group Study
  • Mini Sermon

Guidelines:

  • Each submission must use a different format (e.g., if you use an essay for one, choose another format for the next).
  • Use the Heavenly Doctrines as the primary resource: AC 1799[2]; AC 1803; DLW 47–55; DP 27.
  • Draw from your prior coursework, including conceptual, application, integration, and journal reflections.
  • Reference Scripture, particularly passages that have resonated with you throughout the course.

Suggested Approach:

  1. Read the submission requirements several times.
  2. Review the resource material with these requirements in mind, noting connections to each topic.
  3. Identify relevant statements or principles for each submission.
  4. Cross-reference your course work for supporting ideas and illustrations.

6.3 Submission Outlines

Preparation:

  • Select a format for each of the three submissions.
  • Create an outline for each submission.
  • Email your chosen formats and outlines to your tutor for review before proceeding to Section 6.4.

Submission Topics:

  1. Submission A:

    • Compare and contrast society’s view of love with the perspective in the Heavenly Doctrines.

  2. Submission B:

    • Describe the creative operation of Divine Love in terms of end, cause, and effect.
    • Provide personal illustrations of these principles.

  3. Submission C:

    • Explore the relationship between Divine Love and Divine Wisdom.
    • Discuss its role in bringing about “salvation.”

6.4 Submission Planning

Guidelines for Planning:

  • Allocate approximately 5 hours to complete the planning phase.
  • Submit outlines for all three submissions to your tutor two days prior to the tutorial date.

Preparation for the Tutorial:

  1. Complete and submit outlines for the three submissions.
  2. Prepare any questions or issues for discussion.

Tutorial Goals:

  • Review submission outlines with your tutor.
  • Address any questions or challenges.
  • Develop confidence to complete your submissions effectively.

6.5 Major Assignment Review

Final Steps:

  1. Submit completed assignments to your tutor for review.
  2. Arrange a tutorial session to receive feedback on your work.
  3. Prepare for this session by reviewing Unit 7 and its requirements.

Tutorial Focus:

  • Feedback on your Major Assignment submissions.
  • Guidance on next steps to refine and improve your work.

Unit 7: Final Presentation

7.1 Final Presentation

To conclude the course, you are required to deliver a 30-minute online presentation via Zoom to members of the Australian New Church College Board of Studies. This presentation will be followed by an interactive exchange with the panel.

Presentation Guidelines

Purpose:

The presentation is an opportunity for you to reflect on and articulate your journey through the course materials and its impact on your personal and spiritual development.

Content Requirements:

  1. Overview of Your Journey:

    • Reflect on your starting point regarding the course topic and where you stand now.
    • Highlight the shifts in your understanding or perspective as a result of engaging with the course materials and requirements.

  2. Key Areas of Interest:

    • Identify any specific topics or sections that held particular significance for you.
    • Explain why these areas were impactful and what about them resonated deeply with you.

  3. Shifts and Resolutions:

    • Discuss the questions or challenges that were resolved for you during the course.
    • Share any questions that remain open or unresolved.

  4. Application of Understanding:

    • Conclude by reflecting on how your developing understanding of the topic could be applied to support others in living spiritually focused lives.

Interactive Exchange

After your presentation, the panel will engage in a discussion with you. Be prepared to:

  • Clarify or expand upon key points from your presentation.
  • Reflect further on how the course has influenced your spiritual journey.
  • Explore ideas for applying your learning to practical, real-world contexts.