The Lords Love

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Unit 1: Course Outline

1.0 Overview

The Lord’s Love looks at the nature and operation of the Lord’s love under five Broad Concept Headings as follows:-

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

On completion of this unit it is expected that you will be able to:-

Identify questions, concerns, issues, in regard to the course content and its requirements.
Develop a strategy to manage concerns or potential issues in consultation with your Tutor.
Write personal objectives related to the course theme that relate to your vision for ministry.
Be able to discuss your thinking behind creating the objective(s).
Demonstrate an awareness of your inner state(s).

In this course you will be exploring what the Word teachings concerning the Lord’s Love in the light of the teachings found in the Heavenly Doctrines. The course design is such that you will be given plenty of opportunity to explore and develop your own thoughts on the topic, but always with a view to integrating your findings into life.

The student will work closely with the Tutor on managing assignment and receiving feedback. We recognise that every person undertaking a course of study brings a unique perspective in keeping with their life experience and vision for ministry. Thus the College and the Student form an interactive partnership through which the Tutors and Student are able to learn, grow and develop together in their appreciation of the Lord’s Love that will benefit others. The overall objective for this course is to lay a foundation for a fuller appreciation of the Lord’s Love and an increased capacity to have this expressed more appropriately through the lives of those engaging in this course and beyond.

1.1 Objectives

The objectives around which the course is structured are specifically designed to encourage you to do this. You will be working to achieve 3 kinds of objectives in each Unit these are…

Conceptual Objectives
Application Objects
Devotional Objectives

In addition to these you will be required to create a Personal Ministry Objective to be achieved by the end of the course.

A basic framework is provided for the course with will assist you to structure your work. For this course it consists of the following 5 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

The course consists of 7 Units making up a total of approximately 80 credit hours of work. This includes administrative elements, tutorials, contact time, assignments, journal work, and basic course work requirements. The outline of the Units of work are as follows…

Introduction/Course Preview (4hrs)
Pre-Course Assessment (6hrs)
Working with the Bible I (10hrs)
Working with the Heavenly Doctrines (25hrs)
Working with the Bible II (18hrs)
Major Assignment (16hrs)
Post Course Assessment (2hrs)

1.2 Journal Work

Record how you are feeling in approaching the course before you begin to read through and preview the course material.
Read through all the course material and note down any thoughts/questions/concerns you have regarding the requirements of the course, its content, or any other aspects you want clarified.

As you preview the course material note down…

What aspects excite you most; those you find yourself unsure about; and those aspects you think will present a real challenge for you.
Your feelings in regard to the course material after you had finished going through it?

Then

Reflect on what you have noted down and highlight anything that stands out for you between what you recorded prior to reading through the material and your feelings afterward.

Be prepared to discuss your responses with your tutor

1.3 Integration Work

To help with integrating this units material your 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 be ready for a discussion with your Tutor
create two of your own personal objectives that relate to the theme of the Lord’s Love
reflect on how you would like to see this expressed through your life in supporting or serving the spiritual needs of others
think about what you would like to see as real outcomes arising from exploring this topic by tying these in with your developing sense of personal ministry
in no more than 500 words explore the relationship you see between the objectives you have created and your vision for ministry

Note: The term ministry is used here in the broadest possible sense and may relate to both ordained or non-ordained spheres of service/employment. Essentially it refers to where you see your talents/skills and abilities being used to support the spiritual well being of others.

1.4 Review for Tutorial

In preparation for this tutorial you need to have:-

completed all Journal Work
created and submitted at least 2 personal objectives
submitted short essay related to personal objectives
completed Integration Work
previewed Unit 2 – Identified any questions, issues, concerns etc to discuss with your tutor

It is expected that you will be able to…

engage with your tutor in exploring the content of your essay relating the personal objectives you created to your vision for/sense of ministry
in your discussions with your Tutor you will be able to share and expand on your Journal reflections, insights etc related to your Integration Work
discuss any questions and/or concerns you have after previewing Unit 2 with your tutor

Unit 2: Course Survey

2.1 Objectives

The main objective is to make explicit where you sit in regard to this topic and provide a framework that can serve as a foundation for directing your learning over the duration of the course and beyond.

On completion of this Unit it is expected that you will be able to:-

Organise your thoughts on the Lord’s Love in accordance with the Broad Concept Headings for this course.
Gain a fuller sense of your existing knowledge of Scripture and the Doctrines in regard to the topic
So identify gaps in your knowledge in regard to the Lord’s Love and
Be able formulate a series of questions that can guide your thought throughout the course
Gain an appreciation of some of the difficulties that conflicts in Scripture
Identify and explore areas of discomfort and insecurity that the material brings to the fore for you.

2.2 Conceptual Work: Concept Map Assignment

Introduction to Concept Mapping

In learning to construct a concept map, it is important to begin with a domain of knowledge that is very familiar to the person constructing the map. Since concept map structures are dependent on the context in which they will be used, it is best to identify a segment of a text, a laboratory or field activity, or a particular problem or question that one is trying to understand. This creates a context that will help to determine the hierarchical structure of the concept map. It is also helpful to select a limited domain of knowledge for the first concept maps.

A good way to define the context for a concept map is to construct a Focus Question, that is, a question that clearly specifies the problem or issue the concept map should help to resolve. Every concept map responds to a focus question, and a good focus question can lead to a much richer concept map. When learning to construct concept maps, learners tend to deviate from the focus question and build a concept map that may be related to the domain, but which does not answer the question. It is often stated that the first step to learning about something is to ask the right questions.

Given a selected domain and a defined question or problem in this domain, the next step is to identify the key concepts that apply to this domain. Usually 15 to 25 concepts will suffice. These concepts could be listed, and then from this list a rank ordered list should be established from the most general, most inclusive concept, for this particular problem or situation at the top of the list, to the most specific, least general concept at the bottom of the list. Although this rank order may be only approximate, it helps to begin the process of map construction. We refer to the list of concepts as aparking lot, since we will move these concepts into the concept map as we determine where they fit in. Some concepts may remain in the parking lot as the map is completed if the mapmaker sees no good connection for these with other concepts in the map.

The next step is to construct a preliminary concept map. This can be done by writing all of the concepts on Post-its(TM), or preferably by using the IHMC CmapTools (Cañas et al., 2004b, http://cmap.ihmc.us) computer software program described below. Post-its allow a group to work on a whiteboard or butcher paper and to move concepts around easily. This is necessary as one begins to struggle with the process of building a good hierarchical organization. Computer software programs are even better in that they allow moving of concepts together with linking statements and the moving of groups of concepts and links to restructure the map. When CmapTools is used in conjunction with a computer projector, two or more individuals can easily collaborate in building a concept map and see changes as they progress in their work. CmapTools also allows for collaboration between individuals in the same room or anywhere in the world, and the maps can be built synchronously or asynchronously, depending on the mapmakers’ schedules.

It is important to recognize that a concept map is never finished. After a preliminary map is constructed, it is always necessary to revise this map. Other concepts can be added. Good maps usually result from three to many revisions. This is one reason why using computer software is helpful.

Once the preliminary map is built , cross-links should be sought. These are links between concepts in different segments or domains of knowledge on the map that help to illustrate how these domains are related to one another. Cross-links are important in order to show that the learner understands the relationships between the sub-domains in the map.

It is important to help students recognize that all concepts are in some way related to one another. Therefore, it is necessary to be selective in identifying cross-links, and to be as precise as possible in identifying linking words that connect concepts. In addition, one should avoid “sentences in the boxes”, that is, full sentences used as concepts, since this usually indicates that a whole subsection of the map could be constructed from the statement in the box. “String maps” illustrate either poor understanding of the material or an inadequate restructuring of the map. Figure 6 shows an example of a string map.

Students often comment that it is hard to add linking words onto the “lines” of their concept map. This is because they poorly understand the relationship between the concepts, or the meanings of the concepts, and it is the linking words that specify this relationship. Once students begin to focus-in on good linking words, and on the identification of good cross-links, they can see that every concept could be related to every other concept. This also produces some frustration, and they must choose to identify the most prominent and most useful cross-links. This process involves what Bloom (1956) identified as high levels of cognitive performance, namely evaluation and synthesis of knowledge. Concept mapping is an easy way to encourage very high levels of cognitive performance, when the process is done well. This is one reason concept mapping can also be a very powerful evaluation tool (Edmondson, 2000).

Finally, the map should be revised, concepts re-positioned in ways that lend to clarity and better over-all structure, and a “final” map prepared. When computer software is used, one can go back, change the size and font style, and add colors to “dress up” the concept map.

Thus, we see that concept maps are not only a powerful tool for capturing, representing, and archiving knowledge of individuals, but also a powerful tool to create new knowledge.

The Theory Underlying Concept Maps

2.3 Instructions

In order to complete the work for this Unit you can either download and install the free Concept Mapping software or use some other preferred method such as paper and coloured pens. You will need to email your maps to your tutor so hand drawn maps will need to be digitised. The cmap software can be found by clicking on the following link…

CMAP Software

Should you have a problem accessing the download then please contact your tutor who will assist you.

Once you have installed the software you will be able to open the Cmap file (it is also provided as a pdf below…)

Click to Download the example CMap File: What is the Nature of the Lord’s Love

C-Map Example pdf

This above links provide you with an example of a partitially completed map for the first focus question, “What is the nature of the Lord’s Love?“. You can use this map and develop it further, or you can start from scratch. You will then need to create a new map for each of the following focus questions…

CMap 2. What does the Lord’s love seek to accomplish?
CMap 3. How does the Lord’s love operate?
Cmap 4. What are the effects or impacts of the Lord’s love?
CMap 5. How is the Lord’s love received and responded to by those in the heavens, world of spirits, in hell and on earth?

2.4 Journal Work

Record how you felt when faced with the task of creating your Concept Maps. Recall the thoughts that these feelings generated as internal dialogue, what can you say about this?
List where you see you have gaps in your knowledge - which focus questions for the Lord’s love do you feel you have a good grip on?
Record 4 or 5 questions that sit with you in regard to the Lord’s love, and that you would like to see some movement on over the duration of this course. You should keep a hard copy of these and revisit them periodically as you move through the course jotting down relevant insights. You should be able to draw these from the work with your Concept Maps.
Are there any aspects of life in general that you find difficult to reconcile with your current understanding of the Lord’s Love? What aspects do you think others might others find difficult?

When you have completed all your maps email them to your tutor.

2.5 Assignment

You are asked to complete one of the following exercises. Either…

Write an essay that sets out your understanding of The Lord’s Love. Where possible give examples from your own experience of the Lord’s Love operating in your life. Organise your essay using the Broad Concept Headings (below) as its main subheadings.

Take a major tragic news item and explore it in terms of your understanding of the Lord’s love using the 5 Broad Category Headings as a guide.

Organise your Assignment using the 5 Broad Category Headings (below) as its main subheadings.

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

2.6 Review for Tutorial

Allow 45-60 minutes for this Tutorial

In preparation for this tutorial you need to have…

completed and submitted the following to your tutor no later than 2 days before your scheduled tutorial: the Concept Maps, either the Essay or News Item and your Journal work.
have ready any questions issues etc ready to discuss/clarify with your Tutor.

It is expected that

you will have a growing sense of where the gaps in your understanding of the Lord’s Love lie
you will demonstrate an ability to hold questions and challenges the material is bringing up for you and show a willingness to discuss this with your Tutor
previewed and read through the required work for Unit 3. Have ready any questions issues etc you need to discuss with your Tutor.

UNIT 3: Working with the Bible I

3.0 Objectives

On completion of this section students will:-

be familiar with elements of the literal sense of the Bible relating to this topic and confident in accessing them
to engage with passages that are unfamiliar and difficult as a spring board for further discovery
will 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

3.1 Journal Work A

As you work through this section of the course observe your own inability to express love as you would like in your daily life. Notice any tendency to justify unloving behaviour. How might this tendency in us, to justify such states, be related to the conflicted picture of the Lord’s love presented in the literal sense of Scripture.

3.2 Conceptual Work

Part A

Using a concordance or a digital bible, compile a list of Scriptural references that highlight the Lord’s love, care and mercy.
From these references make a final selection of those to explore the picture the Bible offers of the Lord and His care for us.
Locate these references in your Bible and familiarise yourself with them.

Hosea 11; Ps 91:11-16; Ps 37:25; Deut. 33:27; Ps 18:1-3; Is 1:18-19; Jn 17:6-26; Jn 10:14, 26-27; Mk 10:21; Lk 15:21-24; Lk 15:7; Lk 13:34; Jn 14:23; Jn 15:13-14; Jn 16:24

Part B

Using a concordance, compile a list of Scriptural references that highlight statements that seem to contradict the idea that the Lord is a God of love, care and mercy.
If your list doesn’t include the following references then locate the references in your Bible and familiarise yourself with them. Is 1:20; Deut 32:29; Mal 1:2-3; Ps 137:8-9; Gen 6:5-6; Num 11:10; 12:9; 12:22; 25:4; 32:10; 32:14; Deut 4:25 Ex 20:5; Is 45:7; Lev 14:34; Mal 2:9; 2Sm 18:19; 1Sam 15:1-3; Ps 38:1-2; Rev 3:19; 2Sam 7:14

Part C Arrange your lists into columns (A4 Landscape) so that the first and second columns contain the contradictory passages. In the third column comment on the difficulty they may present to anyone reading them literally and note any thoughts you have that help reconcile them.

3.3 Journal Work B

Take some time to journal…

reflections on states when you have doubted or struggled to have a sense of the Lord’s love and yet had a sense of Him holding you through it all despite this. Then…
consider and share how you might be able to draw on this to assist others?
be prepared to discuss your reflections with your tutor in the tutorial for this Unit.

3.4 Assignment Work

Either

select 5 of the Scripture references from list B and write a reflective essay (750 words) showing how these can be reconciled to the image of the Lord presented in the Scripture references in list A.

arrange a selection of conflicting references under each of the Broad Concept headings as an outline for a public talk entitled Reconciling Conflicting Images of Divine Love. Create a bullet list of points showing how you intend to resolve conflicts under each heading.

3.5 Integration Work

Take one or two Scripture passages you found had a significant impact on/meaning for you as you worked through this unit.

Write up a short devotional reading consisting of

the passage(s) of Scripture you have chosen –
a paragraph of your reflections upon it framed for your reader using the themes of our sense of the closeness and absence of the Lord’s love and
finish with a question for reflection that your reader can carry with them through their day to help them be aware of their sense of the Lord’s love.

3.6 Review for Tutorial

Allow 45-60 minutes for this Tutorial

In preparation for this tutorial you need to have…

completed and submitted the following to your tutor no later than 2 days before your scheduled tutorial:
work with contradictory biblical passages (3.2 Part C)
the Assignment work requirements (3.4)
Integration work requirements (3.5)

It is expected that:-

you will be able to connect the material you are working with to things happening in your life; situations and personal spiritual development areas.
you will demonstrate a developing ability to hold questions and challenges the material is bringing up for you.
be able to discuss your Journal Work

UNIT 4: Working with the Heavenly Doctrines

4.0 Objectives

Upon completing this unit students will:

further develop their ability to reflect on life situations, both personally and in ministry contexts.
through applying the principles of the Heavenly Doctrines gain skills that foster spiritually positive outcomes.

It is expected that students…

will be able to demonstrate an ability to organise references from the Heavenly Doctrines in support of key doctrinal principles.
will develop an ability to work with doctrinal material critically through forming their own perspectives and questions
will learn to identify doctrinal principles and reformulate them in terms of their application to ministry and/or general life situations.
be able to reflect more deeply on their own inner states of life

In this section of the course you will be organising references from the Heavenly Doctrines under the following five 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

4.1 Journal Work

Reflect on and record in a daily log how this activity has impacted on your perspective of, and responses in your life. Try to be aware of shifts in your states of feeling and thought both positive and negative and record what you believe is being highlighted for you for further spiritual growth work.

4.2 Conceptual Work

Click to Download the HDReferences File

Download the HDReferences MSWord file to your computer to work with. Keeping the Broad Concept Headings in mind read through the list of references and summary statements and mark those that catch your interest. Using the New Christian Bible Study website or hard copies of the Heavenly Doctrines look up the references you have highlighted and allocate a Broad Concept Heading to each one. You will be using these specific references to explore the theme of the Broad Concept heading in more depth a little later on. You may find other references come to mind or are suggested in the references you look up, feel free to reference and explore these also, but remember to keep your focus on the relevance of what select within the context of the Broad Concept Headings for this course. You may feel that a single reference falls within more than one of the Broad Concept Headings. You are free to explore any of the references under as many of the headings as long as you can show how they fit within the headings you assign them to. Your final selection should contain not less than 10 major references under each Broad Concept Heading drawn from HDReference file and/or your own further exploration of the subject area. As you go record your thoughts on what each reference you have selected says in regard to the Broad Concept Heading you have placed it under. Be sure to note any new insights, trains of thought, unanswered questions and any challenges that your research has made to your current understanding of the subject area. Forward a copy of your arrangement of references under the Broad Concept Headings to your Tutor no later than 2 days prior to your scheduled tutorial for this section.

4.3 Assignment

Under each of the Broad Concept Headings below create a list that you feel are the main doctrinal points related to that heading found in the References you selected to work with.

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

Now select one of the Broad Concept Headings above and using the points you have listed develop a presentation for a public forum. You must state who your audience is and show how your material relates to/meets your understanding of what that group’s life-needs/questions might be.

Then make a list of the potential questions that your presentation might draw from your target audience. List these along with a potential response drawn from your current understanding of the subject matter.

4.4 Journal Work

Reflect on how your work in developing the main points in each Broad Concept Heading is impacting on the wider sphere of your life - what connections can you draw that links your work in the Heavenly Doctrines with other areas of activity and/or relationships?

4.5 Review for Tutorial

In preparation for this tutorial you need to have:-

submitted your Assignment.
prepared to discuss your responses in your journal reflections with your tutor
reviewed the next section of Unit 4
able to connect the material you are working with to things happening in your life; situations and personal spiritual development areas.

4.6 Integration Work

Select a core principle that has been highlighted for you in your work with the Heavenly Doctrines for this section and make a concerted effort to be mindful of this truth/principle as something to govern your response(s) in the situations you are currently working through in your life.

List any new insights that have come to you in regard to the Lord’s love and its operation in difficult circumstances. Prepare a summary of your work for this section (1-2 A4 pages) and email this to your tutor 2 days prior to the tutorial date.

UNIT 5: Working with the Bible II

5.0 Objectives

On completion of this section students will be able to:-

draw on scripture and the Doctrines to handle confidently, comfortably and insightfully the whole concept of the Word becoming flesh.
to use their insights and understanding to engage with others to contribute to and support peoples’ fluctuating sense of the Lord’s presence
to readily draw upon their understanding of the nature and operation of the Lord’s love to support them in their own spiritual journey.

5.1 Conceptual Work

For this section you will be working with Ex 4:24-26 (see 5.2 below).
You will need to read this in its context so read Ex 4:18-31 (see 5.2 below).
Also from the Heavenly Doctrines read through AC 7013-7068 to get a general sense of how they handle this story (see 5.2 below for a downloadable file)
Be sure to take particular note of what is contained in the AC summaries found in, AC 7013; 7027; 7040; 7052. It is expected that you will draw from them for the work required for this section.

Keep in mind that…

the work for this exercise is meant to be of an exploratory nature and you should feel free to express your thoughts as such. It’s not about getting the interpretation “right”. The purpose of the exercise is to:-
give you a sense of how a difficult passage in the literal sense can be worked with using your understanding of the Heavenly Doctrines
and how the difficulties it presents might be resolved.

Instructions

Create a document and summarise the passage from Exodus in terms of the sequence of events and list these.
For each of the people involved use either the Readings in the downloadable file, the New Christian Bible Study website and/or a Dictionary of Correspondences to get a sense of what they might represent within you. List your findings.
Work through the text using a Bible concordance (electronic Bible) to research the Hebrew meanings of key words and the meanings of names. List your findings in the document along with any comments as to insights these meanings provide.
Reflect on the work you have done and comment on it in terms of its application to your sense of the regenerative process. In brief note form only record your thoughts in regard to this suggesting how the difficulties presented in the literal sense of the Lord “seeking to kill” might be resolved. (You will be asked to expand on this later in the Mini Assignment for this Unit).

5.2 Reading

Exodus 4:18-26 18 So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.” 20 Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 21 And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 “So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ” 24 And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” 26 So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!”–because of the circumcision. 27 And the LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him on the mountain of God, and kissed him. 28 So Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30 And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Arcana Coelestia 7013-7068 The file below contains readings from the AC that directly related to the Exodus passage above.

Click to Download the Arcana Readings

5.3 Journal Work

Reflect on what your work with this passage from Exodus is saying to you in regard to the Lord’s love and the way works in your and other people’s lives.
Do you think that the Lord is really ever against us or sets out to deliberately frustrate what we desire?
Be prepared to discuss your reflections with your Tutor in the tutorial for this section

5.4 Integration Work

From your understanding of the process you have been exploring in this section list the key principles that you feel would be useful as a framework for helping someone through a difficult time in their life. Summarise these principles and comment on where you see their value in this regard.

5.5 Journal Work

Use the principles you have drawn out in your Integration Work exercise and describe a time when you had been holding onto a view of “the truth” that you needed to let go of in order to be able to move forward.
Reflect on how this felt and see if you can draw parallels with the passage from Exodus you have been working with in this Unit of the course.

5.6 Review for Tutorial

In preparation for this tutorial you need to have…

completed the required Conceptual and Devotional (Journal) work
submitted the required work to your Tutor 2 days prior to the date set for this tutorial
reviewed Unit 6: Major Assignment and have ready any questions issues etc ready to discuss/clarify with your Tutor.

It is expected that…

in your discussions with your Tutor you will be able to connect the material you are working with to things happening in your life; situations and personal spiritual development areas.
you will demonstrate a developing ability to hold questions and challenges the material is bringing up for you and show a willingness to express these with your tutor.

UNIT 6: Major Assignment

6.1 Objectives

Upon completing this Unit, you will demonstrate the ability to integrate your learning across all domains. You will connect your work with key themes related to the nature and operation of the Lord’s love, as revealed in the Sacred Scriptures, the Heavenly Doctrines, and your personal life experiences. Additionally, you will showcase your understanding by presenting this material in various formats suitable for sharing with others.

It is expected that you will be self directed in your engagement with devotional/journal work as you work to complete your Major Assignment.

Note: The work for the Major Assignment is structured around the set tutorials.

6.2 Instructions

The purpose for this assignment is for you to address three areas of thought in regard to the nature and operation of the Lord’s love and present your findings in a variety of formats.

Objective: To consolidate your thinking in regard to the nature and operation of the Lord’s love and present this in a variety of ways.

You are to prepare 3 submissions, one for each of a, b, & c below. The format for each submission is to be different and is to be selected from the options given.

Submission Topics

Compare and contrast how society in general views the nature and meaning of love with that presented in the Heavenly Doctrines. You may find reflecting on the following statement helpful: “Love is not feeling but our response to truth”
Describe the creative operation of the activity of Divine Love in terms of, end, cause and effect. Be sure to provide illustrations of the universal principles and their operation in the experience of personal regeneration.
Explore the relationship between Divine Love and Divine Wisdom and offer your thoughts on the importance of this relationship in effecting “salvation.”

The format options are:

An Essay (1500 words)
Public Presentation (PowerPoint or similar – include speaker’s notes and handouts)
Small Group Study
Mini Sermon

Note: Each submission must be in a different format i.e. you can’t use any given format more than once.

Note: The following passages from the Heavenly Doctrines are to serve as the main resource material for your submissions:

AC 1799[2]; AC 1803; DLW 47-55; DP 27.

In addition to these references it is expected that you will also draw from elements of the work you have completed throughout the course (Conceptual, Application, Integration, and Journal/Devotional work) with a view to illustrating the points you make in your submissions. Also include references to Scripture particularly those that have impacted on you as you have worked through the course.

The following is suggested as a guide you in planning your assignment work:

read through the submission requirements a number of times
then read through the main resource material with what’s required of you clearly in mind.
as you read make a note of which statements/principles etc relate to which submission
review your course work and do the same thing

6.3 Submission Outlines

Below are the topics for each submission required to complete the Major Assignment for this module. Review each topic carefully and consider the format you will use for each submission. Once you have chosen your formats, create an outline for each submission. Email your chosen formats and submission outlines to your tutor for review before proceeding to section 6.4.

Submission A

Compare and contrast how society in general views the nature and meaning of love with the view presented in the Heavenly Doctrines.

Submission B

Describe the creative operation of the activity of divine love in terms of, end, cause and effect.

be sure to provide illustrations through drawing on your personal experience of, the universal principles involved and their operation in the regeneration of the human mind.

Submission C

Explore the relationship between Divine Love and Divine Wisdom and offer your thoughts on the importance of this relationship in bringing about the “salvation” of

6.4 Submission Planning

As a guide you should allow 5 hours to complete your planning. You are required to submit an outline of your planning for each submission to your Tutor two days prior to the date set for your tutorial.

In preparation for this tutorial you need to have…

Completed your planning for the 3 submissions and submitted an outline for each one to your Tutor 2 days prior to the date set for your tutorial.
Have ready any questions issues etc ready to discuss/clarify with your Tutor.

Towards the end of this Tutorial:-

discussed the submission outlines for your Major Assignment and worked through any issues/questions
you need to feel reasonably confident that you are now able to take your submissions to completion.

6.5 Major Assignment Review

Once your have completed your submissions send these to your tutor who will organise a tutorial time to provide feedback related to your Major Assignment work. For this tutorial you will also need to have reviewed Unit 7

UNIT 7

7.1 Final Presentation

To complete the course you are required to give an online presentation over Zoom to members of the Australian New Church College Board of Studies.

The presentation is to be 30 minutes long and will be followed by an exchange between the Student and the members of the panel.

Guidelines

the presentation is to be an account of your journey/process of moving through the course materials.
offer reflections on where you were at, where this topic is concerned, at the start of the course, and where you find yourself at the end of it.
note what’s shifted for you as a result of working through the course materials/requirements.
also be sure to highlight any specific areas that held significant interest for you, and say what it was about those areas that made them significant.
in your conclusion say what questions were resolved, what questions remain open for you, and how your developing understanding of the topic might be used to support people to live a spiritually focused life.