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This is the year to relax, let go, release and surrender to the
NOW
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Greetings!
Q: How can we drop negativity?
A: By dropping it. How do you drop a piece of hot coal that you are holding in your hand? How do you drop some heavy and useless baggage that you are carrying? By recognizing that you don't want to suffer the pain or carry the burden anymore then letting go of it." Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now
Negativity hurts. We hold onto it and justify it and rationalize it and excuse it and all sorts of things because surely it can't be as simple as just letting it go.
People invest a lot in the stories of their lives, and many of those stories have their root in some type of victimhood. We tend to believe that we are the way we are because of the things that have happened to us, how we were brought up, the expectations of our family and friends, the state of the economy, the education we had (or didn't have). By the time we reach adulthood, we hardly even question it anymore. We simply expect life to be the way it is, we expect ourselves to be the way we've always been, and while we may try something different every now and again, for the most part there's no real expectation of change.
Sometimes even after we've discovered New Thought or some other spiritual teachings we continue to hold on to certain aspects of negativity without even thinking about it. "I guess that's just my karma..." "The Universe must be trying to teach me a lesson..." And the more mundane, "I don't have time to meditate, I've got a job and responsibilities".
So, can we really get rid of all this by simply dropping it as we would a piece of hot coal?
Negativity is a habit that we have developed. There are many tools available to help us release old habits and create new ones. We discussed many of those tools during our summer Sunday series focusing on cultivating a practice of happiness. (Click here to download past audio lessons or handouts)
Affirmations, denials, daily meditation, and prayer are other tools that we use to overcome negativity in our lives. Did it ever occur to you that all of these tools are really to help us learn to live in the present moment? The present moment is the ONLY point at which we can do anything. We cannot change what we did in the past, we cannot change what others did in the past. We cannot predict the future, no matter how much we plan, worry, or stress about it. None of these circumstances dictate our current experience. It is what we think, right here and right now, in each present moment that determines our experience. In each new moment, we get to choose whether to continue holding on to that hot coal or make the choice to drop it.
Barbara Richman, Licensed Unity Teacher, will facilitate a three-week exploration of "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. This modern spiritual classic will challenge you to look at your habitual thought patterns and encourage you to take the steps that will result in genuine change. Classes begin Wednesday, Jan. 12. Morning classes will be held from 10:30am - 12:30pm, and evening classes will be 6:30 - 8:30pm. Unity Institute SEE elective credit is available. (Please note- if you've got an extra copy of this book sitting around that you'd be willing to either donate to our library or loan for use in this class, please bring it to church this Sunday. Thanks!)
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Daniel Nahmod
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in concert, Feb. 6
1:00 pm
A limited number of tickets are available for this very special afternoon.
Don't miss it!
click here for tickets
visit Daniel's website
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| | Sunday Vespers Service | 5:15 - 6:00pm
Fellowship follows
This early evening time of shared silence, music, and meditation will wrap up your weekend and help you gear up for the coming week.
You are very warmly
invited to join
Rev. Gardiner Rapelye
for this very special service each week through March. |
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| Teri Wilder
|  | On Feb. 13th, our good friend Teri comes home for
a visit! Her songs "I Choose Joy", "The Awakening",
"I Allow", and "Rise Up"
are in regular rotation at
our services. Teri will perform her inspiring music at church and in concert.
Details coming soon!
visit Teri's website
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As always, we appreciate the ways in which you serve in our community. Whether we see you every Sunday, every now and again, or whether we only know you by the good thoughts you send our way, you are an important part of the whole that we are.
You can listen to past audio lessons, request prayer, find a map to our location, and try out our new "Donate" button at our website. Sunday services are at 10:30, preceded by our Silent Unity prayer service, 8:50 - 9:30am. If you'd like to come sing with our choir, we have loads of fun practicing at 9:30 before service each Sunday. All are welcome! You are also invited to our mid-week silent prayer service each Wednesday at 9:45am.
I look forward to seeing you!
Nita
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