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Greetings!,
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What does it mean to "do our spiritual work"? First, we must learn to recognize Truth. Then, having recognized Truth, we must live in alignment with It. And how do we do that? Through prayer, which is communication or communion with That in us which is the Christ.
Right at the start, we begin to see the difficulty our language presents; to even say "communication or communion with..." implies that we are separate and must communicate with It. In Truth, we are That; we are not separate, but from our human perspective, we feel separate and do not recognize Oneness. In prayer, in meditation, through Silence, we awaken to Wholeness.
I've talked a lot about tools in the past few weeks, and prayer is foundational to everything we do in Unity. Our prayer process, which includes meditation, is different than prayer in most traditional Christian churches. How are we to pray? Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore gave us very explicit instructions in "The Revealing Word": we pray "with persistence and understanding, and with faith... This practice establishes a consciousness where doubt cannot enter".
We begin by recognizing God (Spirit, Oneness, Wholeness, Our Father... as always, use whatever name you are most comfortable using). There is only One Power. That Power is everywhere present; it is Omnipresence. That Power, that Presence is all-knowing, all-wisdom; it is Omniscience. That Presence is all-power: Omnipotence. There is NO other Power than That-Which-We-Call-God.
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Oneness within God should be acknowledged. I Am wise, powerful, loving, free Spirit. I AM God expressing at the point of me. In Truth, I am a whole, complete, perfect expression of God at the point of me. As the Christ, I am fully divine, even as I express It incompletely from within my humanity.
Prayer must be made within. This is where God resides, within me. There is no usefulness in directing my prayers anywhere "out there." God, the Father, is within. The Kingdom of Heaven is within. I focus within.
The door must be closed on all thoughts and interests of the outer world. This is my time of prayer, of knowing Union with the Christ of my Being. I release and let go of any thoughts which try to intrude into my consciousness during this time. These outer thoughts will make themselves known; I see them, I bless them, and I remember why I am here in prayer. I allow those outer thoughts to pass. I remember that I AM Spirit expressing at the point of me. I AM... I AM... I AM... I AM...
The one who prays must believe that s/he has received. There is a point in prayer, contemplation, meditation, when we realize that we know. We know Oneness. We know Source. We know Peace. We believe. When it seems that we do not believe, we remind ourselves that without our mustard seed of belief - our faith - we would not have prayed at all. We pray to affirm that which we know, and to help ourselves know more fully. We know that as God expressing at the point of us, we are already heirs to ALL that God is.
The Kingdom of God must be desired above all things, and sought first. This is our Source. All the 'things' we may desire are fine, but they are secondary. They are the outer expressions of our inner beliefs. We come willingly to prayer, seeking only to remember union within Source. As we are willing and patient, persistently desiring Truth/ Spirit/ God above all else, the outer 'things' in our lives will change because we change. ALL that we need is already available to us, so we rest from worrying about the outer things. Things come, things go, but Source is eternal. Within Source is Allness.
The mind must let go of every unforgiving thought. We cannot inhabit the Kingdom which is All-Good, All-Love, All-Sufficiency while simultaneously holding thoughts of unforgiveness. It is impossible. So when we catch ourselves thinking unforgiving thoughts, whether towards others or towards ourselves, we release them. If we feel that we "cannot" forgive, then we claim willingness and the desire to forgive. We remember that we are called to compassion; to see the error and not to condemn.
I release all chains of anger/ guilt/ resentment/ blame... whatever
form the unforgiveness has assumed. I am free and everyone else is
free. I bless them and I bless myself as we travel along our journey of awakening. The past is done and I release it. I am wise, powerful, loving free Spirit, and so is everyone else in my life.
And so it is. Amen.
Blessings and Light to each of you.
Namaskar (which means, the Divine in me recognizes the Divine in You),
Rev. Nita
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CLASSES ARE STARTING SOON
Would it surprise you to know that we laugh - a lot!- in classes? We also cry a bit, we talk, we throw around ideas, we pray and meditate, and we get to know each other at a level that simply can't happen on a Sunday morning. If you're interested in taking your spiritual understanding to a deeper level, consider joining us. Spiritual Enrichment Education (SEE) classes are offered on a love offering basis. If you've got questions, reply to this email. Each of these classes has a required text which will be available at class or you may purchase from your favorite bookseller.
The Point of Power (by Paul Hasselbeck)
Five Wednesdays, Jan. 16th - Feb. 13th
10:30am - 12:30pm
We are each a "Point of Power" as unique, unrepeatable expressions of an unlimited Universe/God. Wow, that's exciting! Now how do we put this metaphysical principle to work in our lives? Barb McLawhorn, LUT Cand., facilitates this 5 week class, exploring the practical actions and exercises needed to help you discover the true you - a Being of worth and Light. We will discuss powerful principles that will help us see our lives through a new lens that realigns us with our inner Christ and helps us to bring metaphysical ideas into use in our everyday lives. Come find your power!
Mastering Life's Energies (by Maria Nemeth)
Five Saturdays, Jan. 19th - Feb. 23rd (NO CLASS ON FEB. 2nd)
10:00am - 12:00pm
"Would it be all right if life got easier?" This book presents practical "how-to" guidance as we strive to live our authentic lives in alignment with spiritual Truth. There are many types of energies in our lives- physical vitality, creativity, time, money, enjoyment, and relationship- and when we learn to bring them together, we live "luminous" lives filled with possibility and promise. Unity Institute SEE elective credit is available for this class, which Rev. Nita will facilitate.
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MOVIE NIGHT: SPIRITUAL LIBERATION
Jan 25th, 6:00pm.
Our monthly movie night is coming soon... This month's free film is Dr. Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith's Spiritual Liberation. Unlimited popcorn and other snacks available for a small charge. Conversation afterwards. Doors open at 5:40pm. Volunteers are welcome!
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 INTERFAITH COMMUNITY SERVICES (ICS):
We are excited to begin 2013 as members of Interfaith Community Services. ICS provides a wide range of services to help people in financial crisis stabilize their housing, employment and healthcare; and programs that assist seniors and disabled individuals in remaining safe and healthy at home. Coming newsletters will provide more detailed information about the services that ICS provides.
ICS provides the following services to families and individuals who are in severe financial crisis:
- Emergency Financial Aid provides assistance with rent, mortgages, utilities, medications and other basic necessities such as identifications, bus passes and back-to-work needs. ICS clients receive one-on-one case management-a critical step in helping them to lift themselves out of financial crisis.
- Gifts of Love matches donor groups with families in need to provide holiday food and gifts, as well as school supplies for children.
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance provides free tax preparation to low to moderate income households to connect these taxpayers to the Earned Income Tax Credit and other credits for which they may qualify.
You can find more information about ICS, their locations, and how to utilize their services, visit the ICS website.**************
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND NEW MEMBER SUNDAY
Our annual congregational meeting is held at the end of February, and we'll be installing new members at that time. Membership does not require that you sever any existing relationship with other centers or denominations, and does not require any financial commitment. It is basically a statement that you feel aligned with our community and wish to support it in any way that you feel most drawn. Nita's Sunday lessons in January and February will be focusing on basic Unity concepts and practices, and will serve as one part of our membership requirements. Besides attending at least three of these Sunday services, potential new members are required to attend a brief (less than one hour) membership class, which will be given at various times during January and February.
If you are a already a member, plan on attending these Sunday lessons to add to your understanding of our Unity tools and practices. We are blessed with teachings which are useful even at their most basic level, and become increasingly more helpful and useful as we deepen our understanding.
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MISSED A SUNDAY LESSON?
The media player on our website has been repaired, so Sunday lessons are again available online at our website. You may either listen online or download to listen offline anytime. You may also download an app and subscribe to our channel so that new lessons are downloaded automatically. Click here and bookmark our channel!
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UPCOMING LESSONS and EVENTS
01/13: Back to Basics 2: Letting Go (Denials)
01/20: Back to Basics 3: Affirmations
01/27: Back to Basics 4: Prayer/Meditation (POTLUCK)
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Child care and Sunday School is always available for kids
Our Sunday School teachers look forward to sharing Unity principles with your children aged 4-12. If you've got questions, please speak to our YOU teachers: Cindy Cawthorne, LUT, Barbara Richman, LUT, Judyth Willis, and Sunni Adams. Our nursery is available for the very young ones, as well.
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