Sunday Lesson: Law of Circulation

Unity Spiritual Life Center

November 13, 2013 ~ Weekly Update

2604 Carver Street, Durham, NC 27705 · 919.471.3504 www.UnitySpiritualLifeCenter.org

MISSION

To be a center of positive, practical, progressive Christianity devoted to helping people awaken to the Spirit within and to inspire one another into a grater experience of God and life through prayer, meditation, education, and service to others.

VISION

To create a loving and engaged Unity Truth Community that transforms the spiritual consciousness of the planet...one thought, one word, one action at a time.

In This Issue

Sunday, November 17, 2013 10:30am Lesson for Today: Law of Circulation

Paula's Perspective: Darryl Hunt

WOW! Feel Good

BUILDING COMMUNITY;TRANSFORMING LIVES...Check out events...Mark your calendars! Meetings...Workshops...Events....Projects...and more

FEATURE: Nature Meditation

COMMUNITY ZONE... Check out What's Happening in the USLC spiritual community.

SUNDAY: 9:30am: Silent Meditation. 10:30am: Celebration Service, Childcare and Youth Classes...Office Hours 10am-1pm Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday

FUNDRAISER: Consider a USLC Kroger card. Ask about details.

Sunday, November 17, 2013, 10:30 am

LESSON FOR TODAY: Law of Circulation

This spiritual law: As you

freely give, so shall you receive. This includes giving freely at all levels of your life, beginning first in consciousness and then in your outward action.

SPECIAL MUSIC: Gregory Blaine and Dolie Chandler

Childcare provided for the service.

MEET & GREET follows the service ~

spend time munching and mingling,

as you greet old friends and meet new ones!

PAULA'S PERSPECTIVE

DARRYL HUNT

I went to a movie last night in Durham sponsored by University of North Carolina Death Penalty Project and the Conference on Race, Class, Gender, and Ethnicity. The documentary, The Trials of Darryl Hunt, is the story of his arrest in 1984 for the murder and rape of a young woman in Winston-Salem NC, his re-trials, appeals and incarceration for nineteen and one-half years until his release from prison and exoneration by a NC Superior Court Judge in February of 2004. He was nineteen years old when he was arrested and thirty-eight when he was set free for a crime that he did not commit.

In two different trials (1984 and 1990), all white juries convicted him of the crime and he was sentenced to life in prison. In 1994 DNA evidence showed that he could not have been the attacker. Still the judge who reviewed the appeal ruled that this was not enough evidence to warrant a new trial. The appeal of that decision to the North Carolina State Supreme Court was a 4-3 agreement with the lower court ruling. Darryl remained in prison. Then in 2000 his attorneys submitted an appeal for a new trial to the United States Supreme Court. Result: Denied. It was not until December of 2003, when another man, Willard E. Brown, confessed to the gruesome rape and murder and the prosecutor's office turned over evidence it had unlawfully withheld from the defense, that the man who from day one had maintained his innocence was to be set free.

At the end of the viewing, Darryl and his appeals attorney sat in front of us and answered questions. It was a humbling experience for me to be with them in a small crowd of eager law students. The answer from Darryl that most opened my heart was to the question by the moderator: What would you say to us in closing?

Darryl said: Well a few things. First, treat other people the way you want to treated. And help those who are less fortunate than you.

How about we do that today?

Peace always

Paula

LOVE: Letting Others Voluntarily Evolve

REGULAR EVENTS

* First Friday of every month: 7-8:30pm - Fun First Friday

SPECIAL EVENTS

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH- The Christmas Choir will begin practice at 6:00 p.m.

Practices will continue on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. through mid December. Share the gift of your voice at USLC over this holiday season. Choir will be singing on Sundays in December (1, 8, 15 and 22) and Christmas Eve at 7:00 p.m. Open up and show up...be active in service!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH- On-going: Welcome anytime - Spiritual Economics Class.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH - Prayer and Healing Ministry Gathering at 7:00 p.m., Fillmore Chapel. The Prayer and Healing Ministry will be offering bi-monthly gatherings for all who are interested. We will be meeting in the Fillmore Chapel on the first Sunday of a month (after service) and the third Monday of a month at 7:00 p.m. The hour includes time for healing prayer and a guided meditation with the opportunity for a brief hands-on healing. Very relaxing and uplifting.

Come join us!

WEDNESDAYS - Christmas Choir practices every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. through mid December. Share the gift of your voice at USLC over this holiday season. Choir will be singing on Sundays in December (1, 8, 15, and 22) and Christmas Eve at 7:00 p.m. Love to sing; join us. Open up and show up...be active in service!

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH -Thanksgiving Potluck following the service. Come

celebrate our blessings! Two turkeys are already offered. Please sign up to bring a favorite Thanksgiving goodie. Consider volunteering to help our Hospitality Team with this event. Be active in service! Sign up sheet is on table. Many thanks! All are welcome.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH - Gratitude Service at 5:00 p.m. Join Rev. Paula...participate in a circle of gratitude. An opening prayer and meditation will be followed by an opportunity for you to share your gratitude in our circle. A powerful way to practice being in the flow and holding sacred space for wholeness, abundance, and peace.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6TH - Festive First Friday, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. - Come and gather with your USLC family for our annual tree trimming party. Sing carols while sipping hot cocoa. Bring your favorite Christmas cookies to share, bring an ornament for the tree and bring a friend to share in the Christmas cheer. We'll also spread the joy by creating Christmas cards for a local nursing home. Just the thing to get you into the holiday spirit! Come one, come all, children of all ages welcome!! Let's build community.

WOW!

"It's really important that you feel good. Because this feeling
good is what goes out as a signal into the universe and starts to attract more of itself to you. So the more you can feel good, the more you will attract the things that help you feel good and
that will keep bringing you up higher and higher."

Joe Vitale:

Speaker and Author

Sundays:

9:30

Silent Meditation

Fillmore Chapel

10:30

Celebration Service & YOU/Uniteen classes

(Childcare available)

Directions: Exit 175 off of I-85. Turn NORTH on Guess Road; Turn right onto Carver Street. Go approximately half a block; USLC is located in the small business park on your left.

Opportunities to Serve at USLC

Sunday Service Ministry

Co-directors Rev Paula and Renee Piere. This ministry takes on the responsibility for an exciting and inclusive experience for all who attend Sunday Services. Most team members arrive at least 20 minutes before the start of the service and some stay after everyone is gone to put our space back in order.

* Hospitality Team: Sets up coffee, tea, refreshments, and snacks and puts hospitality area and kitchen back in order at the end of fellowship time.

* Collection Counting Team: Two members count the Sunday collection and fill out the forms necessary for accurately recording tithes and love offerings.

* Greeter/Usher Team: Greets visitors and members, hands out bulletin, and collects the offering during the service.

* Sound Team: Sets up microphones, checks sound with musicians, provides sound control during the service, records service ,and provides CD's for purchase after the service.

* Worship Assistant Team: Reads announcements, provides inspirational reading, and hands out welcome packets.

Please check out our Facebook Page -- and Click "LIKE"
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Join us on Meetup.com

And forward this newsletter to your friends!

COMMUNITY ZONE

LET'S GET ACTIVE!

Ideas due Sunday 16th for our community Christmas project. We will vote on Sunday 24th. Let's be active in service.

USLC WISH LIST

Lifetime 6 foot Commercial Grade Folding Table - Item 849863 (Model 22901) at Sam's Club: $80

Kenmore Progressive Vacuum Cleaner (Model 31069) $200

If you wish to make a monetary contribution to support these requests, please place your offering in an envelope with your name and VACUUM or TABLE on the label. When we have enough funds, we will purchase. Please consider this opportunity in addition to your regular Sunday tithe or love offering.

Offerings to Date: $50

KEEPING UP: What's happening in your neighborhood? Are you traveling, hosting visiting friends or relatives, having a yard sale, announcements, other activites? Send your information to rodgers.jean@gmail.com by Tuesday of each week.

FEATURE ARTICLE

NATURE MEDITATION

Go into nature and truly listen. Listen to the silence. Listen to what breaks the silence. Listen to the "small" sounds, the birds singing, the squirrels dashing, the leaves swinging in the breeze, the trees talking (yes, they do talk). Listen to the grass growing and the earth being both firm and soft, to the flowers exuding their colors, shapes, perfumes. Listen to the waters. Listen to the stones. What are they saying to you? What is the Cosmic Christ saying to you?

Matthew Fox, Hildegard of Bingen: A Saint for our Times

MINISTRIES

Creativity and Play Ministry: Director: Robin Johnson. This ministry schedules an event each month that is fun and provides an opportunity for fellowship.

Bookstore Ministry: Director: Janice Escott. Many people love to browse our books and gifts after the service on Sunday. Team members are available to ring up and record purchases.

Music Ministry: Works on special singing projects during the year including Christmas and Easter. Team members sing on Sundays.

Healing and Prayer Ministry: Co-directors Lisa Giragosian and Rev Paula. Twice monthly this team conducts healing and prayer service. Team prays with members requesting prayer one on one and also prays for requests dropped into our prayer box. One member carries the prayer box at the Offertory during the Sunday Service.

Youth Education Ministry: This essential ministry provides Sunday lessons from an established curriculum for our youth during the 10:30 service.

Adult Education Ministry: Director: Rev Paula. Unity classes are offered for credit and other classes for spiritual enrichment by Rev Paula and other teachers.

Media and PR Ministry: Co-director: Jeanie Rodgers and Renee Piere This team handles all things media...social, print, electronic and visual.

Earthcare Ministry: This team is focused on activities related to caring for our planet. If you are called to this ministry you can help guide us into the next greatest expression for how we accomplish this goal.

Community Service Ministry: Giving to our community and to the world is important at USLC. This team helps identify ways we can do this and organizes our efforts.

USLC Kroger Cards!

Please consider a USLC Kroger gift card for yourself or for gift giving! They are a great way to say "thank you" to a teacher, neighbor, or family member, to give to a needy family you may know, or to donate to a local shelter.

To get USLC Kroger gift cards, contact Carla Garcia to order them and they will be available within a few short days. As always, you can purchase them for an initial startup amount of $5.00 and load any additional amount you would like at your local Kroger store.

It's easy gift giving and a great way to support USLC for no additional cost to you!

Please remember to recharge your Kroger card each month so we can reach our $5,000.00 goal in order to be eligible for our 5% bonus.

Questions? Want to get a card? See Carla Garcia!