|
Unity Spiritual Life Center
February 19, 2014 ~ Weekly Update
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Sunday, February 23, 2014, 10:30 am
UNITY THEME FOR 2014: Teach Compassion
Affirmation: I behold the Christ in others.
Check out unity.org/resources.
LESSON FOR TODAY: Universal Benevolence
This spiritual practice is about keeping your heart open. It is about deciding that there is nothing that could happen for which it is worth closing your heart. We do this by cultivating appreciation, kindness, and generosity.
SPECIAL MUSIC: Sandy Hemenway
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
When I think about plans for how my life should be or how it should look, they don't include obstacles, struggles, setbacks, adjustment periods, letting go, waiting or failure. They often don't take into account lost luggage, reservations or credit cards...realistically or metaphorically. Plans are totally up-ended when someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness or dies...especially without warning. There are a myriad of side-tracks to getting that degree, completing new training or getting another job. Did I mention ice storms, snow storms and wind storms? Is there any such thing as a straight-line way of living and being?
No, I think not. I think we just need to get used to the curves. Even though they aren't something we plan for, we should know they are coming. We have a lot of evidence that they do...so why not expect that eventually we will come upon one on our road of life.
Expecting the curve is not about living in fear or trying to avoid the curve...it is about doing the internal work of not attaching to the temporary stuff that gets jostled as we negotiate the curve. The pain and discomfort that comes from being in the curve arises from our attachment to the way life is supposed to be and what it is supposed to look like...in other words how we planned for it to be.
We are wise to notice that everything is temporary. This wisdom points us to live directly in the current moment. This moment is the only thing we can count on...even in the curve.
Peace always
Paula
|
Silent Meditation: 9:30-10am Sunday
Fun First Friday every month: 7-8:30pm
SPECIAL EVENTS
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
BOOK STUDY MEETING with Rev. Paula - Monday, February 24th, 7-8pm. A Time for connecting with others who are practicing Radical Self-Awareness & Deep Self-Acceptance as presented in Living Originally: Ten Spiritual Practices to Transsform Your Life by Robert Brumet. Do you have a question or want to share an experience? Join Rev. Paula for this open discussion.
SMALL GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL BOOK STUDY, Living Originally by Robert Brumet. Two Groups will be meeting...one on Tuesday evenings at 7pm and one on Thursday evenings at 7pm. The Tuesday meeing will be held at the home of Janice Escott, 126 Essex Drive, Chapel Hill, 27514...10.6 miles from the Center. The Thursday meeting will be at the home of Jeanie Rodgers, 605 Quartz Drive, Durham, 27703...8.3 miles from the Center. Join us as we discover how to "live originaly". Next week: Tuesday, February 25th and Thursday, February 27th.
FUN FIRST FRIDAY: GAME NIGHT, March 7 at 7pm. Bring your favorite game, cards, dominoes. Participate as a team in Pictonary. Let's have fun and build community! Popcorn and a raffle too! More details to follow.
COMING SOON
DINNER AND DISCUSSION, Monday, March 19th, 6:30pm. Mark your calendar!
ON-GOING
PRAYER AND HEALING MINISTRY GATHERING. Healing prayer, guided meditation, and opportunity for hands on healing. Be still and know. Every 1st Sunday at noon and 3rd Monday at 7pm, Fillmore Chapel. Next meeting: Sunday, March 2, 12pm.
BOOKSTORE: Featured Books. Living Originally by Robert Brumet; The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer; Discover the Power Within You by Eric Butterworth; The Exquisite Risk by Mark Nepo. Check out our Featured Book table!
|
|
|
WOW!
| |
THE PLAN UNFOLDS
The sun went down on Tuesday.
It was a full day.
It dawned with all the fresh innocence
Of every new day.
It unfolded its morning with promise,
With plan,
With vision,
With dreams.
A full noon crowned its zenith.
Then almost imperceptibly,
The shadows began to lengthen...
Not unpleasant, but welcome
Was the shade of the afternoon.
The plan had been revealed,
The vision cleared,
The dream became retrospect.
The sky began to spread the news that
The day was done.
The sun went down on Tuesday...
Wednesday dawned with its own promise.
O God of all the days complete,
Help me to understand
The beginnings and the ends
So that I may let go the past
And, in so doing,
Go renewed and free
Into the new day
You plan for me.
Dorothy Pierson
|
|
YOU CAN HELP USLC GET FREE MONEY
***HOW?***
* Pick up a gift card from Carla; $5 is already on it to get you started.
* Take it to Kroger Customer Service Desk and put your grocery money on
the card.
(Be sure you do this at least 12 hours before you plan to use it. It takes time for it to be put in Kroger's system.)
* Go grocery shopping with the gift card.
This does not affect your regular rewards from Kroger.
Every time you use your card to buy groceries or gas at Kroger, the amount is credited to USLC toward a 5% reward when our total reaches $5000...that's $250 for the Center.
You continue to receive all your regular Kroger rewards. Encourage friends and family to join our fund drive.
|
Opportunities to Serve at USLC
Sunday Service Ministry
Director: Rev Paula. 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.
|
|
COMMUNITY ZONE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
President: Ginny Brendlen
Vice President: Janice Escott
Treasurer: Jeanie Rodgers
Secretary: Mary Lea Richards
Member at Large: Jim Kimbrough
Next service project? How do you want to support our local community? The Board is open to suggestions.
featuring The Transzenders
Join Unity Church of Raleigh for the Hearts in Unity Funraiser Concert and Italian Night Dinner (plenty of Lasagna, meat and vegetarian!), February 22 from 6-9pm. The event includes a raffle of prizes...tickets $1 each. Special pizza, games, and movie for kids. Adults $10 ($70 for table of 8) and kids $5 ($2.50 for additional sibling).
www.unitychurchofraleigh.org. Pay on line, after church on Sunday, or mail a check to the office. Make checks out to UCR and write "Hearts In Unity" on memo line.
Food & Fellowship. Sign up to provide a snack for our time of fellowship after the service. A great way to build community and support your spiritual home.
CD's of Sunday Lesson available for $3.00. Check at the Sound Booth after
the service.
BUDGET REPORT
January Income: $4,816
Expenses: 7,291
Profit (Loss) ($2,475)
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
REALITY
In the world of science, it was long assumed that the physical world is an objective reality existing independent of our observations. This seems to "make Sense" because that is the paradigm that governs the way we see things.
However, as Fred Allen Wolf explains, in the field of quantum physics, a paradigm shift has taken place. This is the recognition that everything that is observed is affected by the observer; we change everything we see simply by the act of observing it.
Some go so far as to say that the observer "creates" that which is seen by the very act of looking for it.
Excerpt from
Taking the Quantum Leap by Fred Alan Wolf
|
|
|
|
|
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: Director - Jeanie Rodgers. 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.
|
| |
Please check out our Facebook Page -- and Click "LIKE" We want to grow our readership! | | |
Join us on Meetup.com
And forward this newsletter to your friends!
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Have you noticed that things don't always go your way? I mean they always don't work out the way you thought, hoped or planned. Life is full of twists and turns and of best made plans. If you are in the middle of one of these experiences you may be nodding your head, agreeing. If your life is humming along, you might be remembering when it wasn't so smooth.