Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Don't Forget Children's Church

Tiffany is doing an incredible job with the children. There's only one problem. Where are the children? I am sure you know of a child who could benefit from the empowering lessons that our Children's Church is able to provide.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Sermon Summary--Lord's Prayer

The more I think about Sunday's sermon, and it's been a lot, the more I see that the elements contained in this model prayer are more matters of the heart than the lips. Below are a few reminders.
  • The Lord's Prayer is divided into eight (8) sections and the first four (4) concern themselves with the nature of God. Hint: Your worded or contemplative prayers should start with Power--they should start with the nature of God. Not with your problems and seeming personal concerns. Powerful praying is always about shifting your focus from the problem to the Power (God).
  • Jesus often links prayer and forgiveness together, and he does this in the Lord's Prayer as well. When you pray, if you cannot enter the "prayer closet" with a forgiving heart, you must enter with at least the willingness to forgive. Forgiveness of others is important, but so is forgiveness of self. Remember our whole aim is to see (perceive) God and only God. When we see others, we are to see (perceive) their Divinity. Yes the humanity, like the setting sun, looks real, but it's not. It's not your reality, and it's not anyone's.
  • "Thy will be done." This is all about complete surrender to your Divine nature. In a nutshell, it's about completely surrendering your Body to its immortal, perfect and whole nature. It's about surrendering your Mind to "that same mind that was also in Christ Jesus who thought it not robbery to be equal to God." It's about surrendering your entire life to the presence of Perfection.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

More Golden Key Points

How's the Golden Key Program working for you? Maybe I should ask, are you really working the Golden Key Program? When you are really Golden Key-ing, every time you start to worry, you turn your attention to God facts. You don't turn your attention back to the situation to figure out different and perhaps better solutions. You leave the situation completely alone--at least the worrying and figuring part of it.
Yes, it will seem by magic that the problem is solved. Magic, because you did little or nothing to assist in the miracle. The truth is God (the perfect manifestation) was always right there.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Tell Your Friends About The Prayer Line

The "Prayer Chain" is not just for our church family. It's open to anyone who feels they need prayer support. Right now, you may not feel such a need, but perhaps someone in your social circle does. Tell them to call (301)362-6520 (they don't even have to leave a last name) or send an email to prayerworksunity@gmail.com

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Why Go To Church

The Silent Sermon
A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the preacher decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reasons for his preacher's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The preacher made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The preacher glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, pucked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the preacher reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday." We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.

Golden Key Pointers

Below are some highlights, helps and hints regarding last Sunday's Golden Key service.
  • Read "The Golden Key" four (4) times this week. Someone asked, "How about more times?" If you feel the need to, why not.
  • Don't be confused if you seem to have more than one issue to Golden Key. The Golden Key is not about the issue(s). It's about God. Our Bible says, "That shall keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee." The Golden Key is about keeping your mind stayed on God. If a zillion issues trigger your attention to the truths of God, so be it. It's all about God.
  • Remember you are not directing the Key at an issue. You are not working on an issue. You are being more mindful of being God-focused. In the conscious awareness of God, problems cannot exist. That's why they seem to disappear. They don't really go anywhere, but you are more conscious that right where the problem seems to be, only God is there.

Annual Meeting Is Rescheduled

F.Y.I. Unity in Silver Spring's informative Annual Meeting, originially slated for October 25, has been rescheduled. The new date is November 22, 2009.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Need Prayer? Call The Prayer Chain

On Monday, October 12, Unity in Silver Spring's "Prayer Chain" will be up and running. A pdf flier will be emailed to you this week. In a nutshell:
  • You can call the dedicated "prayer line" at (301) 362-6520, or you can e-mail your prayer request at prayerworksunity@gmail.com Our dedicated prayer team will respond to your requests. All matters are kept confidential.

Children's Church

The Children's Church got off to a great start this past Sunday. The children enjoyed it, and they learned something. Perhaps I seem a little too excited about the Children's Church, but you know it's been a long time coming. And what's more fascinating is that the coordinator, Tiffany Manuel, seems as excited about it as I am.
Tiffany is making an effort to echo the Sunday message in a child friendly way each week. Sometimes this may not happen as a more appropriate lesson is being taught. Know this, your child is learning something that prepares them to live powerfully.

Our Tithes

This month our tithe goes to the Association of Unity Churches, and Silent Unity. Knowing that our supply is constant and infinite, we gladly release this tithe. Thanks to all of you who contribute to the power-filled ministry of Unity in Silver Spring.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Parents and Caretakers of the Children

As you know, we start the Children's Church this Sunday. Tiffany and I were talking about the how's and how to's of this activity and we agreed to bring the children back into the service during the Tithes and Offerings so that they may get accustomed to the giving and tithing. Please give your child something to put into the offering bag. Thanks to all of you for supporting our Children's Church.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Children's Church

On Sunday, October 4, we will finally begin the first phase of our Children's Church Program. Dr. Tiffany Manuel will be helping us launch this program. Tiffany, as our have frequently pointed out, grew up in Unity and knows the potential of a good children's program.
Parents and concerned adults, Tiffany will need your help. First, there will be Sundays when she cannot be present. We will need backup leaders. Second, we need you to get your children to church to participate in the program. When I am apprised of other requirements, I will let you know.

Sermon Recap--On Baptism

The purpose of Sunday's sermon was to give you a brief history of Christian baptism and then move on to the spiritual significance of this sermon. The highlights are as follows:
                    • In the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist mentions two baptisms: (1) baptism unto repentance and (2) the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The first is a requirement for the latter, but both are necessary.
                    • The more correct translation of the phrase"baptism unto repentance" is "baptism because of your repentance." In other words the water baptism was a visible symbol of the repentant heart.
                    • The repentant heart (or mind) is when the life focus changes from getting and acquiring things to having a conscious experience and understanding of God.
                    • The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the REVELATION OF THE ALLNESS OF GOD. This baptism only happens when the prayer is knowing God just for the thrill and glory of knowing God. When the desire to know God is for a healing or changing of conditions, it is a sure sign that the baptism of repentance never occurred.
                    • Is baptism necessary? Yes, but not as an institutional ritual. It is all a matter of Consciousness.

                    Monday, July 13, 2009

                    Time Is Not A Power

                    Many years ago, I went to hear Ruth Jenks speak. It was after, what some have called, her miraculous healing. In this article, Ms. Jenks writes about time. Click

                    Tuesday, May 19, 2009

                    Partnership With Mystics Of The World

                    For those of you who are not comfortable with ebooks, or internet buying, Denice Jutras of Mystics Of The World is now carrying spiral bound copies of my new book. You can call to order at 207-748-0938.

                    Monday, May 18, 2009

                    Sermon Summary--Thinking

                    Some said that this was one of the best sermons--ever. If you weren't there, you have to buy the CD and decide for yourself. Here's a summary:
                    • Spiritual progress has seemed to be a slow, never ending, and never get there process for most folk. Why? Because the kind of mind they are trying to enlighten is an insubstantial mind. Yes, I'm referring to the human mind.
                    • There is only ONE MIND. This Mind is already enlightened. It is Light itself. This already illumined Mind is your Mind. It is your only Mind.
                    • The mind that most folk have tried to enlighten is the human mind. The human mind is to the Divine Mind like the shadow of a tree is to the real tree. The shadow tree is not the real tree. It can bear no fruit. It is insubstantial. In order for the shadow tree to even seem to be, there must be a real tree.
                    • The only way you can have a human sense of Mind is because the Divine Mind actually exists as your mind.
                    • What is necessary is to recognize, accept and acknowledge the enlighten Mind to be yours right now.
                    • Instead of studying spirituality as you would study academics --intellectually--turn within to your Mind for light. Seek answers from Mind. Wait patiently to be "God taught."
                    • "It is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" of spiritual illumination. It is the nature of Divine Mind to reveal itself to be your only mind.

                    Tuesday, January 27, 2009

                    Spiritual Healing--Sermon Summary

                    This sermon was not recorded, so I will summarize it in more detail than usual.
                  • Keep in mind that Christ Jesus self-professed mission was to bear witness to Truth. In every healing miracle of Christ Jesus, there was one constant: The so-called disease left and the Body remained. Why? Because there is no truth (reality) in disease, but the BODY IS REAL.
                  • Your BODY is not only real, it is constituted of the Substance of God's Presence. There are many religions that say the body is not real, but this is not in keeping with Jesus' ministry or his miracles.
                  • God's will for you is PERFECT HEALTH.
                  • Remember the denial from the Unity textbook Lessons In Truth: "Pain, sickness, poverty, old age, and death cannot master me because they are not real."
                  • Disease is like a smoke alarm that alerts you to get out of the house. Disease is an alert telling you to move up higher in your understanding of God's Presence and Power. When you are clear on this, you never approach body disease at the level of the body; instead, you approach it from the level of God awareness.
                  • Spiritual healing is the only healing that has nothing to do with the body in practice, but has everything to do with the body in effect.
                  • Stop talking about your disease. Stop identifying yourself with it. Stop identifying yourself with the prognosis. (I know that's a hard one, but you ARE THE POWER that can do this).
                  • The right prayer for any seeming disease is: "God, in this seeming situation (name it if you want to),what is it about your Presence and your Power that I need to understand?"
                  • You may not get your answer right away. Nevertheless, keep at it until you get your answer. You will know when it is your answer. The fears and the tears leave when the answer "arrives." At this point, you are no longer concerned about the seeming disease. Your revelation is your Truth, and the disease is revealed to be a lie.
                  • STAND BY YOUR REVELATION. This will be easier than you think, because truth is no longer a mere speculation.
                  • Simply put, spiritual healing is the knowing and showing of God's wholeness right where disease seems to be. You take care of the knowing and the knowing takes care of the showing.
                    • Tuesday, January 13, 2009

                      Sermon Summary (Prosperity)

                      • The challenge of approaching your finances spiritually is that your source (God) seems invisible to the human eye. However, the economic mess the world appears to be in is due to trusting in "visible" sources.
                      • The chief requirement in the spiritual approach to financial prosperity is an understanding of Divine Substance--God. "For of Him, to Him and through Him are all things." Read about Divine Substance, and put the ideas you read about into practice immediately. Or take the matter into the prayer closet asking for understanding of Divine Substance. Whatever you "hear," put into practice immediately by acknowleding this Truth to be your present reality
                      • Divine Substance responds to your faith in it and knowledge of it.
                      • Because God is both the Substance and Source of your financial prosperity, whatever is true of God is true of your financial prosperity. You know that God is infinite and inexhaustible. So are your finances. God is unconditioned. Your finances are immune to so-called human situations and economic cycles.
                      • When you seem to be concerned about your finances, (1)turn away from the appearance of lack. (2) Don't try to shuffle around the visible in the attempt to force your supply to appear. (3) Turn to whatever understanding of Divine Substance you have and STAND FIRM on it--nothing wavering.

                      Tuesday, January 06, 2009

                      New Wine New Bottles (Sermon summary)

                      As I considered how to summarize Sunday's sermon in the best way, I realized that (if you heard it) I would have to eliminate many good points to get to the essential points. Here they are:
                      1. If you want to experience a real new year, that doesn't look like an identical twin of your other years, you are going to have to drink new wine (spiritual insight) from new bottles (mindset).
                      2. When new insight comes "to" you, that idea must replace the old idea it relates to. Otherwise, it will not seem to bear fruit in your life. For example: If the idea flashes in your Consciousness, "God is my body, it can't be sick," that idea has to replace the old host of ideas you have entertained throughout the years.
                      3. Those ideas might include: (a) identifying yourself with a disease ("cancer patient"), (b)the doctor's prognosis, (c) age as an excuse for aches and pains (d) deliberate actions to avoid disease, (e) judging the body by the apperance of having a disease, etc.
                      4. Christ Jesus said, "Neither do men put new wine into old bottles, lest the bottles break and the wine is spilled." In other words, if some new insight strikes a responsive chord in you, it will not bear fruit in your life if you are holding on to old, conflicting ideas.
                      5. Much of what appears to be Truth "not working" is the result of trying to embrace the new while holding on to the old.