Church of Light

       
Church of Light

      
Church of Light

      
Church of Light

     
Church of Light

    
Church of Light

   
Church of Light

  
Church of Light

  
Church of Light

 
Church of Light

 
Church of Light

Today we continue our discussion on The Twelve Powers of Man. Unity's co-founder Charles Fillmore believed that if we could fully express and balance our Twelve Powers; we could become the Christ and do the very things that Jesus did. Charles Fillmore identified twelve faculties within each of us which we can develop. We are examining one power on the first Sunday of every month. Today's lesson is titled The Power of Imagination. The disciple who represents the faculty of Power is Bartholomew. The color that we associate with the faculty of Imagination is light blue.

As we develop our Power of Imagination we gain access to the Mind of God, and we actually begin to co-create our lives with God. In Unity we interpret the Christian Trinity metaphysically. We understand the Trinity as: Father (Mind), Son (Idea) and Holy Ghost (Expression). Everything starts as an Idea in the Mind of God. We can capture these ideas and bring them into expression. This is the creative process. We are created in the image and likeness of God and we have the ability to shape substance with our thoughts.

Here is a formula you can use to co-create with God: ASK FOR IT - SAY IT - SEE IT - BE IT. This method gives you a practical way to use the creative process of "Mind, Idea, and Expression."

ASK FOR IT: In prayer ask God for what it is that you want to know. Rather than telling God what you want, ask God to reveal to you what is for your highest good. The purpose of prayer is to align ourselves with God Mind.

SAY IT: Once you have aligned your mind with the Mind of God, and have an idea for what God wants for you, claim that which you desire. Our words put a vibration out into the universe and the universe returns to us in kind. We use an affirmation to decree, that which wants to express through us. An affirmation is a positive statement that confirms the truth of who we are. “I am healthy and am expressing that perfect health now.” “I am prosperous and am experiencing that prosperity in my finances now.”

SEE IT: The third step in correct use of the imagination is to “see it” to imagine the successful completion of that which you desire. Take time to visualize that which you want to create.

BE IT: Complete the process by being what you truly desire. Prosperity is not about having more, but about being more. Health is not about having something; it is about being healthy. Happiness is not about having the right relationship, home or job; it is about being in a state of happiness. Make the choice to be that which you desire.

When we ASK FOR IT, SAY IT, SEE IT we will BE IT, and we will be co-creating a better life with God.

Welcome To Unity Church of Light! 

Welcome To Unity Church of Light! 

“As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.” Isaiah 66:13

Today we celebrate "Mother's Love"- the love our mothers have for us and our love for them. I know that not everyone has a beautiful, kind and loving earthly mother. But we give thanks for the Divine Feminine, that highest principle of Godly love, which is the ideal for all mothers. We know that our mothers did the best they could and we totally forgive and release any thoughts and feelings we may have harbored about them not living up to our expectations.

I had two mothers and I am grateful for the things they taught me, not only by what they said, but by the way they lived their lives. I am grateful for the unconditional love they shared and for the healthy boundaries they set.

Here are some of the principles I learned from my mothers.

1. Cultivate a short memory. Don't hold grudges against other people.

2. Feel everything. Experience all of your feelings, but do not get stuck in them. Once you have processed your feelings, pull your boot straps up and move on.

3. Take yourself lightly. "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly". Do not condemn yourself for your mistakes.

4. Be interesting. Educate yourself enough so that you can have conversations on a number of different subjects.

5. Practice appreciating others. Find something you like in everyone. Will Rogers said, "I never met a man I didn't like."

6. Love yourself. Embrace your age, wrinkles, and gray hair. You’ve earned them.

7. Do your spiritual work. Get in touch with your spiritual side so that you have something to give people that will help them to be stronger and live their lives more successfully; you will be healthier and happier also.

8. Take time to relax and have fun. My mother took time to teach me how to make mud pies, she took me outside to dance in the rain, she helped me catch daddy longlegs — and in doing so, she taught me to enjoy life.

9. Laugh a lot. It has been said that laughter is the best medicine. Surround yourself with people who help you to laugh.

There is no greater thing we could do in Mom’s memory than to love and be loved, because that is how God desires to express through each of us.

Affirmation: God's Divine Love is expressing in my mind, body and affairs right now!

Welcome To Unity Church of Light! 

I think it is possible that everyone commits adultery at one time or another. Before you shout, “No, not me,” let’s look at what adultery means. Adultery means to take something that is pure and add something to it that pollutes it. It is to take something strong and add something else that produces weakness.

There are 3 areas in which we can commit adultery.

1. Ourselves: We can commit adultery when we choose to believe things about ourselves that aren’t true. For example, we know that we are Divine ideas in the Mind of God. But when we refer to ourselves using expressions such as, “I am so stupid,” or “I’m sick and tired,” we adulterate or weaken our beliefs about the truth of who we are.

2. People: We can commit adultery in all of our relationships by polluting them when we are selfish, inconsiderate, dishonest, judgmental, and fail to communicate.

3. God: We can commit adultery when we allow thoughts about God to enter our minds, which interfere with our relationship with God. Such thoughts bring us a sense of separation from God. For example, if we allow thoughts of “wrathful God,” into our minds, we adulterate our belief in our connection to a loving God.

How can we avoid committing mental adultery? We can take Paul’s advice from Philippians 4:8-9; "Finally my beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence if there be anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”

If you want to avoid committing mental adultery, hold to what is true. Jesus taught that if we focus on the beautiful things, the true things, the loving things, we won’t commit adultery and we will experience peace in everything we do.

Welcome To Unity Church of Light! 

Minister: Rev. Blaine Tinsley	"Keep Your Eyes Open"
Musician: Doogie Armstrong	"Out of this World, Along the Roadside"

“We know that all things are working together for good.” Romans 8:28

There are unusual highway signs on some of the roads in Alaska, which you would not see in other places. When it gets warm, the snow and ice melt, and the wheels of cars make ruts. There is a sign along the highway that says: CHOOSE YOUR RUT VERY CAREFULLY BECAUSE YOU’LL BE IN IT FOR THE NEXT 50 MILES.

Our lives can be like those signs; we can get into a rut and not be able to get out of it. Sometimes we get an idea in our minds and we refuse to make a different choice. Even if something better comes along, we might not change because we have made a FIRM decision.

There are many side trips that we take on the journey of life. Perhaps we would all agree that some of our greatest and unexpected experiences have been during those side trips. We may be on the way somewhere, when something happens to pull us off course. We find ourselves in the middle of a surprising situation, which turns out to be a blessing in the long run.

Later we say, “Thank you, God, for this event. If not for this situation, I would have stayed in my rut forever, and never experienced the fullness of life that you meant for me.”

In 1 Samuel, chapters 9 & 10, we are told of how Saul became king of Israel. Instead of accepting his calling, Saul could have said, “No I don’t have time to be anointed. I am on a journey to find my father’s donkeys. I need to keep focused on that. Thanks anyway.”

When you are looking for your “donkeys”, and life offers you something really fantastic, step back and ask, “Wait a minute, is something wonderful occurring in my life? Maybe I want to choose to go this way.”

Here are some tips for your journey.

1. Remember that every journey is a spiritual one. Do not get discouraged. God is in every situation.
2. You have everything you need for the journey.
3. You are worthy of the journey.
4. Everything on the journey of your life happens for a reason.
5. In spite of appearances, you will be blessed with your highest good.

Does life have any tricks up its sleeve? Yes it does, and they are in your favor. We know that God works for good in everything.

Affirm: “God is bringing good into my life. I am poised, patient and positive.”

Welcome To Unity Church of Light! 

Minister: Rev. Blaine Tinsley	"The Lord's Prayer"
Musician: Bradford Smith	"In the Now", "Mooga"

The Lord's Prayer is more than a prayer. It is a recipe for finding God, which was carefully constructed with a very clear goal in mind. The Lord's Prayer is a compact formula for the development of the soul.

When we study the Lord’s Prayer, we notice that the prayer naturally falls into seven clauses. The number seven symbolizes completeness, the perfection of the soul. The seven clauses are put together with the utmost care, in perfect order and sequence, and they contain everything necessary for the nourishment of the soul.

1. “Our Father who art in heaven.” In this verse we recognize that heaven is the state of consciousness, where our loving God and us exist.

2. “Hallowed be Thy name.” With this phrase we acknowledge the holy place in our hearts, where we feel God’s presence most deeply.

3. “Thy kingdom come,” We affirm our willingness to be a vessel for God’s work.

4. “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Recognizing our heart’s desire as the will of God, we move forward, trusting in God.

5. “Give us this day our daily bread.” We affirm that God is the essence of life, and provides us food for all growth - physical, mental and spiritual.

6. “And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.” We must love and forgive ourselves and accept others completely.

7. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Here we receive guidance, and God lifts us into a higher awareness so that we can see from a different point of view, and be delivered from our error thinking.

The first three verses point to the orientation of the prayer. We seek God’s presence, invite God into our hearts, and become willing to let God’s energy express within us. In the forth verse we surrender our desire to God’s desire, becoming co-creators with God in the design of our life. In the fifth verse we affirm God’s provision of spiritual sustenance and insight. In the sixth verse we are taught the importance of forgiveness for others and ourselves. The seventh verse instructs us to seek guidance to overcome challenges in our lives.

The compact recipe to find God is to:

1. Recognize and acknowledge God as our Source and loving Creator.

2. Align our will with God’s will.

3. Affirm our Truth, listen to guidance and take action.

The Lord’s Prayer is a recipe or model to help us co-create and live in the kingdom of heaven that is here on earth.

Welcome To Unity Church of Light!  

Minister: Rev. Blaine Tinsley	"The Power of Wisdom"
	Video: The Power of Wisdom
Musician: Mitzi MacDonald	"On Higher Ground"

“The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits” (1^st James 3:17).

Wisdom is the Power of Discernment

The last few months we have been talking about the “Twelve Powers”. We have talked about Faith, Love, and Strength. Today we move deeper inward as we explore the Power of Wisdom. The closer we draw to our inner faculty of wisdom and discernment, the more clearly we can hear the intuitive voice of Spirit within. This natural knowing capacity will direct us in ways that will protect, prosper, heal, and inspire us. Wisdom is the ability to discern our innermost Truth. This inner Truth comes from our Christ Essence, which is always present and working on our behalf.

Although this inner wisdom may announce itself through the intellect, it operates through the solar plexus and we become aware of it through our feeling nature. It comes to us not as a logical or calculated decision, but rather an insight or feeling that often defies logic, but always brings a feeling of peace, harmony, and ultimately, joy. The ability for us to experience wisdom is a part of our consciousness right now, and we will come into conscious relationship with it when we believe in its power.

Don’t you think the time is now to reclaim our innate power of wisdom?

Let us begin to retune our inner ear to the vibration of the unfailing wisdom of Spirit that wants to be known by us.

How do we listen to this inner wisdom of Spirit?

1) Be willing to listen and respond to Divine guidance. Start by making a decision to tap into the innate power of wisdom.

2) Focus on a decision or challenge that you are willing to receive knowledge about. Perhaps you have a vision for your life, and you do not know the first step to take, or which direction to go.

3) List specific courses of action or directions you wish to consider. Decide on specific choices you can make.

4) Try on the potential outcome of each action or decision. Ask yourself, “How do I feel as I experience each outcome?”

5) Bring the potential outcome of each choice into your solar plexus and listen to how it feels. You will feel something about it, either really good or really bad. Then you will know which is the right decision for you.

Divine wisdom is a feeling often felt in the pit of your stomach, not somewhere in your mind as we were taught in school. Remember the phrase, “I have a gut feeling.” The gut feeling is the voice of pure wisdom calling to us; the solar plexus is the power center for our faculty of wisdom and discernment, or judgment.

When we awaken to the reality of our divinity, the light of wisdom begins to awaken to us from the inside, and we know the Truth. We know deep down that the guidance we seek is within our grasp, and this is the quickening of our power of wisdom.

Welcome To Unity Church of Light!  

Prayer is an inside job. Our faith in God and the understanding and belief that we are one with God makes us complete. The criterion for answered prayer has nothing to do with what we have or have not done, and everything to do with our attitude toward our oneness with God. Jesus told us that we must have faith. He said to have faith in God, and that which we desire will be ours.

Whatever we focus our attention on, we will draw to us. Jesus said in Mark 11:23, "So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received it and it will be yours." Jesus did not say, "You have to believe that you will receive it." He said, "You have to believe that you HAVE received it." Do you see the difference? Sometimes we believe that SOMEDAY our prayers will be answered. Jesus is saying to us: "Stop it! Believe that your prayers have been answered already."

If your prayers are for healing, pray affirming that you are whole and complete right now. If your prayers are for prosperity, pray and affirm that your life is filled with an abundance of God's good right now. If your prayers are for peace, joy or love, affirm that you are experiencing these things right now.

Here are a few affirmations you can use:

1. "Thank you God, I am healthy in mind, body and spirit right now!"

2. "Thank you God, My life is filled with love and joy right now!"

3. "Thank you God, I am experiencing your prosperity and abundance in every area of my life right now!"

4. "Thank you God, as a child of God I am experiencing peace in my life right now!"

Giving thanks in advance will open you to the flow of God's good. When you pray, remember to accept with absolute assurance that the highest and best answer to your prayer is already yours. All you have to do is ask, and accept the answer ahead of time. It is God's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Welcome To Unity Church of Light!