March 2015 Pastoral Word Friends, As incredible as it may seem, we ve had another plumbing mishap in the sanctuary, which was completely flooded again for the second time in less than 18 months. On the morning of Tuesday, Feb 17th, Pastor Brian Walker Valerie Lee, who was working on the Memorial Garden, got me a message that water was running out from underneath the sanctuary door. Thinking that lightning can t strike in the same place twice, I immediately drove to the church to find water coming out of both side doors. Inside, there was 4 inches of standing water in front of the platform. After finding water pouring out of a whole in the Men s Room ceiling, I shut the water off to the building and called ServPro. They responded promptly and started removing the water from the building. Shortly thereafter, the sanctuary was covered with fans and dehumidification equipment. As I m writing this, the drying process is complete and the equipment is out of the sanctuary. Someone asked me if we ve needed another purification process so soon? Maybe. But the metaphysician in me tells me that it s not what happens to us in life that matters nearly as much as how we respond to it. I hope that you ll join me in being grateful. GRATE- FUL, you might cry! Yes, we have much to be grateful for. For one thing we have insurance, which covers events such as this. For another, we have competent professionals who responded efficiently and effectively. We were able to use our sanctuary that Sunday for our Sunday service. Our entire campus is cause for such gratitude. Janice and I showed another local New Thought minister, who had never been to the church, around the grounds and through the buildings a few weeks ago. At every turn she simply said, Wow, this is fabulous. I know that she would have been grateful for a fraction of what we have. We have so much to be grateful for - even when the bottom of the sanctuary is covered with water. So, I invite you to join me in prayers of gratitude knowing that as we allow God to be in charge, perfect results are unfolding. One in Spirit, Pastor Brian The Quest: A Journey of Spiritual Rediscovery Continuing Class New Participants Welcome Thursdays, March 5th April 16th from 7-8:30 pm. Facilitators: Rev Brian Walker, Judy Espiau, Licensed Practitioner. Please see Brian or Judy before the first class. Love offering. Books in bookstore.
Monday Night Book Reading Published Monthly by Unity Chapel of Light 1165 Stubblefield Rd., Santa Maria, CA 93455 805-937-3025 Prayer Line: 937-3000 Silent Unity Prayer Line: 800-669-2000 Sunday Meditation 10:15 AM Sunday Service: 11 AM E-mail: unitychapeloflight@verizon.net Web Address: www.unitysantamaria.net Facebook: Unity of Santa Maria Vision: To support personal and planetary transformation. Mission: To provide a loving and supportive environment, and spiritual opportunities to realize one s highest self. In the home of Doris Oaks, 7-9 PM 4299 Greentreen Ln, Orcutt CA 805-720-1061 Sunday March 8, 1:30 PM Nur Latiifa and Ann Kathleen feel that playing this music is a true meditation of the Divine. Their voices blended with the harmonium and guitar bring a weaving of Spirit through these sacred chants. Sunday Talks On-Line If you miss a Sunday Sermon, or just want to hear it again you can hear it on our website: www.unitysantamaria.net. Talks are also available on CD in the book store. Reiki Share Feeling stressed, tired or run down? Come to Community Reiki at Unity on third Tuesday of the month from 4-6pm. Experience energy balancing on a mental, physical, emotional and spiritual level. Certified Reiki Practitioners will be available for free treatments. New Members Please join in welcoming to our congregation, new members Epona Goodwell and her mother Mudge. Both have been attending Unity Chapel of Light for several months now and completed our New Member class in January. In addition, Epona has been attending the Quest class since it started in January. Epona has had an interest in metaphysics for many years. We are so glad to have them as part of our community. Welcome, Epona and Mudge! Fay Bolick Volunteer of the Quarter` Volunteer of the Quarter for Oct-Dec of 2014 is Fay Bolick, who has made a major contribution to Unity Chapel of Light for many years. Fay is completing a three year term on the Board of Directors, with this past year serving as president. Fay is also an integral part of our Music Team: singing with the choir, leading congregational singing, and performing with our own Spirit Song. She is also a wonderful ambassador for the church, constantly letting people know who we are and what we stand for. Thanks, Fay, for all you contribute to our spiritual community. We appreciate you.
Prez Release FRIENDS, Well, my wonderful year as President has zoomed by! 2) Board of Directors: What a fantastic TEAM I had the privilege to serve with: Pastor Brian, Vice Pres. Diane Grey, Secretary Valerie Lee, Treasurer Sharon Allen, Marti Shute, Ranald Dunfee Fay Bolick We have been blessed here at Unity in so many ways. We have certainly enjoyed ourselves with great food & fun already in 2015. Everyone had a marvelous time at the Wedding and Reception of Sharon Allen and Carol Gates last Sunday. And last Friday evening, we celebrated Alexis Van Natta s 80th Birthday. At our Annual Congregational Meeting, on Sunday, March 1st, 2 seats on the Board need to be filled by a vote of the general membership. My 3 year term on the Board is over, so I will be stepping down. And since this will be my last article as Prez, I would like to sincerely THANK EVERYONE for all the marvelous support I have received this past year. I also would like to especially Thank a few people whose paths I crossed in many an various ways while working on our many endeavors to maintain the loving environment that we all enjoy so much here at Unity. Below I shall mention a few needing special thanks: 1) Our Whole Member Family 3) Committees/Events: Sharon, Janice, Joyce, Valerie, Jane, Patti, Ralph, Carrie, Michael, Doris, Vahnita, Judy, Helen, Ellie, Marti, Diane, Janiece, Jill, and all of Charlies Angels. As you probably noticed, some names are repeated because these people are outstanding volunteers and help in many ways. As we are rapidly approaching a new season, we will soon notice how a fresh new and different type of wonderful beauty will suddenly transform our beloved grounds. Once again it is time to say, Thank You to all the wonderful volunteers who have made our beautiful Chapel and grounds the ultimate place of Love & Worship now and throughout many years to come. It has truly been a pleasure to serve as Board Member and President. Now, I shall look forward to having more time to help on our many events, attend classes, and spend more time on my spiritual development. Blessings to you all, see you next Sunday, Fay Bolick Charlies Angels Presents Sunday March 22, After The 11 O clock Service Feast on Corned Beef & Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrots, Rolls, Salad, Green Punch & Cake. Sing along with your favorite Irish songs. Donation $8 for adults, Children free!
Jane Furcinite My son, the father said, You are always with me, and everything I have is yours. (Luke 15:31) This is how God sees you. Is this how you see yourself? Do you have a consciousness of wholeness or a consciousness of lack? If you are with God always, and everything God has is yours, how can you be lacking any good thing? You may be thinking that you need healing in your body, in your relationships, or in your finances. You may wonder how I can say you are whole, complete, lacking no good thing. Perhaps all you really lack is a shift in consciousness. Eric Butterworth, in his CD series entitled The Principles of Spiritual Healing, says that FIRST WE MUST HEAL THE CONCERN, i.e. the worry, the doubt, and the fear attached to what we believe we need, what we think we lack. God does not withhold our good from us. In fact, Scripture says God has given us everything we need for Life and Godliness (2 Peter 1:3). The following amazing words are from 2 Corinthians 9:8&11 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. Are you living in the realization of the Truth of your wholeness? The Prodigal Son s brother had everything that his father had. His father said so. However, because the son did not realize this truth, he lived his life as if it were not so. He saw himself as living in lack. Are you perhaps doing the same thing this brother did? (Read the story of the Prodigal Son, beginning in Luke 15:11). In this story of our journey back to God, it says of the Prodigal Son that he came to his senses, rose up and returned to the father (God). When he did this, he found he had everything he needed. That s right, he lacked absolutely nothing!!! How do you shift from a consciousness of lack to a consciousness of wholeness? Realization of Truth comes through prayer and meditation, which increases your awareness of God. There is no short cut, no other way. The following is my own personal adaptation of part of Keith Green s song Lord You re Beautiful, which I like to take into my meditation Lord You re beautiful, Your face is all I see. And as Your eyes are on this child, Your grace abounds to me. Oh yes, God s grace truly does abound to us. When we are healed of the concern, the worry, doubt, and fear surrounding our situations, and we turn our entire focus onto God, it is then we see clearly our wholeness and the Truth that we lack no good thing. (Psalm 73:23-26) Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And being with You, I desire nothing on earth. I am grateful for Eric Butterworth s teaching on healing the concern, and I have had plenty opportunity to practice this spiritual principle lately. Here are just two examples. Regarding my vision challenge, I am learning not to focus on limitation, but to fill my prayer times and daily thoughts with thoughts of wholeness. Regarding our cat, Bo (pronounced Bow), this past week Bo had an abscess that had to drain and heal. It was a challenge for me to treat the abscess while at the same time turning to God and seeing Bo whole. Bo has been my teacher in learning to heal the concern. This was true ever more so when Bo disappeared for almost two days and we weren t sure if he would
ever come back. I worked diligently at healing the concern and I m grateful to say Bo has come back home!!! Somewhere I read the story of a couple whose only child, a teenage boy, ran away from home. At first, the parents agonized over this, deeply concerned for their son s well being and desperately wanting him to return home. In time they realized that wherever their son was, God was, so all must be well with him. (Just as I realized wherever Bo is, God is, and all is well. God is able to care perfectly for Bo). The parents regained their peace and within two weeks their son called them, saying he had been very well cared for while he was away, but he now wanted to come back home. Once the parents healed the concern, everything else fell into its rightful place. Do you have a concern in your life that needs to be healed? Is a shift in focus from the problem to the Truth of your wholeness needed, a recognition of your Oneness with God? On the CD called Timeless Prayers from Silent Unity, you hear these words: I let go of all concerns, and I am healed in body, mind, and spirit.i am as God sees me: whole and healthy, body, mind, and spirit. Remember, to be One with God is to see as God sees. To God be the glory, Jane Furcinite Awakening Your Inner Genius Sunday, March 15 at 11 O clock Service Special Guest Speaker Will Tuttle, Ph.D. Workshop at 1 PM after the Service Opening The Intuitive Gate Will is an acclaimed pianist, composer, educator, and writer. He is a former Zen monk, philosophy professor and author of the #1 Amazon best selling book, The World Peace Diet. He has taught college courses in creativity, humanities, mythology and comparative religions. He has been performing and lecturing throughout the United States and Europe for many years. Noted mythologist and author, Joseph Campbell said, When playing the piano, he works from his Buddha-nature, floating, not trying, beyond mistakes. Will has created 6 much-loved CD albums of original piano music. His CDs and books will be available for sale, along with the art of his wife, Madeleine. Plus: Passion Piano Concert - Monday at 7 PM. Love Offering
Learn Animal Communication Heather Green: Intuitive and Energy Healer; Author of For the Love of Horses: An Animal Communicator s Guide to Helping Our Horses and Healing Our Lives. Have you ever wondered what your animals are thinking? Have you ever wanted to communicate with them to improve your relationship with them? Class Activities: 1) Learn how to prepare yourself to communicate. 2) A guided meditation; 3) Practice sending and receiving messages to you animals. March 21, 1-3pm: $25, Activities Center Bring a picture of your animal to practice with. Memorial Tree for Anna Lee Longtime member of Unity Chapel of Light, Dr. Larry Lee, has donated an olive tree and a memorial plaque in memory of his wife Anna, who made her transition late last year. The tree and plaque are located in front of the church where we recently had a diseased pine tree removed. This is such a meaningful remembrance and will provide beauty for our spiritual community for decades to come. Thank you, Larry. We join you in keeping Anna s memory in our hearts.
Tape Unity of Santa Maria 1165 Stubblefield Road Santa Maria, CA 93455 March 2015 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Santa Maria, CA 93454 Permit No. 127 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Please check the box & return newsletter if you no longer wish to receive it. Tape Movie of the Month March 22, 1:30 PM Your life has both meaning and purpose, which is the reason you have chosen to live here on earth at this time. Mark Thurston, using his 30+ years of experience, has developed this specialized course for finding your mission in life. People who have taken this course report having clarity on their soul s purpose and a much better understanding of themselves. If you are ready to begin supporting your mission in life, this course is for you. Individual Sessions for Personal Music & Art By Will & Madeleine Tuttle Monday March 16 by Appointment Will is an acclaimed pianist, composer, educator, and writer, who unites both eastern and western meditation traditions and is a Dharma Master in the Zen tradition. Madeleine is an accomplished water color painter. By appointment, they will tune in to you personally and Madeleine will paint a water color especially for you while Will records a piece of beautiful, inspiring piano music especially for you. The painting and music will keep you inspired for years to come. Pre-done paintings and CDs will also be available, as well as books about eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony.