Traces of Consciousness Newsletter Newsletter February/March 2017 Volume 5, Issue 2 Campus of Consciousness Ok, folks. It s time for some truth telling: I have been living in la la land. Not the hit movie kind either. I mean, put fingers in my ears, eyes squeezed shut tight, shouting la la la la la, I can t hear you! from the top of my lungs; that kind of la la land. Since November, I have been on an emotional Six Flags Magic Mountain style roller coaster ride, not tawking Disney Toon Town, rather the Twisted Colossus kind. You know the one, where you hold your breath going up and scream full tilt coming down. I have felt overwhelmed, optimistic, annoyed, anticipatory, frustrated and faithful. In other words, my emotions have run the gamut. Rev. Karen Epps Senior Minister minister@unityofpasadena.org Unity of Pasadena Church Office: 3053 E. Del Mar Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91107 www.unityofpasadena.org Office Hours: Tues/Weds/Thurs 10:00am 4:00pm Andrea Sheridan Admin Office: (626) 577.4207 admin@unityofpasadena.org Sunday Celebration Service: 10:30am Silent Unity Prayer Support Line: 1-800-699-7729 (24 hrs) www.silentunity.org Leadership Council: Rev. Karen Epps, Senior Minister Barbara Sakuma, President Paul Smith, Vice-President Grace LaFranchi, Treasurer Greg Stanton, Secretary Gary Clason, Trustee-at-Large Donna Whelan, Trustee-at-Large In the role of Minister, I m supposed to be spiritual holding the high watch for our spiritual community and myself. I hear your concerns and your hopes, I feel your hearts and with that I experience a great sense of responsibility to hold it all together. So the first thing I think I want to say is, I m learning, growing and digging deeper into spiritual teachings as a way of orienting myself in navigating the terrain of what is presenting itself in our world today. I m also very clear this isn t a solitary me thing; it truly is a WE thing. Each and every one of us is being called by Spirit to connect with that point of origin within where we know our Oneness with all of life. For what is life but consciousness? In 1936, the influential New Thought leader Emmet Fox gave a lecture at Unity Village titled, Life is Consciousness, which was later published and distributed by Unity. The lecture was powerful because he spoke with such conviction about what he felt was one essential truth, The explanation of all your problems, the explanation of your difficulties and the explanation of your triumphs in life boil down to this: Life is a state of consciousness. That is the beginning and the end. Dr. Marj Britt who was Senior Minister at Unity of Tustin, always referred to their grounds & sanctuary as a campus of consciousness. It was the first I d ever heard the term and it resonated in my heart. I love the idea of a campus of consciousness. -continued on page 7
Page 2 Traces of Consciousness A WORD FROM THE BOARD by Barbara Sakuma Most of my life, I felt obligated to attend church where everything including the floor plan of the building was steeped in custom and tradition. The liturgy consistently pointed out my unworthiness in the eyes of God, even though I was supposedly created in His image and likeness. There was absolute truth and the church I was baptized into was the one and only way to get into Heaven when I left this life - but then only if I was in a state of grace at the time. For me, it was difficult to experience joy and peace of soul within those boundaries. I wanted some of this Heaven on earth, and I wanted it now rather than later. Then about a dozen years ago, I came to Unity of Pasadena. Here I was exposed to concepts that were so different, that even though they stuck the cord of truth in me; my attendance in the first couple of years was only intermittent while I worked through my constricted lifelong belief system. Unity has been my spiritual home for over a decade now; and for seventy percent of that time, I ve been honored to serve on the Board of Trustees first as Treasurer and then as President for the past four years. It has truly been an honor to serve this faith community, where we affirm that we are here by Divine appointment, where each of our spiritual journeys is honored, where we can see ourselves as one with The One, where we have so many opportunities to explore various aspects of spiritual growth and transformation in a non-judgmental and supportive environment. I am also grateful now for being part of a spiritual community where I ve learned I can experience more Heaven here on earth. I now simply feel drawn to come on Sunday where are so many people are involved in service to each other, whether it be as Minister, Prayer Chaplains, board members, music ministry, sacred service, bookstore, hospitality, volunteering or Truth seeking. I am so blessed. Unity of Pasadena is blessed. Let s stay open to even greater blessings as individuals and community. In Christ Love, Barbara Sakuma
Page 3 Traces of Consciousness Chaplains Corner Donna Gannon Helen Dersant "Blessed be you mighty matter, irresistible march of evolution, reality ever newborn; you who, by constantly shattering our mental categories, force us to go ever further and further in our pursuit of truth." ~Pierre Teilhard De Chardin "The only person you are designed to become, Is the person you decide to be." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Michelle Gillette
Page 4 Traces of Consciousness Regular Monthly Happenings: PRAYER & MEDITATION SERVICE February 2,9,16,23 March 2,9,16,23,30 Join us every Thursday at noon for a thirty-minute meditation guided by Suzanne Peters that is sure to rejuvenate and renew your mind, body, and soul. Affirmative prayer statements are followed by periods of silence for personal reflection and connection. Choir Practice February 1,8,15,22 March 1,8,15,22,29 Choir practice is at the Church on Wednesdays at 7pm Prayer Service February 12 March 12 Every second Sunday, our Prayer Chaplains have a prayer service immediately following our Sunday Service. Come enjoy this prayerful time. 12-Step Meetings at Unity of Pasadena: Narcotics Anonymous: Cocaine Anonymous: Al Anon for youth and young adults: Wednesday evenings 5:30pm 6:30pm Saturday evenings 7:30pm 9:00pm Sunday evenings 7:45pm 9:00pm February 5th: Be Bold Sunday Service Talk Titles February Theme Unity of Pasadena: A Campus of Consciousness & A Season of Sacred Service February 12th: G.O.D. Guaranteed Overnight Delivery February 19th: The Voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Gerald Rivers February 26th: Spiritual Maturity March Theme The Art of Simple Living March 5th: Simply Be March12th: Present Over Perfect March 19th: Power of Kindness March 26: Crisp, Clear & Clean Ash Wednesday March 1 We will be holding an Ash Wednesday Prayer Service from 12:00 12:30 to mark the beginning of the Lenten Season.
Page 5 Traces of Consciousness February: A Season of Sacred Service In what wonderful but simple way can you contribute to the Unity of Pasadena family? Clicking the Sunday power point slides? Operating our easy to understand sound board? Being a greeter/usher or perhaps worship service assistant? All contribute significantly to our Sunday Service Celebration. Or perhaps you d like to help out in our bookstore or become part of our new hospitality team. All are simple ways we can give expression to love in action right here in our Spiritual Community! In the month of February, our focus will be on Unity of Pasadena as a community of consciousness. A place where we express the love we have for one another in concrete ways. There will be sign up sheets for the six areas of service mentioned above. Each commitment will be for only a year then you can try something new! Gerald Rivers: The Voice of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What Do You Dream Of? Sunday, February 19th Trained in Theatre Arts, Gerald Rivers becomes the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King! The messages of Dr. King are as relevant right now as they were over 50 years ago. Gerald Rivers renditions dramatically bring them to life and remind us all of these timely and universal words. Gerald is passionate about keeping Dr. King s messages alive in our thoughts and actions on a daily basis Now is the time...and the time is always right to do right. Meditation Service Noon every Thursday Join us every Thursday at noon for a guided meditation with Suzanne Peters, including long periods of silence for contemplation. This 30-minute meditation is sure to rejuvenate and renew your mind, body, and soul.
Page 6 Traces of Consciousness Newsletter February/March 2017 Keep A True Lent Practice Group Information Meeting Sunday February 26 11:45 Sundays March 5 April 9; 12:30 1:00 12:00 12:30 March 5 only Love Offering The idea behind the church institution of Lent is one of preparation. We read stories of Moses, Elijah and Jesus as having taken time to go apart for fasting and meditation, which brought them into deep awareness of the presence of the Divine. To keep a true Lent requires understanding the spiritual principles that underlay the practice. Unity s approach to Lent is one of transformation through the gentle practice of release where we fast from all unworthy thought and feast upon the good and true. We will draw on the wisdom of Charles Fillmore from the book, Keep A True Lent, to guide our practice. Each week we will gather for a brief teaching followed by an extended meditation. This group is an opportunity for us to practice the spiritual principles of Lent together as a conscious community oriented to awakened living. Required Book: Keep A True Lent by Charles Fillmore Sound Bath Meditation Workshop Sunday, March 5 12:30-1:45 $25 Facilitated by Karen Apostolina Trained by our first Sound Bath presenter, Jamie Ford, Karen is sure to repeat a wonderful sound bath experience for us all! Absolute Abundance Tuesday evenings beginning March 7. 10 week Series 6:30-8:30 pm This interactive and creative course teaches us about abundance in the many different aspects of life! A tithing course.
Page 7 Traces of Consciousness Newsletter February/March 2017 Campus of Consciousness continued from Page 1 I got thinking and it occurred to me the campus of consciousness isn t limited to a particular location. If I bring Emmet Fox and Dr. Marj Britt together, in actuality, life is a campus of consciousness. I put this thought into practice while walking along South Lake Avenue the day after New Year s. I simply observed the activity going on around me: it was the boy riding the skateboard swerving down the sidewalk, arms spread wide like a bird gliding. It is the homeless woman with matted hair, who like all the other homeless people were shuffled to the side on the day of the Rose Parade so as not to be seen by the masses. All of life is a campus of consciousness, the air, trees, people, animals; it is all consciousness in motion. I truly believe WE can situate ourselves in the midst of life knowing that Spirit is present and through our practices of prayer, meditation, sacred service, and deep listening, WE can get grounded. Then let s pull fingers out of the ears, open our eyes and recognize this La La Land we live in is always creating, always changing, even when it feels like a roller coaster ride. Love & Blessings, Rev. Karen Writing Group Meets Saturday, February 18, March 18 10:00am 12:30pm Join this fun and inspirational group anytime. Everyone gets to tackle the same thought provoking topics from their own unique perspective and life experience. Mary Coolman facilitates. $15 love offering. $10 Reiki Sessions Every Thursday 7:00pm 9:00pm Come experience the relaxing, energy-balancing, healing practice of reiki with certified practitioners for a price that can t be beat!