Traces of Consciousness Newsletter Newsletter September 2016 Volume 4, Issue 8 Called to Greatness We are more than halfway through the second decade of the third millennium. I am not exactly sure why this seems important to me but it does! I cannot escape the feeling that somehow, we are being called to greatness in unprecedented ways. At first blush, we tend to associate greatness with activity. We look toward what some person or group of people are doing and if we agree or support their work, we call it important or great. 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 Gay Freebern Administrative Assistant 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 However, my sense is that the call extends beyond the mere act of doing and instead points inward to how we are being. Is our way of being aligned with greatness? I have long been a proponent of the Evolution of Consciousness movement, that concerns itself with questions intended to probe deep within and inspire us to grow in the direction of our true greatness our spiritual greatness. Among the many amazing contemporary teachers, Patricia Albere has dedicated her adult life to the pursuit of the deeper inquiry into human greatness and higher orders of relatedness between individuals. She encourages and nudges us into embracing our wholeness through honest self-introspection. Recently, Patricia offered a process for reflecting on various arenas of our lives, a few of which I share with you now, as a jump-start for our upcoming workshop series Invoking the WEspace. How is my: RELATIONSHIP WITH SELF: Self-image, sense of identity, self-esteem, emotional well-being, personal integrity, personal power, responsibility, energy level, etc. RELATIONSHIPS TO GROUPS: Membership and participation in social, professional, community, religious, spiritual groups. Desire to participate in collective awakening and accessing higher states of consciousness, intelligence, cooperation and creativity. Give yourself some time to read, reflect and respond to them as part of answering the call to greatness in your life. Then join me on Tuesday evenings, August 30th & September 6th, 6:30pm 8:00pm as we bring your responses to life in the greater whole of the WEspace. Love & Blessings, Rev. Karen
Page 2 Traces of Consciousness A WORD FROM THE BOARD by Donna Whelan Hello Everyone, My name is Donna Whelan and I am the newest member of the Board of Trustees, becoming a Member-at-Large as of July 1st of this year. Prior to this time I served as an Alternate on the Board. I have truly enjoyed this experience of working with the Board and seeing first hand how much care, cooperation, collaboration and creativity goes into the running of our church. It is an honor and a privilege to serve with these extraordinary people. Now by way of introducing myself as we all do with new friends people often ask What kind of work do you do or did you do? I answer this question by telling others that my first calling was as a Housewife and Mother and then my next major endeavor was completing college and a Master s Degree so that I could become a Marriage & Family Therapist. I am now retired from being an MFT. These were my past careers. Currently my husband Larry and I (this is a second marriage for both of us) are interested and involved in being members of our church family here at Unity of Pasadena, square dancing, singing in the church choir and hosting a weekly book study group in our home where we read The Urantia Book. In addition we stay in close touch with our grown children (five between us) and grandchildren (six between us). Also my mother, Velda Miller, (who attended Unity most recently with the late Omer Dawson) is now in Assisted Living Care and we attend to any extra needs she may require. Family is so important. Spiritual growth and evolution (WEvolution) is also important and deserves top priority. This is where our Unity Church comes in handily. This is where we learn how to use Affirmations more effectively and how to access and facilitate the Divine within and around us more consistently. This is where our prayers may be assisted by Prayer Chaplains and/or Silent Unity whenever we desire to utilize these precious services. This is where we can hear an inspired truth talk from our most enthusiastic Reverend Karen Epps. Why would we want to be anywhere else on a Sunday morning? Blessings to all, Donna Whelan
Page 3 Traces of Consciousness Invoking the WE-space Until now, we have been focused largely on individual awakening. But now, the time has come for you for us to pursue collective forms of development and awakening, with energy, love, and creativity. The challenges of our globalizing world are a call to evolve into a higher order of relatedness and move into this next stage of spiritual and cultural evolution. Paradoxically, we will also find a deeper fulfillment and connection with the essence of all that is the Kosmos. Together we will explore and experience invoking the WE-space. This will set the context for our Adventure in Faith Fall Program and prepare us to engage a four-part series of virtual retreats (September May). Tuesdays August 30th and September 6th 6:30 8:00pm $35 package only (reduced from $50 sign up online now! Click on the link in the calendar.) Sept. 8, 2016 World Day of Prayer The World Day of Prayer is an annual 24-hour prayer vigil celebrated at Unity Village and in Unity centers and churches worldwide. The 2016 affirmation is: As I discover the power within, I unleash my divine potential. To support this, Unity has created a prayer especially for this sacred event: God is a love that has no end and a power that knows no bounds. When I remember that God s presence lives in me and as me, I let go of worry and fear. Self-doubt disappears and I trust the power of God within me. I boldly step forward into the field of divine potential. I act with strength, kindness, and compassion to bless the world and all my loved ones. Gratefulness fills my heart as I affirm harmony, peace, kindness, and acceptance for all people everywhere. Join us for a special evening prayer service Thursday at 6:00pm. Sept. 11, 2016 Meditative Music and Gong Session Singer-Songwriter Teri Wilder uses an ancient gong in meditation to reduce stress, increase productivity and bring joy to people s lives. Used for centuries as a meditative tool, its resonant sounds calm the frenetic monkey mind. In fact, In fact, a whopping 65% of people who got gonged reported being at least 75% more productive after the session than at any other point in the day. Teri will be our guest soloist at the Sunday service, followed by a sound bath/gong meditation in the afternoon. You won t want to miss it!
Page 4 Traces of Consciousness CHAPLAIN S CORNER Helen Dersjant It is an honor to be a Prayer Chaplain at Unity of Pasadena. I would like to share with you the highlights of my spiritual journey and how I got to be at Unity. I first discovered New Thought, teachings through the Church of Religious Science about 23 years ago. I resonated with Ernest Holmes The Science of Mind textbook and learned to consciously create a more positive, joyful life. I was thrilled to know that these teachings were done in churches with actual ministers! There was no guilt, shame, or hell, fire and brimstone. I had found my spiritual home! Going back in time, as a college student, I got initiated into Transcendental Meditation and continued the practice for ten years. As a young child in elementary school, I resided in Indonesia, where the prayer call to Allah was heard throughout the day. The religions in Indonesia are highly influenced by their cultural traditions, superstitions and folklore. When my father was going to cut down a tree in the back yard, our servants asked if they could first do a ceremony or slamatan. They arrived with incense, flowers, beautifully prepared foods and began their heartfelt ritual. They apologized to the tree spirit, appeased it and got its permission to be cut down. Only then, was it acceptable to cut the tree. I was raised as a liberal Catholic by a psychic mother who shared her experiences of visions and healing. My dad was an agnostic with protestant roots. He put his faith in transporting his family across the globe. We moved form Indonesia to my county of birth, the Netherlands. There I attended a Catholic school where it was mandatory to attend Mass daily before school started or else you were shamed during role call when you had to say whether or not you had gone to church and all the heads turned to stare. Fortunately, my dad s adventurous spirit kicked in. Within a year, at age 10, we were off to America. I attended public school and the focus was not on religion but to learn to speak English. I went to church only on Sundays, and the best part was that I could say my confessions in Dutch, since I was not yet fluent in English. It was so freeing to confess anything I wanted to the priest and not feel judged, or guilty about my sins. About four years ago, I had taken a break from Religious Science. I missed having a spiritual community and had been curious about Unity. I was warmly welcomed here and this has been my spiritual home for over two years. We are a powerhouse, each of us radiant in spirit, making a difference in our personal lives, church, community and in the world. It is truly a blessing to serve as a Prayer Chaplain at Unity of Pasadena. In Love and Gratitude, Helen When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life a thousand reasons to smile. Author Unknown
Page 5 Traces of Consciousness Regular Monthly Happenings: PRAYER & MEDITATION SERVICE September 7,14,21,28 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. PRAYER SERVICE No prayer service in the month of September Most months, we offer a Prayer Service on the 2nd Sunday led by our Prayer Chaplains. This month, we have a special guest (Teri Wilder) offering a sound bath on that Sunday, so we will resume Prayer Services in October. Individual prayer with a Prayer Chaplain is always available for 15-minutes after regular services. 12-Step Meetings at Unity of Pasadena: Narcotics Anonymous: Wednesday evenings 5:30pm 6:30pm Cocaine Anonymous: Saturday evenings 7:30pm 9:00pm Al Anon for youth and young adults: Sunday evenings 7:45pm 9:00pm Sunday Service Titles: September s theme: Songbirds of Sacred Music Sept 4th Perfect Plan Sept 11th Yeah but Sept 18th Anointed by God s Kiss Sept 25th Living in the Heart of God Sunday Celebration Service starts at 10:30am Tuesday, Sept 13th 7:00pm 9:15pm Kid-Friendly and Football-Friendly Gluten Free Snacks Led by Suzanne Peters Love offering requested Sept. 17, 2016 Virtual Retreat: Creative Union 1:00pm 4:00pm $30.00 (PRICE REDUCED!) The leading edge of human evolution is occurring in the space between us. Mutual awakening is powerful, effortless and multi-dimensionally transformative. From this shared consciousness, new possibilities for humanity arise. Patricia Albere, of the Evolutionary Collective A powerful extension of Invoking the WE-Space, Creative Union is a retreat offered by the Evolutionary Collective (http://evolutionarycollective.com/creative-union/) where we will explore Mutual Awakening in depth and learn ways we can consciously participate in our own evolution.
Page 6 Traces of Consciousness $10.00 Reiki Sessions Every Thursday 7:00pm 9:00pm Writing Group Meets Saturday, Sept. 17th 10:00am 12:30pm $15 suggested love offering Coming October 2nd Self Care for the Holidays Learn how to practice mindful self care to prepare for joyous, stress-free holidays. Overcome negative self-talk Focus on self-appreciation Practice spontaneous merriment Discover how to be your best happy self all during the holidays and into the New Year! Led by Marguerite Dastoor, LCSW and Life Coach. October At-A-Glance October 2nd Self Care for the Holidays FAITH IN ACTION starts October 9th! This year, we will be reading THE SOUL OF A NEW SELF by Jeff Carreira Sunday Talk titles during the Faith In Action series are: Oct 9th: A Different WE (Foreword & Introduction) Oct 16th: Erasing the Lines (Chapters 1 & 2) Oct 23rd: The Implications of Being a Being (Chapter 3) Oct 30th: Out of the Madness (Chapters 4 & 5) Nov 6th: The Human Flow (Chapter 6) Nov 13th: Where am I? (Chapters 7 & 8) Nov 20th: Embracing a New Self (Chapter 9) Daylight Savings Time starts on November 6th: FALL BACK! Be a part of Sunday Celebration Services! We need more people to run the PowerPoint slides during the services. You would help project song lyrics, announcements, and other parts of the service onto the screen. The presentations are ready to go; you just click when it s time to bring up the next visual. We provide a printed guide you can follow as well. It s fun! Each position is on a rotation basis, so you would need to be available about once a month. Contact Gay Freebern in the office at 626.577.4207.