Unity Community

Open my Ears, that I may Hear...

A positive and productive thought from Lucele Coutts for Unity Community Church in Reseda, CA for the week of July 11, 2010.

Today I remember the song that tells me to not only to Open My Eyes, but also My Ears to that sweet inner voice.  Though it speaks so softly, it has others ready to speak its words as well, and I know they are spoken with love.

Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.

Refrain: Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Open my ears, that I may hear Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,Everything false will disappear.

Open my mouth, and let me bear, Gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare Love with Thy children thus to share.

Words & Music: Clara H. Scott

image from drp

Imagination Can Save The World

As we continue exploring the Twelve Spiritual Powers with Unity, we come to June--the month designated for the spiritual power of Imagination. Its corresponding affirmation is : 

I envision good unfolding in every area of my life!

As part of the celebration, our choir sang “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (starring Gene Wilder from 1971).  

“If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it.
Anything you want to, do it!
Wanta change the world?
There's nothing To it”

Artwork from creativechick.com called "Kiss My Face"

Both the affirmation and the song lyrics point to the power of imagination in how we experience the world. But imagination is more than just a pair of rose colored glasses or pleasant daydreams of the future. It’s the basis of goal setting and using the Law of Attraction. (Click here for an explanation of The Law of Attraction that I wrote for The DailyOM.com) It’s the beginning of the creation of your life – which is why imagination is part of what we call create-ivity. It may be your most powerful tool.

Most people think of imagination in terms of art. In art, we can create worlds that may not exist in what we know as “reality”, but they do exist...once we create them! In books and movies, on stage and in paintings, etc. they become real, or at the very least, a shared vision. If you’ve ever seen Cirque du Soleil, you know that fantastical worlds can be created for us to enter, if only for a few hours at a time. Walt Disney created an entire kingdom, no, empire, from his imagination, and it has become part of the mythology of our day.

Myths and stories guide us under normal circumstances, but imagination can actually save your life.  In the book La Prisonniere, also called Stolen Lives, a family that was imprisoned in the Moroccan desert for 20 years managed to stay alive and fairly sane because one of them was a storyteller. Then their imaginations helped them to devise an escape plan, and to eventually reclaim their freedom.

In the movie “What Dreams May Come” (1998) that I just caught again on cable, your imagination and what you believe is possible is how you create your own heaven, or your hell. So in this case, your imagination might even save your soul.

Sculpture called “Industry” from Queen's University, Belfast.--->

With your every thought you are using your imagination, whether the vision you hold is positive or negative, creative or destructive, or in the past or future. So imagination has a myriad of real-world applications as well – from designing a building to inventing machinery, from making a meal to theorizing the existence of the atom or black holes.

We are also using our imaginations negatively when we imagine the worst, have low expectations, or cling too much to our worst case scenarios instead of entertaining the possibilities and coming up with creative solutions.

The best illustrations I’ve seen on how imagination can shape our world are from the films The Secret and What the Bleep Do We Know? Check them out, and then come join us at Unity Community Church in Reseda, California as we discuss further applications of our wild and wonderful imaginations!

Malayna Dawn is UCC's webmaster as well as a freelance writer and author. Acting as a modern-day shaman she aims to help people navigate their way through their inner and outer worlds using symbolism, stories and metaphor. Entertain the possibilities and make life an enjoyable adventure by reading her blog, Symbolic Themes  or her novel, Echoes Across Time! 

Breathing Inspiration

From freelance writer Malayna Dawn, webmaster for Unity Community Church and member-at-large.

^{Photo from Jendala.com & item is available for sale!}

I recently downloaded a bunch of music, and then I noticed a pattern.  There seem to be a lot of songs about breathing. I’ve got “Breathe”, “Breathe In”, Keep Breathing” , “Breathe In Breathe Out” and “Breathe Me”. 

I must admit, I wondered what the Universe might be trying to tell me, or where my inner guidance is trying to draw my attention. 

So I took a deep breath.  Ahhhhhh.  And I started thinking.

I remembered a few quotes from Tom Hanks films that talk about how to go on when life becomes painful.

From Castaway
“I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?”

From Sleepless in Seattle
“I'm gonna get out of bed every morning... breathe in and out all day long. Then, after a while I won't have to remind myself to get out of bed every morning and breathe in and out..."

When people are stressed out, we tell them to take a deep breath. That simple act of focusing on our breathing centers us in the here and now. We ground ourselves in our physical reality and recall our minds from their wanderings into the future or past, uniting our minds and bodies to live fully in the now moment.

When we are in a state of resisting what the moment brings, we hold our breath. When shocked, we gasp. When we are amazed, it takes our breath away. When relieved, we exhale a sigh of relief. Our emotions are tied to our breathing.

Following our breathing is the doorway to meditation.  We feed the cells of our bodies, relax into a natural rhythm and receive inspiration. The word “inspiration” comes from the same root as “respiration”. We are enlivened not only physically, but spiritually from breath of God and the whispers of angels and muses in our ears.

Breathing is our connection to the natural world around us. We take in the oxygen from the atmosphere…the exhalation of trees after they’ve converted the carbon dioxide we’ve expelled. The molecules of everything around us becomes part of us, moves through us, nourishes us, touches and changes us. Because of this exchange, it behooves us to take care of our environment, and those around us. We are connected by the air we share.

And most obvious – breath is life. If we are breathing, and we know it, we’re alive! Breathing is a full mind-body-spirit experience.  

Of course, in the medical world, breathing is an important indicator of life and death. This points to another reason I may have found myself with several songs about breathing – I found most of them on the soundtracks of the TV medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy! 

 

For more spiritual lessons from pop culture and the world around us, visit Malayna Dawn on her website or her blog, Symbolic Themes.  For a spiritual adventure, check out her novel Echoes Across Time.

Music at Unity Community Church

One of the things I’ve always liked about Unity is the way spiritual concepts have real life applications, removing any imagined boundaries between your spiritual life and your “real life”.  The music at every Unity church I’ve attended is a great example of this.

The songs are often from popular culture, or familiar tunes with modified lyrics to be more positive. Or they’re just catchy little ditties that get stuck in your head and keep the positive vibes going all week long.

In Sunday School, I remember singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from the church’s spiral bound songbook with the bright blue cardstock covers. At Unity Kid’s Camp, I learned “Joy Songs”, sung to energize and unify us as a group. This tradition continued in the Y.O.U., or Youth of Unity. But we also learned songs that we could sing to one another in what we called “sufi dancing”.  Unlike the real sufis—the mystics of Islam also known as Whirling Dervishes—we did not rotate individually on the spot, but formed two concentric circles where we’d always be facing a partner. Then we’d all sing a short song to each other before moving to the next partner. Some were serious, some were fun, but they’ve stayed with me. (Especially the songs of Karl Anthony.) 

In my mind, different churches had different theme songs.  At North Hollywood it was “I am free, I am unlimited”.  At La Crescenta, it was “Magic Penny” and at West Valley it was “Love Train” with ever so slightly modified lyrics. But then again, that was just one beloved song among many with Adam Chester as Music Minister.

At Unity Community Church in Reseda, our Musical Director Jackie Riggs does a mix of contemporary pop songs and her own originals, along with leading us in our favorite Unity songs. One of my favorite pop songs that she does is “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan (with slightly modified lyrics). And one of her originals (that I love!) compares the good things in life to “Sweet Chocolate Cream”. 

And one of my very favorite songs to sing is “God in Every Face” by Mark Stanton Welch. Here--you enjoy the lyrics now, and then join us on Sunday to sing along!

 

We come together to behold
The Power of Love
The Power of Light

We come together to behold
We are Divine

 

 

Lift up our hands
Lift up our hearts
Lift up our vision
Lift it to the stars

 

Dance in the Glory
Whirl in the Grace
See God in every face
See God in every face

 

Malayna Dawn was raised in Unity. She is UCC’s Webmaster and was once an Associate Rep. for the Southwest Region Y.O.U.!