Unity Community

Unity Community Talks Shift to Dialogues!

To celebrate the shifting of our Unity Community Sunday format from a monologue to a dialogue, we've been studying A Complaint Free World, by Unity minister Rev. Will Bowen. 

The services begin just as they have for years, with songs, prayer time and meditation. But then instead of merely listening to the speaker, we move our chairs into a circle and have a DISCUSSION!  What fun!

Steve Keener, our regular speaker writes,

"We closed discussion part of the service by passing out the Prosperity Consciousness Conditioning print-out and reading the affirmations around the circle.  I found this doc on the Complaint Free blog.  For Consciousness Conditioning it is suggested that these affirmation should be read out loud once a day for 30 days."

We've got only one more Sunday to go, but here it is if you'd like to start now:

I am the source of all wealth.

I am rich with creative ideas.

My mind abounds with new, original, inspired thoughts.

What I have to offer is unique, and the world desires it.

My value is beyond reckoning.

What the world needs and desires, I am ready to produce and give.

What the world needs and desires, I recognize and fulfill.

The bounty of my mind is without hindrance or limit.

Nothing can stand in the way of my inspired creativeness.

The overflowing power of God life energy overcomes every obstacle, & pours out into the world, blessing & prospering everyone, & everything through me.

I radiate blessings, I radiate creativity, I radiate prosperity, I radiate loving service. I radiate Joy, Beauty, Peace, Wisdom & Power.

Humanity seeks me and rewards me.

I am beloved of the world.

I am wanted wherever I go.

I am appreciated.

What I have to offer is greatly desired.

What I have to offer brings a rich reward.

Through my vision the world is blessed.

Through my clear thinking & steadfast purpose, wonderful new values come into expression.

My vision is as the vision of the mighty ones.

My faith is as the faith of the undefeatable.

My power to accomplish is unlimited.

I, in my uttermost God Source, am all wealth, all power, all productivity.

I hereby declare my financial freedom, NOW and henceforth forever!

Come and join us in our lovely UCC space in Reseda--in the West San Fernando Valley!

A Complaint Free World - A Review

The following is a reprint of an two-part article originally written by Malayna Dawn for the Daily Mantra. It is now available on Self Growth.com. 

Part I – The Concept

In the new book, A Complaint Free World, Unity minister Will Bowen challenges us to go 21 days without complaining, criticizing or gossiping. It began as an idea for his Sunday sermon at the Unity Church in Kansas City, Missouri and caught on quickly. From the local newspaper to Oprah, this simple idea is catching people's attention.

While "What the Bleep..." and "The Secret" have shown us that our thoughts have the power to create our lives, this book gives us the tools to begin monitoring and changing our thoughts with a simple concept. "Our thoughts create our world and our words indicate our thoughts" Bowen explains. "When we control our words by eradicating complaining, we create our lives with intention and attract what we desire."

The process begins by taking notice of what we say. Then, by combining self-monitoring with a physical action, we can really begin to see just how often we engage in negative speech that doesn't serve us. The book's website offers purple rubber bracelets that can be moved from one wrist to another, though Bowen says that we can use any such device that works for us. Whether it's moving a stone from one pocket to another or a paper weight across the desk, the important thing is to connect to some action that allows us to track our progress.

The goal is to go 21 days in a row without moving your designated object, 21 days being the amount of time it takes to form a new habit. Bowen himself says that he found that his personal best after one week was to move his bracelet five times in a day, though his bracelet's movements shot back up to a total of twelve the very next day. He noticed that he could do better around some people than others, and began looking more deeply into his relationships.

Knowing that complaining attracts more of the same into my life makes me willing to see how this simple idea can bring my true desires into being. I don't want to wait for my purple bracelet to arrive from Kansas City, so I'm going to pick a bracelet or rubber band and begin immediately. I'll let you know how I've fared after 7 days while I continue to read the book. Wish me luck!


Part II: The Experience

After deciding to try being complaint-free for just seven days, I must say that I am happier. Anecdotes from the book helped me to maintain my cool in traffic, like the idea that cars going slowly in front of me are merely the universe’s "pace cars" though I am not in a race, and are meant to slow me down for my own safety. Or the story about people honking their horns if they’re happy, which gave me a reason to laugh when people honked at me, rather than taking it personally, which I'd usually have done. Instead, I'd just think to myself, “They must be really happy,” and move on.

To be honest, I delayed writing this article because I hadn’t found a device that worked to remind me consistently. I wanted to take off the bracelet (the memory aid recommended by the book's author) when I got home along with the rest of my jewelry, so I’d use a hair band, but I'd end up putting it in my hair.

Despite these minor problems, I was able to see the impact of the familiar principles of positive thinking had taken hold, and that the ideas depicted in films like "What The Bleep Do We Know?" and "The Secret" had seeped into my subconscious, preparing me for this challenge. I was already monitoring my thoughts and speech, and, with the help of the book, found myself considering before speaking if what I was about to say counted as a complaint. If I thought it might, I'd try to word it differently, whether I had something on my wrist or not.

The book gives a lot of in-depth analysis to help each of us decide for ourselves what counts as a complaint, but the bottom line is intention. Will Bowen, the instigator and author of "A Complaint Free World" offers this quote from motivational writer Eckhart Tolle which may just sum it up:

“Complaining is not to be confused with informing someone of a mistake or deficiency so that it can be put right. And to refrain from complaining doesn’t necessarily mean putting up with bad quality or behavior. There is no ego in telling the waiter your soup is cold and needs to be heated up – if you stick to the facts, which are always neutral. ‘How dare you serve me cold soup…?’ That’s complaining.”

In the movie "The Secret", Jack Canfield explains, “The Law of Attraction says ‘We’ll give you whatever you say and focus on’ so if you’re complaining about how bad it is, what you’re creating is more of how bad it is.”

That is the basic concept behind becoming complaint-free: to create more good in our lives and the world by focusing our attention and energy on the positive, on constructive ideas, and on gratitude. "The Complaint Free World" book really can help us to reach that goal by giving us a place to start, supportive explanations, and a way to measure the change in our lives. I recommend that you pick up your copy and begin your journey as soon as possible. I’m still on my quest for 21 days free of complaint, criticism or gossip. But I know that even greater happiness lies ahead!

Our Unity Community is now taking the challenge of A Complaint Free World. Join us in our new location in Reseda!

Ten Commandments - Part Two

The Second Commandment is about having no limits.

"You shall not make for yourself any graven image..."

During this time in ancient history, graven or carved images of gods were everywhere. It was a futile attempt to define what is infinite in a finite container. These statues were not considered representations of the gods, but literally to contain the god. The Second Commandment is more than a law against god statues. It was a radical shift in consciousness that forsakes the notion that God can be contained, defined or carved out.

Whenever we describe something, define it, frame it, or set boundaries, we are creating a container. Rules and boundaries, definitions and descriptions, the concepts and contexts with which we hold our concepts, perceptions...our world view...have a useful place in our human experience. Our ability to analyze, categorize, organize, contain, hold and orchestrate our lives is one of our most wonderful and powerful gifts.

Even so, there are some dangers in the use of this power if we forget that we created these definitions and concepts with which we try to contain and control our lives. It is particularly important to remember that our IDEA of God and our IDEA of ourselves is of our own making. These concepts are powerful in our lives. So powerful that they take on a life of their own. It is easy to think that these ideas...these containments have power over us instead of the other way around. The cart begins to pull a horse ulness we know and hold the truth that we created the artificial containment, the limits, and the boundaries...by the power of our thoughts.

God, the infinite, cannot be contained in words, pictures, books, houses of worship or ideas. The infinite has no boundaries. To confine God is to hold a limited concept of who we are. To confine ourselves is to hold a limited concept of God.

We have the amazing power to construct the perceptions of who we are and what we are. We, therefore, have the power to dismantle them. When you find yourself in a container that separates you from God and the world around you - bring the light of truth to your confinement. Know and hold and affirm that there is only The One expressing as the many. That Truth will set you free!

The Ten Commandments - Part One

“I Am That I Am” – The Ten Commandments, Part One

There is a deeper spiritual and metaphysical significance and relevance to the Ten Commandments that is so much more than a list of rules.  The First Commandment is the foundational key to spiritual understanding and liberation. However, the statement made before the Ten Commandments has a value in itself, “I am the Lord (the Law…the Spiritual Principle…the I AM), who brought you out of the land of Egypt (out of the land of limitations), out of the house of bondage (out of ties to old ways of thinking and being).” 

God is I AM THAT I AM, and you are I AM.

The first commandment is: “You shall have no other gods before me.”

The translation of the first commandment is: The power of God, in and through you, is the power to transcend limitations and frees you from old ways of thinking and being. You cannot have anything above or in the face of the God in  you…the ‘I AM” of you…your true identity.  There is nothing above or in the face of your true identity.  To know that gives you all power.

Emmet Fox said, “When you have to go to tackle the “Egyptians” and your heart turns to water within you, and you say to yourself, “I cannot do this,” “I am not adequate”, “There is no way,” then remember your true identity and say to the Egyptians, “I AM has sent me,” and the road will open and you will surmount your difficulties.”

Know this Truth, take it into your hearts and this Truth will set you free.

Talk given by Howard Geer

“I Am That I Am” – The Ten Commandments

There is a deeper spiritual and metaphysical significance and relevance to the Ten Commandments that is so much more than a list of rules.  The First Commandment is the foundational key to spiritual understanding and liberation. However, the statement made before the Ten Commandments has a value in itself, “I am the Lord (the Law…the Spiritual Principle…the I AM), who brought you out of the land of Egypt (out of the land of limitations), out of the house of bondage (out of ties to old ways of thinking and being).” 

God is I AM THAT I AM, and you are I AM.

The first commandment is: “You shall have no other gods before me.”

The translation of the first commandment is: The power of God, in and through you, is the power to transcend limitations and frees you from old ways of thinking and being. You cannot have anything above or in the face of the God in  you…the ‘I AM” of you…your true identity.  There is nothing above or in the face of your true identity.  To know that gives you all power.

Emmet Fox said, “When you have to go to tackle the “Egyptians” and your heart turns to water within you, and you say to yourself, “I cannot do this,” “I am not adequate”, “There is no way,” then remember your true identity and say to the Egyptians, “I AM has sent me,” and the road will open and you will surmount your difficulties.”

Know this Truth, take it into your hearts and this Truth will set you free.

Talk Topic - Pain is Inevitable, Suffering is Optional

Steve Keener spoke about his personal experience with this topic after having knee replacement surgery. "I was unable to medicate it away, to distract or distance myself from the pain, so I turned it into suffering by dramatizing it. I made a story about it...I was occupied by the role I had created...'I hurt, therefore I am.'"

The body knows to let go of a hot iron instantly, without thought, but we can hold on to emotional hurt for decades.

In Peter 1:4 we learn "you may be partakers of the divine nature" which we can translate as "You have the choice to participate in pure bliss."

Bliss is our natural state. It is about staying conscious in the now-moment. It is not about adding to our lives by getting more stuff, but about subtracting the things we need to let go of to be in bliss in this moment.

When we hold on to pain for extended periods of time, our bodies and emotions become desensitized. But there are many ways to transform and heal ourselves which begin with asking the question "what do I need to let go of right now to be in bliss".

You don't have to find your bliss or earn it. Nothing outside of you can give it to you or deny it. It is totally accessible and available to everyone. It only requires a shift of focus, a choice to be conscious and a willingness to let go.

Talk Topic - Getting Unstuck

Steve Keener, Speaker, asked WHY DO WE GET STUCK?

We don't get stuck because of all the things we don't know. It is all the things we think we know--our preconceived ideas, conclusions, assumptions, our world view--our beliefs that keep us from moving forward.

Albert Einstein said "You cannot solve the problems you have created by using the same thoughts you used that created them. You must change the way you are thinking and think different thoughts." He also said "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."

So we don't get unstuck by learning more of the same kind of stuff. It is about subtracting--as in letting go of unlimited beliefs.

Our intentions, or what we want to experience in our lives, must be in harmony with our basic foundational beliefs--what Maria Nemeth calls our "structures of knowing" in her book "The Energy of Money". If our thoughts, our intentions, are not congruent with our structures of knowing, we are sending mixed signals to the universe. This disharmony is the core and essence of who we are calling out for expression. It is an opportunity for a different kind of learning experience, a movement to a higher level of knowing.

"You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny." - Brihadaranayaka Upanishad 4.5 

Talk Topic- “Pilate’s Wife and I Don’t Know”

Steve Keener, Sunday's speaker, was inpsired to do some research on Pilate's wife. He found a book called ‘Women in the Bible’ that said there are 38 words referring to her in the Bible; yet there are volumes of information about her on the internet.  

In trying to make sense of it all, he took a break to listen to a tape his wife, Jackie, wanted him to hear. The tape was by Unity minister, Rev. Richard Rogers, on a series about the movie, “What the Bleep Do We Know”, (which addresses how we live with Science and Spirituality in our lives). He was reminded about the need to stretch our minds beyond what we have ever believed before. He then realized that it was OK not to know everything about Pilate’s Wife and why she was so important.

We are engaged in a constant process of letting go of old beliefs and entertaining new ones.  We are never finished.  

The first step in any intuitive process is for the student is to be willing to admit ‘they don’t know’ and become willing to unlearn everything they had been told is true. The point is not to be afraid of the unknown (it is safe not to know), but be in a state of awe.

If you are finding it hard to accept that most of what we have been told and have believed our whole life isn’t true, just think about what people have believed in past centuries, like the world is flat.  It’s OK not to know, and if we can’t say it out loud, we can at least admit it to ourselves and feel safe in the not knowing, and instead be open to infinite possibilities.

Talk Topic - “What Is Mine to Do?”

Jesus was asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  We ask ourselves, “What is mine to do?”

In order for each individual to truly ENJOY life, our “duty” may be as simple as getting our priorities straight and to commit to those things that increase peace, joy, justice and love in our life.  If we have done this, faithfully and well, we’ll have a taste of eternal life right here, right now.

“Infinite striving to be the best is man’s duty; it is its own reward. Everything else is in God’s hands.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Talk Topic - Memorial Day

A great and free country is not merely defense and protection. For every earnest spirit, it is opportunity and inspiration.... The best of each being given to all, the best of all returns to each. So the greatness as well as the power of a country broadens every life and blesses every home....

The inspiration of a noble cause involving human interests wide and far, enables men to do things they did not dream themselves capable of before, and which they were not capable of alone. The consciousness of belonging, vitally, to something beyond individuality; of being part of a personality that reaches we know not where, in space and time, greatens the heart to the limit of the soul's ideal, and builds out the supreme of character.

Excerpts from the Dedication of the Maine Monuments at Gettysburg, October 3, 1889