MINDING GOD'S CHILDREN
There are times in life when I need a good laugh. I
found the following stored deep within my computer,
unfortunately minus the original source.
TO THOSE OF US WHO HAVE CHILDREN IN OUR LIVES,
whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces and
nephews, students, or simply borrowed, here is
something to make you chuckle.
Whenever your children are out of control, you can
take comfort from the thought that even God's
omnipotence did not extend to God's own children.
After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam
and Eve.
And the first thing God said was, "Don't."
"Don't what?" Adam replied.
"Don't eat the forbidden fruit," God said.
"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve...
we have forbidden fruit!"
"No way!"
"Yes, way!"
"Do NOT eat the fruit!" said God.
"Why?"
"Because I am your God and I said so!" God replied,
(wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after
making the elephants).
A few minutes later, God saw God's children having an
apple break and was He ticked!
"Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God, as our first
Parent, asked.
"Uh huh," Adam replied.
"Then why did you?" said God.
"I don't know," said Eve.
"She started it!" Adam said.
"Did not!"
"Did too!""DID NOT!!!"
Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment
was that Adam and Eve should have children of their
own. Thus, the pattern was set, and it has never
changed!
There is reassurance in this story. If you have,
persistently and lovingly, tried to give children wisdom
and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If
God had trouble raising children, what makes you think
it would be a piece of cake for you?
Happy Mother's Day and let's all remember our Mothers
on this special day!
Reverend Allen Moss
Click Here To Veiw Upcoming Events in May
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Vacation Bible School Promotes Everyday Heroes
THIS SUMMER'S VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL runs July 5 -
9, from 9 am to 12 noon. The theme is Hero Quest. This
is a faith-filled program designed to give children an
understanding of what makes an ordinary person a
hero. They will come to know that being a true hero
has nothing to do with the super heroes they read
about in comic books or see in movies. What makes an
ordinary person a hero is what is in that person's heart.
They will learn about heroes in the Bible who had such
a deep faith and firm understanding of God and Jesus
that they had the power to be strong, courageous,
determined and loving heroes.
The Youth Education area will be transformed into a
cityscape complete with skyline and phone booth
(necessary for superman-like transitions!) Participants
start their day at "Metro Headquarters" where they get
their mission for the day from HQ, the Hound Puppet. A
morning of crafts, games and fun ensues.
The program culminates in a celebratory supper on
Friday, July 9 from 6:30-8:30, in the Fellowship Hall.
Parents are invited to watch as the children show and
tell, receive certificates, and present a song and skit
performance.
See Jean Wynne after Sunday Services for more
information.
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| Uniteen's Retreat | | | THE UNITEENS EXPERIENCED A GREAT WEEKEND March
12-14 in beautiful Leesburg at the United Methodist
Church Camp on Lake Griffin. The theme, Up, Up and
Away! was about lifting and keeping our thoughts Up
and the negative things that don't serve us Away! The
crew that went on this awesome voyage consisted of
Russell Bailey, Michael Fish, Ryan Calehe, Austin
England, Kelsey Fleming and Franchesca Pierre.
We left the church Friday afternoon in our rented Grand
Voyager van (Thanks Rev. Allen!) to take a two-hour
grand voyage to Leesburg. We got there early enough
to register, check into our cabins, and scout the scrub
pine grounds on the shores of beautiful Lake Griffin.
After the opening program, we broke out to meet the
smaller groups that would be our family for the
weekend. These groups are where we do our more
intimate workshop activities, inner work and self
discovery.
The highlight of the evening was a burning bowl camp
fire. We took the denials that we had wrote about
ourselves in our family groups and, in silence, walked in
a long line (all 100+ of us) past the campfire. There we
dropped our negativity into the fire! Did I mention it
was in the silence? Of course, this was after we had
toasted marshmallows and spent some of our boundless
energy!
Then it was vespers (short meditations) and to bed. A 7:30 am breakfast call comes early, but the sunrise
over Lake Griffin is worth getting up for! We had a full
Saturday singing joy songs and having a guest
facilitator lead us in a dramatic play about being mean
and losing face. It was the story of two princesses that
lost their face, because they were mean. Of course,
you know there was a happy ending when they realized
their wicked ways and became nice and got their faces
back!
Games were fun in the afternoon and free time at the
non-heated pool, lake dock or basket ball court is
always a hoot! After dinner, family groups met again,
followed by a night hike. Picture this: a night hike, in
the dark, with no flashlights and no talking. Just taking
a short walk in the dark, dark woods. Oooo spooky!
But we were singing the Alleluia song all the way until
the last group finished. Then, a surprise in the dark!
As we passed out wintergreen life savers, the sparks
flew from our teeth as we crunched them in our
mouths. You must try it sometime!
We got back in time for "make your own ice cream
sundaes," vespers and bed. Rise and shine, it was instantly Sunday morning and
another beautiful sunrise on the lake! More breakfast,
family workshops and Sunday service lead by the
Orlando Youth of Unity teens! This took place in the
little youth chapel where we said goodbyes to
graduating Uniteens, who were moving up to the
Y.O.U., and thanked all the people who helped make
this weekend happen.
The service ended with a beautiful angel wash. This is
kind of like a car wash, but with two lines of people
facing each other and washing the people coming
between them with loving comments and healing
touches. We ended up in a large circle singing the
peace song. After this, we had warm fuzzies (hugs)
and said our goodbyes till the Fall Retreat. We then
made the van ride home, during which our group
bonded even more. These Uniteen weekend retreats are wonderful
getaways where growth in spiritual practices and
principles are woven together with truth and fun! The
young people in their 11, 12, and 13 years are going
through the most change in their lives. It is good for
Unity to have such a awesome program and weekend
to help guide these youths through what could be the
most trying, but rewarding, times of their lives. From the Uniteens: thank you so much for your loving
support and money to send us to retreats. If you'd like
to work with the Uniteens once or twice a month,
contact Jean Wynn or Brian England after service. We
are open and receptive to having you join us! By Brian England
BRIAN ENGLAND is a member of Tampa Unity and
sponsors the Tampa Unity Uniteens. He has been
working with Tampa Unity's young people since 1984,
having previously sponsored the Youth Of Unity
Program. | | |
| Lenten Retrospective | | | THE CHRISTIAN WORLD has once again observed the
Lenten season, the season of prayer and fasting that
precedes the joyous festivity of Easter. It is commonly
believed that the Lenten period has to do with the
events of the forty days preceding the Resurrection.
This is an erroneous idea. Lent is a church institution,
and there is no authorization for it anywhere in the New
Testament. The idea, however, has a sound spiritual
basis; Moses, Elijah, and Jesus Himself set a precedent
for it. Each observed a forty-day period of prayer and
fasting as a preparation for spiritual work. Moses
received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai at the
conclusion of his fast. Elijah talked with God on Mount
Horeb at the conclusion of his period of prayer and
fasting. Jesus began His great spiritual ministry at the
close of His fast in the wilderness. Why forty days? The ancient Hebrew writers made a
practice of using numbers to symbolize ideas. Forty, in
their minds, was a "foursquare" number suggesting the
idea of a foundation for something to follow; an idea of
completeness. So the number forty is frequently used in
the Scriptures to indicate a completed preparation for
something to follow. When we consider Lent as a well-
rounded or "completed" season of retreat from the
things of the world for the cleansing of the mind and
the recollection of the things of Spirit, it becomes a
true season of preparation for the glorious Eastertide, a
preparation for the resurrection of the mind from the
darkness of its sins, doubts, and false beliefs into the
light of understanding. The Holy Week is the week that changed world
history. It is a dividing line between the old way of
thinking and the new way of thinking; the old era of the
law and the new era of Love and Forgiveness. The Holy
Week, sometimes known as the Passion Week, has also
divided two different Christian groups. They are the
passion-crucifixion centered Christians, who are in the
majority, and a minority group (where Unity Christians
are) who prefer being resurrection centered. The truth of the matter is that in Jesus' time the
Romans used crucifixion as a method of punishment for
all non-Roman citizens, like Jesus and Peter. Paul, who
held Roman citizenship, was decapitated. Using this
observation, we can say that the use of the cross for
Jesus (and for us) was unimportant. We cannot deny
that this type of punishment was long and painful, but
it was not special. It was the execution that non-
Romans would normally receive. Then, where is the difference? The difference, without
any doubt, was the resurrection. The empty tomb of
Jesus has marked the difference between him and the
rest of humanity's spiritual leaders. With no offense to
other great men and women who sacrificed their lives
to defend their comprehension of the truth, the empty
tomb of Jesus has been the most transcendent idea for
humanity. If Jesus had not resurrected, empty would be
our faith and his message of eternal life. The reason for
Christianity is given by the resurrection of Jesus. Our
Sweet Lord left his pain and suffering to show the way
for his followers, to demonstrate that all he had taught
in the years of his ministry was the truth and only the
truth, that you and I have been created so that we
can have eternal life and have it abundantly. All we
need do is walk the path that Jesus walked, the path of
life, the path that will return us to a consciousness of
unity with Our Father-Mother God.
By Reverend Enrique Amoros | | |
| WHAT DO I BELIEVE AND WHY DO I BELIEVE IT? | | | CREDO WRITING is on my mind these days since I have
four Credo papers required this year for my Field
Licensing Program. These papers include two on
formative factors, the nature of God and the human
condition and humankind's relationship with God. Not
exactly what you would call easy writing topics and it
has really caused me to think about my beliefs. I
learned in class that there are three types of beliefs:
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Public beliefs are what we say that we believe such as
believing in the five Unity Principles.
- Private beliefs are what we tell ourselves we
believe
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Visceral beliefs are beliefs I have and am not aware of
Credo means, "I believe." The purpose of Credo writing
is to bring these beliefs into alignment so that I am
living in integrity, at one with myself.
Co-Founder of Unity, Charles Fillmore, was once
pressured into writing down the official Unity beliefs.
He wrote out about 30 statements, known as Unity's
Statement of Beliefs, not all of which have passed the
test of time. I have always admired Mr. Fillmore's
ability and willingness to change his mind. I think being
open to new ideas, new information, and new
discoveries, as well as open to opposing opinions, is
important. By the 1960's and 70's many Unity Ministers were
concerned about some of those original statements and
The Statement of Beliefs was dropped from print.
People continued to inquire about the "official" Unity
beliefs so, in 1991, Connie Fillmore, Mr. Fillmore's great
granddaughter, composed the Five Unity Principles
which remain our guiding principles. Unity has no
official political views and believes it is up to the
individual to follow their own guidance in all matters. I think of Unity as a way of life, more like a philosophy
and less of an ideology. Ideology is fixed, not open to
discussion or change, yet philosophy encourages new
discoveries, is always a work in progress and constantly
asks the questions: what do I belief and why do I
believe it? Understanding Unity's philosophy and how it
matches my own is helpful in constructing my Credo
papers. Like Mr. Fillmore, I too reserve the right the
change my mind and most certainly will. Maybe you would find Credo writing a good way to help
define your belief systems. If you are interested in
more information, let me know. God bless you!
By Reverend Debbie Moss | | |
| The Muse of May | | | WHAT BETTER MONTH TO HONOR OUR MOTHERS than
in the month when Mother Nature is at her showiest.
May teems with life and energy. Let May, with its
abundance of flowers and new green growth, inspire
creativity of the heart, mind and spirit. Rejoice and
revel in the natural beauty of the earth, and enjoy the
creative life force sprouting all around. Have a picnic,
and indulge in idleness. Take a break to appreciate the
flora and fauna as they frolic in a world replete with
growth and energy. We celebrate the Month of May (named for Maia, the
Greek goddess of Spring and motherhood) by honoring
not only our mothers, but the mother/nurturer who
dwells in everyone. May is the month of the Great
Mother, the embodiment of unconditional love and
compassion. She is the caregiver. Think of those who
have cared for you and those you have cared for. What
seeds have you planted? What are you 'growing' now?
How do you 'pay back' the love that has been given
freely to you? May is a month when the earth is in perfect balance
and harmony, a time when opposites are joined in
perfect union. It is the turning point on the brink of
Summer. Enjoy the plenty that is and look forward to
that which is to come. O magic sight, the hedge is white,
My scent is very sweet;
And lo, where I am come indeed,
The Spring and Summer meet.
-The Song of The May Fairy
Cicely Mary Baker By Janet Stanley | | |
| Many Ways To Pray | | | UNITY IS GROUNDED IN THE POWER OF AFFIRMATIVE
PRAYERS and our belief in prayer. Here at Tampa Unity
there are many ways to receive prayer when you are
challenged or when you want to express your
gratitude. Prayer cards are available in the Narthex
near the prayer box, cards are available in the pew
holders in the sanctuary and in the bookstore. Should
you need prayer you may fill one out and drop it in the
prayer box. These cards are prayed over individually
and sent to Silent Unity where they remain in the
prayer chapel for 30 days. During this time a prayer is
praying in this room and for each request 24 hours a
day.
We are privileged at Tampa Unity to have a Prayer Tree
and for those of you who want more prayers, your first
name and request is telephoned in to one of our prayer
tree members who will keep your name and request in
their daily prayers for two weeks. You are welcome to
call the office and we will fill out a card for you and
send it to the Prayer Tree, Prayer Box and ultimately to
Silent Unity. You may also ask your Chaplain to fill out a prayer card
and pray with you personally. Chaplains are available
after each service to pray with you at your request. If you need prayer, Tampa Unity offers many ways to
pray and we trust that you will ask us to support you in
your prayer needs. | | |
| Quantum-Touch Times Two | | | QUANTUM -TOUCH FOUNDER AND BEST-SELLING
AUTHOR, RICHARD GORDON will speak at Tampa Unity
on Friday, May 7, from 7 to 9 p.m. In his free
lecture, "Breakthrough Energy Healing: Using Quantum-
Touch to Heal Yourself and Others." Gordon will share
his insights about Quantum-Touch, the powerful healing
energy healing technique that can be learned by
anyone.
Richard Gordon is the author of Quantum-Touch: The
Power to Heal and a pioneer in the field of energy
healing. His previous book, Your Healing Hands: The
Polarity Experience, is considered a classic guide to
energy work and has been translated into nine
languages. Quantum-Touch is a very light touch which can be
used on yourself or others to reduce stress levels and
pain, and accelerate the body's own healing response.
Quantum-Touch is recognized by the American Holistic
Medical Association as a valuable healing tool. It
enhances the effectiveness of other hands-on healing
techniques such as acupuncture, massage, and
chiropractic therapy. Richard Gordon bases the headquarters of Quantum-
Touch in Kapaa, Hawaii. The Tampa Bay area will be
one of only two locations in North America where he will
speak this year.
This lecture will be presented in the Tampa Unity
Sanctuary on May 7 at no cost to listeners. Just come
to Tampa Unity and be prepared for an evening of
enlightenment. For those who wish to further explore the Quantum-
Touch experience, an in-depth workshop series will be
presented May 24, 25, 26 and 27. Patricia Cowart
Wagner, a Quantum-Touch practitioner, will facilitate.
Patricia is a certified Quantum-Touch practitioner and
instructor with a private practice in St. Petersburg,
Florida. A student of metaphysics and spiritual
awareness, she has used energy in healing since the
1980's. Her healing sessions join the power of
Quantum-Touch, intention, presence, silent prayer,
meditation and gratitude. The workshop series will provide training in Quantum-
Touch techniques including: breathing and body
awareness exercises, pain and inflammation reduction;
distance healing; working with pets and animals; and
more. The sessions run from 7 to 10 pm each evening,
May 24 - 27, at Tampa Unity. The cost is $65.00 per
person and includes all four evenings. Further information is available at the desk in Fellowship
Hall.
By Janet Stanley | | |
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