NEWS YOU CAN USE
OPEN YOUR HEART TO GOD ON WORLD DAY OF
PRAYER- SEPTEMBER 9
THURSDAY, SEPT. 9 marks the eleventh year in which
Unity has celebrated the World Day of Prayer.
Join us at Tampa Unity in celebration of World Day of
Prayer. Six special prayer services are scheduled on
Thursday, September 9: 9 am, 10 am (Spanish), noon
(prayers in foreign languages), 1 pm, 3 pm (Spanish) &
6 pm.
We are dedicating this day of prayer to our Prayer Tree
Chairperson, Mickey Downing, who made her transition
on August 23 of this year. Mickey served on our Prayer
Tree for the past six years. We will miss her prayerful
spirit and are grateful for her service.
Prayer unites us with God and one another. It opens us
to receive abundant blessings. Even if you cannot come
to the services, you can join us in Spirit during this day-
long vigil by affirming:
One with You, dear God, I am united with all
creation. In this sacred moment of prayer, I open my
heart in faith to You and Your Infinite
Blessings.
Prayer lists are available in the Sunday Bulletin. Turn in
you list to the Bookstore and it will be forwarded to
Unity Village for inclusion in their 24-hour prayer vigil.
The deadline for Prayer lists is September 5.
FREE GOLF CLINIC GETS YOU IN THE SWING FOR
THE TAMPA UNITY TOURNAMENT
CAMILLE SURDI, GOLF PRO OF THE TAMPA BAY GOLF
ACADEMY is holding a free golf clinic for anyone
participating in the September 25 tournament. Learn to
grip, stand and line up correctly and improve your swing!
The clinic will be Friday, September 17, 7 pm, at the
Ace Golf Range, which is` located in Tampa at 7951 W.
Linebaugh Avenue, between Hanley (Wilsky) and
Sheldon Rd. RSVP is encouraged. Call Camille at 813-
601-6709. Further information is also available at this
number. Participants must purchase their own bucket of
balls.
TAMPA UNITY'S FIRST ANNUAL GOLF
TOURNAMENT
Saturday, September 25 at Heritage
Harbor Golf and County Club. This event, an 18 hole, 4-
person best ball scramble is open to 120 golfers, so be
sure and register early. The fee for individual
participants is $90.00. Singles, as well as twosomes
and threesomes, are welcome. Sign up by completing
the form in the brochures to be found in the Fellowship
Hall.
Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club is located at
19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway, Lutz, FL 33588, just
west of Dale Mabry, off Lutz Lake Fern Rd. Tee off time
is 8 a.m. Registration deadline is September 15. All
proceeds benefit Tampa Unity. For more information
Email: info@unitytampa.org or visit the Tampa Unity
website at www.unitytampa.org.
TOURNAMENT SPONSORSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE!
See the Golf Tournament Brochure in Fellowship Hall
orEmail: info@unitytampa.org or visit the Tampa Unity
website at www.unitytampa.org.
BOOKWORMS
by Clara McLaughlin
This month's book choice is "Secret Life of Bees" by
Sue Monk Kidd.
The novel is set in the American South in 1964, the
year of the Civil Rights Act and intensifying racial
unrest. It is a powerful story of coming of age and the
ability of love to transform.
Isolated on a South Carolina peach farm with a
neglectful and harsh father, 14 year old Lily spends
much of life longing for her mother, Deborah, who died
amid mysterious circumstances when Lily was four. To
make matters worse, Lily's father, T. Ray, tells Lily that
she accidentally killed her mother.
Lily is raised by Rosaleen, her proud and outspoken
African-American nanny. When Rosaleen attempts to
exercise her newly won right to vote, she is attacked
and thrown in jail.. Lily frees Rosaleen from jail, and the
two set out across South Carolina in search of a new
life, and the books adventure begins.
Here is a sample of the questions we might discuss
about the book.
-
Have you ever heard of "kneeling on grits" before?
What qualities did Lily have that allowed her to endure
and eventually thrive, despite T. Ray?
- Who is the queen bee in this story?
- Lily grew up without her mother, but in the end she
finds a house full of them. Have you ever had a mother
figure in your life who wasn't your true mother?
- Have you ever heard of the Black Madonna? hat do
you think of the story surrounding the Black Madonna in
the novel? How would the story be different if it had
been a picture of a white Virgin Mary?
The book club is a group of men and women who enjoy
reading good books and discussing them with their
friends. It's a great way to connect with your Tampa
Unity friends and share different ideas about literature.
The book is available in the Bookstore at 20% off,
$11.20 Join us for the next Book Club meeting on Sept
14th at 6:30 pm in the Youth Ed Area.
NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION
Want to know more about Unity? Interested in
becoming a voting member of Tampa Unity? Please join
Rev. Allen and Debbie on Sunday, Sept. 19 from 2 to 6
pm in the Margaret Giles Room.
NEW DATE
FALL PROGRAM STARTS OCTOBER 3
This year we will deepen our understanding and
practice of prayer by studying Learning to Pray by
Wayne Muller.
During the seven week period, we invite you to read
Learning to Pray (available in the bookstore- $14.00)
and join us every Sunday for a special lesson/sermon
based on this book and the Lord's Prayer.
We will share a weekly theme and practice from the
book as we deepen our prayer life. We ask your
participation and commitment by wearing the color of
the week; hosting and/or joining a home study group;
becoming a facilitator and participating in creating
special art to support our weekly colors and themes.
Facilitator training starts Sept. 26. Please contact Rev.
Debbie for further information.
Click Here To Veiw Upcoming Events
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APPRECIATING LABOR DAY
LABOR DAY SIGNALS THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER
AND END OF SUMMER. It's time to get back to school
and back to work, time to harvest what has grown and
store away for leaner winter days.
Labor Day is more than just a picnic and a day without
postal service. It is a celebration of the spirit of the
American worker. The holiday grew out of the labor
struggles of the mid 1800's - a time when labor unions
were formed to combat harsh working conditions
endured by workers across the country. The first
celebration was presented by the Knights of Labor in
1882, followed by a large parade in New York City in
1884. It was held on the first Monday in September and
such a huge success that the Knights made a
declaration to hold a parade every year on that same
day. They called it Labor Day.
I like to think of these brave working class people
standing up to the Industrial Barons of the time and
demanding a decent wage and an eight hour work day -
suffragettes and rabble-rousers paving the way for the
quality of life we enjoy today.
On Labor Day, remember all those who work so that
you can work, from the counter person who pours your
coffee to the mechanic who services your car to the
doctor who relieves your cold. We are all part of the
circle.
by Janet Stanely
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| FALL PROGRAM STUDIES THE LORD'S PRAYER | | | The Lord's Prayer is most likely the best loved and
frequently repeated prayer in all of Christianity. It is
prayed so often that I wonder if we really stop to think
about its meaning and the power behind each and
every word. The scriptures say that the disciples
asked Jesus to teach them to pray and he gave them
the Lord's Prayer so that they could use it as a model
to create their own prayers. It covers every aspect of
our daily living, acknowledges our closeness to God and
addresses the human condition. It is easy to see how
this could have been a "teaching" prayer. The Aramaic (the language Jesus most likely spoke)
version is quite beautiful and I'll share some
interpretations with you. "Abwoon d'bwashmaya (Our
Father which art in heaven) according to an Aramaic
scholar quoted in the book, Prayers of the Cosmos,
means the following:
Ab, Eastern root word, refers to all fruit, all
germination proceeding from the source of Unity. It
has been used
in the Aramaic word Abba, referring to a personal father.
Bwn shows the ray or emanation of that
father/motherhood to include shades of both father and
mother In the mystical science of sounds and letters, common
to both Aramaic and Hebrew, the word abwoon points
beyond our concepts of male and female to a cosmic
birthing process with four parts to its meaning:
A: the Absolute, the only Being, echoing the
ancient sacred sound AL and the Aramaic word of God,
Alaha, literally meaning "the Oneness".
Bw: a birthing, a creation, a flow of
blessing as if from the "interior" of this Oneness to us. Oo: the breath or spirit that carries this flow,
echoing the sound of breathing and including all forces
of wind, electricity and more. This sound was linked to
another Aramaic phrase rukha d'goodsha, translated
as "Holy Spirit".
n: the vibration of this creative breath
from Oneness as it touches and interpenetrates form.
There must be a substance that this force touches,
moves and changes. The rest of the phrase completes the motion of the
divine creation. Whenever we begin to speak anything by rote memory,
it often loses its meaning to us. Beginning October 3,
we will spend seven weeks studying the Lord's Prayer in
depth. We will be using Wayne Muller's book, Learning
to Pray in our services and in our home study groups. I
invite you to join us as we go deep into the meaning of
the Lord's Prayer.
Abundant Love and Blessings,
Rev Allen Moss | | |
| NEVER BE FORMAL WITH GOD | | | FROM THE MOMENT WE ARE BORN, WE ARE TAUGHT A
GOOD NUMBER OF IMPORTANT THINGS, such as our
customs, the social and family norms, and a large list of
things we can and cannot do. Our parents and
educators excel in making sure we learn these things
and learn them correctly.
One of the many things we are taught is our
relationship with God. We are taught to be formal with
God, that we should be distant from him in order to
preserve a good relationship. Our life continues to grow
in this manner until it is time to train our children to be
successful in life.
Many years ago, when I studied at a University in
Spain, I encountered a crisis in my relationship with
God. It was the result of many little things that started
accumulating through the years, to the point that I
was so distant from God that I could not reach Him,
see Him, or feel Him. All these things, in addition to my studies in Biology,
started to provoke in me thoughts that I had been lied
to regarding God. I felt betrayed, which incited
sentiments of anger and rebellion that separated me
definitively from my religious practices. As time passed,
I believed less in God, but at the same time, I felt a
greater need of Him, and as a result started a process
of rediscovery of God. I became familiar with a number
of religious groups and sects during this period of
searching for the Truth. I came across nothing that
would satisfy my spiritual thirst.
My retreat from the traditional church brought tension
with my mother, a devote Catholic, but my father did
not seem to care much about my attitude. During
vacations with my dad, he would confess to me that he
too did not like the traditional church, or any other
church in particular, because they all kept us from
establishing a direct and personal relationship with God.
My dad once said to me lovingly, "We cannot be formal
with God, just like there should not be any formality
between you and me, because this formality separates
us from God." He then added, "God should be treated
like our father, with confidence, not limits, and with
sincerity and appreciation." I had never heard my father talk to me in that fashion.
I really felt good about his message to me.
When my brothers and I finished our studies, my father
decided to return to the Dominican Republic, and so we
did---the entire family. I continued my search, even
though my mother tried very hard to motivate me to
return to the traditional church. At times, I would
accompany her to church to please her. But, one day, I
was invited by one of my friends to attend his church.
My friend told me it was really not a church, nor a
religious sect, but a school of practical Christianity. My
friend's words truly motivated me and something inside
me told me that I was getting very close to what I had
been searching for, a Christianity that displayed Jesus
Christ, the teacher. So, the Sunday before Thanksgiving of 1985, I arrived
at Unity Dominicana, Dominican Republic. I liked the
environment, which was full of spirituality and prayer. I
enjoyed the absence of images and other symbols. But,
what caught my attention the most was that a woman
would be in charge of the message. My first impression
was a very positive one, but the message was what
finished calling my attention.
One of the things that went through my mind was the
phrase, "Don't be formal with God." I remember the
conversation I had years ago with my father and felt
my spiritual search had ended. That woman, Reverend
Carmen Fe Figueroa, became later on like a second
mother for me and, under her guidance and orientation,
I started my education to become a servant of the Lord
using the Unity philosophy. Unity became my church, and as soon as I could, I
started my studies to become a licensed Unity minister.
Later on in 1996 I received my license as a Unity
minister and the 10th of August 2004, I received my
certificate as an ordained Unity minister. It has been a
long journey, full of challenges and blessings and many
lessons to be learned.
I have learned to count my blessings, and to that long
list I have added my arrival to Tampa Unity Church and
the many friends that my family and I have made here
including the members of the Church Board and the
congregants who always expressed their consideration,
affection, respect, and love. Rev. Allen and Rev. Debbie Moss have become more
than friends. They have become my family. God has
been very good with us, just like he has been with you.
I invite you to love him more than anything else. Let
him enter your life and don't be formal in your
relationship with Him.
Rev Enrique Amoros | | |
| THE BEAUTY OF NATURE INSPIRES PRAYER | | | DURING OUR SEVEN WEEK FALL PROGRAM WE WILL
STUDY THE LORD'S PRAYER, a prayer that the vast
majority of us know by heart. Jesus constructed this
prayer for his Disciples.
The Lord's Prayer is a wonderful model prayer
expressing gratitude and requesting forgiveness. It is a
reminder that God's will is what we ultimately seek. He
ended the prayer with "Amen", Hebrew for "make it so".
While there are many forms of prayer, what most of us
seek through prayer is a closer connection with God.
Jesus used the name "Father" to let the disciples know
just how close we are to God. Jesus often said, "The
Father and I are one." We are all that close to God. As I write this column, a beautiful experience and
connection with God is still fresh in my mind. While
visiting my son in San Francisco, we went to one of my
favorite places, Muir Woods. The majesty of this
protected forest of giant, ancient Redwood and
Sequoia trees touches me deeply. Every time I visit this
beautiful national park I feel a close connection and
communion with God. Standing among these giant trees
I feel small yet very connected to nature, the universe,
God and everyone. It feels like a very powerful prayer
of oneness and thanksgiving. I feel like I do when I am
in church, celebrating the power of God all around me.
The story of how Muir Woods came to be a national
forest preserve is quite remarkable, spiritual and fills my
heart with love and gratitude. William and Elizabeth Kent bought 925 acres for
$45,000 in 1905. The State of California was preparing
to use the area for a badly needed water reservoir.
However, conservationists asked the Kents to help
preserve the magnificent trees which would have been
destroyed by the reservoir. When the Kents saw the
beauty, age and size of the trees, they agreed to
purchase the land and donated it to the federal
government. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed
it a national monument in 1908.
It was a very controversial move for the Kents and
they received quite a lot of criticism for buying the
land. So much so that when President Roosevelt
wanted to name the park in honor of the Kents, they
refused and instead suggested it be named in honor of
John Muir, a well known and respected conservationist. Mr. Kent's family asked him why he made such an
unpopular decision that damaged his reputation. He told
them he did it for all of the children of future
generations. His grand daughter, now in her 70's, still
goes to Muir Woods to see the visiting children as a
witness for her grandfather.
I'm no longer a child, but I am always in awe of this
beautiful national monument and grateful to Mr. & Mrs.
Kent for their gift, wisdom and courage. Sometimes our
prayers are answered in ways we can not always
immediately understand. I am so glad that Mr. & Mrs.
Kent acted on his divine idea and inspiration. As we study "Learning to Pray" by Wayne Muller, let's
keep in mind that beginning and ending our prayers with
gratitude is a powerful way to experience our oneness
with God. I hope you will deepen your experience of our Fall
Program by participating in a home study group as a
host/hostess/facilitator or as a participant. Join us as
we spiritually explore the model prayer Jesus offered so
many years ago.
Amen!
Rev Debbie Moss | | |
| UNDERSTANDING ABUNDANCE | | | Last month we celebrated Abundance in August at
Tampa Unity. Thinking about Abundance reminds me of
my challenges with money. I was always praying for
money, yet knowing abundance was more than that.
Something was missing. Something was just not right,
so I continued to pray. And I am glad I did because one
day in the middle of my prayer time I heard a voice
saying, "Seek understanding first." I looked around and
the only things I saw in my home were my cats and I
knew they weren't talking. Realizing this was God trying
to get my attention, I prayed and meditated about
what I was to do to find my true abundance. A few hours later, I received a phone call telling me I
would be receiving a large check, which I should have
received the year before. I thought about the words
God had said to me earlier. In three days I received the
check. First, I gave thanks and tithed, then used the
rest to tend to business.
During the following weeks, I continued to pray for
understanding in all areas of my life. I knew that
money was just one of God's gifts to me for believing
and having faith that He would provide me with what I
truly needed. It wasn't just money I received that day, but
understanding. God helped me to see how I am to be a
responsible steward of what He gives me. For the next
few weeks I received mail from all kinds of credit card
and loan companies. I turned them all down. I was
beginning to see how UNDERSTANDING would play a
new and important role in my life. I needed to work on
a different level of consciousness. Being a good
steward of God's supply meant I was to make wise
choices, not frivolous ones. Understanding has made a
big difference in my life. I may be tempted, but I don't
fall for buying anything I do not need or doing anything
that might compromise what I am to accomplish in my
lifetime. Prosperity is more than just money. It is understanding.
Making good choices through understanding will prosper
me and allow God to provide for me. I have all that I
need and am blessed knowing He is the center of my
life. He is guiding me all the way. I found that
understanding, for me, is the key to my true prosperity.
Pat Dunning Pat Dunning is a Tampa Unity Chaplain.
To submit an article, prayer, poem, announcement, etc.
for publication in the Tampa Unity Vision, e-mail Janet
at staff@unitytampa.org. All submissions subject to
approval and editing! | | |
| UNITEENS BAKE SALE BENEFITS BENCH PURCHASE HONORING RUTH WALLACE | | | TAMPA UNITEENS WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE
CONGREGATION for supporting our bake sale at the end
of our Sunday School Year 2003-04!
The Uniteens (11, 12, and 13 year old class) usually do
fund raisers to help pay for retreats or other social
outings. But the proceeds of this bake sale, along with
funds from the rest of the Sunday School, went
towards one of the courtyard benches in honor of Ruth
Wallace for her years of service and dedication to our
children and Tampa Unity's Youth Education programs. "I would like to commend the Uniteens for giving of
their time and of themselves to honor one of their life
teachers," says Uniteen Sponsor Brian England, "And, if
anyone would like to get in touch with their inner child
and teach meaningful, basic Unity Principles to teens,
please come to the Sunday School and talk to Jean
Wynne. This is an awesome group with so much
energy, I could use your spirit in guiding these
wonderful youths!" NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL CURRICULUM NEEDS NEW
TEACHERS
Summer's Vacation Bible School, "Hero's Quest" was a
big success. Activities included Bible stories, arts and
crafts, games and learning about everyday heroes. The
Tampa Police Department came out on the final day to
talk about Crime Prevention. They brought their horse
patrol, motorcycle, squad cars, and a lot of great
information for the children. We want to thank Tampa
Unity Board of Trustee Member, Brenda Hunt, for
making this possible for our children. They really
enjoyed it - and learned a lot, too! This September we will start an exciting new curriculum
called "Celebrating My God-Self." September is
Teacher Rally Month. During the month, we want
everyone to get to know our Sunday School Teachers
and our need for more teachers. Parents, stop by and
get to know your child's teacher. Then, see how you
can become a teacher to our children. Currently we
have four teachers, but our children could use eight! They are the seed we must nourish for all our spiritual
growth. If you want to have fun and rewarding
experiences with a bunch of kids, please join us. Now,
more than ever, our children need your loving spirits to
show them the path to their highest good. It is only in
our giving, that we truly grow spiritually ourselves. Jean Wynne | | |
| SUPPER CLUB TRADITION CONTINUES ON OCT 2 | | | THE SUPPER CLUB IS A WAY TO BRING CHURCH
CONGREGANTS CLOSER TOGETHER in the casual setting
of their homes.
Supper Club Circles are made up by randomly selecting
participants to become a part of one of several groups
(Circles). The Circles remain together for one year
(couples are placed in the same circle). As a Circle
member, you agree to invite your Supper Club group to
your home for dinner and an activity once during a 12-
month period. The host supplies the main entrée and
each member brings something to share. The kick-off meeting this year will be on Saturday,
October 2 in Fellowship Hall at 6 pm. See Joanne
Rossano or Judy Ramerez, the new coordinators for the
Tampa Unity Supper Club, for further information.
Meeting together on a monthly basis brings a sense of
community and commitment to each Circle. After the
year is over, the groups are disbanded and new ones
formed. A SUPPER CLUB FOR COUPLES WITH CHILDREN!
There will be a planning meeting after the 11 am
service on Sunday, September 12 in Fellowship Hall to
develop a Parents' Supper Club. Tampa Unity parents
can treat themselves to dinner with other parents once
a month We'll share a meal together, have lively discussions,
laugh, and grow in God. Anyone who wishes to join the
Parents' Supper Club but cannot attend the meeting
can either sign up in the children's area or contact
Carolyn Deese at 870-0731. | | |
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