News You Can Use

IT’S THE GOSPEL TRUTH!

Y.O.U. SUMMER UPDATE

INSPIRING VISION

CONFESSIONS OF A KEYS TO THE KINGDOM PARTICIPANT

FALL PROGRAM FOCUSES ON LOVE EXPRESSING WITH GREG BAER’S REAL LOVE

JUST A TAD

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
JOIN US AT NOON on Thursday, September 8 for the World Day of Prayer Meditation Service as we affirm: United in the transforming power of God’s love, we are renewed in mind, body, and spirit as we pray for one another and the world.
Visit: www.worldd ayofprayer.org for further information on the World Day of Prayer.

MOVIE NIGHT FEATURES WHAT THE BLEEP...
IF YOU MISSED IT BEFORE, COME SEE IT NOW; if you’ve seen it, come see it again! Join us on Friday, September 16 for Tampa Unity’s Movie Night featuring What the Bleep Do We Know!?

What the Bleep... is as entertaining as it is enlightening - a must see! This dramatic narrative features interviews with 14 leading scientists and mystics and is the winner of five major 2004 US film festival awards.

What the Bleep will be shown in the Sanctuary at 7 pm on Friday, September 16. Admission is on a love offering basis. Fellowship and discussion time follows the movie.

Parents: What the Bleep... contains some strong language and may not be suitable for young children.

2 CHANCES TO SEE DR. JOE!
DR. JOE DISPENZA, who was featured in the award winning film, What the Bleep... will present his lecture, “Your Brain and Your Potential,” at Unity of Sarasota, 3023 Proctor Rd, Sarasota, FL on Friday, September 23 from 7 to 9 pm.

Dr. Joe’s remarks on how “I create my day” have inspired many viewers to further explore the relationship between the world of our thoughts and visions, and the impact they have on our lives. Tickets are $25.00 and available at www.WingsBookstore.com. Call 904-955-3301 for more information.

Dr. Joe’s seminar, “The Sciences of Creating Personal Reality” follows on Saturday, September 24 from 1 to 5 pm. at the USF Campus Activity Center, 140 7th Ave., S., in St. Petersburg, FL.

The workshop will address such topics as: Why the conscious use of your own brain is the most critical skill in shaping everything in your life, and how to improve your health and heal your body by changing the way you think. Tickets are $55.00 ($50.00 student discount) and available at www.WingsBookstore.com. Call 727-527-2222 for more information.

Both of these events are hosted by First Unity, St. Petersburg, FL. Visit: www.WingsBookstore.com to purchase tickets or obtain more information.

IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, I have been working with the concepts and thoughts created by Greg Baer in his book, Real Love. He defines “Real Love,” as “unconditionally caring about the happiness of another person without any thought for what we might get ourselves.” The concepts are easy to understand and make a lot of plain, old-fashion common sense. However, what I have found personally, is that living from these concepts is easier said than done. Just when I think I have my act together and I am sure that I am expressing real love... Kaa-Booom!

Real Love is the instruction guide or the “how to” book we all need to give and receive “Real Love.” In Unity we follow the teachings of our Wayshower, Jesus, and the only commandment he gave was “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” Great advice and a very worthy goal.

Right now we are deep in the spiritual principles of Keys to the Kingdom, an advanced course in prosperity consciousness building. What we are all learning, at a deeper level than before, is that limiting beliefs have always held us back. And, a new awareness of the truth of our being will set us free.

In both Real Love and Keys to the Kingdom, those unconscious, limiting beliefs are the culprits to our full expression of love; who we really are; and our highest vision of ourselves. The first and most important goal of both of these powerful concepts is a greater realization of God and our own creative spirit. These two series have a lot in common. They are paths that cross and intertwine as we move along the path to transforming who and what we are into the powerful spiritual beings we were created to be. This is not necessarily an easy path, but, it is a conduit that can move us in wonderful, loving, and powerful ways.

On September 25th, we will begin a seven-week series on Real Love and explore more deeply the foundation for all that we do and all that we are. On Sunday mornings, we will examine what it is that keeps us from loving unconditionally and how we can overcome those limiting beliefs. In home study groups, we will share our personal ideas and support each other in the process of finding “Real Love.”

When this seven-week series is completed, we will begin forming the “Wise Men” and “Wise Women” groups to continue meeting – learning how to become wise men and wise women as we tell the truth about ourselves; feel loved; and make conscious decisions to love other people. We will put into practice the concepts of “Real Love” in a very practical and powerful way.

Rich and Abundant Blessings,
Rev Allen Moss

EVERY GOOD BOOK HAS A HERO - good guys and bad guys - and the Book of Acts is no exception. Clearly, the Apostle Paul is the ultimate hero of the Christian faith. The Book of Acts follows his journey beginning as a “bad guy,” persecuting early Christians, to his conversion to Christianity. Acts describes his transformation and how he became the first and most effective Missionary. The author of the Book of Acts writes that Paul was a highly religious Pharisaic Jew, who persecuted Christians by sending them to prison and even ordered their executions. Later Paul converted to faith in Jesus on the basis of a visionary experience of Jesus that left him blind for three days.

The Book of Acts was not written as a mystery, yet there is significant mystery surrounding the text.

What we do know is that the author of Acts also wrote the Book of Luke but that doesn’t mean that “Luke” was the author. From past study and columns we have learned that in Biblical times authors often used the names of previously established Christian leaders to add credibility to their books. We also know that the Book of Acts covers the history of Christianity between roughly 30 CE and 60 CE. It concentrates on the first leaders of the Jesus movement, Peter, Paul and, to a lesser extent, James and the other apostles.

Even though Acts covers the time of the early Christians, about 30 years after Jesus’ death, we don’t know when it was written. It was written in a first person account as if the author had been with Peter, Paul and the other apostles. However, the numerous discrepancies between Paul’s own writings and those of the author of Acts make this claim highly unlikely.

Biblical Scholars point to the following factors that indicate Acts was written between 110-120 CE.

1. There are no references from other Christian writers to Acts before the last half of the second century.
2. There are compelling arguments that the author of Acts used some materials written by the Jewish historian Josephus. His work, Antiquities of the Jews was dated 93-94 CE.
3. The books of Luke and Acts each refer to early Jewish resistance fighters Theudas and Judas, both of whom led uprisings against the Romans. Theudas was arrested and executed around 44 CE and Judas led an uprising against the Romans in 6 CE. Both writers reversed the chronological order of these two defenders of the Jesus movement.
4. There seems to be some attempt on the part of the Luke and Acts author to rewrite a bit of Paul’s history. Using Paul’s own authenticated letters, he made an attempt to stress the continuity of Judaism and Christianity; Paul’s close relation to the other apostles; and the unity of the first believers. Paul’s letters show scant support for these assumptions.

I remember some good advice from a Unity instructor when I asked the question of how the Bible should be interpreted? His answer was that the most important question to ask when reading the Bible is, “What does this mean to me?” This is still good advice and I look for the spiritual message behind every passage of the Bible I read. That’s the Unity Way, reading the Bible metaphysically, looking for the spiritual message behind the story.

Love & Blessings,
Rev. Debbie

Sources: The Teaching Company’s Great Courses: The New Testament by Professor Bart D. Ehrman, University of North Carolina and The Jesus Seminar’s Newsletter The Fourth R March-April 2005.

THE TAMPA UNITY CHAPTER OF THE YOUTH OF UNITY has had a busy summer and has made many exciting plans for the fall.

The annual International Youth of Unity Conference was held July 12-17 on the campus of Central Missouri State University. This year's conference was fantastic as always! The theme was "The Leader Ship,” and the delegates explored all aspects of leadership, including how to plan and execute a lesson plan, discovering what types of leaders they are, and how to work as a team. They also participated in service projects in the local area.

We are very grateful to our church family for their love and support. Many Unity churches don't send delegates because they cannot afford the cost. All of the fundraisers such as pie sales, breakfasts and luncheons that the Y.O.U. puts on throughout the year, which are supported so generously by our congregation, helped make this trip possible!

In July, our youth traveled to a weekend beach getaway sponsored by the Panama City Unity Church. Two vans were driven by energetic Y.O.U leaders, Ben and Lynda Taylor. Despite some less- than-perfect weather and a larger than expected turnout, everyone had a good time together!

This year’s Y.O.U. Sunday will be September 18th at Tampa Unity during the 11 am service. Our two Unity Conference delegates, Tim Taylor and Carlie Jachaminski, will share their experiences and what they learned at conference. Please join us for this event. I promise these young people will amaze you!

The election of new officers took place recently and the Y.O.U. officers for 2005-06 are as follows:
Pres. of Service:Tim Taylor
Pres. of Prayer: Kyle Fleming
Pres. of Communication: Miranda Bailey
Pres. of Prosperity: Carlie Jachaminski
Pres. of Archives: Selina Loper.

The new officers will be attending a Leadership weekend Sept 9-11 to plan the upcoming year's events.

This Fall, the Y.O.U. will attend the Southeast Regional Fall Rally, November 4-6 in Keystone Heights, FL. This is another annual event and a lovely location for a weekend retreat. The Southeastern Region includes states from North Carolina to Mississippi, and youth from a wide area get to meet and make friends who they’ll see again at future rallies.

The Y.O.U. is open to young people between the ages of 14-18. We meet Sundays at 11am in the Y.O.U. room adjacent to the church office. If you have any questions please call Y.O.U. sponsor Lynda Taylor at 933-5778.
Farah Stokes

ON SATURDAY, JULY 30TH, I had the privilege of working with an inspiring group of 27 volunteers who gathered together to discuss a Vision for the future of their respective areas of interest: Youth Education, Pastoral Care, Music, Volunteers, Diversity, and Design/Grounds.

Our goal for the day was to:

1. Evaluate the ‘current reality’ of the existing Vision 2020 statements.
2. Enhance or revise the existing statements to reflect ‘next steps.
3. Define 3-5 new “next steps.”
4. Develop an Implementation Plan for each of the steps defined
5. Incorporate accountability and dates for all actions

Upon completion of respective group efforts, the entire group gathered to share their Divine Vision with the others.

This group of dedicated people accomplished more in a half-day together than most corporations accomplish in a month’s worth of meetings! It was fast and furious and all groups are now on track to meet their goals. The results will be visible to all.

If you are interested in participating in any of these interest areas, please contact one of the following people:
Music: Tanya McEwen:
jmcewn1@tampabay.rr.com
Youth Ed: Wendy Leigh:
wendy.leigh@tbpac.org or
Jean Wynn:
jean.wynne@ringpower.com
Pastoral Care: Rev. Debbie Moss:
dmoss@unitytampa.org
Design/Grounds/Facilitator: Debbie Rowe:
River560@tampabay.rr.com
Volunteers: Diane Kelly:
Zapp116@aol.com
Diversity/Spanish: Angel Rosado:
rosadoa@spcollege.edu

If you would like to see the complete plan for each respective group, visit www.unitytampa.org and click on Vision 2005.

A special thanks to all who gave their time and talents and remain committed to Tampa Unity’s future!
Nancy Mercurio

I ENTHUSIASTICALLY ENROLLED MYSELF in the seven week advanced course in prosperity consciousness building program, The Keys to the Kingdom, created by David Owen Ritz. As a result, my life has become all about abundance and commitment. Everyday I am either facing the demons my commitment to this course is bringing up or basking in the glory of freedom and ease that I feel as I go through my days affirming my abundance and saying, Yes! - to life and to God.

My first week was like a roller coaster ride. As I read the commitment document my heart began to race, my palms became moist and my mind took off in its own direction screaming all the while, “Are you a fool? How will you keep these commitments?” I managed to stay with my feelings and body sensations, and I also spent some time writing down my thoughts and feelings. Finally, I went over the commitments one at a time to see what they meant for me. Simply stated, they are commitments of tithing that include: time, talent and treasure. On the other side of all of this I found a place of calm and stepped confidently into the program and course work.

The second week was more challenging. I struggled to meet my commitments easily, and perfectly. I replayed old stories about myself and my abilities to prioritize my day and organize myself and my time accordingly. I occasionally felt angry or frustrated or too tired or without enthusiasm for the project, but I carried on, however imperfectly.

Week three focused on looking at our belief systems, and moving beyond our limiting beliefs - understanding the spiritual truths of abundance; how perfect! So far this has been quite revealing and powerful. I am much more aware of my thoughts and my thinking, and my time in prayer and meditation are more deeply grounded in the principles of spiritual abundance.

The weekly meetings are vital; everyone contributes their own stories, insights, and understandings of the material. We talk, discuss, share, encourage and laugh with one another. The group is a support system for the changes that are an inevitable result of this kind of deep work. The program is about change at the deepest levels, structural changes in our thinking and in our belief systems and, most importantly, how we choose to live our lives.

I can’t wait to see where we all are at the end of seven weeks, and then how we continue to move forward with our new found skills. Let’s see where we are at the end of seven weeks!
Kristen Hubbard

BEGINNING ON SEPTEMBER 25, WE WILL IMMERSE OURSELVES IN REAL LOVE by Dr. Greg Baer. We will discover in our Sunday lessons and in our home study group discussions the meaning of Real Love. We will explore the differences between “imitation love” and real love and have an opportunity to practice the principles of real love.

In Dr. Baer’s book, Real Love, we learn the keys to create successful relationships as we walk the path to finding and keeping “Real Love.” So much of our experience of love has been about giving and receiving love with expectations that few of us understand what Jesus meant when he told his disciples “love one another as I have loved you.”

Join us beginning September 25 for Sunday Services, host and facilitate a study group in your home or join one to discover for yourself the love that Jesus described and practiced. Your participation is vital in order to get the most from these important seven weeks. The good news that Jesus came to share with the world is that God loves you and we can learn to love each other and ourselves as Jesus instructed.

The books are available in the bookstore. See your Sunday Bulletin or Clara in the Bookstore to start a study group in your home.

HOSTS AND FACILITATORS NEEDED As a host/hostess, you will enjoy a peaceful "home blessing" as you invite a small group of spiritually- minded seekers into your home once a week for 7 weeks. Choose to facilitate your Study Group, or to simply give the gift of your peaceful home and receive the blessing of love in return.

As a facilitator, you will grow in your ability to listen to others and in your own clarity. Training is provided (and required!) so that you will feel empowered to gently hold a safe space for spiritual discussion and sharing. Facilitator training is offered on Wednesday, September 21 at 6 pm or Sunday, September 25 at 2 pm in the Fillmore Room.

Sign up in the bookstore. See Rev. Debbie for further information.

THERE IS LIFE ON MY WINDOW SILL. The life upon my sill consists of a philodendron plant, a scarlet Beta fish and a summer’s harvest of tad poles from the Tampa Unity fountain.

The frogs in the courtyard are of a hopelessly optimistic nature, relentless and prolific. They lay score upon score of tiny, black eggs in the fountain. But, the water must be chlorinated regularly, killing mosquitoes, algae and, alas, the frog eggs and tadpoles.

My vase of rescued pollywogs sits on the window sill above my kitchen sink. In the morning, the pale sunlight shines through it creating waterscape shadows on the cabinets and counter top.

The tad poles wiggle incessantly. A pinch of fish food flakes brings them rushing to the surface. From a tiny black squiggle they fatten till they look like minnows and then small legs appear behind them. Front legs follow and their tales shorten. They hug the glass sides of the vase, not quite of one world or the other. I take them outside to a garden pool in the backyard and set them free. They perch upon an iris leaf and look at me with tiny, shiny eyes.

They will become tree frogs of an earthy hue, with tapered noses accented by a dark pinstripe down the center. At night, they chirp in a loud chorus that belies their petite size, a big return on my small rescue effort.
Janet Stanley