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NEWS YOU CAN USE
UPCOMING:
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Oct 14 & 21:
Tampa
Unity Pumpkin Patch!
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Oct 19 & 21:
Inspirational Movie
10 Questions For The
Dali Lama
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Oct 21:
Fall Focus: Make
Me An Instrument Of Peace Begins
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Oct 28:
Annual
Meeting
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Oct 28:
Y.O.U. Bake
Sale
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Nov 21:
Thanksgiving
Eve Meditation
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Nov 22:
Don't Stay Home
Alone Thanksgiving Dinner
SPIRIT IN ACTION
VOLUNTEER ADVISORY
COMMITTEE
We have a new Volunteer Advisory Committee (Gail
Gibson, Trista Clements, Leslie Back, Mary Switzer,
Scott Barry, Fern Kinion, and Diane Kelly) who will be
working with me to welcome new volunteers and
honor those who have already done so much for
Tampa Unity. They'll be wearing special name tags
after services, so if you have any questions, seek them
out (if they haven't found you first!).
IT'S NOW EASIER TO VOLUNTEER!
The Volunteer pages on the website are up! Click on
Volunteers on the left-side menu on the home page
(www.unitytampa.org) and look through the list of
interesting ways you can serve Tampa Unity - and
strengthen your spiritual growth at the same time. You
can sign up right online to volunteer or simply ask for
more information, and I'll get back to you quickly. (My
thanks go out to Jeff King for helping me get this
service on our site.)
Carol Ferguson
FOOD DRIVE A SUCCESS!
METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES ASKED FOR HELP,
AND TAMPA UNITY STEPPED FORWARD. We have
already collected over 500 pounds of food and baby-
care supplies. The Holiday Food Drive begins in late
October. Look for the drop off boxes in Fellowship Hall
and the Narthex.
Thanks to Sherry Keller for her perennial
efforts to support Metropolitan Ministries and to
everyone for their generous donations of
nonperishable foods. Even a small contribution
makes a big difference in our community.
THANKSGIVING THE EASY
WAY
BEFORE YOU TRUSS UP YOUR TURKEY, take time
to de-stress yourself at the Thanksgiving Eve
Meditation Service at 6:30 pm, Wednesday, November
21. Rev. Allen will lead a soothing, pre-holiday
reflection on gratitude.
DON'T STAY HOME ALONE...
No one to spend your Thanksgiving holiday with? No
problem. Reverends Allen and Debbie Moss along
with Rev. Enrique and Aura Amoros are hosting the
annual Don't Stay Home Alone Dinner on
Thanksgiving Day (November 22). The turkey will be
provided. Attendees are asked to bring a side dish or
dessert: enough to feed at least 10 people. Advance
reservation is a must. Please see Carol in Fellowship
Hall for a sign up sheet and list of suggested side
dishes.
STAY IN TOUCH!
We're now emailing Constant Contacts each week to
remind everyone about what's coming up on the
Tampa Unity calendar. If you haven't been receiving
them, this is what you need to do: go to our website
(www.unitytampa.org), scroll down to the bottom of the
homepage, enter your email address in the
blue "Newsletter Mailing List" box, then follow the
instructions to confirm your request. You'll receive your
first Constant Contact the following week. It's that
simple!
Y.O.U. BAKE SALE
Sunday, October 28.
Support our Youth of Unity
by purchasing yummy treats!
BALLROOM DANCE CLASSES
with Brian England. Thurs., Oct. 4, 18 & 25 at 6:30 pm
in Fellowship Hall. See Brian on Sundays for more
info.
METAPHYSICS II CLASS
IN METAPHYSICS I, WE EXPLORED METAPHYSICS
as applied to "Three religions, one God." Metaphysics
II will teach that we have the key to life, and that key is
the knowledge that life is a state of consciousness.
We are living in a time when the world as we know it is
passing away. Human beings cannot endure
emptiness and desolation. They will fill the vacuum by
creating a new focus of meaning. The idols of
fundamentalism are not good substitutes for God. If
we are to create a vibrant faith for the 21st century,
knowing and understanding the laws of life are not
enough. A person must also live the truth that he or
she knows. "The kingdom of God is within you." Luke
17:21
Join us on Saturday mornings from 10 to noon in
Fellowship Hall, October 13 through November 11 for
Metaphysics II. This class is facilitated by licensed
Unity teacher, Mary Riley, and is eligible for SEE
credit. It is presented on a love offering basis.
INSPIRATIONAL MOVIE NIGHTS:
ASK
THE
DALAI LAMA
AS PART OF A NATIONAL WEEKEND OF PEACE &
UNITY AND OUR OWN MAKE ME AN INSTRUMENT
OF PEACE PROGRAM, TAMPA UNITY PRESENTS
THE NEW FILM, 10 QUESTIONS FOR THE DALAI
LAMA.
"Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich?"
"How do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence
when faced with violence?"
These are some of the questions posed to His
Holiness the Dalai Lama by filmmaker and explorer
Rick Ray. Ray examines some of the fundamental
questions of our time by weaving together
observations from his own journeys throughout India
and the Middle East with the wisdom of an
extraordinary spiritual leader.
Part biography, part philosophy, part adventure, and
part politics, 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama coveys
more than history and more than answers - it opens a
window into the heart of a great man.
We will be showing the movie Friday, Oct. 19th at 7 pm
and Sunday, Oct. 21st at 4 pm. Tickets are $10 each
and may be purchased in the Bookstore or at the
door.
BOOKSTORE NEWS
A big THANK YOU to everyone who donated books for
the Book Sale. It was a huge success. Special
thanks to Luis Alvarez, Kathleen Chery, Lettie Cornett,
Julene Gordon, Marilyn Lerski and Barbara Pla for all
their great work shelving, organizing and selling.
There are still lots of great books left in the "B" side of
the Margaret Giles Room. Check it out on Sunday, but
hurry, because they won't be there much longer.
Rebates for Tampa Unity:
Don't forget to use www.unitytampa.org to access
Amazon when you want to order from their web site.
Tampa Unity will receive a rebate from your sale. They
really add up, especially during the Holiday Season!
Since 2005 we have received over $300 in rebates!
The I of the Storm is in the bookstore for 20%
off the cover price: $10.95.
UNITY'S JOINT
STATEMENT FOR PEACE
Adopted January 2003
Unity stands for peace in the presence of conflict,
For Love in the presence of hatred,
For forgiveness in the presence of injury.
Unity honors the many names of God,
The many paths to God,
The many ways of worshiping God.
For there is only one power and presence that is
God
And that God loves us all equally.
It is therefore the position of the
Association of Unity Churches International and Unity
to urge all nations, their leaders and their people, to
turn to God, by whatever name, for guidance during
these challenging times.
SUNDAY MORNING TREATS
AWHILE BACK, WE SET OUR INTENTIONS FOR A
GREAT HOSPITALITY CHAIR to coordinate the
refreshments after Sunday services and other events
here at Tampa Unity. And our prayers have been
joyfully answered!
Fern Kinion, who is one of the most active members of
our congregation, has offered (and no, I didn't have to
twist her arm!) to take the position. Fern is the head
Garden Angel - the visionary responsible for creating
our beautiful courtyard - and has coordinated the
ushers for the 11 am service for many years.
Another wonderful surprise: Jack Woerner has offered
to serve as Fern's Co-Chair. They have a lot of great
ideas for Hospitality, so expect to see some changes
that will serve our congregation better, including more
healthy snacks.
And check out the clean and organized kitchen - great
job, Fern! Thank you.
They welcome any ideas that will help make this
social time more pleasant.
And if you enjoy the refreshments after services, I ask
you to sign up to help Fern and Jack put out the treats
and then clean up afterwards. If everyone helped, each
person would only have to sign up once or twice a
year. That's really not too much to ask, is it?
Carol Ferguson
STAFF
Sr. Minister:
Rev. M. Allen Moss
Co-Minister:
Rev. Debbie Moss
Ministro en Español:
Rev. Enrique Amoros
Youth Ed Director:
Jean Wynne
Licensed Unity Teacher:
Mary Riley
Music Director:
John McEwen
Pianist:
Tanya McEwen
Office Manager:
Janet Stanley
Bookstore Manager:
Clara McLaughlin
Volunteer Coordinator:
Carol Ferguson
Nursery Attendant:
Claire Chisolm
Church Caretaker:
Jan Caldwell
Sexton:
Jim Atkins
MINISTRIES OF SERVICE
Y.O.U. Sponsors:
Lynda & Ben Taylor
Uniteens Sponsor:
Jon
Close
Web Master:
Jeff King
Garden Club:
Fern
Kinion
Supper Club:
Sherry Keller,
Kathryn Matras
Visit Us Online
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HOW CAN SERVICE EVER BE MEASURED?
THE BODY POLITIC OF TAMPA UNITY is represented
by our Board of Trustees: six members elected by the
general membership, plus the minister. Our Board
members are the ones who, through their collective
consciousness, set policy and oversee the direction of
our church.
October is when two members leave the Board and
new members are elected. The Board of Trustees
has expanded our Board from six members to seven,
plus two ministers and two alternates. This more
accurately reflects the way our church is organized and
gives broader representation for our membership.
At our annual membership meeting, which will be held
on October 28th, three new members will be elected
to the Board of Trustees. The nominating committee
(Carol Borchert, Diane Kelly, and chaired by Debbie
Rowe) has worked very diligently for the last three
months and is ready to put forth an outstanding group
of nominees. You will find bio's on the nominees in
this issue of our newsletter.
Jeff King is leaving our Board after serving for
the last six years, including one year as Secretary and
the last four years as President. Jeff has been an
outstanding leader; during his tenure we have made
many improvements to our organization, remedied
long-standing deferred maintenance, and improved
our facilities. Soon we will complete the playground for
our children. Jeff is an incredible role model for
selfless service to our church.
Rick Jachimski has served on our Board for
the last five years and was Vice President for this past
year. Rick is known as the "quiet one" but there is
nothing quiet about his service. If a job needs to be
done, Rick is the one who can get it done. You should
have seen him pouring concrete for our sidewalk - just
amazing!
Also leaving after her one-year term as an alternate is
Sally Rodgers. As a Board Alternate she
participated at meetings, kept up with business, and
was ready to step in if a Board member was unable to
complete his or her term.
I hope you will take time to share a word of
appreciation to Jeff, Rick, and Sally for their dedicated
service to our church. Our annual meeting is a time of
reflection on where we have been and where we are
going. As I prepare my minister's report for the annual
meeting, it is also a time of reflection for me
personally. I complete my tenth year at Tampa Unity
and begin my eleventh year of service. I see nothing
but a bright, spirit-filled future ahead.
Rich and Abundant Blessings,
Rev Allen Moss
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| CALMING THE STORM |
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EVERYONE LIVING IN FLORIDA UNDERSTANDS THE
PRINCIPLE OF THE EYE OF THE STORM, the calm in
the center of a hurricane. How many of us know about
the "I" of the Storm, the calm within that we can claim
in the midst of personal or emotional storms?
We will spend six weeks focusing on the principles of
Rev. Gary Simmons' book The I of the Storm,
Embracing Conflict, Creating Peace beginning
October 21. For most of us, the idea of embracing
conflict is not our automatic response. Conflict is
something most of us make every attempt to avoid!
We usually meet conflict with one of the following
human responses: fight, flight, or freeze. Any of these
may prevent a valuable learning experience.
St. Francis of Assisi wrote a beautiful prayer about
embracing conflict: not running from, not fighting back,
not freezing like a deer in headlights. Being the calm
within the storm allows us to discover many things
about ourselves, and we can begin to see the value of
conflict.
Did I say "value of conflict"? Yes, there is great value
in learning to receive the gift of conflict, and that's what
we will be studying during our 6-week focus on
embracing conflict and creating peace. We will spend
6 weeks living St. Francis of Assisi's beautiful prayer
Make Me an Instrument of Peace.
Deepen your Make Me an Instrument of Peace
experience by:
- Obtaining a copy of The I of the Storm in the
bookstore.
- Studying the questions and practicing the
affirmations in our weekly
bulletins.
- Attending a study group for in depth discussions
at 9 am on Sunday
morning, led by Rev. Debbie or Rev. Allen.
- Practicing the spiritual principles of The I of the
Storm by journaling
every day for 40 days.
Now is the time to embrace conflict and create peace
in our lifetime.
Love & blessings,
Rev. Debbie
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| PUMPKIN PATCH COMING SOON! |
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NOTHING SAYS "FALL" LIKE A PUMPKIN. Even if the
breeze is balmy and the leaves are green, you can get
in the fall spirit with a visit to the TAMPA UNITY
PUMPKIN PATCH, coming to the courtyard Sunday,
October 14th and 21st.
Pumpkins of all sizes, suitable for cooking or carving,
will be on display and available for purchase.
You can even pre-order your pumpkins! A form is
available in the bookstore. Fill it out and return it in to
Clara. Your pumpkins will be ready and waiting when
the patch opens.
Of course, there will be plenty of pumpkins for all and
festive harvest decorations to welcome the change of
season, even if the weather is still a little warm.
MORE THAN A JACK-O-
LANTERN!
Try this tasty recipe from Cooking Light Magazine:
Maple-Pumpkin Sauté
Serve this side dish in place of sweet potatoes to
complement entrées such as baked ham or roast
turkey.
Ingredients:
4 cups cubed, peeled fresh pumpkin (1 1/2 lbs )
1 ½ cups chopped Red Delicious apples
½ cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup raisins
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Preparation
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large nonstick
skillet coated with cooking spray; cover the pumpkin
mixture, and cook over medium-high heat for 20
minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in
syrup, salt, and ginger.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
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| YOUTH ED UPDATE |
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THE UNITEENS HAVE A NEW SPONSOR THIS YEAR.
Jon Close will lead this group of middle-school-aged
children on Sunday mornings. The Fillmore room has
been renovated into a cheerful space for them, and
this year promises to be exciting with so many fresh
faces involved.
ASSISTANTS NEEDED
The past weeks have brought record numbers of
children to the Tampa Unity Sunday School program.
Assistants are critically needed to ensure we comply
with insurance mandates for safety. Please consider
investing one Sunday a month in our children's
spiritual education. Sign up outside the Youth Ed Area.
THE PLAYGROUND EMERGES
Our vision of a playground for the children to enjoy is
practically a reality. All we need to do is fill the newly
fenced-in area behind the Fillmore Room with
equipment and landscaping. Go to the Youth Ed Area
to see a display and wish list. Many thanks go to
everyone who accepted a "Bucket of Love" to fill with a
$100 donation. Please be sure to return your bucket by
September 30th!
SING A SONG
Can you play a "sing-along" instrument like guitar or
piano? Sing-along leaders are needed on a regular or
occasional basis Sunday mornings in the Youth Ed
Dept. See Jean Wynne for more information.
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING
Fall has just begun but Youth Ed Director Jean Wynne
is already planning a wonderful Children's Christmas
Program to be presented during the Sunday service
on December 16. Parents who are interested in
having their children participate can attend a meeting
on Sunday, October 14, in the Youth Ed Area after the
11 am service.
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| NOTES FROM THE MUSIC MINISTRY |
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SIX WEEKS AGO I WOKE UP. I was sitting on the
couch, watching some silly sit-com when it hit me: I've
still got time! I spent the next few hours pacing the
floor, furiously jotting down ideas. I couldn't write fast
enough.
How could I have gotten off track? A year ago I was
participating in a visioning exercise in the sanctuary at
Unity Village, part of the music director's conference
Tanya and I attend every year. What came to me during
that exercise was a feeling that I was being called to
use my music to contribute to the Unity movement. It
was strong, and I was excited. I started planning a CD
on the trip home...
A month later, I found myself working as a mid-level
manager in an arena I knew very little about. I crashed
and burned, not cut out for it, I guess, but not before I
built a fairly sophisticated program in a very short
period of time. I didn't know I was capable of that.
So I did what musicians do: I joined a band, took a job
teaching music, I wrote a song about feeling like
Jonah on the beach...
Months passed by. I made half-hearted efforts to start
a website to feature downloadable New Thought
Music, and to move toward making a CD, all the while
feeling bitter and somewhat defeated about the whole
getting-fired thing.
More months, no progress.
"GET OFF THE COUCH AND DO IT!" Who said
that?
The morning after my revelation, I started making
phone calls. I can't begin to tabulate the chain of
divine-order events that unfolded from that point. The
right people showed up; the money showed up; I was
once again filled with a sense of purpose.
Long hours in the studio followed, but it was easy.
Many parts were done in one take. Meanwhile, Tanya
worked at getting newthoughtsongs.com up and
running. I spent my late nights editing and re-editing
my songbook, a companion to the CD.
Now, as the plane lifts off the ground heading for
Kansas City, taking Tanya and me to this year's music
directors' conference, I have a suitcase full of
songbooks and CDs. They are beautiful, featuring the
art work of my very talented niece, Alison Baltzell on
the covers; "Let Our Hearts Unite" is the title. Tanya
has her laptop, ready to launch the website from the
Village.
I listen to the CD again, and I am again overwhelmed
with gratitude. I allow myself to feel it, and tears come,
because I know I am only an instrument. I just had to
get out of the way and let it happen through me.
by John McEwen
John McEwen's latest CD:
Let Our Hearts Unite
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| MEMBERSHIP NEWS |
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THREE BOARD MEMBERS
RETIRE
This October, the Tampa Unity Board of Trustees says
good-bye to JEFFREY KING, who is retiring
after serving for the past six years, the last four as
president.
Since becoming a member in 1998, Jeff, along with
his wife, Nancy Mercurio, has served Tampa Unity in
so many ways it is impossible to mention them all.
From talent shows to technical support, from the
website to the choir, he is truly one of our mainstay
members. Though his service to the Board is over, his
commitment to Tampa Unity continues, and he will
still act as our web master for the award-winning web
site he created: unitytampa.org. Visit there for updates,
information, and useful links.
We look forward to seeing Jeff and Nancy continue
their leadership roles within our spiritual community.
RICK JACHIMSKI has also completed his
term with the Board. He served for five years, the past
year as Vice-President. Thoughtful and often quiet,
Rick and his wife, Aretha, have contributed greatly to
the well being of Tampa Unity. Rick is a hands-on-let-
me-fix-this leader and always willing to do whatever it
takes to get the job done.
SALLY RODGERS fulfilled a one year
commitment as a Board Alternate. She plans to join
Aretha Jackimski in the important area of
fundraising.
Gratitude and heartfelt blessings go to these three out-
going members of our Board for the gifts of their time
and talents. If you see them on Sunday mornings, be
sure and thank them for a job well done.
TAMPA UNITY VOTING
MEMBERS:
YOUR
PRESENCE IS ABSOLUTELY NEEDED!
Exercise your spiritual, democratic right and
responsibility to select the next members of our Board
of Trustees. Your vote and opinions are important and
critical to the success of Tampa Unity. Keep your
membership active by voting in person at the annual
meeting, Sunday, October 28, directly following the 11
am service. You may also vote by absentee ballot.
Either way ensures your membership remains active.
Absentee ballots will be available in the office and
bookstore. All absentee ballots must be returned prior
to 11:45 on Sunday, October 21, before the annual
meeting begins.
NEW
MEMBERS
A warm welcome goes to our newest members:
Rohana Chomick, Carrie and Joe Grimail, Jacalyn
Kirschner, Gene Runnels, Becky Tanner, and Jennis
Thomas.
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| THE CHRIST SPIRIT WITHIN |
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JESUS' VERBAL GIFTS WERE REMARKABLE. His
language was most often metaphorical, poetic, and
imaginative. They were filled with one-liners, short
sayings, and compelling stories. Spirit and
compassion were central to his teachings. He was
clearly exceptionally intelligent. His insights were
pointed and illuminating. He was clever in debates,
often turning a question back on his interrogators so
they could not respond without discrediting
themselves. Today we would say He was gifted as
both a right-and left-brain thinker. He was also a
remarkable healer. More healing stories are told about
Him than anyone else in Jewish history.
Jesus came at a time when the wall of separation
between man and God was high and wide. Man was
living in the darkness of spiritual ignorance. The purity
system of the Jewish social world was political and
unbearable. It started with Leviticus 19:2, "Speak to all
the congregations of the people of Israel and say to
them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am
holy." The priests expanded this to mean one's purity
status depended on birth, behavior, and one's whole
being.
It affected who was your friend. Gentiles were unclean;
you could not even eat with anyone who was not
Jewish. The purity system created a world with sharp,
cruel social boundaries, between pure and impure,
righteous and sinner, whole and not whole, male and
female, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile. The aftermath
of this terrible practice is still with us today. "Purity"
divides and excludes compassion; but Love unites
and includes all genders, races, nations, and
religions.
So much of Jesus' teachings contradicted the purity
system. Jesus tells us God is not an object to worship
but a presence dwelling in us, a force surrounding us
and a principle by which we live. Can people not live by
what Jesus said instead of an out-dated man-made
law? Jesus is not some God from the past. He is a
living force whose teachings, if deeply understood,
can show us how to eliminate unnecessary suffering
from our lives today. You have heard people speak of
the second coming of the Christ. Do they mean Jesus
will come back to earth to complete unfinished
business?
In Unity, we believe that He never left. The second
coming of Christ is not some historical event in the
future. It is an awareness, a recognition of the Christ
presence within us. When we are fully aware of the
Christ Spirit within ourselves, this is the second
coming of Christ.
Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with each
of us.
by Mary Riley
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| SWEET MYSTERY |
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WHEN IT IS TIME TO CLEAN UP, I DO NOT
HESITATE. "Throw the mess away!" is my motto.
Remember the Ajax White Knight? That is me. I am
stronger than dirt - and clutter.
With grim determination I faced the task at hand, the
purging of accumulated books from my loft: novels
and plays, fact and fiction, all layered with dust, pages
unopened for years.
My eyes came to rest upon a stack of hard backed
books, yellow spines, and colorful covers fading now
from time and disuse: my Nancy Drew collection. I
hadn't looked at those in years. Surely, they could go. I
could sell them - or maybe just give them - to the
Antiquarian Bookstore. I sort through the stack: The
Clue in the Old Stage Coach, The Mystery at Lilac
Inn...
When I was 11 or 12, my best friend was a girl named
Barbie. She lived in my neighborhood and I loved to
visit her house. She had a seemingly endless
resource of just about everything that was fun: a pantry
stocked with canned tuna for sandwiches, Twinkies,
and RC Cola; a closet full of board games from Clue
to Sorry!, Yahtzee and Monopoly; a swimming pool,
and a bookshelf that held the entire extant collection of
Nancy Drew Mystery books.
I had never been much of a reader, but once I started
on that first Nancy Drew Mystery, The Clue in the Old
Clock, I just couldn't stop. I gobbled down the entire
series that summer, which would turn out to be our
last summer together, the summer before my family
moved, the summer I discovered the wonderful world
of books.
When life was dull, Nancy was excitement, finding
mystery in the unlikeliest of places. It took a real leap
of faith to follow the clues and catch the bad guys.
Nancy was glamour and mystique. She was depicted
on the cover, blonde hair styled, pencil thin eye brows
arched, blue eyes wide above red lips parted in a
gasp of curiosity as she surreptitiously gazed from
behind a tree, a curtain, or a shrub.
The Password to Larkspur Lane beckoned to
me and I flipped through the pages...
So, I really can't give away these yellow hard back
Nancy Drews, especially now that I've started reading
them again. I'm thinking that the Antiquarian
Bookstore might have a few volumes that I am
missing...
by Janet Stanley
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