Unity Small Groups- In Building, Online & Outside!
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We meet Tuesdsays from 6:45-8:15PM Eastern Time virtually via www.freeconferencecall.com. The first 45 minutes in Sanskrit; the last 45 minutes is a guided meditation.
If you have any interest in sound, vibration, energy, the chakra system, and other related topics, this is a good small group to attend for at least a few sessions. The pamphlet we use describes the Sanskrit sound that correspond to each chakra. In fact, the sounds are mapped to a total of 50 petals distributed on each chakra: 4 on the root chakra, 6 on the sex chakra, 10 on the solar plexus chakra, 12 on the heart chakra, 16 on the throat chakra, and 2 on the “third eye” chakra. There is also a 1000-petaled lotus just under the skull with “AUM” mapped to each of those petals. But the Sanskrit alphabet has just one different sound for each petal. This is related to the “microcosmic orbit” if you have ever practiced any breathing meditations because the energy flows both in the form of physical sound and vibration that can be heard and felt, as well a subtle, nonphysical, form of energy. If interested I can email you the pamphlet and you can simply ask me any questions without even attending the Tuesday night.
With respect to meditation, we simply practice a guided meditation by listening online to the guided meditation “Coherence” (from Dr. Joe Dispenza’s Becoming Supernatural book). As you continue to practice this weekly, to me it seems that each session gets deeper into meaning. You can simply attend one or two sessions whenever you have time, with no obligation to attend each week. But I have found since I do have to attend each week as the facilitator, that it has been very valuable to me. There are many ways to meditate, and each of us resonates with a particular way that is meaningful to each of us separately. I’m glad we at Unity Spiritual Centre Girard can offer a consistent online meditation time.
Also, if you have any ideas for the Tuesday night OM timeframe (6:45-8:15PM Eastern, or a little earlier if we meet at the Centre), let me know what you would like to have offered either virtually or physically at the Centre. In the summer of 2022, we had the spiritual energy healer Bryan Baskett. Things like that could be schedule with a month’s prior notice.
You may attend either or both of these 45-minute sessions. This is all virtual so you can simply sign on before the start time for either session using www.freeconferencecall.com. Instructions are at www.unitycentre.org.
Thank you,
November 6: The Great Demonstration - Rev. Cay Tomerlin
November 13: Harvest Time - Rev. Rose Houston
November 20: Reincarnation? - Rev. Cay Tomerlin
November 27: Advent: Hope, Love, Joy & Peace - Rev. Rose Houston
November 24: 7:00 PM Thanksgiving Service - Rev. Rose Houston
Leaf Clean up Scheduled
Saturday, November 12, 2022 after Community Breakfast Bring your Rakes and Energy!
Niles Community Center
We have another opportunity to share our abundance this year by participating in the Christmas Giving Tree for the Niles Community Center.
I am so happy to announce that Deb Lavelle has stepped forward to coordinate our participation. Thank you Deb.
If you would like to take part in this giving of gifts for the children to receive the love of the universe: Please Contact Deb at 330-544-5028 or at lavelledeb@gmail.com. By November 11 and let her know how many children you would like to have.
Once she has the names she will distribute the tags at the Centre so that you know how to best serve the children with their wish lists, and let you know when they are due back before Christmas.
How Many Christians Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?
Michael Duduit
Charismatic: Only 1 – Hands are already in the air.
Pentecostal: 10 – One to change the bulb, and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.
Presbyterians: None – Lights will go on and off at predestined times.
Baptists: At least 15 – One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad and fried chicken.
Episcopalians: 3 – One to call the electrician, one to mix the drinks, and one to talk about how much better the old one was.
Unitarians: We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, you are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your light bulb for the next Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions, including incandescent, fluorescent, 3-way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.
Methodists: Undetermined – Whether your light is bright, dull, or completely out, you are loved. You can be a light bulb, turnip bulb, or tulip bulb. Bring a bulb of your choice to the Sunday lighting service and a covered dish to pass.
Nazarene: 6 – One woman to replace the bulb while five men review church lighting policy.
Lutherans: None – Lutherans don’t believe in change.
Amish: What’s a light bulb?
Remembering the First Thanksgiving
This year I decided to do something different for my article on Thanksgiving. I started thinking about the first group of pilgrims who came to America for spiritual and religious reasons. Their story is about the founding of our great country. Like myself, some people may not have heard the full story. I vaguely remember the name Squanto. This is a true story of a man by the name of Squanto. Squanto to Thanksgiving is as important as Santa is to Christmas. He was the very important Native American who made all the difference for those arriving pilgrims. First, I want to tell you about the pilgrims who came over to this great land. There were 102 brave people who came over to America. They were fleeing religious oppression.
Let's think for a moment of what these people had to give up. Can you imagine leaving your home because of religious oppression? Keep in mind that you are giving up your whole family and all your friends. They are NOT coming with you. You will probably never see them again. But you are so devout to God, and you are so strong in the way you wish to worship God, that you are willing to stand up and give up everything you have ever known.
As a minister, I’ve known many people who have done this right here in this country. They’ve had to leave friends and family because they left their religion to come to a church that touched their hearts. Sometimes they were disowned or disrespected. It takes great courage inside of a person to do this - a courage that goes the extra spiritual mile. They are willing to experience a loss for what they believe in. There were only 102 people boarding a ship to cross a vast ocean to come to a new world they knew nothing about. They boarded a wooden vessel that had no luxuries. It was the Mayflower. They were at sea for 120 days. They were running out of food and water. They met incredible turbulence on the sea. Finally, they arrive in what is now called Plymouth. The year was 1620. They arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts at the very worst time--December 11th. The snows can be very bad in Plymouth in December. When they arrived, they didn’t realize it, but they were to face the most severe winter that the Native American could ever remember. They docked the ship, put down the anchor, and came to this strange land in rowboats. They stood upon the beach. The cold winds hit them in the face. But they did not flinch in their resolve.
In the months that followed, almost one half of the Pilgrims died. All of them would have died if it hadn’t been for Squanto. we might say that Squanto was really one of the fathers of our country. In his old age, he gave his all, even when he didn’t have much to give. By the time the snows had melted, followed by a hot summer, and by the time the harvest came around, there were only 56 Pilgrims left. But thanks to Squanto they had wonderful crops. For the first Thanksgiving dinner, they invited 91 Native Americans. Of all the Pilgrims, there were only four women left. These four women and two teenage girls prepared the meal. We often think this is the first Thanksgiving Day celebration where the Pilgrims were able to give thanks for the crops and the blessings that came, but it really wasn’t. They were well acquainted with Thanksgiving Day celebrations. The Greeks honored the goddess of agriculture in a Thanksgiving celebration. The Romans honored the goddess of corn. The Hebrews gave thanks for abundant harvest with the eight-day feast of the tabernacles. So, they were very familiar with a Thanksgiving Day or week celebration.
We all meet adversity and sorrow in our lives. There have been times when various parts of our lives have died and gone away- perhaps a loved one, perhaps a career, perhaps someone we valued greatly. But, it is the choice we make as people on a spiritual path to adopt the same attitude as these Pilgrims. Like the Pilgrims, we are still explorers. What are we exploring? We’re exploring the New World of “our life” that is beginning each new day. We could lie down in the adversity; we could be unappreciative for anything because things have been so tough - but we don't. We stand up and use the power of appreciation and give thanks to God for all the blessings that have come our way. No matter how tough life has been, the blessings of God always overwhelm the negative.
During the first two critical years of the infancy of this colony, Squanto helped the Pilgrims by staying by their side. He helped them build houses, plant, cultivate crops, and learn how to use the land. He helped them build seven private homes and two communal buildings, and miracle of miracles, Squanto was an English-speaking Pawtuxet Native American. How did he learn to speak English? As a boy he was playing along the shore, and some early explorers captured him. They put him in the hull of their ship and took him to a land where he would work as a slave for the rest of his boyhood and well into his young manhood. One day, he was able to escape. He went to England and worked for a wealthy merchant. During this time, he mastered the English language. But his dream was to go back home and be with his people. Finally, six months before the Pilgrims arrived, Squanto returned to his people.
For a moment, think about all the toil and adversity Squanto must have experienced in his life, and realize how God used every bit of it. Squanto was already there when these new people came. He could speak English. He knew the ways of these people. He knew how to communicate with both the Pilgrims and the Indians. In doing this, he kept the Indians from killing the Pilgrims and from stealing their food. He was able to get these two very different cultures to work together. Here was this elderly man who came back at a very harsh time. That winter was also very bad for his family. They lost hundreds of people during the cold weather of that winter. But he was there. And during the last two years of his life, he was able to help this infant colony to make sure it would survive. He is really an unsung hero who gave of his life in service to others. He used his adversity to the betterment of humankind. On that first Thanksgiving after the tremendous hardships and loss of lives, the pilgrims and Native Americans gave thanks for the harvest by honoring and thanking God.
To me, it looks as though God had a divine plan to save the pilgrims and begin the great experiment of democracy in America. One of the things that I give thanks for is that God can turn every adversity into an opportunity. But, we might ask, what do we have to give thanks for in this country and in the world at Thanksgiving this year? We’ve experienced tremendous adversities with the challenges of COVID-19 where so many lives were lost, wildfires, global warming, runaway inflation, floods, violent weather patterns and much more at a personal level entering.
We’re entering a New World as the Pilgrims entered their new world, because the world is continually changing. It is a joy to be alive at this time, IF we make it so. It is wonderful to know that God is working in our lives. It is so wonderful to use the power of appreciation and thankfulness for everything that is going on in our lives. Appreciation has two different meanings. First, it is praise and blessings. And second, it is like a bank account, which means it is growing with interest. Truly, there is no finer way to make us grow than to have an attitude of appreciation for everything in our lives. This is true especially for those people in our lives who have helped us grow - they are the Squanto(s) in our lives.
In the book, "You," Frances Wilshire says this about using the power of appreciation on other people. She says: “When you praise anyone, that one at once begins to unfold, as a rose unfolds and expands, because you are recognizing his or her Real Self.” Then she talks about using the power of appreciation on yourself. Bless yourself. Bless your body. Bless your abilities. Bless God’s working through you, and inside of you. Too many people in the world go through their lives cursing themselves, cursing their bodies, cursing their abilities, and wondering where God is.
What do you get if you use the power of appreciation every day of your life? What do you get if you open up your mind and begin to appreciate everything? You are going to have a switch in the attitude of your mind that gives you enjoyment. Imagine if Squanto had said, “How dare they do this to me? I’ve had my youth taken away and my life was so bad. I am truly miserable.” He would have come home an old, defeated man. But he didn’t. This old man had stature from overcoming adversity. He had the power of appreciation, of seeing the blessings when they came. He had the power of being a positive attitude person. He didn’t resent the people who came over six months after he returned home. He welcomed them as friends and appreciated them. He used all the toil of his life for the betterment of humankind.
In Ecclesiastes 5:19 it we read: “Every man also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and find enjoyment in his toil - this is the gift of God.”
We are so surrounded by the gifts of God. I pray that you have this new power of appreciation in you for everything in your life, every person in your life, for yourself, and for God.
"Enter into God's gates with thanksgiving, and into God's courts with praise: be thankful unto God and bless God's name. For the LORD is good; God's mercy is everlasting; and God's truth endures to all generations." Psalm 107:1
Spend this Thanksgiving Day jotting down a list of things that you are thankful for, and then give thanks to God for each and every one.
Let Us Pray,
Dear God, it has been a tough year. Many have lost jobs and homes and yet in this moment I thank You for the blessings of life, knowing in my faith that the best is yet to come. Now, I ask that You bless me by helping me learn the positive lessons from my adversity so that I may use them for the betterment of my life and others. Holy Creator, I ask you to turn my every adversity into opportunity. I give thanks God for my life and the cornucopia of opportunity that lie ahead.
Happy Thanksgiving! ~Rev Rose
As we enter into the month of November, it is, to me, a time to enter into thanksgiving.
I love that we celebrate our nation with a day of family, fellowship and food that is special.
November is a time when the season changes as the last leaves drop and in our neck of the world starts to hibernate during the winter snow and cold that is just around the corner.
As the leaves fall for a dormant season of growth, I too am moving into a time of leaving and this will be my last November Cay’s Corner…for now, maybe forever.
Allow me to express my gratitude for the privilege of being your spiritual leader for the last 7 or so years. I have grown exponentially in my spiritual walk and I never would be where I am in consciousness without the opportunity to share my truths with all of you.
I would like to thank all of the people who served on the board during this time, and gave of their time, ideas, and consciousness for the good of the Centre, they are all team players and act in love. Thank you to the staff and their support throughout it all…the shoulders to dump on and the laughter that followed. The music team(s) and all the joy they brought to all of us through song.
A true blessing is Rev. Rose with all of her insight and help as well as willingness to step in to co minister- I embrace her in gratitude.
For all of you that upheld and supported the Centre financially throughout the COVID separation, you walked the talk! WHOOHOO!!!
I am stepping down from the administration but I will always be available to serve as a Licensed Teacher, a speaker and a member. I look forward to my life’s unfoldment as well as seeing how all of you move through this time of change.
