The Unity Church of Tomorrow.

One of the most pressing issues facing Unity leaders today is how do we most effectively  teach Unity truth to those who want to hear it. Do we continue trying to act like a church and have Sunday lessons and Sunday worship services, or do we revert to the Fillmorian concept of study groups, prayer groups and small gatherings where truth is taught and prayer is offered. In those times, Unity didn't compete with other Christian denominations. After all, so much of what Unity teaches can be garnered by individuals through personal reading, informal book study groups, or simply being a loner working these truth principles in solitary. Why would individuals come together to form a community in order to study truth? It seems perfectly reasonable that one could learn truth principles from internet websites, motivational speakers, specialized workshops, small informal groups meeting in coffee shops and conference rooms, and a personal commitment to spiritual growth and unfoldment, without having to attend church or a community on Sunday mornings. What does a Unity church constitute? What are the ingredients in a Unity church service that make its existence not only worthwhile but able to thrive? What aspects of traditional church services are found in a Unity church? Does the existing paradigm of church structure and order fit with Unity theology? 

Unfortunately, the Unity movement is not in a position at this time to answer all these questions, however many view such a nebulous condition as good. They might say that the Unity movement is constantly unfolding, changing and morphing into something new every day. No one would disagree with this idea; nevertheless it’s like the old saying” if you don’t know where you are, it makes going anywhere darn near impossible”.

I am not sure that walking into a Unity church, the visitor should find chairs in a row, hymnals, candles, a podium, a piano, and all the other accouterments found in the traditional church. If Unity is different, and in my mind, there is little doubt of that, perhaps we should look different. Perhaps we should conduct our services differently, with uniqueness and a flare for the spiritual seeker. Did I hear someone say “church in the round”, a “guide” not a minister, seekers not a congregation, questions and answers discussed during the service, time in the silence without interruption, and performers (dancers, musicians, drummers, and artists). 

Well you say, you can change the structure, but we still need a church, a place to experience God, a place to come together in community and be part of something bigger than yourself; to welcome visitors and guests and to give them the opportunity for spiritual growth that you and I have had. This is most assuredly true, but where Unity is going, I don’t think any religious group has gone before, and we better figure out where we are now so we can get there tomorrow.

Unity churches are generally divided into two camps. The Fillmore camp, where practical Christianity is taught, Jesus is talked about and the Bible is read from, and the New Age camp, where “self- help” concepts are talked about and anything which might be considered Spiritual is taught.  I believe the Fillmore camp congregations can be considered churches in the sense that they are a Christian community coming together to move more deeply into a Christian experience. The New Age camp congregations are indeed more of a Spiritual Center where people come together to socialize and to be around people of like minds. 

There might be a third camp arising within the Unity movement which could be called the “Unified Religious Sect”, which are those centers where several religions are taught and possibly practiced. This new movement is certainly more of a center, than a church, a center for education, enrichment and intellectual growth.

Now is a great time to decide which train we want to be the conductor for, and my guess is , most of us already have decided. If that is the case, let’s be clear with our intentions and not be swayed by what others are doing or saying. We are here to be of maximum service to our brothers and sisters,and we are  on our own “God endorsed” mission to lead others on their path toward spiritual freedom and unconditional love. In the meantime, let's enjoy the ride. You never know what lies ahead around the next bend, especially in a Unity Community. 

Realized Eschatology

Realized Eschatology:  Is it possibly possible?

How could the study of final things be realized? Most all Christian religious believers think that the end of all things is yet to occur. Almost daily, we see someone or some sect profess that the End is Near! This is a sufficient reason to repent of one’s sins and bring out the wailing walls. I don’t want to get caught with my pants down if the end is really near, do you? But then perhaps Jesus was telling us, albeit in a cryptic manner, the end has already come! The end of suffering, the end of hatred, the end of (wo) man hurting (wo) man, the end of looking to the future for salvation .The end of all matters of final importance has come, and now we see clearly that Jesus’ life and story was one of completion, not suspense.

Jesus said that he came so that we could experience life more abundantly, if we would follow his example. His life was a testament to living fully in the present moment. The birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was a complete story, one that you and I will also experience, not someday, but now. We all are born to a virgin mother, one whose perfect expectations and dreams for her new baby boy or girl are unblemished. We all live our lives teaching and learning truth, whether we care to admit it or not. And then our bodies eventually , some sooner than later, die and we are buried in a cave of what we can’t see when we live. Death holds a mystery so powerful; few are willing to not be afraid as it approaches. But then, a resurrection occurs, not physically, but spiritually, we (or our souls) are brought back to earthly conditions, through the process of reincarnation. Not bodily reincarnation, but soul reincarnation, whereby our souls are brought to earth for a purpose. That purpose varies with each individual, and what “business” they need to finish. In the case of Jesus, his message was not finished, and so his soul body came back to finish it.

So the end, my friends, is near; in fact, it’s so near it is actually right now. I feel blessed to be aware of the Now, the present moment, and relish and hold dear the teachings of Jesus the Christ, our way shower and friend. He clearly lived in the awareness of the splendor and grace of the Father. His life was a complete demonstration of the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of all life.

De-Mythologizing Jesus the Christ

I have an idea, let’s try and take the oranges out of orange juice and see what we have left. Better still, let’s take the drive train out of an automobile, and see how she runs. Or maybe, we can take special interest lobbying groups out of politics and see what type political system is left remaining. In attempting to take the mythology out of the Jesus story, we may not have a lot of excitement left, but what we do have left ( unlike the examples given above) is a simple, yet profound spiritual truth, spiritual axioms, if you will.  “Love thy neighbor as thyself, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, let go of your material possessions and follow me, for I AM the truth the way and the life”.

When we strip away the myth which is have been built around the Jesus story, it is like taking up several layers of old carpet, and underneath finding a priceless beautiful hardwood floor, built by craftsmen with patience and pride. Not to say that the myth is wrong, or has served no purpose, because, of course it is part of the Jesus story, as we Christians know it today. It’s become part of our culture, ingrained in our consciousness and sanctified by most Christian religious traditions. It’s like peeling the layers of an onion, one myth or one layer at a time, until you find the center and sweetest spot in the onion. The truth that Jesus taught is probably not all that different than the truth that Buddha, Mohammad, Confucius, and other great spiritual teachers and mystics have taught. The list of teachers might go on and on, however spiritual truth does not change, and Jesus, perhaps more than any other teacher, new this.” Build your house (spiritual consciousness) on a bed of rock (spiritual truth) and when the rains and storms come, your house will not be destroyed.” What exactly are these truths? Why have they been so mysteriously concealed for over 2000 years? If you were given a list of them would you abide by them? Perhaps not; however, if we search for these priceless kernels of truth, and commit our lives to discovering and living by them, we have a promise of a fulfilling existence.” Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all of these other things (an abundant life), will be given to you”.

I don’t want to take away the mythology around the life and teachings of Jesus the Christ, because it serves a wonderful purpose, that is, to worship the king of Kings, the one who triumphed over evil and all forms of discouragement and lack of hope. But it is important to discover the truth, like a miner, panning for gold, who finds a large nugget. This truth is within you and is within me as it was within Jesus and we have for the privilege and honor to discover it on our own, with God’s abiding help.

The Amazing Power of Prayer

Prayer has Amazing Power  

The Revealing Word states “prayer is the most highly accelerated mind action known. It steps up mental action until one’s consciousness synchronizes with the Christ Mind. It is the language of spirituality.” Theologically, is prayer the foundation of our faith, or is our faith the foundation of prayer? This may sound like a riddle, but it is not. In Glimpses, the author speaks of a “Let it in or Let it out” methodology alternative for prayer. With regard to the idea that prayer is our mind in action, then one could rightfully assume that prayer is both” letting in” the Supreme consciousness of Source, and at the same time, “letting out” our fervent desire to commune with that Source. Our faith allows us to believe in the power of prayer and our prayer time develops and strengthens our faith.

Prayer is possibly the most overlooked source of power in the universe. One could only imagine what divine possibilities might arise if the leaders of our US Congress were to meet in a closed-door session of intensive prayer. What if church and state were not separate? Early in our country’s history, and in the history of Christianity, there was no separation between church and government. Were we more effective then as a society and culture? Could this be at the root cause of our divided political system?

Putting this tedious question aside, let’s return to attempting to clarify the power in prayer. Without a “let it in” and “let it out” system, prayer may not be all that effective. However, when an individual or a group decides to move toward the cyclical pattern of both letting in God’s divine grace and at the same time letting out one’s internal Christ light, extraordinary things begin to happen. An analogy might be our very breath. If we were to breathe in and simply hold our breath, eventually we would expire. And if we decided to simply release our breath, that to would be tantamount to suicide. However, when we breathe in God’s grace and love, and then when we allow such power to activate our Christ spark within, it initiates and automatic response to release into manifestation God’s presence on earth. This may sound a little far-fetched for some, however it is also analogous to the ocean and its rhythm and its tides and it’s moving in and moving out, as part of the “wholeness” of the ocean, without which the ocean would surely die.

Effective , powerful prayer can be accomplished when there is a rhythm and exchange between the son/daughter and his/her Father/Mother God. Without that give-and-take, that cyclical exchange of energy, prayer is impotent. But with an intentional, open and loving communion with Source, amazing miraculous things will take place. I may have come to the garden alone, but in my deepest exchange with Spirit, both Spirit and I are changed, and I leave the garden as a new creation, and God is expressed even more.

Natural Selection and Diving Inspired Words of the Bible

I appreciate the idea that the Bible is made up of stories that were handed down from generation to generation and recorded and edited and rerecorded. It sounds a bit similar to the way the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous was written. The first 100 sober alcoholics discussing, cussing, editing, writing and rewriting the “instruction manual “for how to work the 12 steps. Bill Wilson, co-founder of AA ,  wanted his way on most subject matter and in fact he was an excellent writer, however, the “ group consciousness “ would not allow it , and they ( the first 100) prevailed in writing the book .

Of course, the books in the Bible evolved over a much greater time frame, and the process was different, but I must believe, for my own sanity, that the books were divinely inspired. Redaction is the term I believe for how the Bible evolved, which is simply a fancy word for edit. With the discovery of the Nag Hammadi codices, we have discovered that there were other authors, such as Thomas, whose books were not included in the Bible. Some say that this discovery smacks of control and political influence, by the priests and Roman hierarchy and maybe it does. But it seems to me that God’s message seeps its way into our minds and hearts through a process that is not directly related to the actual words. This process can be called Metaphysical, Allegorical, or Metaphorical. The point is that there is Energy in the words of the Bible. That energy is as real and “Living” today as it was 2,000 years ago.( I might suggest saying a brief prayer before reading the Bible, asking for God’s direction and His/ Her understanding of Spiritual truth.)

There are Big Book " thumpers" and Bible "thumpers", and these folks want to teach by the letter of the law. Perhaps this consciousness will always be around, because it serves them well, however, in Unity we discover another WAY to understand the Books in the Bible, and that is as it “speaks” to us in our individual spiritual journey. I am certainly not saying that we should have a “free for all” in our interpretations of the Word, but that we should be open and discerning as we look to the Bible and try to find a message   that is relevant and helpful for us today.

 My father would often fall asleep while reading his copy of the King James, and I would carefully remove it from his lap, so he wouldn't wake up. When I took that Bible in my hands I had a funny, special feeling, as I carefully put it on his dresser so he wouldn't lose his place. I don’t read the King James, but I am glad he did. He found answers, comfort and love in that book, and a sense of being a Christian, part of a larger movement for good. I feel the same excitement he may have felt as I scroll through my New International Version. The “Living Word” , breathed into by decades of Holy men and women, searching for Truth and Meaning to their lives. 

My Theological Snapshot for Metaphysical Theology 1 , HTS 551: John C. Beerman Fall 2013.

                                                                                       

I have a great deal of faith in God to be the anchor in my daily existence. I believe that God is the source of all of the good in the universe, and that God is the foundation for my life and also the lives of all fellow travelers in this world. Through the imagination of the enlightened beings, such as Jesus, God has demonstrated what is possible in our lives if we follow the spiritual path laid out in the Bible and other divinely inspired literature. Our souls are made in the image and likeness of God, and as we make good choices in our lives, that is, choices which are inspired by Spirit, we grow in God’s image each day.

God does not punish me or others when we make mistakes, however it is often difficult to override the theology which was embedded in my childhood, that if I get it right, I will be rewarded and if I get it wrong I will be punished. God is not a judge nor a jury, but a Source of love and support as we lead our daily lives. I still am tempted to try and do things that would please God, the Father, and gain favor with Him; however I know in my heart that God loves us unconditionally. I suppose that in my deepest recesses of consciousness, I make every effort to please God and to be a good son.

 I believe that Jesus is a role model and a good friend who teaches me and leads me in my daily walk with God. (For a long time, I felt guilty because Jesus had died for my sins, and I really didn't want him to do that.) "When I was a child, I thought like a child and believed like a child, however now that I am an  adult, I  see more clearly, and in that light, I know that Jesus ‘crucifixion and death was not about me, but was part of His own journey".

I look to Jesus for strength and as  a role model who can demonstrate the best and highest  behavioral choices which will lead me and others to freedom. It seems to me that Jesus is a part of who I am, because he lived a life just like I have, and he felt emotions and suffered from pain just like we do. He overcame this world that we live in and triumphed in a victory over the fear of death and ridicule. In that sense Jesus is my hero and my best friend and I know he loves me without conditions.

I do believe in the concept of right and wrong, however I also believe that God forgives me when I fall short and make poor choices. I believe that there is a God consciousness within me that senses when I make a poor choice or think about making a poor choice. Even if I choose to follow the wrong course, knowing that it is the wrong course, God forgives me, however it is much harder for me to forgive myself. When I fully recognize and realize my divine nature, then it becomes much easier to forgive myself .It was conveyed to me as a child that I am a sinner, and therefore as a sinner tend to make poor choices. My profession of faith in Jesus was to wash away my sins; however such a profession of faith never seemed to work with me. Now I know the truth, that I am a child of God in whom he is well pleased. I have been given the gift of “free will”, and my decisions are under my authority and discretion. Nevertheless, when I use the gift of free will to seek God’s direction in my life, everything works for my highest good and good of others as well.

                                                                                         

Epistemology and Pragmatic Idealism (Are You Kidding Me?)

     I can barely say epistemology and when I think of pragmatic idealism, my head starts spinning round and round like a whirling dervish. So, this little narrative is an attempt to talk about epistemology and pragmatic idealism  in terms that farmer Fred might understand; thank you in advance for your patience with me.

     How do you and I know what we know? Excuse me, how do we know what we know sounds like some sort of riddle or trick question to me. In our discussion Wednesday in class, we went through a whole mess of explanations and descriptions of how we might know what we know. I think we listed about five or six different items that all lend themselves to knowing what we know, the least of which (in my mind) was not intuition. But wait just a gal darned minute, my Unity friends have been teaching me to use my intuition since I first walked into a Unity church over 30 years ago. I was also told in Unity I could determine my own spiritual truth and not have to adopt some other person’s or religion’s truth. It seems to me then, that intuition may well be the most important aspect of epistemology. That is, if you took away intuition and you left the remainder of the “ other “  factors like Authority, Revelation, Scientific method,  and Tradition, we’d have one heck of a boring religion. It would all be about somebody else’s or some Traditional understanding of religious truth; now is that what you want? Of course, Authority can be applied to one’s own understanding, i.e. one’s (intuitive) understanding of truth principles. When we understand truth principles, we can then speak with Authority (for ourselves).

     I don’t know about you, but I was sold on Unity because I could take what was written in the Bible and I could take spiritual truths and interpret them myself.  I could literally do as it states in the third step of 12 step recovery, “find a God as I understood Him or Her,” not your God or your understandings, but mine, and one that works for me and that I am comfortable with. Well sir, maybe I’m missing something here, but when it comes to the EP word, I’m voting for Intuition. Okay, I’m out here on this tightrope all by myself, and I might well fall off, but then that’s the chance you have to take in the big leagues, and when I left traditional Christianity and turned myself into a Unitich, I voted for intuition. It may not be much, but it’s all I got.

    Now, with regard to Pragmatic Idealism, now isn’t that one beautiful phraseology.   Is pragmatic idealism a reference to the 4^th amendment to the U S Constitution? I have a difficult time in my mind linking pragmatism with idealism. To me it’s like linking   John Boehner to the Democratic Party. That dog just won’t hunt. To be honest, pragmatic idealism as a reflection of the Unity Movement might be better phrased as Idyllic idealism. Why don’t we just “fess up” and tell the truth. Unity is an idyllic alliteration of a band of Unitichs who call themselves “truth seekers”.  To suggest that there’s anything practical or pragmatic about Unity is like saying that George W was a genius, and he never told a falsehood. Call me weird or even radical, but I’m Ok that Unity is made up of idealistic hippies, who couldn’t balance our checkbooks even with a slide rule. The world needs us Unitichs to balance all of them “right wing” traditionalists who seem to have an answer for everything. Thank God for Unity. And thank God for Balance. (I just wish I had some.)