 |
|||||
|
|||||
|
 |
||||
MARCH 2008“They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body.” Luke 24:2-3 Beloved Friends Albert Einstein once said that the work of the true scientist begins, not in anything he or she can see but in a certain attitude. It begins in a sense of awe and wonder. He said that without a sense of wonder we might as well be dead, for it is the beginning of all true art and science. In other words, astronomy did not begin when an astronomer looked at the night sky through a telescope. It began when a little child said, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are!” We can easily miss the point. Yet, it’s a very simple one. If you are prepared to believe only what you see, then you will not believe very much, and much of what you do believe will be mistaken. You will not see or understand enough to be a scientist. But, more importantly, you will not see or understand enough to become a mature, integrated, whole human being. And, most importantly, you will not see or understand enough to have faith in the Resurrection. The stone is rolled away from the tomb. Resurrection! Charles Fillmore, our co-founder, defined Resurrection as, “The restoring of the mind and body to their original, undying state…accomplished by the realization that God is Spirit and that God created man with Power like that which he himself possesses.” The New Testament often talks about the need for change – Repent! We tend to think that repentance is being sorry over our mistakes, but the Greek word which is translated as repentance in most English Bibles literally means “a change of mind, a transformation of one’s thinking.” Change begins with our own hunger for new possibilities, and that desire for change finds its fulfillment in the power unleashed through the Christ of God within us. At times we may feel entombed by our circumstances...the report from the doctor isn’t encouraging... the money didn’t come through...my job is going nowhere...life at home is a mess and I don’t know how to fix it. Why can’t I get my eating or my drinking under control? These pressures and deadlines are killing me. Nobody understands me. If God could raise Jesus from the grave, then God can free us from the tomb of our limitations and constraints. If God could roll away the stone that sealed Jesus in the grave, then God can roll away the stumbling stones that litter our path. If God could shatter the chains of Death, then God can surely free us from any bondage we may be experiencing. If God could open up eternal possibilities for Jesus Christ, then surely God can open a path for you and me! That’s Easter! That’s the awakening of a knowing, unrelenting faith that knows that God is with us. From that day on, the New Testament followers of Jesus would live joyfully, preach joyfully, and sing joyfully – even in prison, even waiting for execution. And why shouldn’t they sing in the shadow of death? You can bury joy in the tomb, but you can’t keep it there! Christ is calling you today, calling you by name. Christ is calling you to a life of hope…a life of meaning…a life of new possibilities…a life of joy…a life of commitment. Christ is calling you to a new Resurrection. Say Yes to God! Join in the celebration! Awaken your mind, heart and soul! Christ has risen, and so can you! So can we all! Join us this Easter to celebrate your own personal Resurrection. Happy Easter! In Spirit and in Truth, RICK’S REFLECTIONSThe long awaited day has arrived. Herring Construction has started the build out. If you haven’t had the opportunity to be at church the last couple of Sundays, I invite you to come and see the progress. The changes already made to our church building are really exciting. Paul Hoggatt, Reverend Steve, and I meet with Herring Construction weekly for updates and to discuss any minor changes that may be needed in order to accommodate our needs. Although we’ve had only two meetings we are really excited to be able to visualize the completed project. The construction is going to move very rapidly once certain building parts have been removed as planned. Al Herring has told us that if all goes according to the time schedule we may possibly have the build-out completed by Easter. Now there are many facets that are not within the control of Mr. Herring, so I ask that you all hold thoughts of our build out project proceeding smoothly and efficiently. As we all know the success of our church depends upon all of us in many ways. Right now we are in need of a number of people to help on some of our teams, especially Youth Ed. I ask that you give prayerful consideration to giving some of your time and talents with one of the teams. If you find it in your hearts to volunteer please speak with one of the board members or the team leader of the team you’d consider helping out with. In a recent daily inspiration from Reverend Chris Chenoweth, he mentioned L.E.N.T. being an acronym for Let’s Eliminate Negative Thinking. I’d like to suggest we take that one step further by also eliminating Negative Speaking. We’ve all heard it said if we don’t have something nice to say about or to a person, then don’t say it. In Unity we subscribe to Positive, Practical Christian principles. I’d like to suggest keeping those principles forefront in our minds each and every day. We are building a magnificent church. We are truly blessed each day by God and each other. Thank you for being an important part of our church community. Blessings to all, YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRYOur youth always seem to be up on the latest technology – downloading music, taking and sending pictures, text messaging, all on a cell phone! I admit that this is not my area of expertise, and I am very happy with this arrangement. Each generation has its special advancements, doesn’t it? Here is one tool that I am sure can really enrich anyone whether or not you are a parent, grandparent or tech savvy guru. You only need Internet access, a computer, and a little bit of time. Unity is moving forward with innovative methods of carrying the message of Truth we love so dearly. So, whether you area parent, grandparent or one who enjoys exploring new ways, there is a new online radio through our Association called www.unity.fm. This has a variety of audio broadcasts from various Unity ministers, musicians, licensed Unity teachers and leaders. The one that is really important to our youth and parents is hosted by Rev. Jennifer Holder & Rev. Linda Martella-Whitsett and is called Spiritual Parenting in Unity. Here is a description of their show: Good parenting doesn’t happen by default. It is intentional. It is a decision about who you will be and what you will do in your family life. Jennifer and Linda want you to experience the “light” side of parenting – realizing your divine identity while raising your children to know they are “the light of God.” Each week we offer insight based upon Unity principles, talk with today’s prominent experts in spiritual parenting, and address your questions and comments from spiritual perspectives. Listen to “Spiritual Parenting in Unity” every Thursday at 11 a.m. Pacific/2 p.m. Eastern on Unity.FM – The Voice of an Awakening World. You can listen to it live or link to the archives to listen or re-listen at any time. I love this idea and the convenient access to this information and much more. Other great Unity websites are www.Unity.org and www.scucaregion.com (South Central Unity Church Association). These websites offer a wealth of information and truly are a great resource. We have so many new resources to help us, especially in a world that tends to focus on the negative. A great way to share the Good News is to volunteer in Youth & Family Ministry. Your smile, hug, attentive listening, reading a story, or helping with an activity is what makes our ministry successful and attracts more families to us each Sunday. Please prayerfully consider joining us once or twice a month on Sunday and be a wise kid at heart. Please leave a message with the church office or call me at home 281-339-2096. ****Please join us for the Easter egg hunt after our 10:30 service on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008. Youthful Blessings! EASTER WEEK AT UCBA 2008 PALM SUNDAY WEDNESDAY EVENING MEDITATION GOOD FRIDAY The Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ EASTER SUNDAY TREASURER’S REPORT for JANUARY 2007 General Fund Income $ 18,076.45 Expenses -20,929.27 Net General Fund Income - 2,852.82 Building Fund Income + 0.00 Total Income $- 2,852.82 Building Fund $ 150,910.56 Unity Church of the Bay Area's tithe for December was $1696.00. It was blessed and $424.00 each was sent to the Association of Unity Churches and Unity School of Christianity. $424.00 each was sent to the Circle of Light Fellowship (Unity of he Woodlands) and to Bay Area Turning Point. BATP is a wonderful organization that takes in abused women and children and gives them safety and resources to begin a new life. Your continued financial support allows our church to grow and flourish and carry the message of positive, practical Christianity in the Bay area. Thank you, and thank you God! THE BUILDOUT HAS BEGUN! Our contractor, Al Herring, has received all the necessary permits and the remodeling of the church interior has begun and is moving forward rapidly. It is amazing how quickly they are creating the new spaces for classrooms, offices and rest of our plans. If you haven’t attended church lately, come for services and see the vision we created together coming into creation! CALLING ALL PAINTERS! On Saturday, March 15, 2008, we can begin painting the new construction in the church. To reduce the cost of the buildout, we chose at our Annual Meeting to perform some of the labor. Painting ourselves saves us thousands of dollars! We will begin at 9 a.m. Bring your extra rollers, roller covers, pans and brushes and dress to paint! If you have a power roller and are proficient with it, bring it to help speed the painting. If you haven’t been to church lately, come to services on Sunday and see the progress our wonderful contractor and his team has done so far. You will be amazed. We need all painters! Come and help and have fun at the same time! THE ACTIVITIES TEAM PRESENTS: LINE DANCING ON SUNDAY MARCH 9TH On Sunday, March 9th, between 4-5 p.m. at the church, we will have instructions and practice in line dancing from one our areas best teachers. Then, we will carpool to Pearland Methodist Church (also known as the “Cowboy Church”) for dancing and free food from 5:50 to 7:00 p.m. Dust off those dancing shoes and come and join in the fun! WEAR YOUR FAVORITE HAT TO CHURCH! On Palm Sunday, March 16th, we invite everyone to put on his or her best hat and wear it to church. Won’t it be fun? 2ND ANNUAL KITE FLYING CONTEST AND PICNIC Mark your calendars for April 12th. We will be having our Kite flying contest and picnic again at Bayshore Park in Bacliff as we did last year. Get those kites ready!
HEART OPENING FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT! Unity Church of the Bay Area is excited to welcome Charley Thweatt for a Heart Opening Concert On Friday, March 28, 2008 from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Charley is a world traveling, spirit-filled musician and is a master at taking the heart and soul to joyful and connected places with his concerts of totally original and inspiring songs. Charley has been a presenter for spiritual organizations and metaphysical conferences for 25 years, throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan. He has also been the musical opener for such luminaries as Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra and Louise Hay. Music is powerful. And in the hands and heart of this musician, our walls melt and the room becomes One. People remark that it seems as if he is singing directly to them. And in a way, he is. Yet what Charley does can never truly be described. Come experience for yourself the beauty of this music he gathers from heaven and delivers with an angel's touch. Suggested offering for the concert is $20. You'll find his many CDs and more about his transformative work at his website: www.musicangel.com. INCREDIBLE PROSPERITY WORKSHOP! THE FEEL FREE TO PROSPER PROGRAM Saturday, May 17, 2008, 1– 4 pm REGISTER NOW! The Feel Free to Prosper Program Will Change Your Life! Join us for an afternoon with renowned prosperity mentor Marilyn Jenett and learn the most powerful prosperity principles available in a single class. Receive the legendary lesson that has brought remarkable results to Marilyn’s students in two weeks or less! Make an investment in yourself! It will make a profound difference in your finances and in your life. You deserve to have your dreams and goals become Reality! And the church will prosper as well. The foundation of success is in your mind. You can use simplified mental and spiritual principles based on Universal laws and the subconscious mind to create and attract all the elements that ensure your success. Two weeks before the class, you will receive and begin applying, the simple, but powerful Lesson that has brought remarkable results to Marilyn’s students from around the globe. You may have already begun to manifest increased business, income or other surprises before we meet on the 17th. Marilyn will teach you to apply simple prosperity principles to make more money, attract unexpected income, increase your business or find the right job. These principles can be used to manifest unexpected “miracles” and create prosperity in all areas of your life – with increased creativity and spirituality! This is a profound shift that will last your lifetime if you will apply yourself and allow Marilyn to guide you. For this special afternoon, the room will be cozy and beverage service and light cheese/fruit buffet are included. Seating is limited, so reserve your space now! The fee for this special event is $125, an extraordinary discount from Marilyn’s regular fee. So please take advantage of this unique opportunity and invite family, co-workers and friends. There is a 100-person minimum attendance for this event, so please reserve your seat now! Registration ends April 30th. Click on the link below to register and reserve your space for this exciting seminar! Want to know more about Marilyn Jenett and this life-changing program?
|
|||||
| Newsletter Archive | |||||
