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NEWSLETTER March 2005Beloved Friends, Happy Easter! Transformation and resurrection are powerful Truths indeed! Charles Fillmore wrote that resurrection was “the restoring of mind and body to their original state…that God is Spirit and that God created man with power like that which He Himself possesses.” I am excited as we journey together on The Path to the Higher Self. Each week we have been building the foundation for a deeper relationship with God. Knowledge, honesty, acceptance, discipline, love, empowerment and sacrifice – these are the steps to spiritual mastery and Overcoming! Ernest Gordon wrote a book called Through the Valley of the Kwai, which was the basis for the movie The Bridge over the River Kwai. He was a prisoner of the Japanese in camp along the river Kwai in which 12,000 prisoners died from disease and brutality while building a railroad. Their worst enemy was not the Japanese; it was themselves. Fear of the Japanese made them paranoid. The law of the jungle became their law. They stole from one another. They informed on one another. The once proud soldiers were now destroying themselves. Then an incredible thing happened. Two prisoners organized the others into Bible study groups. They identified with Jesus Christ – his life, his persecution, and his resurrection. Everything about Jesus- what he was, what he said, what he did – made sense to them. The prisoners began to change. Slowly the camp went through a transformation. The clouds of fear and doubt began to lift. One night Gordon was returning from his Bible study. He heard the sound of men singing. The difference between that joyful sound and the deathly silence of the past months was the difference between life and death – the difference between death and resurrection. Easter is realizing that the transformation that took place in the lives of the prisoners can take place in our lives, too. All we need do is what the prisoners did. All we need do is open our hearts and minds to God, to know that nothing can ever really defeat us. Pain, sorrow, rejection – these no longer can keep us from God. Yes, The Path to the Higher Self, to God, begins within. I pray that you know God as love, goodness and abundant blessings this Easter. May you roll the stone away from any limitation that has held you back. May you remember how precious you are to God. May you know what it means to be God's beloved child! In Christ Love, MARK'S MUSINGS As we approach Easter and the ultimate message of Christ's existence, it seems fitting that I express my gratitude for all of the blessings that have been bestowed upon me and upon Unity Church of the Bay Area. This just happens to also be our lesson in the 6th week of The Keys to the Kingdom, our latest Monday night course at the church. I am grateful for the Spirit of God which expresses through Reverend Diane Plamondon, Ph.D., who "birthed" our church less than 10 years ago. Her stewardship and wisdom established a very strong foundation and consciousness for Unity Church of the Bay Area. She was the pebble in the pond of our consciousness which has rippled out to bless many individuals, and continues to do so. I am grateful for the presence and guidance of Reverend Stephen Horn. His tireless efforts and painstaking attention to every detail of our church has promoted a higher level of consciousness and awareness in all congregants and guests to our church, as well as those with whom he interacts in the community. Having been involved in the search process of hiring the minister, I feel extremely blessed to have such a minister direct our church. I am grateful to you, the congregants, who make our church activities possible through the dedication of your time to the Teams which help our church to run smoothly. Your participation in our many classes and activities enriches the consciousness of our church. Your generous giving provides the necessary funds for the expansion of our ministry and our Building Fund. It is no accident that our Building Fund has multiplied and passed the $85,000 mark in less than one year's time. We can be proud of the fact that our giving per person exceeds the national average! We are a prosperous church and see its proof in each of you. Thank you all! Thanks to all prior Board members for your service and sound judgment. And thank you, UCBA, for being a congregation that I am extremely proud to represent on the Board! Sincerely, Mark Groblewski BOARD TALK The Board voted to split the tithe for February among Silent Unity (50%), Unity of El Paso, Texas (25%) and Unity of Evansville, Indiana (25%). We welcome Dilsia Guardiola as our new Office Administrator. We wish Marianne Nelson all the best in her new endeavor. The Keys to the Kingdom class has been going very well with eighteen attending. Many people are reporting remarkable openings in their lives! The Artist’s Way class will move to Monday nights starting on March 7th for the second half of the course. Rev. Steve Horn will begin his next Wednesday class on March 9th, The Quest for Meaning. Gayle McFadden reported on Team activities. The Teams are doing well but new volunteers are always needed and welcomed. An Agape Saturday is scheduled for Saturday, March 19th at 10 a.m. to do some work around the church. SUNDAYS IN MARCH March 6, 2005 March 13, 2005 March 20, 2005 March 27, 2005 The Path to the Higher Self: Overcoming! EASTER WEEK AT UCBA Thursday, March 24th: 7:30 p.m. Good Friday, March 25th: 7:30 p.m. Easter Sunday March 27th: DEVELOPMENT TEAM NEWS Your Development Team continues to explore new possibilities for our church in advertising and ways to increase our Building Fund. We are now advertising in Small Change News, a "good news" magazine that is distributed in the Bay Area. We are creating Welcome Cards that you can give to friends to invite them to church. We are exploring the following fundraising possibilities: 1) Dinner dance auction; 2) a raffle. We need your input! We see the possibility to generate a substantial increase in our Building Fund if we could successfully raffle a car or another such large ticket item. It would take each of us networking with our family and friends. Give us your feedback! Scott Sartorius has agreed to coordinate and fund the project we discussed at our Annual Meeting - the purchase and renovation of a house with proceeds going to the Building Fund. If you know of a house that might be a candidate to renovate, please contact Scott at 281-488-2680 or ssartorius@houston.rr.com. When he finds a good prospect, our members will be asked to help in any way that they can. Come with your ideas and feedback to our meeting the first Sunday of the month at 9:00 a.m. in the Angel Wing! SPECIAL EVENT! Jon Mundy will be here on Wednesday March 2nd to speak on The Psychology of A Course in Miracles. His special evening will be from 7-9:30 p.m. $15 suggested offering. NEW CLASSES IN MARCH! THE ARTIST’S WAY – Part Two! The Fun-Filled The Artist's Way Class Part Two (covering chapters 7-12) will meet on Mondays, March 7- April 11, 2005, from 7-9 p.m. Previous experience is not needed! Suggested offering for the class is $20. Each class spends an hour on the text and an hour with art projects. Artist's Way books are still available in the bookstore. For more information call Dianna Marion at 281-996-0508. Also, The Artist's Way class will host a church wide "Pillowcase Painting Party" Monday evening, March 21st from 7- 9 p.m. Pillowcases for children in Central America will be decorated with English and Spanish phrases. Chris Bennett and several of our Spanish speaking church members will help us by teaching us words and phrases. Participants are asked to bring new or washed, gently used light colored pillowcases. Also bring a willingness to try something new and have fun! Paints and Popcorn will be provided. THE QUEST FOR MEANING Join Rev. Steve for this class on this insightful book by Jim Rosemergy. Would you like to discover your purpose here on earth, add meaning to your life, and find fulfillment in everything you do? Together we will look inside ourselves to find the missing piece we’ve been searching for – a conscious awareness of God’s presence. When we find God we find ourselves – our purpose – and life has new meaning! For the first class: Wednesdays, March 9-April 13, 2005 YOUTH ED Springtime is my favorite season. As a child, it always meant playing outside, trees and flowers blooming, dyeing eggs for an Easter basket, and a special outfit for Easter (I especially liked an excuse to wear a hat and gloves!). I think I like it best for the same reasons today as an adult. However, my understanding today of Easter and springtime is at a deeper level. It is a time of renewal, of reconnecting to the Christ Spirit within, celebrating the beauty in nature and in each other. In Youth Ed, we will celebrate the season with making palm crosses for Palm Sunday and of course, we will have an Easter egg hunt after our service on Easter Sunday. In addition to the fun activities, we also teach our basic Unity principles, reminding our children of their innate spiritual beauty. It is so exciting to be a part of teaching our children a way of thinking and living that will enable them to realize their true potential as a beloved child of God! We teach what we need to learn. I get excited because the Truth we share with our children reminds me of the same Truth for me. I always get so much more out of this experience than what I put into it. God expresses through all of us – especially the youngest in the midst of our church family. What a blessing it is to be a part of their young lives! Recently, two of our younger boys were helping to arrange the beanbag chairs for our opening circle. They carefully brought one of the small chairs from their room and placed it in the circle for me to sit in. I was truly honored by their sweet and thoughtful gesture and was grateful that I could fit in the special chair they provided. More often than not, it is the little things that really touch our heart. I encourage all of us to be open and receptive to those smiles, hugs, simple words of truth, and gestures. God expresses through all of us – when we are open to and seeking Him in our daily lives. Youthful blessings, TOOLS FOR SISTER MARIA ROSA Rev. Diane and George Cushing are planning a trip to Honduras April 18-25, 2005. They will be delivering new tools to San Maderas, the Carpentry and Woodworking Shop at Nuevo Paraiso. It provides beds, desks, shelves and dining tables for schools, medical clinics, and the AIDS hospital for children in Nuevo Paraiso and for other programs in Honduras initiated by Sister and her organization, Sociedad Amigos de los Ninos. Her programs help children and single women, often abandoned. Her mission is to educate and promote self sufficiency. Contributions are welcomed. Every penny of your donation will go towards the purchase and shipping of the tools! Any amount is blessed and appreciated. Please make checks to: “Tools for Sister Maria Rosa” and give or send to: Rev. Diane Plamondon, P.O. Box 203, La Porte, TX 77572. There is space for fifteen people on the trip. All are invited regardless of donation. Reverend Steve is going too! Please call Donna Leverson @ Supertravel (281-333-3465) to book your trip. There will be an informational meeting after church at 12:00 p.m. March 6, 2005 and/or call Rev. Diane 281-470-2860. To learn more about Sister Rosa Maria's work, visit www.projecthonduras.com/saninos. CIRCLE OF HEARTS “And to all good things, there is a season.” We hear this quote so often – as I listen to it with my heart, I know that it is true of so many things in life. And, the season for Circle of Hearts has come to an end. I write this article with joy and just a tiny bit of sorrow. Our church is such a great place of learning and growing. We now have Monday night classes, Wednesday classes, A Course in Miracles, and Meditation groups – all of these things fill up our hearts as well as our evenings. These are all activities which involve all members of our congregation – men and women. This seems to be a better fit for our membership. I think now is the time for Circle of Hearts come to an end. I have so enjoyed getting together with the women of our church and seeing them shine in so many different and beautiful ways. By the time this goes to press, we will have had Mary Pat Gunn’s wonderful evening sharing her knowledge about life coaching and her wisdom about living with our Circle of Hearts group. I’ll say now, because I know it will be true that the evening was a special one for all! I want to thank all of you who stepped forward and shared your talents and knowledge with us over the last year and a half. I know that I personally have grown and learned from each and everyone of you. The words of George Eliot ring true when I think of Circle of Hearts, “Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another.” TRASH BASH 2005! Once a year thousands of volunteers gather along the Texas waterways to do their part in cleaning up the environment and participate in the largest statewide event to educate the public about the importance of our water resources. Please consider joining Unity Church of the Bay Area as we show our reverence for Galveston Bay by participating in the Trash Bash 2005 on March 12th at the Seabrook Boat ramp. Registration, signup, distribution of gloves and trash bags begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Seabrook Boat Ramp. To ease your Trash Bash 2005 registration, visit www.trashbash.org and download a registration/liability form, or pick up a registration form at church, fill it out and bring it with you to the event. Volunteers will clean up at designated zones from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. After the clean up, everyone is invited to a free lunch, door prizes, exhibits and live entertainment. Scouts are encouraged to participate and earn merit badges. Our own Mike Buentello will be providing the entertainment with classic rock and roll from the 50’s and 60’s. Plan to join us for a fun-filled Saturday in March! The Seabrook Boat Ramp is located at Highway 146, one half-mile south of NASA Road One. Exit just before the bridge at 10th Street / Fay Street and drive into the boat ramp parking lot. Visit www.trashbash.org for more detailed information about all 10 Trash Bash sites. Volunteer to “Clean It Like You Mean It” at Seabrook! For more information, contact Chris Kuhlman @ 281-474-2333. Ego Honey, HUNG IN THE CRUCIFIXION, by Janie Neill In A Course In Miracles, the crucifixion is used as a metaphor for all those complicated unwieldy situations created by the ego. Probably my personal favorite is “I’m fat. I need to lose weight.” It is absolutely fraught with ammunition for the ego. So many ways to create guilt…so little time. And just in case I get tired of judging myself there is always my brother. When I’m wearing my judgment colored glasses there is something wrong wherever I look. It’s like one of those days when nothing seems right. I call this mood you-scrambled-the-wrong-egg. This is from the story about the grumpy man who told his wife he wanted two eggs for breakfast -- one fried and one scrambled. When she served them, he protested, “You scrambled the wrong egg!” Come on, Ego. Let’s have a good laugh together. Me perfect! Now there’s an idea we both can laugh at. This perfect spirit God created making dopey mistakes. Now that’s funny! Can you picture Jesus worrying about losing weight, “Should I count calories or try Atkins?” Ah Ego, I knew I could get you to smile. How about this -- A Course In Miracles according to Mad Maxine. When I take myself too seriously, I’m hung in the crucifixion. So help me down from this cross. I’m sick and tired of being cross and crossed. I want to move on to the resurrection, on to peace. This reminds me of the story about the Sunday school teacher who was discussing Easter Sunday. She talked about the stone having been rolled back from the tomb. One little boy asked, “What did Jesus say when he came out?” The teacher explained that the Bible doesn’t tell us. But one little girl was waving her hand insistently, “I know. I know.” So the teacher said, “All right, what did He say?” Dramatically the little girl threw her arms wide and exclaimed, “Ta Da!” Isn’t that priceless! It sort of sums it all up. Just step into each new day with “Ta Da!” Here I come world, ready or not – blessed to start each new day with love in my heart and humor as my companion. “And laughter will replace your sighs because God’s Son remembered he is God’s Son.” (T/570) TREASURER’S REPORT January 2005 General Fund Income / $19,026.31 Building Fund Income / $2,662.00 Total Income / $21, 688.31 Expenses and Tithe / -$15,685.41 Net Income / $6,002.90 TOTAL IN BUILDING FUND: $ 81,000.00 Unity of the Bay Area’s tithe for January was $2108.00. It was blessed and divided with $1054.00 sent to Unity School of Christianity (Unity’s World Headquarters) and $1054.00 sent to PositiveChristianity.org, the internet prayer ministry of Rev. Chris Chenoweth. UNITY TREASURES Who Moved the Stone? When I can brush away the snow In questioning the miracle The power that frees the crocus
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