Awaken to Spring

And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.     ~Percy Bysshe Shelley

 

Spring is on the horizon. Daylight savings times commencing on Sunday, March 13, 2016, and the Spring Equinox on Sunday, March 20, 2016, mark the beginning of an annual shift in the length of days and nights, whereas, the days will grow increasingly longer and the nights will become shorter. The warmth of the spring sun calls forth an awakening in nature. Many of our furry friends wake up from a long winter’s nap, and our winged companions return from the South to delight us with their song. Fields thaw and a green hue begins to color the terrain while young, fragrant buds begin to tantalize the senses as they wink at onlookers. Buds planted in autumn begin to rise up and express themselves. Yes, new life copiously permeates the landscape imbuing within us hope and promise of our ability to abundantly create beauty on the canvas of our own lives.

Principle Three, one of the 5 foundational tenets of Unity, deals with the power of Mind Action. The premise of this Principle is that individuals create their experiences by the activity of their thinking. More simply put, whatever we consistently focus our thoughts and feelings upon, manifests in our lives. Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity, professed, “Thoughts and words are seeds, and when dropped into the invisible spiritual substance, they grow and bring forth after their kind.” What seeds have you planted this winter? Look at what is blooming…out picturing in your life and you will see what kind of garden you have planted.

As you take a look at what you are experiencing within your body, relationships, finances, and day to day activities you will have a clue as to how you have been seeding your life. Are you experiencing vitality, harmony, love, and joy as you share your spiritual gifts with the Universe? Those who are able to live from this consciousness realize that external situations are powerless over them and have come to the realization that, “For as he thinketh is his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 AV). As you look and see and discover that some or many of your experiences are characterized with discord, lack, dis-ease, loneliness, regret, and/or stagnation be gentle with yourself. The first step is to gain awareness and be truthful. Being hard on yourself does not serve you and only prolongs pain and suffering. Next, know that at any moment you have a choice to cull your garden by releasing self-limiting beliefs and behaviors, resentments, pity, and situations and relationships that no longer serve you. After you weed through your thoughts and beliefs you can plant new seeds by affirming that God, the unseen power and substance behind all creation, is greater than any challenge you are experiencing. God operates in the universe according to the law of Mind Action and through Spiritual Understanding and Faith you can affirm with Zeal that which you desire, Love, in your heart. Once life affirming seeds are planted you must tend to your garden regularly by participating in prayer and meditation and by taking actions in the direction of your aspirations. Remember to be that what you desire in your life, for you are the love and joy that you seek. Aligned in Spiritual consciousness your world will begin to flourish in ways you never dreamed possible!

Love and Light,

Angela Denton MA; P.D. MFT; LUT
Spiritual Leader

Mark 12:28-31 (NRSV)
28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

In Mark 12:28-31 Jesus proclaims to his followers what his two most essential spiritual teachings are. The first is to understand that God, Divine Substance, is all there is and each one of us must claim that Truth in consciousness. This is the essence of Principle one in Unity that there is one presence and one power in the Universe, God the good omnipotent. When we love God with all our hearts and with all our souls, and with all our strength Jesus is telling us that we must know with every fiber of our being our Oneness in God. The second important spiritual Truth is to love thy neighbor as thyself. This teaching is clearly reflected in Unity’s second Principle which states: every individual is a spiritual being, created in God’s image and that the spirit of God lives within each person; therefore, all people are inherently good.

Jesus simply and clearly states that living from the consciousness of Divine Love is our most important purpose in life. Although simply stated, living from a consciousness of Oneness is difficult for many. Love is one of if not the most popular subjects found in novels, songs, and movies. Yet, people continue to be perplexed by Love and seem to be on a constant search to discover Love in their lives. Part of the problem lies in how Love is depicted by our collective culture. Webster defines love as a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person and an attraction that includes sexual desire. We are taught that someone or something outside of ourselves will fulfill us with the Love we seek. If we would just find the right partner and the right friends we would experience Love. If only family members and friends would be more loving to me, maybe I would experience real love. Well, my friends, it doesn’t work that way which I know many Truth seekers have already discovered.

According to Charles Fillmore, cofounder of Unity, Divine Love is impersonal; it loves for the sake of loving. It is not concerned with what or who it loves, or with a return of love. Like the sun, its joy is in the shining forth of its nature. Love is an inner quality that sees good everywhere and in everybody. It insists that all is good, and by refusing to see anything but good it causes that quality finally to appear in the uppermost in itself; and in all things…Love is the great harmonizer and healer. Fillmore informs us that Love is who we are and in order to experience Love we must claim that in consciousness. We must align our thoughts, beliefs, feelings, words, and actions to reflect that everything is Divine. In order to experience Oneness, we must first realize that we are the Love we seek. Fillmore tells us that when we radiate Love from within that we experience pure Joy. So, my friends take a moment and ask yourself these questions. How can I be the love I seek? What actions can I take today to be Love in action? As I have watched some of the troubling events playing out in our world I feel now more than ever we must not contract in fear, but courageously emanate the unifying, harmonizing energy of Love.

As spiritual leader of this community I have been asking how I can call us to be Love in action. Unity’s Fifth Principle states it’s not enough to study Truth we must live it in our lives… we must be the love we seek. During my Sunday talk at the end of December on “I Am the Love I Seek”, I discussed several ideas on how individuals can participate in experiences that foster the experience of Divine Love. Some mentioned were to participate in Stand in Love Triads, Luminary Circles of Light and Love, distance affirmative world prayer events, as well as engaging in a collectively decided group outreach in our community. I will be explaining in detail all of these opportunities at our annual meeting on January 31, 2016. I invite you to claim your Divine essence, and join with me in helping to shift our collective consciousness from fear to Love!

Love and Light,

Angela Denton MA; P.D. MFT; LUT
Spiritual Leader

Luke 10:38-42(NRSV) “Jesus Visits Martha and Mary”

38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing.Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.

As we enter into the holiday season how many of us can relate to Martha? In our efforts to make our Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings bountiful, festive, and joyous many of us can easily get caught up in the hustle and bustle of preparation. The activities of cleaning, shopping, cooking, decorating, and gift wrapping can easily exhaust and overwhelm us, as well as, influence us to slip into the role of victim or martyr. Have you ever gotten upset about a family member not doing “their share” of the work? An overemphasis on external tasks can cast a shadow over our ability to experience the consciousness of gratitude and Love.

Let us take a closer look at Luke 10: 38-42 to discern the message Jesus, the Master Teacher, was trying to convey. Metaphysically Martha and Mary, two sisters who loved Jesus, represent the outer and inner activities of love and service. Martha depicts the external activity of love which is portrayed in her desire to serve through her actions taken. Mary, on the other hand, symbolizes our internal love activity. Mary consciousness is the loving receptivity within us which listens to the inner promptings of Spirit. Both aspects of consciousness are important to our spiritual growth. We must take time every day to nurture ourselves and to cultivate a relationship in God. Equally important is our desire to be of service to others by being an expression of love in action. Cultivating this balance is something we are faced with each day throughout the year, however, that balance frequently can elude us as we get caught up in the material consciousness of “doing the holidays” that we have been domesticated into.

This holiday season take time daily to engage in the inner activities of Spirit before you go about your day which is the metaphysical meaning of Mary choosing the good part in Luke 10:42. Take time to pray, meditate, chant, enjoy the splendor of nature, journal, read a spiritually inspiring passage or whatever empowers you to remain centered in the consciousness of Divine Love. From this centered place you will be able to give of yourself with a joyful heart.

Love and Light,
Angela Denton MA; P.D. MFT; LUT
Spiritual Leader

Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. In this declaration from Isaiah 43:18-19 we are reminded of the promise of new life that emerges after a period of barrenness when we are asked to let go of what was in preparation for new beginnings. Within the last few months Unity by the Shore has gone through numerous changes and has gone through a period of release. As the summer comes to a close, we can truly see that a new dawn is on the horizon.

As we stand at the threshold of a new day, let us pause for a moment and give thanks for the courage, strength, resilience, and commitment to spiritual growth that we have demonstrated over the last past year even when the road became bumpy at times. Let us give thanks to all of the ministers, spiritual leaders, lay leaders,musical directors, musicians, members and guests who have contributed to the creation and participation of the evolution of UBTS. We stand on the shoulders of not only those who came before us here at UBTS, but also on the shoulders of our ancestors who started the Unity Movement. Let us reflect in loving reverence and in gratitude for Unity cofounders, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore and the great spiritual leaders of the Unity movement, such as, Emily Cady, James Dillet Freeman, and Eric Butterworth. Their masterful genius has inspired spiritual growth in the lives of countless individuals.

Not only are we here in our spiritual community embarking on a new chapter, but so is Unity World Wide Ministries (UWM) and Unity World Headquarters at Unity Village (UWH).UWM has taken over the educational oversight of the ministerial and spiritual education and development programs from UWH. UWM is in the process of creating task teams to examine current educational requirements and paths to credentialing for ministers and licensed teachers. In addition, they are looking at improving and increasing online learning as well as creating satellite onsite learning opportunities through out the 10 established Unity regions internationally.

I believe new and exciting possibilities lie ahead for us here in our community and within our movement. Although new beginnings are characterized by the excitement of limitless possibilities, change is not easy for some of us. Many become comfortable with the familiar, fear the unknown, and worry if they will loose the foundation that they have been used to standing on for so long. Many even question, “Will there still be a place for me?” Dear friends, change is evitable and is a sign of movement and growth. We can move through change in our lives with resistance and closed mindedness,thereby, blocking the flow of evolution and new life. Or, we can stand in the discomfort of new ideas and experiences with open minds willing to explore and be transformed. The Fillmores were spiritual explorers and pioneers who taught us to be “sowers of the seeds” of new ideas that are ever present in Divine Mind, the Source of limitless potential and the Spiritual Substance of life.

In the upcoming months and year, please hold UBTS and the Unity movement in your daily prayers. I ask you to be open to new ways of doing things. Lastly, I invite you to become an active participant in the co-creation of the next phase of our evolution.

Love and light,

Angela Denton MA; P.D. MFT; LUT

Spiritual Leader