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| Wednesday Meditation: 7:00 PM Table Talk Thursday: 12:00 PM Sunday Service: 10:45 AM Sunday Social: 12:00 PM
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| | | | Our
WINGS group met in the UCC Cafe on Tuesdays for many years. Now that
we're sheltering in place, the group really misses sharing their
inspiring weekly studies.
Since our WINGS group leader, UCC Certified
Truth Teacher, Cynthia Mackey, began to send out weekly emails to the
group, we asked if we might share her messages with our entire email list so that more people could enjoy
them.
You're very welcome to send questions or positive comments to
Cynthia at: info@unityofclearwater.org. |
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Hi Everyone,
Happy first day of September! Though I was born in a northern state where this time of year indicated the coming of Fall in a much more dramatic way, I have lived most of my life here in Florida, where the change of season is much more subtle. I begin to notice the days shortening and the tiny whiff of dryness or maybe even coolness in the early morning air. Though the heat now seems to last into November (which has changed since I was in high school and college), there is still a change in the air and I challenge you to notice it as the weeks pass.
I also see a change in our country and in our world as the pandemic continues. There is a weariness which we all feel and maybe even a desire to lower our guard and act like the emergency has passed, but it has not. Now is the time to be as vigilant in wearing our masks and social distancing as ever, while our case count is going down. This is good! So, let us keep doing what appears to be working. This morning, a friend sent me this quote which sums it up for us Unity folks.
- Make sure you test positive for faith
- Keep your distance from doubt
- Isolate from fear
- And trust God through it all!
I have heard many folks say they do not watch the news on TV and I really understand why. During these times, there is a lot of loss and a lot of suffering, but we are all children of God and have an incredible capacity for love and service and caring for one another. Today, I saw a story about several nurses that served in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Lake Charles, Louisiana, right in the path of Hurricane Laura. There were nineteen babies that were dependent on both machinery and the loving care of these nurses. They moved all the babies to higher ground and stayed with them all through the frightening night, with the wind howling, the windows rattling and the building shaking. They continued texting the parents all the while reassuring them that their babies were being cared for. I was brought to tears by that story and couldn’t resist sharing it with you in case you missed it. So, my point is that there are folks who risk their lives every day to serve others. There are teachers and nurses, doctors and front-line workers showing up every day during these months of Covid-19. We must not lose heart. We must see their bravery and do our part to continue the fight to lower the community spread, so that we do not make their jobs more difficult.
I always give you nuggets from my favorite Unity writers, so today’s nugget comes from Emmet Fox in The Sermon on the Mount. I began by mentioning change and change is discussed in one of the Beatitudes from Matthew in the Bible: “Blessed are the Peacemakers; for they shall be called Children of God.” In Fox’s discussion of this Beatitude, he says that this is a practice in the art of prayer. Prayer is our way to return to communion with God. He says that prayer is the “only real action” to produce change. He explains that prayer is the only thing that “changes our character” and that a change in character, a change in soul, is the only real change in any of us which translates into change in our world. Each time we pray, we are changed. It could be a small and subtle change, such as the slight changes in season we in Florida may see as Fall approaches, or it may be a large and dramatic change that propels us in a different direction for our life. It all depends on the level of realization of the Presence of God that you experience. However, Fox goes on to say that the way for us to obtain this “sense of the Presence of God,” which is the source of healing, inspiration, and spiritual development, is to attain some degree of peace of mind. The peacemakers spoken of in this Beatitude are those who have brought about some level of peace, or some might call it serenity in their own souls. Then communion with the Most High is possible.
So, this week, I am going to focus on prayer, which will change me; and, when I am changed into a more serene and peaceful person, the world cannot help but be changed! And so it is with you, too. So, let’s change the world a little this week!
Peace, Love and Serenity
Cynthia
This week’s photos come from my 2019 trip to the Fjords of Norway. The first is a rainbow in a waterfall at sunrise outside of Flam, Norway--one of so many waterfalls that line the fjords. The second is the sunset over the North Atlantic as we were exiting the fjord outside of Geiringer, Norway. In June, it never gets too much darker than that. I hope these pictures bring you some serenity! |
| | | | | | | Your Weekly Affirmation:
WE NOW AFFIRM “MY THOUGHTS HAVE WINGS AND THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS AS MY SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE GOOD NEWS NOW COMES TO PASS.”
THANK YOU, GOD! |
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