Unity Northwest Church
www.unitynorthwest.org
We inspire and embrace the soul evolution of everyone in our church community.
MINISTER'S LETTER
In This Issue
Minister's Letter
1
Coming Up in May ...
1
Board Letter
2
Youth Ministry
3
Spiritual Psychology
3
From the Inside Out
4
Unity Northwest Church
Member:
Association of Unity
Churches
Affiliation:
Unity School of
Christianity
Address
259 E Central Rd
Des Plaines IL 60016
Phone
847/297-0997
Prayer Line:
847/297-0997 x2
E-mail:
unitynw@yahoo.com
Board of Trustees
Sheila Budd
President
Tracy Wooldridge
Vice President
Susan Sigler
Treasurer
Yolanda Merges
Secretary
Wendy Walsh
Member
Mark Nissen
Member
Church Staff
Gregory Barrette
Minister
Betsy Nickerson
Administrative
Assistant
Megon McDonough
Music Director
Tatiana Naumova
Rev. Diane Venzera
N
May 2016
We are souls in evolution
to make anything or anyone else your source.
How can you plug into your source? How can
Who's in charge, you and God you gain the spiritual energy necessary to move
or them and it?
and grow and be? How can you insert a new
cause and make a new life? By getting quiet
Imagine a toaster. Just as the enough to do it. Make a new decision about
purpose of a toaster is to make what is real. The invisible is the source of all
toast, so you have a purpose in that is visible. You are in charge. God is your
life. But, really, what is your purpose, your
source. Plug in.
"toast?" Do you think that it is comfort? Status?
Getting the things that you want? Or maybe,
Greg Barrette
just maybe, could it be spiritual growth?
MAKING TOAST
Before a toaster can make any toast, it must
first be plugged into an electrical source. Similarly, before you can grow spiritually, you must
first plug into your source. You might call that
source "God." Plugging yourself into that
spiritual source takes an act of focused will on
your part, backed by action. Unless you plug
into your source, you cannot make any
spiritual "toast." That is, you cannot create a
consciousness of satisfaction and joy, of love
and peace. Without doing so, you can never
experience spiritual growth or make a positive
contribution in this world.
There is a distorted point of view that places
people and things at the cause and source.
Jesus had a name for it. He called it "the
world." When he said "live in the world, but
not of it," he wasn't advocating a withdrawal
from the physical life. Instead, "the world" is
not even a place. It is a perspective that says
that people and things are the cause and
source of your life.
Talk Titles for May
May 1 Who's Responsible?
When you take responsibility, you can let go
of blame.
May 8 The Gift of Grace
Mothers Day
Love yourself, nurture yourself, mother yourself!
May 15 Sanity, Serenity and Security
It's time to let go of what's not working for you
and to embrace what is!
May 22 True Strength
You will only find it when you lift up your eyes.
May 29 You Are Now In the Presence of Pure
Being
You are one Self, expressing in two very different ways.
It is ultimately disempowering to place anything
else at the cause of your life. It is idol worship
Accompanist
Director
COMING UP IN M AY ...
The Unfinished Business of Grief
Stay up-to-date with
Unity Northwest Church
Visit our website at
www.unitynorthwest.org
AND
Watch Sunday talks at
http://vimeo.com/unitynorthwest.
Thursday, May 5, 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Facilitated by Uma Girish, Author
When a loved one dies, all the unfinished business we have with them intensifies the experience of grief. The email or letter we didn't
write. The phone call we didn't make. The forgiveness we couldn't offer. The emotional and/
or physical distance we maintained. How do
we process the guilt and sadness of unfinished
business? How do we make completions and
release the weight of this emotional baggage?
This talk offers a way to find peace and unburden yourself.
Uma Girish is a grief guide and award-winning
author. Her books include the transformational
memoir Losing Amma, Finding Home: A
Memoir About Love, Loss and Life's Detours,
published by Hay House. Books will be available at a discount for those who attend.
(Continued on page 2)
Unity Northwest is a center for spiritual growth that offers tools for living at every level of expression.
Unity Northwest News
Page 2
Our Mission Statement
We inspire and embrace the soul
evolution of everyone in our church
community.
What Is Unity?
Unity is an interdenominational Christian
church based on the practical teachings
of Jesus Christ, often referred to as
"Positive, Practical Christianity." Our
main focus is not on "original sin" but on
the "original blessing" of being children
of God. We are created in the image
and likeness of God, here to live life and
live it more abundantly.
Silent Unity Prayer Line:
1-800-NOW-PRAY
Unity's Five Basic Principles
• There is only Presence and one
•
•
•
•
Power active in the universe and in
my life, God the Good.
Our essence is of God; therefore,
we are inherently good. This God
essence, called the Christ, was fully
expressed in Jesus.
We are co-creators with God, creating reality through thoughts held in
mind.
Through prayer and meditation, we
align our heart-mind with God.
Denials and affirmations are tools
we use.
Through thoughts, words and actions,
we live the Truth we know.
Newsletter Staff
Ruth Trailer
Editor
May 2016
Contributing Writers
Greg Barrette
Diane Venzera
Lynn Barrette
Carolyn Dunoon
Ruth Trailer
Website
Diane Venzera
Web Master
Weekly
Silent Meditation Service
Ongoing–Tuesdays, 6:00–6:45 pm
Facilitated by Greg Barre#e
Being supported by a group makes
meditation much easier. Numerous
studies by research labs at major
universities have confirmed the
effectiveness of meditation to heal
and reduce stress. We have witnessed healings of mind, body and
circumstances that can be attributed
to this group practice.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES LETTER
Love, Communicate, Respond
Greetings all and Happy Spring!
advantage of this opportunity of healing.
Do you have a spring in your step with the
awakening energies that spring brings?
Your board is settling in and committed to keeping the church running financially and spiritually
sound. Thank you for being here and supporting your church family.
Some of you do because our church grounds
are looking good—thanks to the team that has
our landscaping ready to receive the gifts of
Blessings always,
beauty we will soon enjoy.
Sheila Budd
Get ready for a wonderful May full of events
President, Board of Trustees
from the Uma Girish class on grief to the
church's Spring Cleanup day. Many hands
make light work, and we appreciate every effort made by our church family.
Make sure not to miss the Megon McDonough
concert at the church on Sunday, May 22, at
7 pm.
It is so exciting also to see the Simple Reverent
Prayer Circle take off. Please plan to take
Coming Up in May ...
(Continued from page 1)
Mastering Your Emotions
Monday, May 9, 7:00 pm
Facilitated by Lynn Barrette, LCSW, LUT
This class will offer insight into how emotions
can serve us, instead of running us. We will
look at what some of our basic emotions are
and how emotion can be used to propel us
forward, and we will learn tools to improve
our ability to experience emotions and use
that energy constructively. No pre-registration
is necessary.
Megon McDonough — My Life In
Spirit and Song
Sunday, May 22, 7:00 pm
Performed by Megon McDonough
Please join us for an evening of stories, songs
and spiritual discovery as nationally renowned
singer-songwriter/recording artist and Unity
Northwest Music Director, Megon McDonough,
performs this intimate musical memoir.
Suggested offering ~ $20.
A free will offering will be accepted
at most classes or workshops.
For more information
call 847-297-0997,
or visit www.unitynorthwest.org.
May the sun bring you new energy
by day.
May the moon softly restore you by
night.
May the rain wash away your
worries.
May the breeze blow new strength
into your being.
May you walk gently through the
world
And know its beauty all the days of
your life.
~Apache Blessing~
I
c
c
The Interfaith Counseling
Center (ICC)
offers counseling to individuals, couples and
families on a love offering basis for up to three
visits. By the third visit, you may choose to end
counseling, continue offsite, or be referred to a
therapist or other community service agency that will
best serve your needs.
ICC is available to people of all religious, cultural and
socioeconomic backgrounds and provides support for
a wide array of issues: spiritual, personal, relationship, parenting, stress release, depression and
anxiety.
Call today for an appointment: 847-297-0997.
Unity Northwest News
Page 3
YOUTH EDUCATION MINISTRY
We are the world. We are the children.
This month brings and end to our study of the Teachings of
• God is Everywhere Present: The Prodigal Son
Jesus. As we head into summer, we relish the freedom it brings.
Understanding that God is love and that when we make a
Having spent the winter cocooned and looking within ourselves,
mistake, being forgiving will help us keep our connection to
we now burst forth with an energy that says, "I can accomplish
God open.
anything I put my mind to." This prepares us to focus consciously
on what it is we want to create. So next month we will look at the • I Give Thanks: Jesus & the Ten Lepers
process of creating as defined by the Creative Process, but for
Understanding that giving thanks brings us closer to an
the next few weeks our studies include:
awareness of God.
Lesson For May:
• I Look for the Good: Zacchaeus, the Tax Collector
Understanding that when we look for the good in ourselves
and others, we always find it.
• I Forgive: The Unforgiving Servant
Understanding that when we forgive ourselves and others we
build connections with one another.
Blessings,
• We Are All Special: Jesus and the Children
Rev. Diane Venzera
Understanding that no matter what choices we make, we are Director, Youth Education
still lovable and have access to the goodness of God.
SPIRITUAL PSYCHOLOGY
What does my soul want me to do?
We learned that mindfulness can be as simple as "three breaths"
in a moment—how those three mindful breaths can ground us in
Last month, I had the honor of working with friend, colleague, and the present experience with awareness and inner strength.
fellow Unity Northwesterner, Sandy Lema-Stern, as we shared
mindfulness tools with more than two dozen of our UNW women. What would you see if you were present with this very moment?
Try it. Take one activity in your day and simply notice what each
of your senses is experiencing, one at a time. What do you see?
Mindfulness means being aware in the present moment with
What do you hear? What do you taste? What do you smell? What
acceptance. It is a means for "cultivating intimacy with oneself
(Jon Kabat-Zinn). Sounds easy, doesn't it? But in our everyday do you feel? Notice the thoughts going through your mind as
you do this task. Just notice them without conversation, without
lives of doing, doing, doing, it is so easy to forget to slow down
judgment. Notice how you feel about what you are doing. Again,
and notice the refreshing richness of the present-moment
notice feelings with curiosity and compassion.
details.
A LITTLE REFLECTION GOES A LONG WAY
How is doing a task mindfully different for you than doing it on
We sat together in formal mindfulness practices, watching our
breath, paying attention to our bodies through a body scan, and "automatic pilot?" What do you notice?
learning to watch our thoughts and feelings float by with compassion. We found that nothing lasts forever, not even feelings, not Lynn Barrette, LUT, LCSW
even pain, not even thoughts.
We learned that one raisin can be incredibly delightful when taken
in mindfully—even if we didn't care all that much for raisins before
then. We learned that food can talk to us when we're present and
listening to our meal instead of inhaling it! How happy a carrot
can be! Who knew its "crunch" was a song of joy? We found
that we ate twice as long as usual, ingesting half as much as we
would have otherwise, feeling completely full and satisfied!
We shared in compassion exercises, being present with the fact
that each person has their story, their history, their mistakes and
their joys. We are all "one sky, many forms," and while not everyone is safe to be around all the time, we are all still part of the
oneness of the Universe. We learned that we can generate compassion through presence and practice.
We learned that having a curious, beginner's mind is invaluable
to our ability to be present without judgment. The practice of
presence means much more than perfection of tasks. We can
be in the world without being lost in the "to dos" and find greater
value and reward than in each step in our responsibilities.
A Simple Reverent Prayer Circle
Ongoing — Sundays at 10:20 am
Facilitated by Greg Barrette
This Simple, Reverent Prayer Circle will give participants
an opportunity to spontaneously speak aloud our heartfelt prayers for other people in our lives. By supporting
each other in prayer, we will each experience the power
of healing that Jesus claimed would happen when "two
or three are gathered." This will be an easy, natural and
unrehearsed gathering of healing hearts in prayer, lasting about fifteen minutes.
Unity Northwest News
Page 4
FROM THE INSIDE OUT
Be kind to one another. EPHESIANS 4:32
The only way to make sense of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.
ALAN W. WATTS
Why do we dislike change so much? Why do some of us avoid or fight it passionately? Why is it
that even when it's a change we truly want, once we're into it we may feel dismayed and unsettled?
And why, to some of us, can the most mundane changes feel hopelessly overwhelming?
Well, change means that something is different. Expected or unexpected, it's still different. When
we experience change, we have to adjust. To what do we adjust? Loss and gain. As Joni Mitchell
observes in her song Both Sides, Now, "Well something's lost, but something's gained / In living
every day." We may say, that's what makes life hard or that's what makes life interesting. Our
attitude toward that loss/gain can make or break our process.
When I was on the job and training a new colleague, or training a colleague in something new, I
always reminded them that they didn't have to learn the new method in one sitting. We'd go
through it once just for the look and feel of it—an overview, and then we'd get down to the nuts
and bolts, which still might take weeks or months to become automatic. And I knew from my own
experience that much depends on my letting go of how I used to accomplish the same thing.
So we have to learn to let go of the old circumstances that we treasured because of familiarity.
But more than that, let's consider letting go of that belief in loss and gain. As Shakespeare said,
"M there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Life just is. Life unfolds, and
when that unfolding feels unsettling to us, where do we go for stability? We can start with gratitude
and affirm what was, what is and what will be, all of which is life in process—namely, God. Here's a
simple affirmation from Louise Hay: "I trust the Process of Life to bring me my highest good."
Thank you, God, and amen.
Ruth Trailer
Thoughts become things... choose the good ones! ® © www.tut.com ®
☯ ☯ ☯ ☯ ☯
But now old friends are acting
strange
They shake their heads, they
say I've changed
Well something's lost, but
something's gained
In living every day.
I've looked at life from both
sides now
From win and lose and still
somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all.
from Both Sides, Now, 1969
by Joni Mitchell
www.jonimitchell.com
☯ ☯ ☯ ☯ ☯
Be God's Love in Action. VOLUNTEER! Call the church office at 847-297-0997.
Unity Northwest Church
259 E Central Rd, Des Plaines, IL 60016
www.unitynorthwest.org
Sunday Services: 9:00 and 11:00 am
Youth Education: Sundays at 11:00 am