UNITY CENTER

"United we stand, divided we fall"...so goes the old saying. In a religion called Unity, we strive always for ways to come together - to feel our togetherness with each other and with God. We are learning to look for the ways that we are one, instead of focusing on the differences that could divide us.

We are so often and so easily fooled by appearances. On the surface we look so different! The shape, size, age, or color of our bodies, our ideas or politics, our lifestyles, our ways of expressing ourselves ... all these are just The One Presence showing up as many unique forms for the joy of dancing together.

In the outer world, we forget our oneness... and lose the power that comes from our union. Together we are strong and can accomplish mighty deeds.

One of the mightiest ways we act together is to combine our financial power to support worthy organizations, such as our church. Even small acts are multiplied by the sheer numbers of us all.

For instance, since we seat approximately 300 people per Sunday, a difference in everyone's gift of only $1 could yield a net result of $1,200 per month in income - either up or down, depending on our choice to give $1 more or $1 less!

Currently we average about $2,400 per Sunday in income - an average of about $8 per person attending. (Many Unity churches average over twice as much: $15-$20 per person!) If everyone gave only $2 more every time they attended, our income would go up to $3,000 per week, adding $2,000 per month to church income.

Our church is a tithing church - which means that we dedicate 10% of all income to charity. Each month we print the list of where we've donated funds, including to our Unity Kindness Fund, which helps local individuals (most are small, short-term gifts to folks who have "fallen through the cracks" of the social services safety net.)

So, in our example above, if we increased our income by $2,000 per month, we'd also have an extra $200 per month to help folks in need. Look at that another way: by increasing your individual gift by only $2, you participate in putting another $200 of help into your community... not to mention what the other 90% accomplishes for our church's growth, financial stability, ability to deliver services, and develop new programs. The power of togetherness...

Life is full of all kinds of choices. As we grow and mature, we learn to make choices with greater awareness and wisdom.

Our offering on Sunday mornings is a choice of how to use the funds we have available. There's a lot of questions we can ask ourselves to increase our awareness. *Do we really think about the amount we give, or do we give from a reflex action? *Have we thought about the value we've received and what the money can accomplish? (Is Unity worth as much as a night at the movies or a family supper at McDonalds?) *Are we still giving the same amount we did many years ago, in spite of inflation or increases in our income level? *Have we taken the time to figure out what percentage of our income we now dedicate to sharing and helping - and to decide if that's where we want to be?

I use income tax software that points out anything not "normal" that might attract the IRS to do an audit. Every year, it flags our charitable donations because our giving percentage is well above the national norm. (How can you ever out-give God anyway?) The sad fact is that the national norm is so low. On a chart, they show average percentages vs. income level. What's interesting is that the higher the income, the lower the percentage! I guess folks forget to share their pay raise with God!

Here's another interesting fact: the average gift at our 9:30 Service is far higher than the average gift at our 11:00 Service. Hmmm. Do we think that when there's more people attending, we can adopt a "let Joe do it" attitude? Financial Maturity involves recognizing our responsibility to do our share to support whatever is valuable in our lives.

Our stewardship goal for this church is to encourage everyone to embrace the goal of tithing: 10% of income. In moving toward that goal, we encourage you to at least begin with a gift of $10 per week, every week. Either option will allow you to experience the grace of commitment and the Power of TEN.

Together, we are learning and growing... thanks for the journey!

The Power of Ten ~ August, 1996

Money - everybody wants it, but nobody wants to talk about it, especially not in church! Emerson said that money, which is seldom spoken of in parlors without apology, is, in its effects, as beautiful as roses.

In some circles, the Sunday offering is known as "the vote"- the congregation's way of letting the Minister & Leadership Team know how harmonious you are with church activities. Was the message right on? Was the music powerful? Did you "approve" of everything that happened at Unity this week?

Frankly, we choose NOT to personalize your giving patterns this way. In Truth, how you choose to give always says a lot more about you than it does about the church or the way it's run. However, if the offering was a vote, I'd be feeling like Dukakis in '88! For several months in a row, the Sunday offerings have not been enough to pay Unity's bills. God has, however, sent us several angels who have given special gifts to take care of our needs.

The question is: what is this saying about the rest of us?

When a family is having trouble making ends meet, there are two approaches: bring in more income (maybe a second job) or cut spending (give up movies, eating out, or...). When a business is in the red, they try to increase sales or they cut corners/services and start lay-offs.

What would you have Unity do? As a truly non-profit organization, our only source of income is the freely given donations of folks who believe that Unity is a benefit to them personally and/or to the community. Even our Bingo income depends on the donation of the time and talents of a dedicated staff of volunteers.

So we again ask you to consider giving more abundantly and more consistently. Otherwise, we'll be looking for ways to cut back on our services. Who would you lay off? Or should we pay everyone less than they're worth (and say there's no possibility for a raise while you work here.) Should we cut out phone lines so people get a busy signal when they call and staff members have to wait to get a free line for outgoing calls? Or should we stop printing our newsletter? Or have fewer musicians on Sunday? I know, let's economize by turning off the air conditioning on Sundays! Of course, we could always stop giving away 10% of our income to people in need... the Good Samaritan story is such a pain sometimes!

You see, we have to make choices - to grow and prosper (and to plan and fund for growth) or to become LESS than we are now. Do we invest in our church, its people and our future? Or do we think and act financially scared. (That's scared, the opposite of sacred!)

Who are we as a church family? Are we "consumers" or are we "participators" in our religious life? Do we really believe "as you give, you receive" and all that stuff about karma? Have we grown up enough to take our place as a supporter of the things in society that we value? Or are we stuck in a sort of financial adolescence, waiting for somebody else to do it for us?

I repeat to you: if every Member family of Unity would choose to give either 10% of their income (a true tithe) -OR- at least $10 per week EVERY WEEK (whether you're attending or not), we would be in our new building as fast as the bankers could count the pledges and the builders could put it up. Our building program has never lacked for ideas or plans; but the financial will (that means commitment to giving the money) has not yet manifested.

Life is so full of opportunities to grow and learn. The lessons we most need to learn are usually the hardest places to look at. For many of us, our money issues are deeply hidden in the darkest of corners. Every time you're asked to give, you have the opportunity to bring sunshine to that corner of your heart and begin to experience the grace of sharing freely and fearlessly, of entering a new era in your financial life.

Every time the offering basket is passed, you have a chance to grow and experience a higher grace. So glad we could help!

The Power of Ten ~ June, 1996

May you experience the fullness of life's many blessings... and I offer these thoughts on the dance of abundance.

Perhaps it's because most of us have ten fingers and toes, but for centuries the number TEN has been a number of power, particularly in finances. Our system of numbers is based on ten and its multiples. From pennies to percentages, we are surrounded by the powers of TEN. In the complex world of non-Euclidean geometry, Einstein introduced TEN equations, based on the use of TEN potentials to relate the source of gravitational fields--matter, energy, and pressure--to the geometrical structure of space and time. (Whew!)

Religions have also tapped into the power of TEN. The TEN Commandments of Moses form the ethical basis for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. (And by the way, they are the Ten Commandments, not the Ten Suggestions...) The word "tithe" literally means "tenth" or 10%; everyone was expected to give a full 10% of their income (whether in wheat, chickens, or coin of the current realm) to the church.

Grolier's Multimedia Encylopedia says this about "tithe":
"A tithe is one-tenth of income or produce usually paid--whether levied as an official tax or offered as a voluntary contribution--to support a church and its charitable activities (although occasionally tithing has been used for secular purposes). Ancient peoples, such as early Hebrews, commonly levied tithes. Tithing was a common practice of the Roman Catholic church in western Europe beginning in the 6th century. About 200 years later it became compulsory by law in the Carolingian empire. Laws prescribing tithes were introduced in England during the 10th century. Tithing was abolished in France after the revolution of 1789. Some Protestant bodies (the Mormon church, for example) consider the tithe mandatory."

Why tithe? One answer is "because it's in harmony with Spiritual Law." God/The Universe does not make "promises"...God/The Universe makes "laws". Many people believe that tithing is a part of the Spiritual Law of Giving and Receiving, with just as much power as the Law of Gravity. You don't have to believe in (or even know about) the Law of Gravity to fall out of a tree! It works whether you believe it or not!

The other reason for tithing that people quote is that you reap what you sow (known as "The Golden Rule" or the concept of karma) -- the idea that if you want to receive abundance, you must first give abundantly. Many people interpret this to mean that I need to give $10 if I want to get $100. To me, this seems a little too much like "spiritual voodoo" based on greed and limited to the material realm. I don't think it works quite so literally or so narrowly. (I've observed that there are some pretty nasty people in this world who have lots of money, but I wouldn't call them "rich.") I prefer to use a wider definition of "prosperity" that includes other blessings... that frequently show up from unexpected sources, on God's timetable, and wearing unusual disguises.

To some extent, the NIKE principle ("Just Do It!") seems to work here. By practicing the act of giving (no matter what your original motivation for doing so), you begin to experience the benefits and spiritual growth that flow naturally from it. Like Rev. Ike used to say about prayer... that if you wanted something, you should pray and pray and pray for it some more... and if you prayed long enough and hard enough, eventually you'd either get it or it wouldn't matter to you if you didn't!

If you practice the art of giving, you may or may not get rich (in a worldy sense), but you sure will FEEL rich!

We often use the word "tithe" when we really mean "gift" or "offering." Many Unity churches teach the Four T's Program, in which participants commit to Tithing their Time, Talent, and Treasure for a specified period of time (could it possibly be for TEN weeks?) Many people report experiencing abundance in their spiritual growth as well as their personal financial prosperity from making and keeping their Four T's commitment.

At our church, we offer everyone the opportunity to tithe their time and talent by participating on our various Love In Action teams, as well as making time in your daily life for some forms of spiritual practice, including prayer and/or meditation.

We also invite you to tithe of your treasure with your offerings and by making a written pledge of ongoing support for your Unity church.

There is another way you can tap into the Power of TEN. If every Unity family (especially those who are voting "members") gave TEN dollars EVERY WEEK, we'd be sitting in our new dome home as fast as the builders could put it up! Now, ten dollars a week is not a giant sum for most families unless they're really living on the financial edge. (If they are, it might be time to explore the Laws of Giving and Receiving in greater depth!) Establishing that regular habit of TEN dollars EVERY week would give our Unity church a growth in income and the blessing of greater financial stabililty. When backed up by a WRITTEN pledge, it also magically transforms us into Solid Citizens in the eyes of the bankers who will lend us the money for our building project.

An important aspect of the TEN dollars EVERY WEEK is that you give it whether or not you actually attend Sunday service! (What a spiritual concept - giving without receiving any measurable, immediate, personal benefit! Wow! That's how Giving becomes a form of Spiritual Practice.) After all, the expenses of the church don't stop just 'cause you go hiking that week! The collective entity that we call Unity never takes a vacation... (just ask the folks who answer the phone!) Unity is always here for you and for the others who receive the many blessings we offer.

A new chant/song has been forming in my head in the last couple weeks... I need to fill in some words, but I find that singing it helps me to center myself and to feel joyfully abundant. Each short verse ends with these TEN (surprise!) powerful words:

May you experience the fullness of life's many blessings...