WEEKLY UPDATE October 29, 2024 | |
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Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there was a kingdom of acorns, nestled at the foot of a grand old oak tree. Since the citizens of this kingdom were modern, fully Westernized acorns, they went about their life with a purposeful energy; and since they were mid-life baby-boomer acorns, they engaged in a lot of self-help courses. There were seminars called “Getting All You Can out of Your Shell” and “Who Would You Be Without Your Nutty Story?” There were woundedness and recovery groups for acorns who had been bruised in their fall from the tree. There were spas for oiling and polishing those shells and various acornopathic therapies to enhance longevity and well-being.
One day in the midst of this kingdom there suddenly appeared a knotty little stranger, apparently dropped out of the blue by a passing bird. He was capless and dirty, making an immediate negative impression on his fellow acorns. And to make things worse, crouched beneath the mighty oak tree, he stammered out a wild tale. Pointing up at the tree, he said, “We … are … that!”
Delusional thinking, obviously, the other acorns concluded, but they continued to engage him in conversation: “So tell us, how do we … become that tree?” “Well,” said he, pointing downward, “it has something to do with going into the ground…and cracking open the shell.”
“Insane!” they responded. “Totally morbid! Why then we wouldn’t be acorns anymore.”
I have shared this story countless times throughout the past decade and it never fails to animate, enliven, and inspire those who hear it. An acorn is a seed, and its nature and destiny is to become an oak tree. We, too, are seeds—our nature and destiny is to become!
The idea that “we are that”—the Divine in expression—is central to Unity teachings. We are not broken but blessed. Our thoughts, words, and actions are creative. When we can crack open and go into the ground of our being, a world of growth and possibility opens before us.
Excerpt from "We Are That "by Rev. Mark Fuss, www.Unity.org
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Unity Williamsburg Spiritual Center offers a
safe and sacred place for study, participation, fellowship,
support, and transformation as we awaken to
the joy of living!
We invite you to join us in 2024!
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Unity Williamsburg Spiritual Center is a diverse, open and affirming community that embraces all people regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, ethnicity, age or physical or mental ability - without intent or attempt to convert.
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Learn More about Unity...
Interested in more information about Unity? Who are we and where did we come from? Click on these links to inform and empower you! www.unity.org and www.truthunity.net. Blessings!
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Calendar of Events
Wednesday, October 30
Yoga Class with Jamie Fitzwater
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 2
Samhain (Celtic New Year) Celebration
with Rev. Denise Creech & Canda Lambert
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Meditation Class with Darrell Key - CANCELED
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 3
Carylanne Steinberg, Guest Speaker
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Potluck Luncheon
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, November 5
Meditation, Prayer & Healing Gathering - CANCELED
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Hope, Imagination & Remaking the World
with Ingrid and Duncan Hamara
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 6
Yoga Class with Jamie Fitzwater
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 9
Meditation Class with Darrell Key
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 10
Joshua Inacio, Guest Speaker
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, November 12
Hope, Imagination & Remaking the World
with Ingrid and Duncan Hamara
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 13
Yoga Class with Jamie Fitzwater
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 16
Meditation Class with Darrell Key
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 17
Canda Lambert, Guest Speaker
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Board Meeting
12:15 - 1:15 p.m.
Tuesday, November 19
HU - The Sound of Soul with Michael George
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 20
Yoga Class with Jamie Fitzwater
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 23
Meditation Class with Darrell Key
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 24
Rev. Reese Washington, Jr. - Guest Speaker
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, November 26
Hope, Imagination & Remaking the World
with Ingrid and Duncan Hamara
7:00 - 8:00 p.m
Wednesday, November 27
Yoga Class with Jamie Fitzwater
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 30
Healing Sound Bath with Canda Lambert
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Meditation Class with Darrell Key
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
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This Sunday, Carylanne Steinberg joins us as guest speaker. Carylanne is a seasoned Soul and Life Coach, Intuitive Spiritual Guide, Master Energy Practitioner, Motivational Speaker, Hypnotherapist, and Mindfulness and Meditation Leader for over 28 years.
She had her first experience with Unity in Ft Myers Florida in 1993. She has been attending Unity Renaissance for 6 years and you may have seen her here at UWSC as a platform host in the last 2 years.
Her unwavering commitment is to help people awaken, heal, grow and evolve, to connect and align with the Presence within, to love and accept themselves, and to fully embrace and live their extraordinary lives. Carylanne believes love heals and in the practice of gratitude. She loves nature, art, movement, music and chocolate. Be sure to join us Sunday to hear her inspiring message!
Click on the link to visit her website at www.Carylanne.com.
Platform Assistant: Lynda Birckhead
Chaplain: Jane Siegel
Greeter: Jane Siegel
Openers/Closers: Christopher Shao & Amy Shao
For those who wish to tithe before or after the service, go to paypal.me/UnityWilliamsburg or use the Zeffy QRC.
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When I face a difficult decision, I remember that God, as infinite wisdom, is part of the fabric of my being, guiding me as I discern what is right to do. Spirit’s light illumines my clarity of thought and evokes a deep inner knowing.
I maintain healthy boundaries as I follow the light of Love. Connecting with the wisdom of Spirit in meditation, I become clear on what is mine to do, and what is someone else’s responsibility.
If I ever feel uncertain about a decision, I take the time I need to pray and connect with the wisdom of Truth within me. When I am ready to act, I feel confident in my choice. The light of God is guiding me now!
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Unity Williamsburg Spiritual Center graciously accepts love offerings during Sunday Services and special events, online through paypal.me/UnityWilliamsburg, Zeffy QRC, and by check, mailed to 624 Queens Creek Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23185 | |
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This Sunday, Nov. 3rd, we will have our monthly pot-luck luncheon after the service. Please join us for this time of food, fun and fellowship. Bring a dish to share or just come and enjoy!
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Message from the Board
As we enter the holiday season, there are some project based volunteer opportunities available for congregation members to help with. In November, we typically collect non-perishable food items to donate to our local food pantry. In December, we collect essential clothing and hygiene items for our local Veterans. Keep an eye on next week's newsletter and the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall for a list of donations that would be especially helpful to those in need in our surrounding community. And if you would like to help coordinate one or both of these collection drives this year, your efforts would be most welcome!
Another opportunity is GivingTuesday - a day that encourages people to do good and inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. This year, Giving Tuesday falls on December 3. It serves as an important reminder to be charitable amidst shopping-centric holiday season events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you would like to help create our UWSC 2024 GivingTuesday campaign, please let me know!
Many blessings, A
Amy Shao, President
Jane Siegel, Vice President
Lynda Birckhead, Secretary
Johan Wagner, Treasurer
Jude Eastman, Member at Large
Teo Feliciano, Member at Large
(*To email a board member, click on their name above.)
Next Board Meeting will be November 17.
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Meet the Applicants
We are so blessed to have such an inspiring and spiritually gifted group of applicants for the UWSC Part-Time Spiritual Leader position! Congregational feedback is an important part of the selection process. Please take time to share your feedback either by using the online survey found here or by filling out the paper version of the survey available in the sanctuary. A description of the position can be found here. Additionally, you can click on each of the candidate's names below to read their motivation statements in seeking this position. Congregational feedback will be accepted through Sunday, November 17th.
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Please visit our new Facebook home here or search @unitywilliamsburgspiritualcenter. We will be posting the Daily Word, affirmations, meditations, inspirational music and sermon spotlights daily. We will also post information about upcoming services and special events.
Our Sunday Services will be broadcast via Facebook Live every Sunday at 10:30 AM.
Please "Like" the posts and share content from the page to improve our online visibility. If you have suggestions from content, please contact Amy Shao or Jude Eastman.
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Volunteers are needed for Unity Williamsburg's Marketing and Outreach Committee.
What exactly is the Marketing Committee all about??
Well, we get together about once a month and brainstorm, bounce ideas off each other about how we can ‘spread the word’, so to speak,
about UWSC’s awesomeness! It’s fun and we meet on Zoom for probably an hour or so on Thursday evenings. We share our thoughts, our excitement, our hopes and visions for the future of Unity Williamsburg, then we strategize and tailor our marketing plan(s). Please just click here to join us: jane@yournextchaptercoach.com.
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Zeffy is a fee-free donation portal specifically for non-profits. This means 100% of your love offering comes to UWSC. There will be cards with the scannable QR codes in the Sanctuary on Sunday like the one pictured. By scanning the QR code, you are taken to a donation page where you can choose a one time or recurring donation and amount. You do not need to create an account. Once you submit your donation, you will receive an immediate "Thank You" email with a downloadable tax-deductible donation receipt for your records.
So give it a try and let the Board know what you think!
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