November 21, 2010 – Grateful For Grace


Reverend David McArthur

Ceremonies will undoubtedly last as long as the Earth herself lasts. We use ceremony to acknowledge our unity, that all humans are related. We use ceremony to honor and acknowledge our unity with everything to the four points of the Earth –East, South, West, and North. And we seek guidance in ceremony. In a very critical time, the ancient Ojibwa elders sought guidance from Spirit, and the Ojibwa moved into the reality of the vision of their elders by following the Megis. It appeared daily and led them on a journey to a land of food and water, health and happiness.

The wisdom of the elders also guides each of us to seek answers by undertaking our own individual journey, no matter how arduous. We might slip and slide backward, climb seemingly vertical obstacles, go up, down, and around. We might feel tired, wet, and scratched, as if our emotional “clothes” are torn. Yet the wisdom of our elders will guide us to a place where there is a connection to Spirit, and we find our answers are right in front of us, that they are inside of us all the time!

A favorite wisdom story from our elders tells that the first humans were confused. They didn’t know their purpose. When they looked around they saw that the animals didn’t ask their purpose. They just did the things they knew to do. The humans decided their job, then, was to learn from the animals and every other thing that’s here. That’s our job – we are learning.

And when we look around, we learn that people everywhere honor Spirit in what ever way they understand Spirit. And they have learned that they should be grateful. Many of us, too, are grateful, and say thank you every morning and every evening. But during the day we are busy and we forget. So stop even with the simplest things and give thanks. Stop and look. Say, “God, that’s nice!” Our first Americans would even stop on a journey or a hunt to look at the beauty around them. They would give thanks, and then go on their way. When you notice something nice, think of God dropping bombs that hit you so that you can stop and say “Thank You!”
And remember, we are all one!

November 7, 2010 – New Name, New Consciousness


Reverend David McArthur

Many of us no longer use the name we were called in childhood. We have experienced a shift in our consciousness, and so have changed the name we use. A name is an acknowledgment of a state of consciousness. As the soul evolves, our focus shifts from the physical 3D world to that of the mental, the intellect. It was good to live in the 3D world and supply the needs of the body. But the intuitive self recognizes when it is time to shift the authority to the mind, the intellect. When we focus and develop mind we gain ability to direct the 3D world. In the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel, Jacob, representing the mental aspects, has developed his intellectual abilities and prospered. However, when he wants to return to the land of his brother Esau, who represents the aspects of the 3D world, Jacob must first wrestle with the natural self, with his deep commitment to the physical world. He wrestles all night long, and learns that the mind is not greater than the body. They are spiritually equal parts of the whole. In the morning he is at a point of integrating the mental and physical, a point at which what is gained in mind needs to become firm. He has had a change in consciousness. He demands a blessing before he leaves. His name is changed from Jacob to Israel.

In our wrestling, how do we get the blessing? Open to this growth, this blessing. Spirit brought it to you because there is some part in you that your soul wants to grow. There is always something to appreciate. Gift giving is an expression of appreciation. Give yourself the gift of stepping into a greater consciousness. Think about just one thing you appreciate about your struggles. Now feel it! There is a huge difference between thinking appreciation and feeling it. Feeling is power. Feeling takes appreciation into reality. That’s where the power is. In your wrestling, affirm, “God is blessing me now!” That’s when the light you are blesses the world, that’s what you came here to do.
“God is blessing me now!”

October 31, 2010 – Dumbledore Speaking The Word


Reverend David McArthur

Stories of magic catch us deeply because we are magical beings. They invited us into “I can do that.” Symbolically, the magic wand is to focus your attention on your intention. And you have to have the words of your incantation. Not all words are equal. Prayer isn’t to convince a power outside of yourself to change something for you. We at Unity focus our attention on the power we have within. Charles Fillmore said, “The Spiritual substance from which comes all wealth is never depleted. It is right with you all the time and responds to your faith in it and your demands upon it… Pour your faith upon it and you will be prospered though all the banks in the world close their doors.” It’s got to be a combined energy. Focus your attention and use words of prayer to bring forth greater manifestation to serve your life better.

Speaking thought into words gives it vibration, brings it into the material realm. The most powerful words are those which are aligned to that which is true. How do we pick up and align to those words? Our God is divine pure love with nothing but desire to bring the best to each of us. Our God isn’t limited. You are loved and you can’t do anything about that. When we pick up that love we pick up power.

Priests and ministers don’t know your words. How do you find them? Emily Cady told us how to move intention into manifestation. In her silence she heard the words: “Stretch forth your hand…and I will establish it.” She heard that our hands are God’s hands. We are co-creators. It’s our power. Own your power, it’s your spiritual nature. The words are in your heart. That infinite intelligence which is there for you knows them for you.

When desiring to speak the word, “wait thou in silence only.” Then the right word will be given and power with it. When something needs to change the real answer comes from the silence within you. Call forth that which is to be called forth. Give what is to be given. Affirm, “Divine love goes before me making easy, joyous, and successful my way.” We can have life easy, joyous, and successful because God would have it no other way!

October 24, 2010 – Self Forgiveness Through Self Compassion


Reverend David McArthur

Prosperity is to open up and allow Spirit to bring forth through you a greater wholeness (that divine intention) into your life. As taught by Edwene Gaines, the second principle of prosperity is Forgiveness.

The hardest part of forgiveness is self forgiveness. The vision we have goes beyond the consciousness we have—we can see beyond where we are– and that vision will carry us forward. However, without self forgiveness, we experience guilt and get down on ourselves. Since the world we experience is a creation of our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes, when we think things like “I am not that good” or “Life’s not that good. I can’t really trust God.” we choke down our spiritual pipeline. We are no longer open. We get defensive and strive to protect ourselves.

In Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert writes of how we are disappointed in ourselves for lacking the discipline to accomplish our dreams. However, after such disappointment, we can open to our greater wholeness if we forgive ourselves. She likens self forgiveness to kindly and encouraging motherly love. Like a mother holding you saying,”That’s ok. I love you just the way you are.” Such self forgiveness frees us from the judgment of how we view ourselves.

There are times in our lives when we have caused pain to others. What we manifested then was very limiting. We can move beyond the guilt and its limitations with self forgiveness, self compassion. Say “I am willing to forgive myself and stop beating myself up for it.” It’s the self compassion that heals. This is a most important step and it will free your heart. It will free you for facing you tasks at hand.

So open up and let the love of God in. Begin to deliberately give yourself forgiveness and compassion, and that spirit of divine creativity can begin to flow. Affirm “I am loved, special, and important. God loves me and so do I.”

October 3, 2010 – The Secret of Permanent Prosperity


Reverend Edwene Gaines

From Edwene Gaines, “I am a person of power.” When you are 100% committed to your intention, the universe steps up. The God energy is always there. Plug yourself in. All it takes is a conscious intention to live your life fully in every way. Prosperity is having a vitally alive healthy body for the God-being that we are to express through; relationships that are joyous, satisfying, intimate, honest, and nurturing, and that work all the time; work that we love so much it’s not work but play; and all the money that we can spend.

So for the next 21 days, NO COMPLAINING. For every challenge that arises, say, ”God, that’s great!”

Now, align with these 4 simple spiritual laws –

1.    “God is my source.” Return one tenth of all you receive to where you get your spiritual food. Scripture says about tithing, “prove me now”, so start where you are– attitude doesn’t matter.
2.    “Forgive yourself and others all the time.” At night before you go to sleep, pray, “Father|Mother God, have I put anyone out of my heart today?” Forgive them –and yourself – like you forgive a child. The only people that we have to forgive are the people who don’t do things our way. Pray, “Let me love them the way You love them.”
3.    “Set clear cut, tangible goals.” Jesus didn’t say “…make Me guess.” Be very specific and write down your desires. “Desire is the onward impulse of the ever-evolving soul.” – Charles Fillmore. Do not worry about how they will come. God has ways you might not have ever thought of. Would you be willing to consider God knows exactly how to do it?
4.    “Get on purpose with your life.” If you don’t know what that is, ask yourself, “What would be the most fun thing I could do with my life?” What would you do with your life if money was no object, if you didn’t have to work, if you didn’t have responsibilities, if you could do anything, be anything, have anything? Go there in fantasies and write about it. Visualize it. And start taking action-steps towards those things. In that transition period, spend a lot of time in prayer asking for guidance. ”Show me the way to do this.” Ask for those ideas. It does take courage. Yogi Berra said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

Mario Andretti said, “If everything seems under control, you’re not going nearly fast enough!” And Edwene Gaines says, “I am a person of power!”

September 19, 2010 – Discover The Divine Mystery

Reverends Revs. Larry Winn and David McArthur

When you made the commitment to come into this life, everything was put in place for you to accomplish your purpose. When you are on purpose, the universe shows up. But we get the amazing experience of “interruption”. There is value in that experience– our interruptions are divine invitation to a greater purpose.

For example, when you complain, you draw complainers to you and you are surrounded by complaining people. When that is interrupted, you have a choice. We know every thing is God, even when it seems something is not of God. If divine order really is in that interruption, then there is a greater purpose calling to us. We are free to choose it or turn it down.

Jesus, as we need to do, met life in the consciousness in which he lived, and then stepped to the next level, and then the next. In the story of the Canaanite woman, she asked that her daughter be healed. Jesus responded that he was to heal the children of Israel, not to throw their bread to the dogs. She responded with non-resistance, no ego. She knew that her daughter could be healed. Her love for her daughter and her faith that she could be healed awakened Jesus, and He recognized the beauty of the spiritual self of anyone. This interruption awakened Him to a greater purpose.

With every interruption we can journey from our head to our heart. If it’s all God, it’s all love. Look at the interruption as being a call to a higher purpose. The universe loves us so much we have many, many interruptions. At those times, say,

“Divine Love, I am Your instrument. Live Your purpose through me.”

September 12, 2010 – Live Your Purpose Through Me


Rev. David McArthur

When you made the commitment to come into this life, everything was put in place for you to accomplish your purpose. When you are on purpose, the universe shows up. But we get the amazing experience of “interruption”. There is value in that experience– our interruptions are divine invitation to a greater purpose.

For example, when you complain, you draw complainers to you and you are surrounded by complaining people. When that is interrupted, you have a choice. We know every thing is God, even when it seems something is not of God. If divine order really is in that interruption, then there is a greater purpose calling to us. We are free to choose it or turn it down.

Jesus, as we need to do, met life in the consciousness in which he lived, and then stepped to the next level, and then the next. In the story of the Canaanite woman, she asked that her daughter be healed. Jesus responded that he was to heal the children of Israel, not to throw their bread to the dogs. She responded with non-resistance, no ego. She knew that her daughter could be healed. Her love for her daughter and her faith that she could be healed awakened Jesus, and He recognized the beauty of the spiritual self of anyone. This interruption awakened Him to a greater purpose.

With every interruption we can journey from our head to our heart. If it’s all God, it’s all love. Look at the interruption as being a call to a higher purpose. The universe loves us so much we have many, many interruptions. At those times, say,

“Divine Love, I am Your instrument. Live Your purpose through me.”

September 5, 2010 – From Heffalumps to Wholeness


Rev. David McArthur

Like Winnie the Pooh, we can be stuck in “not enough”, projecting the past into the future. Like Piglet, we see what we expect to see. And we keep repeating the pattern. Is there something that we would like to change? We forget how. Life is the reflection of our consciousness. Our thoughts/feelings create it, and we ourselves keep it the way it is. But whether we want to change things with co-workers or relatives or financial situations, know that these things are all really spiritual problems needing spiritual solutions.

We need to go to a higher power, like the woman who touched Jesus’ garment. The “twelve years” of her suffering signify she had completed her spiritual work and was open to healing. Her new perception was that she would be whole by touching a greater power, the presence of God. Today, when our energy is drained, our life force drawn from us, we have to touch the higher consciousness– that which is conscious of the Presence. We have to touch God, the higher awareness. It is there. It needs to be there. (That goodness, wholeness.) Transform your consciousness. Touch the wholeness which is God.

The Bhagavad Gita asks, “Do you have the patience to wait till the mud settles and the water is clear,” until you are able to be filled with a higher consciousness? Then “the right action will arise. Not seeking fulfillment, …open to all things.” See the Presence; open to It. It brings that which is highest. Welcome all things. The Divine teaches, “I Am the Self abiding in the heart of all beings.” The Divine Presence is what is there that guides us to wholeness.

When we smash through to the higher vision, then we are free to see something different– we go from lack to plenty– in the consciousness of the Presence saying, “How I do love you!” and answer, as Pooh does, “me too!”