I am so excited to launch my brand-new website today! A special shout-out to Alex Gilliam for her assistance in coordinating the transition. Below, several of the blogs that I wrote while at the helm of Unity San Francisco during Rev. Ken Daigle's three-month sabbatical have been reproduced. Be sure to check back every week for more insights! ![]() Unity teaches that there is only One Power and One Presence active through and as everything. Nothing - "no thing" - is outside of Wholeness, of Oneness - and this includes us. It can be tricky to navigate what feels like our dual nature - we are spiritual beings having a human experience, and when we forget that we are spiritual beings first, we can quickly get caught up in our all-too-human suffering. We lose sight of Spiritual Truth. We focus on all the things that aren't working, that don't feel right. There is an expression in Unity that "nothing and no one is against you, and everything is for you." And yet, it can feel like the exact opposite - that everything is against you and nothing and no one is for you! Our spiritual practices are there to remind us and call us home. Quite honestly, there is no reminder as powerful as Affirmative Prayer. A straightforward process, it focuses and strengthens our spiritual awareness as we realign with Truth. It provides an access point to our True Nature and expands our understanding of who we truly are. Join me on Sunday, either in person or via livestream as we dive into The Power of Yes! and explore the transformative power of Affirmative Prayer. Originally posted on Rev. Ken's Blog at Unity San Francisco on 8/9/18. Unity San Francisco held its annual Prayer Retreat this past weekend, and it provided an opportunity to explore what is unique to Unity and New Thought: the incredible gift of Affirmative Prayer. Participants dived deep and were immersed in the healing power of Affirmative Prayer. We made room for personal and collective healing to unfold as we supported and listened deeply to ourselves and to each other. It was such a joy to gather together as we played, explored, and experienced Affirmative Prayer in new ways.
That is the power of coming together in sacred community. Together, we amplify the healing potential. We touch and are touched. We love and are loved. We see and are seen. We heal and are healed. There is nothing more empowering or rejuvenating than the awareness that we truly are held. Held by that Divine Principle of Love that is everywhere present, and by its expression, those who we can see, touch, and feel. And so, I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we come together in sacred community and anchor our awareness of the One Love living as each of us. Originally posted on Rev. Ken's Blog at Unity San Francisco on 8/3/18. Affirmative Prayer is one of Unity's most powerful practices in which we consciously align ourselves with the Divinity that we are.
The first time I ever prayed affirmatively with someone, I was actually afraid! I was familiar with rote prayers in a foreign language - not extemporaneous prayers in a language I actually understood. Yet I was suffering, and so I was open to experiencing something I normally would have discounted. As my prayer partner prayed with me, I felt the power of the Word. I felt something within me rise up to meet the Wholeness she saw, the Love she was claiming, the Peace and Well Being that she was activating. As she saw the Truth of my Life, I felt hope in the midst of my despair; possibility in the midst of my hopelessness. In that moment, I was forever changed. As the Prayer Chaplains and others from the community go into retreat this weekend, know that we are holding you in that powerful field of affirmative prayer. I look forward to sharing the experience when we return - and mark your calendars for the Prayer Chaplain Installation on August 19th when Rev. Ken join us back from his sabbatical. Originally posted on Rev. Ken's Blog at Unity San Francisco on 7/26/18. What a wonderful week it has been, focusing on my Divine Connection with others! There are so many ways in which this relational experience of the Divine can express. Whether it is serving with Urban Angels and distributing clothing to the homeless or smiling at someone on the bus - it is all an opportunity to powerfully connect as love.
One of the most powerful and rewarding ways to connect is to pray with others. I am so grateful for all of the prayer partners I have. They invite me to see myself and the world anew, to see past my experience and into the heart of the Divine. When we say yes and create space for shared connection, we can lean in and be supported and held, even as we hold others. Matthew 18:20 reads, "Where two or more are gathered, I Am in the midst of them." It is our point of connection that allows us to realize the I Am that we all are. Whether it is through Affirmative Prayer or through acts of Sacred Service, when we say yes to gathering in love, the Divine is revealed. Where are you called to serve? Who are you called to touch? What prayer is seeking to be affirmed in your life? Reach out and lean in - you are more supported than you can even begin to imagine. Originally posted on Rev. Ken's Blog at Unity San Francisco on 7/19/18. Every day is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the Divine. As we dive into the Three Faces of God this month, the invitation this week is to acknowledge and name the Divine that is present in everything around you. Everything? Yes, everything!
As I drove over the Bay Bridge today, I found myself laughing as I sat in all that morning traffic. It was a perfect opportunity to practice! And with new eyes, I saw a concrete example of Abundance. Cars everywhere, as far as the eye could see. And as I acknowledged that aspect of the Divine, my experience began to shift. I looked even deeper and I noticed all of the ingenuity and innovation in the differing designs, shapes, sizes, and colors in this sea of cars. I felt another shift - I was sitting amidst a sea of Creativity! What a beautiful reminder of how to hold and be present with my day differently. And how empowering to know that Creativity and Abundance are present as my life. When we recognize the Divine, we create an avenue for us to realize the Divine. My practice continues - today, I am looking for Abundance and Creativity, and for ways to express those qualities myself. Take a moment and really look around you. Make a list of the Divinity that you see. Let yourself be inspired. Recognize the Divine so that you may more powerfully realize it. Originally posted on Rev. Ken's Blog at Unity San Francisco on 7/12/18. Yes we are abundant!
I have great news to share with membership. An unexpected bidding war took place on our building while we were still negotiating the final sale agreement. The end result: the buyers that membership approved at the last Town Hall Meeting increased their offer by another $500,000 with all original terms still in place. In addition, they agreed that our optional 6-month leaseback (a value of $60,000) will be rent-free. Unity San Francisco has accepted their offer of $6 million, and we will be finalizing the agreement over the next few days. We are on a roll as we continue to manifest our good! If you would like to find out more about the building sale and any prospective new properties, we are holding a Town Hall Meeting on July 29th. Please join us after Service whether you are a voting member or not. The 29th is also a Pot Luck Sunday, so be sure to bring a dish and don't forget your dancing shoes - there will be a disco party when the Town Hall Meeting is over. We have 560,000 things to celebrate! Originally posted on Rev. Ken's Blog at Unity San Francisco on 7/4/18. Happy 4th of July!
This holiday has special resonance for me. My wife and I navigated the US immigration system for 12 years. Last year, she became a US citizen. When she actually held her naturalization papers in her hands, we both took a very deep collective breath. We were finally safe. Our relationship was no longer at risk of separation. Unfortunately, the reality of separation is alive for so many who come here with dreams of building a better life for themselves and their loved ones. This 4th of July, nearly 14,000 immigrants joined the roughly 750,000 immigrants each year that become US citizens. Freedom is a Divine Idea, and there are no obstacles to Divine Ideas. So, this week, let us celebrate and give thanks for the freedoms we have, for the lives we lead, and for the opportunities we have. And let us continue to anchor freedom for all who seek it, saying yes to a world that works for everyone. Originally posted on Rev. Ken's Blog at Unity San Francisco on 7/12/18. We have been celebrating the power of Sacred Service at Unity San Francisco, honoring that when we serve, we are changed in deep and profound ways. That impulse to own and affirm our Divinity, to be the voice, hands, and arms of God is precious and holy.
In life there is so much swirling around us, making it easy to get caught up and lose sight of Truth Principles. Instead, take a breath, become still, and drop down into Love. When we anchor ourselves as Love, we listen past our fears and worries. We hear how we are personally called to show up. For some, this may mean marching at the Families Belong Together Rally this Saturday morning with Unity San Francisco. We will meet at 9:30 AM at 18th and Valencia! Let us know if you will be coming. For some, this may mean sitting in prayer and meditation on Saturday morning. Or volunteering with the ACLU. Or sharing your gifts and talents with Unity San Francisco. Or any number of the infinite possibilities that are open to us when we are willing to be quiet and receptive. I hope that you will join me on Saturday in your own unique and magnificent way as we anchor Love. And keep looking for all the ways you are called to serve! Originally posted on Rev. Ken's Blog at Unity San Francisco on 5/22/18. There has been so much unfolding in the world this week! Some of it is hopeful and inspiring, while some is deeply painful. My teacher, Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith, taught me that all of those newspaper headlines are prayer requests - so, I continually turned to prayer this week, holding all the world in a space of peace and love.
The beginning of Ramadan this week invites us to join the consciousness of 1.8 billion Muslims as they reflect and fast during this holy time. As a spiritual practice, fasting allows us to break free from our day-to-day experiences. In Unity, we can choose to fast from the thoughts and beliefs that no longer serve us, reflect upon how we are called to be a greater expression of compassion, and, in the process, we see ourselves and the world anew. Unity teaches that there is more at work than what we can see, taste, touch, and smell, and to always go deeper. We have an opportunity to hold peace in the midst of anger, know love in the midst of seeming hate, and anchor faith in the midst of fear. This is what we practice, knowing that we are truly creating a world that works for everyone. |
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