“The joy of the Lord is my strength.”
~ Nehemiah 8:10
Dear Friends,
A new excitement is in the air, and as is often the case when something spiritual is afoot, it is caught bit by bit. Do you feel it? Most of the folks in our Prosperity Plus Class “caught” it. And those attending the “What’s Up in Unity?” presentation “caught” it. Some of the folks attending Game Night are catching it. Some of the folk on the Appreciative Inquiry Core Team are starting to talk about it. The excitement is rising in some during Sunday Celebration Services.
This excitement is different than the excitement “in the world.” It’s an inner excitement evidenced by the warmth in your heart, the sparkle in your eyes and the joy in your voice. The marvelous thing is that it’s not dependent on outer things. Rather it is an expression of a deeper joy, a reflection of inner transformation and/or expectancy that rises from within. It’s bubbling up in little pockets throughout our ministry, and it rises through your heart. Do you feel it?
We’ll nurture this spiritual excitement in a number of ways. This month Karl Anthony arrives with a New Thought form of Kirtan he calls “Yoga for the Mind.” Bring your friends, family and colleagues to bask in Spirit as you still your mind and stir your heart with English and Sanskrit chants surrounded by laser light. Rev. Mary Omwake, Association for Global New Thought Leader, who has been dwelling in the joy vibration of Spirit on Maui and during walkabout, will deliver our Sunday Lesson and a Centering Prayer workshop on July 25th.
Through the power of an Appreciative Inquiry interview, everyone is invited to share what you love about Unity of Olympia. Imagine not only being asked to share your best memories, but being listened to so deeply that the words arising from your heart provide a gentle and blessed discovery for you. This articulation of appreciation helps to build a sacred field of love and joy. Mantra and Centering Prayer facilitate our deepening experience of the Presence of God. The Holy Spirit delights to move through a field of joy and welcome, so we are laying out the welcome mat! We begin an experiment to change the order of service at the close of our Sunday Celebration Service, a harbinger of things to come.
We offer a hearty welcome to our new Council members: Pat Creighton, Linda Bremer and Mary Ellen Psaltis. Congratulations! And pull those notebooks out for our August retreat/workshop. As we feel the joy vibration bubbling throughout our community, we celebrate the successes of Unity Worldwide Ministries aka the Association of Unity Churches. A unanimous approval of our new name is but one of the many blessings that occurred at Convention.
This Summer is about joy and being lifted in Spirit. The Sunday Series for July and August is titled, “Journey Into the Light.” Enjoy your vacations. If you think to pick up a vial of water from wherever you travel, please bring it back home for a “Gathering of the Waters” ceremony this Fall. When you’re in town, we look forward to seeing you on Sundays as we ramp up the joy vibration at Unity of Olympia.
In the Dance,
Deborah