Thursday, October 30, 2008

Shine!


From Daily Om:

Burning Brightly: Allowing Your Soul To Shine

At times, we’ve all wanted to crawl under a rock and hide away from the world. We may have preferred to be invisible rather than let other people see us or notice that we exist. This desire not to be seen often happens when we are feeling very hurt, angry, or simply weary of the world. And while we may console ourselves with the defense that we are shy, an introvert, or a loner, we may actually be hiding.

When we hide and make believe that we are invisible, we can think that we no one sees us even though, truthfully, we are only really hiding from ourselves. And while we may try to live life as inconspicuously as possible, we only succeed in becoming more conspicuous because people can’t help but notice that we are trying to hide our light. None of us are meant to hide; each one of us radiates a unique brilliance that is meant to illuminate the world. When we try to dim our light, we diminish the natural radiance of the Universe, and we deprive the people around us of the unique gifts and talents that we are here to share.

Stepping out of the wings and letting your light shine is actually a way to serve the planet. We each have a responsibility to contribute to our community, and we do this when we let ourselves be seen. It doesn’t do anyone any good when we try to hide. We are all beings of light and we are here to light the way for each other. When we let ourselves shine, we become a bright mirror that others can see their own reflected brilliance through, and they can’t help but want to shine also. Shine your light out into the world, bless those around you by sharing your gifts, and watch the universe glow.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Eckhart Tolle

Hi all,

This is one of the best interviews I have seen with Eckhart Tolle. Part three of this interview speaks directly to what we have been working on.

Blessings,Dave

Monday, October 27, 2008

From the Bakers - Week 2

We have the most wonderful group! It was hard to keep our week-two discussion down to two hours. Only one member attended the service last week and took the $10. He used the money to invest in Kiva.org, an organization that allows you to lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world, empowering the recipient to lift themselves out of poverty. It has a 98% success rate – unheard of from traditional lending sources. This is a great example for using our Helping gifts! Until next week… Vickie

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Mike Betot's group

In my study this week one of the members gave a great example of the difference between person oriented and task oriented. They are part of a gala to raise money for abused children. Would you rather be the person out soliciting money and donations, or would you rather be setting up the tables and chairs? Both are valuable, and both need to be done. I know we had some discussion around this subject and I thought this cleared it up pretty well for me.

Love & Light,Mike

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Week 2 from Paula

Our spiritual gifts group met this morning. We started by listening to the first track of Andrew Harvey's Meditations for Sacred Activists CD. A couple of people had their own copies of it and said that they thought it was worth listening to. So, I think I will use it each week from now on to set the tone for our discussion.

We shared stories about how folks used their $10 from Sunday to pay it forward. Only a couple of folks had used theirs as of today. This generated a lot of discussion on ways to use the money.
It also brought up a discussion on who is most worthy of receiving the money in each person's eyes. Some thought that you should do a little research about the organizations that you might donate to. Others felt there shouldn't be any strings attached to what the person or organization
used the money for. All in all it made for a good discussion about just what is the intention when you are making a donation.

The group has made name tags with their name and the top three spiritual gifts listed below their name. Each week we are going to try to learn what each other's gifts are so that by the end of the study we have learned more about each other than just a name and a face. We took turns talking about their specific gifts and the ways it showed up for them. The stories were heartfeld, meaningful and affirmed what they seemed to already know about themselves.

One person thought that it would be a good idea to look at your spiritual gifts and see how they are expressed through your Myers-Briggs assessment. According to the Myers and Briggs foundation, "Perception involves all the ways of becoming aware of things, people, happenings, or ideas. Judgment involves all the ways of coming to conclusions about what has been perceived. If people differ systematically in what they perceive and in how they reach conclusions, then it is only reasonable for them to differ correspondingly in their interests, reactions, values, motivations, and skills." So, a person who might have creative ability as one of their gifts may actually perceive creativity in very different ways. Someone mentioned that one might be good at "decking the halls" at Christmas while another might think of new ways to celebrate Christmas by bobbing for apples We decided that each person's gifts are truly unique to them and could be manifested differently according to their personality type.

Once we started into the workbook to learn about creative abilities and the serving gifts we ran out of time to completely discuss them all. We did not break into groups but will try that next week. James Taylor was playing in Moores Square today so some folks wanted to get to the concert. I received lots of thoughtful comments about the assessment and the workbook as we went along. They are relatively minor things that I have noted in my copy. I hope you will share comments that you had about the material, too.

I enjoyed reading about how your groups are going so please continue to write and share your ideas. Especially, post any stories about the $10 pay it forward.

Gifted

A thought from Hazelden:
All of us are gifted. Every person has a gift that can bring great joy and light to those who encounter it. Our task is to stand in the sun and create a climate that will develop and nurture our gift.

Sometimes we are afraid to let ourselves believe that we have anything special to offer or contribute to the world. We think of ourselves as plain and untalented, with no gifts or special potential. But if we believe we are limited, we act in a limited way. We take few risks and follow few paths that might develop our special talents and gifts.

To fully believe in our talents , we need only step from the darkness into the sun. We will take this first step, trust enough, and start believing that YES, we do have special gifts.
Prayer: Today let me be aware of my deep and unfulfilled desires, dreams, and wishes, which is the first step on the way to accepting my gifts.

Monday, October 20, 2008

What breaks your heart

Susan Tingley has sent this follow up to her earlier email (and the subsequent post here) about finding the thing that breaks your heart:

What follows is the best of our memory of what Andrew suggested as a method of identifying your heart-break that will open you to activism:

Set your alarm for the middle of the night, 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. Get up then, and pray or meditate. Then ask to open your heart. Allow the wounded parts of the world to come into your heart and mind. Feel the hurt, fully. You will find the one that hurts the most.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Week Two




We're looking forward to hearing from you about week two. Maybe some stories about how people used their $10 or are thinking about using it?


I've already gotten an email from a choir member suggesting that several people put their money together for greater impact.
Have a great week.



Saturday, October 18, 2008

Joann talks about her group

I concur - our tidy group is excited about the study as well. They said they really wanted to hone in on their gifts and use their energy wisely and effectively. The only thing we did not finish was review of the Creativity characteristics/obstacles.

This group also decided to fill out the office worksheet at the end of the study. I gave them the option after reading Paula's post.. plus they kind of groaned when I brought it up. Regarding the evaluation: they brought up a valid point that besides the gifts we hold, there is also the matter of personal preference at how easily/or hesitantly we get involved in things. So while the evaluation determines gifts, there's the additional aspect of how willing/determined/hesitant a person is in interaction. The evaluation may not be the right place to put it, but it is worth considering.

I would be interested in further postings to learn from the other groups if they address the disappointment that people feel if they didn't score higher in a category as they expected. I suppose the conversation could focus on the obstacles that hinder their development. Joann~

Vicki and Steve talk about their group

Our group met on Wednesday night. It lasted two hours and we didn’t get through the week-one handouts (probably the fault of the facilitator…that would be me J). Everyone did the survey then we had a lively discussion about the results. Our group felt that some of the questions may be confusing or could be worded differently to arrive at the ‘correct’ answer. For instance, two in our group love teaching yet they scored very low on the gift of teaching. Some felt that question #86 which referenced the Bible would have had different answers without the Bible reference – perhaps ‘spiritual teachings’. We may need to find a way to assess the accuracy of the results and make changes if needed.

I would be interested in hearing the feedback from other groups. Thanks Mike for your comments – very helpful. Overall our group is excited about this study.

Love, Vickie

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Finding your special light


A daily reading from October 11:

We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light. Mary Dunbar Hewlett

Many of us have no clear idea of what our special light is. We feel as if we are no good at all, and nothing we do is worth much. Yet somewhere, deep inside, we can also feel the smallest belief that there is something we can do very well--something that is our special gift.

In order to find our special light, we need to be open. Perhaps our gift is something we already want and know, but it may come as a surprise.

Prayer for the Day: What special light, what important gifts have you given me so that I can share it with others. Please help me find it.

Today's Action: Today I will make a list of things I know about myself and things people say about me. Then I will look for clues in this list that might point to my special light.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Special Talents

In the synchronistic way that things have of happening, this is from the Daily Om website today:


October 15, 2008 Sharing Your GeniusYour Special Gift

Each of us is born with a specific genius that was bestowed upon us so we can do our part to make this world a better place. All of us have a role that we’re uniquely suited for. Imagine our planet without trees, oceans, or clouds. In this same way, when one of us doesn’t develop or use our special gift, a cosmic void takes place. This unique talent or ability may be hidden from your own sight like a golden treasure buried under shifting sands.

Often, we spend so much time dazzled by the talents of others that we can overlook our own gifts. It may even be that our unique ability is something we view negatively. Perhaps we find it difficult concentrating on any one subject for long; meanwhile, others are thrilled by our ability to weave various ideas throughout our conversations. Or, you might think of yourself as “frivolous,” when it’s likely your charming approach to life casts a light of inspiration that others can’t help but follow.

It’s important for all of us to try to find our special gift and discover how we can best express it. Ask others to name what they think is your most overlooked talent or character trait. Their answers may change your life. Explore these riches that are yours to express, and you may find yourself helping others discover and develop their own blessings. Acknowledge and appreciate the gifts you see in those around you. Tell your neighbor that loves to garden how much her green thumb enlivens the whole block. Thank your coworker for always greeting your days together with a smile. Tell your close friends that their ability to listen makes your world a better place. Our unique gifts are like golden rays of expression that can encircle the world with light.

Week One, Tuesday Night

From Mike Betot:

Hello everyone,

We just finished our first week and it went really well. It was about 2 1/2 hours in length, and that is about a half hour longer than our past book studies.

There were some flaws in the handouts and some questions along the way. Since I had the handouts last, and was the one to review them, I will take the blame for that one. Please note, the two boxes next to the Experience/passion section on the back of handout #6 should be one check box and then blank space. I used the grid for both and it looks wrong and lends to confusion. There are also two topics on that page, G-Spirit and G-Service. I believe those were left over from the original material and relate to ministries not at our church.

I left Handout #5 completely out of the syllabus, but I do have it in the trainers manual. We did read it in session and everyone enjoyed it.

Someone thought question #53 on the assessment could be better worded by asking the question "Do you feel good with the choices you make?"

We had some nice conversation involving the similarities and differences in the Fillmore work we read with Eckert Tolle's works. Regarding the word redemption, and bringing yourself into alignment with God.

Our group did have Bibles and they were used, along with the discussion of the scripture work in the appendix.

Several people mentioned the large response there was to this book study and they found that interesting since this one would seem to be more work than past book studies.

Everyone was very enthusiastic about it and it left our house very energized for the rest of the night. A great evening with old friends and the addition of several new ones.

I did see other typos and inconsistencies, as I am sure you did too. I think I have the last copy of all the materials, so if you want to send me changes and comments we can bring them up at our next design meeting and I will make the changes for future generations of Spiritual Gift Students.

Love and Light,Mike

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Week One Notes from Paula

Hello Facilitators,

I met with my study group today and it was a great experience. Everyone was very receptive to all that we talked about. There was much excitement about Andrew Harvey's talk. People seemed to feel that they were up to the challenge to do more outreach.

There is a lot to cover in this first week. We did not get through all of the agenda for week one. Highlights were the actual assessment, the Nat King Cole story, and the Andrew Harvey discussion. I did not use the facilitator's manual much at all except to read through it before our meeting and highlight some of the talking points during the meeting.

It took about half an hour for folks to fill out the assessment and accompanying worksheet. There was some confusion about the worksheet - like what numbers to use 1-5 or their totals. (I think it says the totals.); what to do if there is a tie for some of the gifts (we put them both down since there were two lines for each
of 1-5; the back of the worksheet had two columns and people were not sure what to put in the columns (we picked a column and added checkmarks); and we are not sure what s-gifts and s-service near the bottom of that page meant.

Some folks thought they would rather be asked at the end of the study whether they wanted to volunteer, it seemed a valid point. Also, one suggestion was to take a look at the data, once it is entered, to see as a congregation what our top five gifts were. I thought that sounded interesting.

I also heard a comment that the assessment still sounded too religious. They had trouble answering some of the God/Spirit questions. Another couple of people thought that the statements that corresponded to creative abilities were too focused on handicraft and needed to include other forms of creativity like computer software designers, creative problem solvers, dancers, writers, poets, etc.

Finally, we agreed that the answer sheet should definately be on a separate page so there is less flipping back and forth to write out the answers.

I hope you will respond to this and share what you've learned so far.

Thank you, Mamie, for organizing this blog.

Enjoy the journey.
Blessings,
Paula

Heartbreak

Susan Tingley and Mona Garrett sent me the following emails:

From Susan: Hi book study leaders! Mona Garrett and I were so inspired by Andrew Harvey! As many of you know, he asked us to choose one area of activism among the many worthy causes to work on so we could focus ourselves, and so our efforts would be optimized. He also explained that the best way to choose our area of activism would be to choose the one that our hearts were breaking the most over, because this is the source of our passion.

We had this cool brain-storm! Wouldn't it be neat if we could see what other's "heart-breaks" were? We thought that it could be very helpful to be able to connect with other like minded people regarding what breaks our hearts the most in this world of ours. The idea would be to publish this list (strictly voluntarily, of course). We would also assure people that just because they had a particular area of heartbreak, that that didn't mean they necessarily had to commit to any activism, at this time.

There are many reasons why individuals could or could not engage in activism at a particular stage in their lives; for example, that they were already caring for their families, or that they were struggling with an illness, etc. The only reason for the list is to enable people to connect, not to create any guilt trips.

Would you leaders consider adding this topic to your discussion, and create such a list from your group? Mamie and Paula will create the master list, and publish it. Andrew also suggested a powerful way to connect and identify the heart-break that will open you to activism. His suggestion is below. Thank you so much!

Love, Susan Tingley

From Mona: I really do not remember him suggesting any techniques, however it seems to me that if you prayerfully set an intention to opening up to and finding the thing that breaks your heart before you watch the news, read the paper, talk to people, open your eyes as you drive past the homeless or open your heart as you think of those who are hungry, abused or imprisoned; you'd get a good idea the direction you need to pursue. Then once you've made that decision, look for local ways to get involved, there could be some organization in which to funnel your energy and would support and feed your passion.

I do however feel it is important, at least to me, to be sure to envision any situation/person/place as whole along with our activism and I believe Andrew said to be sure to act out of a full heart for everyone vs out of anger and disgust toward anyone.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Reaction to Andrew Harvey

I have received three very thoughtful responses to Andrew Harvey this morning, and I would like to share them. Please feel free to comment, or send me your responses and I will publish them.

(I would like to say up front that at the 9:00 service Andrew did not get political. Had he done so, we might have been able to prevent it at 11:00. One of the hazards of a passionate speaker who "channels" his words, I guess. I have a video of the 9:00 service that I am trying to get in a format to share with you.)

First, from Mike Betot:

He is very passionate, I give him that. However, I was very disappointed overall. I left the house this morning to attend church, not a political rally. I saw no tie-in to our Spiritual Gifts Study, and he did not even speak about finding your passion until after 12:00. Normally I would never say anything and go about my business. However, as he said, we should be able to speak our minds without fear, so I do that here.

When Wendy and I began going to UCT it was comfortable, home-like, safe. Today's service was anything but. I have never left the church so tense and in need of solace and meditation. I know that I attend a church that is more liberal than I am. I have accepted that, and most everyone accepts me as I am. As it should be in a Unity church. We preach that we should see the Christ in everyone, and because of that, I stayed through the service. I knew there was a lesson there for me, and I did begin to see it. I need to be as passionate about my beliefs as he is with his. I need to pursue and tackle the things that break my heart, and have already began to pursue that. So maybe that was the purpose for me being there.

Regardless of what I learned, I disagreed with the service as a whole. I don't believe there is a place in church for political agenda, or aggrandizing. If I want a political pundant to tell me his views, I will go see one, I do not expect to find him in my church. Not when we preach all are equal. I believe we can serve good regardless of political affiliation. I can belong to the Sierra Club, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, the Audubon Society and The Republican party.

I do not believe the world needs to be torn down, and in ruin for everyone to see equality or be treated equal. If it were not for the money and the power, I would not have the church I attend, or the college degrees given to me by Universities founded on the money of industrialists. Unity itself sponsors many classes on abundance, and I attend those happily.

I don't come from money or power. I come from a blue collar family in Detroit. My family and those around me worked hard for everything they had. I have worked two jobs most of my life, I served in the military during the first Desert Storm, I have put my life on the line for everyone in this country, I have put myself through college, and Grad school. I have owned my own businesses for over a decade now, and taught college in NC for 6 years. I am proud of everything I have attained, and for everything that attainment has allowed me to do. That includes the dozens of charities I support every year. I tithe of my time, talents, and treasures as I learned to do at UCT, as I will continue to do going forward.

I know I am not alone in my thinking, I know others that feel the same way, even if they chose not to speak up.

Mamie's response to Mike's email:

Mike, thank you for your very thoughtful reply to the events of yesterday.

In the early service, Andrew did not get political as he did in the second service. I felt very uncomfortable myself with his outburst about the election. And his attempt to accommodate discomfort by saying something along the lines of those who don't agree with him feeling as passionate as he did only a little to ease my discomfort.

I think we all need to come out of our comfort zones sometimes to effect change. What Andrew brought to the table was an incredible idea: combining sacred practice with sacred activism. It sounds to me that you have always done that in your life (thank you for you military service too), but in a much quieter way than Andrew. I'm sure as you say, that others were put off by the service, in fact I saw some people walk out at 11:00 during the political portion of the talk, but I hope that more than a few people who felt that way will be open in the same way that you are. That is to say, yes, I do need to look at what breaks my heart and try to effect change in small and big ways, and I do need to feel passionate about doing it. But as you point out, passion is not always loud and lambasting! You make a beautiful case for the quiet activist, and others need to hear it.

From Vicki Nash:

[Mike,] Thank you for speaking out openly and honestly. Although I don’t agree with everything Andrew preaches, and agree that church is not the place for expressing political views, I do believe he shook things up and opened an important dialogue.

From Randy Jones:

Mike, I don’t know quite how to respond – but you know me, I’ll try. First and foremost, I like you, I respect you and we are fellow UCT members, so I don’t want to discount or dismiss what you are feeling. Maybe because I was aligned with what Andrew was saying from a spiritual perspective and had spent 8 hours in his workshop on Saturday, I didn’t have any sense that Sunday’s lesson was anything like a political rally. And, I disagree that there was no connection to spiritual gifts – I thought his entire time with us this weekend was one long call to action to use our spiritual gifts for the purposes they were given to us.

You don’t have to agree with Andrew’s politics (which were really on display only very briefly) to understand he was talking about taking the connection with Spirit we are all striving for and putting it to use here in the physical world. I will say this -- Democrats and Republicans alike should be very uncomfortable with Andrew’s message. It provides real food for thought in the Spiritual Gifts Study Groups, and hopefully we at UCT can find constructive ways to process his message as we move forward. I believe we can do that respectfully, in a safe and welcoming environment – collectively as a faith community, with Neusom’s leadership and guidance. Was Andrew over the top by drawing presidential politics into his message? I suppose he was and I am sorry to the extent that as a result some people were angered, disappointed or unnerved.

But, I wouldn’t have traded the passion he showed for Sacred Activism for some watered-down message that we might find in any mainstream church week after week. To bring it back around, I’m sure you do speak for yourself and others who were uncomfortable, angry, and/or upset with Andrew and his message. We as a church community must honor those feelings and find a way to come together to heal any wounds that may have been created. I think that kind of dialogue is not only necessary but could lead to more awareness and true community in the church.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Andrew Harvey


We had a wonderful day with Andrew Harvey. He is asking us to combine sacred practice (prayer, meditation, worship, study of the spiritual texts) with sacred activism (identifying the things that break our hearts and digging in to effect change around those things). I would love to hear how you connected what Andrew had to say with the Spiritual Gifts Study.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Letter from Paula

Hi Facilitators,

We are so glad that you have all agreed to facilitate our first Spiritual Gifts Study at UCT. Since our meeting time together went so fast we thought we should review some of the ideas presented.

First some history...We have been looking for a new approach to volunteering at church for a couple of years now. The old way of holding a recruitment Sunday and hoping people would sign up to help with the activities of the church did not seem to have as much appeal as before. I have been visiting various Unity churches on different trips that I’ve taken out of town. When I visited, I was always looking for new ways to get folks involved with their church. One church, Unity of Phoenix, seemed to have a great program that helped folks identify their Spiritual Gifts. So, I contacted their director and we purchased their program. Since then, a very committed and talented group of congregants, have been working with the staff, a Board member, and Neusom for the past couple months, modifying and adding things from other programs, to this one to make it work for us at UCT. It is the "beta" version, so to speak, so we are asking for your input on how it all works this first time we use it.

Our intention.... With the Spiritual Gifts program we hope to shift the consciousness of the church to a place where folks can go to practice their gifts. We will provide the opportunities at church that match with particular gifts. That way when people look for ways to use their gifts and volunteer, we have a better idea of what suits them best, or where their talents are best served. Our plan is to offer the study as a class at various other times during the year and also in conjunction with the new member classes so that we will all learn what each other’s gifts are. Spiritual Gifts are not skills that you learn as you grow but abilities that you are born with. The study has an assessment included to help folks identify their gifts. Then, as part of the discussion group, they will learn more about the gifts and how to use them in their home, at work, in the community and church and, hopefully, then take them into the world. So, we are not planning to hand out the assessment alone to individuals who do not participate in the study groups. We feel that the small group work is just as valuable as the identification of one's gifts. But, we encourage anyone interested to purchase the workbook to follow along with Neusom's talks on the Sundays during the study.

Some information about Andrew Harvey... Andrew Harvey is going to kickoff our study with a workshop on Oct. 11 from 9-5. His passion is Sacred Activism. The workshop will focus on finding your passion and sharing it in the world. Check him out at his website to learn more about his work. We hope that you and your group will plan to attend the workshop. The cost is $45 in advance and $50 the day of the event. Tickets are available in the bookstore and foyer this weekend and through the office during the week. 832-8324.

Information about the first class/week one.... The assessment and answer sheet are in everyone's workbook. Sorry that we printed the answer key on the back of the last page. We'll make sure to change that for our next printing. Everyone should take the assessment at or before the first class. Handout #6 has two sides to it. So, if you're making copies make sure you copy the back page, too. (Remember that you can make your copies at the church if you like.) We will unveil the week 2 church tie-in next week.

The key to making this study work for us at church is gathering this information. Mary Fulton has agreed to collect these from each group. So, she'll be contacting you soon. Please collect Handout #6 the first night--we do not need their copies of the assessment.

The first Sunday, Oct. 12, we will be "paying it forward" with a food drive at both services to help restock Raliegh food pantries that are running low at this time due to the financial/gas crisis. One of Andrew Harvey's themes this year on his speaking circuit is "paying it forward" so you may hear more about that during that weekend.

We are very excited by the infinite possibilities of this study. As you may have heard, we already have over 94 congregants signed up for the study groups and this is just the first Sunday! Our hope is that you will find this study personally rewarding by either affirming your gifts or discovering new ones and finding ways to share them in this spiritual community or the world.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me. You may also leave comments to these blog entries. If you would like to have something posted here, please email it to Mamie at MamiePotter@gmail.com and she will put it up.

Blessings and Many Thanks,

Paula Graff
Adult Education Unity Church of the Triangle
at the Long View Center
118 S. Person St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919)832-8324

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Welcome!

Thanks to all of you for agreeing to facilitate this very important congregational study. We hope to use this blog to communicate information and share information and successes.

To start us out, we would like to share the verses of the Rumi poem that was read in church.

Passion burns down every branch of exhaustion;
Passion's the Supreme Elixir and renews all things;
No one can grow exhausted when passion is born!
Don't sigh heavily, your brow bleak with boredom;
Look for passion, passion, passion, passion!