A Positive Path for Spiritual Living
Unity is a spiritual organization founded in 1889 within the worldwide New Thought movement. It is a spiritual philosophy that teaches that the power of God lies within each individual, regardless of religious affiliation or belief system; and that it is the responsibility of each one of us to access that sacred power for the healing, prosperity, loving relationships and all other blessings available to us. Our ultimate goal is the realization of our Oneness with God and each other.
Every follower of Unity principles (sometimes referred to as Truth Student) is free to believe what he or she chooses about God/Spirit and our place in this beautiful and abundant universe. However, there are five concepts that Unity holds to be basic tenets:
- God is Absolute Good. We don’t believe God is a mean and vindictive man in the sky waiting to punish us for failing. God is found within our very being as Love, Peace, Joy, Wisdom, Light, Life and Perfection Itself. These God qualities are available and accessible to all of us at any moment when we simply go within to where our Creator resides. We believe that there is only One Power and One Presence in the universe and in our lives – God the Good.
- Since God is Good, then all of us, as God’s creation, must also be good. We do not believe in the concept of Original Sin; we believe that we have been created in Original Blessing. You are God’s wonderful, perfect offspring at this very moment, even if you have forgotten that Truth. God cannot create anything less than Itself. Jesus, our great Teacher and Elder Brother reminded us: “You are gods” (John 10:34). However, to access the fullness of this Truth, we have to awaken to it and become a co-creator with God.
- We access God’s wholeness, prosperity, peace of mind, and joy by transforming our thoughts, words and actions from negative, limiting, and defeatist, to positive, joyful and optimistic ones. We are responsible for the kind of lives we lead, regardless of what life has been up to this point. When we change our thoughts/beliefs, we change our lives.
- Through affirmative prayer and meditation, we experience God within us. When we take time during the day to turn everything over to Spirit, we receive exactly the right information needed to make our lives work. We must take time daily in silence for the renewal of our minds, souls and bodies.
- Knowing these Truths intellectually isn’t enough; we must implement them daily – for the realization of our Oneness with God, and to be a blessing and of service to others. Scripture tells us, “Faith without works is dead.” With joyful enthusiasm we make life a great adventure, and we (and others) are blessed beyond measure by the creative use of these Truth principles.
Although we consider Jesus the Christ to be our Great Teacher, and Christ-based teachings to be our primary learning path, we bless and honor other spiritual teachings and philosophies as well. Unity welcomes all individuals to join us for our services, classes, retreats and other activities without coercion, proselytizing, or pressure to conform to our teachings. We request an openness of mind and heart in considering a new way of looking at this wonderful life we have been given by God. Unity of New York celebrates the divinity of every creation of God, regardless of belief system, ethnic background, age, gender, or sexual orientation.
Unity of New York is a member of Unity Worldwide Ministries and is affiliated with Unity Institute and the Silent Unity Prayer Ministry at Unity Village, Missouri, headquarters of the world-wide Unity movement. For more information go to http://www.unity.org.
Also see DailyWord magazine http://www.dailyword.com.