Sunday Service: Sunday, May 22nd at 10:00 AM
Celebration as Spiritual Practice – with Cylvia Hayes
Celebrate, good times, come on! We are living in extraordinary times and, despite some of the appearances, there is a LOT of really positive stuff happening in this world. Good is all around. Celebrating the Good is a powerful spiritual practice. Celebrate this magnificent world. Celebrate these extraordinary times. Celebrate life, and love. And maybe most importantly, celebrate the Truth of who and what You really are.
So bring your good times and your laughter too (and anything else you may be feeling) and get this party started!!
In-Person & Livestreaming on UnityCentralOregon.org
We are delighted to offer you the option of in-person service or Live-streaming on our website using Zoom! You can watch even if you don’t have a Zoom account (you don’t even have to fix your hair!). It will also be available as a recording in the video library on our website and on Facebook later that day.
Masks are no longer required at our in-person service. We encourage those that still feel more comfortable wearing a mask to continue to do so. Whatever feels right for you is the choice we encourage you to go with. 😊😷
Youth Program
Our Unity kids are getting special services again!
Nursery
This lovely play area is for our infants and kids up to age 4. Just being able to play in the company of loving caregivers is something the little ones can’t get too much of. They are right next door to the sanctuary in the Nursery Room so parents can be easily alerted if they are needed.
Elementary Youth
We have a beautiful curriculum currently centering around trees and nests and the beauty of the earth. We have generous volunteers to teach. Now, all we need are the kids! If you are a parent/grandparent with elementary-aged children, we would love to serve them. We know the sunny weather brings chances to camp and travel. If you want a program for your children, would you be willing to commit to some weeks that they will be present and communicate that to us? It’s no fun for a single child or two. Please, if this is something you want, would you email Rev Jane and let her know which weeks your kids could be present between now and school’s end for starters.
Connection Matters!
We create community by getting to know each other and that requires the investment of our time, beyond Sunday morning. We encourage you to find a group (or start one!) that works for you. These are the current opportunities.
The Women’s Walking Group meets Wednesday mornings at 10am. See the calendar for more details and RSVP Suzanne by email or 805-729-2916. This is a chance to get out there and get some sunshine, friendship, and good conversation.
The Men’s Group meets the 1st and 3rd Mondays at 6pm, at Unity. This is a spiritual discussion and service group of men who are seeking connection and friendship of like-minded individuals. All are welcome.
Join Dave for Singing Practice! Every Wednesday from 7:00 – 8:30 PM in the sanctuary. Music Director Dave Finch holds a dedicated music practice for anyone who wants to sing with Solshine on Sundays. No prior experience needed. Just show up with your beautiful self and willingness to sing a song!
We’d love to add Spirit Groups to this list! Spirit Groups are small groups of folks who come together for several weeks to study and discuss various spiritual topics. This can involve reading a certain book or viewing TED talks. To learn more click here — https://unitycentraloregon.org/spirit-groups/ You can make a Spirit Group of your choosing happen by becoming a host and picking a topic, time and place!
Spirit Group Host Training
Thursday, June 2, 2022 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Online via Zoom
If you are interested in being a Spirit Group Host, either online or in your home, please email Naomi Steele with any questions or just show up on the Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81464178858?pwd=RCtweEx1YjFhZXhTeVdyVWV2TnJvZz09 Meeting ID: 814 6417 8858 Passcode: 423665
Our Social and Environmental Justice Ministry
Wanna talk Trash?! Join the Landfill Tour!
May 19th, 10am to 12pm
The Deschutes County Knott Landfill is a spectacle, and it’s filling up fast. Join us for a tour of the landfill and recycling center. There, we’ll learn about how landfills work and what can and can’t be recycled and why? We’ll also learn about some of the options for managing regional waste going into the future.
We know this may sound yucky, but it’s actually a not-too-dirty, fascinating learning opportunity and a chance to hang with some of your Unity buddies and meet folks from the Environmental Center.
Please RSVP by email to Cylvia Hayes. The tour guides require a head count and you’ll need directions on where to park!
Wanna Generate Less Trash and Support Great Programs?
REgroup Thrift Store at 424 Northeast Greenwood Avenue in Bend offers TEXTILE RECYCLING so you can take your old clothes, sheets, blankets, etc. there and they will be recycled instead of landfilled. Proceeds from sales and recycling programs help fund REGroup’s projects including Hospice, Bend Spay and Neuter Project, & Together for Children.
Discarded clothing is a huge environmental blight globally so having a place to recycle textiles right here in Central Oregon is a great resource.
Help Us Get the Word Out!
Do you love Unity and think others would too? Do you agree that Unity is a too well-kept secret? Do you need to get more steps in for your exercise program? If the answer to any of these is yes, we have an opportunity for you!
Pretty soon we are going to have a big stack of cool door hangers that introduce Unity and invite folks to come check us out. We will need lots of volunteers to walk neighborhoods and help get these out there. Don’t worry there is no door knocking or evangelizing involved—just ninja activity to pop the hangers on the doors! Your kids can help!
We’d like to give a shout-out to Gayle Zeigler who came up with this innovative idea and who is taking the lead coordinating volunteers to help get them distributed. Please contact Gayle if you’re willing to help and get that exercise while you’re at it! — Email Gayle
Rainbow Wedding Network
Unity of Central Oregon is the only Rainbow Wedding venue in the entire region. We are proud to serve all loving couples who want to make vows and celebrate love.
Unity Worldwide Peoples’ Convention
June 13th – 17th.
If you have never attended the annual Unity Worldwide Convention you are missing out! If you have attended you know you won’t want to miss this one. This year’s convention will be a hybrid in-person/ livestreamed event. Rev. Jane will be attending virtually and Cylvia Hayes will be attending in person. As part of the Unity Worldwide EarthCare team, Cylvia will be delivering a workshop on Sacred Eco-Nomics. There will also be a very cool Council of All Beings session that will be livestreamed.
The full convention schedule can be found here: https://www.unityworldwideministries.org/unity-convention-home
Answer the Call
by Donna Benjamin
Are your callings calling you?
Are they tapping you on the shoulder every day?
Are they showing up in your dreams at night?
What if it’s time to listen?
Sit quietly
Deep breath in
Close your eyes
Imagine your vision of life on earth to its greatest potential
What do you see?
How do you feel?
So if you had your druthers
What would you do?
Who would you be?
Breathe it in
Your calling is calling you
Don’t hang up
Answer that call
It might take baby steps
It might take one giant leap
No matter
Answer the calling
What if Thomas Edison or Mahatma Gandhi
Didn’t answer the tapping shoulder call?
What if Malala stayed silent?
What if Wangari Maathai never planted a tree?
The world would not have been as rich
In a world of naysayers
Be a yaysayer
You can do this
So what are you waiting for
Answer the call
It’s custom made for you
And only you can make it real
Answer the call
No wires crossed here
Clear communication from the universe
So no hesitation
No overthinking
No doubting
Answer the call
Member Appreciation 🙏🏽
This week we want to give a shout out to Leia Napoli. Leia just recently stepped up to serve as Secretary on our Board of Directors and dove right in. She took over finalizing our listing on The Rainbow Wedding Network and took it to a whole new level. She is also helping on our youth team. Leia brings a quiet thoughtfulness and peaceful light to everything she touches. We are richer because she is part of us!
Have Something You Think We Should Include in Our Newsletter?
An appreciation, blog content, poem, event, or class? If it fits our guidelines we’re happy to share it. Contact Cylvia Hayes.
Unity shares and listens to the opinions of others. This article is the opinion of the author:
Unity Community
We are a vibrant, welcoming, multi-generational, prosperous community – embodying Love and awakening Spiritual consciousness!
