What brought you to Unity?

[Mary Boren]

I'm interested in knowing, so I'll go first. I grew up as the daughter of a Southern Baptist preacher, married a ministerial student, and found my parents' marriage and parenting skills a tough act to follow. Cut a wide swath around organized religion for 20 years. When my grandsons came into my care for a time, I felt I needed to have them in church, so found my own way partially back home as a United Methodist, where I was introduced to the likes of Bishop Spong, Gary Zukav, and Marcus Borg. Yes! There was not a Unity church in the town where I lived, but now I am privileged to be in New Braunfels, Texas.

I'll finish in verse, as that's how I seem to tell my stories most comfortably. (Hey Mindy, how about a poetry forum?)

Beyond Knowing

How I used to envy people
who, possessed with certitude,
soar above the plain and steeple
setting straight the misconstrued.

As a young adult, I traded
childhood spontaneity
for a rigid creed, persuaded
sure's the only way to be.

Ultra-literal allusions
struggled to accommodate
metaphorical exclusions.
Feathers flew in hot debate.

Noisy flaps in lieu of balance
simulate a mighty whir
but, when gripped in zealot talons,
dogma's merely tufts of fur.

Comforted by Faith (the closest
place I've ever felt I stood
to The Truth) I learned osmosis
wouldn't make me right or good.

Soon the need for battle dwindled,
frantic worries losing steam.
Disencumberment rekindled
wonder in the Master Scheme.

Then, ostensibly regressing,
tender roots began to sprout.
I became immersed in guessing,
softly growing into Doubt.

[David Sapp]

I can't wait to hear all these wonderful stories about finding Unity. I was introduced to it by a dear friend who gave me the Daily Word. I had never previously heard of a God who loved me and cared for me and it made a huge impact. It didn't take long for me to find my way to a Unity Church and I immediately felt at home.
Being peace, David

[Kathy]

Beautiful. Thank you for sharing with us. Its a fun read but with so much depth!

[Hopeful]

Hi Mary, Kathy and David!

Mary , what a great topic! : )
What a beautiful poem and story! : )

I, too, was brought up in a very conservative Christian background.
I had loved the people of my church, etc., very deeply. However, it was not long (at about 12 y.o.) before I could not fully reconcile the teachings and I had been having very different, and very real, experiences. I had continued on, despite this, had attended Christian colleges, etc. (I'd had to transfer out of my original denominations's college, as I knew their truths were not mine... at all. That was a sad time for me in some ways; yet, I was also excited to be finding new paths.)

I had continued on in my learning and in my expereinces. I have attended the churches of many denominations over the many years. I have studied many World religions and have a deep love for them all! : )

I had been disabled early in my life with a neurological/immunological (neuroimmune) condition.
That was another major time of learning for me. Previously, an extremely avid athlete, I'd had great difficulty adjusting to the fact that those days were now over! (Over 20 years later, I still feel that loss, among others.)

The neuroimmune condition has remained, varying in degree (yet, always medically disabled by it) and had been slowly progressive. I have learned many lessons from adjusting/coping with this. : )

This year, this condition had become rapidly progressive. (I have lost a fair amount of functioning in one hand. I have just had surgery, which doctors tell me will not restore strength and function (according to current medical knowledge); however, I will continue to try to regain more than expected despite the current beliefs! ; ) I have nothing to lose by trying! : )

I have always been very interested in healing. Merely one of the differences I had with many different teachings was I had felt few churches/denominations truly taught/practiced "healing!"
I had always felt the failure to claim this and to teach it/practice it was a huge erroneous omission! : )

I have been working on "healing," using various modalities.
I have also meditated for many, many years now. I have found a method of meditation that has worked extremely well for me... and it is incredibly simple! : ) I have learned to ask questions and I now sometimes get very clear answers in a meditations, in a conversation with "God consciousness," and/or in a dream.

Approximately 5 weeks ago, a term came to me in a dream about "healing." The term was "Unity." : )

I did not know what this meant! Yet, this term had continued to show up in my life, at least once daily (sometimes more often), in the most obvious (yet very unexpected) places! ; )

I have learned, in my life, this means I am to pay attention to this!

I had returned to my "Secret Place" and had asked to be shown, clearly, what this term "Unity" is supposed to mean (what will it lead me to). I had asked to be able to clearly discern which use of the term "Unity" I am to give my attention.

I had then searched the term.
There it was! : )

Unity Church? Unity Village? Unityonline.org? Unity.FM? What is this???
I'd read extensively on "Unity" and was shocked with how my experiences/knowledge line up with the teachings of Unity! It was as though I had been schooled in Unity, although I'd never heard of it before (in this lifetime). I'd explored Unity.FM and was even more amazed! This is it! This is the "Unity" to which my healing dream had referred! : )

Here I am! : )

I had never before heard of the "Unity Church" or of a "Unity" organization of any sort.
I am amazed, since learning of Unity, that I had never heard of this before!
I have researched/studied so many denominations, so many different theologies, so many philosophies! I was constantly studying all kinds of these!

That "prompt" came to me in a dream 5 weeks ago!: )I have since had surgery and am recovering (I am told max nerve function recovery will take between 9 amd 18 months).
I have found the meaning behind my dream, thus far. : )

Here I am. : )

Ready to learn what's next for me! : )

Honestly, I feel like I have found my "home!" : )
What a great feeling! : )

I am extremely grateful Mindy had followed a "calling" to set up Unity.FM! This had made it possible for me to have a safe landing here... while following my dream! ; )

I am extremely grateful to be here!

With Deep Gratitude,
~j~

[Jon Kidwell]

Hopeful,

I am truly moved and blessed by your story. It is indeed a positive testimony for us all.

I found myself in some very un-nerving circumstances regarding the health of our middle daughter. I, like you Hopeful, and you too Mary, came from a lifelong Protestant background. Raised Methodist, becoming Baptist in my 30's and being ordained in the Southern Baptist Church a few years later. I pastored a church in Illinois as a bi-vocational minister for a few years and also served in Evangelistic roles after giving up the church.

Family challenges.... health (my own), marital difficulties, financial difficulties, parenting issues, professional disappointments, and now our middle daughter's health, resulted in a definite crisis of faith. I fell into depression and started into counseling to help myself be strong enough to work through it all. My wife and I were barely on speaking terms but she urged me to even take some time off work and get away for awhile for some self-healing.

I, too, started web searches looking for places in my part of the country where I could go for a "retreat". It was then that I learned about the personal retreats Unity Village. I found Unityonline, and ultimately Unity.FM. As an iPod freak, I found the online radio programs. I ran across Dr. Ellen Debenport's ABSOLUTE LIVING and was drawn to her program "Hell in the Hallway".

I had no doubt whatsoever that the program of that day was for ME. They talked about what happens when God closes one door (chapter) in your life, and while you wait for the next door (chapter) to open, you spend time in the hallway. That was exactly where my daughter and our entire family have found ourselves recently.... in the Hallway.... and yes, it has been pure hell for us all.

That program, followed by Mindy Audlin's program on Living Deeply further ministered to me in a profound way.

What was most amazing is the fact that these ministers/radio hosts, and program guests have reached out to me individually with additional discussion and encouragement. Total strangers ministering to a total stranger. We couldn't even get our local church pastor to make a hospital visit to a sick daughter. Those actions alone speak volumes about where their hearts reside. I'm send waves of gratitude to each person who has blessed me with kind words and encouragement. It truly makes a difference.

I've been a seeker for awhile now..... something was indeed missing in my Baptist/Methodist heritage that resulted in a number of questions. Unity has already answered some of those questions and this forum has also blessed me considerably in the last week or so.

All I can say is "WOW!"

Peace,
JON

[Hopeful]

A Warm Hello to Jon and All,

This has been an amazing experience for me, as well!: )
The buffet of various Unity web sites, Unity Radio Programs, ministers, members, blogs, discussion and also personal exchanges between myself and wonderful people I have never before met...have spiritually nourished me an incredible amount, as well! : )

How very exciting! How life-affirming! This encourages me and increases the degree of hope I have for the World! These "ripples" in consciousness created by Unity rapidly become powerful waves, throughout the World! ; )

Jon, I think I understand some of what you and your family have been encountering. I can definitely relate to feeling "at odds with" a religious community I have grown up with, had been deeply involved in as a "leader," and have loved; yet, I have also felt the need and the leading to "move on" in my own life! (There are some other similar themes in our experiences.)

Jon, neither of us can deny the "synchronicity" of having found a connection with "Unity" during each of our own very critical times, for sure! : ) "When the student is ready..."

As much as "Unity" had blessed you, I am positive you will also continue to bring many blessings to "Unity!" ; )

Jon, I will be remembering you and your family in my thoughts and meditations!: )
I am very excited for you and your family! : )

I look forward to continuing exchanges between all of us as time passes! : )

With Hopeful Healing Love,
~j~

[Laura Shepard]

Hi again Jon,
Thank you for sharing your heart-felt thoughts. I have to say that you finding Unity and the fact that several of us reached out to you is your creation. You attracted all of this in answer to your desire for assistance and new understanding.
I am so glad to have you as part of our Unity family.
In Love
Laura

[Mary Boren]

Thank you, David, Hopeful and Jon, for such open, loving responses. Wonderful stories, beautifully told. I agree, it is no accident that brought us all together here, and I'm anticipating an abundance of fruitful interaction.

Hopeful said: "I have studied many World religions and have a deep love for them all!" Ah, there ya go -- that's the key. In the words of a Native American proverb, "There are many trails to the summit." It is when we look for commonalities instead of differences that love can flow freely, whether between individuals, churches, or nations. I have no regrets about the way I was raised -- we're all just products of our times, aren't we? It is extremely encouraging to see new thought crossing denominational lines. Last year I attended a women's retreat at a Methodist church which was led by a Catholic nun who was teaching Unity principles! How 'bout dem apples?

Mary

[Hopeful]

Mary,

This is a great topic! : )
I just love "dem apples!" ; )

With Hopeful Healing Love,
~j~

[Ishtar Portes]

Mary, thank you for your wonderful discussions.

I was invited to Unity in 1989 when a friend found me crying and depressed over my mother's illness. I fell in love with the meditations first and the music second.

I feel rich and fortunate to have come into this philosophy!

[Catherine]

In 1994 I had begun to open up Spiritually. I visited my brother, who lives about 250 miles away in Halcyon, California, the world headquarters of the Temple of the People, a Theosophical organization. I felt so loved and accepted and surrounded by "family," it was difficult to return home where I knew no one of like mind. In addition, at that point of my life, I had just come out of a bad marriage and was living, for the first time eve,r by myself. I was agonizingly lonely! Not only was I living by myself, but I knew no one here in my area who shared my emerging beliefs in New Thought principles.When I lamented about my plight to my brother, he suggested that I find a Unity church to which I could go.

I found that Riverside had a church. But, when I first drove by the church, it looked dauntingly small. At that point, it was housed in a tiny, run-down building in an area that was not very desirable. It took me two or thrree weeks to gather the courage to go in. When I did go in, I found about ten people who were all warm, accepting, and open. I was home!

Since then, the church has changed ministers three times and relocated. Now the average Sunday attendance is about 30.

[Diane Smith]

Some time has elapsed since the last entry, which was from Catherine--you have a beautiful name.

I found Unity when a friend shared Daily Word with me during our traditional Sunday morning tea. That afternoon, another friend and I were driving past an antique store. She asked if we could stop, as the shop was rarely open. There on the shelf was the Charles Filmore book PROSPERITY. It jumped out at me, and when I saw it was a Unity book, I knew I should purchase it. Several months later, I forgot to cancel a book club offer. The book arrived and it was DAILY WORD. I have felt a connection to Unity ever since and am an avid listener to Unityfm.

[Beth Kuntz]

What beautiful stories of Divine order at work in all of our lives! My family found Unity when my dad went to a "Bible study" (I'm not sure what it was called exactly) at a cultural center close by and picked up a copy of the "Daily Word." We read it that month, and on 9-16-01 my brothers, parents and I visited. It felt like home then and it's been nearly 8 years already and still feels like home! I love following Christ in Unity's deeper metaphysical understanding of the Bible and life, and applying practical principles that truly make a difference. I recently discovered the community on here and am thrilled to connect in love with other like minded people!

Blessings to all, Beth