Skip to main content
A Memorable Gift
or “What I Did on My Summer Vacation”
Thanks to the generosity of you, my fellow Unitics here at Unity of Missoula, through our Board of Trustees, I was given the opportunity to again attend the Northwest Region of Unity Conference at the end of September. This conference was held this year at the Menucha Conference and Retreat Center 30 miles east of Portland, above the Columbia River. Headlining the conference this year was Linda Martella Whitsett, author of How to Pray Without Talking to God, and Divine Audacity.
In addition, Linda is the Vice President of Silent Unity, at Unity World Headquarters in Unity Village. The theme of the conference this year was “I Am: the Power of Prayer in Unity.” Linda began her presentations using the theme of “Not Your Ancestor’s God,” and a short video clip “Thou Shalt Laugh.” As she continually pointed out to us, she has made it her mission to help Unity members bring their speech and belief practices into alignment with what we have been teaching for over a century; namely, that we have the divinity within us, rather than praying to a power that is located somewhere outside of us. Unity has taught affirmative prayer almost since the beginning but most people still don’t use it when they are praying. We fall back into rote word patterns and affirmations, not consciously recognizing the absurdities and contradictions that we repeat. For instance, affirmative prayer is NOT “God will take care of this,” but rather, as Myrtle Fillmore said: “Give people what they need to know to be able to help themselves.”
Our prevailing culture still has the belief of God as a Being, somehow, maybe, a small part of us, but mostly a mysterious presence that is Other. But Myrtle Fillmore also said “God is not a person, but a principle.” We need to move into a greater understanding of this idea, no longer looking for a deity to fix things for us, but to claim our own power to fix things for ourselves.
How can we do this? Linda said we need to recognize the three aspects of God:
The first is definitely outside, and greater: Thou God = the reigning force, nature, divine order. This is where we almost all begin. It can be a frightening place, a place where we are powerless before outside forces that can threaten us with all kinds of evil.
The second aspect is God as You = the God we thank, the God that gives us stuff. At this stage we begin to see that if we align ourselves correctly, we can be open to receive goodness rather than evil. We may be able to change outcomes through our thoughts, denials, and affirmations.
The third aspect is the I Am = the qualities of being, what we are in our essence, the place of recognizing our true power.
Most of us move between these three aspects, but hopefully, eventually, we get to a place where we can stay centered in the I Am. This is where Linda hopes to move us to enable us to recognize, access, and enable all of our divine capacity. When we do this successfully, we are open to a wider view. We become a magnifying power, and we are able to light up the cells of our body, and to be free of self condemnation. This is where we recognize, as Myrtle said, “It is our soul growth that is important.”
In addition to the presentations by Linda, including a prayer/pajama party on Tuesday evening, we were blessed with glorious scenery, excellent food and astounding music from Rev. Richard Held and Matthew Wilson from Unity of Lynnwood, Washington. We had a gathering of the waters ceremony and a medicine wheel ceremony to open and close our conference, led by Rev. Philip Zemke of Bozeman Unity. Of course, there was also a business meeting, a licensed Unity teachers’ meeting, and reports from Unity Worldwide Ministries. I came away from the conference totally renewed and enthusiastic about what Unity teaches and practices. I am so blessed to be able to connect with other Unity Centers throughout the Northwest and our home office. Thank you for this marvelous gift!
I plan to begin using Linda’s second book, Divine Audacity, in our book group starting in January. This book is a reworking of Charles Fillmore’s 12 Powers of Man, specifically written to bring it into the 21st century vernacular. I am excited that we will take another look at this important Unity belief, and be able to incorporate it into our lives. This book promises we will have mastery of our 12 powers, and I am ready! If you are ready as well, please be sure to sign up to purchase her book. Together, we are changing our world.
Linda Andrus, your Licensed Unity Teacher
