Obviously, an explanation was due so I tried to explain as follows:
“We had a long but pleasant drive from Chesterfield to Birmingham. However, as my friend, Rita, and I reached the City Centre things became a little, shall we say ‘challenging’; the Sat Nav that had guided us safely thus far suddenly became uncooperative and Rita and I found ourselves going round in ever decreasing circles.
 
“I’m sure we’ve passed that Mosque at least twice before” I heard myself say. Rita remained calm and collected, but agreed we had in fact been here before. “I think it’s time to ask for help,” I said, looking skyward. “Angels we need a little help here, “I pleaded from my heart.
 
No sooner had the words left my mouth when we noticed a stationary taxi immediately in front of us. Rita stopped her car by the curb directly in front of the taxi and approached the driver on foot.
 
I heard Rita explain to the driver where we needed to be but that we could not seem to find the turning for the road on which our venue was situated. The driver of the taxi thought for only a second or so and then replied, “It’s too difficult for me to explain the way you need to go.”  I couldn’t see my friend’s face, but I’m sure Rita must have looked disappointed at the driver’s words, because we were now running about twenty minutes late.
 
Then a glimmer of hope shone out before us. “Follow me,” the taxi driver said, smiling. Rita took her seat behind the steering wheel once more and we proceeded to follow this ‘Guiding Angel’ for a considerable distance, a £10 fare at least, for him. The taxi driver led us right to the car park of the building where the celebrations were taking place. We agreed it was only fair to offer that amount to him, as this was his livelihood.  After all, he could have earned much more than £10 in the time he spent leading us to our destination. That lovely smiling man, our Angel in disguise, would not hear of it - however hard we pressed him to take the money.
 
It was as we thanked him profusely and waved him off that I felt God was very close indeed. I was reminded of  a line from Helen Steiner-Rice’s Poem -  

"On life’s busy thoroughfares we meet with Angels unaware"
​
---- Yes, God was surely at the heart of our brief encounter with that wonderful man who may never know how much his selfless gift of kindness meant to two ‘Lost Souls’ that Saturday, 27th of July 2024 in Birmingham City ..
 
With love and blessings to our ‘Angel’ and all those wonderful souls who perform selfless acts of kindness in service to others every minute of every day. Thank You, thank you, thank you. May you be blessed, as you are a blessing…
 
Nuala Sikorski
Unity Chesterfield, Derbyshire


“When was the last time you felt close to God?”

• I sit comfortably, close my eyes and take a few deep breaths, relaxing a little with each exhalation, allowing my belly to soften.
• I bring my attention to my heart centre and notice any pain or suffering I may be holding there. I gently breathe with awareness into this painful place in my heart.
• I imagine the presence of an infinitely compassionate feminine figure — the Great Mother. I feel her arms surrounding and holding me in her warm, supportive, nurturing embrace. I let go completely and relax into her arms. There is no need to hold myself up anymore.
• With each inhalation, I breathe her love into my heart in the form of warm, liquid light. With each exhalation, I breathe out all my suffering and disease in the form of black soot, which she naturally receives and transforms into light.
• If I feel moved to share my pain with her in the form of words or tears, I just go ahead because I have faith that her infinite heart is filled with compassion; she welcomes my suffering as though it were her own.
• I continue to surrender myself into her arms and receive her love into my heart as I let go of my suffering and sorrow and I visualize a vital life energy circulating from the top of my head to my feet so that I feel connected to grandmother, Oneness, my divinity and my source of supply. With each breath, I feel more complete, more whole, more healed. Gradually, I feel my own heart dissolve into hers.
• In this state, I visualize my wealthy, abundant and opulent self with a bank account that never dries because of the permanent presence of my infinite source of supply. In this state, I imagine my wealthiest self having more than enough at all times. I see the strong, healthy, wealthy, influential, compassionate and worthy version of myself, serving other human beings and nature for the glory of God. I spend as much time as I need in the presence of the Great Mother. I am now the Great Mother and her heart is my heart. From this heart, I can radiate out the warm light of compassion and healing to all beings everywhere. May all beings be happy, peaceful, and free from suffering.
• This version of me feels happy, blissful, wise, proud, grateful, persistent, forever rich and truthful. This new version of me is created from within and it must manifest in the world. As within so without. I stay connected for a while and then end the meditation by feeling the light of God that surrounds me and all humanity. I feel the Love and presence of God as power and protection.

 
I always end my meditation practice with these words:
-         I relax and let go
-         I am the light of the world
-         All power is given on to me in mind and body
-         I am unfettered and unbound. I am free with the freedom of Spirit
-         My yoke is easy and my burden is light.
-         Directing my attention toward my back, I always declare: I am strong in the Lord and in the power of the Christ Light.
-         I walk in paths of righteousness and peace. 
 
By Akwaelfo Djeudo

Truthfully – it does not work for me now. Why? I do not pray to a God ‘out there’. Unity has helped me experience God within me, instead of a being separate from me, whom I need to beg to get help to ensure all my needs are met!
 
Unity describes God (Source, Creator, Infinite Love, Divine Mind, Universal Presence or whatever term works for you) as ‘Beingness’. In other words, the experience or qualities of goodness, described by us in many ways (love, wisdom, life, strength, peace, joy etc.) Where do I find these qualities? They are already within me, as God and I are one. The very words and teachings of Jesus are real and true for every single one of us, when we make this our focus: when we ‘follow in his footsteps’. (For more detail about Unity’s beliefs click here: https://www.unityuk.org/beliefs.html)
 
Affirmative prayer guides us, through our thoughts, words and actions, to tune into this energy or experience of oneness to know that our good is already here and available – it is a matter of re-tuning our minds and hearts into this experience. It calls forth our good, here and now.
 
It is such a different way of praying. No more begging or feeling unworthy or superior. Affirmative prayer is ‘knowing’, at a deeper level, that we are all equally important, beloved and loving, because we already are one with God and our good.
 
Of course, this is not always our experience, so a huge shift in how we think and respond to our world is called for. This shift in consciousness is what changes us. Yet we can do this because God and I are one and we have tools to help us.
 
Affirmative prayer is one such tool. For it is positive and in the present moment. We often use the statement I AM – just as Jesus did. “In the Mind of God, I am alive, and enlivened, through the power of Divine Life.” “I am healthy, whole and well.” “I am guided to my infinite good.” “I am peace – and I respond as peace in the world.”
 
This is how we pray in Unity. This is how we pray when we come together for Unity’s annual World Day of Prayer in September. We will explore this way of praying at our September retreat, focused on health and healing.
 
Join us online for our World Day of Prayer. Join us in person at our retreat at The Kairos Centre, SW London, and experience the power of affirmative prayer for yourself.
 
I look forward to sharing both these events with you. For it is when we come together, that we really learn, grow and serve our world.
 
Rev. Kimerie Mapletoft
Director of Silent Unity and Daily Word UK

​Whenever I am studying a Bible verse, I like to examine different Biblical translations, to enhance the meanings of the words. I am often drawn to the translation The Message, which uses contemporary language to make the Bible accessible to today’s world. John 14:12 is translated this way:
 
“The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing, but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing.”
 
And what has Jesus been doing? For me Jesus has been showing me how to create the kingdom of heaven in the here and now. Choice by choice we can be the best expressions of the Christ we can be – through compassion, forgiveness, and the awareness of our oneness with the Father. Jesus has “opened the door, shown us the way, and gone forward himself” (Rev.Ed Townley). Our joyful sacred challenge is to join him on the journey.
 
This idea - that we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus - is a huge one. What does it mean to you? Do you think you could possibly follow in these footsteps? Perhaps you serve already in a way that you would never have imagined before.
 
Tuesday 3rd September, 7.30-8.30pm BST, we will meet on Zoom to discuss this very important and powerful point - how do we follow in the footsteps of Jesus? Do join us and share in a discussion that could benefit us all.
 
Nancy Sandoval
Licensed Unity Teacher

Consciously coming together in prayer with others is a powerful gift which blesses our world, enabling harmony and peace, understanding and connection in community. We invite you to set aside time to join us in the UK, wherever you are, to connect in silent faith-fuelled prayer.
 
We will hold a 12-hour prayer vigil from 9am - 9pm, holding the silence and sharing meditations throughout the day. The timetable can be found by clicking on the button below.
 
Do send us names to hold in prayer with you by clicking here. We will call out all the names throughout the day, consciously connecting with each one in faith and prayer. All these names will then be held in prayer for the following thirty days.
 
You are warmly invited to join us on Zoom and share the energy of united prayer in a very real way with our Unity UK family.
 
You are also welcome to come to our prayer room at Taplow to pray with us in person. Please email us to arrange a time.
 
It is our honour and privilege to connect with you during this special day. By taking part you are making a difference through the power of united prayer.

As part of our quiet and restful month, we invite you to watch this video and listen to Steve Gough reading Psalm 23 - a beautiful way to feel the peace, poise and reassurance this Psalm shares with us all. Enjoy.
​
Rev Kimerie Mapletoft
Director of Silent Unity and Daily Word UK

In scripture it is written, "Be still and know, I am God." Psalm 46:10. In Isaiah 40:31, "but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
 
When we rest, our energy levels improve and we access inspiration, creativity and joy. We take time to see the beauty in life around us and reconnect with our loved ones.
 
August - traditionally a time of holidays and rest; between the end of one busy season and the start of the next. A time to play in the sea, build sand castles, walk in the woods, be with family and friends.
 
This time of rest is so important. In this busy world, we seem to rush from one experience to another, forgetting the importance of stillness. Not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
 
It is written in scripture, "Be still and know, I am God." Psalm 46:10 "…but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
 
When we rest, our energy levels improve and we access inspiration, creativity and joy. We take time to see the beauty in life around us, reconnect with our loved ones and all that is good in the world.
 
Here at Unity Maidenhead we will be taking a rest from our monthly Sunday service and Tuesday evening discussions. However, all our prayer and meditation meetings will continue as they are the most important connection we can make with each other and God as our Source.
 
What are you doing this month to rest and rejuvenate yourself? Comment your ideas and experiences with us below. Perhaps you will inspire another. Have a beautiful, blessed and relaxing month.
 
Rev Kimerie Mapletoft
Director of Silent Unity and Daily Word UK

Firstly, there is the abundant bounty that nature has to offer, the seasonal fruits and vegetables. The full flowers filled with the humming of little wings. The mother duck leading her babies along the brook. All this beauty is out there now, waiting to be enjoyed.
 
Secondly our own fruits, our own achievements: Let us not forget to reap the benefits of the seeds we have sown for ourselves this year. The spiritual growth we have made. The steps forward. The lessons learnt. The letting go.

The cycles of the year can help us to keep moving forward but for today just stop. Smell the roses. Appreciate yourself. Let the sun warm your face. Know that in this moment you are exactly where you need to be. 
 
Stefanie Bridges
Unity Administrator, UK

It was very timely for me this morning. I have been grappling with a recent situation that had upset me and my mind was engaged in what to say and what to do about it. Have you noticed how our mind does this … the internal thoughts of ... this is not what I want … this is not right … etc. Our minds want to blame, fix, justify; but the amount of energy this takes is ridiculous.
 
We all need reminders about what is important: putting God first in our experience. Many of us have an affirmation we use over again, to remind us of our true nature and God in our midst. For me, when Angus read this line, it was as if the wind was released from the sails of my mind. Instead of going full steam ahead (or round in circles), all the physical, mental and emotional energy just disappeared and I relaxed into the presence of love. It was a beautiful experience – one of freedom and release. Thank you Angus.
 
Of course, love is my only function – this is why I am here. How does love in me wish to respond? In a way that understands, connects, listens and allows me to look after myself in the right way, as well as look after that which is in my domain to do.
 
If you ask the question, what is love? My best answer is go to 1 Corinthians 13. If we all lived from this teaching, there would be no conflict or war. Yet first, we must connect with love as the Truth of us.
 
I invite you to know love as your True Self – surrender into the Presence – allow it to beautifully connect you with You and those around you. Then watch the blessings flow.
 
PS Do you have a favourite affirmation you like to use? Do email me and we will put them up on the website.
 
Rev Kimerie Mapletoft
Director of Silent Unity and Daily Word UK


 
 
       

 


 

 A poem by a Daily Word reader. 

Forgiveness is the key. 
 
Prepare our hearts; this is now the time for all to examine our lives. 
Forgiveness is the key word in these present times. 
Do not let your heart be troubled. 
Forgive one another on an every-day basis. 
Fret not, yourselves. 
 
The key word now is forgiveness in these testing times
Love one another with heart and soul
Grudges are not acceptable in these times
Trust in the Lord, we are overcomers
God bless us all in these testing times. Hallelujah.

By Erma Stevenson