Unity
is a world-wide spiritual movement dedicated to transforming
the world through prayer.
As a positive,
progressive, practical approach to Christianity, many people
who have been seeking such an experience have found a spiritual
home.
Our local church
is one of several in San Diego County and one of thousands
throughout the world. We have Saturday and Sunday worship
services, weekly classes, meditations, support groups and
social activities.
We invite you
to explore our website and more importantly to call our
Prayer Ministry 619-282-7609, call our Daily Word Line 619-281-5683
(LOVE) AND to come and visit our campus at 3770 Altadena
Avenue in San Diego.
Unity has two
international outreach organizations, Unity School of Christianity
and the Association of Unity Churches. Unity School, which
now identifies itself as “unity®” is headquartered
at Unity Village Missouri.
The Association
of Unity Churches provides education and support for churches,
centers, ministers and congregations around the world.
http://www.unity.org/
Here
is a recent article about our church:
SHEEP AND GOATS
Christ Church Unity
By Matthew Lickona | Published Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008
[Matthew gave
us an overall review of “between very good and excellent”]
The psychedelic stained-glass window over the altar (and
even above the electric sanctuary lamp) caught the feel
of Christ Church Unity pretty well: psychedelic, but still
stained glass. Modern spirituality swirled with tradition.
More examples: heavy velveteen curtains hanging behind a
marble altar bearing brass candlesticks and cross but surrounded
by folksy, brightly colored posters celebrating NEW LIFE
(Now Energize Willingness Laugh Intensity Fasting Embrace)
— posters that were in high contrast with the deep-toned
oil paintings depicting the Holy Family that lined the side
walls; a sizable choir in teal-and-white robes sang a complex
arrangement of “Our Hope Alone Is You, O Lord,”
then gave way at service’s end to a swinging ballad:
“Everything I see/ Everything I do/ Everything I am/
is You”; the Lord’s Prayer was recited, but
tweaked — the usual, “Lead us not into temptation”
rendered “Leave us not in temptation” —
God is not subjecting us to the trial; a prayer of thanks
that opened with “Precious Father” concluded
with “Thank you, Father-Mother God.”
The stuffed animals, however, were sui generis. Three —
a goat and two bunnies — sat up on the pulpit. But
dozens, perhaps hundreds, more occupied the pews in the
left alcove of the church. “We collect them, starting
in July,” one woman told me. “At Christmas,
we’ll be giving them to, I think, children in San
Diego and Tijuana. You’re welcome to hug one and give
it some love.” Another woman told me that by Christmas
the Sanctuary would be, well, stuffed with them.
“God’s good is yours” was the greeting
we exchanged at the outset — a setup for the central
idea of the sermon: “God is the source of my supply
and provides amazing channels now.” (The congregation
spoke that line as well — twice. Pastor Blair Tabor
recited it several times on top of that. “Because
we’re trained to look outside of ourselves, it takes
a while to make the connection,” he explained. “We
need to hear it over and over and over. The teaching is
that God is our source, that we’re one with the living
presence of God, and Jesus said that the Kingdom of God
is within you.”)
The sermon began a series on Prosperity and had two interesting
setups. First, a single-verse scripture reading from Exodus:
“You shall have no other gods before Me.” (“Gracious
spirit, open our minds to understand that You alone are
all we will ever need,” prayed the reader.) Second,
the announcement of the upcoming Keys to the Kingdom prosperity
classes, led by Tabor. “The class will challenge you
to live from a level of faith and commitment that truly
is transformational,” said the reader. “Reverend
Blair has seen lives completely changed. Requirements include
purchasing the book and a CD or tape set, and tithing ten
percent of your income for the duration of the seven-week
class.”
Prior to the sermon, Tabor had led a prayer, underlaid with
mournful tones from a choir-loft clarinet, which sought
to “open us in a deeper way to that presence of God
and that work of the Spirit within us” — work
that would “animate our whole being with the vibrancy
of that Christ-presence of God. We come alive with that
sense of moving as a part of the Spirit,” with the
Spirit “working through all circumstances to bring
forth blessings.”
Opening that channel to God the Source, said Tabor, was
the great key to prosperity. He quoted a riff on that line
from Exodus: “Thou shalt not look to another source
but God for thy supply.” He quoted Jesus: “Seek
first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added
to you.”
“God wants to bless us,” concluded Tabor. “God
has all kinds of ways to bless us.... If we start with that
connection, that holiness of the presence, and see ourselves
as part of that, then we have a good beginning.” And
quite possibly, a good ending: “God is the beginning
point, but God is also the destination, and God is the process.
In every movement, the presence of God is there.”
The choir backed him up. “God is the source of my
supply/ Ready the good to multiply...”
In conclusion, Tabor prayed over a wooden box containing
prayer requests. “Dear God, we know You are the source
of blessing, and we seek that for each one for whom we pray...people
affected by the storms of life — of all kinds. We
know You are present as the source of good...thank you,
God; thank you, God.” And then the whole congregation
left their pews and joined hands along the aisle and sang:
“Let there be peace on earth/ and let it begin with
me/ Let there be peace on earth/ the peace that was meant
to be...”
What happens when we die?
“We go on to the next dance,” said Tabor.
Christ Church Unity
Denomination:
Unity
Address: 3770
Altadena Avenue, East San Diego, 619-280-2501
Founded locally:
1961
Senior pastor:
Blair Tabor
Congregation
size: 150–250
Staff size: 16,
mostly part-time prayer ministry
Sunday school
enrollment: 15–25
Weekly giving:
varies
Annual budget:
$500,000
Singles program:
no
Dress: semiformal
to formal
Diversity: mostly
Caucasian
Sunday worship:
9 a.m., 11 a.m.
Length of reviewed
service: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Website: unitysandiego.org
About
us
The Daily
Word
Services
Youth
Education
|
