Unity means Oneness. We are all of one energy, one life. All of science and spirituality support this idea which we call Truth. We all can access this core understanding from within ourselves. Our lives are our laboratories. It is our works of art. If we embrace this idea in all instances in our lives, we will be totally transformed. We call this spiritual practice.
We recognize a framework of five basic ideas, or principles in Unity, which can be expressed in many ways. These principles guide us to understand our creative responsibility for our lives and our world. These five principles can provide a roadmap for all of our activities as we live day by day.
In Unity, we honor all paths to God. We honor all names for God: Universe, Spirit, Christ, Divine, Absolute Good, Living Loving Presence, and many many more.
The Five Principles
1. God is Absolute Good, everywhere present.
God is the source and creator of all. There is no other enduring power. Indeed, there is only one presence and one power in the universe!
2. We are spiritual beings, each one born with a spark of divinity.
Our very essence is of God, and therefore all are also inherently good.
3. We create all of our life experiences through the activity of our thinking with both mind and heart.
Everything in our world has its beginning in thought, and a big part of that is what we choose to think, feel and believe; "what we believe" is not nearly as important as how we put our beliefs into practice.
4. There is power in affirmative prayer.
Which we believe increases our understanding of our connection with God, Universal Spirit. Prayer, contemplation, and meditation bring forth wisdom, healing, prosperity and everything good.
5. Knowledge and understanding of these spiritual principles, the Laws of Life, are not enough.
We must also live by this Truth as we put principle into practice in our world. These principles build upon each other and provide us a pathway for living a spiritual life. Perhaps the most powerful way to use these principles is to frame them as questions in a checklist
Try using this list to strengthen your spiritual practice!
Five Principles Checklist
- Am I affirming Divine Intelligence and love in this situation?
- Am I remembering my own Divinity and that of all others involved?
- Am I realizing that I am in this situation by Divine appointment and it is important to my soul growth?
Am I remembering that what I choose to think, feel, and believe influences this experience? - Have I aligned myself with God, the Universe, the Good, and received guidance before I act?
- Am I living by Principle in this instance? Are my actions congruent with Principle as I understand it today?
We invite you to Unity Center of Stockton, a community of people learning to practice these spiritual principles. These priciples are the core of what we believe.