GREAT MORNING!  

Welcome back to Unity Spiritual Center!

And welcome to our Summer Series based upon the music of Motown!

As we meet each week and listen to and discuss the music and the message it brings, I hope you will pay more attention to the music you hear as you drive, the songs that pop into your mind as you go through the day, and maybe even the music that enters your dreams.

What I’d like for you to do is tell me what those songs were. I plan to use some of your ideas for the last lesson in this series. SO, send me a text or email with the songs that are playing in your head, and I’ll take a look at what you have been hearing or playing.

There can be much to learn in the music that is part of our lives.

Here at Unity, we often think of the Positive Music that the many musicians bring to us, including our own Greg. But messages can be found in many, many places.

Over the years we have looked at some interesting and fun things over the summer months: The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, Children’s Books, the Beatles just to name a few.

So I thank Rev. Sandy Boyer for sharing her idea of using Motown music as our muse for this summer.

We are going to start with two songs with the same general message:

“Reach Out, I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops and “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson 5.

Both have similar messages, that we are not alone, that we have support when we are open and willing to receive it.

GREG

And here are the words to the Four Top’s song, “Reach Out, I’ll Be There”

Now if you feel that you can’t go on (can’t go on)
Because all of your hope is gone (all your hope is gone)
And your life is filled with much confusion (much confusion)
Until happiness is just an illusion (happiness is just an illusion)
And your world around is crumbling down, darling

Reach out come on girl reach on out for me

Reach out reach out for me

I’ll be there with a love that will shelter you
I’ll be there with a love that will see you through

When you feel lost and about to give up (to give up)
Cause your life just ain’t good enough (just ain’t good enough)
And your feel the world has grown cold (has grown cold)
And your drifting out all on your own (drifting out on your own)
And you need a hand to hold, darling

Reach out come on girl reach out for me
Reach out reach out for me
I’ll be there to love and comfort you
And I’ll be there to cherish and care for you

I’ll be there to always see you through
I’ll be there to love and comfort you

I can tell the way you hang your head (hang your head)
Your not in love now, now your afraid (you’re afraid)
And through the tears you look around (look around)
But there’s no piece of mind to be found (no piece of mind to be found)
I know what your thinking,
You’re alone now, no love of your own, but darling

Reach out come on girl reach out for me
Reach out reach out… just look over your shoulder

I’ll be there to give you all the love you need
And I’ll be there you can always depend on me

Just take a moment. It really isn’t hard to see & feel the connection to our Spiritual selves in these songs. As we relate the words to the God of our understanding, we know that God is always THERE—always HERE.

It is not God who has moved, but us. As we go through our lives in this human form, we often step away from what our hearts are telling us…that we are not alone, that Spirit is always with us.

We grew past the God of our childhood, that angry God, even vengeful at times. The Hebrew Bible tells many stories of our spiritual growth, through the trials of being a spirit in human form. At that time, we were babies in the growth of our soul. We turned away from Divine Spirit, thinking we could do life on our own, like the folks did with the Tower of Babel.

That journey through the Hebrew Books, The Old Testament, was the first lesson on what it means to be a soul having a human experience. We were given tools to help us learn how to get along, how to live in peace, but mostly, how to trust God.

When we grew enough, Jesus came along in the New Testament and taught us the truth of Gods laws, that we just need to love.

Then we recall that God is available within each and every one of us. We remember that God brings us peace because God IS peace.  God is Love and we are a part of that love, as we express ourselves as God through-out our day.

Here’s the Reading I selected for today…

God comforts me and fills me with peace.

Whenever you need me, I’ll be there with you. You don’t need to look for me, for I am the joy that lives in your heart. You don’t need to seek me in places or circumstances, for I am the love that continually vibrates in and through everyone and everything.

Whenever you call, I will answer. Even before you ask, I know what your need is and I will answer your need in a way that will help you grow through whatever it is that you are experiencing.

Let my strength carry you through every circumstance of your life. Trust in me with all your heart, and I will transform your life with great joy and peace.

God is LIFE. And if we just reach out to that life, we can & will experience the love and support of that Divine Spirit that binds us all together.

Reach out in thought. Instead of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” how about adding “Think unto others and you would have them think onto you.”

Remember, our thoughts create our world, Principle 3. So it only makes sense to not only treat others well but think of them well also. Reach out to others in mind and action and attitude.

Everyone is important in this thing called life. Let’s treat each of us as such. Reach out and BE the person we can be, or as we often see, I pray I can be the person my dogs think I am!

These two songs also remind us to reach out and express more love, more joy, more enthusiasm…more LIFE!

Reach out to others. Maybe it’s time to be more of a friend than you have been. Maybe it’s time to be of service to your family, your community, your world.

We are so grateful for those of you who are in Service to Unity Spiritual Center. Don’t shy away from being a part of this wonderful, loving Community. We have so much to give and share.

I’ve mentioned many times about one of my mentors who would remind me that “God is in the yearning.”

Sometimes your thoughts are so consumed with your souls yearning to be closer to God, it can almost hurt. We are being pushed forward to know ourselves more and to be more.

That Christ Presence within us all is our connection to our authentic self. We can only be as close to Divine Spirit as we are willing to be true to ourselves, to being authentic.

Are you willing to be you? Are you ready to reach out to the higher being that resides in each and every cell of your body?

I’ve said time and again, to get closer to God, to Divine Spirit, we must know ourselves. We must be willing to not just reach out to the God of our understanding, but to also reach in. Willing to truly know who we are and what we are…we are of the Divine, our Creator. And we are creating our lives. So, if you are not satisfied with this life of yours, reach out to Spirit, to yourself and to others and make the change you need to be the person you wish to be.

It’s never too late.