The Board of Trustees of Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing, along with a recommendation from Unity Worldwide Ministries, have suspended all in-person gatherings until April 13th in accordance with the Stay At Home Order announced by the State of Michigan on March 23rd. At that time, we will re-evaluate the pandemic situation to determine an on-going course of ministry.
Unity is a powerful prayer ministry. Current world conditions do not change that. In all situations, our first step is prayer. At the same time, we know how important it is to support our prayers with action.
There is a short prayer and a long prayer focused on our current world situation at the bottom of this article.
During the current condition of a Coronovirus outbreak, Unity continues to pray for a wholeness outbreak. We also are following the guidelines from the Center for Disease Control to help stem the spread of this virus as we continue to gather for Sunday services and classes. Although we are not currently meeting in person, these are good guidelines to follow for your day-to-day contacts and activities.
- Healthy “hi’s”: We recommend that we greet each other without physical contact, such as a “Namaste” and a slight bow. If we have a deep desire to make physical contact, we recommend “fist bumps” or “elbow rubs” as ways to minimize the spread of germs.
- On-line Gathering: We are making a special effort to offer Sunday services on Facebook Live. Our audio is less than ideal, but you do have a way to join us from the comfort of your home. If you are feeling unwell and want to attend an event, contact the church office to see if we can arrange a Zoom computer connection between you and the class or event.
- Hands Down:
- Hand Sanitizer: The Fledge is working this week to “manufacture” hand sanitizer for everyone’s use. There are also sani-wipes available for use.
- Hands washed: well and often. TRY AFFIRMING THE PRAYER OF PROTECTION SLOWLY WHILE YOU WASH YOUR HANDS! The Light of God surrounds us. The Love of God enfolds us. The Power of God protects us. The Presence of God watches over us. Wherever we are, God is. And all is well.
- Hands Away: from our face. Easier said than done, but something to be aware of.
- Prayer: Time in prayer and meditation improves the body’s resiliency. For your convenience, we have included a prayer you may want to use as we stem the tide of fear and confusion.
- Through prayer, we call forth an outbreak of God-given health and accelerated recovery.
- Our prayers impact the listening audience of a trillion cells in each of our physical bodies.
- Infilled with the regeneration of God strengthening every cell of our bodies, our immune systems are fortified.
- We are constantly guided to do those things which will support our bodies in maintaining full and vibrant health.
- We are protected by Divine Presence at all times, in all crowded places and our alone places.
- Wholeness and vitality are now made manifest both as restored health and an invigorated world economy.
- And so it is. Amen.
A more detailed approach is posted on this link and pasted down below, as well as a longer version of a powerful prayer written by Rev. Christopher Chenowith.
Thank you for your continued support of Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing and for your help in keeping our community safe and vibrant for everyone.
Blessings, Rev. Sharon J. Ketchum
Coronavirus - COVID-19
Article courtesy of Rev. David Ridge, Unity of Living Water, Colorado
By now virtually every adult has heard about the virus spreading throughout the world (a portrait of which is above). It is actually one of several varieties of coronavirus, some of which are causes of the common cold, others of which have names such as SARS or MERS -- these two are very dangerous, but, thankfully, have been contained. However, COVID-19 is a newly arriving, novel virus, the effects of which we are becoming more aware as epidemiologists are discovering its transmission, treatment and outcome characteristics.
So far we know several things about this virus:
1) it is easily transmitted, perhaps even when the symptoms of the carrier have not yet become evident,
2) its "ports of entry" are the eyes, nose and mouth,
3) the virus remains viable on surfaces for several days (weeks?),
4) the symptoms (from the New York Times, March 5): "include fever, cough and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. The illness causes lung lesions and pneumonia. But milder cases may resemble the flu or a bad cold, making detection difficult. Patients also may exhibit other symptoms, such as gastrointestinal problems or diarrhea. Current estimates suggest that symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days (perhaps longer?) after exposure to the virus."
The effects can range from "barely noticeable" (contributing to its quickly spreading) to flu-like or severe cold-like effects to, in 2% or so of the cases, death. This can be scary stuff! But there are practical, common sense things we can do to minimize our exposure and the virus' effects:
A. Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Do this even when not leaving your home since, if the virus DID make it into your home and landed on any surface you touch, it can be viable for many days and could infect you. This is the most effective preventative step you can take.
B. Keep from touching your face, particularly near your eyes, nose and mouth -- these are the portals thru which the virus will infect you. Many of us touch our faces frequently, thus frequent hand washing will minimize our exposure.
C. "Protect your coughs" by coughing and sneezing into your elbow and/or a tissue. The virus-carrying droplets can travel 3-6 feet to be inhaled by others or to infect surfaces that might later be touched by others. If you have the virus, it's important to keep it to yourself!
D. Eat nourishing foods. Those will help your immune system be most robust and your viral defenses maximized.
E. Low Risk Greetings. Greeting each other is often with a handshake or a hug. Let's not do that for awhile! There's an ancient Eastern tradition of acknowledging another with the Namaste (pronounced NAH-MAHS-TA) greeting. It means "the Divine (or the Christ) within me acknowledges and celebrates the Divine within you." With hands palm-to-palm (prayer-like) in front of your heart and a slight bow of the head, "Namaste" is a noninfectious way of saying "hi". If you must have that physical encounter, a right elbow bump or a right foot (outside to outside) bump are also noninfectious ways of "high-fivin' it".
F. Frequently clean surfaces that are often touched, especially door knobs, door frames, telephones, keyboards, and bathroom areas. The length of the virus' viability outside the host is not yet known.
G. Hand Sanitizer: When hand washing is not accessible or convenient, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Common sense tells us that when we first enter an assembly of people, an application of hand sanitizer protects the community; when you leave the assembly, another application of hand sanitizer protects you. So use it often when in a large group of people.
You can make your own sanitizer with 1/3 cup of aloe vera gel to 2/3 cup of 99% isopropyl alcohol.
H. If you're not feeling well, stay home! We're all in this together. And if you're not feeling well but want to view our Sunday Talk at 10:30 on Sunday morning, go to our website, https://livingwaterunity.org, scroll down to below the animated image and select "Show me the webcast". The video will become "live" near 10:30am. You can also view the archive of talks by selecting the YouTube icon in the upper right corner of the home page. And if you care to donate on that page, you can do so with through the "Donate" button.
As Unity students we know that our consciousness "pre-disposes" our experience. We also know that fear sets up stress and stress lowers our resistance. Thus, it is important that we use our mental abilities to minimize fear and prime our immune system to its greatest effectiveness. Prayer and meditation are two practices that help us do that.
A prayer that you might use is: We know that God is a Love that has no end and a Power that knows no bounds. God’s healing power of Divine Life is restoring, healing, and revitalizing our world in this very moment. We let go of any fears or anxieties, and we affirm that all are safe, healthy, and protected. We bless all those who support us in maintaining vibrant radiant health. We express Divine Life in all we think, say, and do. We bless our global family with radiant health, peace of mind, and abundant love.
In your meditation, you might visualize yourself in the bubble of God's embracing Love. Nourished and nurtured by God's permeating energy of Life, see that energy healing and infusing every cell of your body with Its Divine Nectar. Visualize a barrier of protection surrounding you. KNOW at the very core of your Beingness that you are blessed in this very moment with health and vitality! And so it IS!
Using our collective common sense and the above coping strategies, we will get through this together! We are blessed right now! And so it is! Amen
SHORT VERSION
- Through prayer, we call forth an outbreak of God-given health and accelerated recovery.
- Our prayers impact the listening audience of a trillion cells in each of our physical bodies.
- Infilled with the regeneration of God strengthening every cell of our bodies, our immune systems are fortified.
- We are constantly guided to do those things which will support our bodies in maintaining full and vibrant health.
- We are protected by Divine Presence at all times, in all crowded places and our alone places.
- Wholeness and vitality are now made manifest both as restored health and an invigorated world economy.
- And so it is. Amen
Longer Prayer for Recovery from Coronavirus Prayer
"Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and God will say, Here I am." Isaiah 58:9
We know that God can turn the tide.
We know that our readers number more than a million strong – and the strength and power and effectiveness of united prayers can spiritually turn the tide in national and international affairs.
Nothing opposed to God’s good can last.
Prayer can cause an outbreak of God-given health and accelerated recovery.
As you say this prayer there is a listening audience of a trillion cells in your physical body, awaiting your direction.
We pray that this God empowered prayer can promote an upturn in comfort and confidence. We know that God is the never failing, all providing source of health for ALL people, everywhere.
God is the Creator that creates life in a miraculous nine months’ time. God is also the re-creator of life and full recovery under the Divine blueprint of perfection.
May God’s Divine blueprint be made manifest in each of us NOW.
We pray that God the Creator creates atmospheres of perfection and complete sanitation.
We pray that we are protected by God, surrounded with the Divine presence at all times, in all crowded places, and our alone places.
We pray that we are infilled from the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet, to the ends of our fingers, with the regeneration of God that strengthens every cell and ongoing fortification of our complete immune systems.
We put on the full armor of God.
We pray that God guides us away from harm.
We pray that we do not inadvertently do harm to others.
We pray, dear God, that You will remind us to vigorously wash our hands and keep us from the habit of touching our face.
We will learn that we can love mentally and not need to shake hands, or touch, at least temporarily, as this goes away forever.
Thank You, God, that You will protect the caregivers, wonderful doctors, and nurses, and guide those in governments with exact precision on the best testing and medicines towards permanent healing.
We pray that every scientist mind is infilled with the direct guidance of the Mind of God, and Divine ideas rule the day.
We pray that those that have the virus experience the immediate Divine intervention help of God to lessen its effects and quicken their permanent recovery.
We pray that those affected are helped financially with God’s unexpected supply and prosperity to take away that concern.
With God’s help this virus will pass and will soon be a distant memory as complete vitality and energy is experienced again.
May God’s power remove our individual fears and give us each the confidence to live our lives that we have been given.
God’s pattern of perfection in us is now expressed as a re-creation of health and wholeness in body.
Thank You, God, for restored health, and vital economy in our world. This challenge is touched by God - health and vitality is brought into perfect manifestation beginning now.
In Jesus Christ’s name… Amen
We encourage you to individually say this prayer often. We encourage you to share this prayer with your church and give them permission to lead the congregation in praying this.
For our ministries that receive our weekly written sermons - we encourage each to lead the congregation in this prayer.
Our only copyright – is that you have the right to copy.
Know that PositiveChristianity.org will be praying every day.
Our entire prayer team is focused on this virus healing in the total belief in God’s power.
God bless each of us,
Positive Christianity Ministries