We are at the 2nd week of the Lenten season. We see here Jesus was able to overcome the temptations from the adversary by speaking the truth. He understood that this was an inner journey of wholeness and wellbeing. Through the use of creative visualization and prayer he was able to release all thoughts of negativity so that he could go on to fulfill his purpose.

Each one of us has the same potential and power within. It is simply a matter of using it in a positive way. There are many permission slips that we can use to make our lives better. Perhaps you have learned some processes that have worked for you? 

On this Sunday we discuss a variety of ways to use this God given power to create the life that we truly desire rather than settling for the status quo.

“What we think about, we bring about” 

“You must assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled until your assumption has all the sensory vividness of reality.”

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” 

The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for spring, which is derived from a verb meaning to lengthen. Lent comes in the spring when the days become noticeably longer.  For many people, Lent means making some small sacrifice—giving up chocolate, television, or other habits without which they’d be better off. It’s a nod to the period of abstinence established by the early church to prepare for Easter. But what if you could make the Lenten season a transformational experience?  

We live in a time of tremendous pressure that will lead to change for all of us.  The principle of change holds within it a positive benefit.  We want to wake up and live fully in the present moment.  How can we be with what is, especially when we don’t like it?  Why am I going through this again?

“Then Jesus went with them to Gethsemane and said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.”  He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him and began to be grieved and agitated.  Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved and agitated, even to death; remain here and stay awake with me.”     

“The art of life is to live in the present moment and to make that moment as perfect as we can by the realization that we are the instruments and expressions of God.”  

As we prepare to enter the season of Lent, we are invited to reflect on renewal—a time of shedding the old and embracing the new life. This sacred season is not merely about sacrifice but transformation, an opportunity to realign our hearts with purpose in God.

Rev Karen Patrick shares with us how we can transform our lives and become more of our true and authentic selves.

Questions that were asked in this session:

“I am having trouble, spiritually, with what is going on in our country. I don’t know how to justify the lack of compassion, understanding and love for one another.”

“Unity talks a lot about Jesus’ life, which is very great, but I also want to know what does Unity say about the death of Jesus and the significance of it, and also the fact that, in my mind, in the Bible, he knew that he was expecting that, so what is the significance of that as well?”

“I don’t know how many books of the Bible there are but I know that there were many that were left out, and I wanted to know what you know about how the Bible’s books were collected and why the ones that were left out, were left out and if you have ready any of them and what you think of them?”

“Can you as a general term say, what does it mean to interpret something metaphysically, and what does that do for a person?”

Unity Principle Five: The Law of Action

Knowing and understanding the laws of life—also called truth—is not enough. A person must live the truth that he or she knows.

Action and service is the way we demonstrate our beliefs.

Through thoughts, words and actions, we live in the truth we know. Knowledge of these spiritual principles is not enough. We live and demonstrate them through our actions.

“It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there will be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your actions. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”

Rev Karen Patrick explores Unity Principle Four, focusing on prayer and meditation as transformative practices that connect us with divine consciousness. Embracing these tools helps us understand our true selves and radiate authenticity into the world.

She discusses how these practices enhance our awareness of our divine connection, moving us beyond surface thinking to align with the infinite presence within. Through insights and experiences, we’ll learn how they deepen spiritual awareness and empower us to live with greater clarity, peace, and purpose.  We will explore how to understand prayer and meditation beyond abstract ideas, helping us integrate them into daily life. You’ll gain methods to quiet the mind, open the heart, and embrace the present as a chance to connect with divine wisdom.