Jesus Will Take Your Phone Call Now!

There is a big controversy over something that Unity Books has recently done.

Unity Books recently sponsored a Zoom event in which it was advertised that a medium would take questions and give you direct answers from Jesus. A good number of Unity ministers and others felt that this was a major violation of Unity’s basic principles.

It seemed to them that this was more like something that the Reverends Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, or Jimmy Swaggart would sponsor, and not something that Unity would be involved with.

Let me reproduce here most of the invitation that was sent out to us via email by Unity Books. It read as follows:

Dear Friend,

Are you seeking answers about what’s going on in the world and what your role might be?

Join us for a powerful new event: Jesus Will Take Your Questions Now—a live channeling session with Christine M. Bush.

During this special evening, Christine Bush, the author of Understanding Your Soul: The Channeled Wisdom of Jesus, will channel the energy of Jesus in real time via Zoom. You’ll have the opportunity to submit questions and listen to Jesus’ answers, which are always filled with compassion, truth, and spiritual depth.

In previous channeling sessions, Jesus has said each of us chose to be on Earth at exactly this time. What is ours to do? How can we see people and events through spiritual eyes? This event sponsored by Unity Books is an opportunity to explore the big picture.

Learn why your soul might have chosen to incarnate and what difference you can make with your presence, your thoughts, and your actions.

We look forward to sharing this extraordinary experience with you.

Many blessings,

Rev. Ellen Debenport

Vice President of Publishing

Unity World Headquarters

This email and the entire process of Unity publishing the Christine Bush book raises some very interesting issues which have deep implications for all of us. Many of the ministers who found all of this objectionable felt that it was very sacrilegious and not in integrity with Unity principles.

I have read the Christine Bush book, and I would like to share my opinions and insights with you. I am doing this because I think it may help you in your spiritual journey. Let me put one more recently published book on the table, and this is a book that I highly recommend.

The book is entitled The Power of Two Way Prayer by Father Bill W. He is an Episcopalian priest who lives in Austin, Texas, and he is a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. One of the key principles of AA is anonymity, and Father Bill wants to uphold this tradition.

First, I would point out that channeled writing has played an important role in almost all of the great spiritual traditions. In Judaism, a good portion of the Torah is God channeled through Moses. In Christianity, it is often God channeled through either Jesus or the Apostle Paul. Taoism is the Way channeled through Lao Tzu, while Islam is Allah channeled through Muhammad. In the 20th century A Course In Miracles was Jesus channeled through a professor at Columbia University.

Second, why should we believe that God had so much to say way back when, but He/She/It has nothing to say to us today? I for one do not believe that God has developed a terminal case of laryngitis.

One of the beauties of the Unity and New Thought movements is that the pioneers believed that revelation was ongoing. I mean really how can we talk about a loving God who has gone totally silent? A loving God is one who wants to have an active and ongoing relationship with us, and that includes revelation in the 21st century.

Third, the only bone I have to pick with putting Christine Bush on a pedestal is the belief that only some people have the gift of channeling and connecting with Spirit. I believe very much in what John Denver sang, “It’s in every one of us to be wise.” All of us have the ability to be in direct contact with God and to channel Divine Wisdom.

One thing I really love about Father Bill is that he says that many of the things we might believe today on a spiritual level we probably would have found to be heretical 15 years ago. And he adds if that is not the case then we are not spiritually growing. Probably 15 or 20 years ago I would’ve found the paragraph above to be heretical, but I no longer do!

As part of my morning prayer meditation, I do engage in two way prayer. What is it? Well, it boils down to this: You first write a letter to Spirit. Then you recenter, and as best you can you write down what you believe Spirit is saying to you.

How do you know that it’s really God talking to you? Father Bill says that some days he believes it really is God talking to him, and on other days, he believes that it is his Higher Self talking to him. But then he says that whoever it is that is talking to him it is far better advice than his normal ego brain would supply him.

I would add that it is important to check out what we are hearing with a trusted spiritual advisor. It is also important to go back and look at scriptures. But quite frankly, I have found that during this process of two way prayer my ego is silenced and what emerges is a higher and better order of thinking.

Am I collecting this channeled writing into books? No, but one of my congregants at the Unity Church in Lynchburg did that in a private printing, and the book is a real gem!

Let me point out that Myrtle Fillmore at times would face two chairs together, and she would put a picture of Jesus in one of the chairs. Then she would have a chat with the chair that had Jesus‘ picture in it. Was she really talking to Jesus, or was she communicating with her Higher Self? I’ll let you be the judge of that. But all I can tell you is that when you read the books by Myrtle Fillmore, there is a wisdom and beauty in them that can help you face the most difficult things that life can throw at you.

Yes, it is possible for the ego to dress itself up in these two way prayer sessions. But it is also very possible for Divine Wisdom to flow.

Another thing that I deeply admire about Unity is how Charles Fillmore said that he reserved the right to change his mind. For me, 15 or 20 years ago, I would have viewed two way prayer as heresy. Now I view it as something which is possible for all of us.

Saint Francis wished to be a channel of God‘s peace. Amen to that. It is also possible to be a channel of God‘s wisdom.

Many blessings,

Rev. Rick