What We Are Doing Matters Big Time!

It is an honor and a real joy to be starting as the new Senior Minister at piritual Life Center. I hope to hit the ground running as it were.

At my first Sunday service (which will be August 17) I will be starting a new seven-part series based on Rev. Mary Manin Morrissey’s wonderful book, Building Your Field of Dreams. I am told that there is a strong connection between Rev. Mary and SLC that goes way back.

When Reverends Michael and Faith Moran left Christ Unity Church in Sacramento they went to Unity Village, the headquarters of the Unity movement, to become retreat directors. However, they felt that their real calling was to help lead local spiritual communities. So they left Unity Village and became associate ministers at Rev. Mary’s Living Enrichment Center (LEC) in Oregon. At that time it would be fair to say that the LEC was one of the leading and most influential centers of New Thought and Inter-Faith work in the nation—if not the world!

But then several folks convinced Michael and Faith to come back to Sacramento and start what became SLC. Rev. Mary was an early supporter of SLC, and she spoke at SLC a number of times.

Rev. Mary’s book is based on one of my all-time favorite movies, Field of Dreams, starring Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones. She takes the various stages shown in this 1989 movie to demonstrate how we can make our dreams come true. I do think the time is right for us to build on the already existing great things at SLC and take them to an even greater level. A major reason we will be able to do this is because of the excellent past spiritual leadership of Rev. James Trapp.

I serve as an unpaid advisor to Unity Worldwide Ministries, so let me tell you that many Unity and New Thought communities are not experiencing many of the blessings that we can sometimes take for granted at SLC. For example, most major Unity churches that had two Sunday services before COVID are now down to only one service. At SLC we continue to have two strong Sunday services. Also, many Unity churches have given up on youth and family ministry programs. At SLC we have—THANK GOD—gone in the opposite direction! I could go on with the list of comparative blessings that SLC enjoys.

During our Sunday series—which I am calling BUILDING OUR FIELD OF DREAMS—we will be looking at turning our visions into reality on three different levels. First we will look at our dreams on an individual level. What have you deeply longed to do on the individual level? Second, we will be looking at dreams for our SLC community. What are some of the key things we can do to make SLC even greater? This will help the strategic planning efforts that will be starting at SLC soon.

But there is a third level that we will be looking at that you may not have considered so far. This is the level of Unity, New Thought, and Inter-Faith communities. I believe that what we will be doing at SLC can have a major positive impact on these movements at a critical time for our society and culture.

When it comes to the Unity, New Thought, and Inter-Faith movements, I believe that Charles Dickens really hit the nail on the head when he wrote in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” There are several positive trends within these communities that I could point to. However, there are also several very disheartening trends. Let me point out one of them. 

When I was a student at Unity Institute and Seminary I received an excellent education and grounding in world religions. We read and studied sacred scriptures from all over the world. However, under the new so-called “reforms” taking place in Unity ministerial education it will be possible—and indeed probable—for a student to graduate and only be exposed to Judeo Christian scriptures. This is so antithetical to the spirit of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore.

SLC has the blessing of working with Dr. Rev. Gary Simmons and his Integral Ministry Program. I believe that this program is really helping to create vibrant spiritual paths for the 21^st century. I would love it if when Reverend Gary is asked for specific examples of how this stuff actually works and helps spiritual communities that he would say, “Check out SLC in Sacramento and see how this direction has helped them.”

Friends, what we can build at SLC can have a major positive impact well beyond SLC. These are exciting times to be living in, and I believe that SLC faces some golden opportunities.

Many blessings,

Rev. Rick