2024 Sunday Services

The Beatitudes encapsulate the core teachings of Jesus. Last Sunday we began to unpack what these short, often paradoxical aphorisms can reveal to us about our spiritual practice. These sayings are the prelude to what is known as the “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5-7. The intended audience for the Beatitudes were the disciples. Rather than being a sermon to a general audience, these teachings were given as guidance and instruction to anyone consciously committed to living a spiritual life intentionally and with purpose. This Sunday we will take up where we left off last time, with the fourth Beatitude.

Beatitudes: Keys to Fulfillment - Part 2 (Rev. Bill Williams, 2/11/24)

This Sunday will be the third installment of our discussion about the Beatitudes. This series of profound statements that Jesus gave to his disciples are as intimately powerful for us today as they were for those who were there two millennia ago to hear these truths directly. Each Beatitude is given in the form of an equation. That is, if you establish your sense of self in a certain inner attitude, then you will realize a spiritually equivalent result. We will take up where we left off last Sunday with: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God". That one can "see God" is quite an assertion! Likewise, the prerequisite condition for such a claim, i.e., "a pure heart", may appear at first glance to be reserved for a select few saintly persons. However, it may be that the realization of this equation is closer at hand than it initially appears. Join us and let's see if we can enter into a deeper understanding of how each of these Beatitudes are accessible truths.

Beatitudes: Keys to Fulfillment - Part 3 (Rev. Bill Williams, 2/18/24)

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Matthew 5:9

The Beatitudes reveal the qualities of a heart and mind that are prepared to realize the true nature of Being. In other words, who you truly are, undeluded by false beliefs and error thinking. The qualities listed by Jesus conclude with how the world would react to encountering the expression of these qualities, and also how the realized being would respond to that reaction. This talk will explore ways in which these concluding Beatitudes are relevant to each of us, no matter where we are in the journey from seeking peace to the realization, “I Am the peace I have been seeking.”

Beatitudes: Keys to Fulfillment - Part 4 (Rev. Bill Willliams, 2/25/24)

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32

Our spiritual journey is traversed using the conveyance called "Life". Throughout our life’s journey we each encounter our own particular challenging circumstances, situations and conditions. These challenges call upon us to grow into new ways of seeing and experiencing what truth is for us and how it applies to our direct experience. Or, perhaps, it is what we thought we knew that no longer serves us that can keep us locked up from knowing complete freedom. Jesus made a rather bold claim about all this. He said there is a knowing that opens the way to being free in all circumstances. I would like to take a look at that radical concept. Join us on this exciting adventure.

Three Freedoms in One (Rev. Bill Williams, 3/3/24)

Everything perceived by our senses is defined by the limits of the objects being perceived. These limits may be in the form of the object, the color it reflects, or the name we identify it by. We use limits and boundaries to function in the world, take care of business, and establish a common-sense life. It seems to be natural to divide everything and everyone into groups; often competing groups. What’s mine is mine and what’s yours could be mine if I win. But we are not meant to define ourselves and others as limited, bounded, or at odds with each other. To say we are not limited seems to be in conflict with the way life appears all around us. Jesus, and all "World Teachers" for that matter, in one way or another, teach and demonstrate how to recognize the harmony in the multiplicity and the oneness of the many. Isn’t this what Unity is all about? There can be obvious objections to the possibility of living an unbounded life. This Sunday let's see if we can discover ways to overcome these objections.

How to Divinize Your Life (Rev. Bill Williams, 3/10/24)

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

Right at this moment, you feel a certain way. Most of the time we do not pay attention to the present feeling of our sense of self because we are busy doing things and thinking about the things we are doing, have done, or think we need to do. There is always a current feeling that I can call “my felt sense of self.” Many or most of us avoid directly being with “my current felt sense of self” without attaching a story or a narrative to it. We are habitually accustomed to thinking, rather than turning inward to feel “my current sense of self” directly. Without my thoughts trying to tell me how I feel, how do I actually feel? My thoughts tend to tell me about incompleteness because they arise from our senses whose function is to perceive an impermanent world. With our senses there is always something more, something missing, something lost, or something to be gained. This sense of incompleteness is the basis of all our suffering. To feel "self" directly in the moment, without intervening thought, is to realize the "Wholeness I Am". Jesus taught, and Unity follows up on, the Truth of who we are as whole and complete beyond the limitations of sensory dependent thought. Join us Sunday as we take another step in realizing our wholeness.

Be Thou Made Whole (Rev. Bill Williams, 3/17/24)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2a (NIV)

As Jesus entered into Jerusalem at the beginning of that fateful last week, the city was abuzz. All kinds of activity of commerce fed from the sea of energy generated by the influx of people drawn to the religious festivities from far flung places. Jesus was not surprised because he knew how the world works. He was accomplished in the art of recognizing the patterns of the world. He was not taken by surprise when his words and actions did not conform with the patterns of religious and commercial thinking, and that people were taken aback by him. He created quite a stir. He could easily see the patterns of action and reaction that people conformed to when those patterns were interrupted and not reinforced. Are the patterns of the world today different than they were two millennia ago? How is my sense of well-being constrained and defined by externally conditioned patterns of thinking and action? What would renewal of the mind be like? Join us on Sunday as we seek to uncover some of the limiting patterns we have become accustomed to being defined by.

Breaking Patterns, Renewing MInds (Rev. Bill Williams, 3/24/24)

Easter and Passover are intertwined. Passover commemorates deliverance from the bondage of a people’s enslavement by another group of people. Easter celebrates deliverance from the bondage of an individual’s self-identification as being limited by one’s own physical body. Historically the Easter story unfolds during Passover. The Last Supper was the Seder, the Passover meal. Just as the Hebrew people’s enslavement was the necessary prequel to the story of deliverance, the crucifixion was an essential setup to show that it is the body that dies, not the Self.  Jesus said that he did not come to destroy the Law of Moses, but to fulfill it. In the light of this understanding, the Resurrection narrative powerfully depicts the Self-realized being emerging from the tomb built of false beliefs about who or what one truly is.

Your Immortal Self (Rev. Bill Williams, 3/31/24)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33

The troubles and problems most people seem to have can be listed in two columns. The first column we call "Not Enough". The second column we call "Too Much". We scramble to get the things we want that seem to be missing. We try to avoid or get rid of what we do not want that we seem to be stuck with. This describes much of human misery and sorrow. The solution to suffering and sorrow can appear to lie in the proper arrangement of the conditions of life in the world all around us. As we acquire life skills and learn to navigate through life more and more efficiently and effectively, we can experience increasing harmony and a greater sense of well-being. We can become problem solvers. That’s great! But, for the spiritual seeker, something even greater remains to be realized. Solving problems keeps life in the world going. But, can problems not just be solved, but dissolved? Join us Sunday and let's find out.

How to Dissolve Your Problems (Rev. Bill Williams, 4/7/24)

This Sunday’s talk will explore the story of Joseph and his dreams. Dain Schult, our guest speaker, will take us on a journey with Joseph and his family. We will learn how this journey all started with dreams. The dreams led Joseph through all the challenges that took him to become the second in command behind the Egyptian Pharaoh.  Most importantly, we will see how dreams are part of God’s communication with each and every one of us.

Dain Schult is our guest speaker this Sunday. Dain is a decades long Unity student, but a relatively recent addition to the Unity of Tallahassee family. He and his wife, Amanda, journey in from Monticello each Sunday to be part of our service. Dain is an entrepreneur and has varied interests. Go to his website to learn more about Dain and his work: dainschult.com.

Behold, The Dreamer Cometh (Dain Schult, 4/11/24)

“... I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24

We can easily become caught by the ebbs and flows of the ocean of life which is in constant flux all around us. When we feel subject to the actions of other people and the circumstances and events of the world, it can seem like the solution is to try to change those things. Through mastery of various life skills one can learn to work with the objects of life in positive and productive ways. This can certainly enhance the quality of one’s life. However, at some point in our journey of Self discovery we come to the realization that the real issue we have has never been about how to change the objects we are experiencing. The change of primary importance is a change of the subject; ones own sense of self. The objects of life are endlessly multiple and always changing. The subject is always me, invariably. The beliefs I nurture in my mind determine the nature of the relationship I have with life. The objects of the world around me, and myself as the subject experiencing life, are connected by my beliefs. Let us take an in depth look at this connection and see how life changes as I change. We will use a fun story to illustrate how this works.

How to Untie Your Donkey (Rev. Bill Williams, 4/21/24)

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27 (NKJV)

What if you were told that every feeling you have had, or can have, is nothing more or less than a modification of Peace Itself? If you really knew that Peace is the fundamental nature of every feeling, it is possible that you would experience every feeling differently. This is not to say that the same feelings you are accustomed to will cease to arise, at least for some time. This is saying, however, that the experience of having those feelings can radically change right now. Jesus pointed directly to the idea of Peace beyond our ordinary understanding of peace, but we have to realize it for ourselves. Join us as we explore the idea of Peace as the substance of all feelings.

Peace Beyond the Ordinary (Rev. Bill Williams, 4/28/24)

I and the Father are one. John 10:30 (NIV)

When Jesus declared the nature of his relationship with Source, the reality of all that is which he referred to as, “Father”, he revealed the principle informing his every thought, word, and action. We can call that the "Oneness Principle". Was Jesus referring to a "one-off", unique relationship exclusive to him, or, was he stating an eternal universal principle that is all inclusive? The word, "principle", is defined as “a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.” How would our life experience change or evolve if our belief and behavior followed a chain of reasoning grounded in the “Oneness Principle”? Join us as we endeavor to see the value and possibilities in following this chain of reasoning.

The Oneness Principle (Rev. Bill Williams, 5/5/24)

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8

The singular Source for any true spiritual practice is known by many names in the various religious traditions. 1 John 4:16 points to the common ground that unites even the most diverse appearing streams of dogma and doctrine: “…God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” This verse reveals a deep "secret" in very simple words. It tells us quite plainly that there is no separation between the ultimate transcendent Reality and you and me. It says that the non-separate nature of the Divine is realized through the practice of love. Let’s dig a little deeper into realization and the practice.

The Oneness Principle Applied (Rev. Bill Williams, 5/12/24)

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14

Who was Jesus referring to when he said, “You are the light of the world”? Was he singling out certain people, perhaps, his disciples? Or, was he pointing out those we would call the "bright lights" of the world: saints, people with special talents and gifts, or celebrities? Surely, he wasn’t talking about you and me, just ordinary folks, was he? As I see it, he was not singling out anyone. He was encouraging all of us to embrace the divine nature of who we truly are, while intentionally allowing that reality to illuminate our humanity. We will explore this realization a little more. Come be with us as we continue to grow in wisdom and truth.

Doing Human, Being Divine (Rev. Bill Williams, 5/19/24)

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” Matthew 5:21-22

Jesus’ teachings, to a large extent, are about healing our error thinking giving rise to our sense of being a separate self; separate from God, separate from our neighbor, and separate from our own divinity. Thinking, feeling, and acting as if this sense of separation is our reality has a direct and immediate impact on our feeling of well-being, peace of mind, and happiness. Something false has been created in our minds. That falsity can simply be called “Other”. Join us as we will delve into how we can recognize and begin to correct this fundamental error that deeply affects our lives.

Love Dissolves the Other (Rev. Bill Williams, 5/26/24)

“…(W)hoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.” Luke 8:18

Once upon a time there was a young girl who grew up hearing stories about an eccentric relative. Everyone was pretty sure this relative of hers was very wealthy, at least according to the rumors. No one had actually seen him or knew exactly where he lived.  So, with no obvious way to get in touch with him, people came up with different strategies to impress him in an attempt to get his attention. Remember, he was very wealthy and, who knows, they might be related to him as well. If so, he might spread a some of those great riches over their way if he was impressed by their efforts. But, the one young girl was very bright and intuitive. She remembered that everyone thought that she was part of the rich man’s family. After many years of searching, she came upon some clues leading her to the discovery of a bank account in her name. The only catch was, she had to prove she was the one whose name was on the account. We will finish the story this Sunday…and you are in it! Don’t miss the big ending.

Your Rich Uncle (Rev. Bill Williams, 6/2/24)

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. John 1:16

Last Sunday’s lesson emphasized the value of living from the realization of what we intrinsically are – Divine, or as the Apostle Paul wrote, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27). On this spiritual journey I call "my life", fulfillment is experienced when I connect with what is, rather than what is not. Unhappiness and sorrow inevitably follows when I am attached to my sense of being a separate self and to that which does not and cannot last. When Jesus said, “To him that has more is given; to him that has not, even what he seems to have is taken away”, he was simply saying we must realize Fullness and release attachment to the appearance of things. In our lesson this Sunday we will journey even deeper into the ever-present reality that underlies all appearances and experiences. As we begin to awaken to this omnipresence, what once seemed to be lacking, unfulfilling, and incomplete is changed in "the twinkling of an eye" to the realization of Fullness. Come join us as we journey together in this adventure.

From Fullness to Fullness (Rev. Bill Williams, 6/9/24)

This Sunday we acknowledge and honor our human fathers on Father's Day. This time of remembering our earthly fathers also affords us the opportunity to be receptive to a broader, more inclusive understanding of Father. Jesus demonstrated an intimacy with the unfathomable. This is a paradox. It can be helpful to resolve this paradox by including the concept of God, not only as Father, but also as Mother. We use this physical journey through "Mother Nature" or "Mother Earth" to realize who we are as one with the Absolute, the Father. This idea. that we realize the Father while enfolded in the energy and expression of the Mother, is a viewpoint we will explore this Father’s Day. Don’t miss this one.

God: The Essence and the Expression (Rev. Bill Williams, 6/16/24)

Is there any practical and useful value for my daily life in deepening knowledge and awareness of the transcendent? By "the transcendent", I mean that which is directly realizable, yet cannot be known through sense perception. For example, you may have experienced a moment in which there was an overwhelming sense of peace while chaos or disturbance was all around you. You would probably acknowledge that it is of immense value to know peace when there apparently is no peace. This Sunday we will explore the Way of adding transcendent value in our lives. What could be more worthwhile than this?

The Limitless Being You Are (Rev. Bill Williams, 6/23/24)

Rev. Bill Williams is Senior Minister at Unity of Tallahassee in Tallahassee, Florida