A Holy Temple

Recently, I had a conversation with a young man who is new to Unity. He asked me to tell him some of the history of the movement. I was thrilled that he asked, and I was happy to honor his request. I shared with him that Unity is one of several spiritual movements, including Christian Science, Religious Science, and Divine Science, that evolved out of the “mind cure” movement of the late nineteenth century. I also shared with him Myrtle Fillmore’s story of healing from tuberculosis, which was truly the catalyst for the initial founding and growth of the Unity movement. It was her experience of healing that inspired others, including Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore, to learn more about the power of the mind to affect healing in the body.

During our conversation I was reminded of a question I received during a new member’s class a while back. After showing a short film about the history of Unity, a participant questioned why, given that Unity was founded on the belief in the power of the mind to heal the body, we don’t talk more about that in our Sunday services or in our classes. That’s a good question!

Additionally, as I think back over the past few months, the topic of ‘the body’ has come up several times. I am listening! I am inspired to present lessons on ‘the body,’ beginning this Sunday, June 3, with a talk entitled “A Holy Temple.”

I gained some insight and inspiration from the following excerpts from Myrtle Fillmore’s Healing Letters in the section titled “Understanding the Body.”

Paul says, "Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God . . . glorify God in your body" (I Cor. 6:19-20). Unity says, "God in the midst of you is mighty to quicken, to cleanse, to heal, to restore to wholeness, to prosper.

There is a divine law of mind action that we may conform to, and that will always bring satisfactory results. There is also a physical side to the operation of this divine law. The body and its needs must have our consideration. We must not drive the body or neglect its normal needs. This body is the result of our use of God-given faculties and powers. We have needed such a temple, and the soul has built it.

The body responds to changes of mind; and when this is accompanied by truly wise living habits, the conformity to true ideas of life and power and love and substance and intelligence will renew it and make it every whit whole. We must see the life of God in our flesh.

This is profound and contains a wealth of spiritual knowledge and wisdom. It cannot be covered in one or even in a few messages. So, over the next couple of weeks, we will explore what the body is, how it responds to our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and living habits and how we can make choices and take actions that support the body’s well-being.

Join us this Sunday, June 3, at 10:00 for our service as we begin this exploration. Also, plan to be with us on June 10. Following our service, several of our members and supporters will be on-hand to share information about products and services they offer that support physical well-being.