What is Unity

A Welcome Message from our Sr. Minister at Unity of Houston

Unity of Houston offers positive, practical teachings that support spiritual evolution and abundant living. We welcome you to join us for any and all of our services. Stop by the reception line after either Sunday service and allow us to extend a personal welcome to you. The Unity movement is open and welcoming of all individuals regardless of race, color, gender, age, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, physical disability or sexual orientation. We take an extremely positive approach to life, emphasizing our Oneness in God and the goodness in people and all of life.

And if you are unable to attend our services locally, you may listen to our lesson for free at our online media center. If you have any questions or need to contact us you may do so here.  Contact Us.

 

Some of Unity’s Teachings & Principles include:

  1. God is the source and creator of all. There is no other enduring power. God’s nature is goodness, intelligence, and life energy and the spirit of God is present and available everywhere and always. God’s eternal nature is love and goodness, which can be accessed at all times by being in the present moment.
  2. Jesus Christ is our great example, not the great exception. Unity emphasis is on the teachings of Jesus Christ who called us all to be a light in the world which he modeled for us.  Jesus was an enlightened, divine, master teacher of universal, spiritual truths designed to help all people awaken to their inherent spiritual potential to fulfill the true image and likeness that they are at their core. His teachings are meant to move people from a state of separation from God’s oneness and goodness into a state of oneness with God and all life. Jesus was the example of a Son of God in expression and encouraged every person to awaken to this Christ nature in them. As the apostle Paul states, “All who are led by the Spirit of God are Sons of God.” Unity proclaims the divinity of Jesus but goes even further by proclaiming that every person is a child of God and therefore divine in nature. We believe that a person’s mind is his or her connecting link with God or Divine Mind. Therefore, much emphasis is placed on the effective power that every thought, feeling, work or act has in creating one’s life.
  3. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. We are created in the image and likeness of God which is love.
  4. The spirit of God lives within each person; therefore, all people at their core are inherently good.
  5. We create our life experiences through our consciousness or way of thinking, which includes the dominant thoughts, ideas, and beliefs, opinions and perspective we have about life. There is power in affirmative prayer, which we believe increases our connection to God.
  6. Intellectual knowledge of spiritual principles is not enough. We must take them to heart and make them our experience of God.
  7. Every person is a creation of God and capable of being a light in this world. Therefore, at one’s core is a divine nature of goodness that every person is either asleep or attuned to in varying degrees. A deepening conscious relationship with God helps this God-Seed or divine nature to blossom. Life is for learning and growing spiritually.
  8. Unity also seeks to relate religion to daily needs, affirming that for every need there is God’s perfect answer. We also place strong emphasis on prayer and meditation. A primary textbook is The Bible, whose lessons are related to everyday experiences and therefore made more relevant.
  9. Unity views worship as serving God by uplifting and glorifying God’s spirit in man, in positive, joyous ways. We’re not so much concerned about a “future life” as we are in teaching people to live more fully in the present.
  10. Unity honors all spiritual paths and religions and recognizes and draw on Universal teachings and principles found in ancient writings of Eastern origin such as India.
  11. Unity believes in eternal life and views the present moment as a part of that life. We also emphasize the divine potential in every child of God and teach that through a practical understanding and application of what Jesus taught, that every person can realize and express their potential for a richer and fuller life.
  12. Unity practices inclusivity. Everyone is recognized as a true spiritual being, awakening to the truth that sets them free.
  13. Unity’s emphasis is on a path of spiritual awakening that moves humanity toward oneness through love, forgiveness, and acceptance of all people. Unity’s focus is not on sin, but in creating a healthy relationship with God which is free of fear and guilt. Unity does not practice all of the traditional Christian church ceremonies such as water baptism and Holy Communion. It sees baptism as an inner activity of the Holy Spirit and communion as the daily practice of prayer.
  14. Unity recognizes that the Bible is a complex collection of writings compiled over many centuries. It is historical, mystical and metaphysical in its content. An understanding of its symbology, allegories, and parables reveals an inner evolutionary journey toward spiritual awakening.
  15. Although Unity is sometimes confused with other denominations, such as Unitarian or The Unification Church, there is no connection.