Beginning Again
Frank B. Whitney
It matters not what may befall, Beyond all else I hear the call "You can begin again."
My courage rises when I hear God's voice allay the thought of fear And when He whispers gently, near, "You can begin again."
When once quite all the world seemed wrong,
Throughout its din I heard His song, "You can begin again."
An inner joy within me stirred,
I treasured each assuring word,
My heart was lifted when I heard, "You can begin again."
Begin again? Another chance?
Can even I make an advance?
"You can begin again."
Begin at once by taking heart And knowing God —of you He's part! New life to you He will impart!
You can begin again.
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A Guide to Home Study
This booklet contains a brief introduction to the Unity Movement, and guidelines to help make your home study effective and productive.
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UNITY VILLAGE, MISSOURI 64065
UNITY SCHOOL OF CHRISTIANITY, a religious-educational movement, was founded in 1889 by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore.
Unity is a way of life, a way of thinking that emphasizes man's divine nature and the goal of expressing that nature in every area of life. One of Unity's fundamental working propositions is that the way we think and feel about ourselves, our fellow human beings, our world, and God is a determining factor in the expression of that divine nature.
Unity stresses prayer as the fundamental method for developing constructive thought patterns. Prayer unifies us with God. It is out of our relationship with God that our divine nature comes alive, our thinking becomes constructive, and our life is blessed with good.
The actual impetus for the founding of the Unity movement came from Mrs. Fillmore's remarkable healing of tuberculosis. Myrtle Fillmore was healed because her thinking was changed. She had a deep-seated belief that her illness was inherited. From a lecture on metaphysics, however, she suddenly grasped the idea that she was a child of God and could not inherit sickness. She prayerfully applied her new insight with great success, and her health instantly began to improve.
Myrtle Fillmore's Healing
In describing her experience, Mrs. Fillmore writes: "I have made what seems to me a discovery. I was fearfully sick; I had all the ills of
mind and body that I could bear. Medicine and doctors ceased to give me relief, and I was in despair, when I found practical Christianity. I took it up and I was healed. This is how I made what I call my discovery:
"I was thinking about life. Life is everywhere . . . Ah! intelligence, as well as life, is needed to make a body. Here is the key to my discovery. Life has to be guided by intelligence in making all forms. The same law works in my own body. Life is simply a form of energy, and has to be guided and directed in man's body by his intelligence. How do we communicate intelligence? By thinking and talking, of course. Then it flashed upon me that I might talk to the life in every part of my body and have it do just what I wanted. I began to teach my body and got marvelous results."
It was the central event of Myrtle Fillmore's healing that provided the beginning inspiration for the Unity Movement.
As a boy Charles Fillmore had suffered a hip disease and curvature of the spine. He too grasped and applied divine law and reaped benefits physically, mentally, and materially. Mr. Fillmore began helping his wife in her ministrations, and in 1899 they decided to devote their full time to a ministry of prayer and helping others.
Publications
The publication of the first Unity magazine took place in 1889. Unity now publishes three
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magazines —UNITY Magazine, a monthly magazine of inspirational articles; DAILY WORD, a monthly pocket-size magazine containing a prayer for each day of the month and a short uplifting message; and WEE WISDOM, one of the first children's magazines in the United States. It has been in print for ninety years and is the only children's magazine in continuous publication for that length of time.
Silent Unity
The teaching of the practice of prayer led to the establishment of Silent Unity, the prayer ministry of Unity School. Silent Unity is the heart of the Unity work. Someone is always praying in Silent Unity around the clock. And anyone may request these prayers —for himself or another at any time. Silent Unity knows that God never fails, that God is never farther than a prayer. Silent Unity can be reached by writing: SILENT UNITY Unity Village, Missouri 64065 Or by telephone: 251-2100 (Area Code 816)
Unity Today
Today Unity's work continues through the prayer ministry of Silent Unity, Unity's many educational activities including the Unity School for Religious Studies, Unity Ministerial School, Retreat Programs, the publications, and radio and television broadcasts.
Approximately three hundred independent ministries have been established in the United
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States and in several countries abroad. Most of these ministries are members of the Association of Unity Churches. They are a part of the Unity fellowship and work in close cooperation with Unity School of Christianity.
Faith of the Fillmores
You have read Mrs. Fillmore's account of her healing. Through the same universal laws of mind action the Fillmores also demonstrated prosperity. In the book The Story of Unity, James Dillet Freeman says of the early days of Unity: “Charles and Myrtle Fillmore were a man and woman of faith. In the word faith is summed up the story of their life and works —and the story of Unity. They did their works through faith. They soared beyond their works through faith. They were teachers through faith. They were healers through faith. They were builders through faith. They were overcomers through faith.
“Many, many times in the history of Unity they came to a place where it seemed that they could not go on, yet they went on through faith.
"They taught that God is a help in every need and they prayed in this simple faith. Over and over when they were in need, they went to God to prove that what they taught is true. All that they thought and wrote and did they wrought through faith. Through faith, they turned to God in the beginning. Through faith, they healed their bodies. Through faith, they brought healing to others. Through faith, they
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founded Unity. Through faith, they persevered in their idea when everything seemed to say that they were destined for failure. Through faith, they built a work that rings the world around with faith and prayer.
"They never lost faith.
"Once Unity was in serious financial straits. Bills that had to be paid were piling up, and there did not seem to be money enough to meet the payroll. The Fillmores called their staff together to pray about the matter. One of the staff said, 'Let us pray that the money holds out.'
" 'Oh, no,' whispered Myrtle Fillmore, 'let us pray that our faith holds out.' "
And it did!
So for nearly a hundred years Unity has been helping people —helping people to understand and apply Truth principles in daily living, helping people to realize that they have special capabilities and talents to unfold, helping people to realize that they are blessed, unique individuals, each "one of a kind" with all prospects of success, health, joy, and happiness.
Unity recognizes that religious growth is largely a "do-it-yourself" project. Other persons may point the way. A book, an article, a sermon may point the way, but to know God, you must draw nigh to Him yourself, you must make the effort to become acquainted with Him.
This specially designed "Foundations of Unity" course will help you feel the presence of
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God within you. It will help you, like the Fill-mores, to discover and apply your own power of faith. The material has been written by the Fillmores, and by those who knew and worked with them.
In these books you will find a positive, constructive approach to life and living that has helped thousands of people over the years. Flere is your opportunity to apply the principles that will enable you to live a healthy, prosperous, and happy life.
As you study these lessons, determine to be a self-starter. Each day set aside a little time for yourself, for your spiritual refreshment, for the enrichment and growth of your soul.
Because we know that you will want to have some tangible estimate of your progress and study, we have included a “Spiritual Diary" at the end of each book, along with separate “Test-Yourself Questions." These will enable you to keep a record of your development. After you have completed all of the "Test-Yourself Questions" you may, if you wish, send them to the Education Department. There will be no grading, but the staff will prayerfully consider your achievement in home study and forward to you a certificate of congratulation and completion; if you need prayer support, they will ask Silent Unity to pray with you.
Write:
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT Unity Village, Missouri 64065
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HINTS FOR HOME STUDY
1.	Have a time of prayer at the beginning and end of each study session. Relax your mind, emotions, and body, while staying alert.
2.	You may want to read the books in their entirety to get an overall picture, but then reread slowly to digest the contents.
3.	Set aside a definite period for study at a time of the day when you are least likely to be interrupted.
4.	In order to comprehend the material more readily, ask questions of it. Formulate questions as you read it.
5.	Reflect on the material in order to grasp its meaning in a general sense.
6.	You might imagine yourself in conversation with the author in order to get a personal feeling for what is being said.
7.	Perhaps you will want to draw up a simple written outline for your own use to guide you in your thinking.
8.	Try to connect what you read to some actual experience or event in your life.
9.	Remember this is a course of selfdevelopment. Appropriate what you can; set your own pace; feel free to return to material you do not at first understand.
10.	As you put the principles of these lessons to work in your life, write down the effects in your spiritual diary so that you will have evidence of your progress.
11.	Terms which you find difficult to understand in your reading may be clarified by consulting the Unity book The Revealing Word.
Printed U.S.A.
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