Unity Church is a metaphysical religion started in the Midwest over one hundred years ago by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. Unity of the Westside is a small metaphysical congregation located in Culver City. Currently you can find me at Unity three to four times per week. Unity helps to heal my lonely heart.
OWNER OF A LONELY HEART: I have my own spiritual path that exists separate and apart from Unity. I discern a few spiritual things at Unity. However most importantly a lot of my learning comes from being around other people, and all that that entails. When the pandemic ended I was lonely and so first I went to the Sunday 10:00 NA meeting at the Westside Hope Center. Then I started attending service at Unity of the Westside. If I found someplace that served my heart better on Sunday morning I would not hesitate to go there.
A Course in Miracles at Unity
On Wednesdays at 7:00 pm you can find me at the A Course in Miracles class led by Terri and Albert Miles. I am actually more into ACIM than the Unity religion. A Course in Miracles is a mystical guide in mind training. Although I have enough Zoom meetings in my life, if I ever decided to stop going to Unity I would Zoom into the ACIM meeting on Sundays at 5:00 pm.
Friday Meditation at Unity of the Westside
For the past four Fridays I have been attending the 11:00 am meditation but that will probably fluctuate. There are only four or five people at this Unity meditation. On Fridays I go to lunch at the Senior Center and then a 12:30 pm NA meeting and sometimes work with my NA sponsor afterwards. So my Fridays are well filled. I did not attend last Friday’s meditation because I was busy. And I am not really that busy these days. There is also a Friday 2:00 pm meditation at the Culver City Senior Center that interests me. At this writing there are two weeks remaining of Karol Scotta’s metaphysical Bible Study on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm. I am a new member at Unity and I want to be careful that I do not burn out on this soul resource. One of my favorite things about Unity is that it is located a quick one mile drive from my home. I could walk to Unity if I so desired and I may do that someday soon.
Metaphysics vs. Mysticism
Metaphysical Christianity rejuvenated my interest in church service after I lost interest in the orthodox religion of Catholicism when I became a teenager and discovered Zen. My Zen background opened me up to Religious Science in 1992 when I started watching Rev. David Walker’s cable access program with my former wife. However my practice today is more in the direction of mystical Christianity and Zen rather than the theology of Unity. I don’t believe in ordained ministers and I am not really into singing at church. I just like being around people on Sundays. There are many Zen services in my neighborhood worth investigating and I should probably do that soon.
Joel S. Goldsmith, Teacher of Christ Consciousness Meditation
The Unity religion meshes perfectly with my ultimate teacher, the mystic from Brooklyn known as Joel S. Goldsmith, who passed in 1961. I was on the path to becoming an Agape licensed metaphysical practitioner until I discovered Goldsmith at Agape International Spiritual Center in 2008. Goldsmith does not believe in ordaining or churches per se, and he has been the biggest spiritual influence in my life so far. I can go for long periods of time with only Goldsmith books and YouTube audio recordings. I even have a paid YouTube premium account so I can listen go Goldsmith without advertising interruptions. Then my isolation suddenly makes me feel the need to be around people and so I jump up and join a congregation.
Going to Unity serves my soul but it also serves my social instinct. My first exposure to Unity of the Westside was in 2010 when my close personal friend and Masonic Brother John Drewery began a meditation meeting there. Bro. Drewery’s format was based upon Joel S. Goldsmith’s mediation format. However Bro. Drewery’s meeting never got off the ground due to lack of financial support. The mysticism of Goldsmith requires too much work for most people. Services at Unity are likewise sparsely attended. Unity of the Westside is one of the few Unity churches still standing in all of California.
Rev. Karol Scotta
Rev. Karol Scotta and many of the Culver City congregants live in the South Bay. This is because Unity of the South Bay closed due to lack of financial support and so they all migrated north to Culver City. Unity of Santa Monica also closed because of financial insolvency. I thank God that the one Unity church left in the City of the Angels is located one mile from my home. If Unity of the Westside ever closed down I would just drive the 4.3 miles to the Religious Science church known as Agape International Spiritual Center up on Wilshire Boulevard.
I could not remember what Karol Scotta’s talk was about until I reviewed this sign while writing this blog. ‘Soul Masters’ is not a term that I have ever encountered before. The Christ Candle at Unity is also a new concept to me which reminds me of the Catholic Church. Theology holds very little interest for me. I prefer the immediate demonstration of Christ consciousness.
