by John Daubney
Service to others can be a wonderful way of discovering more of the unique, God-given gifts we each possess, along with uncovering the passion we each have for certain types of activities. John is someone who has certainly accomplished that. His deep desire for wanting to make a difference in people’s lives has created a healthy passion for leadership and service in areas where he feels a calling. John’s love for travel, helping those in need, spiritual growth, and for Unity in Albany has blessed us all for many years.
I came to Unity in the Spring of 1996, right around Easter time and soon after the church moved into the new building on King St. Arthur Wells was the minister and I knew many of the people who were attending at that time, and met a lot of the long-time members like Audrey and Sam ,Madison, Deb Burger, Dennis Ryan, the Barkleys and the Birds, all of whom were very welcoming and affirming.
I was attracted by two things at first, besides the people and Arthur’s message, the meditation during the service and the lack of dogma. I had been trying meditation and found it easier and more powerful in a group of people, rather than home alone. And also, I was attracted strongly by the lack of any dogma whatsoever in the message or the Unity literature I came upon, like the Daily Word and Unity Magazine. Nobody was saying, “This is what we believe and you have to believe it too.” They were saying, “Here’s some things we’ve discovered that work in a practical way. Try them and see if they work for you too. And we will be learning more things as we develop and progress….”
My first service commitment was working in the bookstore. I always liked libraries and bookstores and had worked in one in high school. Ron DePersis was chair of the bookstore committee and he and his family were very nice. I enjoyed helping organize the bookstore and then staffing it on Sundays.
Later, Donna Reed offered the 4T Prosperity Program and I knew I wanted to get more prosperity (to me that meant money at the time) in my life, so I took it twice with her. I got a lot out of it and began manifesting much more prosperity in my life (money as well as other things, like health). More people wanted to take the program so I volunteered to facilitate the course. I ended up doing it five or six times altogether.
Service makes me feel a part of the larger whole. It gives me a chance to be challenged and grow. It allows me to put spiritual principles into practice, where they go from being theories to actualities in my life. “The Spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.” is one of my favorite quotes from the AA Big Book. I also loved that people kept calling Unity a “Truth Movement” and saying that it is “Practical Christianity.” The church I grew up in was the farthest thing from practical. It gave me (and my mother) no real answers, no solace in times of confusion, fear and trouble. Unity offered ideas that immediately rang a bell deep within me: This stuff works! This stuff makes sense!
I have done a lot more service over my twenty-plus years here at Unity in Albany, including being on the Board. I would tell anyone who is hesitant, to just try something…..anything, and see what happens. Look for what makes you smile, what gives you a boost. Service should never be drudgery or obligation. It is based in love and the offering of that love to another.
“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time. This expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”
~ Martha Graham