Unity of Tampa

You can listen to the interview with Reverend Moss of Unity of Tampa here.

Tampa Unity Church
3302 W. Horatio Street
Tampa, FL 33609-3030
813-870-0731

Contact: Reverend Allen and Debbie Moss

Religion: Christian

Denomination: Unity

Web Page: http://www.unitytampa.org/index.htm

Sometimes, I'm just looking for something different. The hardest part about this project is going to one church after another, and finding - nothing new. The beliefs are practically the same as another faith, and the only difference is perhaps some minutia of doctrine or procedure.

I'm not saying I don't enjoy meeting new people and discussing their beliefs. But like I sometimes say, this project is like bird watching. I'm not looking for The One True Bird - I'm just looking for different birds and how they're different from each other.

As much as I like looking for bluebirds, sometimes I'd like to see - something else.

When I first walked into Unity of Tampa, I'll be honest - I was expecting to see and hear much the same kind of service and doctrine that I've heard several times before now. Started up the same as some modern faiths - a Powerpoint style presentation slides, a modern band with drums, guitars, and piano playing. And just when I was about to write off the church as the "same old, same old" -

Something happened.

It was the prayer that really caught my attention. Most prayers I've seen have been the "fold your arms and close your eyes" kind of affair. Prayers last a minute or two at most, and once it's done you move on.

The prayer format at Unity was more like guided meditation. The lights were drawn down low. The music that played was soft, soothing, restful. People were encouraged to breath, to focus on their breathing. As people relaxed and were led into meditation, the minister Reverend Moss encouraged people to focus on feeling the presence of God within them. He would occasionally use Christian themes, such as "Peace, be still" to encourage a calm and collected frame of mind.

The prayer must have lasted for 5 or 10 minutes - I didn't really clock it. But I was fascinated. This was an incredibly beautiful thing I had never seen used before in a Christian church. I'll be honest - I may not have a personal believe in a Divine Being, but if one existed, I'd think that this would be the method they'd really want people to use to communicate with them.

The sermon was much like one that you might encounter in another faith, using references from the story of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers (see also: Donny Osmond and the Technicolor Dreamcoat). But something I didn't notice until later on in my interview, the lesson focused on only the positive aspects of the story.

Speaking later with Reverend Moss, this was a deliberate act. Unity, as I learned, focuses on the positive aspects of life, with the believe that life is about using one's talents for good acts and living, rather than being bogged down in the negative aspects.

I had an incredibly moving experience at Unity and discussing religion with Reverend Moss, and I certainly would not be opposed to coming again some time.