Unity of Bozeman

Unity of Bozeman Non-denominational spiritual education movement, based on the teachings of Jesus. Founded by Mary Wessel, Unity of Bozeman, lead by the Reverend Philip A.

Zemke, is a chartered member in good standing of Unity Worldwide Ministries. We gather in community to manifest peace, joy, abundance and compassion, for ourselves and for the world. Through prayer, education, celebration, and service, we experience the transformational power of Love, the inner Christ-spirit.

06/05/2026

ALWAYS PRESENT DIVINE (V.2-i.246) The Unity Message
~ HOLY PRESENCE AND POWER: Bless us today with a fullness of appreciation that sees and knows the Divine Presence and Power in all of life. Let us be swimming in assurance that we are Divinely loved in every moment. AMEN

Our words for today are: DIVINE ORDER. Our affirmation of assurance is: My life is in Divine Order as I become centered in the Holy Presence, within and all round me.

Let us begin each day by affirming divine order. There is unlimited power in these two words. By aligning our thoughts with the order of the universe, we step into the energy and flow of the always abundant goodness of the Creator. Quiet times of prayer help us order our thoughts and focus on the good. Rather than trying to create a specific outcome, we hold to the truth that the highest good is unfolding, and that we can trust divine order and timing. We do not wait passively however, for we follow guidance and thus create a space for the best outcome. Our thoughts are held in harmony with divine order. No matter what lies before us, we are patient, serene, and trusting because our thoughts and lives are in Order.

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love the Creator, who are called according to Divine purpose.” – Romans 8:28

When we look at the spiritual culture of evolving humankind, we see the myriad images, names, and attributes we cull from experience. Our imagination then gives the artistic touch to the story of our ongoing life journey, becoming how we experience the Divine in particular and collective forms.

Let us love the diversity of human imagination about Divine attributes and images. Loving the diversity gives spice to our lives, expanding and inviting us to think about the Divine in new, or even ancient ways of human potential for making the divine intimate to our lives.

Behind all the images and names, lives some primal, inclusive awareness that is apparent and self-evident, regardless of culture or religion; Divine Order as presence and life power is most prevalent to human experience.

Because life is ever-transforming and changing at the appearance level of perception, there are a lot of differing stories about the cause and effect of change, and whether it is pleasing or displeasing to us. Nonetheless, we are assured that Creation is imbued and permeated with the Creator’s purpose for it. The power of all life, and the presence of meaning is just there, as the supreme reality.

“Wait,” you may say, “There are some who speak of life as accidental and meaningless.” Certainly, there are such folks. Yet to even entertain meaning and purpose, and debate whether it is present or not, reveals the possibility that there is meaning and purpose, divine order and grace, to life. We debate the question because the question is a reality.

Let there be a possibility of Divine Order awakening in each of us. Let that possibility invite awe and wonder into the experiences that call us to question. Let us be accompanied by the presence and power of sacred life, in the way that works best for each one of us. AMEN

Love and Blessings

Grandfather Philip

06/03/2026

ASSURING GRACE (V.2-i.245) The Unity message
HOLY GRACE ASSURED: Bless us today with an acceptance of Divine Grace, as it unfolds our lives with gifts and opportunities unexpected. Let us be grateful for Divine Surprises. AMEN

Our word of assurance today is: GRACE. Our affirmation of appreciation is: GRACE FLOWS THROUGH ME, BLESSING EVERYONE IN MY PATH.

Grace is a divine gift – gentle, unexpected, and ever-present. Like a butterfly landing softly, or a breeze brushing our face, grace touches our lives in ways both subtle and profound. When we open our hearts to Divine goodness, we find grace in a baby’s face, in the beauty of nature, soul-stirring music, or a tender hug from a loved one. Grace lifts us, and restores our faith when we feel weary or uncertain. We walk in gratitude and trust, expecting our greatest good to unfold. Grace expands our hearts with understanding and compassion, guiding us to extend kindness and forgiveness. In prayer and stillness, we feel it gently surrounding us, reminding us that we are never alone, because grace is always with us; a constant blessing.

“You then, my child, be strong in grace that is in Christo Sophia.” (paraphrase) 2 Timothy 2:1

Understanding that Life is the gift of grace given freely, we only have to say ‘Thank You’ to feel the humble and grateful means to live deeply into our experience of the journey.

In the era of compilation of the original Authorized Bible in the third century, the choice had already been made to use the Patriarchal model as the norm, although there were many optional choices. Thus, it would make only a Male Deity the acceptable interpretation regarding the Grace of Life.

In the previous two centuries, and to this day, the unchosen options yet have their justified interpretation as well. Those esoteric, inner-knowing ways of experiencing and expressing the Grace of Life, offer the Christ Consciousness for the meaning of creation, and the actual living of that meaning, as a brother/sister equation, or a sacred unity of Christ wisdom/love, and Sophia love/wisdom. A unity of Spirit and Soul, thinking and feeling. The two as one, the All As One, the giver, the gift, and the receiver of the gift, are unity indivisible. The Christos-Sophia is unity as reality experienced, held as the highest expression of spiritual illumination from which to live and receive willingly from the unlimited well of the Living Waters of grace freely given.

When I read a Scripture, or attend a religious service, I translate any patriarchically exclusive images onto the more inclusive and nurturing presence of the unity of the All as One. Hellenistic Judaism images this as Christos-Sophia. The Hindu images it as Shakti-Shiva. The more ancient Hebrews image it as Yahweh-Shekinah. And the more ancient Egyptian imaged it is Toth-Maat (wisdom as harmony) which become the familiar; Isis-Osiris. The point to be found, is that the Grace of Life is given to us through the union of giving and receiving, the Yin and Yang, the masculine and feminine principles, ever-present in the presence as the absolute being of unity in harmonious cooperation.

Let us be grateful for the diversity of images that humankind has used through the ages to give form and attribute and qualities to the ultimate mystery of the All as One. Let us enjoy the fertile imagination of the Divine that lives and plays and works gracefully in and through us each moment.

Love and Life be yours dear ones.

Grandfather Philip

06/01/2026

STEADY AS SHE GOES (v.2-I.244) The Unity Message
~ HOLY WISDOM’S STEADINESS: Bless us today as we meet each moment, with a steady faith that the Divine is always affirming our greatest good. Let us remain trusting that the Divine is our steady truth. AMEN

Our word of inspiration today is: RESILIENCE. Our affirmation of strength is: LIVING MY FAITH, I PERSEVERE AND BUILD RESILIENCE.

Anyone who has run a long-distance race knows the importance of steady pacing. The focus is not on the medal at the end, but on each breath, each stride, each moment. Resilience grows in just this way – in faithful, steady steps. The apostle Paul embodied that truth. Even in hardship and imprisonment, he continued to write letters of encouragement to the early churches. For Paul, resilience was not about outward triumph, but about choosing again and again to keep faith, to persevere, and to trust the Divine. Today, let us celebrate not only our triumphs but also the simple steps of perseverance. With every breath and every forward stride, we are renewed and guided onward.

“I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” – 2 Timothy 4:7

Recently I have been watching a TV show about the building of the first Transcontinental railroad, spanning America from East to West. The railroad was built primarily by Chinese folks from the Western direction, and Irish folks from the Eastern direction. They met and completed the unity of the railroad in Utah; commemorated by the driving of the Golden Spike.

Each day the workers would go out to virgin ground and smooth and level the earth. Then they laid down wooden ties upon which the railroad tracks were placed in an extending path. Then spikes were driven through the track pieces to secure everything as steady and ready. The tracks were made ready for the Trains to inch forward during the construction phase, and to eventually travel without hesitation from coast to coast.

The building up of the railroad encountered many challenges. Rivers had to be bridged and mountains had to be tunneled through. The workers persevered through blazing hot summers and bitterly cold winters. Nonetheless, each mile of track successful laid, built a resilience in the workers faith, and confidence that the task would be completed, even though it would take many days, many months, many years.

Our faith and trust in Divine Order and Transformation, requires that we have resilience and stamina to meet each day, and any challenges, with a built-upon sense of confidence in the Divine. Each day’s accomplishments build up spiritual muscle in us, essential for laying down the track which will ultimately carry all the freight of our lives from coast to coast, from beginning to end.

Let us be practiced in our Divine connection, Let all of our faculties and powers, gifted from and as the Divine, be the "gandy dancer" crews who, in a rhythm of song and spike driving hammers, lay down the track that gets us to the moment of the Golden Spike of our fulfillment.

May we be encouraged to be resiliently perseverant; “Steady as she goes.” AMEN

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05/31/2026

Love Dissolves All Shadows

05/29/2026

In the Care of the Divine (V.2-i.2243) The Unity Message
~ HOLY CHRISTOS-SOPHIA: Bless us today in receiving the Divine care of our well-being. Let us realize that the Divine is always for us, and always present for our greatest good. AMEN

Our words of faith today are: LET GO, LET GOD. Our affirmation of assurance is: I LET GO AND LET GOD, KNOWING WHEN TO ACT AND WHEN TO REST.

It is natural to want to work to make things happen, to apply our energy and enthusiasm to bring our goals to fruition. It is also important to remember that we cannot control the pace of progress or the activities of others. This knowledge helps us to be patient in the face of occasional delays or disappointments. Far from being helpless in those situations, we can empower ourselves by releasing our preferred timing and outcomes to the Divine. Letting go and letting God gives us relief from our strivings and reminds us that the presence and power of the Divine is always at work in and through all circumstances. We surrender our concerns to the Divine and relax. We trust the right outcome is on its way, and it may be even better than what we had imagined.

“The Lord will strive for you, and you have only to keep still.” – Exodus 14:14

If the clouds cast a shadow over the Sun, the Sun is still there. Even as we stand facing the Sun, with a shadow (experienced as doubts and brought forth from the past) behind us, the sun is still there. When the light of the Sun is realized as the Divine Light; then its true nature is given presence and power. We are the Divine Light in presence and power as well. When we are in the image and likeness of the Divine Light, there is no boundary of material substance impeding that glow. All becomes transcendent and transparent. The Divine Light passes unobstructed through and as us, and all the shadows dissolve.

When the Divine Light is radiated to any situation, the shadow we might have at first seen there is dissolved, for the light is the real, and the shadow is without substance. Therefore, it disappears. When we surrender to the Divine, and give ourselves transparently to the care of the Love and Light, our shadows and our proposed idea of the shadows of others begin to fade away.

Divine Love and Light is the presence and power that is ours to be. While we do our best to relieve the suffering of those who are in the shadow of a situation, it is not ours to determine the exact details of that relief. We first turn to the Divine to care for our concerns and illuminate the path for any situation of suffering. We rest, assured that clear guidance will come on how to be the Light and Love that dissolves any particular shadow of suffering. The Divine listens and responds.

In our prayer life, we can ask for a specific relief of a specific dis-harmony. We also can radiate Light and Love resolutely, and be assured and trusting that the Divine will apply relief in its infinite wisdom and care, for and as it is needed. If I am praying for a specific person, the first treatment may be best. When we pray for world peace, or elimination of hunger, the second treatment may be most efficient. In both instances all is best served when we let go and let the Divine work out the details in Divine Order.

May you all, my dear ones, be alive and alert to the care of the Divine that loves us all unconditionally. AMEN

Love and Blessings

Grandfather Philip

05/27/2026

THE POWER THAT PROTECTS (V.2-i.242) The Unity Message
~ HOLY MARY SOPHIA: Bless us today with the sustained faith which lets us turn to our world with confidence in the guidance of the Divine Soul that will always protect us. AMEN

Our word for today is: PROTECTED. Our affirmation is: SECURE IN MY FAITH, I FEEL PROTECTED BY THE STRENGTH OF THE DIVINE.

To know that we have Divine protection gives us a lasting feeling of security and confidence. Even if daunting moments or threatening situations arise, we can claim Divine protection and remain steady and calm. We can affirm that we walk in safety divinely protected, and move forward assured that Divine presence goes with us. We pray for others as well, affirming for them that Divine Presence and Power shelters them always. As we do this, we rest in the awareness that worldly conditions are temporary, but Divine peace and strength are eternal protections for all of creation.

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my Divine, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” – Psalm 18:2

In the time of the pastoral Hebrews, the flocks were tended away from the camps. At times of daily prayer, Rams horn trumpets were blown. Those tending the flocks would hear the trumpet’s sound and turn to a communion with the presence and power of the Divine to protect them, one and all.

In the camps themselves, there were tents set up as sanctuaries ~ The Holy of Holies. We know that at one time, one sanctuary contained the Ark of the Covenant, cared for by the tribe of the Levite priests. The other camps of the other tribes would have had a diminutive duplicate of that sanctuary with something within symbolizing the Ark of the Covenant that resided with the Levites.

The main sanctuary and its offshoots were all recognized as the residence of Yahweh Elohim the Creator, and as the Presence and Power of the Divine Creatrix Shekinah. Shekinah was the mystery made manifest, and her presence and power in the sanctuary radiated as protection to all the tribes of Israel.

In centuries past, the Presence and Power of the Shekinah-Shakti (Hindu revelation) has appeared as an apparition time and time again. Her voice has assured many that she is the means of comfort and protection, and the way to communicate with the great Creator mystery.

When we feel the need for protection and / or healing, asking the Divine Mother for assistance has through the ages been the most efficient way to feel heard, and to feel safe, and to feel whole.

Let us be so blessed by her Presence and Power as we journey through our lives. Let us be ever grateful for that Love. AMEN

Love and Blessings

Grandfather Philip

05/25/2026

FOR THE GREATEST GOOD (V.2-i.241) The Unity Message
~ HOLY CHRISTOS-SOPHIA: Bless us today with the willingness and wisdom to make the choices that proclaim the greatest good for all. Let us let go, sacrificing the lesser for the love of the greater. AMEN

Our word of appreciation today is: MEMORIAL. Our affirmation of generosity is: WITH GRATITUDE, I HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED AND SACRIFICED.

Today, we remember the ultimate sacrifice of those who gave their lives in service. We take time to reverently appreciate their dedication and commitment, that we may that our profound freedoms. Our remembrance and appreciation extend as well, to those dear to us, recent and distant, who have completed their earthly journey. Through our memories, those special ones are yet alive through us. A glimmer of connection always remains. Knowing that their souls live on, fills our hearts with comfort. We endeavor to live in a way that honors all who have gone before us, their unique qualities, their choices made, and the inspiration given to us for following their example of right living.

“For in the one Spirit, we are all baptized into one body – Jews and Greeks, slaves or free ~ We are all created to drink from one Spirit.” – 1 Corinthians 12:13

Let us honor in gratitude all those who gave the sacrifice of their lives in service throughout our nation’s history. Let us not stop there in offering gratitude to just those few. Let us appreciate that every human being through time has made choices that sacrificed a possible path so that another outcome could be given a chance to live.

All of our ancestors made sacrifices in their choices to do one thing rather than another. My spiritual grandfather Black Elk, the Lakota Holy Man, chose to be a healer rather than a warrior or political headman of status. Even though his father and grandfather were healers, Black Elk still had to make the choices to follow that path rather than another. Although a traditional pipe-keeper, he set aside and sacrificed that way of being, when he made a choice to become a Catholic spiritual teacher, as his tribe/nation/ people had been subjugated and confined to a reservation. His role as a Catholic Teacher gave him a freedom of movement that the pipe-keeper did not have. He now had more ability as a comforter and healer of that new wound for his people. This then resulted in his choosing to use the symbols of the new religion imposed on his people, to build bridges to their old traditional ways. He sacrificed his well-earned status as a specifically traditional pipe-keeper and healer, and was subjected to ridicule as a result. He sacrificed his personal reputation to do what was best for his people in the moment of their tribulation.

Black Elk taught the common ground between two different spiritual symbol systems. He taught his people how to navigate between two worlds. He actually carried a strip of canvas with the Christian symbols on one side, and the Lakota symbols on the other. Symbols arranged to show commonality between the two ways of describing the Spiritual World, as a sacred unity.

After completing his sacrificing time as a bridge-building teacher, Black Elk again picked up the pipe-way, as his preferred way of praying. He sacrificed his new status with Christian people to hold true to his deepest spiritual life. Black Elk was always a devoted healer, regardless of the circumstances. He sacrificed throughout his life so that all those he served might be healed.

Let us sacrifice where necessary, that we too might heal the world wherever the need appears. AMEN

Love and Blessings

Grandfather Philip

05/25/2026
05/24/2026

Our Divine Source of Comfort

05/22/2026

SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND (V.2-I.240) The Unity Message
~HOLY SPIRIT SOPHIA: Bless us today with curiosity to explore and discover the wisdom and love of our wondrous existence. Let us, complete and whole yet never finished, always be fulfilled by our discover of the Divine in All. AMEN

Our word of wonder today is: DISCOVER. Our affirmation of delight is: THROUGH PRAYERFUL EXPLORATION, I DISCOVER NEW AVENUES OF EXPRESSION.

The world is full of wonder – breathtaking bodies of water, stunning lands, every-day miracles, and so much more. When we consider the multitude of marvels that await discovery, let us feel eager to explore. There is also the world of discovery that awaits within us. As we grow spiritually, touching unknown depths of understanding and peace, we discover anew the awesome presence of unconditional divine love for all life. As we continue our journey of spiritual exploration, we rely upon the power of our spiritual gifts to experience the presence of the Divine, around and within us. We align our thoughts and feelings with our Divine Identity, we feel empowered, knowing that nothing is impossible for our discovery. Ever trusting that the Divine is with and within us, we are free to discover even greater possibilities for living.

“Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these?” – Isaiah 40:26

Watching a newborn discovering their feet by pulling their feet up to their face, their eyes, their mouth, and then giggling with delight, is the true essence of the wonder of the wise world in all its glory.

The babe’s feet are already in existence, yet the moment that their presence comes to the consciousness of the child is the moment of epiphany. “Hello there, feet, I see and know you now!”

Each of us could and can remind ourselves of moments of epiphany in our lives ~ when we were thunder-struck by a new way of seeing and knowing. It is sometimes called a paradigm shift, a radical new way of perceiving and conceiving that we did not know before. One instance in my life was when, at the age of seven years, I was thunder-struck by the realization that I was thinking. Ever since then, I have been engaged in thinking, thinking about thinking, and thinking about the process of thinking about thinking. My life was proclaimed in its destiny at that moment. My journey of intentional discovering, knowing, and seeing had begun.

Just as the Babe’s feet were already there before their discovery. And just as conscious thought was already flowing through me before I discovered its identity, the Divine is working smoothly through all our moments and experiences, even if we have no awareness of them yet.

In the story of Saul/Paul getting knocked off his horse by the Divine Light on his way to Damascus, the Divine Christ Light already existed, existing since the very first vibration of the manifest cosmos. Saul/Paul had just not discovered it as the source of his very being yet. Let us trust that most of our epiphanies, or spiritual discoveries, do not require such a dramatic event.

May we, through intention and interest in the wonders of Creator and Creation, discover our true identities as Divine, and be prompted to our greatest exploration of this Sacred World. AMEN

Love and Blessings

Grandfather Phillip

Address

1919 Fairway Drive
Bozeman, MT
59715

Opening Hours

10:15am - 12:30pm

Telephone

+14065862559

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