re-thinking Christmas

Spiritual resource to share: a pause and a reflection

Even though Christmas is over, it feels that the need for true Christmas has never been greater. I'd like to share a poem that helps me to take another look at the meaning of Christmas. The abrupt assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the growing extremism and intolerance in the headlines these last few days demand the peace and hope that Christmas stands for. It is a stand I hope to nurture the whole year through:

Blest Christmas Morn
by Mary Baker Eddy


Blest Christmas morn, though murky clouds
Pursue thy way,
Thy light was born where storm enshrouds
Nor dawn nor day!

Dear Christ, forever here and near,
No cradle song,
No natal hour and mother's tear,
To thee belong.

Thou God-idea, Life-encrowned,
The Bethlehem babe —
Beloved, replete, by flesh embound —
Was but thy shade!

Thou gentle beam of living Love,
And deathless Life!
Truth infinite, — so far above
All mortal strife,

Or cruel creed, or earth-born taint:
Fill us today
With all thou art — be thou our saint,
Our stay, alway.

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What did you get for Christmas?

Spiritual resource to share: your gifts

One of the most touching messages I received this Christmas was from a friend who lost her husband earlier this year. In her Christmas message to friends, she recounted the wonderful gifts her husband gave to us all. Among them were the gifts of curiosity, joy, generosity and acceptance. These are the gifts that bring comfort year-round.

This made me reflect on all the gifts that I have been given all year - gifts that keep opening up!

• peace and the promise of peace
• companionship
• atmosphere of vitality and creativity
• healing
• new and continually fresh views of God - daily!

The beauty of these gifts is that they are contagious and replenish themselves. In the Bible it says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

So, what are your top five gifts that you got for Christmas?





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Comfort and Joy

Spiritual resource to share: joy and comfort!

Last week, I came across this idea from Science and Health that gave me a new way of seeing and celebrating Christmas:

The universe, like man, is to be interpreted by Science from its divine Principle, God, and then it can be understood; but when explained on the basis of physical sense and represented as subject to growth, maturity, and decay, the universe, like man, is, and must continue to be, an enigma.

It doesn't sound too Christmassy. But when our Sunday School kids and I were talking about the impact and importance of Christmas, this quote made lots of sense.

What is the importance of Christmas? To me it is that the Christ - the expression of God - is something that becomes tangible in our lives. We can feel the joy, comfort and dominion of God. That the whole world view of evil, disease, decay -- of things not making sense, of love not being returned, etc. - the whole enigma of how weary the world is - is all of a sudden broken! Broken! By this beam of living Love - the Christ.

It struck me of the incredible hope and yearning toward peace - something earnestly prayed for - that hope was fulfilled by the coming of the Christ.

And to know that Christ is not only accepted, but understood. And now that we can understand the teachings of Christ, we can practice those very same precepts. We can learn to heal.

The Christ ushered in a whole new world view, one that hearts have longed for, one that heals and redeems, one that we recognize immediately. It is intrinsically natural and innately familiar.

What profound joy was felt at the birth of Jesus -this whole scene bursting with meaning and possibilities, fulfillment and progress. People anticipated this coming, expected it to come and gave their consent that now all good is possible.

Even more profound that this joy is sustained thousands of years later.

As next year comes into focus, there will be more peace talks, and progress for human rights; there will be campaigns against hunger and poverty and campaigns for beauty and earth stewardship. All of this is fueled by the same hope for a more spiritual world view where infinite ideas are brought forth to heal and redeem. And we can continue to understand God as the divine Principle of all things and in so doing we fulfill our most profound hopes and experience true joy - the understanding of the ultimate triumph of life.

Merry Christmas, friends!





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celebrating Joseph

Spiritual resource to share: meekness

I've been doing a deep dive into the nativity story, my interest being piqued by the movie of that same name, popular some years ago. Prior to this, I don't know that I gave Joseph too much thought. The movie helped me see how crucial his role was as the meek and steadfast protector not only to the expectant Mary, as a birth partner, as a new father; but to a world hungry for hope. It's those qualities of thought that I want to nurture in myself -- they are crucial to our own ushering in of the Christ to our consciousness.

There was an article written in the Christian Science Journal (December 2002) that discussed his character in more detail. (These notes are taken from csdirectory's Bible Study resources). It says of Joseph's role:

"It couldn't have been easy finding out that the woman he was about to marry was mysteriously 'with child.' But he stood by Mary with unquestioning fidelity, perhaps realizing how crucial he would be to the fulfilling of Bible prophecy....

And this is the wonder of Joseph's fidelity: that nearly all he did to nurture/defend the special mother and child entrusted to his care had to be done just this way: in secret, in the humblest of circumstances, and totally without public recognition."

The other wonder about Joseph is how immediate was his recognition and acceptance to the messages of the angel Gabriel. No questions, arguments, or excuses.

It is interesting to remember Jesus' comments about his relationship to God who, at one point referred to God as "Abba" a Hebrew term of endearment meaning the equivalent of "daddy". It makes me wonder if it was Joseph's tenderness and closeness to Jesus that made it easy for Jesus to feel God's tenderness and closeness.

So today, I am grateful for all those 'Josephs' in my life: men and women and children whose meekness, alertness and guardianship of all that is good have led me to see more of the Christ in my life and in others.




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Peace on Earth

Spiritual resource to share: all that is good

Another reason I like it here: the Ministerial Association.

We meet monthly -- this group that represents much of the spiritual leadership here in the Northwoods. There is a profound focus and regard for the religious and spiritual lives of the people in this community. Discussion usually centers around what can we learn about our communities, what are we doing for our communities, and what more can be done.

Recently, different members of the group collaborated and put on a series of talks about world religion. A Presbyterian minister gave these series of talks in the new Catholic church in which many churched, unchurched and seeking people came. As the classes on Shintoism/Buddhism/Islam/Judaism/Jainism/Christianity/etc rolled on, the instructor commented how many times, during each of the classes, he could see people waking up to the amazing number of similarities amongst the world religions. And they could see themselves from a new viewpoint as well.

This is a common theme among inter-faith groups. Respect and unity in diversity is their healing gift to the communities they serve and to those willing to be taught.

This made me think of a quote from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. I always thought about it concerning individuals, but this time I saw how it applied to the different disciplines of faith and worship.

Man is not absorbed in Deity, and man cannot lose his individuality, for he reflects eternal Life; nor is he an isolated, solitary idea, for he represents infinite Mind, the sum of all substance.

Healing through prayer as taught by Christ Jesus is what I bring to the table of this group. And I as lovingly embrace them, I feel that love right back.

After our meeting today, I went to hug my Unitarian friend goodbye and asked how should I wish her well for this season. The love, respect, working together, supporting one another through this group was all unspoken. But our greeting and well wishes for the season suited us both perfectly as we wished each other "Peace on earth."



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the hero in us all

Spiritual resource to share: humility and willingness

My son and I have just finished watching three movies recently: Hotel Rwanda, Schindler's List and The Nativity Story. And interspersed with these viewings was a neat Sunday School conversation about what it means to be a hero.

The three men in the stories actually had a lot of spiritual qualities in common: humilty, willingness, listening to that voice within that rose up against injustice, and courage. But all three men were vastly different: Paul Rusesabagina was a family man who just wanted to be a good employee, Oskar Schindler was a ladies' man and war profiteer, and Joseph was a single man soon to be married.

But each man was thrown into circumstances that changed the course of history in various degrees. Each man varied in how long it took for a transformation to take place: Joseph's was immediate after he learned of Mary's conception. Rusesabagina grew as the cirumstances grew more dire. And Schindler's transformation took well after the start of the war.

Does one have to be a certain type of person to be a hero? The profiles of these three men show that heroes aren't a certain "type."

So what does this mean about heroes and what does this mean about us?

In our Sunday School class, we talked about the nature of Truth. MBEddy writes that "....
Christian Science speedily shows Truth to be triumphant." And that Truth, expressed in integrity, honesty and a foundation of love for mankind will be expressed. It doesn't matter what kind of person we are. As a reflection of God, we already have these qualities and it is our willingness to be of help and our humility to listen that bring these qualities of a hero forth.

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What we are born to do

Spiritual resource to share: hope



No doubt this was one of the most watched web videos this year.
Watch this and share why this inspires you so. Of course, I am assuming it will, simply because I have watched it numerous times and I still get a rush of inspiration every time I see it.

It reminds me that

• beauty is everywhere.
• achieving those things most secretly cherished is possible.
• diligence and perseverance = success.
• we can expect surprises.
• we are all born with purpose to do great things.

The popularity of this video is so enouraging. It connects us with universal ideas that we ALL agree on. I just took a mere five minutes to find ideas from MBEddy's Science and Health to fine tune some of the inspiration I've felt from this clip. Five minutes! Think of how many more ideas I could share here if I did ten, fifteen, twenty!

Knowledge that we can accomplish the good we hope for, stimulates the system to act in the direction which Mind points out.

Mind is not necessarily dependent upon educational processes. It possesses of itself all beauty and poetry, and the power of expressing them. .... We are all capable of more than we do.

....self-denial, sincerity, Christianity, and persistence alone win the prize, as they usually do in every department of life.

Science reveals the glorious possibilities of immortal man, forever unlimited by the mortal senses.

Now, add your comments and then go out and shine! Also see my buddy blogger's post on this same clip.

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the artist's hymn

Spiritual resource to share: our art

This hymn has been showing up all day yesterday and today. It makes me think of artists. One of its musical settings is set to a waltz.

Dance away!

Eternal Mind the Potter is,
And thought th' eternal clay:
The hand that fashions is divine,
His works pass not away.

Man is the noblest work of God,
His beauty, power and grace,
Immortal; perfect as his Mind
Reflected face to face.

God could not make imperfect man
His model infinite;
Unhallowed thought He could not plan,
Love's work and Love must fit.

Life, Truth and Love the pattern make,
Christ is the perfect heir;
The clouds of sense roll back, and show
The form divinely fair.

God's will is done; His kingdom come;
The Potter's work is plain.
The longing to be good and true
Has brought the light again.

And man does stand as God's own child,
The image of His love.
Let gladness ring from every tongue,
And heaven and earth approve.

photos from http://www.pbase.com/pliborio/olaria

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the good news about bad news

Spiritual resource to share: uncovering sin

Our local newspaper headline today read: LUHS ( our local high shool) study describes 'toxic' culture toward Amerian Indians

The bad news is that racism exists in this idylllic setting of a rural community. But the good news is that it has been uncovered and widely acknowledged as something to be healed. During this past year, I have been involved with ongoing community meetings to deal with racism and its effects. I'm told that this has been a problem for decades and that this if the first time that so many community members have been so involved for so long to find ways to effectively deal with and diminish racism. So this newspaper headline is a helpful step.

I was inspired reading MBEddy's article called "The Way" in her book Miscellaneous Writings. In it, she says that in order for healing to happen, thought (or, as she states, mortal mind) must pass through three stages of growth: self-knowledge, humility and love.

Under the first stage of self-knowledge, she writes that we must know ourselves and that "error found out is two thirds destroyed, and the last third pierces itself, for the remainder only stimulates and gives scope to higher demonstration." This is the good news about bad news. Once it is exposed, it is on its way out. AND this exposure leads to healing.

As I continue working and doing my own prayerful work for our community, I'll be actively pursuing the self-knowledge, humility and love that are so necessary to this healing of racism that we are all earnestly pursuing. I'll keep you posted.







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innately demanding

Spiritual resource to share: force

I had a bit of an epiphany today -- and that was that life is demanding. Not as in an oh-I-have-so-much-to-do type of demand, but a deeper impulse that demands expression, like the life-that-sprouts-up-underneath-the-concrete-sidewalk kind of demand. It is a calling out from Love to be who we are created to be.

Life (as a synonym for God) is demanding. It demands to be expressed and understood. Likewise, Love is demanding, and all the other synonyms of God (Truth, Soul, Spirit, Principle, Mind).

I was talking to a friend recently who was struggling with despair. As we talked, we realized that if despair was her natural state of being, despair would feel comfortable and natural. But despair felt very uncomfortable. And this makes sense because our natural state is spiritual, and is one of feeling the satisfaction of Soul, the order and stresslessness of Principle, and the balance of Love. This idea that we already are comprised of these qualities comes from Genesis 1: 27, that says "... God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him...."

So when we feel despair, it can be seen as a desire- even a yearning or a striving - to feel more deeply those qualities of God that we inherently express. The hunger that we feel is a way to make room in consciousness to receive more understanding about God and our relationship to Him/Her.

This shifts the whole focus away from lack and identifying yourself with lack, to rightly identifying yourself with your innate spiritual nature - all of the qualities mentioned above which demand more and more expression. So, the despair that we feel has no power in and of itself to define us or to confine us. It is simply that desire to go higher. And with my friend's situation, we were able to shift thought from despair and lack to see all kinds of possibilities for her to go forward and find progressive activities.







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lessons from an interior designer

Spiritual resource to share: home

Of all the thousands of things I love about the study and practice of Christian Science, one thing is that Christian Science applies to the smallest detail of life (like choosing an outfit!) to the healing of global issues. So, does Christian Science relate to interior design? Of course!

I just spent a weekend in my old neighborhood. On Sunday, I went to a church whose interior was totally designed by a friend of mine. She is very spiritually minded, and I knew that every single shade of color, every angle of a light fixture and every piece of furniture was decided on prayerfully. She uses the metaphysical principles of Christian Science in her work as an interior designer.

As I sat there in this church, I loved seeing how the color blended in harmoniously throughout the space, how the sound system was arranged so unobtrusively, how the light came in the perfectly arranged windows to maximize its effect.

Once she took my husband and I on a tour of International Market Square to show us around while teaching us about light, color, space, etc. The lessons I learned there had immediate relevance to healing and my healing practice!

Light
Light is central to every room as a room can take on so many different nuances with the different plays of light.
Lesson learned: Light is the key ingredient to healing.

Color
Boldness, subtlety, movement, distinction and harmony can be expressed in the choice of color.
Lesson learned: color, a quality of God, is an expression of Soul - a synonym for God. Each healing has its distinct color and tone. No two are exactly alike.

Spatial relationships
Things that are small can look big and things that are big can be broken down into small.
Lesson learned: there are infinite possibilities within seemingly finite resources.

Focus points
To begin work in designing a space, choose a focus point.
Lesson learned: In healing, all thought begins with one focus point: God

Art/fresh flowers
Good art, like fresh flowers, bring life, originality and freshness into a space. Good art should always make you think beyond the normal conventions of thought.
Lesson learned: Each healing brings fresh inspiration and spiritual growth. Each healing is an art form, a step of progress, helping us think further beyond a material sense of things to a spiritual sense where we can come home to the spiritual understanding of God and man.




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