Jan Mourning
The fast-approaching holiday season can be a time of joy and celebration. We might envision a Hallmark Christmas — a loving family enjoying a delicious gourmet meal expertly prepared and served in a tastefully decorated home. After dinner, they gather around a beautifully decorated Christmas tree and gaze out the window to unspoiled sparkling snow. Everyone eagerly anticipates opening gifts uniquely tailored to their interests and desires. This is a lovely picture; however unless we have “staff,” it is going to take a lot of preparation and hard work to make this happen. What about the pressure to find that perfect gift for everyone on our list? I vividly remember last year standing in line to purchase a last-minute gift when the woman in front of me turned around and said, “I will be so glad when Christmas is over.”
Maybe we need to stop, breathe, and follow the advice of that great philosopher, the Grinch, who thought, “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a lot more.” The Advent season, comprising the four weeks before Christmas, is a time of preparation, but it is about more than decorating, gift giving, and all our other holiday traditions. It’s a time for us to rejoice in the 2,000-year old story of the birth of Jesus and a time for us to prepare for and celebrate the spiritual rebirth of our own Divine nature – the Christ within. Perhaps this sacred season, our focus needs to shift from doing to being. This is the time to contemplate, claim, nurture, and share those gifts that are more precious than anything we could purchase – the inner gifts that are the themes of Advent: Faith, Peace, Love, and Joy.
FAITH
True faith is a spiritual power, a deep inner knowing that allows you to look beyond illness to wholeness;
beyond lack to abundance; beyond discord to harmony. You give this precious gift to others when you
behold the Christ in them.
PEACE
The peace of God is always with you. You only have to open your mind and heart to feel its presence. In the midst of crowded stores, long lines, and family disharmony, you can surrender the details to The Divine within and be the presence of peace.
LOVE
Divine Love reaches into the depths of your being; Christ Love is your nature. During this sacred season, set the intention to savor every experience and look for every opportunity to give and receive love. Let all you do be done in love.
JOY
Joy is a gift from God; it comes from deep within your heart. As you express joy in all you do during this busy time, join in jubilant celebration of your oneness with the Divine and all humankind. Give your gift of joy.
Rev. Kelly Isola wrote, “Recognize you are a sparkling present from the cosmos. And it is time to unwrap yourself in order to share your magnificence with the world.”
Join us the first four Sundays in December to explore the themes of Advent as we celebrate the age-old Christmas story that is as new as this now moment. Complimentary copies of the Unity Advent booklet, “Christmas in My Heart, Christmas in my Hands” are available. Have a blessed holiday season and
remember,
YOU ARE THE GIFT.