This time of year is a time of light. The 25th of December is when the days begin to get longer. We celebrate the coming of light.  “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” John 1:9.

The Christmas experience lifts you each year. It is the experience of enlightenment, the experience of light. There are 2 ways to experience the spiritual energy of enlightenment. First is either one of those “aha!” moments in life or one of those moments of despair.

The other way to experience the spiritual energy of enlightenment is through love. It is the experience of transformation into a new state. From illness to health, from conflict to harmony, from turmoil to peace. How does light relate to love? “Light is the hem of the garment of love.” Light flows when we give an expression of love. There is actual spiritual energy flowing. Some actually see it. We experience this illumination at Christmas. We begin to see things differently.

Before Jesus’ coming, humankind was asleep to its nature. But with Jesus a beautiful understanding came. He said, “The Father and I are one. The Kingdom of God is within.” That’s enlightenment! There had to be great love for that to come forth. The experience we get is to love and let the light flow. Say, “When I love, light flows.”

It is love from which light flows. The wonderful thing about Christmas time is we all bring that love – to family, to friends, all around. When you let that light show through, it blesses us all. It is time to do that!

12/18/11 Rev. David McArthur

This time of year is a time of light. The 25th of December is when the days begin to get longer. We celebrate the coming of light.  “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” John 1:9.

The Christmas experience lifts you each year. It is the experience of enlightenment, the experience of light. There are 2 ways to experience the spiritual energy of enlightenment. First is either one of those “aha!” moments in life or one of those moments of despair.

The other way to experience the spiritual energy of enlightenment is through love. It is the experience of transformation into a new state. From illness to health, from conflict to harmony, from turmoil to peace. How does light relate to love? “Light is the hem of the garment of love.” Light flows when we give an expression of love. There is actual spiritual energy flowing. Some actually see it. We experience this illumination at Christmas. We begin to see things differently.

Before Jesus’ coming, humankind was asleep to its nature. But with Jesus a beautiful understanding came. He said, “The Father and I are one. The Kingdom of God is within.” That’s enlightenment! There had to be great love for that to come forth. The experience we get is to love and let the light flow. Say, “When I love, light flows.”

It is love from which light flows. The wonderful thing about Christmas time is we all bring that love – to family, to friends, all around. When you let that light show through, it blesses us all. It is time to do that!

The Nativity – why does it touch our consciousness again and again, year after year? Because it has an exquisite power to connect us to that spiritual power which flows through our hearts.

The animals are always peaceful and quiet, showing a warm supportive presence. It’s a symbol that the animal nature in us is brought into harmony through the heart. It is not excluded, but is a part of it. Mary is our female nature, the feelings of love we touch in our heart that are so awakened in the Christmas season. Joseph: wisdom. When we are in touch with our selves; the wisdom which flows through the world. The baby Jesus is the symbol of love and wisdom that is brought forth into being, the expression of the fullness of the heart.

In another Christmas story, a young immigrant girl, Ursula, takes a position with a wealthy American family in New York City. She feels she can’t measure up to the level of the expensive gifts she sees her new family receiving. But when she examined the love she felt for her own family and the family for whom she now worked, she felt peace. She followed her heart as she sought to express her love in a Christmas gift for her new family. She bought beautiful baby clothes and found a poor family, with a newborn, that otherwise had nothing for Christmas. Her gift to them was an expression of the higher understanding. She gave kindness to others as her gift to her new family. One special member of that family, Norman Vincent Peale, carried that gift throughout his life.

When we give from the heart it creates a difference. In the heart it becomes quiet and we have the ability to touch the love, the feeling (Mary), and give birth to that wisdom (Joseph), and we begin to perceive differently. The power, the love moves into a whole new level of expression (the baby Jesus) which touches and uplifts as it gives expression of that love and wisdom. How wonderful we get to touch it again and again! And it transforms those old things that always come up when we get together for the holidays. But we get to touch people differently. We have the invitation to go into the heart and bring into quiet those feelings and touch them to bring forth the higher wisdom and bring forth the Christ, the higher consciousness. For those that want to transform something, go to the Nativity and touch that love this season!

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Summary

We look forward to Christmas with such childlike anticipation. The sense of community seems world-wide, universal, as we eagerly open to the rebirth of the awareness of the Christ Child among us, in us. That pure love in which we realize we are the instruments of the flow of God’s love to all, freely sending good wishes and giving gifts big and small. We are especially moved to give to those in the community with obvious need. We donate to food banks and charity drives anonymously, blindly.

All too soon, though, our ebullient spirits fade as we reach overwhelm, believing we cannot possibly have the means to serve all those in need among us. We wistfully put away our sense of universal community for another year, asking, “Why can’t the spirit of Christmas last all year long?”

However, this expanded consciousness does not need to end! You do have the means; your resources are infinite. You have the power within to maintain this expanded consciousness. You know how love transforms. Send it forth. Send forth the expanded Christmas awareness. Stay in the beauty and effectiveness; create by your intention. Send the beauty and light to those in need. You are the instrument of that transformation. You are a co-creator! Send the spirit of Christmas.

As Rev. David says, “Sing Christmas carols all year long.”

Music

“Lord’s Prayer” – Traditional, modified for Unity

“Walking in the Light” – Traditional, modified for Unity

“Peace Song” – Jill Jackson, Sy Miller

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Summary

‘The baby Jesus shows us that love is something you do. You show love by what you do, not just by what you feel.

Over and over again, in the Bible, God commands us to love each other. And you can’t command an emotion.…If love were just an emotion, then God couldn’t command it. But love is something you do. It can produce emotion, but love is an action.

The Bible says, “Let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions” (1 John 3:18 NLT). We can talk a good act: “I love people.” But do we really love them? Do you really love them? Our love is revealed in how we act toward them.’

–Daily Hope, Posted by Rick Warren, December 10 2009

Let us take these wise words to heart, and take action this Christmas. Yes, we’re sending off a small mountain of shoes. We can join the carolers at Kensington Retirement Home Monday at 7. How many Red Cross kettles have you passed this year without dropping you change in? Just take a moment and think of the many opportunities you have to go only a little out of your way and thereby make this a wonderful Christmas season for you and yours and someone you don’t even know. Love is a verb of action.

Merry Christmas everyone!

– Your Prayer Team