COMING TO

Though I was reared within the Christian tradition, our particular non-denominational sect did not observe the four weeks known as Advent. The spiritual preparation began just prior to the actual holiday, so the bulk of the season seemed steeped more in the cultural and material than it did in the internal. It wasn’t until I was an adult and had been led to New Thought spirituality in general and the Unity movement in particular that Advent became a precious and vital part of my inner unfoldment. Each year I spend added time in silent meditation and heartful contemplation during these weeks, and I pray to see the Christ message as it applies directly to me. I embrace personally the symbols of the season, and lean into what they evoke within me. While I certainly affirm the celebration of the historical Jesus and the impact he had on human consciousness, I am frankly more interested in what Christ is calling me to open to at this time. Jesus and the Christ are not synonymous. Jesus was a Jew that fully embodied the Christ Presence during his incarnation here on earth. I believe he then ascended into the Realm of the Cosmic Christ, which makes him fully available to assist all who ask in making the same demonstration that he did. He does need a great big commercially based birthday bash. It is we who need to open to and allow the experience of the sweet still message of his birth into the Christ, as it applies to our own journey in consciousness.

The word Advent literally means “to come” or “coming to.” I love that because it feels so accurate. In this season of celestial Light we are called to “come to” our own indwelling Divine nature. The trance of the human condition is the amnesia of our True and Essential nature. That amnesia is the literal darkness so integral to this story. It is into the pervasive darkness of human unconsciousness that the Light of Christ comes. It is in the contrast of this Light to the predominate darkness that it is recognized. It is within the dark and hidden place of the internal womb of consciousness that Christ is being born. This is not a comfortable process anymore than actual childbirth is. There is pain. There is contraction. There is messiness and fearfulness. We like Jesus are called to remember that all of that chaos is in service of something far greater than the preferred comfort of the personality self. The pain of awakening is in service of Christ being born within us, and until we are willing to open to and to stay with this pain, we will remain ensconced and identified with the ego self story. But be assured of this; no matter how long we remain embroiled in resistance and unconsciousness Christ will indeed be born. This is not in any way to be mistaken for a Christian message. Christ is one term for the place of inherent Divinity present in all beings. We will each awaken to a Truth that is larger than any one theology. There is One Light regardless of how many fractals may display It. The history of Jesus is the destiny of us all. The Mass of Christ is all inclusive.

And so like Mary this is a time of humble and faithful waiting. You can’t make Christ be born. You cannot control the Infinite. Your demand for comfort does nothing but congest the process. You can only stay centered, open, and available to the stirring Presence that is within you. It is relentless I can assure you. Breathe. Breathe and relax into the awareness that this is your season. The contractions that you feel are in service of your own birthing process. In the bigger picture we are each called to literally birth ourselves.

Let each birth pang open you further. Surrender open. Let be. Let in the Light. The time of Christ is now. The birth of Christ is you.

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KEEPS ON BURNING

As we enter the final days of Hanukkah I feel more profoundly than ever the simple yet revolutionary message of this ancient festival of Lights. Though I was not born into the Jewish tradition I have come to respect and love many of the observances of this faith. I often joke that I have become an observant non-Jew. I am grateful to be open to finding inspiration in whatever form it takes, and it is resplendent in this eight day celebration of miracles and overcoming.

Central to this holiday is the decree that is spelled out by the Hebrew letters on the spinning top called a dreidel. The abbreviations stands for “a great miracle happened there.” The miracle being referred to wasn’t the incredible achievements of the Macabee army or the reclaiming of the grossly defiled temple. It wasn’t that the Syrians had been defeated though they greatly outnumbered the tiny band of Jews. The miracle that is celebrated during this wondrous observance is that with only an amount of oil that could logistically keep the menorah burning for one night it kept the Eternal Flame glowing for eight consecutive days and evenings. One vial of sacred oil seemed to multiply itself as the faithful Jews of the day used what they had to keep the Sabbath holy. The forces of the Universe honored their dedication and faith and matched it with a transcendent demonstration of what Source Illumination is capable of.

Hear that with me. What Source Illumination is capable of. I love lighting my candles each evening and recalling the miracle of that time. But more powerful yet is directly connecting to the presence of Source Illumination that is within me here and now. Miracles are not only for history. They are the destiny of each and every one of us that approach our days and moments with faithfulness in a power that is far, far greater than we are. This is a Power that is within us and not of us. It is allowable and yet not controllable. We can’t make miracles happen. They are beyond our conscious control. And yet they are the birthright of all of humanity. When we are tuned into and in synch with Source Illumination there is a Light that guides and directs us much more surely than any GPS ever invented. This Light is in every cell of our being. It is the composition of our photons, and is quite literally the Light of Source animating and operating within us. To say that we are Light is not figurative. It is literal. We are here to be the shining miracles of Light that Source has intended and created us to be.

We all have times when we think we just can’t do it. These are the very times when Source Illumination can best be demonstrated. When I step aside and get out of the way, miracles happen through me that astound and delight me. Since my recent health crisis I have come to reaffirm my total reliance on the Source Power within me. There are many things I just can’t do yet. Being back in front of a congregation each Sunday is quite frankly impossible for me the person. But that feeling of personal powerlessness is the very opening Source needs to then empower, sustain, and shine through me. I am honoring of my physical limitations, while remaining reliant on the Source that is moving through me. I pray “light me up, shine through me!” And then I trust my prayer. I trust the Power that takes that prayer and turns it into a Light that just keeps burning in and as me.

A great miracle happened there for sure. I celebrate that each night as I light the candles. But a great miracle is happening here as well. In me and all around me. It is the same miraculous Source Light that has continued to burn brightly throughout creation. Go ahead, surrender to it. Let it move within you. Follow Its leadings. Trust in It. Place your faith in it. And then watch the Light that keeps on burning illuminate and shine through you.

www.taylorestevens.com