I did not grow up in a religious tradition in which Advent was observed. Christmas was certainly a major holiday, though in retrospect the lead up to the holiday was mostly obscured by the commercial and material chaos of the season. It was a whole lot more about Santa and Madison Avenue than it was about the birth of Jesus. I hold no judgment around that. And I am grateful to have been introduced to the full Advent season as a result of coming to the Unity teachings.
Advent literally means “coming to.” Advent is an invitation to not only acknowledge the birth of the historical Jesus but also to create a personal opening in which the Christ Presence may be born in me and in you. That birth is radical and transformative in scope. It requires that we step back from the busyness and center in an atmosphere of inner stillness. It requires a setting of priorities and even of boundaries. While the material and cultural aspects of Christmas are beautiful and potentially connecting they can also wreak havoc in our sense of peace. We can become so over stimulated and energy-drained that we lose any notion of the deeper meaning of the season.
I love this season of Light. I love the music, the decorations, the gathering together, and the child-like anticipation. And I love even more the introspection, the added internal focus and inquiry, the symbolic seeing and the contemplative birthing. I am all about celebrating the contributions of the historical man. And I am even more about allowing the same Christ Presence to be born in me.
That is my primary purpose this holiday season. It is my priority. I will not allow myself to be so distracted by the culture that I miss out on Christ. I am creating space in my within. I am ready.
Advent in me. Be born in me.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
IN ALL THINGS
“Be grateful in all things.”
So the scriptures say.
“Be grateful in all things."
Grateful in all things? Really? What about that pesky physical symptom? What about the annoying neighbor with the blasting music? And what about the inability to locate a human being to which you can speak to resolve the reoccurring banking issue? How about those sugar ants? The person who has fourteen items in the ten or less? You say I should be grateful in all things? ALL? Are you kidding?
I know from deep and personal experience that this is one of the most profound practices that we humans can ever engage in. While the surface mind and the personality self will go into a spasm of argument and contradiction there is no more transformative practice than that of gratitude. Gratitude in all things, my friends. Gratitude no matter what may be happening around you. Gratitude for everything that is happening within you. Gratitude for the pure experience of gratitude. Gratitude for the ability to choose gratitude. And it is indeed a choice. When we are spiritually awake we dwell in a spirit of thankfulness. When we are spiritually awake we can bless and thank all things from a contextual level. The astounding truth is that as soon as we choose to bless and thank all things from a contextual level a miraculous and mystical activity begins to occur within us. We begin to see a different and transcendent reality. With gratitude as the prescription in our perceptual lens we see God everywhere and in all things. And things literally then begin to change. For good.
The key is to be grateful contextually and unconditionally. This requires commitment and it requires practice. It comes in waves and unfolds in layers. We must fully and honestly acknowledge when we are not feeling grateful. We must own whatever resistance and defense are present. As we own these energy blocks we bring a sense of heart-based prayer to them. We pray the willingness to see differently. We pray the Grace to be grateful beyond preference. And then we open to the movement of Source-Blessing within us. Source-Blessing is the deep knowing that all is well regardless of appearances. To bless is to know the inherent Divinity in all things. And when Divinity is acknowledged as every-where present then what is not to be grateful for?
And so be grateful in all things. In all things, even that.
I, Taylor E. Stevens, being of somewhat sound mind and body, commit to being grateful in all things.
And so it is.
So the scriptures say.
“Be grateful in all things."
Grateful in all things? Really? What about that pesky physical symptom? What about the annoying neighbor with the blasting music? And what about the inability to locate a human being to which you can speak to resolve the reoccurring banking issue? How about those sugar ants? The person who has fourteen items in the ten or less? You say I should be grateful in all things? ALL? Are you kidding?
I know from deep and personal experience that this is one of the most profound practices that we humans can ever engage in. While the surface mind and the personality self will go into a spasm of argument and contradiction there is no more transformative practice than that of gratitude. Gratitude in all things, my friends. Gratitude no matter what may be happening around you. Gratitude for everything that is happening within you. Gratitude for the pure experience of gratitude. Gratitude for the ability to choose gratitude. And it is indeed a choice. When we are spiritually awake we dwell in a spirit of thankfulness. When we are spiritually awake we can bless and thank all things from a contextual level. The astounding truth is that as soon as we choose to bless and thank all things from a contextual level a miraculous and mystical activity begins to occur within us. We begin to see a different and transcendent reality. With gratitude as the prescription in our perceptual lens we see God everywhere and in all things. And things literally then begin to change. For good.
The key is to be grateful contextually and unconditionally. This requires commitment and it requires practice. It comes in waves and unfolds in layers. We must fully and honestly acknowledge when we are not feeling grateful. We must own whatever resistance and defense are present. As we own these energy blocks we bring a sense of heart-based prayer to them. We pray the willingness to see differently. We pray the Grace to be grateful beyond preference. And then we open to the movement of Source-Blessing within us. Source-Blessing is the deep knowing that all is well regardless of appearances. To bless is to know the inherent Divinity in all things. And when Divinity is acknowledged as every-where present then what is not to be grateful for?
And so be grateful in all things. In all things, even that.
I, Taylor E. Stevens, being of somewhat sound mind and body, commit to being grateful in all things.
And so it is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)