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Thursday, November 27, 2014

Take Back Christmas



I have decided to start my own “Take Back Christmas” campaign not because I am opposed to the commercialism of the holiday or that I believe, as some would assert, that “Jesus is the only reason for the season,” or because I subscribe to the notion that there is a “war on Christmas” in our country. I want to “Take Back Christmas” because I believe there is great value for us in discovering the deep truths in the traditional Christmas story. Understood as a metaphor for our own spiritual journey, the familiar traditional Christmas story can provide great insight into our own journeys toward giving birth to the Christ in our conscious awareness.

Charles Fillmore, the cofounder of Unity, taught that all people, places, animals and inanimate objects in every Bible story, when approached from a metaphysical perspective, represent aspects of each of us. The Christmas story, also known as the nativity of Jesus, is no exception.  Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherd, wise men, angels, sheep, and the star all signify aspects of what occurs in our consciousness as we progress along our path to conscious acceptance of the Christ within and living from the consciousness of unity.

I encourage us to “Take Back Christmas” even if, and especially if you have previously given up on the story because you question the extant story’s historical accuracy; or because you no longer believe in the hardcore tradition that Jesus is the one and only son of God sent to save us from our sins; or even if you no longer consider conventional Christianity your spiritual path. I invite us to “Take Back Christmas” this year and reclaim the story as a glorious depiction of our story, yours and mine.
 
Beginning this Sunday and continuing through each Sunday in Advent, I will be introducing aspects of the Christmas story in my lessons during our 10:00 a.m. service. Our Youth and Family Ministry will also be acquainting our children and teens to the metaphysical understanding of the Christmas story. This Sunday, we will meet Joseph, and explore the aspects of ourselves he embodies. We will also consider how understanding Joseph from a metaphysical perspective, along with the qualities he embodies and the qualities he displays, can assist us as we make the commitment to the Christ within.

I invite you to join us and bring your children. Together, we can come together to “Take Back Christmas” and understand its original intent and meaning for ourselves and for our children.

4 comments :

  1. Luke 2 1-20 and beyond! I look forward to the connection to and reminder about bible as empowering text. Thank you!

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  2. I love the thought that Christmas actually began before the birth of Jesus. There was a decade in my past, the 1980s, where I considered myself an atheist, but still found reason to celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday. My thought was that generosity, kindness, giving and making others happy is something that any Atheist, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Taoist and human being can agree are things that benefit our loved ones. So lets do it. Take Christmas back Rev! The support line forms to the left!

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  3. Yes! Christmas has always held a special, magical place in my heart. Thank you David for delving into the Christmas story and inspiring us to take Christmas back. It makes me think of "keeping Christmas" in the story of Scrooge:))

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  4. Your talk this morning was one of the most inspirational I have heard at church in a long time. Thank you so much.

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