Advent Series #15
The first two weeks of Advent have called us to contemplate Faith and Peace, and to look at how they play a part in our lives…how we can more consciously place our Faith where it serves in the highest way possible, and how we can live as more Peaceful people in our homes, and in the world. So now that we are grounded in Faith, and seeking to live from our most Peaceful place, we must remember the importance of Joy in our lives. The good news is that when we live Peacefully, in deep Faith that all is well, our Joy is assured.
I trust that you had a beautiful and peace-filled Sunday. Yesterday was the 15th day of Advent, and the beginning of week three. Joy is our point of focus, as we move ever closer to Christmas Eve…to the celebration of the Christ within. My prayer this morning as I sit in quiet meditation is that each of us finds whatever brings a deep sense of Joy to our day…that in finding our Joy and choosing to live from it, we make the world a more Joyful place. If you attended the Mystic Heart Sunday Celebration Service yesterday, this piece will sound familiar, as it comes as an adapted portion of the message. (After doing the Service, you will be happy to know that rather than writing this entry yesterday, my Joy called me to decorate for Christmas😊 You will be getting two messages today.)
Now I need to be clear – I’m not talking about pleasure, which is a physical sensation, or about happiness, which is a psychological experience. I am talking about Joy…the underlying spiritual knowing that exists in every moment and is available any time we choose to recognize it. It is a sense of deep contentment, an allowing all to be what it is, without making a problem out of anything. Dr. Ernest Holmes defined Joy as “the expectancy of Good”. We must remember that an expectancy of is not an attachment to. Joy is a profound optimism that recognizes that all is ultimately well, no matter what appearances may indicate in any given moment. There is a song that speaks to what I’m talking about: “This Joy I have; the world didn’t give it to me. The world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away.”
But sometimes the world can put on a pretty convincing show. All is NOT okay in the world, thank you very much, and so how can I be Joyful? The past 10 months have been particularly challenging. Lots of people are sick…people have died…have lost jobs, homes, and businesses. Not to make less of what we are experiencing in 2020…it has been severe…but the truth is that this has always be the case…it is part of the human experience. Granted, it feels more present, more impactful right now in these times of pandemic, growing unemployment, political and social unrest, increased violence, and homelessness. And it impacts us directly because it is happening in our lifetime.
Though it stretches us immensely, each of us is doing our part to stay mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy, and to contribute to the health and well-being of our friends, family, and neighbors in whatever way feels appropriate. With the holidays approaching, and people not able to gather in celebration as they might have, the holidays are feeling a little bit strange this year. Things are changing…we don’t know what to expect from day to day. I have to admit, this year hasn’t been easy for me, either. And still, the undercurrent running below all that is happening is it’s going to be okay. Breathe. Wait. Watch. Listen. No need to do anything…everything is happening in God’s time, in Divine Order. It’s going to be okay.
I have a question for you – how many of you like change, just absolutely love it when everything you are familiar with turns upside down? I’ll bet I know the answer. And yet, change is the only constant in life. So maybe this is just Infinite Intelligence telling us to get over ourselves, forcing us to stretch, loosen up, try something new, for our own good. And for the good of the planet…to give our blessed Mother Earth a break.
If we look back over human history, there have been periodic times of cataclysmic change…periods of massive evolutionary growth. When this occurs, there is first a long period of build-up, and then, like a light switch being flipped, everything changes. The name that has been given to this change is paradigm shift. And these periods have always been difficult for humanity to adapt to because our brains are wired for repetition, for habit; we like the familiar. But as humans, we also have the ability to choose. We can choose how we respond to whatever is happening in the world, and we can choose to make changes gradually and willingly. Responding to times of great change with a sense of flexibility and playfulness, increases our access to Joy. The Joy is always available…a curious, childlike attitude just makes it more accessible.
So let’s flip this current situation on its proverbial ear. Let’s look at how we have become more flexible through this time of great change. What have you done differently this year? Have you spent more quiet time at home…time for reflecting and just being? And hasn’t it been nice? This set of circumstances has given us the opportunity to take a collective breath…a time out. And in the slowing down of time, there is a deep feeling of relief that we don’t have to be constantly going and doing. And held within that deep relief, there is a profound sense of Joy. Have you experienced it? Take a moment right now…settle into your quiet place…feel the Joy. “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.” (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin) The qualities of the Divine are present within us. Joy is always present, and we can call it forward into our lives consciously. The spiritual quality of Joy is part of our nature as expressions of Spirit, as children of God. It’s in us, now and always. It’s not dependent on the circumstances of our lives.
Ernest Holmes once wrote “humanity is divinity revealed.” How do we reveal spiritual reality in our human circumstances? There are two practices that you may find helpful in your spiritual walk. First: Be compassionate toward yourself. Give your inner critic the day off and accept that where you are is good enough. Rev. David Ault says, “We can all stop pretending. We don’t have to put on a false spirituality to hide how human we are. Isn’t that a relief?” It’s okay not to feel happy and light all the time. But the absence of happiness does not have to steal your Joy. Breathe that in…let yourself relax…surrender and allow life to unfold.
And then,you might try the second practice, which is simply to walk by Faith. Affirm with me now…I trust the “Joy of the Lord is my strength” and this Joy is already here—whether I can access it in the moment or not. I also know in my heart and in my soul that the full expression and experience of my Joy will return. I will feel my Joy again. Psalm 30:5 (KJV) reminds us that “weeping may endure for a night, but Joy cometh in the morning.” When we are willing to feel our sadness, or our anger or frustration, it opens our capacity to feel everything more fully. We become able to feel our Joy more deeply and more authentically.
During the Christmas Season, we are given the opportunity to birth the light of awareness…of Christ Consciousness…into our lives anew. Join me in finding the courage and willingness to live in Joy—a Joy that is so rich, so deep, so robust, that it carries and sustains us through every struggle and challenge we face. Join me today in knowing an inherent Joy, an inherent Faith, an inherent Peace; a willingness to breathe into whatever stretch life has called us to, to gracefully change and adapt with the flow of life, to be content with what is.
Know that today and always, I am here to support you.
Know that today and always, you are stronger and wiser than you know.
May we each live from our deep and abiding Joy.
May we open ourselves to the greater possibility of what can be.
May we be well…stay in touch…know our unity…and thrive!
And…may we know the Absolute Beauty and Wonder of this Grace-filled, once-in-a lifetime day, as Infinite Intelligence continues to pour Its blessings upon our world.
