Rev. Lucy Wold spoke of a spiritual truth in her recent talk that always gives me pause.  She mentioned we need to be dissatisfied with ourselves in order to grow spiritually.  I think this is absolutely true.  At the same time, there is an emphasis in our culture to learn to see ourselves as worthy, to accept ourselves as we are, and to recognize that we are enough.  I think there is also merit to these ideals because within our culture there exists a great deal of self loathing that can be quite destructive and spiritually debilitating.  And so, I have struggled to reconcile these ideas.  How is it that I can be worthy, accept myself as I am, and feel I am enough while also understanding my limitations and the need to overcome them?

Here is what came to me in meditation:  “You are confusing your value with your journey.  God does not value you more when you overcome some quality of your lower nature.  Your value is constant in God’s eyes.  You have worth because you belong to Him.  But your journey back to God does require the overcoming of your lower nature and so He rejoices in all your successes.  Imagine it like this.  God has given you each a piece of holy clay.  It is holy because it is made of His essence; it is a piece of God.  With this clay you are asked to mold His likeness.  Only when you are able to reveal His image will you truly know Him.  This is your journey.  Each piece of clay has equal value because each has the same potential.  Your living, your consciousness, and your choices mold the clay revealing how well you know your Creator.”

Christ has demonstrated this journey so beautifully.  He continues to be our perfect example.  Because He Lives, we continue to be inspired, uplifted, and encouraged.  Let us make our clay more beautiful in the year to come.

(thoughts and reflections by Andrea Chinn-Parillo)

Weekly practice: Aspire to enter into the Christ Spirit, taking yourself beginning with the physical plane and ascending to the highest reaches you understand, into the aura as well as attention of your Lord.

I was so touched by everyone who shared their stories during our Advent series.  These talks created a sacred space where we were united ever deeper as a spiritual family.  I appreciate all who shared and all who held the space for those who allowed themselves to be seen in such an authentic way.  I recently heard a talk on vulnerability by Brene Brown where she said the original definition of courage came from the Latin word ‘cur’ which meant heart.  She said courage originally meant to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart.  In showing this sort of courage, these speakers gave us a rare gift of connection.  We saw that what makes us vulnerable also makes us beautiful and lovable.  Through their stories we felt our own struggles and fear as well as beautiful moments of joy and love.  Thank you to all who helped create such a powerful Advent series.   As we prepare our gifts to Christ this year, our hearts overflow with gratitude for the blessings we continue to receive from Him.  I look forward to sharing the joy and blessings of Christmas with each of you.  Merry Christmas.

(thoughts and reflections by Andrea Chinn-Parillo)

Weekly practice:  Pay heed to Christ entering you.

Rev. Blake Isaac spoke this past Sunday on ‘Christ's Influence Upon Our Character’.  If you missed his talk, I would highly recommend listening to it online.  He made the connection between consciousness and character and how our character reveals outwardly what we are developing on the inner.  He described consciousness as how we understand God’s will for our life and character as the manifestation of this understanding.  In other words, consciousness is the knowing and character is the doing.   It reminded me of a quote by Maya Angelou who said, “We do the best we can with what we know, and when we know better, we do better”.  The more our consciousness expands to understand the mysteries of life, the more responsibility we have to live these principles.  Our consciousness and character together reveal where we stand on our path to God.  Our spiritual journey is a continual process of deepening our understanding of spiritual principles and then putting into practice what we have come to know.  Each day we verify our awareness of truth by the way we choose to live.   What do your choices demonstrate about your character?

(thoughts and reflections by Andrea Chinn-Parillo)

Weekly practice:  Place your focus on the Christ work which would include consideration of all peoples throughout the world from continent to continent and nation to nation.