Sunday Sermons, First week of Advent, 12/01/19

December 1, 2019 First Sunday of Advent

Today, is the first Sunday of Advent. We are awaiting the birth of Jesus. He is coming to this world to enlighten us and show us the way to the world of the Spirit out of the world of the ego.

Every now and then there is a person born among us who becomes enlightened. It can be a Buddha, a Jesus, a Muhammad, a Lao Tsu, or any number of any other saints whose holiness is so apparent that we can’t miss it if we look closely and appreciate what we see.

People sometimes say that most of us are so deeply asleep, and shut down, and so confused that we wouldn’t recognize a Jesus, or a Buddha, or a Lao Tsu, or a Muhammad if they appeared in our current times and we met them.

To recognize Jesus we would have to be purified in our mind. If we are still caught up in and enamored by the things of the ego, we wouldn’t know Jesus or Buddha from Joe sixpack. For recognition it takes a sensitivity, an awareness, a desire to behold holiness. Most of us wouldn’t know holiness from titillating, sensationalized, celebrity enthrallment.

How do we get ourselves ready for the birth of Jesus into this world so that we would recognize him? How do we get our heads screwed on straight, and get ourselves on the right wave length?

First we have to be willing to give up the false promises made by the things of the ego. Will they really make us happy? Will all the shopping and gift giving at this time of year especially if it stresses us out and fills us with mixed feelings make us and others happy? We need to reflect and prioritize the things that truly make us and others happy. Consumption of material objects probably is not terribly high on the list while sharing time with loved ones and other people might be.

Second, we have to forgive all the people that we hate and stop making them responsible for our own happiness. We need to realize that we are not victims, but the beloved children of God who are richly and deeply blessed each and every second of each and every day. When we get into this frame of mind, Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tsu, Muhammad would be very recognizeable and give us great joy in meeting them.

Third, knowing that we are blessed by the Unconditional love of God, our Creator, we naturally want to extend this joy and peace throughout the world and we join with Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tse, and Muhammad in this mission.

Jesus is coming in four short weeks. Are you ready? Set aside the things of the ego and make space for His message of Love and Peace. What will you give up? What will you set aside? How will you make room for what Jesus’ birth has to offer?