Showing posts with label Advent 2018. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advent 2018. Show all posts

Monday, December 3, 2018

Would the Holy Family be welcomed in the U.S. this year?


Jesus was born when Joseph and Mary were traveling. After His birth in Bethlehem they fled to Egypt to avoid the infanticide ordered by Herod. Who would take this small family in? If today they were fleeing from Honduras to the U.S. they would be rejected at the U.S.' Southern Border. Jesus might be taken from Joseph and Mary and put in a juvenile detention center while Jospeh and Mary are extradited back to Honduras, the land where the killing is taking place.

People in the United States prize their culturual Christianity, but they do not behave like Chrisitans. Even those who proclaim themselves the most evangelical, support policies and leaders which are the opposite of Christian.

At this time of Advent we prepare ourselves to welcome the Messiah and his parents, the Holy Family. Would that we vote for leaders and policies that will make this possible.

Unitarian Univeralists stand out among religious people covenanting together to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. We are an inclusive and welcoming religious tradition. The Messiah and His Family are welcome among us.

Sunday, December 2, 2018

First Sunday Of Advent - What is the season really about?


In the Unitarian Univeralist world those of us who come from Christian tradtions especially the Catholic and Anglican ones are happy today because it is the first Sunday of Advent. Jesus is coming. Jesus will be the Messiah, the Savior, who will transform the world into heaven on earth.

The Messiah is often portrayed in political and even military metaphors as a savior and triumphant King and this story has done much damage and lead to great misunderstanding. Jesus is not a politician even though the Jews and Romans try to describe Him as such. Jesus is seen as a rebel and a revolutionary which is true enough but not in the political realm but in the spiritual.

Jesus will be described as working miracles and these miracles will be misconstrued as altering physics and biology which, of course, is magic which has nothing to do with spritual transformation. The miracle will be the shift of human perception from the path of the ego to the path of the spirit and in this transformation great healing occurs bringing peace and joy to the world.

And so what we anticipate at this time of year is the celebration of a message about truth, goodness, beauty, and peace which will help us see our lives and the world differently.

Christmas has been captured by commercial interests which has corrupted the message and meaning of the season.

At Unitarian Univeralism: A Way Of Life Ministries we don't celebrate the commercial Christmas, but we do celebrate Advent and the coming of Jesus' message to the world. So we suggest a "buy nothing" Christmas and instead encourage acts of kindness. The season, after all, is not about buying stuff but doing nice things for ourselves and for others.

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

The first Sunday of Advent is on December 2, 2018.



The first Sunday of Advent is on December 2, 2018.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. 
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