For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he shall be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forever more.

                                                            Isaiah 9:6-7

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

            A few days ago I woke in my bed and looked around at the early light. I recognized it as the first light of the morning following the Solstice, the longest night of the year.  It did not seem impressive. It was a cold and cloudy morning, and I thought it seemed unworthy of such a wonderfully significant day. Still I knew that this is a day that holds a promise so profound that people even millennia before the birth of Jesus celebrated it with joy. It is the first day of winter, and, at the same time, a day that is very slightly longer and brighter than the day before, as the earth begins to tip again toward its source of warmth and life.  

            It isn't accidental that the Christian Church, by long tradition, has chosen this time of year to celebrate the Savior's birth. The capacity for hopefulness in the world's darkest moments is an essential spiritual gift. "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light," but the light wasn't obvious - it never is. At Christmas time, we celebrate the gift that keeps us in the day of promise, rejoicing as people do when they experience a baby's birth and begin to think what the child's life will become.  

Allen

Allen M. Fluent, Acting Conference Minister

Tuning the Senses

"O taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps 34). One vehicle for revelation is our own sensual experiences, and the spiritual practice of "tuning the senses" can open us more fully to God's presence in our everyday lives.

The practice is simple. Take one of the five senses and focus on it for a few minutes. For example, with the sense of smell, close your eyes and breathe deeply. What is there that has gone unnoticed? Perhaps the faint smell of soap, your pet, what remains in the trash. Like emotions, welcome all that you smell without judgment - neither good nor bad, and instead focus on expanding your awareness. Before taking your first sip of coffee, bring the cup to your nose and breathe in deeply a couple of times. When walking in the park, pick up a leaf, crumble it in your hand and inhale what it is offering to you.

Repeat the practice with your other senses. For instance, sit and stare at a framed view out the window, focusing close, then refocusing on the distant. What was always there that you did not notice? Perhaps, the different ways that branches attach to the trunks of trees, the shapes of leaves, the colors in the sky.

God is with us and we are a people incarnating our creator. Let's use our bodily gifts to the fullest to receive what God is offering to us.