Yet, sometimes, if funds are low, the anxiety I feel betrays a residual belief in lack. The challenge is that it’s possible to have two contradictory beliefs concurrently.įor instance, I believe in an abundant universe. We may also believe because it’s what we’ve been taught. We believe because we have an intellectual understanding of how a thing works. Increase your hope on this continuum, and enter the realm of belief. They can motivate us to adopt new ways of thinking and behaving … These glimpses can inspire us to make positive changes.

Hope arises when we glimpse a new possibility. In Unity, perhaps inspired by the view that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for,” we contemplate both hope and faith as we spiritually prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas … Most Christians focus on hope during the first week of Advent. The traditional themes of Advent allow us-through meditation, prayer, and affirmation-to contemplate ways to share our deepest gifts: hope and faith, peace, love, and joy. The four Sundays of Advent proclaim aspects of our divine nature-hope and faith, peace, love, and joy. They wonder: Why does the story of Mary and Joseph and the divine child born in a manger continue to resonate with us more than 2,000 years later?Ĭhristmas represents the divine child born in each of us and the divine attributes we can develop as we learn to express our God nature in human form. Kurt Condra and other writers explore why the ancient celebration of the birth of the Christ child is so meaningful. In the Advent devotional booklet The Spirit of Christmas, Rev. He shared his thoughts on his understanding that “Christ is an idea in divine mind” and highlighted the universality of the Christ, the divine essence that dwells in every human being. Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore spoke of Unity and Advent in a January 24, 1923, radio broadcast called “ Christ Mind, the Second Coming of Christ.” What Do the Weekly Advent Themes Represent for Us?Īdvent guides us to explore what Christmas means to us personally and to discover that the greatest gift we can give to our family, friends, and the world is ourself! As the holiday season approaches, we often hear the language spoken of “preparing the way.” Traditionally, Advent is a time of reflection and affirmation, with each week represented by a theme.Īdvent has been seen as an exploration of faith, an inner search of the mind and heart.

Unity time donkey