Message from the Minister December 2018

Celebrating the Light of Christ Consciousness

What made the man Jesus the Christ? For many, the traditional view that he was a specially anointed messiah, the one and only son of God, has left us empty and wondering, “where does that leave me? Am I forever separate from the divine, hopelessly tied to a position of begging for his favor? Or, do I also have the innate potential of Christ consciousness in me as well?” What made Jesus the Christ is what makes all of us a potential Christ, the light within, the light of our higher consciousness.

If we take the Hebrew definition of Christ, meaning anointed one, we must ask, with what was he anointed? The answer lies in the things he said and did. He said, “I am the light of the world. I am the way, the truth and the life. He that follows me, will not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” It is safe to say then, this light which Jesus spoke of was his greatest gift to us, the recognition that we have this light as he did. Some look at this light as spiritual energy, or divine substance manifest in human beings. I sometimes like to call it, God in us, our true Self.

When the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, it is written they called his name Emanuel, which properly translated means, God with us. This Christmas we have the opportunity to remember that God is indeed with us, within us and all around us. We celebrate the one presence and the one power, everywhere present at all times and in all space. There is nowhere this light is not, for it is the divine substance of life itself.

When I think of the birth of the Christ, I think of it in these terms. It is the birth of an awareness that God is within. This is Christ Consciousness. It lives and moves in us. It is the creative force, our inner essence and our one true reality. It is the awareness that I am not only one with the universe, I am the universe. No living thing could be separate from me. I am a child of the living God.

It has been said one of Charles Fillmore’s favorite scriptures was (Colossians 1:27) which states, “Christ in you is the hope of glory.” If the same spirit which was in Christ Jesus dwells in you, then you can have boldness in claiming for yourself the spiritual power and glory given freely to every person.
May this Christmas season, and every day of the year be a time of accepting this precious gift of knowing exactly who and what we are in truth, and may we also extend this gift to all those we meet, everyone we speak to or even think of. May the light of our own Christ consciousness shine bright across the world, transforming all darkness and mistaken ideas into a beautiful reflection of God’s eternal love and glory.
Namaste’ and Happy Holidays

Rev. Tony