The Kindred Spirit of Christmas

To All Within Our Kindred Community.......Let the World In.......Open Your Arms in Peace

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know or perceive a sense of their own worth until it has been reflected back to them in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.”
― John Joseph Powell

“You have to appreciate where you have come from to know who you are in the present and who you would like to be in the future.”
― Truth Devour

“There's magic in recognizing a kindred spirit, and an even greater power in letting yourself love and be loved by them.”
― Jacqueline Koyanagi,

These 4 quotes to me reflect our intersecting journey amongst others in our mutual pursuits of peace. Christmas is a season of remembrance and celebration, for truly “God is with us”. It is within the personal nature of the Christ journey in our midst that we are blessed with the experience of Divine encounter. Through the grace of the incarnate life lived in Jesus our inestimable worth is reflected back to us. This knowledge of who we are and whose we are enables us to envision and become living participants in the fulfillment of that grand vision of "peace on earth, goodwill towards all". Our capacity to create with God is magically empowered in sacred community, in sacred partnership with others of kindred spirit to love even as God first loved us. The journeys continues……  

Together, we comprise a community of kindred spirits that live within the Christmas story and other sacred stories. Our heritage and our legacy intertwine in the shared meaning of “Immanuel”, God with us, a rich global legacy. Within our Christian experience surrounding Christmas, our one underlying essence is that our God, a loving, endearing Creator lived as we in the circumstances of our struggles and journeys to experience and understand our reality of life. The vulnerabilities and suffering, the temptations of power, ego and exclusivity, all were faced. Even as a child forgives and loves unconditionally, so God in Christ offered such grace to bless our lives.

We, amongst many faiths, are kindred spirits made such in our mutual journeys to be one with the Divine and one another. The Christmas blessing is recognition of our oneness beyond nationalities, denominations and faiths. Peace on earth is our vision. Our hope envisions unity in diversity. Joy to the world is our expression of community reverberating through the ages. As we daily take time to gaze upon the mirror of Christ, may we see our emerging selves breaking forth, reflecting our love to others, inviting all to become kindred spirits on our mutual journeys of peace. “God is with us, who can prevail against us” Go forth in Christmas love, joy, hope and peace. 

With Meaning,
Kerry Richards
Director of Mission in Canada
“A Catalyst for Meaningful Expressions of Sacred Community”

Risk to Become

Slowly, dwell upon each word, independent of the whole to experience a personal moment of journey from uttered prayer to spiritual practice, to being led to risk in your discipleship.

Gracious God, Creator and Abiding Presence;
Hallowed, humble and holy is your peaceful countenance. To encounter you is to abandon self, the ego of my humanness, the pride of what has transpired before, the sorrow of what has happened knowingly and unknowingly to cause separation, despair and woundedness. My encounter now is being in the present moment of vulnerable release, my offering of the entirety of self, even the very breath I breathe to “be” one with you. Receive my essence, my “me” as I enter a peace so pure,…. time is paused. Within this depth of knowing, ripples of grace enfold and flow, with unconditional lifeability, blessing each indrawn breathe with a smile connecting the inner and the outward of my soul and being. Quietness, awareness, peace, shalom abide. Breathe shallow not to disturb this gift. God is near, oneness is wholeness, time is eternal and no more…….Brrrrrreathe.

Choose to remain, or to pray, to discern, to become mindful of images, of emerging names, of ideas and feelings. Journal these leadings to prayerfully ponder and dwell upon, for each is a guided blessing of ministry in answer to the “Mission Payer”. “God, where will your spirit lead me today?” With courage follow the spirit into life lived. In faith borne out of your discernment, test the reality of guided empowerment. Risk to become a disciple and your belief will be transformed to knowing and pervasive joy .

May grace abide in your journey. Shalom for all.

submitted by Kerry Richards