Preparing for Christmas

December 21, 2023 | 25 comments

As Christmas day approaches, I find it helpful to remember that Christmas is about things of the Spirit, not things of the world.

Mary Baker Eddy writes, “In Christian Science, Christmas stands for the real, the absolute and eternal, — for the things of Spirit, not of matter” (Miscellany, p. 260).

As you prepare for the Christmas holidays, may a focus on receiving and giving the gifts of Spirit dominate thought and attention, over the accumulation of material things.

The “things of Spirit,” stick and stay. The “things of matter,” come and go.

25 thoughts on “Preparing for Christmas”

  1. True Evan.. you can not deny matter one day and then want a lot of “it” the next day..
    However, if we resolve things into thoughts Christmas can be about thoughtfulness..
    I’m sure we would all agree – keep it simple..
    I find meaning in Christmas by including those who feel left out.
    I take food and cloths to the homeless camps and spend time with friends and church members who need extra attention..

  2. Thank you Evan, yes ,to give the fruit of the spirit starting with love, Joy and peace and then patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,and temoerance
    Galatians 5:22.
    And thank you , John, what you do is just beautiful and exactly what is needed at Christmas, to visit the ones that feel left out,
    So grateful for Spirit View, THANK YOU so very much Evan for this wonderful gift , sent you a card and gift .
    And thank you to all who participate in Spirit view your comments are so very appreciated, and a blessed Christmas to all ❤️

    1. I am so very grateful for this blog and agree with Bobby in how full of inspiration the blog and the comments are. And that ever is Christmas! It is wonderful to experience and witness the Christ love in some form be it big or small every day..

  3. Christmas is about sharing the Christ love with everyone around us, which is why everyday should be Christmas! One of the things I am most impressed with this blog is the tremendous love expressed by all of you commenters, when someone is struggling or is a bit negative, the comments are soo loving! Thank you all for sharing your love! Merry Christmas to you all!

  4. I hope you all take some time out to enjoy Mrs. Eddy’s CHRIST AND CHRISTMAS. I can’t image Christmas without it.
    Have a wonderful Holliday season.

    1. Alli, this does go perfectly with Evan’s SpiritView! Sometimes it gets busy and I miss the Daily Lift, so thank you for sharing it!

  5. This wonderful SpiritView with all it’s participants truly IS a gift of heaven every
    day!
    From hymn #24,

    “Blest Christmas morn, though murky clouds Pursue thy way,
    Thy light was born where storm enshrouds Nor dawn nor day!
    Dear Christ, forever here and near, No cradle song,
    No natal hour and mother’s tear, To thee belong.
    Thou God idea, Life uncrowned, The Bethlehem babe –
    Beloved, replete, by flesh embound – Was but thy shade!
    Thou gentle beam of living Love, And deathless Life!
    Truth infinite – so far above All mortal strife,
    Or cruel creed, or earthborn taint: Fill us today
    With all thou art – be thou our saint, Our stay, alway.”

    So lovely, peaceful, and the real, True meaning of Christmas, which is, yes,
    Every Day. .. Day … by …. Day…..
    I love your Spirit of Christmas, John. To be One with Christ is to be never alone.
    Christ is Here, with each of us, always. : )

    1. Thank you very much, dear “J” for the two articles relating to Christmas. They contain many very helpful and needed thoughts!♡

      Thank you very much indeed, dear Evan for your the very cherished gifts of spiritual ideas that inspire healing which you give us so lovingly every day.

      The ideas in the article is comforting, namely “to experience Christmas as the birth of Christ in our lives today!” and “The truest Spirit of Christmas makes us aware of the dawning of an infinite Love!”

      Thanks all for your inspiring comments; such lovely Christmas presents!!♡

  6. I just want to add my thanks and deep appreciation to Evan for creating and providing this amazingly uplifting instrument for coping with the never ending challenges of this highly materialistic world. I so look forward to each day’s message to provide fresh and practical thinking to counter the temptations of mortal mind. And thanks also to all the contributors who have added their own experiences and insights that have helped in contemplating the Views. Merry Christmas…..Everyone!

  7. Thank you everyone for your inspiring comments, and I love what
    John Q. said at the beginning: “you can not deny matter one day and
    then want a lot of “it” the next day..However, if we resolve things into
    thoughts Christmas can be about thoughtfulness.. I’m sure we would
    all agree – keep it simple.” Keeping it simple is a good maxim.for what
    can become overwhelming at Christmas for some – lots of presents and
    lots of food. Resolving things into thoughts is an excellent thing to do.

    I have just been reading a lovely Christmas healing article with a testimony on JSH online. Here is the link if you wold like to read it:

    https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/kn1wmabkme?s=copylink

    1. Wonderful article Maggie….thank you so much. I hadn’t seen this before and it made me realise how important Mary’s thought and acceptance of Christ must have been. None of us are ‘Ordinary “ for we have been given the task of bringing the Christ into our and others lives over and above material sense and it’s attraction of human harmony as the ultimate goal. Indeed it’s an ‘own goal’ if it deters us from seeking spiritual gain .
      Thank you Evan and everyone here … my Christmas Feast must be what I’ve learned of true Being!

      1. Yes,Barbara, it has made me think more about the wonderful qualities
        of everyone involved in the Nativity, and how much absolute faith they
        had in the promises of God, and looked for them, expecting God’s
        promises to be kept. Then they left everything to find the promises.
        There is so much more we can gain from the familiar
        stories in the Bible, and this one is especially precious.

    2. That was beautiful, Maggie. Thank you so much for sharing it. What a blessing we have, not only this Christmas Season, but all time.

  8. These articles shared so lovingly are so humbly refreshing. Thank you, dear Alli, J ,
    and Maggie. They affirm Evan’s “things of Spirit” rather than “things of matter”..
    so sweetly.
    I was in the grocery store today and there were lovely Christmas bouquets, greenery
    and flowers that all brought a sense of God’s Being to vision. I complimented a bouquet
    a fellow shopper had in her cart and we had a lovely conversation. She said she was
    feeling overwhelmed and needed to get something for someone and hoped she would
    like it. I helped her be convinced how beautiful a gift it will be and a sense of Christly
    Love was shared.

    1. Hi Carol, I appreciate when you share small things from your day, which are not really small because they make us pay attention and look for the deeper spiritual goodness we can find and express, if we are paying attention and turn our thoughts upward.

      1. Thank you, Rose. You are so right, the small things are really the
        big things. Every instance that welcomes Love’s acknowledgment
        is a demonstration of God. Be it taking the dogs for a short ride and
        being rewarded by seeing a bald eagle in a tree, or anything that
        proves our at-0ne-ment with the Divine. For another example,
        yesterday I was paying the yearly fee for the transfer/recycling station.
        One of the gentlemen suggested I say I am in-county when I am not.
        It would save me $70. But it felt good to be honest, even despite having
        to pay that much more and it is still less than having to pay to have it
        picked up. The gentleman who took the money is usually quite grumpy
        and a bit arrogant (humanly speaking), and I think puts on a facade of
        authority in dealing with folks, but was exceptionally pleasant and even
        apologetic for the prices and increases, so even that turned out to be a
        blessing.

  9. A very blessed Christmas season to Evan and to all! The “wonder” that was Christ Jesus’s entry into the world can certainly continue today through the Christ, and bless the whole world.
    Love and gratitude for all the inspiring blogs!
    Karen

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