Day 359

Today's Lesson:

God's answer is some form of peace. All pain
Is healed; all misery replaced with joy.
All prison doors are opened. And all sin
Is understood as merely a mistake.

Father, today we will forgive Your world, and let creation be Your Own. We have misunderstood all things. But we have not made sinners of the holy Sons of God. What You created sinless so abides forever and forever. Such are we. And we rejoice to learn that we have made mistakes which have no real effects on us. Sin is impossible, and on this fact forgiveness rests upon a certain base more solid than the shadow world we see. Help us forgive, for we would be redeemed. Help us forgive, for we would be at peace.

Miracles I'm noticing:

I went with my family to church last night and really did notice the distinctions between what I'm studying here and my traditional fundamentalist upbringing. Sin is a big part of that tradition, and that was the part I had the most reaction to. On my way to church, I told myself that I would bring God with me, and that I would participate in the parts that resonated with me, and leave the parts that didn't. I found myself unable to recite the creeds and sing along with some of the hymns that I used to just blindly recite. Everything meant much more to me as I observed and reflected. I realized that I still do appreciate the old Christmas carols and smiled as a young child in the pew across from my family belted them out at the top of her lungs.

I also realized that although I haven't been going to a "church" for the past couple of years, I congregate with my Course group each week, and that has been my opportunity to commune with the Holy Spirit.

I will look forward to beginning again January 1 with my fourth year of this Course and transferring all I'm learning to other parts of my life. I am grateful that I am learning that God's intention is peace and joy - and that all sin is understood as merely a mistake, which can be corrected.

Merry Christmas - and happy holidays.