<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2>DATE: December 8, 2001
<BR>LOCATION: Spokane, WA
<BR>TEACHER: TOMAS
<BR>TOPIC: "We will come rejoicing."
<BR>T/R: Gerdean
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<BR>TOMAS: Good afternoon, friends. I am Tomas. I am proud to be your associate, "and we will come rejoicing."
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<BR>What a marvelous time of year! The anticipation of the holidays – an opportunity to break away from the pattern of daily routine, the opportunity to be extravagant and feel the blessings of gift-giving, thinking of others and enjoying the respite from the ego's incessant insistence upon being the focus of attention, and the anticipation of family gatherings, fellowship, prayer and thanksgiving. What an honor it is – the ideal of celebration of the entrance of the Christ Child into your nativity, your own birthplace, your Urantia. And so we sing carols of the season.
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<BR>I was not much of one to acknowledge much about your cultures as I first attended to the human race, but as I've been your associate these many seasons, I've come to acknowledge an appreciation for your customs – not that they are so different from my original customs from my home life, but that I'd been away from the practice of these local celebrations for such a long time in celebration of the dimension where I have been living, it was like coming into a new culture and learning your ways, just like you would go to Russia or China or India and eventually come to know and appreciate their customs, holidays, spiritual flavors and so forth.
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<BR>Celebration is a form of worship, if you are attentive to what you're celebrating and why. There are many who seek to celebrate in hope of covering over the emptiness in their lives, reaching for reality in the noise and excitement. The quiet joy of the spirit, the deep happiness of real growth, the celebration of association with divinity, the knowledge of kinship in the spirit, the anticipation of an eternal adventure, the security of realizing you are safe and secure in an intelligent universe, and the comfort derived from knowing the affection of your celestial helpers and Eternal Parents, is a celebration of life that spills into empty spaces and fills the void with love and hope.
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<BR>How will your world religions recognize the holiness of the season, having the world conditions - such as they are - in immediate sight? The City of Jerusalem is beset with violence. The village of Bethlehem is marred by misunderstanding. Can we anticipate that it might be this year that Christ is born in ways which he has not been able to reveal to his people before? Will his presence bring peace or will it bring more strife? And what will your attitude be in your personality expression of celebration of truth, beauty and goodness this time of the year?
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<BR>This is really a very good opportunity to make the most of this season, this holiday which is recognized around the world as a Christian holiday and effectively connected to the Judeo history as well. Can we represent the God (that) Jesus came to tell you about? Or will we rely on an earlier, angry God to determine how our world will evolve? Perhaps it is true that this situation is rooted in Abraham, Abraham the student of Melchizedek. Father Melchizedek and Father Abraham may go farther toward creating a platform for the return of the Son of God more than once!
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<BR>The Master himself would recommend the mortal go direct to the Father and not stumble over him - or other prophets or seers or leaders - but go direct to the Father. How challenging for us and for you in this mission!
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<BR>Have a place at your table for George Harrison this Christmas.
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<BR>How is everyone? It's certainly good to see you all. (Silence) Chatty bunch! (Giggles) It's the stillness of the snow, the comfort of the campfire, the hush of twilight.
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<BR>THOROAH: It's nice to see you, Tomas.
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<BR>TOMAS: I am becoming an old shoe in your environment. I dare say I've been having entertaining visits elsewhere, but as you say, "you can't keep a good man down" and I have occasionally testified to my nature as opportunistic. I get aggressive in my assignments. As noted above, I find this area requiring dedication beyond my comfort zone. I have come to realize I was under the misguided impression I had advanced in my evolution to being beyond the realm of having to put forth so much effort on behalf of others, many of whom have no interest in my efforts. They say you can't want for someone something they don't want for themself. I testify to you, that's not true!
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<BR>JAEL: Oh, good!
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<BR>TOMAS: You can want for someone what they don't want for themself because (tee hee) they don't know what they want until they get it, and then it's like the pearl of great price. They will sell everything they own to keep it. And isn't it peculiar how difficult it is to assign a real description to that prize. It's almost, as soon as you've packaged it and put a ribbon on it, you've lost it. It's flown away; it's leaked out the other end, sneaked out the other side, and become Life once again.
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<BR>This is to me where the celebration is: in the incessant surprises ~ the manifold mysteries ~ that reveal and reveal ~ and yet, because of its infinity, remains the mystery ~ like bubbles from a jar ~ that spill into the air ~ and vanish and reappear ~ with the next wave of the hand.
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<BR>I was watching you all enjoy yourselves and listen to music and enjoy one another's companionship. I was not offended that you were late in remembering me. (Thank you.) When I see how much you've grown, each of you, as a direct result of our efforts ~ as I see you reflect your happiness and your reality with each other ~ I am rewarded with feeling I have taught well and my fellow teachers have also done well, so that we can stand back and enjoy the fruits of our labors when we say to you, "love one another as we have loved you."
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<BR>We celebrate our association ~ and welcome you to say hello ~ while we also get to greet you ~ and enjoin with you in your mission work ~ as we advance together into the arena ~ to reveal the Father ~ and his love and mercy ~ to his children of time. We pray for an extension ~ of this genuine affection ~ to brothers and sisters throughout the realm ~ reaching into the heart of humanity ~ to share the beating of the pulse of life ~ as we find it in and through the Father~ and with the Mother. I celebrate the moment with you in worship.
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<BR>Well, as they say, "sleigh bells ring." Are you listening? Let's go help the children sing. Snow is glistening. Rejoice.
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<BR>Bye!
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