On Sunday we took a little time to celebrate. We celebrated our new roof. A shout out to Pratt Builders. Christian Pratt was a gem to work with.
We then celebrated and installed our new Board of Trustees. We are so blessed, as always, with just the right people with the right skills to lead us into 2022. The new officers are Kim Cowperthwaite, president; Carolyn Sanford, vice president; Michelle Neas, treasurer; Erin Conway, secretary. Members-at-large are our new trustees, Betti Lu Lewis and Sue Vittner. Alternates are Jack Cole and Carol Holt.
Week three of the Reel to Real was another Christmas classic that was so much fun to deliver… Rudolph the Red -Nosed Reindeer. If you missed the service, watch the video above; you don’t want to miss hearing us sing the Gene Autry song, which was number 1 on the U.S. record charts the week of Christmas 1949.
The song was written by the brother-in-law of Robert Mays, who wrote the story of Rudolph for his four-year-old daughter Barbara. Mays wrote the legend when Barbara asked why her mommy wasn’t like other children’s mothers. Barbara’s mother had suffered for the last two years with cancer, and it had taken every cent the Mays could earn to pay for her medical cost.
It was important to Robert that he answer his daughter stressing how important everyone is no matter their differences; they were creatures of God and often enjoy the miraculous power to make others happy.
Mays didn’t know when he told Barbara that story that he would become famous and wealthy. It is a great story. Not only did he give a gift to Barbara, he also helped his co-workers at Montgomery Ward as the company sold more than 2.5 million copies that year.
As with the first two talks in the series, there are so many spiritual and metaphysical teachings. This is no different. I am just going to give you a taste…
The 8 reindeer each have characteristics that make the nocturnal flight possible:
• Dasher: represents out-of-the-box thinking
• Dancer: represents innate wisdom
• Prancer (Dancer’s twin) represents authentic integrity
• Vixen: represents a giving consciousness
• Comet: represents an internal locus of control
• Cupid: represents love
• Donner: represents inner strength
• Blitzen: represents an optimistic spirit
These reindeer represent qualities within us: out-of-the-box thinking, innate wisdom, love, and so on.
The Rudolph of us is that part of us that doesn’t fully comprehend that we are spiritual beings in human form, that we are divine beings having a human experience.
Santa is the Authentic Us, the Extraordinary Us, that encourages us to let our light shine, to use our unique gifts to bring peace and healing to the world.
There is much more for you to take away from this story, so if you weren’t available on Sunday and haven’t taken time to watch it, I hope this piques your curiosity.
One last bit to celebrate…Rev LeRoy is home!!!
Take precious care of yourself this week and hope to see you next week. The next Reel to Real will be A Christmas Carol. Oh, and did I tell you we will have a special guest with us?
You are a blessing in my life,
Rev. Patricia Bessey
