1998-12-25-Toys & Tools

Session

Opening

TOMAS: Good evening, my faithful flock. I am Tomas. I am glad to be here with you and to share with you your regular dormitory-style study of your spiritual life. Your investigations into the diversity of divinity, in your sharing this evening of the many many ways in which our godhead can be understood, is a lot like a parent watching the children open gifts on Christmas morning.

Lesson

Your delight in discovering all the spiritual tools and toys wrapped in the packaging of the various evolutionary interpretations of divinity, are intriguing to us and we find great delight in your reception of these beliefs as tools and toys for your enjoyment and for your use in expanding your and others' understanding of our Father. In some ways it is like learning language, and as each facet of spiritual development has its icons and dialects, its rituals or passages, you can enjoy learning their methods, their mota, and share with them their value, their truth. Very much like you experience new personalities, and enjoy what they have to offer, and find value therein, and find them to be a reflection of a greater reality, even as they comport themselves in the ways of the world.

How many gifts you have received already in your life, in this Christmas existence. The gifts which are being bestowed upon you in this yielding time of, as you say 'spiritual renaissance', in this unfurling of Michael's banner upon Urantia, is a holiday morning indeed. Lots of ribbons. Lots of noise. Lots of jubilation. Lots of "batteries not included". Lots of joy. Some day your Christmas toys will find their way into the toy box. Some will become broken and discarded. Some will become favorites and put upon a shelf. Some will indeed become a treasure to be handed down to your sons and daughters. The treasure of passing on your toys and tools is a part of your legacy. Remember then your own roots of manger, your own bed of straw, in and with the Christ child, and allow your gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh, to be those gifts of the spirit which can be a living legacy to your children of time and space.

Are there questions this evening?

Dialogue

LIANA: Your light's on Tomas.

TOMAS: I have been glowing lately. I am very joyous, Liana. I am very happy for my students. I am happy for my T/R Gerdean. I am happy for Urantia. I am happy for this last normal Christmas before the mayhem of next year's celebration. I am glad, then, for today. My light indeed shines, and sometimes, like yours, my cup simply runneth over, and I seem to press upon the batteries included and I illuminate and radiate the light. I have a good toy, a good tool. And your light, my dear, is it shining as well?

LIANA: Yes, it's shining. Probably not as brightly as it could.

TOMAS: I see, even so, that your voltage regulator is in order.

LIANA: Thank you, Tomas.

TOMAS: I see no corrosion on your battery cable.

LIANA: Do you see long life?

TOMAS: I do.

LIANA: Ever Ready?

TOMAS: Lifetime guarantee. An excellent Christmas gift, an ever ready battery! Who could not enjoy such a gift? To be activated and charged each time they come into contact with you! This is, in fact, a reflection of the dynamic life of the religionist, the circuit of life that allows you to operate. I and others have been appreciating your sense of acknowledgment of our allegories, analogies, parables, picturizations. I will point out to you that you do the same thing entirely. Indeed, Liana, this evening when you laid out the 21 tarot cards, you were drawing an allegorical picture of an understanding of the cosmos. It is unfortunate that there are those who fear your creative ministries. These tools and toys of spirituality are enchanting, albeit imperfect, and yet who is to say which of these tools and toys are effectual or ineffectual if they are reaching the people? All of you have an opportunity to develop a ministry in and with tools and toys you find work for you. No one says you have to use the same ones for all eternity!

There is infinite variation in these teaching opportunities. One of the advantages of developing interests, such as you have in interpreting the cards, and as others have in interpreting chakras and the like, is that it enables you to become fluid in your thought processes and courageous in your exposition in your understanding, or AN understanding, of a reality which is expansive, is creative. It whets the appetite. There are some who have no hunger, no taste, for such. Pass them by. There are many, many ministries. Do you think that the little drummer boy is not valued for the gift he brings? Amahl and the night visitors?

All of these allegories and fairy tales are retelling the same story. In the symphony which we have discussed many times, the drum, of course, does not sound like the piccollo, and the cello does not sound like the xylophone, but are they not each an instrument? And, in that, are they not all the same? It is in the music. It is in the coordination and the respect for the sound and the timing of each other's instrument that allows for the orchestra to play. If you all remember who the Conductor is and what the music is for, you can bring all of your tools and toys to the theater, to the stage, to the arena wherein you live your life and perform your ministries, where you enjoy yourself, being yourself, doing what you love to do, to reveal to others how it is that you perceive the Master and/or His universe.

You are rejoicing in sonship, daughtership, and bringing good cheer, offering hope, liberating the captives by your efforts. You have brought gifts on behalf of the Christ child to Urantia. Noel. Noel. It would seem that we teachers are learning your culture. We are beginning to - or I should say I AM beginning to understand your festivals and holidays. I am attempting to understand you because that way I can love you more, of course, but it also enables me to be a better teacher to you, for you. As you best understand who you are trying to teach, who you are trying to reveal the Father to, you are becoming adept and educated and skilled. You are becoming a better teacher and preacher. You are applying yourself to the subtle and not so subtle nuances of God-consciousness. You have learned how to use the tools and toys which have been given to you as gifts of the spirit.

MERIUM: I would like to know what toys and tools I am going to get. I don't want a vacuum cleaner!

LIANA: Me either!

GERDEAN: Merium, do you think that we're making a big mess on the floor, opening all our presents? Is that what you're inferring?

MERIUM: Infer nothing! There is no question you are making a mess! But it's not MY job to vacuum it up, at any rate. I am merely suggesting that if I am going to work with tools, a vacuum is not my style, but you already know that I am not domestic, not to say that there are not many who are. I like to play with dolls. I like trains too, huh, Leah?

LEAH: Yeah! And trucks.

MERIUM: And cars.

LEAH: I got a pink train engine when I was a child and I really liked that.

LIANA: I got a Mona Lisa doll.

MERIUM: And did you put her on the shelf?

LIANA: (Laughing) No, my sister ripped her head off!

LEAH: I had a really nice doll but I ripped her eyes out.

MERIUM: Barbarians! GROUP: (Laughter)

LEAH: They were so pretty I wanted to see what they looked like!

MERIUM: You are a scientist, my dear. I have no lesson to offer this evening. I have been, however, immensely enjoying our time with you. I enjoyed our elder brother's visit and his marvelous words and, as always, I enjoy watching Uncle Tomas at work, but I daresay he has gotten into the toybox, and so if he is going to play, I certainly wanted to come on-board and have my fun too, and so I say to you I don't want a vacuum cleaner because I want to play with him in the field.

LEAH: I don't want to go out into the field. It's terribly cold.

Closing

MERIUM: It is terribly cold. You must do what you can to find shelter from the storm. I am admonished by my friends here in company with us this evening that the ultimate shelter from the storm is in the still, quiet place within you where you meet Our Father, the citadel of the spirit, the rapport you may find in oneness with your indwelling spirit. You may even call that your manger where you can go and feel at peace, enwrapped in swadling clothes, you may feel completely secure and hear the lowing of the cows and the cooing of the doves and the sounds of the angels' voices. Children, we leave you now in this state of repose and joy and look forward to our time together on Sunday.

LIANA: Thank you, Merium.