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Putting Christ Back in Christmas: Deep Dive with Dan & Sheila #176 · Growing Closer to God with Guided Meditation

• 0:02
  Dan: I'm Dan.
• 0:03
  Sheila: And I'm Sheila.
• 0:04
  Dan: And I think our mission today is to really understand how Pastor Young helps us refocus on Christ during the Christmas season.
• 0:10
  Dan: Welcome to the Deep Dive everyone.
• 0:15
  Dan: Sometimes, I think, amidst all the presents and hustle and bustle, you know, the real reason for the season can kind of get lost right.
• 0:23
  Sheila: It definitely can.
• 0:30
  Dan: So we thought we would do a special Christmas deep dive this year into a guided Christian meditation by Pastor Young, called Putting Christ Back into Christmas.
• 0:34
  Sheila: Yes, and I think our listeners will find this meditation particularly helpful in reorienting their hearts and minds to the true meaning of the season.
• 0:45
  Dan: Yeah, and think of us as Pastor Young's AI assistants here to kind of guide you through some of the highlights of this meditation.
• 0:52
  Dan: I'm Dan.
• 0:53
  Sheila: And I'm Sheila.
• 0:54
  Dan: And I think our mission today is to really understand how Pastor Young helps us refocus on Christ during the Christmas season.
• 1:00
  Sheila: Exactly.
• 1:01
  Dan: So you know, looking at this meditation, one of the first things that really jumps out is that Pastor Young starts with this idea of confession and preparation.
• 1:08
  Sheila: Right.
• 1:08
  Sheila: He actually starts with the scripture from Psalms 51.
• 1:13
  Sheila: It's interesting because it's all about King David acknowledging his sin and asking for forgiveness, and I think that's really significant because it reminds us that even someone like King David, who you know is considered a hero in the Bible, had to confront his flaws before he could truly connect with God.
• 1:30
  Dan: Yeah, that's a good point.
• 1:31
  Dan: It's like you saying hey, before we can fully appreciate the Christmas message, we need to kind of clear the air, you know.
• 1:37
  Sheila: Absolutely.
• 1:37
  Sheila: And then he goes on to introduce some really practical techniques for relaxation, you know, like breath work and muscle tension release.
• 1:46
  Sheila: So it's all about really quieting the mind and preparing the body for a deeper connection with God.
• 1:52
  Dan: Yeah, I've tried that kind of breath work before and it's amazing how much that can really help you kind of quiet your mind, just kind of relax.
• 1:59
  Sheila: It really does, it's about creating a space for stillness and reflection, and that leads us into the heart of the meditation, really, which is the scripture itself.
• 2:08
  Sheila: And the scripture that Pastor Young focuses on is Matthew 2.1 through 2, the story of the wise men seeking the newborn king.
• 2:17
  Dan: Ah, the wise men, such a classic part of the Christmas story.
• 2:20
  Sheila: Absolutely.
• 2:21
  Sheila: But you know, I think Pastor Young really encourages us to kind of look deeper into the story.
• 2:26
  Sheila: You know, remember these wise men, these magi.
• 2:29
  Sheila: They weren't just random travelers.
• 2:31
  Sheila: They were scholars, astronomers, who had studied the prophecies and they were eagerly anticipating the Messiah's birth.
• 2:37
  Sheila: So they were already primed to recognize Jesus as someone special.
• 2:42
  Dan: Right, so they were kind of already looking for him.
• 2:44
  Sheila: Exactly and think about their journey.
• 2:50
  Sheila: You know they were willing to travel a long distance, following a star, to find this newborn king.
• 2:52
  Sheila: It really says a lot about their faith and determination, doesn't it?
• 2:56
  Dan: That's a good point.
• 2:57
  Dan: That really makes me think about, you know, the sacrifices we make for things that are really important to us.
• 3:01
  Dan: I think about, like my grandma.
• 3:03
  Dan: Every year, no matter what, she would make this long trip to be with family for Christmas.
• 3:09
  Dan: It was just that important to her.
• 3:10
  Sheila: Yeah, it is about the things that we prioritize and the things that we hold dear Definitely.
• 3:14
  Sheila: And then you know, when they finally found Jesus, they didn't come empty handed.
• 3:17
  Dan: Right, they brought gifts gold, frankincense and myrrh.
• 3:20
  Sheila: Yes, but they weren't just valuable, you know, they held symbolic meaning in that culture.
• 3:25
  Sheila: Right, gold acknowledged Jesus as a king, frankincense pointed to his divinity and myrrh?
• 3:31
  Sheila: Well, myrrh was used for burial, foreshadowing his sacrifice.
• 3:37
  Dan: Wow, I never really thought about the gifts that way.
• 3:39
  Dan: Right, you know, there's like all these layers of meaning really pointing to who Jesus was and what he would do.
• 3:44
  Sheila: Exactly.
• 3:45
  Sheila: It's as if they, in their own way, were proclaiming the true nature and mission of Jesus right.
• 3:50
  Sheila: And this kind of brings us to this crucial part of Pastor Young's message, and he calls it our Christmas assignment.
• 3:56
  Dan: An assignment.
• 3:57
  Dan: What's that?
• 3:58
  Sheila: He urges us to really share the story of Jesus's birth and what it means for the world.
• 4:03
  Sheila: That's the ultimate gift.
• 4:05
  Dan: Oh wow, how does he suggest we do that?
• 4:08
  Dan: Because that's kind of a big challenge.
• 4:10
  Dan: You know it'd be intimidating to talk about your faith, especially around the holidays.
• 4:14
  Sheila: Yeah, and he really emphasizes that.
• 4:16
  Sheila: It's not about preaching, you know, or forcing your beliefs on anyone.
• 4:19
  Sheila: It's about sharing the message of hope and love that Christ's birth represents in a way that feels authentic to you.
• 4:28
  Dan: So it's more about just living out our faith than giving a theological lecture.
• 4:32
  Sheila: Exactly.
• 4:33
  Sheila: It's about letting our actions and words reflect the joy and the peace we find in Christ, and that can take many forms, you know.
• 4:40
  Dan: So like how the wise men brought gifts, but maybe instead of gold, frankincense and myrrh, we offer gifts of our time or talents or compassion.
• 4:49
  Sheila: That's a beautiful way to put it.
• 4:50
  Sheila: It's about offering gifts that express our love for God and our love for others, gifts that bring hope and healing and joy to those around us.
• 4:58
  Dan: You know, it's interesting how Pastor Young frames this assignment.
• 5:01
  Dan: He doesn't just say go tell people about Jesus, he specifically says give the best gift this year.
• 5:07
  Sheila: Right.
• 5:08
  Dan: It's really brilliant because it kind of reframes the whole idea of gift giving at Christmas.
• 5:11
  Sheila: Absolutely.
• 5:12
  Dan: Yeah, it shifts the focus from you know material presents to something much more meaningful.
• 5:16
  Sheila: It challenges us to think about what truly matters, about the gifts that have a lasting impact.
• 5:21
  Dan: This makes me think about something a friend of mine does every year instead of buying, you know, elaborate presents, she spends the weeks leading up to Christmas baking cookies and making little crafts.
• 5:33
  Sheila: Oh, that sounds lovely.
• 5:34
  Dan: And then on Christmas Eve, she goes around her neighborhood and delivers these homemade treats to her neighbors, especially those who are elderly or live alone.
• 5:42
  Dan: And you know what?
• 5:43
  Dan: She told me that those small acts of kindness often spark the most meaningful conversations.
• 5:49
  Dan: It's in those moments of genuine connection that the true spirit of Christmas can really shine through right.
• 5:56
  Dan: So it's not about the material value of the gift, but about the love and care that it represents.
• 6:01
  Sheila: And that resonates deeply, especially in a world that can often feel so divided and disconnected.
• 6:08
  Dan: This makes me think about something else that Pastor Young talks about in his meditation, receiving.
• 6:12
  Dan: You know, it's not just about giving, but also about opening ourselves up to receive the gift that God has given us in Christ.
• 6:18
  Sheila: That's a good point.
• 6:19
  Sheila: Receiving is definitely a crucial part of putting Christ back into Christmas and it's not a one-time event, you know.
• 6:27
  Sheila: It's an ongoing process of opening our hearts to God's love and grace.
• 6:32
  Dan: It's like unwrapping a gift that keeps on giving right.
• 6:35
  Dan: Each day we can experience something new.
• 6:38
  Sheila: Exactly and just like any gift, we have to choose to accept it.
• 6:42
  Sheila: We have to choose to make space for it in our lives.
• 6:44
  Dan: Yeah, and that could be, I think, the tricky part for a lot of people right, making space for something new, you know, something bigger than ourselves.
• 6:50
  Sheila: It definitely requires a shift in perspective.
• 6:52
  Sheila: It's about acknowledging that we don't have all the answers, recognizing our need for something beyond ourselves.
• 6:59
  Dan: Yeah, that reminds me of what we were talking about earlier, with Pastor Young starting the meditation with confession.
• 7:04
  Dan: Right, it's like he's creating this space for humility right from the beginning.
• 7:07
  Sheila: That's a great connection.
• 7:08
  Sheila: It is about coming to God with open hearts and minds, ready to receive his grace.
• 7:13
  Dan: So when we talk about receiving the gift of Christ, what does that really look like?
• 7:17
  Sheila: You know, it's interesting because it's not about a checklist or a one-time event, right, it's about surrendering to a process of transformation.
• 7:25
  Sheila: It's allowing God's love to change us from the inside out.
• 7:29
  Dan: That makes me think about the affirmation that Pastor Young uses in the meditation Jesus sacrificed so that I could have everlasting life with the Father.
• 7:44
  Sheila: It's not just about knowing the words right, but letting them sink in, letting them change us.
• 7:46
  Sheila: That affirmation is powerful, isn't it?
• 7:46
  Sheila: It really is about understanding the depth of God's love and how it changes everything.
• 7:50
  Sheila: It changes how we see ourselves, how we see the world and how we treat others.
• 7:55
  Dan: Yeah, it's like putting on a new pair of glasses that allow us to see everything through this lens of love and compassion and hope.
• 8:02
  Sheila: Beautifully put and that brings us back to the heart of Pastor Young's message.
• 8:05
  Sheila: Really, it's about putting Christ back into Christmas, not just in our celebrations but in our lives.
• 8:10
  Sheila: It's about making him the center, the guiding force in everything we do.
• 8:14
  Dan: So, as we wrap up this Christmas deep dive, let's all consider those gifts that we can offer that really reflect the true meaning of Christ's birth.
• 8:23
  Dan: You know, those gifts of time, talent and compassion that we talked about.
• 8:27
  Sheila: And let's remember to open ourselves to receive that incredible gift that God has given us in Christ, a gift that has the power to change our lives and the lives of those around us.
• 8:36
  Dan: That's a beautiful message to carry with us this Christmas season and beyond.
• 8:40
  Dan: And if anyone wants to explore these ideas further with Pastor Young, you can find his contact info in the description box below.
• 8:46
  Sheila: Merry Christmas everyone.
• 8:47
  Dan: Merry Christmas.