Customer Reviews

Christmas in Heaven

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

"Christmas in a joyous celebration commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. This Christian holiday is rich in traditions such as decorating pine trees with ornaments and lights, exchanging gifts among friends and family members, and singing classic songs created for the season. Christmas is not *just* a festive occasion for people on earth. Christmas is also celebrated in Heaven on December 25th in the presence of Mother God and Father God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." - From the book

Popular psychic and Gnostic teacher Sylvia Browne has teamed up with her psychic son Chris Dufresne to create a lovely, inspirational gift book celebrating Christmas. According to Sylvia and Chris, Christmas is a joyous celebration held in the Rose Garden in heaven, where the nativity story is enacted before the angels, guides and spirits.

Replete with gorgeous photos in magnificent color, Christmas in Heaven finds Sylvia and Chris taking turns offering short thoughts about the Christmas season and life on the Other Side--as well as scriptures from the Bible. Here are some of the messages they present:

"Everyone rejoices as the miracle of Jesus' birth unfolds before their eyes. The air is filled with white doves and every kind of bird you could imagine. They fly in formations creating circles and making crosses, all giving homage to our Lord." - Chris Dufresne

""The weather on the Other Side is perfect in every way. The temperature is eternally warm with gentle breezes and there are no storms or threatening weather conditions. While the temperature is always around 78 degrees, there is snow in Heaven. Snow in Heaven is not cold and icy like it is on our side. It is actually warm and fluffy!" - Sylvia Browne

"Regardless of how you choose to celebrate this Christmas, remember what the occasion is all about: the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Remember what He taught us through His own example: how to love, forgive, sacrifice, and help others. Ask yourself this question: What gift can I give to Jesus?" - Chris Dufresne

"The greatest gift we can give to Jesus is our lifetime is to `love one another' (John 15:12). We don't have to wait until we go Home to show Jesus our gratitude, loyalty, and commitment to Him." - Sylvia Browne

"Talk to your children about the first Christmas. Help them understand what the celebration is all about. Christmas is becoming so commercialized that our future generations may not remember the true meaning of Christmas." - Chris Dufresne

Christmas in Heaven is filled with breathtaking images and uplifting sentiments. It's quite an attractive gift book. However, a few things bothered me about this book:

1. Theologians and seminarians know that Jesus wasn't born in December. In order for the "flocks to be out at night", it would have had to been warm--in the Spring. Historians believe that Christians "hijacked" the date to coincide with the pagan holiday of Yule (Winter Solstice) in order to win converts. Why, then, would Heaven celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25?

2. Sylvia and Chris include the verse "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." This is one of the verses fundamentalists use to scare their congregations. Sylvia has repeatedly spoken out against such tactics, including literal interpretations of Scripture and portraying God with base human emotions such as vengeance. Why, then, is this verse included in the book?

3. What, exactly, is the "true" meaning of Christmas that Chris speaks of? For fundamentalists, the "true" meaning is the birth of a Savior who redeems humankind (only IF they ask Jesus "in their heart" and do X, Y, and Z. The rest burn in hell). However, as far as I understand both Gnosticism and Sylvia's theology, there is no need for a literal "salvation" and there is no literal hell.

4. Sylvia makes some unusual assertions about Heaven, including the "warm, fluffy white snow" and the fact that there are "movie theaters, tennis courts, and football stadiums." Sports fans and paparazzi will no doubt rejoice in this information, but I can't wrap my head around football stadiums. Football is a sport based on winning and competition, not to mention a tad violent.

Honestly, I don't mean to rip up Sylvia and Chris's latest book. I absolutely LOVE Christmas and I DO honor and love Jesus. However, I'm not a traditional Christian (and, really, neither is Sylvia or Chris). The above sticking points were like speed bumps on an otherwise beautiful road, and I just couldn't get past them. They almost cancelled out any joy or inspiration gleaned from the other passages. It seemed like Sylvia was making God/Heaven in man's image (something she criticizes in her books). I mean, she envisions Heaven at 78 F, the only insects are fireflies and butterflies (that she's ever seen), and everyone is 30 years of age. Hmmm...

Christmas in Heaven is a truly beautiful hardcover gift book. I'm just not sure who the intended audience is. Some of it reads as a suck up to the fundamentalists, but passages such as "Whether it's Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, etc., everyone has their day of celebration. In Heaven, religion doesn't exist like it does here" will effectively offend most evangelicals. Verses and messages implying that Jesus is the sole savior of humankind will likely cause many Gnostics and New Agers to bristle. This book is a wonderful idea--and it does offer hope and comfort--but the sticking points leave me feeling disappointed and confused as to the authors' intentions.

Although a small book this particular Sylvia Browne book is inspirational and uplifting for the Holiday Season. Especially recommend for anyone grieving through a loss of a loved one during the holiday season.

A beautiful depiction of how the special Christian holiday of Christmas (and the holiday season in general) is celebrated on the other side. Sylvia make it all seem so real and so wonderful with their eloquent descriptions - it makes you wish you there. It also just another great reminder of how special the holiday season is and a reminder of what the true meaning of Chritmas really is - the celebration of Christ's birth.

I purchased this book with the intention of possibly understanding what actually happens in heaven during christmas. We recently lost someone very special to us. He was very young and loved his life. Mutliple copies were purchased for family & friends. All of us with the same opinion, pretty pictures, no true understanding of what we all were searching to find. A pretty fairy tale is our evaluation - even after reading it to his children, 5 & 7 yrs of age. Just another let down in our search for truth and uplifting informatioin.

I am quite a fan of Sylvia Browne, but I was disappointed in her Christmas in Heaven book. First of all, there was not that much in it. Oh, sure, the pictures were pretty, but there very few words. I bought it with the idea that I would find out about Christmas. There was the equivalent of one paragraph about it (very large print).

This was not Sylvia's best book, in my opinion. If I had thumbed through it in a store, I would not have bought it.

Cute book but very little reading.
mostly a picture book. I read this book in about 30 min.

As usual I totally enjoyed reading Sylvia's book. I find this one spiritually uplifting. I always feel amazed by how much Sylvia know's and how little I really do know about life.
I hope Sylvia continues to write these wonderful books for many years to come so I and many others can keep learning from her.

Is a nice book. I am used to reading Sylvia's books, so was expecting more.

I believe in the basic beliefs that she has put into her Search for the Soul series. But - come on - this and several other of her books - seem to be just marketing material. Most of the books, after the Soul series, are using the same texts over and over. The more books she writes, the less I tend to believe. and this...Christmas in Heaven? don't believe it...christmas was not christmas until Constintine said it was - along with a roll up a several other holidays. And wait - Heaven - I thought it was the "Other side"? Sylvia - stop writing - you are diluting your strengh and those who believe - it's becoming pure gimmick.

This book answers so many questions. It gives you something to look forward to, in the here and now, and a better understanding of the true meaning of Christmas! To say the least "I Loved this book", I believe if you read it you will be glad you did. It gives more insight than just about Christmas!