However, this is not only a Sunday of beginnings but of continuation. The Gospel lectionary text continues with the Wise Men of the East as they make their return trip without visiting Herod again and Herod's slaughter of innocent children when he realizes their decision. Here we have many dreams instead of one.
In the first dream, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him. In the wise men's dream they are warned not to return to Herod. And in a third dream, that happens after Herod dies, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.
Pastor Steve preached about how often we think of peace and power as distinct. We tend to think of power in terms of the material world - political power, or wealth, or military might of a country. We think of power as wielding influence for an individual end. Yet that is not the way we think that God's power is expressed. We can think of power and find ourselves re-imagining this as God's power becoming manifest. That is not only compatible with peace but actually affects our world and brings peace about.
This is a Sunday of new beginnings and imagining a new world.
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