I am not someone who knows a lot about my genealogy. It occurs to me, though, that those eleven disciples in today's scripture are our Christian ancestors. At Jesus' instruction, they have passed down the DNA of his teaching. They are in our spiritual family tree. We are blessed by them, despite their doubts and fears. Thank you, Ellen, for your commitment to this forum and your leadership. Your encouragement and call to action have been blessings indeed.

Was the author of Matthew really privy to the dreams of the magi and of Joseph? I have often wondered about this. But, dreams are remarkable happenings. So, I have no doubt that this subconscious life that we have while dreaming is where we can meet the divine and receive life-changing insight. The devotional author urges us to listen for God’s voice as we slumber and awaken with renewed vigor. What tender words of encouragement those are!

Yes, we must rejoice in God's restoration of his creation. God's provision is abundant. But... we (Americans) must remember not to take more than our fair share. I know I'm feeling discouraged today, thinking about the harm we humans have done to God's creation. Thank you, Ellen and Gina, for your inspiring words. Your posts to the forum always lift me up.

The note in my Bible offers "farewell" as an alternative to "rejoice", as well. While "rejoice" has always struck me as an imperative verb, it is interesting to think of "farewell" the same way. Farewell in the Lord. What a lovely imperative!

There is so much detail in the story of Anna - her father, her tribe, her age, even her marital history. I can imagine that the readers of the Gospel writer's day recognized all the unspoken meaning. But, for me, her praise and testimony says it all.

Ellen, I appreciate your paraphrase so much. When I read the Psalm, I find the poetry lovely, but I just can't relate to the Psalmist's confidence that he will always be protected from harm. Thank you for your re-envisioning paraphrase, which brings to my mind the Christmas hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem. • "O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today."

I can't imagine ever being totally unafraid of loss, exile and separation. We all feel anxiety on some level on occasion. The challenge is to manage our anxiety, our fears. Sometimes we can't do that alone. At those times, we can reach out to our sisters and brothers through whom God expresses God's love for us.

I agree, Gina. The lighted houses are a delight in the darkness of winter. Now when I see them, I will think of your beautiful comment about being the light of Christ in a too-often-dark world.

Today’s scripture and devotional are especially thought-provoking. I recall reading that the author of Luke placed Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem to highlight the fulfillment of prophesy and to place Jesus in the lineage of King David. This birthplace setting and the story of how the Holy Family got to Bethlehem must have had special meaning for those who looked to the City of David for their salvation. Pondering that led me to wonder: what do we look for today to convince us to follow Jesus? I, myself, put less importance on the circumstances of Jesus’ birth, although I do appreciate our Christmas rituals and myths. I guess the message of love, service and peace is what resonates with me more.

We 21st-century people are certainly beneficiaries of those who stood firm in their faith in the past. I am struck by the warning Jesus is giving his disciples as described by the author of Matthew. There is no "if" you will be dragged before governors, but rather "when". This passage left me with profound sadness over the rejection of Jesus and his followers. That led to sadness over how people continue to react with threats instead of trying to understand a new point of view. I appreciate how the author of the devotional reminds us that a relationship with the Spirit can facilitate a non-threatening reaction to a tense situation. That tempers my sadness with hopefulness.

The image that stood out to me from today's devotional message was the bucket of cold water. What a baptism! It might be more accurate to call it a pre-baptism admonition to "Repent!". As uncomfortable as it would be to be doused with cold water, it might be just the reminder I need.

It is so interesting how our culture -- meaning we people -- has created so many ways to distract us from what we really celebrate at Christmas. As we try to make the season more meaningful, sometimes we just end up making it more full.

Today's scripture was lovely and comforting and an important reminder of God's care. The author of the devotional booklet continues to present, in her prayers, an essential aspect of God. Addressing God as a stabilizing God brought into focus this important nature of the divine.

In this section of Matthew, Jesus is giving a vivid description of "the end of the age". Some people will be prepared for this kingdom of heaven, but those who are not are in for a world of hurt. It's a bit frightening, especially for devotions titled "More faith, less fear". I am guessing it is meant to be a frighteningly serious description of what will happen to the "worthless slaves" when the Son of Man comes to bless and to curse. I, too, struggle to find a clear life application in this story. However, just a bit further along in Matthew, there is the blessing of those who served the least of these. Here, I found a better understanding of eternal punishment versus eternal life. In fact, the words "I was in prison and you visited me" encouraged me to put aside fear in the past to teach in corrections and volunteer in a program of restorative justice. Today's reading was certainly thought-provoking. And here we are, overcoming fear to struggle with scripture and participate in this forum.

Thank you, Ellen. My first reaction to Solomon's request was that he would be a good role model for people in leadership, especially political leadership. You have helped me see that this is a lesson for us all.

When the author of Mark composed this story, I conclude that he did so to illustrate Jesus' power and maybe his disappointment over the disciples' lack of faith. I have a hard time believing that the message is to keep on smilin' when your life is in peril. Surely God wants us to protect ourselves. Their being afraid led the disciples to awaken Jesus, whose command did calm the storm. The disciples may have failed the test of their faith, but Jesus saved them anyway.

The last section of today's scripture focuses on nature being at peace. If we replace the various animals names with the identities of people ... different faiths, different ethnicities, different political views, different genders...that would truly be "an image of peace".

It looks as if you have received your new Bible. Thanks for passing on the note!

Amen.

The author of our devotional refers to the Israelites in Isaiah being paralyzed with fear. Then she writes, "But God intervenes...". This direct intervention by God is a mystery. Yet, I am reminded of the sermon in Gina's post on December 9 that speaks of the powerful experience of grace. It seems that this is an example of God's direct intervention. It will probably remain a mystery, but I am grateful for her sharing of Tillich's message.