spirit

Saturday December 28^th, Matthew 1: When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.  When we go into this post-Christmas world, a world in which we have acknowledged that God is indeed with us, all of us.  May we follow the lead of the Spirit and bring one another into our lives as brothers and sisters, friends and family.  As we look back on the year may we see where we have not done so well as a child of God, a community and as a nation and vow to do better in the year ahead.  I pray that in the coming year, we as individuals and as a nation will begin to see the beauty of the gift of Christmas, the gift of Jesus, God with us, as a gift for all people.  I pray we will truly find our footing as a people and begin once again to treat others in this world and in this nation as the children of God with the same understanding most of us would give to our own brothers and sisters.  Maybe then we can start to live up to the bold phrase on our money, In God we Trust.  And may the spirit of Christmas, may the spirit of God with you, with me, with us, and guide us in the year ahead, Amen!