I’m dreaming of a White Christmas, which is just around the corner. Read Matthew 2:19-20. We are celebrating Christmas a little early this year as we turn to the mystery of dreams. There are four dream stories in the Christmas story. The first is when an angel comes to Joseph in a dream after Joseph discovered that Mary was going to have a baby. Since he was not the father, he was disturbed to hear the news and decided to divorce her quietly. That night, God comforts Joseph and tells him to take Mary to be his wife. So Joseph follows the advice that God gave him in the dream. The second dream is after Jesus is born. The Magi come from the east and worship Jesus. God warns the Magi in a dream to return home by a different route than the one that would go through Jerusalem because King Herod means to harm the Christ child. The third dream story is when an angel warns Joseph in a dream to take Mary and Jesus out of Bethlehem to the safety of Egypt. The fourth dream is when an angel tells Joseph it is safe to return to Israel. Today, we don’t normally think of dreams as a method for God to speak to us. Dreams are the focus of many medical studies as our modern science continues to do research on how we dream, when we dream, and what meaning dreams have. Do you remember your dreams? Do you write them down? Do you think God is trying to communicate with you? Try using your dreams as a way to have a conversation with God. 

God on high, we come to you today to contemplate the role of dreams in our spiritual lives. Teach us to listen to you through our dreams. Give us the sensitivity to be in touch with our subconscious so we can intersect our spirit with your Holy Spirit. Amen.