Opinion
“After Herod had died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead.'" – Matthew 2:19-20
Dreams and visions at Christmas seem to go together.
"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," Bing Crosby and other voices croon this time of year.
And what would Christmas be without a reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"? Who doesn't know Clement Moore's words, "The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads."
Then, of course, there's Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol that tells us of Ebenezer Scrooge's dream of "the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.
There's quite a tradition of dreams and visions at Christmas, wouldn't you say? It's a very old tradition; in fact, it's as old as Christmas itself.
Christmas began with the dreams and visions of Joseph, Mary, shepherds and Wise Men.
That's what we've been considering each week of this Advent/Christmas season, especially the dreams of Joseph and the Wise Men. They tend to get overlooked because the focus is usually on the shepherds, the innkeeper, and the manger in Luke's gospel.
As a matter of fact, Matthew doesn't mention these at all. His focus isn't so much on the birth event of Jesus as on the protection of the Holy Child that was born. One after another come the dreams in Matthew's Gospel, five altogether. First is Joseph's dream of an angel who tells him to take Mary home as his wife.
Next is the dream for the Wise Men. They follow a star all the way from Persia to Jerusalem looking for the newborn king. In a dream, they are told to go back a different route because Herod has gone crazy, again!
Perhaps on the same night the Wise Men have their dream, Joseph has another one. "Get up," the angel tells him in the dream, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
So now, we consider the fourth dream. A few months have gone by; we don't know exactly how many.
According to tradition, the Holy Family is living in a cave near Cairo. There seems to be the pattern; first they live in a house in Nazareth, then a cave in Bethlehem, then a house, and now once again a cave.
So, you see, it wasn't just as an adult that Jesus could say, "The Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Again and again Jesus is homeless, his life threatened, even as a baby.
It's probably at this cave in Egypt the angel comes in a dream to Joseph. "Get up," the angel tells him, "take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."
How do you suppose Joseph feels as he hears these words?
Why all this torturesome travel? These are the obvious reasons, but there's one very important one. The infancy and life of Jesus retraces the journeys of Israel, the people of God.
Israel, the chosen people, the people God called to be his own, had disappointed him. But God loved them, nonetheless and the travels were necessary.
Please join us at First Lutheran Church this Sunday, Dec. 23, at 11 a.m. to hear more about Joseph’s dream that brought Jesus to Nazareth and how closely it ties to the travels of the Israelites as Matthew had intended in writing this Gospel.
All are welcome, so please, come as you are and join us Sunday for worship and a hot lunch and then again on Christmas Eve, Monday, Dec. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. for our free community Christmas dinner and our Christmas Eve worship service at 5 p.m.
Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572. Email Pastor Chris atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Dreams and visions at Christmas seem to go together.
"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," Bing Crosby and other voices croon this time of year.
And what would Christmas be without a reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"? Who doesn't know Clement Moore's words, "The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads."
Then, of course, there's Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol that tells us of Ebenezer Scrooge's dream of "the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.
There's quite a tradition of dreams and visions at Christmas, wouldn't you say? It's a very old tradition; in fact, it's as old as Christmas itself.
Christmas began with the dreams and visions of Joseph, Mary, shepherds and Wise Men.
That's what we've been considering each week of this Advent/Christmas season, especially the dreams of Joseph and the Wise Men. They tend to get overlooked because the focus is usually on the shepherds, the innkeeper, and the manger in Luke's gospel.
As a matter of fact, Matthew doesn't mention these at all. His focus isn't so much on the birth event of Jesus as on the protection of the Holy Child that was born. One after another come the dreams in Matthew's Gospel, five altogether. First is Joseph's dream of an angel who tells him to take Mary home as his wife.
Next is the dream for the Wise Men. They follow a star all the way from Persia to Jerusalem looking for the newborn king. In a dream, they are told to go back a different route because Herod has gone crazy, again!
Perhaps on the same night the Wise Men have their dream, Joseph has another one. "Get up," the angel tells him in the dream, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
So now, we consider the fourth dream. A few months have gone by; we don't know exactly how many.
According to tradition, the Holy Family is living in a cave near Cairo. There seems to be the pattern; first they live in a house in Nazareth, then a cave in Bethlehem, then a house, and now once again a cave.
So, you see, it wasn't just as an adult that Jesus could say, "The Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Again and again Jesus is homeless, his life threatened, even as a baby.
It's probably at this cave in Egypt the angel comes in a dream to Joseph. "Get up," the angel tells him, "take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."
How do you suppose Joseph feels as he hears these words?
Why all this torturesome travel? These are the obvious reasons, but there's one very important one. The infancy and life of Jesus retraces the journeys of Israel, the people of God.
Israel, the chosen people, the people God called to be his own, had disappointed him. But God loved them, nonetheless and the travels were necessary.
Please join us at First Lutheran Church this Sunday, Dec. 23, at 11 a.m. to hear more about Joseph’s dream that brought Jesus to Nazareth and how closely it ties to the travels of the Israelites as Matthew had intended in writing this Gospel.
All are welcome, so please, come as you are and join us Sunday for worship and a hot lunch and then again on Christmas Eve, Monday, Dec. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. for our free community Christmas dinner and our Christmas Eve worship service at 5 p.m.
Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572. Email Pastor Chris at
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- Written by: PASTOR CHRIS DELCOL
For some people, leaving a beloved pet behind can ruin a holiday. However, having a furry friend doesn’t mean you can’t leave home.
It may be possible for you to bring your pet along for the trip. If not, boarding your pet or hiring a pet sitter may be an option.
Keep the following BBB tips in mind when planning a trip with your pets:
· Traveling by plane. You have two options when you take your pet on an airplane with you. If your pet is small enough, you can keep it under the seat in front of you. If your pet is too large, it will go in cargo. No matter what, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), a BBB Accredited Charity, recommends making an appointment with your veterinarian for a checkup to make sure they’re fit to fly the friendly skies. In 2017, consumers nationwide filed more than 7,400 complaints against airlines with BBB, so do your research. Look up airlines at www.bbb.org to see their BBB Rating and if there are complaints or reviews from past customers on file about flying with pets. Regulations and fees for bringing your pet on a plane vary by the airline, so make sure to double check.
· Road trips. Before bringing Fluffy or Fido on a long car trip, make sure your pet responds well to car rides. The ASPCA recommends keeping them safe and secure in a well-ventilated crate or carrier with plenty of food or water. Put together a pet travel kit, and prepare for the worst. If you’re renting a car, make sure that the company allows animals and ask if you’ll be charged extra. Consumers nationwide filed more than 10,000 complaints with BBB against auto renting and leasing companies in 2017, so make sure to find a trustworthy business at www.bbb.org.
· Make sure accommodations and destinations are pet-friendly. Wherever you’re staying, whether it be a hotel, vacation rental, or with friends or family, ensure that pets are welcome. Ask if there are extra costs or regulations. Research pet-friendly activities ahead of time – do the local beaches or nature areas allow pets?
· If necessary, leave them behind. Traveling with pets can be stressful for both you and the animal, and sometimes it’s just not feasible. Thankfully, you have options. You can hire a pet sitter to visit your animals in your own home, letting them stay in their natural environment where they’re most comfortable. You can also opt for a traditional boarding facility, like a kennel or pet hotel. In 2017, BBB received hundreds of complaints from consumers nationwide against pet boarding, sitting, and kennel companies. Complaints allege injuries to pets and poor customer service. It’s important to leave your pet in the care of someone you can trust, so look for BBB Accredited Businesses at www.bbb.org.
Remember to always report scammers. If you've been the target of a scam or suspect scam activity, report it to authorities and BBB Scam Tracker to warn others.
Evan Arnold-Gordon is a public relations specialist for the BBB serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.
It may be possible for you to bring your pet along for the trip. If not, boarding your pet or hiring a pet sitter may be an option.
Keep the following BBB tips in mind when planning a trip with your pets:
· Traveling by plane. You have two options when you take your pet on an airplane with you. If your pet is small enough, you can keep it under the seat in front of you. If your pet is too large, it will go in cargo. No matter what, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), a BBB Accredited Charity, recommends making an appointment with your veterinarian for a checkup to make sure they’re fit to fly the friendly skies. In 2017, consumers nationwide filed more than 7,400 complaints against airlines with BBB, so do your research. Look up airlines at www.bbb.org to see their BBB Rating and if there are complaints or reviews from past customers on file about flying with pets. Regulations and fees for bringing your pet on a plane vary by the airline, so make sure to double check.
· Road trips. Before bringing Fluffy or Fido on a long car trip, make sure your pet responds well to car rides. The ASPCA recommends keeping them safe and secure in a well-ventilated crate or carrier with plenty of food or water. Put together a pet travel kit, and prepare for the worst. If you’re renting a car, make sure that the company allows animals and ask if you’ll be charged extra. Consumers nationwide filed more than 10,000 complaints with BBB against auto renting and leasing companies in 2017, so make sure to find a trustworthy business at www.bbb.org.
· Make sure accommodations and destinations are pet-friendly. Wherever you’re staying, whether it be a hotel, vacation rental, or with friends or family, ensure that pets are welcome. Ask if there are extra costs or regulations. Research pet-friendly activities ahead of time – do the local beaches or nature areas allow pets?
· If necessary, leave them behind. Traveling with pets can be stressful for both you and the animal, and sometimes it’s just not feasible. Thankfully, you have options. You can hire a pet sitter to visit your animals in your own home, letting them stay in their natural environment where they’re most comfortable. You can also opt for a traditional boarding facility, like a kennel or pet hotel. In 2017, BBB received hundreds of complaints from consumers nationwide against pet boarding, sitting, and kennel companies. Complaints allege injuries to pets and poor customer service. It’s important to leave your pet in the care of someone you can trust, so look for BBB Accredited Businesses at www.bbb.org.
Remember to always report scammers. If you've been the target of a scam or suspect scam activity, report it to authorities and BBB Scam Tracker to warn others.
Evan Arnold-Gordon is a public relations specialist for the BBB serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.
- Details
- Written by: Evan Arnold-Gordon
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