Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician, or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.” Daniel 2: 26-27, New International Version

...an angel of the Lord appeared to him (Joseph) in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home to be your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:20, NIV

I went right to these texts. There must be some connection to my wondering. So Daniel trusted God to reveal the meaning of the mystery, not Daniel’s self. It was obviously up to Daniel to teach the king about a God that could be trusted. And Joseph? He trusted the reassurance of the angel and the dream. If Joseph had paid attention to what others thought, and what he feared, where would Jesus be? Christmas would never have existed in the first place.

Perhaps there is a story for us here during this time of year. Perhaps this is where our dreams, fears, and the great mysteries of our life and faith collide. And faith here can mean a spiritual understanding, a faith that God, however God is named, alone is sovereign, and that our very lives are part of this great mystery. It is complicated, yet simple. One of the best ways that we can deal with this mystery is in symbolic terms. Rituals, traditions and practices help us to remember these stories of our community soul.

Our celebrations reflect a sense of this, whether the joy is Christmas, Hanukah, or celebrations-of-our-hearts. Memories, religious imagination, dreams and mysteries are all at the core of this and other holy seasons. There does seem to be this strange magic-that-belongs-to-God that pulls us into this cyclical, spiritual journey. There is this “God in heaven who reveals mysteries” of whom we catch a glimpse, now and then. Like snapshots from the cameras of our hearts: images, symbols, rituals, sadness, memories, joy, mystery, magic, loneliness, changes, and happenings that ask for wonder.

This issue of ecumininet online! talks about these glimpses-of-God and our celebrations that honor this. Our interview features Rabbi Jonathan Miller and new adventures with our “Backpacking Beyond the Bible Belt” and “Beany the Bunny” series. And for the first time, ecumininet online! is excited to introduce children’s articles and art for the joy of our community. We hope that in this season you will trust God to “break into” your lives in familiar, but perhaps unexpected, mysterious, and holy ways. It is simply a matter of looking for, focusing on, and trusting God and the angels in your dreams. Daniel and Joseph did. It changed their lives, and our stories, forever.

For all of our faithful readers from 2001-2006, we wish for you the blessing, the mystery, and the dream of Peace in this season of special celebrations,

Editor-in-Chief
Janine@ecumininet.com

<<Back to Archive

View for Printing

Contributors
Staff
Advertising
Internships

Send this Page to a Friend