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God’s deep, steady love is true for us even if our last Christmas was complicated…or hopeful…or a bit of both. Of the many gifts of Christmas that remain, one is the reminder that we – like Mary, Joseph and my father-in-law – are rooted in God’s expansive love throughout difficult and joyful times. We are grounded in God’s goodness, grounded in God’s promises, unfolding from a baby in a manger.
As you begin a new year, know that God promises attentive presence, sustaining care and everlasting love to see us through all the seasons of our lives. God’s presence, care and love aren’t limited to our Christmases, however joyous or disappointing these may be. We don’t know how all the details of our stories will turn out. Yet we are assured that the narrative arc of our lives – and of all life – is begun, sustained and finished in the gracious waters of baptism. We know the hope that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection give to our lives … the hope that shows up each year at Christmas and beyond.
This message is excerpted from “Christmas at the cemetery” by Jordan Miller-Stubbendick in the January/February 2022 Gather magazine.