Focal verse
“‘Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means, ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23).
Reflection
“Can I text, Mama?” The morning light streams through the windows, and before anything else can happen, my daughter wants to text. She writes the same thing every morning to family members who live down the street and across the country: “Good morning.” Soon my son wants in on the action. His fingers carefully punch each letter, his eyes scanning the screen as the words appear: “How are you?”
Both of my kids love the phone and want to use it for connection—to others and the world. My daughter delights in looking up the score from the latest Kansas City Chiefs game; she always wants to know the weather. She scrolls through my pictures with a smile on her face. She takes pictures of our pets and selfies with her brother. Her perspective sees beauty in the morning fog and a sunset over the town playground.
Through my children, I’m also learning to see beauty in the ordinary details of our days. It’s this conviction that I’m taking into the new year. I want to see God’s presence dancing among us and pulling up a chair at the dining room table. I want to marvel at the loss of baby teeth and the first point scored at the basketball game. I want to connect with friends and family and say hello and how are you?
How about you? Where do you want your gaze to land?
In this new year, may you know that Emmanuel, God with us, is indeed with you. May you know this whisper of the Spirit and feel it in your bones. May you run and cheer into the wind, and, when you fall, may you know the strength of the ground beneath you. Perhaps most important, when you feel alone and untethered, may you turn your gaze to God, who holds you close and whispers to you: You are loved.
Practices
- Grab your phone or camera and have your family take pictures throughout your day together. See what each of you notices. Give thanks to God for the ordinary beauty of your life together.
- Read together For the Beauty of the Earth (Beaming Books) or sing the lyrics to the hymn (ELW 879) as your family’s prayers.
Prayer practice
Use candles to bring both light into your home and to remind you of the light of Christ. Whether over a meal or before bedtime, light a candle and lift up prayers for God’s light to shine in the lives of friends and family.
Read together: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it” (John 1:1-5).
