Advent Service – Joseph Dreams of a Wondrous Birth

Our theme this year is Dreams of Christmas! Every Christmas we read the Christmas story describing how God led those He had chosen in the events leading up to the birth of Jesus through dreams and visions. Of course, He first let Mary know that she was with child, and then, in what must have been an extraordinarily delicate mission, to persuade Joseph to play faithful husband. Later in the same story God sent a dream to warn the wise men not to return to Jerusalem but to go directly home. Again, in the Gospel of Matthew, Joseph had a dream that sent the family (in obedience) Egypt, where later he had more dreams that guided him in knowing when to return home and where to settle. This year we will take a look at these dreams that are so essential to the Christmas story.