Pastor’s Page

I’m a person who dreams. I mean this in a lofty sense, but also in a very practical sense.

About five nights out of seven I experience a dream – some are weird, some are wonderful, although it’s most times a somewhat neutral experience, akin to watching a movie in between going to bed and waking up in the morning.

While dreams are somewhat difficult to study scientifically, a 2024 study indicated between 2.7% and 6.5% never dream in adulthood. The rest of the population experience between one and three dreams they remember per week. So, while my experience of reality is much higher than average, others will be the opposite. From anecdotal evidence, I suspect that people are more likely to remember nightmares than more positive or neutral dreams, hence why many people don’t necessarily have a wholly positive relationship with the concept of dreaming.

Dreams often have significance in the Bible. The week’s gospel passage includes a very important dream in the narrative of the Bible, the story of our faith and the course of history, in which Joseph is urged by an angel to marry Mary and accept Jesus as his son, reassuring him of the mysterious miracle that Jesus has been conceived of the Holy Spirit.

As we reflect upon this reading, it is also an interesting opportunity to reflect upon the character of Joseph in the gospels – specifically, how Joseph is never quoted as directly speaking. There may be some practical, historical reasons for this: Joseph is not mentioned during the crucifixion accounts, so it’s possible he had already passed away and thus wasn’t known as personally to the gospel writers as Mary was, considering she was still living at the time of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

From another perspective, perhaps Mary and Joseph both serve as examples of different ways we can follow God’s calling. Sometimes it is vital for us to use our voices, to express our ‘yes’ or our ‘no’, to stand up for what is right. On other occasions it is important that we listen and learn, including to unexpected or unexplained experiences and occurrences.

Can God speak to us through dreams? Of course, for nothing is impossible with God. That’s not to say that every dream is a divine revelation, and sometimes it is very important for our faith to recognise that God is speaking to us when we have our eyes wide open. May your dreams, if you have them, be a space in which you encounter more liberation and love than fear and uncertainty. Especially as we encounter Christ at Christmas, may our waking lives be filled with that same joy and peace, too.

Blessings, and Happy Christmas, Pastor Abbey Sim