Today is the 23rd day of December.

Christmas Eve, Eve.

And it is great to be here with you on this day during holiday Christmas week

to step out of all of the last minute chaos and come into this safe space,

a small oasis that we create for each other every day.

So have a safe space.

Have a safe space in this world.

Somewhere we can run to. somewhere that we can take shelter,

and somewhere that we can open our hearts because we're just here to read the Bible and let it

speak. So I am grateful for the space. I am grateful to be in its view on this Christmas Eve Eve as we take the next step forward.

Our next step forward obviously leads us to where we left off and we are now in the book of Zechariah for a bit.

And so today, chapters four

and five.

Then the angel

who had been talking with me

returned and woke me

as though I had been asleep.

What do you see now? He asked. I answered, I see a solid gold lamp stand with a bowl

of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven sprouts with wicks.

And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl.

Then I ask the angel, what are these, my lord? What do they mean?

Don't you know? the angel asked. No, my lord, I replied.

...