For the season of Advent, Immanuel is departing from the Revised Common Lectionary and following a theme called Words for the Beginning, which is a series of blessings for this season of new beginnings, especially in uncertain and anxious times.  This podcast is for the Fourth Sunday of advent, which is December 22, 2024.  The theme for this week is “Hope is Worth the Risk” and the Good Word comes from Matthew 1:18-25.  This story imagines what Joseph’s experience of the birth of Jesus was like.  Faced with choices that could have given the Christmas story a very different ending, Joseph follows the Angel’s encouragement to stick with Mary and the baby growing in her womb and wonder about what new thing God is doing through his family.