For many of us, the story of that first Christmas is as familiar as our favorite carols or the smell of cookies baking in the oven. We’ve heard it told a hundred times—in church pageants, family devotionals, and quiet moments by the manger scene.

Our prayer today is that this Scripture reflection will remind us all that Christmas isn’t just about a baby in a manger—it’s about God’s cosmic plan for renewal that began in Bethlehem and continues through the work we do today. It’s about the anticipation of creation itself for the full revelation of God’s children, made possible through that first Christmas.