Nativity Scenes. What got me thinking about them was the story of one my daughters, Anne Rachael, buying one recently while in Mexico with her husband, Wesley. Telling about that led to an even more outlandish story from Josh about nativity scenes which I didn’t believe till verified. At both, I laughed maniacally and, to be truthful, you have to see that they often take part in the comedic. You will have to come Sunday to hear the full story on that one; but seriously, of the making of nativity scenes there is no end, and most homes have several of them. From ones that are very expensive to those paper ones made perhaps in Sunday School whose only value is sentimental, and everything in between.
I was thinking about the characters that make up a nativity scene, particularly the shepherds, because they are the subject of our meditation this Sunday and for good reason. We are so familiar with the birth narrative that we don’t register the shock it deserves. Last week we saw the birth; this week, the birth announcement. And if the whole thing really is sort of brutal, as it seems, it’s almost not surprising that the ones who get the announcement are those who were viewed as brutal by the polite society of the day––at least, not the people invited to the baby shower or hospital after an infant is born. Maybe we should have expected this. Anyway, it ought to be a glorious trek from field to manger.
I am also thinking about our Special Friends Christmas celebration, which is tomorrow morning. We have double the attendees this year, and for that I am so excited. I walked through the sanctuary, where we will feed and host our guests, and was so thankful that we get to participate in bringing a little bit of glory into this broken world. If you haven’t signed up to volunteer and would still like to be involved, contact Amy Henson (amy@stpatrickpres.com) or Allie Harbert (specialfriends@stpatrickpres.com) and ask how you can help.
Blessings,
Jim