While Mary and Joseph were staying in a stable in Bethlehem, the time came for her to give birth.  The illustration below done by artist Susan Scott and the poem “Stable Song” by Judith Nicholls are from a book entitled “Bright Star Shining, Poems for Christmas.” Together the art and poem give such a unique portrayal of that intimate moment of Jesus’ birth.  I was stirred to experience anew what has become so familiar with a heightened sensitivity and awareness of that incredible “down to earth” moment that took place in a stable. Those of us who have been present, participating in human birth in any way, can feel this intimacy and miracle of new life entering the world.  If we have ever been in barns or stables where animals live, the sounds and smells also become quite real.  We can only smile in awe at the Holy One arriving on earth in this way!

Here is another photo that brings fresh eyes to the manger.  It is from the children’s book “The Last Straw” illustrated by Vlasta van Kampen.

The donkey and the sheep have discovered that someone is occupying their feeding trough.  However, they do not seem upset at all.  Clearly, baby Jesus has something important to say to them, and they are listening intently.  They are all three communicating at a level you and I do not yet fully understand.  But then, the Love language Jesus brings transcends all boundaries.  One day we shall all fully know!  In the meantime, look for Jesus in unexpected places!!

Questions to think about…

Is there any place Jesus would not go?

What might Jesus be saying to the donkey and the sheep?

nk

 

Friends asked me to stop by their home after a Christmas party last night because they had something they wanted me to see.  Among other things, they had a collection of nutcrackers and this one sort of jumped out at me…

I must admit I NEVER thought I would see Elvis as a nutcracker!  However, Elvis has appeared in lots of unexpected places for me, and perhaps for you too.  And then there is that song “Blue Christmas” sung by Elvis. Maybe he is singing that while he stands on the star?  Look again at the nutcracker.  I’ve seen people peek over the top of their sunglasses, but never have I seen anyone peek out from under the bottom of the sunglasses, and with only one eye!  Pretty tricky!  (You should try it). Well, here is what my friends really wanted me to see…

They had a beautiful miniature village all lit up at night.  It was magical, and called me to come close.  It made me think again of the little town of Bethlehem, birthplace of baby Jesus.  Wondering about the night Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, I remembered again that the town was bustling with all sorts of visitors who had come to register.  Mary and Joseph tried to find a place to stay but “there was no room for them in the inn”.  So they stayed in the stable where the animals slept.  The Innkeeper often gets a bad rap for the issue of “no room”.  But it is still something worth pondering.

Here is a birds-eye view of the churchyard in the little village.  The choir is caroling by candlelight.  Mary and Joseph are in the stable out in front of the church and baby Jesus is lying in the manger.  The Angel is proclaiming the good news that a Savior is born for all people.  The pastor is close by with a young child who appears to be reading the Bible out loud.  The church is lit up inside revealing stained glass windows.  Now….the activity you cannot miss is what is happening front and center.  The nuns are having a snowball fight!  I wonder if they are having a ball playing in the snow, or are they taking this opportunity to somewhat graciously duke it out?  A couple of bystanders have joined in to take a potshot at the nuns.  It’s just not your normal nativity scene.  It does seem that there was no room for the holy family in the church.  What’s going on inside the church?  Is there no room for baby Jesus?

Or should baby Jesus be outside the walls of the church for the world to see?  What if he just can’t be captured and contained?  What if the Christ Child brings SO much JOY that people want to break out of their old habits and frolic in the snow?  Hummm….what do you think?

Questions to think about…

Where would you put baby Jesus…inside or outside?  And why?

If you were in this picture, what would you be doing?

nk

Most of us have experienced a Christmas Pageant at one time or another.  I imagine there is a story or two associated with these experiences of the enactments of the birth of Jesus.

I remember our daughter as a child was an angel in a pageant outside on the church lawn.  The live goat kept nipping at her wings.  I remember as a teenager being a shepherd and I was excited because most girls never got to be a shepherd!  However, the beard they glued on my face itched like crazy and left its mark for several days. In another pageant the little boy playing the role of Joseph forgot his line at a very critical moment.  Instead of freezing he just moved right along and said with exuberance when baby Jesus appeared in the manger, “Wow!  Look what Mary had in the night!”

But the best Christmas Pageant I ever experienced took place at the park one block off the Main Street in the small town of Stone Mountain, Georgia.  All the local churches joined together and this community is both diverse and creative.  I think what I loved most about this pageant is that it seemed to be more REAL than any I had experienced thus far.

It began with the Children’s Choir from the Hispanic Community singing “Feliz Navidad” in costumes of their native culture.  It was quite lively as the children danced a two step to the music while they sang.  Most went in one direction in sinc, while one little boy did his own two step in his own direction out of sinc.  I always appreciate the “out of the box” kind of kid!  Mary and Joseph then entered with the donkey, but the donkey would not let Mary get on, so they had to “punt” and just walk along, pulling the donkey with a strong rope.

Here you can see the Angel profoundly proclaiming the good news of the arrival of the baby Jesus, Savior of the world!  Mary is very young, very pretty.  Joseph is not quite as young, but that is a true story.  Mary seems fresh and energetic, even after having to walk to Bethlehem.  Joseph?  Well, maybe a little tired, or stargazed.

A llama may or may not have been present for the first birth, but here she stole the show.  She was quite alert and reacting to every movement of anyone by stretching and snaking her long neck constantly from one direction to another.  She did not miss anything!  (I think this would have made God happy!). You can see in the background that some were concerned about her behavior….then others were not. In this photo is a sneak preview of another wonderful surprise. The wise men arrived from the East accompanied by bagpipers in native kilts to the tune of “We Three Kings of Orient are…” ( the bagpipers made the Orient part slightly questionable but certainly enjoyable!).

The entire scene when it all came together seemed to truly represent so much of the wonderful diversity present in the world God created and came to earth to save. I loved it! The more we can be present in diversity, the more we can understand the depth and perspective of God’s love for all humankind.

Then, here is perhaps the best part…..

A dove had arrived, unscheduled and unannounced, yet present for the entire event.  We must realize that in Christian art the dove represents the presence of God in the form of the Holy Spirit.  The dove perched itself on the highest bale of hay above the manger, seeming anxious until the baby arrived.  Then, in that holy moment, a wonderful peace came over the dove, and she watched quietly the rest of the pageant, her eyes fixed on baby Jesus. No one questioned that this baby is Immanuel, “GOD WITH US”!

Ah, for me, the Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

Questions to ponder….

Remember a Christmas Pageant you have experienced. What made it unique and/or special?

Where might you find a way to experience diversity this Advent Season?

Watch, look, listen for where the Christmas Story may become more REAL for you this year.

nk

 

At the time of Jesus birth, Caesar Augustus sent out a decree that all the world should be registered, so each one went to their own home town.  Joseph took Mary and went to Bethlehem, the city of David, because he was of the lineage of David.  When I think of Bethlehem I always picture the words of the Christmas carol, “O little town of Bethlehem…in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.”

My grandson Grant is very gifted artistically.  He was showing me some of the photographs he had taken and when I saw this image, I immediately thought of these words in the carol describing Bethlehem. I imagine that great light bursting forth into this sleepy little town at the moment Jesus was born.  Wow, how breathtakingly beautiful that must have been!  Joseph had come home.  Indeed, the whole world came home that holy night, and the sky declared that glory!

Another photo, this time out my own back window, a view of the sky in my own backyard.  Recently I was reading an article on “busyness” and a comment by Lauren Raine, “As I create a much simpler life for myself, I increasingly find many wonders in my own backyard.”  I look at this photograph and realize that the everlasting light that came to the dark streets of Bethlehem also happens in my own backyard!

So perhaps for us, it is not as much about traveling to Bethlehem as it is about awakening to the wonders in our own backyard.  “Be still and know that I am God”. (Psalm 46:10).  The voice of the Christmas carol continues, “How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given; so God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven.” YES!

Questions to think about…

Where is the place you consider to be your home town?

How have you experienced the wonder of God in your own backyard?

How might you “be still” in these Advent days for the wondrous gift that comes silently?

nk

Mary and Joseph were to journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem because they were to return to Joseph’s homeland to pay taxes.  I have a Nativity in which every figure has something carved into them  which is the essence of their being I suppose.  For Joseph it is JOURNEY.  You can see his figure above.  Journey is more than a trip.  It is  movement from place to place during which we are transformed.  At the end of a journey we are a different person than when we began.  Transformation happens  inside us and we are different when we arrive from when we started. This is something God does by the power of the Holy Spirit.  We cannot do it by ourselves….we just go along for the ride.

Above you see a pencil drawing I did during a class I took in Sedona, Arizona.  We were on location, and the hills surrounding Sedona seemed to me somewhat similar to the hills of Judea where Mary and Joseph traveled.  I was taught in this drawing class that every detail was important.  If you look closely, you will see the detail present in this drawing.  But I can tell you that there were moments that I just wanted to rip up the page and forget the whole thing!  I get frustrated and am not good with details.  But I know now, after journeying in my life, that details can be important.  Details are what can make a difference at any moment.  Having finished this drawing, I now treasure every detail!  They are what make this drawing important, good, special, complete.  I am grateful to my teacher now for making me stick to it, and making sure every detail was recorded as correctly as possible. It is not normally my best style, but in a journey it is important!

Again I share an illustration by Julie Vivas from the book “The Nativity”. Joseph is trying to get Mary on board the donkey for the journey.  She is very pregnant with child and this is not an easy venture!  Balance is huge!  However, on a journey from one place to another, a new birth will occur.  Journey is not easy.  You cannot stop it, nor can you be totally in control.  You can only go through it and expect to receive the gift of something new.  But the Journey is worth it!  It is not about the destination.  It is all about the journey!!

Questions to think about….

When have you experienced a journey?

How were you changed?

Do you expect to be changed in some way during this Advent Journey?

nk

Can dreams be real?  Joseph had a dream that was very important for him and for the whole world.  Joseph was a good man, trying to do what was right.  He was making a choice based on what he understood to be right or wrong.  But in the dream, the angel came to bring a deeper truth, a truth not yet realized or understood by anyone, even the “good” people. The angel was a messenger, sent by God to speak God’s truth.

The angel explained that Mary would have God’s child.  “God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son.  And this is why:  so that no one needs to be destroyed…anyone who believes in Him can have a whole and lasting life.  God didn’t send His Son to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was.  He came to help, to put the world right again.” (Message Bible, John 3:16-17).  The angel says, “You will name the baby Jesus, which means Savior.”

In the drawing above I wanted to express the Love of God for the world.  If we put ourselves in Joseph’s place, sometimes it is not always easy to choose what is right or wrong.  If we aren’t sure, the true measurement is Love.  Love is always greater.  So if it is hard to decide which side to stand on, we should always choose Love.  Love is always the greater truth.  God is Love.  Joseph chose Love.

The angel also told Joseph that the child is called Immanuel, which means “God with us”.  Jesus is God coming to earth so God can humanly, physically be with us.  Above is a photo of my son Steve, holding his son for the first time when he was just born.  Can you imagine that Joseph wakes up from his dream into a new reality, a new truth.  He will actually hold the baby in his arms who is GOD WITH US! Wow! What a dream come true!!

Questions to think about…

When have you realized a greater truth than you knew before because of Love?

Can you imagine what it would be like to actually  hold baby Jesus?  When have you held Love?

How do you know God is with you?

nk

 

I walked into the monastery “Suore Oblate del Bambino Gesu” in Sorrento, Italy where I would be staying and the first thing I saw was this huge painting of the nativity on a canvas hanging from the very high ceiling.  This monastery has an art studio and the painting is representative of their glorious art.  Instantly I knew I was in love!  The next morning after breakfast I went exploring, wandering down a narrow hallway and into a small chapel.  Immediately I was surrounded with overwhelming beauty that brought tears.  Even in art museums I had not seen anything quite like this.  As I approached the altar, here is what I saw…

The altar is carved out of wood like  I had never seen before…wondrously colorful and expressive!  Although there is no kneeling rail, my impulse was to get down on my knees before this altar, so I did…right there on that wood floor.  It was not a “supposed to” sort of thing, but rather a natural reaction of AWE at experiencing such beauty. Then came the surprise…

I could not have found the real treasure in this place without kneeling.  Under the table top, yet still part of the altar, a natural cave in the wood cradled the Christ Child in an intimate moment.  And there, with Mary holding her baby for him to reach, knelt a little boy, a shepherd boy with his lambs, kissing baby Jesus on the head.  Here we were….me and the little boy, kneeling before the baby…and so close!  I wanted to kiss him too.  I am thinking baby Jesus LOVED being kissed by a child!  And I got to share in that holy encounter.  It was a gift.

Later as a young man, Jesus let the world know that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven we must become like children….humble ourselves.

Questions to think about…

When and where have you been on your knees before God? (Physically, in your heart, or both).  What was that like for you?

How could you become more like a child in this journey of Advent?

nk

The picture above shows one of several stations which together tell the story of the life of Jesus.  They are located along a walking trail at a monastery where I stayed in Italy.  It is located high upon a mountain overlooking the city of Rapallo.  The following art is done in relief on the station depicting Mary’s visit to Elizabeth….

When the angel told Mary that by the power of the Holy Spirit she will have the baby named Jesus, God’s Holy child, the Angel also told her that her relative Elizabeth is pregnant and 6 months along.  Mary runs all the way to another town to see Elizabeth.  In the picture you see the moment they meet and hug each other.  The bird you see is a dove which is a symbol representing the Holy Spirit.  It means that God is present and working miracles in the lives of both Mary and Elizabeth.

Wow!  Look at the miracle!  If we didn’t get it before, we sure do now! This painting of Elizabeth is by Phil Boatwright and is found in the book “The Indescribable Gift”.  Elizabeth has wanted a baby for a LONG time, and now it is happening!  But she is very old.  When Mary sees her and calls her name, the baby inside her “leaps for joy”.  Now that would have been a jolt for anyone, but especially for someone as old as Elizabeth.  What a miracle!

Mary needed to be with Elizabeth.  She needed someone who understood.  Everyone else in the community did not understand at all.  Even though Mary felt she was especially chosen by God, she must have been scared about the future.

I remember one Sunday during Advent in worship a very young girl stood up to sing.  She was the voice of Mary and her words were from a song by Ken Medema.  She sang in her beautiful clear young voice, “I’ll go tell Elizabeth….she’ll understand….she’ll hold my hand.”  I have never forgotten that moment.  What the young girl Mary felt became so real for me.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 3 months.  God gave Mary and Elizabeth a special friendship which they both needed, and God worked a miracle in both their lives.  You and I are in this story.  God gives us special friends who truly know us deeply and understand. And God continues to work miracles!

Questions to think about….

When you need someone, who are the friends you would run to who know you deeply and understand?

Has there been a miracle in your life, or the life of someone you know?

nk

 

Today we begin a journey of Advent leading to Christmas.  We will experience moments together that we expected because we are familiar with the story of the birth of Jesus.  But we also travel this journey with expectation and wonder, because God is always doing something new, and there are moments when we will be surprised.  I have not yet written the posts for the next 27 days.  I am taking this journey a step at a time with you.  It will be a challenge for me to write everyday but I feel led to do this.  I am smiling as I write because I know it will be special, and fun, and filled with a few surprises as God brings moments to share.

We begin with the Annunciation, the Angel comes to tell Mary about the baby.  The photo above is of a picture of the Annunciation which hangs on the wall of the monastery where I stayed in Florence, Italy.  It doesn’t look at all like most of the portrayals of the Annunciation where Mary kneels in awe of the glorious, golden Angel.   Here no one seems to even notice or care that an angel is present.  It takes place at the breakfast table and the dog is asleep.  Mary is wearing flip flops…I love that! She has either dozed off thinking this is a dream, or passed out overwhelmed, or just napping to check out of something she can’t deal with.  Or perhaps she has already said, “Let it be to me as you have said”, and is now filled with an awesome peace.  What do you think?

Now let’s try this one…

 

This Annunciation is from a children’s book entitled “The Nativity” illustrated by Julie Vivas.  The scene is once again at the breakfast table. The Angel looks like he has had a rough flight.  He was either in a hurry or befuddled over carrying such profound news… he didn’t even get his boots tied.  He looks like a big “little kid”.  He and Mary are having an intense conversation over a cup of coffee.  I am pretty sure she is now saying, “BUT HOW CAN THAT BE???”

The wonder in both of these is that the Angel does come into our everyday world at any moment to bring the message God wants us to hear.  And we, like Mary, are each one called to bring Jesus to the world in some way.

Questions to ponder….

Has an angel come into your everyday world in some way and you knew they brought some word from God?  Where? Who?

How does God want to use you?

nk

• 

We spent Thanksgiving in Boulder, Colorado with children and grandchildren. Fun in the snow with Anna, then Grant and Anna making snow angels. Thanksgiving day we went to friends for a feast….Anna introduced us all to her little friend Meisha, one year old, who won everyone’s heart. She put on her best bow for Steve! Ben and Grant kept in touch with their friends, and we all had a wonderful time!

Meanwhile Susan and her family experienced the Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. A special moment occurred when Susan saw her Drill Team Instructor in the parade who had brought Susan to NYC 23 years ago to dance in the parade. Susan called out her name and she looked directly at Susan, recognizing her and remembering. What an incredible moment as they shouted with joy and blew kisses! What are the odds of that happening? Such a gift!

So very much to be thankful for this season. All of life is truly a gift from God!

I am going to do a daily message during the Advent Season beginning this coming Sunday. Feel free to invite anyone to join along by clicking on “follow” if they wish to receive daily thoughts during the days leading up to and including Christmas Day. Blessings to all….

nk