Deconstructing the Nativity
Do you have a nativity set you set up every year? You know what I mean - Mary, Joseph, shepherds, mysterious kings of differing ethnicity, a little baby in a straw-lined wooden cradle, sheep and assorted animals. Do you ever wonder about how these figures all came together? Where in the Bible is this scene described? What is this all about?
Starting November 30 I’m going to be preaching a series of sermons called “Deconstructing the Nativity” focusing on each element of this tableau, and let me get a spoiler out of the way at the start - IT NEVER HAPPENED.
That’s right, the nativity we set up every year is a fiction. It never happened in history. It never happened in the Bible. It’s a pleasant lie we set up every year because, well, it’s fun and, more importantly, it speaks to a deeper truth.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m pro-nativity scene. By all means, I strongly encourage you to set one up on your mantle, your yard, your sanctuary, your office, your bathroom, wherever! But don’t believe for a moment that it’s historically or biblically accurate. It’s not. It conflates the nativity stories from Luke and Matthew into one scene that never happened.
The shepherds and the magi never meet in the Bible. The shepherds are only found in Luke’s narrative and the wise men are only in Matthew’s story. The magi arrive far after the birth, when Jesus is a child, not a newborn babe, and do not find him in a barn, but in a house.
But just because it’s not accurate doesn’t mean it isn’t true. The best art takes liberty with details and often conflates comings and goings and who met whom and when to make a good story. The nativity set does that too to tell a larger truth of the birth of Jesus at the middle of all things, the crossroads of time, the nexus of history.
My series is going to be in six parts:
November 30 - Angels - Ever notice that the first thing angels say to people they meet is “do not be afraid”?
December 7 - Joseph - Did you know that not one word spoken by Joseph is recorded in any biblical account?
December 14 - Mary - At the center of Christmas is an unwed, teenaged mother.
December 21 - Animals - It is no small thing that animals like sheep, donkeys, cows, and sometimes camels are included in the nativity.
December 24 - Shepherds - Of all people, why did the news of Christ’s birth first come to some blue collar workers on the swing shift?
December 28 - Jesus - We celebrate the birth of the Christ child, but in some accounts of the “nativity” Jesus is referred to not as a baby, but as a child.
January 4 - Magi - Who are these “kings” from distant lands?
I’ll see you on Sunday!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Lawrence
Midweek Midday Prayer - Wednesdays at Noon
Center your week in prayer.
We will be having Midday Prayer every Wednesday. At noon we will open with a focusing prayer and then have 20 minutes of silent prayer and then a short prayer service with scripture. For those who wish to stay after the prayer time, there will be an opportunity to visit, but you are also welcome to depart in peace. This has been a welcome pause in the week for many people and we are happy to continue this gathering.
We will be having Midday Prayer every Wednesday. At noon we will open with a focusing prayer and then have 20 minutes of silent prayer and then a short prayer service with scripture. For those who wish to stay after the prayer time, there will be an opportunity to visit, but you are also welcome to depart in peace. This has been a welcome pause in the week for many people and we are happy to continue this gathering.
Sunday School: Do Not Fear
Our Sunday School is starting a new four-week series entitled “Do Not Fear” as we prepare for Christmas. Here is the schedule of classes:
23 Nov - Trust God’s Promises - Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38
- Teacher: Stephanie Bakker
14 Dec - One Step at a Time - Luke 2:8-20
- Teacher: Stephanie Bakker
21 Dec - Persevere - Matthew 2:1-12
- Teacher: Kelly Dunn
These lessons will give the participants a deeper, more grounded understanding of the Christmas story and deal with the very real issue of coping with fear.
Sunday School is held during our regular worship on Sundays at 10:00. Children are released from worship after the blessing at the font. All children are welcome. The curriculum is designed for children 6 to 10 years old, but we welcome children 5 years and older.
Participants do not need to come to all of the lessons to get something out of this series.
There is no cost to participate.
If you have any questions email Pastor Lawrence, Stephanie, or Kelly.
We are looking for others to lead and serve.
23 Nov - Trust God’s Promises - Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38
- Teacher: Stephanie Bakker
14 Dec - One Step at a Time - Luke 2:8-20
- Teacher: Stephanie Bakker
21 Dec - Persevere - Matthew 2:1-12
- Teacher: Kelly Dunn
These lessons will give the participants a deeper, more grounded understanding of the Christmas story and deal with the very real issue of coping with fear.
Sunday School is held during our regular worship on Sundays at 10:00. Children are released from worship after the blessing at the font. All children are welcome. The curriculum is designed for children 6 to 10 years old, but we welcome children 5 years and older.
Participants do not need to come to all of the lessons to get something out of this series.
There is no cost to participate.
If you have any questions email Pastor Lawrence, Stephanie, or Kelly.
We are looking for others to lead and serve.
