SUMMER REBOOT – this podcast was originally published in Advent, on 21 December 2018.

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Hello, welcome to the final Foundations Podcast of this – the final week of Advent. Christmas is so close now! I don’t know about you but the excitement is certainly building to a crescendo! Our near three-year-old, Naomi, may well explode!

REFLECTION:

All week, we’ve been reflecting on the opening to Luke’s Gospel account – the Christmas story. Today’s final reading is Luke 2:1-20 which is, of course, the birth of Jesus.

We’ve used the term ‘story’ quite a lot this week but it’s worth us remembering that this isn’t a work of fiction. All of these events are grounded in history. Luke doesn’t begin this account by saying ‘Once upon a time…’. This is no fairy tale. The extraordinary miracle that is the birth of Jesus was at a particular God appointed moment in the history of the world. Today’s reading opens by telling us about a decree issued from Caesar Augustus that people go and register in their home town. This is why Joseph ends up travelling with a heavily pregnant Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

The Christmas story, as we’ve discovered this week, reveals to us many things about God and his desire for relationship with us, and we conclude our thoughts this week by considering this word: hope. The Christmas story offers us hope.

Here are today’s focus verses:

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Last Sunday, we had our Nativity here at STC. It was great fun; loads of people packed into the place. We had children dressed in all the traditional fare. I think there may have even been a superhero in there too! My own daughter – the angel Gabriel – got to carry in the baby Jesus in (because that’s how it happened!) My son was a cow. We took the obligatory family selfie in front of tree. It was wonderful. The thing is though, when we look at the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, we aren’t presented with this perfect picture postcard Nativity scene. We see something much rawer. Much rougher round the edges. Picture a different scene.

Mary, she’s maybe 14 at the time. Pregnant, not yet married, far away from home. Things are difficult for her.

Joseph, he’s maybe 15. He’s in his hometown but where are his family – they aren’t there. There’s doubt about who the father is of this new born child is. This girl he’s with isn’t yet his wife. As we’ve talked about already this week – both Mary and Joseph were probably disgraced by this, shunned, cast out. This wasn’t in either of their plans.

The shepherds appear after being invited by the angels. Men who were considered too uncouth, too unfit for the temple. Yet here they are witnessing the birth of God’s son. There’s animals – donkeys, sheep too – it’s messy in every sense of the word.

And into the middle of that mess and all that’s wrapped up in the emotions of those in that stable that night in Bethlehem, God chooses to birth his son, Jesus, our Immanuel. God with us,

And if we really stop, as we have been trying to do this week, and really reflect on what’s happening it should shock us. It should stagger us. The risk that God takes in doing this – it’s immense. But it’s because he does that,