On December 30, Pastor Laura preaches on Luke 2:8-20.

Nativity scenes are everywhere! Some are simply crafted, while others are ornate. Some are life-sized, while others are cast in miniature. The usual cast of characters are there. And there’s a minimum cast required. So, you’ll find at least one shepherd and three magi. One angel. One Mary. One Joseph. And one Baby Jesus. Maybe one sheep. Maybe one camel.

 

If you want to get really fancy, your nativity will have a stable for the cast to stand inside. And there will be cattle lowing—a dove in the rafters—a whole flock of sheep—and many camels because, you know, those magi are rich. The angel glows with iridescent glaze. Mary is especially well-dressed, almost always in blue. Joseph looks about the same, no matter what. Someone decided that Jesus should be gilded in gold. And everyone wears a halo!

 

Have you ever lost the Jesus in your nativity? I have. He’s the smallest piece of the nativity, so he’s easy to lose. He can roll under the sofa or get caught up in the wrapping paper in the blink of an eye. I searched and searched for the Jesus in my nativity one time, only to discover that one of the kids carried him into the bedroom and put him in the Fisher-Price barn with the clucking chicken.

 

So, what do you do when there’s no Jesus in the nativity? And this time, you can’t find him? What DO you do?