It was an awkward pregnancy.
An angel told her she would soon bear a child, a surprising announcement to
a young virgin engaged to be married. She could be stoned for that, divorced
at best, forever tainted, an object of ridicule. Still, she resolved to keep
the baby.
When her fiance discovered she was pregnant he decided to divorce her quietly,
a kind way to try to save face. But an angel appeared to him in a dream, and
convinced him to stay by her side.
She gave birth away from hearth and home, away from mom and dad, in unfamiliar
surroundings - in a borrowed bed among barnyard animals, using their feeding
trough for his cradle. To protect him from the king who would have him murdered,
they fled to the land where their ancestors had once been slaves.
An unwelcome birth for those with assets, influence, wealth, power. A troublesome
birth for his parents. And a cause for celebration for those with nothing left
to lose, for the blind, the homeless, the hungry, the lost. It is a birth that
will either break your heart or make your heart beat.
It is still an awkward pregnancy - because, about this time every year , it
forces each of us to make a choice. Will we hold fast to what assets, influence,
wealth, time or treasure we can, or will we join Mary and Joseph and angels
on high in their resolve to stand by him? Will you make room in your life for
the one born to save you, or will you fill your life with something or someone
else?
We’ve entered Advent, the season of four weeks that lead us into Christmas.
Four weeks to prepare for a troublesome pregnancy - not much time, in the grand
scheme of things, but plenty of time for a new beginning, plenty of time to
see what God can birth in your life. I hope you’ll join us.
Pastor Jim
But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. Luke 1:18
From the Shepherd's Song Newsletter -- December 2008
Copyright 2008 by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
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E-mail your comments and questions to Pastor Jim in care of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at gslc@sirus.com.