Week of December 18, 2000
Rosemary S.

"And it came to pass in those days, that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judah, unto the city of David, that was called Bethlehem, (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son."
     Luke 2:1-7

How many times have we heard those same words - the beginning of perhaps the most familiar story ever told! And yet, each time we hear it, it's just a little different.

I was working a jigsaw puzzle very late one night while I was staying with my parents, helping my mother as my father recovered from heart surgery. Every once in awhile, I would give the small table a quarter turn to change the viewing angle, to give a different perspective to the tiny bits of color that would make up the finished picture. As I worked, I thought about Christmas, and how, every once in awhile, your view of Christmas gets turned, giving you a different perspective on the story as you hear it year after year.

Perhaps it was the year that you, too, were almost nine months into a pregnancy. The 15 minute ride in your old Chevrolet was uncomfortable. You couldn't even imagine what it must have been like to ride for 70 miles on a small donkey, or even worse, walk that far (actually, there is no mention of the donkey in the scriptures). That year, you gained a new respect for the young woman who gave birth to the holy child.

For someone else, it might have been the year that you held your own tiny child at that late night service. As you sang the familiar carol, "What child is this?", you thought about Joseph, watching the new born babe and the child's mother as she sang and rocked the little one to sleep. What would be the future of that child, of your child, of the thousands of others born that year? What a tremendous responsibility it is for all parents to "raise up a child in the way he should go".

Maybe the year you gained a new point of view on Christmas was the year that you, too, found yourself alone in a strange town. At least you had a place to stay, a warm room or house, even if there was no one with whom to share it. Or the Christmas when you didn't expect any of your children to be home, but your son, in his Navy uniform, slipped in next to you just as the midnight service was about to begin. Or the year that you were one of the magi in the Sunday School pageant, and knelt to offer your gift to the newborn King? Do you remember the year that you looked up and saw all the candles reflected in the sanctuary skylight -- just like all the angels in the sky? Was it the year that your finances were so low that there were few gifts for your children, and you realized that the true spirit of Christmas came with love and caring despite your circumstances? Possibly the year that you did not get to worship on Christmas Eve, the year of the big snow or illness in your family, was when you saw the holy day in a new light.

For a different perspective on the Christmas story, read "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever", by Barbara Robinson. Find out how the "worst kids in town" are transformed by their participation in the pageant, and how they, in turn, transformed the event. Read this book by yourself, or to your family. I guarantee it will change your view of Christmas pageants forever. (I have several copies which I would be happy to loan you.) Think about new ways to celebrate -- see Alternative's "Whose Birthday is it Anyway?" for new ideas and new traditions.

Each year, we hear the same story at Christmas. But each year, the events of the past year give that story a new angle, a new perspective on the retelling. How will you view the wonderful story this year? May you hear the old story with new ears and an open heart this year, may you be filled with the wonder of the shepherds, the glory of the angels and the peace of God, which passes all understanding.

(Martin Luther, Vom Himmel Hoch)
   O Lord, you have created all!
   How did you come to be so small,
   To sweetly sleep in manger-bed
   Where lowing cattle lately fed?

   O dearest Jesus, holy child,
   Prepare a bed, soft, undefiled,
   A holy shrine, within my heart
   That you and I need never part
   Amen.

Contributed by Rosemary S.
Published Monday December 18, 2000
Week 4 of Liturgical Year C