Message: The Greatest Journey
This week in preparation for Nativity fun and remembering the bible’s telling of the birth of Jesus, I experienced 3 different varieties of remembering the Nativity story: a school nativity play, a retelling of the story using Lego bricks, and watching a movie on Netflix called Mary. All different, all creative, all reminders of the depth and challenges of the greatest journey of God’s love coming down to earth and how we remember it again and again.
Often times, schools and churches tell of Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem with nativity plays using different songs and sometimes silly themes and characters – Three Wise Men and a Baby, Whoopsie Daisy Angel, The Miracle in Town, The Littlest Star, just to name a few. Some use simple storytelling to remember Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, the Wise Ones, the sheep, the Innkeepers, the Angels and the baby Jesus, while others use talking donkeys, quirky camels, catchy tunes and turns of phrase that make it memorable and bring joy into the season.
Today’s No-Rehearsal Nativity is a throw back to The Greatest Journey from the Bible Society 7 years ago (here is a link to a video https://youtu.be/ggFqPfbry_o?
In the world’s eyes, our story is a bit upside down or to use that lovely phrase the ‘downside up’ way of Jesus, the Christ. Look at the words Mary says in the Magnificat when she is with Elizabeth and recalls how God is calling her on this journey of carrying the Messiah, the chosen one. The proud brought down and the lowly lifted. The rich sent away wanting and the hungry fed. The world’s ways are not the ways of the Kingdom of God which is good news to the broken-hearted, weak and struggling. The oppression of might makes right in the world is flipped on its head so those often forgotten rejoice in God’s love providing and sustaining them even when there are those seeking to trample and destroy.
The theme of joy and delight today comes mingled with the tears and sorrows of the world. The journey of the nativity story, the Greatest Journey, reminds us that all was not perfectly simple and easy for Mary, for Joseph, for the Shepherds or even the Wise Ones. God coming into the world was especially hard to take for King Herod and for the occupying army of Romans (a few decades later with all the disruption). God’s Kingdom coming into the world brought hope and joy even amid the struggles and strains of life. God’s love exists in the promised one who would make a way and bring joy for those most in need. It takes us on a journey in our day to wonder where God is calling us to meet with the Christ Child in our communities, churches and homes. On our journey this advent when we remember with a bit of light-heartedness God’s love being born in Bethlehem do we allow God’s joyful Good News to flip upside down our preparations, our lives and our expectations so we too can sing with Mary, recall with the prophets and join in the Good News for those most in need of hope, joy, peace and love.
The greatest journey we are given is to grow together in our ways of following Jesus, remembering his story, telling others of who Jesus is. We recount how he inspires and calls us to follow his way to know God deeply and wholly while becoming more like Jesus as we journey in The Way of Christ.
Seek to walk in the way of Jesus in these days toward Christmas.
Journey well remembering the words of the prophets and Mary’s song of good news for those who needed it most.
Remember the story of Jesus’s birth, the beginning of the Good News of the saving of the world.
We can’t skip over life and avoid who and where we are invited to bring Good News this day and frankly any and every day. It could be to anyone who crosses our way, interrupts our plans, or shows us who God is calling us to be. We may be interrupted in these 10 days before us. We may forget our lines or feel we are in the wrong costume to play a part. Yet, God’s Spirit, God’s calling reminds us that no matter where on the journey, no matter where in our community, no matter who stands before us, no matter the words we feel capable of speaking, God’s love came into the world as Good News of GREAT JOY for all the people. Jesus is the one who came to seek and save, a baby born, a life lived and given so all the world would know the love that reaches beyond the hatred and brokenness of the world.
Lego Story from Go Chatter and The Church of Scotland –
https://gochattervideos.com/
Prayers from Church of Scotland Weekly Worship:
(based on the song ‘O Come All You Unfaithful': Bob Kauflin & Lisa Clow)
O come, all you unfaithful
Come, weak and unstable
Come, know you are not alone
Let us come and see all that our God has done.
O come, bitter and broken
Come with fears unspoken
Come, taste of His perfect love
Let us come and see all that our God has done.
So come, though you have nothing
Come, He is the offering
Come, see what your God has done
Let us come and see all that our God has done. Amen
Prayers for others / Intercession
God of all,
We ask for Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven this day.
We think now of places that need Your light and goodness
and of people that need Your peace and assurance.
God, we ask that Your kingdom will come, and Your light will shine into the gloomy places of our world today.
Where there is war will You bring peace.
Where there is hunger will You bring provision.
Where there is sickness, healing and comfort.
Help us Lord, to remain patient in our praying and in our waiting for Your kingdom reign.
We thank You God, that You call us again and again in Scripture not to be afraid.
Help us to understand what it means to trust in You more deeply each day.
Holy God,
As we wait in joyful hope for the coming of Christ our Saviour
we ask that You will answer our prayers and make us a holy people, fit to greet Him with eager hearts.
Creator God,
help the leaders of nations to seek justice and peace
which come from the Word of God,
may there be good news for the poor and the broken-hearted.
end conflicts throughout the world which lead to so much grief and mourning.
We pray too for all those who strive to rebuild in places which have been ravaged by war or natural disaster.
Merciful God,
may Your blessing be upon all those who are in pain or sickness,
those who are anxious or troubled.
We know that You are always present with us,
even when sometimes You seem far away.
Help us to feel Your presence when we pass through dark places, and sustain us and all who suffer through our pains and sorrows.
Faithful God,
as we continue this Advent journey,
teach us to turn to You in times of joy and pleasure,
as well as when faced with fear and sorrow.
Help us to put our differences behind us
and to unite behind the great commission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations and all people.
Merciful God: accept these prayers for the sake of Your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
Blessing / Closing prayer
Await the coming of God to you,
allow the revelation of God to sustain you,
accept the fullness of God's glory upon you,
attend to God's presence with hope and joy.
Amen
As you wait for Christ to return,
live as people of hope, and go with God's blessing.
May hope in Christ's return sustain you,
God's peace saturate the world around you,
the joy of the Holy Spirit strengthen you,
and the love of the triune God encircle you,
in this moment and in all the moments to come.
Amen