Happy Sunday!
Happy beginning of Advent Week 2!

Were you able to slip aside this week and get some time with the Lord?

I hope so,

But if not, 

don’t despair

He is still there waiting for you

Slip away even now. 

This Advent we are looking more closely at the cost of Christmas. 

Often we look at the gift

But depreciate the value

Because we don’t consider the cost of it. 

A gift is free to us

But cost someone, something. 

This week lets’s look more closely at Mary and Joseph.  We all know that they played a big role in the events of Christmas, but have we really taken the time to consider the cost of these events in their lives?  

In Matthew we read first about Joseph. The Word tells us that Joseph was betrothed to a woman named Mary.  The unusual thing about their story is that “before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 1:18

Now this is a most unusual statement, don’t you think.  Not natural, if you will.  But wholly supernatural.  And to most people, likely a bit unbelievable.  

To start with, Joseph was already making plans to put Mary away secretly, which says a lot about his character.  But in the meantime, he receives a visit from an angel of the Lord in a dream, at which time he is told that the child Mary carries is indeed conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

And that was enough for Joseph.  Despite the scandal and ridicule and ostracization that would follow, with unwavering faith, he took Mary as his wife and together they waited for the birth of this most wonderful Child. 

Mary didn’t just receive a dream, but the angel Gabriel visited her directly with the news.  “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” Luke 1:28

The angel goes onto share with her the same news he shared with Joseph – that  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35

And the cost of the unknown begins.  First that she is pregnant although she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that she has not been with a man. And furthermore, this Child will be conceived by the Holy Spirit and will be called the Son of God!

In spite of the unknown, how does Mary respond?  Once again, like Joseph, in spite of the scandal, ridicule and ostracization that would be sure to follow, Mary responds with the most wonderful words of unwavering faith:

Last week we talked about Elizabeth and Zacharius and that the cost of Christmas to them was in the preparation.  I would suggest to you, this week, that the cost to Mary and Joseph lay in the process.

The accepting of the unusual, their willingness to step into the unknown, followed by the gift of God to them in the process, their unwavering faith. 

Oh this week, that we would, like Mary and Joseph, be willing to step into the unusual and unknown mysteries of this Christmas season.  That we would, with unwavering faith, open wide our hearts, and our hands, for what the Father has for us.  Not in the physical, the gifts and things that will fade in time.  But in the supernatural, the gifts that will last through eternity. 

We learned last week from Zacharius and Elizabeth, to be willing to sit in the preparation to accept the promise that comes to bring us into proper position.

And this week from Mary and Joseph, to be willing to step into the unusual and unknown, to be filled with unwavering faith, that will bring us through the process. 

There is so much more to the gift of Christmas then what we see on the surface.  The Father didn’t just send His Son, a Child, but a Saviour. 

And the Father didn’t just intend to save us, but to prepare us and position us for the promises that He has for us – that He would provide for us unwavering faith to take on the unusual and unknown and to bring us through the process of this life and eternity. 

If there is one thing to learn of the cost of Christmas, I believe that it is to see beneath the surface of the gift, not only to the cost, but to to truly understand the expansiveness of the mystery. 

Let’s not place it in a box and wrap it tight, like we do with so many of the gifts of this season.  But rather, let’s open it up wider and wider and see how big and wonderful and awesome it truly is when we don’t crowd it with our human sized assumptions and expectations.  

Happy Sunday!
Happy beginning of Advent Week 2!

Were you able to slip aside this week and get some time with the Lord?

I hope so,

But if not, 

don’t despair

He is still there waiting for you

Slip away even now. 

This Advent we are looking more closely at the cost of Christmas. 

Often we look at the gift

But depreciate the value

Because we don’t consider the cost of it. 

A gift is free to us

But cost someone, something. 

This week lets’s look more closely at Mary and Joseph.  We all know that they played a big role in the events of Christmas, but have we really taken the time to consider the cost of these events in their lives?  

In Matthew we read first about Joseph. The Word tells us that Joseph was betrothed to a woman named Mary.  The unusual thing about their story is that “before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 1:18

Now this is a most unusual statement, don’t you think.  Not natural, if you will.  But wholly supernatural.  And to most people, likely a bit unbelievable.  

To start with, Joseph was already making plans to put Mary away secretly, which says a lot about his character.  But in the meantime, he receives a visit from an angel of the Lord in a dream, at which time he is told that the child Mary carries is indeed conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

And that was enough for Joseph.  Despite the scandal and ridicule and ostracization that would follow, with unwavering faith, he took Mary as his wife and together they waited for the birth of this most wonderful Child. 

Mary didn’t just receive a dream, but the angel Gabriel visited her directly with the news.  “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” Luke 1:28

The angel goes onto share with her the same news he shared with Joseph – that  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35

And the cost of the unknown begins.  First that she is pregnant although she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that she has not been with a man. And furthermore, this Child will be conceived by the Holy Spirit and will be called the Son of God!

In spite of the unknown, how does Mary respond?  Once again, like Joseph, in spite of the scandal, ridicule and ostracization that would be sure to follow, Mary responds with the most wonderful words of unwavering faith:

Last week we talked about Elizabeth and Zacharius and that the cost of Christmas to them was in the preparation.  I would suggest to you, this week, that the cost to Mary and Joseph lay in the process.

The accepting of the unusual, their willingness to step into the unknown, followed by the gift of God to them in the process, their unwavering faith. 

Oh this week, that we would, like Mary and Joseph, be willing to step into the unusual and unknown mysteries of this Christmas season.  That we would, with unwavering faith, open wide our hearts, and our hands, for what the Father has for us.  Not in the physical, the gifts and things that will fade in time.  But in the supernatural, the gifts that will last through eternity. 

We learned last week from Zacharius and Elizabeth, to be willing to sit in the preparation to accept the promise that comes to bring us into proper position.

And this week from Mary and Joseph, to be willing to step into the unusual and unknown, to be filled with unwavering faith, that will bring us through the process. 

There is so much more to the gift of Christmas then what we see on the surface.  The Father didn’t just send His Son, a Child, but a Saviour. 

And the Father didn’t just intend to save us, but to prepare us and position us for the promises that He has for us – that He would provide for us unwavering faith to take on the unusual and unknown and to bring us through the process of this life and eternity. 

If there is one thing to learn of the cost of Christmas, I believe that it is to see beneath the surface of the gift, not only to the cost, but to to truly understand the expansiveness of the mystery. 

Let’s not place it in a box and wrap it tight, like we do with so many of the gifts of this season.  But rather, let’s open it up wider and wider and see how big and wonderful and awesome it truly is when we don’t crowd it with our human sized assumptions and expectations.