We’ve all seen it. Many of us have one in our houses this time year. Our churches pull them out of storage as we approach Christmas. The manger scene is a staple in our Christian celebrations of Christmas. We’re so familiar with the characters in the story that we likely don’t even give it much thought. The wisemen came from lands afar to see the baby born. The shepherds respond to the angels’ call to hail the birth of an unlikely king. Mary and Joseph were just trying to find out what it meant to be parents as they coddled their newborn son in the stable that quiet night.
But what about Mary and Joseph? What do you think was going through their minds as they held their child? Did they know what really was going on? Did they know who their son would grow to be?
One of my favorite Christmas songs carries such a heavy message. Mary did you know? Did you know that this Jesus would end up being the savior of the world? Did you know that this child would grow to change the world? Did you know that his death would bring life to all who believe?
As a parent and a pastor I often look at children and wonder what does God have in store for you. I look at the young people around me and marvel at the many great things they are accomplishing. I’m so excited to see what God has in store . And seeing these young people mature gives me hope for our future.
So did Mary know? Perhaps, but likely at best was in denial of what it all meant. But what we do know is that she was faithful to do what God called her to do. This Christmas remember the greatest gifts sometimes just might come in the smallest of packages.
Merry Christmas!
I don’t like to stop. I often am afraid that while I’m asleep I’ll miss something important. This is a large reason why I stay up late and rise early. But there’s another kind of sleep that has crept in and started to affect us all. It’s the sleep of complacency. 
On Wednesday nights at Living Word we’re journeying through the famous story by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. It’s a wonderful story of a man caught up in himself who is led to a major life change by visits from four different Ghosts throughout Christmas Eve. We started this series with a visit from the 
Since there are only so many weeks to celebrate Christmas and there are some pretty great Christmas songs, I thought it’d be good to take a few weeks of our #musicmonday this year and celebrate Christmas. Christmas this year is a song that talks of the transition between fall and Christmas. The message is one of anticipation. 
For those of you that know me well, one thing you would certainly not say is that I’m a traditional kind of guy. I don’t sit still long enough to establish traditions. I love to try new things with the intent of meeting and connecting with new people. I’m one of those blaze your own trail kind of guys. Or to quote another phrase grass doesn’t grow under my feet. 
Cuts, scars, pimples, blemishes, weight issues, height, dress, muscles or lack of them, hair color, hair style, braces, birthmarks – these things and many more affect the way people see me. But why can’t people see the real me? Why can’t people see beyond the scars and the image in the picture to see who I really am? This is a question with which many struggle – daily. 
