daily bread

Well, we did it. It may have got a bit patchy toward the end but tonight we ushered Mary and Joseph along the road to Bethlehem and into the stable where she laid the baby Jesus in a manger (‘Probably quite prickly Mummy’.)

I’m just about to sit down with himself and have a big feed while watching The Nativity story. The kids are in bed having set out their plate for Santa:

Caleb was most insistent that we leave a note so that Santa knew who the carrot was for. He also was slightly concerned about the fire.

‘Oh Mummy! If the fire is lit then Santa won’t be able to get down the chimney. He will burn himself and die and go to heaven!’……pause, sound of cogs turning in head……..’Hmmmm, but maybe then when I grow up I could be Santa?’. There is a machiavellian streak in this boy.

As planned, we began the tradition of opening a present from under the tree containing pyjamas. This was a big hit. Elijah was so delighted with his Postman Pat pj’s that he shouted “Let’s get naked!’ and immediately began stripping off to make way for his new jammies. Overheard:  ‘Elijah, you look fabulous in your new jammies. You look like you’re going to get married.’

Then ‘The Grinch’ with hot milk and xmas cookies.

We end where we began, with this funny looking home-made tree but having walked a ways through history, watched and waited while the universe prepared itself to bear forth it’s Creator. We bear witness to the light that we have seen brighten and dim through Israel’s history, to God’s faithfulness to a feckless nation, to his grace and mercy breaking into the lives of the most unlikely characters.

And to Jesus, word made flesh. A saviour, a deliverer. He who brings life and hope, healing and wholeness, rescue, forgiveness and who loves us like no other.

Welcome Immanuel, we’ve been a long time waiting.

It’s the week before xmas, my children are taking it in turns to steal my sleep and it’s very hard to get the inspiration flowing. Caleb is flagging too. After today’s story he asked if Dady would do his picture for him because he was too tired and too cosy where he was. Felt a bit like asking him to do my blogging to while he was at it although in fairness he is just as tired as I am. All that to say that I’m willing myself to keep blogging to the end but it might get a bit short and sweet.

Today we spied on a couple of angel visits to Mary and Joseph. What’s been most interesting to me re-reading those bits this time around was how quickly they saw their place in the story. They both had a very strong sense of their cultural history, of being people of The Promise, expecting that their God would bring a deliverer and recognising that the time had come however bewildered they were that they got caught up in it all. It’s seems astonishing that a young teenage girl, who realistically could expect to be stoned for being an unmarried mother would respond with such joy, have the maturity to see how blessed she was.

I wonder how that first conversation went. They probably barely knew each other, he was probably quite a bit older and there she was telling him that she was pregnant and explaining she was carrying The Messiah. No wonder he needed a follow-up from an angel. Or what must their parents, the community have thought? Who did they tell the whole story to? You can see God’s provision in Elizabeth being pregnant at the same time – she was probably the only other person who would believe and understand Mary’s experience.

I think the one on the left is Joseph, he doesn’t look too happy….

We’ve finally hit the New Testament, so from here on in it might start to feel a bit more christmassy. We’re not with the main players yet though and today’s story is with Mary’s cousin and her husbamd. Their very names are auspicious: Zechariah (“Yahweh remembers”), Elizabeth (“the oath of God”).

This faithful but barren pair find themselves caught up in this longed for story of Israel’s deliverer. Zechariah gets visited by an angel and told he and Elizabeth would soon have a son, John, meaning ‘God is gracious’. God indeed has remembered his promise and been gracious. There has been no supernatural sign from God in over 400 years at this point in Israel’s history and suddenly things kick off with a pair of pretty unimportant senior citizens. There are clues to the new order He is ushering in all over this story: topsy-turvy, undeserved, but mostly joy. Joy to this elderly pair in their longed for son, joy for Israel and for the world.

Zec, Liz and friends playing pass the parcel with John

Slightly off piste with today’s story. I’ve no idea where this occurs in Israel’s history and either does Jayber (pah, 2 years of Regent for what?) so answers on a postcard please. There was also some debate, not unlike with the Noah story as to the mythical vs literal nature of this tale. Yes we are with Jonah today, he of whale vomit fame.

I may not have the MCS after my name but I do feel especially qualified to deal with Jonah. Three long years of watching Veggietales: Jonah the Movie, has given me a nuanced appreciation of the theology here. Did you know Jonah came with his own theme song?

‘ Jonah was a prophet (oo-oo)

But he really never got it (sad but true)

And if you watch him you can spot it (a-doo-b-dee-doo)

He did not get the point.’

Actually not a bad summary of what goes on. Sunday schools always leave out the bit at the end when Jonah balls’ it all up -  at least Veggietales deals with it honestly.

Anyway, what’s this got to do with christmas? Or Advent? Or even the promise we’ve been following down the generations? Well, the thing I like about this story is that its the first time in the old testament we see God reaching out to a nation other than Israel and he has mercy on them. It’s another clue that this promise God has made is not just going to be for Israel but will be bigger than that, how ever unpalatable that idea is to Jonah.

It’s all gone from bad to worse for Israel. They been invaded by a  neighbouring aggressor and carted off to enemy territory en masse. It seems appropriate as we are so close to the darkest day of the year that this story comes from one of the darkest times in Israel’s history. There seems no sign of hope or rescue, their God has forgotten them.

I know that feeling. There have been times in my life when things have felt very bleak and very dark and God has been very silent. Somehow it seemed like insult to injury: up shit creek, no paddle and no sign of Yahweh. People come out with statements like ‘When God feels far away who moved?’ and honest-to-goodness they need a slap round the head. There is no formula, no linear understanding of this crazy journey of faith. Sometimes we must move through the darkness til it all but consumes us. Sometimes when God is silent he is creating a space that he will then fill – to the brim and overflowing. It is the silence of thursday, friday and saturday into which the resurrection explodes.

We sit here in the darkness of winter with the Israelites in exile, desperate for rescue. We sit and we wait for Immanuel.

Caleb's drawing of the Israelites' harps hanging in the trees because they are too sad to sing

So now we are in the era after King David where there is a steady stream of pretty awful Kings with the occasional bright spot. We are going to land in the reign of King Ahab, the one who was married to Jezebel, neither of whom are a bright spot. They were an awful pair and Israel under their rule has become wayward and unruly, no longer faithful to Yahweh. Elijah is God’s man in the middle of the mayhem and is a thorn in Ahab’s side, reminding him that there will be consequences to Israel’s behaviour.

Elijah decides these people need a strong visual aid to wake them up from their idol worship and show them who is really in charge. So, in celebrity death match style, he and the prophets of Baal go head-to-head, their specialist area: sacrificing cows.Baal prophets go first: they build a big altar, stick a cow on top and then work themselves into a lather praying half the day for Baal to set fire to it. Nada. Zip. Elijah can’t resist a few sarcastic asides. Then it’s his turn: builds the altar, cow goes up but for extra points he tips bucket after bucket of water onto his sacrifice. Elijah prays and the whole thing goes up in smoke, even the stones. Elijah-1, Baal prophets-0.

At this point in their history there is no sign of the promise in Israel, God’s chosen people. They have turned away from him and forgotten his faithfulness. But he has not forgotten them and even in the middle of their sin and idolatry he sends a reminder of the God that will not let them go.

That’s the name of the Veggie tale version of this not-very-child-friendly story which is much loved and sung-along with in our house. I nearly chickened out and stuck with their analogy of a greedy King stealing a poor guy’s rubber ducky, but knew my son wasn’t likely to let me away with that in his forensic approach to understanding these biblical tales. So in we dived to David and Bathsheba, albeit a PG version.

It’s an awful tale of greed, lust, adultery, murder and an astonishing abuse of power. And eventually of confession, forgiveness and ridiculous, restorative grace. The consequences of David’s wrongs follow his family down the generations but so too does the promise and the relentless love and faithfulness of Yaweh.

Caleb’s pic shows Bathsheba and her husband Uriah in the foreground and David in the distance looking on. Caleb’s response to the story was to say that when Bathsheba gets to heaven she’ll be married to her old husband again. This boy has a strong sense of justice.

I also got told off for hanging yesterday’s picture upside down. Oops. Apparently the blobs are clouds, not people. Obviously.

Alright, we are out of the desert and fast forwarding through history. Israel have decided they want a King like other nations but their first attempt hasn’t gone too well and their priest, Samuel has been told by God to find a new King from the family of Jesse. Samuel drops in to size up Jesse’s 6 sons and is baffled when again and again God rejects these fine specimens of manhood. Finally, he discovers that Jesse has been holding out on him. David, the baby and veritible runt of the litter is reluctantly brought out for inspection. He’s young, he’s unimpressive and he stinks of sheep but this is the man who God chooses to lead his people and carry the promise(Ok, so the blobs at the bottom are the other candidates, the top bit is Jesse’s house with Samuel, Jesse and David inside)

We are still with the Israelites, still in the wilderness. Moses has died and Joshua is in charge now. He decides to send a couple of spies into Jericho to scope out the enemy before waging war on them. The 2 spies do their duty and end up….in a brothel belonging to a woman called Rahab. It’s all gone a bit James Bond and soon their enemy, the King of Jericho is on to them. He sends the boys  round to  ferret them out but in a bizarre twist an unlikely candidate comes to their rescue. Rahab hasn’t a lot to recommend her : she’s a woman, a whore and is on Israel’s hit list but she saves these spies by hiding them in her attic and then helps them absail down the city walls in a midnight flit. God rewards her faith ( and her cunning) by not only sparing her family in the ensuing battle but she then marries into this nation, becomes the mother of Boaz and ultimatly a great-grandmother of Jesus, the Messiah. What a wonderful mess of courage, scandal, gutsy faith and spectacular grace.

Caleb’s summary of Rahab: ‘Mummy, I think she’s a hero. Just like Spider-girl.’

We’re sticking with Moses and the Israelites and today we find them on the other side of the Red Sea, past those pesky egyptians and setting out for the Promised land. God calls Moses up a mountain and sends him back with 10 rules for living as People of God. God setting out the characteristics he longs to see in his people ; faithfulness, peace, contentment, truth, respect and rest. He has rescued them from Eygpt in order that they will live freely, live well and in relationship with God until the promise is fulfilled.