Getting ready..

I'm in the midst of finishing up the crafting of about 300 ornaments for our annual Live Nativity and I've been thinking about Joseph (our featured Nativity character this year) and his relationship with Jesus. It must have been somewhat strange for Joseph to raise Jesus, the Son of God, King of Heaven and earth. I can envision it now, "Now son, I know that you want that pet lizard to live forever but things just have a normal course of life, and it's time for that thing to die now, so you have to let it go." To which a young Jesus might have said, "But dad, I can make it live!" Now how do you argue with that when your son is the Messiah?

Joseph was a faithful servant of God. By agreeing to marry Mary after learning of her pregnancy even though he had not been intimate with her, he secured a safe childhood for Jesus. He fulfilled the role of "father" by loving Jesus...protecting him by fleeing to Egypt when it was dangerous in Israel, searching for Jesus and fearful for his safety while they were in Jerusalem and he was found in dialogue with the elders in the temple, teaching him the ways of carpentry so that he could make his way in the world until God called upon him to begin his ministry at the age of 30. In all these things Joseph showed his faithfulness to God and his love for Jesus, adopting Jesus as his own son. Joseph answered God's call for him to love the child God was giving to him, even though not his own.

Thank God for men like Joseph who hear God's call and are willing to father the children around them, even if they are not their own, so that the children would know love...so that the children would know the face of God in these men.

P.S. .... A special thank you to all the people, especially Sandy, who helped prepare and assemble our Live Nativity ornament for this year. If you'd like to receive your hand-crafted "Joseph" come to our Live Nativity on Dec. 11 or 12, doors are open 4:30 - 8:00 pm.