Journeying with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, with Rev. Dr. Steven Koski.

Journeying with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, with Rev. Dr. Steven Koski. Series: Advent 2024 A Spacious Christianity, First Presbyterian Church of Bend, Oregon. Scripture: Ephesians 3.20.

Take the journey with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, envisioning their weariness on the long trip and finding shelter in a stable for Jesus’ birth, where God meets us in our weariness.

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We call this kind of faith “Spacious Christianity.” We don’t ask anyone to sign creeds or statements of belief. The life of faith is about a way of being in the world and a faith that shows itself in love.

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Keywords:

mary, joseph, weariness, night, child, candles, weary, journey, hope, advent season, bethlehem, world, god, sleep, spacious, birth, weary world rejoices, fear, christmas, trudge, presbyterian, church, online worship, bend, oregon

Featuring:

Rev. Dr. Steven Koski, Brave of Heart, Guests

Transcript

Unknown: 0:20

Music.

Whitney Higdon: 0:37

Welcome to worship at First Presbyterian we at first, Presbyterian practice a spacious Christianity, which means, no matter where you are in your faith journey, you belong, and there is space for you at the table, there is space for your doubts and questions. We believe doubts and questions are a gift that invite us into deeper conversations and a more authentic faith. We believe diversity is a strength. Every story is sacred, and everybody matters. We do our best to live the spacious and radical love of Jesus so that all might have a chance to flourish in this world. We are so glad to connect with you in this way. We would also love to worship with you in person if you're ever in the neighborhood on Sunday mornings at 830 or 10am and never hesitate to reach out to us to learn more about us or how we might support you. I hope you enjoy this worship service. Welcome.

Becca Ellis: 5:05

This is the season of Advent, as we make room and prepare our hearts to receive, once again, the gift of God's love and the birth of Jesus, it is our tradition to light a candle for each Sunday in Advent. On this first Sunday in Advent, we light a candle of hope, reminding us there is a light that shines in the darkness that no amount of darkness can't extinguish. May we find hope in that promise and bring hope as we shine light into the darkest corners.

Narrator: 9:07

I will light candles this Christmas, candles of joy, despite all the sadness, candles of hope, where despair keeps watch. Candles of courage where fear is ever present, candles of peace for tempest tossed days, candles of grace to ease heavy burdens, candles of love to inspire all my living candles that will burn

Unknown: 9:50

all the year long.

Steven: 10:08

This is the first week of the season of Advent, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. There's a line from a Christmas carol that says, a weary world rejoices. Our world is so weary. Maybe you too are weary. What weariness Do you carry in your body and in your soul? How does a weary world rejoice Now chances are pretty good that most of us know the basics, basics of the Christmas story pretty well, and what a glorious story. It is a couple, Mary and Joseph, who courageously traveled to Bethlehem with Mary about to give birth, a radiant star shining brightly in the night, angels feeling in the sky with song, cows and sheep that somehow know to be tamed by the moment, proud parents showing off their newborn baby to delighted shepherds, wise men proclaiming the birth of a king. Glorious, isn't it? The beautiful picture perfect Hallmark Christmas card. Well, that's the sentimentalized and romanticized version of the story. We forget sometimes that the real story was less than ideal, anything but perfect. It was actually a real mess full of confusion, fear, uncertainty and the unexpected kind of like life. I'm guessing most of us can relate to the mess and the weariness more than we can relate to the Christmas card, Instagram, perfect version of the story. You know, we lose something really important when we clean the story up and remove the mess and the pain and the weariness, for it's right there in the midst of the weariness of the world and the weariness of our own lives, is where God meets us, where love is Born. It's right there in the weariness that God is with us. So today, I want to do something actually a little different. I want to invite us to travel with Mary and Joseph, to Bethlehem and to actually experience their weariness, allow their journey to be our our own journey. I'm going to lead us in a guided visualization. It's going to be a journey, not so much of the mind, but the heart. And I invite you to use your imagination as I guide you finding yourself on that dusty road with Mary and Joseph on the way to Bethlehem, if you get distracted, that's okay, simply come back to my voice and the images I'm awakening, so let's travel together. Consider Mary for a moment. God chose Mary, this ordinary, poor, young, unimportant girl, probably 1314, years old, in her culture and time, a non person, even this is who God chose to bear, the incarnation of God's love. This is who God chose to be, the bearer of hope. God comes in the most unlikely places, in the most unlikely ways, through the most unlikely people you know, makes you wonder, how might God be seeking to show up, show up in this weary world, in and through your life, consider the courage of Mary. I mean, no doubt, trembling with fear, but willing to trust we find Mary in her small dwelling place. It's a simple, tiny place with a dirt floor. There are few furnishings and a straw palette for a bed. Even many of the poorest today have more. Mary prepares a simple meal, placing small loaves to bake on an open fire. Joseph arrives, his face troubled. Joseph says, there's an edict from the Emperor. Everyone must go to their own birthplace for an imperial census. You know what this means. We have 90 miles to travel to get to Bethlehem and with you about to bear a child. Joseph says, I don't know. I don't know how we can possibly make this journey. I suspect you, too, know what it's like to wonder how you'll make the journey you know you must make, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Mary and Joseph gather some food for their journey. They load the donkey with their meager possessions and some blankets for the cold nights along the road. Bright and early, they start out. The sky is overcast. There's a cold, biting wind blowing into their bases. They trudge this dirty, dusty, uneven, challenging terrain, hour after hour. They pause at noon time by ravine and eat some cheese and dry bread, and then go on there's rain, the dust turns to mud. Evening and darkness are coming when they find a mill and knock on the door, they're wet, chilled, bone tired, so weary from the journey. Mary, only a few days from childbirth, the Miller lets them in. They sleep on bags of grain in a corner of the mill outside, the wind howls, rain beats against the roof. They have a restless night's sleep. Those fearful thoughts that often come at three in the morning. Those fearful thoughts take hold of Mary. They refuse to go away until she drifts to sleep from sheer exhaustion. The next day, they keep traveling under broken clouds. They meet others traveling from their homes who barely nod. Have you noticed how our own journeys can be so consuming at times, we even fail to notice others along the way, hour by hour, Mary and Joseph trudge on the journey's long, difficult. It's hard to see what lies ahead. What does it all mean? There are moments when fear takes hold, but somehow they muster the courage just to keep going. What fear takes hold of you on your journey? Where will you find the courage to keep going and take a breath. Imagine in the midst of your own weariness, being graced with the strength you need when you need it the most. This night, an old villager and his wife let Mary and Joseph sleep in a corner of their hut. It's good they say to welcome strangers, one may entertain God in doing so. I wonder if Mary and Joseph knocked on our door in the middle of the night, would we open the door and welcome them in another long day, a day of climbing a winding road, just when they begin to wonder if they can possibly go one step further, they see off in the distance the city of Bethlehem, in hope and expectation, Joseph knocks on the great door of the inn. The innkeeper opens the door. He's a hulk of a man larger than life, framed by the light of the fire blazing in the fireplace just behind him. Sorry, no room, no, not even a corner. The town's full because of the census, you might be able to find some shelter out the back. There's a cave in the hillside. The heavy door clang shut. The darkness of the night becomes even more penetrating. Joseph stumbles down a little hill the time. The time is very close. He finds the cave in the hillside with a shelter built in front of it, straw in the back, standing, standing in the shadows, a donkey and some oxen. The dung is thick on the dirt floor of the cave with steam rising in the cold night air. The manger, which is an animal's feeding trough, the manger gleams with the saliva. Of the oxen that have just eaten there not a very likely place for the birth of Christ, the birth of love, the birth of hope and possibility. But you know, the less likely, the better. Then we can't say that our messy, imperfect, weary lives, or any less likely a place for love to enter. A runaway child sleeps on a pile of straw at the very back, a frightened child who's run away from the beatings of a stepfather. This unlikely space of grace welcomes those who are weary and have nowhere else to go. Is your heart a safe place for those who have nowhere else to go? Mary goes into labor this exhausted, impoverished, frightened child, miles away from home, endures the most mysterious, sacred, terrifying, painful experience a woman may know, and into that dark place, that lonely place, that unexpected place, that God forsaken place the child is born God's love enters the weary world. It was dirty, it was dark, it smelled. It's the very indignity of this story that makes it so compelling. Could it mean that our own indignity, our own dark places, our own pain, our own fears, our own weariness, can be transformed into something holy and beautiful for a moment, there was sacred silence, and a child's cry pierced the silence in the dark night air. Mary picks up, picks up the child, and she starts to cry. Joseph tries to comfort her. I mean, she's in awe. Her heart is bursting with love for the child she is holding. She welcomes a joy like she has never known before, and at the same time, she tells Joseph she wants her mother, she wants to go home. And then wiping the tears from her eyes, she says she's sorry. Joseph says that's okay, that's okay, and he means it. They hold each other. They cry together. Mary and Joseph hurt all over from their journey. There's nothing to eat. It's cold. They're tired, so very tired, scared and alone, there is this light that seems to be coming from a distant star, and the light penetrates the darkness through the cracks of the shelter's roof and shines gently on this child's face. And as Mary and Joseph are holding this child, they have this deep, deep sense that the child is holding them, and somehow they know all will be well. Scripture says Mary will conceive and give birth to a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel, which means God with us. That's the gift we prepare to receive again this Advent season. God is with us. Love is with us. God meets us right where we are in our weariness. You know, love can't always fix things, but when we have a deep sense that God is with us in our weariness, we can endure those things that can't always be fixed, maybe even find some joy in the midst of the weariness. You. And do what we can to bring hope into a weary world. May it be so. friends go into this weary world with the peace and love of Christ, reminded that God is with you, and may your love be with others in their weariness, in such a way that they might experience peace. Amen.

Whitney Higdon: 28:58

Thank you so much for joining us, and we hope you enjoyed this worship service. If you would like to make a donation helping make these podcasts possible or support them many ways. First, Presbyterian seeks to serve our community. You can make a financial gift online at bend fp.org, every week, we hear from someone thanking us for the gift of these broadcasts and what a difference they make. Your support makes that possible. Our church is committed to reach beyond our walls, bringing hope where there is despair and love where it is needed the most. Your generous support helps us to be generous in love. Go to our website, bend fp.org, and click on the link. Give online. Your support is really appreciated and makes a difference in people's lives. Thanks again. I hope to see you next week. You.