March To The Manger...

Today is an in between chapters devotional.  I have decided to give some of my thoughts on our annual program called "March To The Manger."

The history behind this annual Christmas program goes back over 50 years.  The reading and re-enacting of the Christmas account has become a tradition of Oglesby Union Church.  I would like to say a very good tradition that holds value especially in the world that we live in today.  It is amazing to me to have people in the pews in their 20's, 30's, 40's, and 50's who once were the ones on the platform playing the part of Mary or Joseph or an angel or a shepherd.  You may watch from the pew and relive when you played the part of ___________ and you fill in the blank.  

God's Word read is so important.  The reading of the accounts in the gospels of Matthew and Luke and some of the prophecies of the Old Testament like the passages of Isaiah allow us to realize the historical fact of what we celebrate at Advent.  In our day, these accounts are sometimes hidden or covered up by all the other messages of Christmas.  Even some of the Christian radio stations play more songs about snow and a merry man in a red suit than the songs which tell again the accounts we find in the Bible.  I love to sing all the songs of Christmas time but sometimes the songs of the true meaning of Christmas are covered by the ones which remind us about silver bells and being blue without this Christmas.  As a church we have the opportunity and responsibility to allow the message of Christ to stand alone in what we read and what we sing.

I am also very thankful for the opportunity that is given to our children to put on very different costumes than what they would wear at any other time of the year and represent the characters of the account surrounding Jesus' birth.  They come in at the appropriate time and take their place to represent in a visual way the reminder of the angel's pronouncement or the wise mens' gifts or of Joseph getting his beloved Mary to Bethlehem.  As we gaze into our community, this is the only place, in our churches, where this account is told in a way that no other story is attached to it.  I pray when the March To The Manger program is going on that each child would be touched by in a special way to see the big picture of God's love toward us to give us His Son.  I pray it is more than just a little play and watching for the cues from the adults in charge to know when to come in but a reinforcement of what has been taught in Kids Klub and Sunday School year after year.  

The final scene of our March To The Manger is an opportunity for the congregation to approach the manger scene and offer a gift.  Sometimes the gift is monetary but it could be just another time to think about His gift to us and our receiving of salvation from Him.  I have been told that the way we have offered gifts has changed over time and many different ministries and agencies have been the recipients of the generosity of this congregation.  

One thing I have noticed over the 3 years here is how we approach that manger scene.  Even though I have tried to slow us down in our march, we tend to speed by with a glance and make our way back to the comfort of our pew.  I wonder if this is just a symptom of how we approach Christmas or Advent.  There are so many things to do and we are rushing from one event to the next and so this is another time we follow suit and rush through to get to Christmas Day.  Let me say that I am not scolding us on this, just observing what we do and wanting it to be a time when we could stop and ponder the wonder of it all.  Here are some suggestions from your pastor who also can get caught up in the speed of the world. 

• Maybe we need to sit and watch a Biblical account of the Bethlehem scene.  There are some on RightNow Media if you are signed up or here is an example on YouTube:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wqu2r7qj7Fs&t=3085s or a condensed version:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDCppAnelDI

• Maybe we need to set up the nativity scene again in our homes and think through the account with each character we put in place.  

• Maybe we need to turn on the Christmas lights and settle into our comfy chair with a cup of hot cocoa and open our Bible to read the account slowly, savoring every word.  

• Maybe we need to stop at every manger scene set up in our town and pray for the family that took the time to place in public a statement about their faith.  

• Maybe we need to recognize every baby we see in the month of December and pray for that family who has had an addition like Mary and Joseph did in the town of Bethlehem.  

• Maybe we need a couple of sacred hours to listen to Handel's Messiah.  Here is a great rendition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLwmo6bFGzA  

• Maybe you and I could think that next year when the March To The Manger comes around that we are going to stop our march and find a place to stand or kneel for a moment in acknowledgement that we agree with what we see.

God bless your day and may you purposely take time for God.  Let us pray.

"Lord, help us to truly celebrate Your birth so that we can truly look forward to Your return.  You came and lived and died and rose again to come again for those who actually see God in the manger.  May our eyes be open again to how much You love us.  Amen."

Pastor Adam