 -Pastor Melissa Fain- Last week I spent some time on pieces of Fig Tree related to my call. (Trigger warning on neglect and sexual attack.) This week I'm here to talk about the lynch pin event that consummated Fig Tree. I use that word to say, this point in my life, created the pieces to make Fig Tree real. There were events leading up to it. I had been part of a new church plant in the 90's, I had discussed the need to for a North West Georgia church. This event became the most important event to Fig Tree's being planted like a child in a womb. Before: Called to brokenness."I'm so sorry Pastor. They told me it would destroy the church if I didn't vote the way they wanted." They were words I wrote in my journal when I realized I was in danger of forgetting them. Very important words that were not true, but brought the truth of my situation down on it. "I'm so sorry," I answered. Before me was a woman who was completely broken. Bullied into making a decision she didn't want to make. She probably had more cause to be sorry to me. I was a new mother. My daughter was born, I gave myself only two weeks and said I was coming back. I remember I was rushing to come back, because that's what I do. I couldn't be honest about my own self-care. Turned out the Elder team was just waiting for those words "I'm ready," and they were going to let me go. Well, "let me go" are the wrong words. The right words were, "Ask for my resignation." They were words that held consequence. Churches knew what they meant, because they used them too. It was when they fired a minister, but they wanted to save face while doing it. Resigning was a way to help the minister find their next job. This is going to sound backwards at first, but follow along with me. I didn't want to resign, I wanted to be fired. Why did they feel I was bad enough to fire, but leave me room to preach, teach, or comfort anyone within a 100 ft radius of any church?! If I was that bad, I needed to be called out and named for it. More than that, if I didn't deserve to be fired, why would I hide it for any future minister who felt that specific church could be a good fit? I already knew what the darkness could bring. I already knew the pain of brokenness breaking others. Now I was feeling it all again, but with my adopted family. It somehow hurt so much more this time around. I answered this woman, who regretted being turned on a lie, and I told her this: "You cannot change what has happened. You can only change what is to come." I told her what's done is done. She was manipulated, and I forgive her. Now, she knows for sure, and can make a difference for the future. I tried that with everyone who felt as betrayed as me. I told them to stay in the church. It didn't work. Firing a new mother ended up breaking the church more than keeping me on. The ones who instigated the act got what they wanted, but there was a church split in the process. I begged members to stay, but they all felt they needed to worship in a healthy church community. I got it, and I'm happy for them. Meanwhile it left me and my family with new levels of brokenness I had yet to experience. I felt, for the first time, the emptiness of depression. I stared into the void, and got lost in the darkness. My husband and I couldn't turn to one another at first, because we were both dealing with the same thing and with all the responsibility and exhaustion of a newborn. When we came back home, I was unemployed. My son was without a school. We discovered multiple family members were dealing with life threatening illness. Also, my immediate family had decided to all move away so I couldn't turn to the them the way I wanted. Does much of that sound familiar? This was 9 years ago for me. I get what many of you are going through, because I lived it a different way almost a decade ago. Being Called to BrokennessI started with the end, because the end explains the beginning. My previous church experiences had opened my eyes to brokenness in the church. My first call was to a church that just had a split. Instead of moving forward, they attempted to recollect their members like missing pieces of a ship. Only, instead of finding new pieces to mend the missing ones, they kept trying to find the exact member to put right the ship. The entire church could be summed up with a hole they had in a wall. A picture was angerly ripped off the wall, leaving the hole, and they refused to patch it until they got their picture back. My seminary intern experience started with clergy abuse. I had been brought on after the fact. I watched them work through the pain openly, and in a healthy way. I was able to witness what the light could do to the darkness. But I was done with brokenness. I prayed to God for a church that would just help me form my ministerial call. I didn't want my first church to be broken. Maybe in 10 years, when I've been in the church for awhile, but not now. That wasn't in the cards. The church lied. I say they lied, because point blank, they lied. They were broken. Their first break happened in the late 70's to early 80's. A minister wanted to move the church in a charismatic direction. Half the church didn't want it, so they fired the minister. He took the other half of the congregation and started a new church. It was the moment those left behind believed ministers were dangerous. This danger wasn't something they would explicitly feel. The danger only manifested itself when a minister would begin discussing the scary word, "change." All good ministers will eventually talk about change. Every Church has to move forward. Only, implicitly change had shown itself to be bad. Minister after minister would be asked to resign once they introduced change. Minister after minister would oblige. These ministers didn't want to destroy their careers with one small rural church. Their second break happened when they hired their first female minister. No, not me. I was their second. I would love to sit down and talk to the first. She was a broken soul herself. While she was working for the church, she tried to take her own life. They had to let her go. I want to hug her so hard! I want to tell her she is loved! I want to share war stories. I'm sure her brokenness and the church's brokenness just broke one another a little bit more. Brokenness breaks. Always. I hope she found grace wherever she landed. When I came for my interview I had three questions that needed to be answered:
Not only did they lie, I spent most of the call incomplete. It took about 6 months for my husband to come up with my son. About 4 months in I broke my ankle and couldn't make shut-in visits without another congregant driving me to their house. (Their biggest expectation was visits to shut ins, to a degree that was way more than many churches expect.) When my ankle was finally on the mend, I became pregnant with my daughter. When my daughter was born I felt I would finally be well enough to really get some work done. Only, this is a church that was broken by change, and I was past due for expulsion. A final quote from this period of my call came from a former congregant. She had heard I was moving on and she dryly said to me, "They did it again." The opening of the floodgatesThere are so many people who have now been broken by church. There are congregants and ministers. There are people who don't even call themselves Christian having been wounded by some congregation or minister.
Once I became one of them, their stories were finally told. I heard story after story that were different from my own, but shared the same heartbeat. I had become one of them, and in becoming one of them, I was now safe. It wasn't until I was on the other side, that I also realized, my old self was part of the problem. I had been scary; someone to avoid. I finally saw who I was through someone else's eyes, and it was terrifying. I understood why the newly broken wanted to just burn the system down. Something good had been subverted and perverted. Those who hadn't been hurt by it yet couldn't understand what they had become. The experience had turned me into a child of God that didn't belong anywhere. I no longer belonged in an established church because I could see dangers that weren't known to me before. No one in those institutions had the power to change them because they couldn't truly see them. I also didn't belong in the secular world, still having a deep reverence for God. I was using vocabulary that came with danger. I could see how the real truth was looked at like the subverted and perverted shadow. Something had to happen- but that's for next week.
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-Pastor Melissa Fain- Much of what has brought us here today was built with "before", "during", and "yet to be." Each of these played a vital role in the existence of Fig Tree Christian, and towards the mission of finding God already in the digital wilderness. Before.My Pastoral Calling to this kind of ministry Early Childhood:
I used to wear my trauma like a badge because I knew my trauma had shaped me. Many of the choices I made as an older child, and young adult were exclusively because of the trauma. Today, I try not to highlight that part of me often. I have too much work to do to sit down and regale the world around a campfire. I also know how many unknowingly treat trauma victims and survivors as an oddity. People gather, listen, pick apart, dissect, and leave. They become grateful the person they examined and pulled apart was not them, and they go about their lives. I learned this kind of sharing doesn't help others like me, and it doesn't help me. If you wonder why victims and survivors are less likely to share their personal stories, that's why. Still, we are here today because of moments that happened before Fig Tree was even a sparkle in my eye. I was a child of divorce. Back in the 80's it was believed women were the better caretakers than the men. Therefore, custody was handed to my mother. There's something I always say and write. "Brokenness breaks- always." I know this because I lived it. My mom was broken. From her brokenness, she broke my sister and myself. She married an abusive drunk. For those two years we were neglected, and abused through neglect. We were locked in places, and had to sneak food to eat. I am not mad at my mom. Broken people, while broken, don't realize they are breaking others. When my dad finally won custody, we found ourselves with my Grandma, my dad's mom. Divorce sucks. It has long reaching fingers that jab at strange times. There was this belief that my mom's side of the family was treating me better than my sister. My Dad's side of the family reacted poorly, choosing to treat my sister with more love and care than myself. It was torture. I can remember vividly an event, where my dad left us at the apartment, because he needed to help my aunt with something at my grandma's house. The boy across the hall rang the doorbell, asking if he could talk to me. When I opened the door a little, he pulled me out, shut the door, and pushed me against the door. He began grinding against me. I screamed for my sister to open the door, when she finally did it took both of us to close the door behind us, as the boy was using his body weight to try to push himself in. Then, he went from window to window to look at us. I called my grandma's house to get my dad to come home. My aunt picked up the phone. I begged her to get dad. She told me he was busy. I told her what happened. Her response is burned in my memory as deep as the boy is now forever seared. "You are being selfish. Don't call back." She hung up. Dad was not told what happened to me. He wouldn't find out until he got home that night. (Just so we're clear, Dad would have come home if his sister had taken a moment to tell him what was going on. He saved us in many ways.) That night solidified that I couldn't push into my biological family for support, so I turned to the only family I had left: The church. I adopted myself into the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.) My entire world revolved around church. I joined any group that would have a child. I sang in the choir. I evangelized for the youth. I asked to participate in worship. I found my voice. I began to piece myself back together. While the world around me burned, the church was an oasis. Early work in the church: At first I only volunteered. I would help with the food pantry. I would come at strange times and volunteer for a project. I lived at the church, so any event would bring me with it. I did not miss Sunday worship, and as soon as I could drive I was sometimes the only one in the family who showed up. Eventually, I aged out of youth group, and I had to start thinking about what I was going to do. I was feeling the call to ministry. At the time I thought it was music ministry, because music was the only real voice I had. I decided to work for the church. Camp Staff was suggested as a good start, so I sent my resume to the only Disciples of Christ camping program with Camp Staff within a 4 hour radius: Christmount. They had just finished hiring, but if I wanted to be kitchen staff, I could stay with the staff and come on board. I did. The following two years I was on Camp Staff. Then the Youth/Choir director at Loganville Christian Church, followed by the Youth Director at Brookhaven Christian Church. I lived breathed and ate church. It was my everything. I went to seminary at Candler School of Theology, and became the Seminary Intern at First Christian Church of Atlanta, in Tucker. Early Adulthood: Seminary is an important step in a ministerial calling. Of course I can buy any book written by any theologian, but I wouldn't know how to use it. Seminary taught me how to navigate through historical and Biblical understanding. Before seminary, I didn't know. I wasn't aware of the codewords, or the secret hand signals. I kid some, but it's important for ministers to understand the reasoning of theological traditions inside and outside their own. My early adult self dropped into random churches thinking that would be enough. Back then, visiting other denominations was like a test of faith. I would proudly state, "I'm a Disciple because I've been to 8 churches outside the denomination and I feel I'm still a Disciple." While the visiting was good, it was the seminary classes that explained what was going on in them that really rocked me. I also was able to process my brokenness, and realize how my brokenness was further abused or mocked. The key being, brokenness is not something that is dealt with in the church. A broken system or person is proof that God is not a giant wishing machine. It's also proof that Christianity doesn't magically become easy because you said some words and were dunked in water in front of people. Through seminary, I learned the entire nation had become so afraid of loss and grief, that they were ostracizing anyone who proved loss and grief existed. It was the first time I could see why Christians were personally happy with me talking about overcoming trauma, but went away when it came to processing grief. I was an oxymoron to their theological world: A suffering Christian. Seminary was also personally good for me in another way as a person and as a minister. It was a refining fire where I became better because I learned I was not okay. In become better, I became someone who was better prepared for ministry. In the midst of this transition I met my husband, and had my first child. My husband is not a theologian, or in any kind of ministry job. Looking back, I realize I would have never found my spouse within my denomination because I had made them my family. I love my husband and my son. They came into my life when I was still naïve. Who I was when my son was born vs who I am now is drastically different. More about that next week. -Pastor Melissa Fain- Before the Pandemic hit, I expressed the need to be outside the system to the community of Fig Tree Christian. I left room for discussion, and there was support. Fig Tree has almost always pulled non-denominationally or multi-denominationally. The only descent was realizing moving away from a denomination would mean ministers could no longer use Fig Tree as their church on their standing forms. (I have issues with this and how it's negatively impacted non-traditional ministries, but that's a discussion for another time.) I crafted an open letter of "resignation," Before, no one even bothered to tell me hi. I was forgotten. After the post, it got weird. I was told they would not take me or Fig Tree off the books. We were still part of the denomination, something they did for a year, you know, just in case. Which would have been fine to ride it out another year, and let them feel like they were helping us, but it was not across the board. As a minister, I never got the ministerial card. As a church, when the pandemic hit, Fig Tree wasn't included in the online resources. (Yeah, you read that right. The online church in Georgia, that had been online for years, was not on the online list of resources.) The region chose to keep us where it benefited them, and lose us where it benefited us. They became leaches. It was not helpful, and it made the community angry to see what a denomination could do. Any time someone tried to contact me over this past year, it was either to "talk" or to seek something. No one came to us to ask the very important question, "How can we help?" Why would they? No one asked that question before. Why would they do it now? God has called me out.If I were to be completely honest right now, this call happened in front of my computer back in September of 2011, in Bedford, Kentucky. A very strong question came to me: "Would you rather be comfortable or do what is right?" It was such a jarring question! Of course I would want to walk the right path. Doing what's right, is right. Eventually what's right wins, so discomfort eventually comes anyway. It was a no-brainer. What followed was even more jarring, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry." I had this realization, as I was lovingly pushed off the ministerial cliff by a congregant only a month and a half later, that eventually (in some future), I would move away from the denomination I loved. It was merely an itch back then; a melancholy thought. It was something I didn't want, and actively fought against. Yet, as opportunities came up, opportunities I would have been amazing at, like New Church ministry, or Youth leadership- I didn't even submit my name. I just somehow knew I wasn't supposed to. God has always moved me with baby steps. Transitioned me with gentle nudges. I innately knew, those were not my opportunities. If I went for them it would put me on the wrong path. Imagine trying to explain to your husband why going for something related to your field wasn't right. I've been a server, a retail worker, and a sub. I did that instead of going for ministerial jobs because it felt right. Meanwhile, those nudges have become a full turn. By the time I realized where it was going I was ugly crying with my friend over the phone. At that point I was still trying to "fix" it, include the denomination into what Fig Tree was doing. Begging anyone to be part of the process. No one helped. Know this- it was with deep lamentations that we left. Most of the community was ready for the split before I truly was. Now, after only being included in ways that benefited the denomination, I feel used. It would have been better just to let us go when we asked to go. Why would we want to stay when things happened the way they did? Fig Tree in the wildernessOne last note, and maybe this note is for all you churches out there feeling the breaking breathes of life slipping through your doors:
God has been calling us outside our brick and mortar buildings for over a decade now. We were forced out, and instead of figuring out how God was already in the digital landscape, we simply recreated what we already knew. We've all done a great job preaching inwards. I'm done pretending evangelism. I'm through trying to save the calloused husk of the old church. An important statement was made in 2019, and we ignored it because he made it in front of stained glass windows: "Are we trying to follow Christ, or save a building?" Maybe we all need to be asking that question. God asked me to leave when that action held power, when I still had a choice one way or another. Come with me. Let's try something new, fail, learn something, and try something else! I am not going to save your church, but I will follow God. Wherever God may lead me, I will follow.  -Pastor Melissa Fain- 11 Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! Psalm 97:11-12 NRSV For 24 days we hoped, and waited, and rejoiced and loved. We built, and played, and learned and explored. We are here! Christmas day!
We are at the end. When we reach an end, we have a few choices. We can hold on to our end and make it last just a little bit longer. Hold on to the magic and the wonder. We could reflect back. Make a list of how it could be better, or what you want to do again. You can also figure out what you are doing next. How will you continue now that this chapter is finished? In church tradition, Christmas isn’t over yet. It lasts for 12 days starting December 25th and ending January 6th. Still, January 6th will come and go. What will you do then? We are called to be a people of now, who remember our past, while thinking towards the future. Enjoy today! May the love of Christ’s light shine in your day! May you make great memories that last a lifetime! And may this day give way to something new; a new adventure! A new plan! Go in peace! Amen.  -Pastor Melissa Fain- The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-- on them light has shined. Isaiah 9:2 NRSV Did you know the night is coldest before the dawn? As the sun rises, it slowly heats the Earth. Once the sun sets, that heat slowly goes away until the sun rises again and it all starts over. If you go camping, you’ve felt that pre-dawn chill. You want to stay snuggled in your sleeping bag instead of braving the cold to get dressed and ready for a new day. During the night, there are ways to know the sun is still there: the moon. The moon doesn’t shine its own light. The sun shines on the moon, and the moon shines the sun’s light on us. The moon becomes a reminder that the sun is still there, even when the world seems so dark. Advent is like the moon. We are waiting to celebrate the birth of Jesus, to see the light of Christ in our world. That light was not gone. We didn’t see it directly, but we saw it. It shined through Elizabeth, Mary, and Joseph. We saw it through the shepherds and their sheep. Advent is pre-dawn darkness, but the light is still there, ready to warm our hearts, even when the chill has taken hold. Today is the last day of Advent. Today is the last day to prepare. Tomorrow we see the light. Question: Have you seen Jesus’ light shine through someone? Prayer: Dear God, prepare us for the light. Amen Places to connect:
To see or share pictures of the Advent Adventure Crafts: Twitter: @FigTreeTweet, #AdventAdventure For deeper discussion: Reddit: www.Reddit.com/r/FigTreeChristian  -Pastor Melissa Fain- 1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-6 NRSV Did you know most people feel the wait leading up to something seems longer than the event itself? Like standing in line for a ride. You might spend more time walking around the park but knowing how close you are to getting on the ride can make each second feel like forever. Once again, it’s that anticipation. Good things get really exciting right before they happen. Now it’s only two days before Christmas! I hope that’s something that has you excited. The more excited you are for what’s coming, the longer these next two days might feel. It’s okay. Part of the journey is waiting. Actually, a large part of any journey is waiting. That’s why we spent three days talking about it. This wait, however, is so close. This wait is the most exciting. We are almost there, and we can feel it! Question: What are you most excited about for Christmas? Prayer: Dear God, We are ready! We want to celebrate! We want to worship you! Amen. Places to connect:
To see or share pictures of the Advent Adventure Crafts: Twitter: @FigTreeTweet, #AdventAdventure For deeper discussion: Reddit: www.Reddit.com/r/FigTreeChristian  -Pastor Melissa Fain- 5 He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 5:5-6 NRSV Did you know when we look at our family history it’s called ancestry? Ancestors are the family members that were around before us. This is our grandmothers and grandfathers, our great aunts and uncles; our family that goes back generations. Through our family tree we can see where we’ve come from. With our family now, we can see where we’re going. Abraham was the beginning of God’s family story. There’s a song children used to sing in church: “Father Abraham had many sons, and many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them, and so are you, so let’s all praise the Lord!” It’s difficult to be at the beginning of stories. Abraham had nothing to look back on, only wonder if he’d have something to look forward to. It might be one of the reasons we are so uncomfortable starting something new. God helps Abraham understand by showing him the stars. What a great image! We can’t touch stars; they are too far away. For the same reason we can’t feel their heat. What we can know is they are there, hundreds of light years away. We have the gift of being able to look back and remember. We can recall past Christmas’ and family memories. For us, those memories are like Abrahams’ stars. We can no longer touch or feel them, but we can see them in my mind. As he looked forward, we look back. Question: What is a good memory you have of a former Christmas? Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the loving and good family members in our lives. Amen. Places to connect:
To see or share pictures of the Advent Adventure Crafts: Twitter: @FigTreeTweet, #AdventAdventure For deeper discussion: Reddit: www.Reddit.com/r/FigTreeChristian  -Pastor Melissa Fain- 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” Luke 3:8-14 NRSV Did you know the Bible is full of angels, and they have many different jobs? There are angels that worship, and angels that fight. There are angels that protect, and (like the angels related to Christmas) angels that announce. Announcements are meant to tell us something we don’t already know. Yeah, we might know a wedding is happening or baby is being born, but an announcement tells us when and where. Even if the event has already taken place, an announcement brings a group of people together to react to the news. There are so many announcements the angels give around the Christmas story. An angel appeared to Zachariah to tell him his wife, Elizabeth, was pregnant. An angel told Mary she was pregnant with Jesus. An angel visited Joseph in a dream to tell him not to leave Mary. An angel warned Mary and Joseph to leave Bethlehem, announcing they were no longer safe. God moments happen all the time in this world. They can go unnoticed, and part of being a Christian is being the angelic presence to announce them. Making an announcement is an important part of the story. God events deserves more. People must know how amazing the event was. Go out and share! Question: What are some ways we can share God’s good news? Prayer: Dear God, thank you for announcing our presence. Sometimes it can be difficult to see. Amen. Places to connect:
To see or share pictures of the Advent Adventure Crafts: Twitter: @FigTreeTweet, #AdventAdventure For deeper discussion: Reddit: www.Reddit.com/r/FigTreeChristian -Pastor Melissa Fain- 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Matthew 1:26-33 NRSV Did you know love is a theme in the Bible and is a subject that comes up hundreds of times? That makes love an important part of understanding and following God. The fourth theme of Advent is Love. To get here we had to travel through the other three themes. First, like pulling out a map, we had to plan our journey with Hope. Then, we had work towards that destination with active Peace. It is when we begin to see our work paying off we can start to celebrate with Joy. Now, Love is the destination. It is the X that marks the spot on our journey to prepare for Christ. We now have everything we need to meet Jesus at Christmas! Love is something we can spend our entire lives working to understand but is also super easy to understand too. Love seeks the best for a person or group. The Christmas story is the story of God’s first steps to find the best for all humans. God loves us so much; God took on humanity to do it. Godly love is always where we should be traveling. It is right, and it is good. Today, that’s what we have, and now there is only 5 days until Christmas! We’re ready! Question: Where have you seen Godly love out in the world? Prayer: Dear God, help us see your Love in our lives! Amen. Places to connect:
To see or share pictures of the Advent Adventure Crafts: Twitter: @FigTreeTweet, #AdventAdventure For deeper discussion: Reddit: www.Reddit.com/r/FigTreeChristian  -Pastor Melissa Fain- 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. Matthew 2:9-12 NRSV Did you know we don’t really know how many magi, or wise men, came to Jesus’ birthplace? The Bible has nothing really written about them. Traditionally, Christians have said there were three. Many Christians put those three at different ages: young, middle aged and older. Many Christians have also made those three from different parts of the world: African, Asian, and European. The Magi have become a symbol to get those who wouldn’t have been close to Jesus’ birth, to Jesus’ birth. They are a reminder that all are included in God’s story. But boy did they arrive late! Some estimates say the magi came three years after Jesus was born! That’s not only late to the party but, the party was over, everyone cleaned up, and at least 30 parties had come and gone before the magi arrived! Why are they even arriving then? It’s because we can’t limit who is allowed to celebrate Christ just because it’s not easy for them to arrive. It’s actually a big deal when people work extra hard to get to God’s plan. We shouldn’t turn people away because it can be more difficult. For those who have it easier, we should help those people reach their goal. The Magi were late the party, but they were still invited. That, in itself, is a celebration! Question: How can we help those who struggle to get to God? Prayer: Dear God, help us include everyone to Christ’s birth, not just those who it’s easier. Amen. Places to connect:
To see or share pictures of the Advent Adventure Crafts: Twitter: @FigTreeTweet, #AdventAdventure For deeper discussion: Reddit: www.Reddit.com/r/FigTreeChristian |
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