 -Pastor Melissa Fain- 24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25 “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.” Luke 1:24-25 NRSV Did you know a book that takes 10 hours to read, probably took 10 months to write or longer! That’s not considering how long the publishing process takes. When you pick up a book, you are looking at the finished product. So much goes into getting to that point. Whenever we tell the Christmas story, we hear about Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. They’re part of the main story. They’re key players. So are the shepherds and the angels. They make it to the birth, which is only the end of the Nativity story. What about Elizabeth? Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin. In her old age she got pregnant. She didn’t think something like that was even possible. So, why are we talking someone other than Mary getting pregnant? Elizabeth would give birth to John, the person who would grow up to baptize Jesus. She is so important to the bigger story, the story that takes place over years, not just months. Even though she isn’t at the birth, she is just as important as Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds. God’s story is big. There are all kinds of people invited to be part of it. Maybe their job isn’t in the final product, but that doesn’t make it any less important. You don’t get to see all the people who make a big project happen, but they are still there. Elizabeth is there, rejoicing. Question: If you could celebrate someone who doesn’t get appreciated for his or her work, who would it be? Why? Prayer: Dear God, be with those I cannot see. May I be given sight to see the bigger picture. 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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