WedDec242008
The Baby Shower
To begin, I have to state that I have closely researched the Bible this Advent season and the evidence points to the fact that, due to Jewish genetics and simple life experience, it is likely that the Baby Jesus, the new born savior, the child born in the manger – had more hair than I do. (rub head)
For a couple of years I have been amused and have pondered a little framed reading that is on the wall in our Children’s Ministries office. It is a reading that makes an observation of what would have happened if there had been three Wise Women in attendance at Jesus’ birth, instead of the three Wise Men the Bible mentions.
Of course, I could not let that go, as a man, so I’ve remarked that the reading could not be possible because there is no way that three wise woman would work together. I’ve made other silly and good natured comments as well that my wonderful female colleagues have endured, as women have endured for centuries, even millennia, and accepted with a smile and a smack upside the head. Of course, if you have a child in our Church School program, you already know how blessed Federated Church is through the ministries of Jannine Mason, Lisa Vitantonio, Bev Mills, Carol Fishell and their many volunteers. Our Sunday School program is amazing. We are truly blessed. Anyone of these precious women is wiser than I’ll ever be.
to the story of the Three Wise Men and I must give you some background. Carefully reading the Bible we read that the three Wise Men followed the star, but couldn’t find the exact location of Christ’s birth, so they asked the ruler of the land for directions – a mistake that potentially could have cost Jesus his life. They also arrived well after the actual birth of Jesus – some weeks after. And the brought every expensive gifts that were actually not of much use – except to exchange them for money.
The reading goes like this, “Three Wise Women would have: Asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, brought practical gifts, and there would be peace on earth.”
If you have been gifted with strong, competent, gifted women in hour life, as I have, you’ll easily recognize that this is probably all very true. There is room for good natured teasing back and forth, but the Kingdom of God has no room for sexism or treating women as second class, after thoughts. Having said that, I offer this silly reply quip to the reading.
This week a friend emailed me a new response to this discussion that goes like this: “And as the Three Wise Women left the Holy Family, they remarked:
• Did you see the sandals Mary was wearing with that gown?
• I heard Joseph isn’t even working right now.
• And that donkey they own sure has seen better days.
• And finally, want to bet how long it takes to get that casserole dish back?
Of course, the reason that the idea of Three Wise Women is even among us is because no woman can believe, even thought the Bible says it, that there have ever been Three Wise Men.
While this amused me when I re-read it last month during a meeting, it started me thinking about what gifts would have made more sense for the baby in the manger. In good fun, the reading does raise a great question and is a good balance for perspective. What would a woman have brought to Jesus as a gift that a man may not have ever considered?
As I played with this, I found myself spending lots of time remembering the births of my grandchildren and my own children, and the days that followed those events, and I decided to buy Jesus some. What could the blessed mother Mary and Joseph want as helpful gifts for their baby?
Keep in mind that Jesus was not born as an adult in a child’s body. He was born as we were born, as an infant. Jesus was helpless, needing care and love and nurture, unaware, sleepy, hungry. He was a just newborn and needed to be cleaned and covered. The Bible tells us that Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes. Not a phrase we use much although clever blanket companies have begun using the term swaddling for receiving blankets for new babies. Originally, swaddling was a word that referred more to bandages – a step up from rags, but not quite what we picture for a new born infant.
In birth, like all babies, Jesus was a mess and he likely made a mess of his swaddling clothes. So the first gift I’d imagine bringing to the manger is in this package.
(wrapped blanket – get a child to come and open it and place it before the manger.)
If Jesus were born today, I think a new baby blanket would be a welcome gift for him. I know Mary would have appreciated it over wrapping Jesus in bandages and perhaps rags. A soft, cuddly blanket is a wonderful symbol of care and comfort. Sadly, just like Jesus, most of the world does not enjoy such luxuries. Jesus came hoping to help us all to be receiving blankets for the needy, taking the poor into our hearts and encompassing them our lives and resources.
Pampers – second child to come and unwrap gift. Place it at manger.
Everyone knows that what goes in, comes back out. The same was true for Jesus. If Jesus were born today, I know his family would love the gift of diapers. They also speak to us of care and hygiene and making the baby comfortable. Again, many children in the world, as I have seen with my own eyes, either go without any diapers or are wrapped in rags that are rinsed and they used again over and over. Cloth diapers are not the issue here, clean and available water is. In some places I’ve visited the families simply let the children go with no diaper as they have nothing to wrap them in.
Rattle – (child, unwrap and to the manger.)
All babies need stimulation and attention. Jesus was no different. Perhaps we would bring him a toy for his amusement and pleasure. Toys remind us of innocence and learning to discover the world in fun ways. Again, there are those in the world who create toys from cast off car parts, or use sticks and the like to create their toys.
I think you get the idea-
The Bible teaches us that Jesus experienced life in every way as we experience it. He wrestled with temptation, he became angry and frustrated, and he was human as we are human. He grew into the understanding and revelation of who he was over time. I believe Jesus was born fully God, as the creed says, and also fully human. But the God part was not an advantage – Jesus was intended and sent to live as we live. To experience our perspective of life as humans, but then to show us the example that we can live victoriously and we can live in above our circumstances, not always under them.
And so I offer to us all some points for consideration as we move from this service and into a new year. These are the points of reflection I hope you will hold deeply in your own heart.
• First, in the story of Jesus’ birth, we are called to identify with the poor, the needy, the outcast, the ones that are living in the underbelly of our world. Jesus was poor for his whole life. We are asked by God to accept more than just Jesus as Savior, we are also asked to receive him in is low social class with no resources.
• Second, I see in this story the principle that God’s love will never change us if we don’t fully receive God’s love. For a medicine to help us in our ailments, we have to take the pill. For God’s love to lead us, we have to be willing to be used by God. How willing are we, really?
• Third, as we fall in love with the baby, we need to stay in love with the man. It’s easy to be swept away by a new born. The innocence, the miracle of life, the harmlessness. What about when the baby grows and begins to work in our lives in ways that are not always comfortable. That is when our love for Jesus is most important.
Earlier, as I was offering these gifts, I used the phrase, “If Jesus were born today – in our time.” And that is the reason we celebrate Christmas, my friends. We revisit this story every year at the beginning of the church year, which began with our weeks of preparation in Advent, to again accept Jesus into our hearts and lives. To remember how he came to us, as one of us, and how he then came to be our lover, savior and friend.
Finally, one friend mentioned that perhaps the greatest thing a new mom wants is a moment of peace and quiet from time to time. With that in mind we offer you our Christmas gift in this new song called Christmas Quiet.