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An Advent Community

December 18, 2024

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Isaiah 9:8-17| 2 Peter 2:1-10a| Mark 1:1-8

I have always loved the tradition of a Christmas creche.   As a child, I liked to set up the figures huddled in the stable around the baby Jesus.  Of course, there is the Christ child, Mary and Joseph in center stage, looking beatific; the shepherds with their staffs and sheep in tow, the wise men in resplendent raiment carrying their precious gifts; and, of course, there are the animals (whose stable it is), with a host of angels looking on.

We know this scene well, but this year I find myself thinking about that unlikely combination of characters.  As we are often reminded in Advent sermons, the shepherds were on just about the lowest rung of the social ladder of their times.  They were uneducated outcasts, loners who avoided society.  They were probably not dressed as well as they appear in the creche scenes.  They were certainly not well groomed and likely pretty stinky from living in the open with their herd.  They were probably comfortable visiting a stable, but what about when the wise men arrived? 

The wise men were scholars and philosophers who had traveled from foreign lands.  They likely had never been in such proximity to shepherds before.  Yet neither group shunned the other.  The shepherds did not quietly depart to leave the scene to the elegant newcomers, and the wise men did not push the smelly shepherds aside.  Rather, together with the animals, they formed a community – the community of witnesses to this amazing, blessed event.   With the holy spirit among them, they were a diverse yet unified audience of believers.  I imagine their joy was amplified by sharing the experience with others, even others of such different stations and backgrounds. 

In the same way, my experience of Advent and Christmas each year is greatly enhanced by sharing it with the St. Lukes’ community.   Through our Advent traditions (including this blog, our wonderful services and concerts, YFF events, the giving tree, and countless other offerings) we collectively prepare for and celebrate Christ’s birth.  Although we are all different and have different life experiences, we come together as a community of faith and, in doing so, enrich this season by experiencing it together.

Stacey Nakasian