Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash

But what happens when something, someone...
crosses the divide?

King Abdullah of Jordan is a barrier-crossing king.

If you’ve ever seen the TV show “Undercover Boss,” that gives you some sort of idea.
King Abdullah has made a habit of going undercover
– as a TV reporter,
a taxi driver,
a wounded old man,
a business man in queue at the tax department… he wants to see what it’s like to be an ordinary citizen, to hear their stories, feel their frustrations, walk their paths…
He is a king who knows what his people are going through.

The majority of the people love him... but what if God did what he did?
Surely there would be anger, confusion, fear.

On that first Christmas, there was all of that and more.

Herod was angry,
the wise men were confused,
the shepherds were afraid.

Born in humble surroundings.
              Lived an extraordinary life.
                            He’s a son, a brother.
From a humble family.
              Working the family business.

He’s worked and waited, thirsted and been satisfied.
He’s felt joy and pain, loneliness and community.

Not just any king but the son.
Mighty God in humble babe.
Everlasting father in mortal flesh.

He’s the God who knows us.
He’s the God who has lived the life that we couldn’t.

Justice in place of our injustice.
Righteousness in place of our sin.
The perfect life, the atoning death.

He’s one of us but he’s better than us.
He didn't just bridge the divide,
He made his home among us.

For many, that's the only Jesus they know
or the only Jesus they like.

What Jesus do you know?
What Jesus do you like?

In the movie "Talladega Nights," Will Ferrell delivers one of the greatest graces of all time:


So tiny... yet still omnipotent.
Jokes aside, I think he's actually getting somewhere.

Sure, his Jesus is stuck in perpetual baby-hood.
But his Jesus is no less God.

I'm with Will, I like the Christmas Jesus best!

Because the Christmas Jesus was fully God, fully man.
The Christmas Jesus humbled himself to enter our world.
The Christmas Jesus is God with us.
The Christmas Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
The Christmas Jesus came to bring peace and righteousness.
The Christmas Jesus...
well the Christmas Jesus is the same Jesus as every other day.

The reality is that we don't choose our favourite Jesus,
the beauty is that Jesus chooses us.

But I'm not sure if you've noticed others of them.
You probably haven't, because they're so engrained within us.
We don't even realise there are other options...
Until someone pushes the boundaries.
     Goes against the grain.
          Does something different.

As a mum, I have found myself time and time again doing things because that's what I know or that's what everyone else is doing...
Even though I'm the sort of mum who questions most things.

I don't want to do things just because other people are doing them.
I want to do things because they're the right things for our family,
for our girl 

But often I find myself slipping back, doing what everyone else is doing, because that is so familiar and I don't even realise there's another option.
Or I do what others are doing because I feel pressure. I feel weighed down.
It's tiring standing out on my own.

It's easy to do what is expected of you.
It's easy to do what you've always done and always known.
It's easier not to questions things, to follow instructions, to go with the flow.
But that's not always the best thing.
That's not always the right thing.
In the long run, that's often a damaging thing.

It might be scary
taking the road less travelled,
going the long way,
being a bit lonely
but I believe it's worth it.

Photo by Noah Glynn on Unsplash

In Matthew 2, we read that King Herod, the ruler of the time, sent the Wise Men to Bethlehem to find Jesus. He instructed them,
"Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." (verse 8)
They found Jesus, gave him gifts and worshipped him.
After this they heard in a dream not to return to Herod,
but to go home a different way.

Who would they listen to?
Would they obey the king or the King?

It's easy to do the things that seems less crazy.
It's easy to do the things that make you feel less scared.
It's easy to do the "right thing."

But sometimes,
for our own sake
or even for the sake of the world,
we need to listen carefully to those dreams,
we need to take the road less travelled,
we need to do the crazy thing,
we need to go against the grain.

Leeland, in his song Opposite Way encourages this:

I want to listen to the voices that matter,
not the voices that are calling the loudest.
Will you join me?

Imagine if we reduced words to just meaning the absence of their opposites.
Then beauty is just the absence of ugliness;

Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash

So when the angels declare at Jesus' birth –
"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." [Luke 2:14]

and thought. 
and read the Christmas story. 
for yourself?

Not "the Christmas story" but the Christmas story.

There are details missing, that I'm sure were in there...
      s o m e w h e r e .
Or was that someone else's version.
And there are details included, that I'm sure weren't there last time...
      o r  w e r e  t h e y ? !
And I decided to leave them out of my version?

Have you actually read it, as though you're hearing it for the first time?
Imagined yourself in their shoes?
Read it and been surprised by it?
It's pretty surprising!

Photo by 小胖 车 on Unsplash

In Matthew 1, Joseph finds out he's going to be a dad:

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. [Matthew 1:18-25]

S U R P R I S I N G  T H I N G S:

1. (maybe not surprising in our culture): Mary is pregnant outside of marriage.
2. (this is where it starts getting weird!): She is pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
3. Joseph wanted to do the right thing, so was going to divorce her (even though they weren't married!)
4. An angel (yes, an angel) told Joseph the baby was from the Holy Spirit... and also told him what to call their son.
5. Their lives were fulfilling an age old prophecy (that all Jews would have known about).
6. Joseph woke up from the dream, believed it, and remained faithful to Mary and God (can you imagine the things people were saying about them!?)

There is a lot of noise.

I think we might actually like it.
Under that cover of white noise, it's easy to hide,
it's easy to forget about all the commitments and responsibilities,
the struggles and challenges,
and     just     soak
in the noise.

Photo by Joshua Reddekopp on Unsplash

We can cover up the voices we don't want to hear and instead to tune into the festive throng – it feels safe... comfortable. Sometimes we prefer not being able to hear.

Christmas. There are so many traditions and celebrations and things that bring people together. 

What's your favourite?

Tonight was our local Carols.
It's a pretty special time spent with the community, singing songs together.

At our Carols, all songs were about Jesus. 
I don't enjoy all of them –
Some are slow and boring,
Some have questionable lyrics,
Some just have too many verses.

But despite that,
I love that they bring hope,
bring life,
bring joy.

Photo by Srikanta H. U on Unsplash

The shops and radio don't always play these same Christmas carols.
Many are materialistic,
Most are fictional,
And some give fear to children.

What about these lyrics:

You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town

He's making a list
And checking it twice
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake

O! You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout

I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town

Are we so accustomed to them that we don't even realise how awful they are?
Are we excited by Santa that we don't realise the threats he's making?
Have we got so lazy in our parenting that we must scare our children into behaving?

Jesus came for the opposite reasons to these.
I'm no song writer but I'd change the lyrics to these:

You better watch out
You better be real
Better not fake
I'm telling you why
Jesus Christ has come to town

He's made a list
He knows it's right
He loves those who are naughty and nice
Jesus Christ has come to town

He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows everything about you
So don't hide for goodness sake

O! You better watch out
You better be real
Better not fake
I'm telling you why
Jesus Christ has come to town

But what are actually saying?
And what are we hoping for?

Matthew, quoting the prophet Isaiah from centuries before, writes about one in whom "the nations will put their hope." [Matt 12:21]

There are lots of articles written for me and about me:

• 12 Ways to Support your Pastor Husband
• 10 Choices you will Never Regret Making as a Pastor's Wife
• Pastor's Wife: Helper or Hindrance
• 5 Types of Friends Ministry Wives Should Pursue
• How to Mentor and Be Mentored (When you're a Pastor's Wife)
• 7 Qualities to Look for in a Pastor's Wife

• 12 Ways to Support your Pastor Husband
• 10 Choices you will Never Regret Making as a Pastor's Wife
• Pastor's Wife: Helper or Hindrance
• 5 Types of Friends Ministry Wives Should Pursue You Should Be
• How to Mentor and Be Mentored (When you're a Pastor's Wife)
• 7 Qualities to Look for in a Pastor's Wife

It's a familiar story; we can become desensitised.

In the last few days we've been writing about welcoming and sharing,
generosity and service;
extension for the sake of another.

Can we extend that same heart to those seeking refuge?

Photo by Warren Wong on Unsplash

Family violence.
Homelessness.
Poverty.
Mental illness.
War.
Persecution.

We have a great need for refuge.

In Luke's biography of Jesus we read:
"Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them." [Luke 2:7]

After the visit of the shepherds and the magi (the 'wise kings'), Matthew continues the story:
"When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” [Matthew 2:13]
A hope of kindness... again.
a journey into the unknown... again.

It captures that feeling of helplessness,
coupled with the confidence of faith.

I'm praying that we each find refuge
and learn to extend it to others.

Celebrities and record companies know it. Each year the market is flooded with B-grade albums, hastily smashed together to get some easy holiday sales.

Gwen Stefani has recently released "You Make It Feel Like Christmas," Sia has "Everyday It's Christmas" and Hanson, yes Hanson are back with "Finally, It's Christmas." Even Elvis and Frank Sinatra have released new albums this year!

But behind the grab for cash is a real connection;
melodies and memories,
harmonies and happy holidays.

Photo by Ryan Holloway on Unsplash

Songs capture our imaginations, our hearts;
expressing the inexpressible, giving voice to our joys and longings;
they speak to us and speak for us.

Shops are playing them.
Suburbs gather for carols by candlelight.
Some streets even have the old tradition of caroling.

You might love carols, you might hate them, but either way you know what they signify.

This connection between singing and Christmas isn't new, it's been there since the beginning.

Mary, on hearing that she would give birth to the saviour, sings a song [Luke 1:46-55].
Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, bursts out in praise [Luke 1:68-79].
The angels, who appeared to the shepherds, declared the good news [Luke 2:14].

It's a song that captures hearts,
expresses our deepest desires,
and speaks to our souls.

It's the song that we still sing today.

Photo by Manuel Will on Unsplash

Row after row after row of trees, varying in shape and size.
Huge trees, brand new trees, stumps showing the cycle;
reminding us of this shared story.
Children running through the trees, hiding and laughing.
Everyone breathing in that Christmas scent.
Preparing to adorn the tree with decorations.
Imagining, with anticipation, the presents that will be under it.

There's something magical about Christmas.

Today I experienced this wonder.
Choosing the perfect tree,
Sharing the joy with my daughter.
Breathing it all in.


I don't want to miss the joy of Christmas.

But the real joy of Christmas is not in the tree
– as wonderful as it is.
It's not in the gifts
– as thoughtful as they are.
It's not in the food
– as delicious as it will be.

The joy of Christmas is in Jesus.
The joy that brings peace, and healing, and life.
The joy that is offered all year long.

I want the tree to remind me of the magic of Christmas.
I want the magic of Christmas to remind me of the joy on offer.
I want the joy on offer to open my eyes to the mystery of Jesus.
I want the mystery of Jesus to bring me to a place of wonder.

Also known as the snaccident:


It's a form of unconscious consumption.

And that's a dangerous thing.

The danger at Christmas is that this kind of consumption is even more culturally acceptable than the rest of the year - eat more food, throw away more food;
buy more stuff, throw away more stuff.

Then you add our physical and psychological distance from agriculture and industry and we become mindless consumers. Scott Higgins writes:

We can't be ambivalent about this, it is a pervasive concern,
affecting our physical and mental health,
primary producers and workers.
and even our view of God and his creation.

Unconscious consumption is
a personal issue,
a humanitarian issue, and
a theological issue.

Photo by Igor Ovsyannykov on Unsplash

When we can buy a T-shirt for $5 it should raise a few eyebrows.
How good are the materials?
And how much were the workers paid?

We've all got to take some time to stop and think.
For our own sake, for the sake of the workers and for the sake of the world.
As you eat and shop this Christmas, remember that the stakes are high.
And for me, I need to switch off the cricket, be mindful of what I'm eating, and be thankful for all that I have.

We talk about it a lot. Because it's important. 

Knowing about Jesus is good.
But is that all that matters?

"The Word became flesh and blood 
and moved into the neighbourhood." John 1:14 MSG

Photo by Daniel Watson on Unsplash

He intended to move into the sort of neighbourhood we hoped to move into:
One where we chat on the street, borrow eggs and babysit each others kids; where we pop in when we need a friend and drop around brownies cause we know they're needed; where we celebrate together and cry together; where we own one lawn mower between us, so we can all share, intentionally throw a ball over the fence to join in games, and put extra meat on the bbq because we know someone will come around when they smell it cooking. 
Yep, Jesus came to move into a neighbourhood – the hood.

But our neighbourhood is a little more like this:
We drive our cars into our garages, close our doors and go inside. We water our gardens and hang our washing, hiding behind our fences. We walk our dogs with our headphones in and mow our nature strips exactly to the boundary line. We do have a Facebook group, where we impersonally communicate rather than knocking on each others doors.
I think a neighbourhood is meant to be a little more personal than ours.

Jesus moved into the neighbourhood, made his home among us, came to earth, was born as a human so that we could get to know him. Not just to learn about him but have conversation, share stories, open our hearts, lean in. 

But he took it a step further, as he does, and has offered his Spirit into our hearts: to breathe within us.

Jesus came, and has returned to the Father, but he has not left us alone. 

He was God with us
          when he was born in a manger.
And he still is with us
          when we allow him into our hearts. 

You need Jesus. 
Not to know about Jesus.
But to have Jesus, to experience Jesus, to know Jesus.

The invitation is open. Will you allow him into your 'hood?

Now it's all about Pinterest-worthy DIY creations,
branded, high-end productions,
and hipster craft beer selections.

What are we celebrating anyway?

Advent is about much more than just counting down the days to Christmas.
In fact, as Mike Frost clearly explains, there is much more to it than that (read his excellent blog here).

Advent, a season that begun yesterday, didn’t traditionally have much to do with Christmas at all!
It was a season of preparation...
                          but preparation for baptism!

Last night we celebrated as 6 people from our church, aged between 10 and 50, took the plunge (literally) into the waters of baptism.



In so doing, they captured the real heart of advent -
it's not about chocolate, cosmetics or craft beer
but rather a commitment of faith.

We remember Jesus' coming,
we participate in the life he gives,
and we live in eager anticipation of his return.

In the waters of baptism, the old life is washed away
and the stain of sin is removed.
As we rise from the water, we are lifted into new life
and we will never be the same.

Now that's an advent worth celebrating!