Next Step - December 6

We are currently celebrating the season of Advent. It is a season of waiting and spiritual preparation for the coming celebration of the birth of Jesus. Although the Christmas story is one we hear every year, it is a story that must never lose meaning or significance. Each Sunday this Advent season, we are using the Advent Wreath and an Eastern Nativity Icon to tell the Nativity Story. There are 5 candles in the Advent Wreath; one candle will be lit each Sunday leading up to Christmas. Each candle will allow us to enter the Nativity Story from a different person’s perspective and experience. The final Candle, representing Jesus, will be lit on Christmas Eve.

We have created a guide that tracks directly with Sunday morning’s devotions for you to use or adapt. I hope you had a chance to pick one up. If not, you can pick up a copy of the devotional on Sunday. This week's devotional is below. It is designed for you to set up your nativity, but leave all the people out of the scene. Each week as you discuss a different person’s story and experience, add them to the scene. Try to put yourself into the story, to really engage with what they might have been feeling, thinking and experiencing. Take time to share insights on the devotional question and then spend a moment in prayer, silence or reflection. If you choose, you could also light an Advent Candle each week instead of doing the Nativity Set or in addition to it.

Candle Two - Joseph. Feelings of Doubts and Fear.

Last week we entered Mary’s Story. This week we entered Joseph’s Story.

In the picture above, we see Joseph with his back to Mary, listening to the doubts and fears, which fill his head. He is an isolated figure, right at the bottom of the picture, and he looks thoroughly fed up with the whole situation. He’s the person least likely to put up a Christmas tree, send out Christmas cards and start getting into the festive spirit.

Joseph reminds us that there’s a very human dilemma in the stories surrounding the birth of Jesus: how could Mary be pregnant? This was not the way his marriage was supposed to start.

The original story from the book of Matthew tells us…

Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and 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.’ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” Matthew 1:18-21, 24

It seems that Joseph may not have believed Mary’s explanation of how it happened: that an angel had showed up and told her she would have a baby even though she was a virgin. And can you really blame him?

It was only after his dream – after an appearance by an angel -- that he accepted Mary as his wife. We’re not told, however, if he had any change of heart about it all, and from the reading, it sounds as though perhaps he just did what as he was told.

And yet… despite his doubts, Joseph is given a big halo and has an important place in the whole picture. He remained faithful to God amidst his questions.

We light the candle and enter the story of Joseph. We relate to his doubts, questions and feelings of isolation. Yet his halo reminds us that God is with us.

May we use our doubts to become honest with God and with ourselves.

Question: Joseph was probably brokenhearted and confused when he first heard that Mary was pregnant. After God told him that her baby would be Jesus, he understood better, but was still confused and doubtful. How do you think God feels when we have doubts; when we keep them to ourselves and when we tell him about them? Share areas where you have great faith in God, and areas where you struggle.