Faces at the Manger

on November 17, 2011 by Walt Dilg

WORDS FROM WALT: Faces at the Manger

             I often wondered about the people gathered at the manger that first Christmas.  Who were these folks really?  What did they look like?  What was their life circumstances?  What happened to them afterwards?  Our biblical stories give barely the outline of the event, with teasingly little information about the cast of characters. 

 J. Barrie Shepherd, a clergy author with a poetic flair has become my helpmate in this nativity meditation, through his little book Faces at the Manger.  I’ll be using it along with scripture to help the nativity to life this year in my advent sermons.

 As we imagine that first Christmas and contemplate the participants, I hope we will notice that there is plenty of room for us at the manger too.  That’s one of the mysteries of this holy moment of divine incarnation that we trace each Christmas – it is able to come alive in fresh, powerful, and personal ways each year to each one of us. 

 Add your face to those gathered at the manger this year.  See you in worship!