Great ADVENTure

The tradition began as a way to celebrate with my dad’s family. Each Christmas Eve we would unwrap our presents, so we could celebrate with my mom’s much larger family the next day.

On Christmas morning, my mom’s dad, or Granddaddy, as we called him, would come over early in the morning to check out the gifts Santa left for us. It was a sweet tradition. One of my favorite in a long line of good childhood memories.

The tradition of opening all our gifts on Christmas Eve stuck around long after my grandparent’s passed and long after my dad’s passing. I like that we still do it. In my heart it is a way we make room and remember those who are no longer with us.

But before we were allowed (and are still allowed) to rip open the wrapping paper, we read Luke’s account of events. We start in chapter 2. But lately I’ve had a curiosity about the initial story of Elizabeth and Zechariah.

I’m a bit slow on the draw sometimes, and I’ve wondered why this seemingly random story appears just before the fireworks of Jesus’s birth. This year, it hit me…but first, let’s recap the story in case you aren’t familiar.

Zechariah was a priest who was married to Elizabeth who came from a long line of priests as well. Like any barren woman and family desperate for children, an emptiness abounded. About a year and a half from Jesus’s birth, Zechariah was chosen randomly to serve in the Temple.

Much like the shepherds were doing their duty the night of Christmas, Zechariah did his.

While he was burning the incense, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. Remember, angels were not angels in the way we think of them today. They were warriors and messengers and this one had a name, Gabriel, and Zechariah was afraid.

“Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer.”

Luke 1:13

While Zechariah was praying prayers for the people, it turns out, he was also praying prayers for his family and the Lord answered.

Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.

Luke 1:13-15

And just like that – in an instant – God’s silence was broken – not only in the matter of Zechariah’s prayers – but a silence broken in answer to 400 years of God’s people praying.

And maybe that is why Luke recounts Zechariah’s story.

To tell of a silence broken.

The Old Testament ends with the prophets – those who foretold of the coming King. And the New Testament begins with the birth of a new one who would tell the world of the King among them.

“He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

Luke 1:17

And maybe that is what you are waiting for in the season of Advent: for a silence to be broken.

Rest assured, Dear One, that the God who wouldn’t remain silent any longer in Zechariah’s day, will not remain silent for long in yours – even if you feel like your journey and his silence have lasted 400 years.

He is waiting.

For the proper time to speak and to act.

And you can be as sure as the sun rises each day that Immanuel will come to you.

He will come to you in the silence.
He will sit by you in the sorrow.
He will come to you in the longing.
He will come to you in the waiting.
He will come to you as he came so long along.

He will come to you and He will be your Hope.

For [His] words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.

Luke 1:20

The Country House is so peaceful, calm, and wonderfully cozy.  No one lives behind my house except some woods, some owls I’m am dying to see, and the occasional small gathering of deer passing through. 

I’m not really “out in the country” though I do live far enough outside the city lights for the backyard to be perfect for stargazing.  It isn’t uncommon for me to sit in the cold, cloaked in darkness, snuggled up with my fuzzy robe and slippers, watching the stars and talking to God. 

I still believe – despite appearances – in the magic of Christmas probably due in small part to the Hallmark channel and random Christmas movies on Netflix. But also because God surprised the world before we ever knew the word Christmas.

He surprised Zechariah & Elizabeth.
He definitely surprised Mary.
He surprised Joseph.
And the shepherds….yep…they were surprised too.

This Advent season, when I sit outside in the dark, my mind drifts to the shepherds.  I think about the silence of their nights.

The quiet comfort of open spaces. 
The stillness of the evening hours. 
The hundreds of thousands of stars that became their friends.

And maybe that was their activity right before the light burst forth. Before they took center stage in the Christmas story. Maybe they were stargazing.

And then suddenly…out of nowhere…an angel of the Lord appeared among them.

For a moment – though I prefer forever –  set aside your images of angels with wispy white wings, flowing gowns, and glorious halos. Because that isn’t what appeared among the shepherds that night.  

An angel doesn’t carry a harp.
He swings a sword.
He marches in rank and file like a soldier.
He is a warrior fighting battles upon orders of the King.
He is a messenger proclaiming what the King commands.

At God’s command that night before Christmas came to be, an angel received an order to proclaim. You see, a King was born that night.  And a King’s birth requires a formal announcement. 

Suddenly, a [heavenly warrior] of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the [heavenly warrior] reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the [heavenly warrior] was joined by a vast host of others —the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:10-14

We’ve romanticized the birth of this King with happy visions of a baby born…. of shepherds minding their sheep…. of chubby cherubim announcing the good news.  And because of this, we fail to see the humanity of it all…. the long journey…. the hard labor before the birth…. the thankless duty of watching dusty, dirty sheep.

The angels – these heavenly warrior beings – were no different from the shepherds that night.  They did their duty: to announced the birth of their King.  

Of our King.

And it was good news. News that would forever bring joy to a weary world.

A Warrior King was born. He was lying in a manger. Wrapped humbly in swaddling clothes. 

A Warrior King who would fight battles on our behalf. 
A Warrior King who commands armies of angels.
A Warrior King who ushered in peace in a way the world never expected. 
A Warrior King who still brings that shalom today. 

And because God surprised Zechariah & Elizabeth…
Because He definitely surprised Mary…
Because He surprised Joseph…
And because He surprised the shepherds…

Because He still commands armies of angels…
Because He still fights battles on our behalf…
And because He still shows up in our darkest nights unexpected. 

I still believe in the magic of Christmas. 

See the rest of The Great ADVENTure series here.

I’m a bit behind on our Christmas ADVENTure.  The project manager and perfectionist in me screams to rush…to check off all 25 boxes…but the years have taught me to wait on God’s promptings.  And Advent is, after all, a season of waiting. 

Waiting is something I’m well acquainted with.  It is a place in which God sits me time and time again.  You would think I would master it at this point in my life.  But I am terrible at it…really terrible…tremendously terrible…which is why God is waiting  – in His own way – for me to learn to do it well. 

This holiday season is marred with the ashes of a divorce.  God is here in these ashes…

Watching the tears.
Holding my hand. 
Understanding my pain.
Teaching me lessons that are best learned in the dark.  
Showing me kindnesses that glitter and shine like diamonds among the ruins.

Yesterday was one of the kindnesses, but I’m a bit nervous – and frankly, a little nauseous – to share it with you for fear of what you might think.  But I feel that tug – that makes me want to cuss – of sharing something hard and private and personal.  I know this is my calling on this earth: to be transparent and honest no matter the cost.    

This week has been a time of missing my ex-husband, Steve.  I do my best praying through writing, but yesterday I muttered a prayer deep in my heart, “I just need someone to pray for me and Steve.”    

I had a counseling appointment yesterday morning. I was not really looking forward to drudging up all the feelings.  But there I sat drudging it all up and saying for the first time out loud to a person, “I believe God will restore my marriage.”  

I felt so silly saying it.  
I feel naked writing it. 
So pathetic believing it.  
And so desperate for it to be true. 

But I said it aloud, and I broke down from the weight and fear that it might not be so. 

My counselor’s reaction was kind and encouraging though I don’t remember his exact words. We went well over our time.  He didn’t have an appointment afterwards.  

A kindness. 

At the end of the session he did something he hasn’t done during our time together.  He said, “Let me pray for you.” 

And the memory of that prayer I spoke in my heart rushed in. 

I listened – overwhelmed by this small and sacred act – and I heard his words, “And Lord, I pray for Steve...”  

I have no idea what words were said after those six.  I was fighting to hold back the sobs.  The only thing I could think of in that moment was that God heard the slightest whisper in my heart, “I just need someone to pray for me and Steve.” 

What a gift. 
What a wonder. 
What a kindness.
To be heard and remembered by Him. 

And while I feel silly for saying it, 
And naked for writing it. 
Pathetic for believing it, 
Desperate for it to be true, 
And fearful it might not be,  

I do believe God will restore my marriage.  

And so I wait.  

I wait in this season of Advent knowing that God is pleased with the small mustard seeds of our faith.  

I wait like Abraham waited for his son. 
I wait like Noah waited for the waters to recede after the storm. 
I wait like Hannah waited – and Elizabeth waited long after – for a prayer to be heard and remembered.  
I wait like the whole of Israel waited for the fullness of time to bring their King that would change the world.   
I wait knowing God works in the stillness of an seemingly ordinary, everyday night.
And I wait like God waits for people to respond to the message that infant King brought.

I wait for life and love and hearts to be changed.
I wait in the darkness for the light. 
I wait in the stillness and in the ordinary. 
And I wait in hope. 

As I watched my Christmas begin during the Behold the Lamb of God concert, I noticed those in the background. 

The cellist cello-ing,
the drummers drumming,
the voices in the background adding a richness we sometimes miss in the melody. 

Thoughts of God working in the background throughout history came rushing in.  

And I remembered Matthew 1 and those in the lineage of Christ.  

Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asa.
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.
Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh was the father of Amon.
Amon was the father of Josiah.
Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).
After the Babylonian exile:Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
Eliakim was the father of Azor.
Azor was the father of Zadok.
Zadok was the father of Akim.
Akim was the father of Eliud.
Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

Matthew 1, NLT

While we often want to rush through any lineage in the Bible, God thought it important enough to write it all down.  

Some of these names we recognize.  
Most of them we don’t.  
Some of them took the main stage in stories. 
Others were only in the background. 

But it is the background that God works. 
Wielding His will on us. 
Shaping the redemption story through people: 
every day, ordinary, background people. 

And I remember that what we see in the forefront doesn’t always show us what is going on in the background. 

A while back, I taught bible study to a group of ladies.  We had just trudged our way through the book of Judges.  We were worn weary by the cycle of Israel’s sin much like we were worn weary by our own.  But then we turned the page to the beginning sentence of Ruth: 

“In the days when the judges ruled in Israel…”

Ruth 1:1a

And hope sprang forth.  

Ruth is a small book.  It is read mostly as a love story between Ruth and Boaz.  But it is so much more.  

It is the story of how God was working in the background.  He was working while the chaos in Israel was taking place.  He was weaving a thread of hope – ever so slowly, ever so gently – in the background while the world clamored and sin took stage.   

And that thread of hope is documented in Matthew’s fifth line:

Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).

MATTHEW 1:5B

Maybe you feel like you’re in the background…
Or maybe your life is full of chaos and clamoring…

And you can’t see what God is doing. 

May you remember: it is in the background that God works.  
Wielding His will on us. 
Shaping His redemption story.  

Things may seem bleak or hopeless.  And God might seem silent. 

But He is there.  

Working and weaving…  
Amidst the hurting and the hard…
In the mundane and the melancholy…
between the now and the not-yet…

He is working…
somewhere in the background. 

In case you haven’t noticed, I might be a little obsessed with The Bible Project resources.  But they are ohhhh soooo good.  I’ve been listening to their podcast during my commute and was just talking to a friend about an ah-ha moment I had during one of their podcasts when they were talking about peace (I can’t remember which one I’ve listened to so many).   

I just watched their second video in their Advent series on Peace (you can sign up for their newsletter here).  It is a bit of a paradigm shift from what I thought the definition was of “peace” in the bible.   

The concept of peace, or shalom, is not necessarily to be without conflict, but it is a longing for things to be made complete – to be made right again – for the broken to be made whole.   

As The Bible Project puts it:  

The core idea is that life is complex, full of moving parts and relationships and situations, and when any of these is out of alignment or missing, your shalom breaks down.  Life is no longer whole; it needs to be restored.

The Bible Project, Peace Study Notes

To lack peace and search for it is a longing for God’s restorative work.  It is the seed He planted within our spirit to point us to Him.  It is the transcendent prayer I don’t realize I’m praying as I ask for my marriage to be reconciled.    

To bring shalom literally means to make complete or restore….[to} take what’s missing, and…restore it to wholeness….In the book of Proverbs, to reconcile and heal a broken relationship is to bring shalom.

The Bible Project, Peace Study Notes

It is what the writers of the Old Testament point to in the reign of the kings and the prophecies of the prophets:

So the prophet Isaiah, he looked forward to a future king a prince of shalom. And his reign would bring shalom with no end–a time when God would  make a covenant of shalom with his people and make right all wrongs and heal all that’s been broken.

The Bible Project, Peace Study Notes

It was found in the work of Christ and documented in the New Testament.  

The Apostles claimed that Jesus made peace between messed up humans and God when he died and rose from the dead. The idea is that he restored to wholeness the broken relationship between humans and their Creator.

The Bible Project, Peace Study Notes

Isn’t this what the world longs for? 

Isn’t this why our nation looks and demands a President that brings justice, compassion, and mercy? 

For a someone to right all the wrongs? 

The world is searching for a remedy that already exists in Christ and it is our job as believers to point them there.   

And this means that Jesus’s followers are now called to create peace…which requires humility and patience and bearing with others in love….So peace takes a lot of work because it’s not just the absence of conflict. True peace requires taking what’s broken and restoring it to wholeness, whether it’s in our lives, our relationships, or in our world.

The Bible Project, Peace Study Notes

And once we do that, well, we fulfill our purpose and God’s Kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in Heaven. 

The Great ADVENTure series has taken on the form of sharing some of my favorite resources from so many great artists. 

Emily P. Freeman is an expert on quiet.  I’ve enjoyed listening to her podcast, The Next Right Thing.  

To quietly welcome in the Christmas season midst all the hustle and bustle, she created The Quiet Series.  It is a collection of short audio recordings she sends out in an email each morning over 14 days.  What a wonderful way to start or end the day!

You can find out more and purchase it for $10 here through December 11th.  I’ve enjoyed it so much!  I hope you do too.