Pastor’s Message – December 11, 2018

The Mother Praising the Father

One year when I was in elementary school, my church’s Christmas musical included a song titled, “One Small Child.” One of music’s many gifts is its relationship to memory in children. I can vividly remember words to songs from childhood, and “One Small Child” is no different. I especially remember this portrait of the stable in Bethlehem:

See him lying a cradle beneath him
See him smiling in the stall
See the mother praising the Father
See his tiny eyelids fall…
See the shepherds kneeling before him
See the kings on bended knee
See the mother praising the Father
See the blessed infant sleep…

The one line that repeats is, “See the mother praising the Father.” When we sang that line in the musical, all the children lifted their hands in praise. In our nativity scenes we often envision all of these key players: Mary, the shepherds, the kings, the baby… But normally the father is Joseph. In this song, though, the Heavenly Father is present at the stable, and the mother praises him for this “one small child.”

The 3rd Sunday of Advent is also known as Gaudete Sunday, which means, “Rejoice.” It is the day we often remember Mary, the mother of Jesus, and join in her song of rejoicing. On Friday evening at our Christmas concert, you will hear the word, “Rejoice,” sung many times. ’Tis the season to lift our voices, our hearts, and our hands with Mary in rejoicing. I look forward to worshiping this one small child with you this Friday at 7PM and on Sunday at 8:45 and 11!

all good things to each of you,

Pastor Darian

Posted in Uncategorized.