Difference between revisions of "Sermon for December 21st, 2014"
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I know exactly why, too. My church youth group did a Christmas musical pageant every year, and the innkeeper got to sing this song: "You've got to keep on listening, keep on watching, and when Jesus knocks let him in." I was a teenager in the 1980s, and this was right around the time that New Kids on the Block were popular. The song sounded a little bit like that; it was peppy and upbeat, with drums and synthesizers. | I know exactly why, too. My church youth group did a Christmas musical pageant every year, and the innkeeper got to sing this song: "You've got to keep on listening, keep on watching, and when Jesus knocks let him in." I was a teenager in the 1980s, and this was right around the time that New Kids on the Block were popular. The song sounded a little bit like that; it was peppy and upbeat, with drums and synthesizers. | ||
| − | The first time I auditioned for the role of the innkeeper, I didn't get the part. But the nice thing about Christmas pageants is that they don't really change much from year to year, so I kept trying, and eventually, I got to be the innkeeper. | + | The first time I auditioned for the role of the innkeeper, I didn't get the part. But the nice thing about Christmas pageants is that they don't really change much from year to year, so I kept trying, and eventually, I got to be the innkeeper. I have identified with him ever since. |
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| + | So this summer, when I was putting together a sermon series about the person-to-person, human encounters in the Christmas story, I thought "Perfect! I can talk about my favorite character again, and his encounter with Joseph the night Jesus was born." | ||
| + | |||
| + | Imagine the surprise and dismay of your seminary-educated-bible-expert pastor when he opened his bible to the gospel of Luke, second chapter, to discover what you've already figured out if you were paying attention during the scripture reading a few minutes ago: There is no inkeeper mentioned anywhere in the Christmas story. All we have is a kind-of-maybe-sort-of implication that comes from verse 7: And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. | ||
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| + | My hero... my favorite character... my Christmas inspiration... is at best just an assumption. And whe all know what assuming does. But it gets worse. In a desperate attempt to salvage the narrative of my childhood, I turned to the skill and passion of my adulthood: Etymology -- the study of the history and origins of words. Specifically I turned my focus on the word, "Inn," because where there is an inn, there must be an innkeeper, right? | ||
| + | |||
| + | That may be true, but unfortunately, it turns out that in this particular story, there might not even be an inn, let alone an innkeeper! | ||
Revision as of 19:05, 20 December 2014
Luke 2:1-7
1In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Advent Encounters: Joseph & the Innkeeper
Ever since I was a teenager, the Innkeeper has been my favorite character in the Christmas story.
I know exactly why, too. My church youth group did a Christmas musical pageant every year, and the innkeeper got to sing this song: "You've got to keep on listening, keep on watching, and when Jesus knocks let him in." I was a teenager in the 1980s, and this was right around the time that New Kids on the Block were popular. The song sounded a little bit like that; it was peppy and upbeat, with drums and synthesizers.
The first time I auditioned for the role of the innkeeper, I didn't get the part. But the nice thing about Christmas pageants is that they don't really change much from year to year, so I kept trying, and eventually, I got to be the innkeeper. I have identified with him ever since.
So this summer, when I was putting together a sermon series about the person-to-person, human encounters in the Christmas story, I thought "Perfect! I can talk about my favorite character again, and his encounter with Joseph the night Jesus was born."
Imagine the surprise and dismay of your seminary-educated-bible-expert pastor when he opened his bible to the gospel of Luke, second chapter, to discover what you've already figured out if you were paying attention during the scripture reading a few minutes ago: There is no inkeeper mentioned anywhere in the Christmas story. All we have is a kind-of-maybe-sort-of implication that comes from verse 7: And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
My hero... my favorite character... my Christmas inspiration... is at best just an assumption. And whe all know what assuming does. But it gets worse. In a desperate attempt to salvage the narrative of my childhood, I turned to the skill and passion of my adulthood: Etymology -- the study of the history and origins of words. Specifically I turned my focus on the word, "Inn," because where there is an inn, there must be an innkeeper, right?
That may be true, but unfortunately, it turns out that in this particular story, there might not even be an inn, let alone an innkeeper!
