A Few Details
Below are reflections for all of the stations. Most came from the book Stations of the Nativity by Raymond Chapman. A few of them came from a different format online, so if there’s a space that is still blank, I’m working on filling that in to fit the format of the rest. There may be some tweaks along the way, but this is mostly done. You do not need to come up with the Reflection Questions at the end… those will be updated in time.
We are not able to supply the whole slew of canvases this time. There are a few left at church if anyone wants to grab one of those. There is also a pad of 18x24 mixed media paper you are able to use. If you have a canvas of your own at home, or want to buy one, choose either 16x20 or 18x24. As a reminder, the pieces are due back to church on or before Friday, Dec. 1st. This is a pretty hard deadline as there is only one day to place them (Saturday) so that they will be up for the first Sunday of Advent. If you are unavailable on Friday, please make arrangements to drop off before.
I pray this is a formative and special time for you as you sit with the passage and the reflections and sink into the moment with the Lord. I just added a few files below, with some exercises that may help with that. They are part of a larger group of exercises called the 18th Annotation (which is an abbreviated version of an even longer study) I did this summer, so it may be a bit clunky as you just dive in. Without the time and space to really walk through it all, I’ll leave you with a few of the instructions, and the freedom to explore it as you choose. The week 6 page would be helpful to unpack most of the stations, and to enter into the scenes of the nativity overall. There are a couple days/prompts at the beginning of the week 7 page, that address the very beginning of Jesus’ life and the end of some of our stations. Feel free to use in any way they are helpful, and let me know if you have any questions (or if you enjoy the little bit of this study you do and might want to walk through it someday… always happy to know things like that too). Thank you guys so much for taking the time and space to meet with Him and respond and be lead by the Spirit and share with us. May you be blessed, as we are!
Stations of the Nativity: Reflections
Station 1: The Prophecy of Zechariah (Charity)
Theme: Waiting
Scripture: Luke 1:5-20 (Selections)
“In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah. Once when he was serving as priest before God, there appeared to him an angel of the Lord. The angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and you will name him John. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.' Zechariah said to the angel, 'How will I know that this is so?
For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.' The angel replied, 'Because you did not believe my words, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the days these things occur.”
Reflection:
Zechariah was serving the worship in the Temple as it had been done for centuries past. In those years many prophets had declared God's purpose for his people and told of the Messiah who was to come. Now the time was near, and Zechariah would have a son who would be the last prophet of the Old Covenant and the forerunner of the New.
It was too much for the old man to believe. He was deprived of speech and sent to meditate in silence until the promise was fulfilled.
Corporate Prayer:
We give thanks to God for his patience, the constancy of his love, the assurance of his promises.
We give thanks for the teaching of his prophets, for all his words of preparation that were fulfilled in the gospel. We give thanks for his gifts that continually exceed our expectations.
We too are slow to believe, because the good news seems impossible in human terms. We lose hope too readily, grow weary of waiting and turn aside from the way that we should follow. Teach us always to know that your ways are not our ways and that nothing will prevent the fulfilment of your living purpose.
Poetic Response:
The time of waiting is time wasted as we count time in this world.
We fret as we wait for the bus, for the examination result, for the surgery bell, and resent the time we could, as we think, use more to our advantage.
God's time of waiting is different; it is patient, creative, purposeful.
It is the love of a father who knows when it is time to give and when to withhold.
It is the compassion that reveals itself when we are ready and open to receive it.
Centuries of our time passed until time and place were ready together.
Time passed in Jerusalem, the holy city, the chosen place,
where the sacrifices were offered and the covenant kept,
where the prophets were stoned and the covenant broken.
But always the patience of love, waiting itself to follow the way of suffering.
Waiting with God is not time lost but time of being truly alive.
Speech is silent as the wonder is revealed.
Individual Prayer:
Patient God, turn my anxiety and anger into patience.
Unchanging God, turn my restlessness into quiet and constancy.
Faithful God, turn my doubts and fears into assurance.
Please, show me when to speak and when to listen.
Reflection Questions: TBD
Station 2 The Annunciation (Leah F)
Theme: Trust
Scripture: Luke 1:26-37 (selections)
“The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to. a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High.' Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I am a virgin?' The angel said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.' Then Mary said, 'Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’"
Reflection:
In the Old Testament narratives angels are sent to make known a great work that God is about to perform. The births of Isaac and of Samson are announced in this way. Now the angel Gabriel comes to a young woman in a small town to tell her of the most wonderful birth in all history. After her first alarm and incredulity, she calmly believes and accepts the will of God.
Corporate Prayer:
We give thanks for the example of Mary, our pattern of purity, humility and absolute trust. As she knew by the message of an angel that she would be the mother of the Incarnate Son of God, give us grace to hear your word and follow your call, whether it be to little or great work in your service.
We do not trust in what the power of God can do with our weakness. We think that we can find our own way, instead of seeking to follow where you are leading. Forgive our slowness of mind and hardness of heart, and make us your servants according to your word in our own time and place.
Poetic Response:
On an ordinary spring day, she did not expect anything to happen because she was one of the quiet people who ask for little.
Lords of a higher creation did not pass that way until an angel, shafted in new season sunlight,
spoke to her with the heavenly salutation of her Maker.
Father of all sending the uncreated, the only-begotten, to be the newly-begotten, the weak and vulnerable.
The power of the Spirit, unseen, overshadowing, the still small voice more powerful than thunder,
breathed life into the womb of innocence, Son of the Highest, son of a virgin.
She bowed beneath the Word's weight told and graciously accepted uncovenanted grace.
When we are too busy to notice them, angels may pass through the familiar room, sometimes with human voices, sometimes in silent love,
calling, promising, pointing the way - because things happen when God wills them and not when we think it is appropriate.
Individual Prayer:
When the will is rebellious, may I know the obedience of Mary.
When pride builds a wall around me, may I know the humility of Mary.
When the flesh is weak and clamorous, may I know the purity of Mary.
Reflection Questions: TBD
Station 3: The Visitation (Christin)
Theme: Community
Scripture: Luke 1:39-47 (selections)
“In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry,
'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.' And Mary said,
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.’”
Reflection:
We read first of Mary’s calm, obedient response to the shocking message of the angel. She packs her bags and goes to tell this unbelievable story she is holding inside her. She makes the journey and find’s herself at the doorstep of Elizabeth. I imagine she’d gone over the conversation in her head the whole way there. What all do I say? Where do I begin? How will Elizabeth respond?
Elizabeth, opening the door, is secretly holding the unbelievable too. As the two greet each other, the presence of the divine brings a response from Elizabeth's unborn son within her: the Baptist, still in the womb, already acknowledges the coming of One much greater than himself. There was no public announcement, but in the sacred embrace of two women and the leap of a child within, their hearts soared in celebration. It is all really happening. Mary, dropping any internal doubt at the doorstep, finally breaks into song, declaring joy and praise to God. There, being seen and held, her heart is set free, and in that small room comes one of the most memorable songs in all of Scripture, Mary’s honest prayer returned to God, the Magnificat.
Corporate Prayer:
We give thanks for the mutual support of family and friends, for their love and sympathy in the great moments of life. Give us grace to value human love more deeply, to show it in our concern for others and to see in it a shadow of the divine love.
We fail to recognize the presence of holiness in our daily lives. We do not reverence life itself as a miracle of God's bounty. Help us to acknowledge the divine spirit in other people and to honour them because they are created in love.
Poetic Response:
Did the sun shine, there among the hills, casting light on the young girl filled with such amazing news?
Now that angels were gentle as well as powerful, there was no fear, only awe and wonder and the need to confide
in that kind, wise woman, nearer in blood, older in generation.
They embraced, Mary whispering her secret, and Elizabeth felt the strange stirring - not the usual movement but a joy that ran through all her being that her child was sharing the time of growth with his Maker, and that this girl,
known and loved from her own childhood, was to be the Mother of the Lord.
As Mary went away, the hills kept the secret for a season,
that two women had shared woman's greatest joy and the whole world was coming again to birth.
Individual Prayer:
Saviour God, let me rejoice in you:
I rejoice in the holiness of your Name, rejoice in your mercy to those who acknowledge you,
I rejoice in your love for the humble and meek, I rejoice in the bounty of your spiritual food,
I rejoice in the assurance of your promises.
But when I fail to rejoice with all my heart
Please, do not send me empty away.
Reflection Questions: TBD
Station 4: The Magnificat: Mary’s Song (Sam P)
Theme: Joy
Scripture: Luke 1:46-55
“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.’”
Reflection:
As she treasured and stored up many things in her heart, what Mary did not know, was that a song was being formed in the silent spaces within. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34). Bursting forth from the belly of Mary’s soul, were all the words, thoughts, and ponderings she had been holding in, along with the promise. Now, given this moment, her soul sings. Her soul sings with joy (rejoicing), to God.
They were likely not well planned, and thoroughly crafted lyrics, but ones that sprung forth from the most honest, performance free place of her heart. This was her prayer, her response that had been welling up, not only in the recent days since the promise, but this spoke from a heart that had held the weight of years of prior questions and curiosity regarding the God she (they) had been hoping in, and the promises that remained unfulfilled.
Mary joined the likes of David, the Psalmists, and even recently Zechariah who responded to God in song, in what has over time come to be known as one of the most beautiful songs to God, her magnificat. And just like David, I imagine there wasn’t just singing, but joyful dancing. “In God’s presence I’ll dance all I want! … Oh yes, I’ll dance to God’s glory—more recklessly even than this. And as far as I’m concerned . . . I’ll gladly look like a fool.” (From 2 Samuel 6: The Message)
Corporate Prayer:
Jesus, brightness of your Father, you have done mighty things and looked with favor on us, your lowly servants.
Help your servants that we may remember your mercy and magnify your holy name; you live and reign, now and forever.
Poetic Response:
Heavenly Father, may the treasures of my heart have room to bubble up and breathe.
May worry and fear be dissolved with spirit filled anticipation.
May the encouragement and embrace of another cause my head and heart to connect.
May you use others to draw out of me, what is most true in me, and most true of you.
Individual Prayer:
When the will is rebellious, may I know the obedience of Mary.
When pride builds a wall around me, may I know the humility of Mary.
When the flesh is weak and clamorous, may I know the purity of Mary.
Reflection Questions:
What song is stirring in your heart to God? What might be in the way or missing?
Consider writing your own magnificat. Or, if this feels difficult, think of a few things your heart rejoices in, about God? Consider the prompts… He has… He is… He will…
Station 5: The Dream of Joseph (Herrenbrucks)
Theme: Acceptance
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-24 (selections)
“When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.
But just when he had resolved to do 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 as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.' When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the Lord commanded him.”
Reflection:
The story tells of what seemed to be an event of disappointment and sorrow. Joseph was distressed beyond measure, torn between his own grief and his desire not to harm the woman he loved. Again, God revealed the wonderful identity of Mary’s child and, like her, Joseph believed and was faithful. He accepted his destiny to nurture and protect the son who was not his own but was entrusted to his fatherly care.
Corporate Prayer:
We give thanks for the gift of those who are close to us and whom we trust; for the love that endures through doubts and difficulties. Give us hearts more grateful for the human love that is a continual image of the divine love, ever seeking and holding us.
We are too ready to believe the worst of other people and sometimes become jealous even of those who should be dearest to us. Forgive the mean promptings of our human nature and strengthen us to accept and support the divine calling of others, without desiring praise for ourselves.
Poetic Response:
The shock, the sorrow, the surge of anger, the desire to hurt the loved one who seemed faithless -
did the black rage shake him when it was first made known?
But love prevailed, stronger than resentment; there would be no scandal, no shaming, only a quiet ending
before the long years of loneliness after a hope that had failed.
Unquiet sleep, broken dreams, came after a day of bitter decisions; then a new vision, prompting, comforting, challenging
something unheard, undreamed by any dreamer; even Joseph of Egypt was never so highly favoured.
There was no turning back on the command of God,
though the calling baffled sense, defied language, found no answer in the familiar, loved religion.
Only a love too faithful for consummation could make ready for a holy birth.
In Nazareth gossips whispered, sniggered, pointed: a dusty road lay open towards Bethlehem.
Individual Prayer:
Grant me the trust of Joseph, last and greatest of the patriarchs.
Grant me the humble love of Joseph, husband of Mary.
Grant me the strong wisdom of Joseph, protector of Jesus.
Reflection Questions: TBD
Station 6: The Marriage of Joseph & Mary (Justin)
Theme: Not How we Thought
Scripture: Matthew 1:24-25
“When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son.”
Reflection:
It likely wasn’t the love story, the dream wedding, or the way they thought they would welcome a little one into the world. In our day, there would have been no bridal or baby showers, and no gender reveal. There would likely be no honeymoon and no housewarming party. Instead, there were very real rumors, tough pills to swallow, and non traditional realities to the monumental moments of life they had long anticipated. Much was hidden. Much was different.
Corporate Prayer:
We give thanks for the example of Mary and Joseph, who continued to walk in trusting obedience, especially when their unfolding circumstances seemed contrary to the promise they had been given. Give us reminders of your presence and direction, when things don’t seem to be lining up. Give us grace to meet, when our disappointment and grief weigh heavy.
We do not trust in you as promises seem to wane, confusion settles in, discouragement grows, and gives birth to disillusionment. Forgive us, when “too much” turns us away from you, out of fear of our greatest abandonment.
Poetic Response:
Taken from “Mary and Joseph” by Chris Renzema
Well, Mary, Mary
Did you ever think you'd carry
The weight of the world?
And the hands that formed it?
Hardly more than a child yourself
You'll need a little help
Joseph, Joseph
Those cards, don't you fold them
This hand that you've been dealt
And the hand you're holding
It's more than you bargained for
But don't go walking out that door
'Cause she said, "Hold on, hold on
I know this sounds crazy"
And he said, "You're still the one I wanna marry"
So hold on, hold on
'Cause I know this seems wild
It's a miracle, falling in love
And this is a miracle child
So Mary, Mary
The day you're getting married
And this isn't what you dreamed of
Walking down the aisle at eight months
They'll never understand
That this isn't what you planned
So Joseph, Joseph
These rumors, they get real rough
And the name that you defend
Well, it's the name of real love
You couldn't see where this road led
But you'd believed her when she said
"Hold on, hold on
I know this sounds crazy"
And he said, "You're still the one I wanna marry"
So hold on, hold on
'Cause I know this seems wild
It's a miracle, falling in love
And this is a miracle child
Individual Prayer:
Lord, grant me the willing acceptance of Mary & Joseph, when I can’t understand, and your way seems crazy.
Grant me courage to stand in my difficult and disappointing places, knowing the deeper crosscurrent of your truth runs beneath the surface of my life.
Grant me curiosity to find you in the most unconventional places I find myself. May my hiddenness be an invitation, rather than an abandonment.
Reflection Questions: TBD
Station 7: The Journey to Bethlehem (Jess B)
Theme: The Timing of God
Scripture: Luke 2:1-5
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governing Syria. And everyone went to register, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family line of David. He went to be registered with Mary, his wife, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child.”
Reflection:
Just as Mary and Joseph began their marriage in the most unconventional terms, so goes the end of pregnancy, leading up to the birth of the miracle baby. Having trusted the promises, treasured the truths, rejoiced in response, and acted in obedience, one might think a smoother road would surely lie ahead. This was God’s Son coming into the world. We know the story, this was anything but smooth.
The registration decree was sent out into the world, which meant travel for Mary, and her very pregnant body. Wasn’t this the time they tell you to rest?One could imagine the “discussion around the dinner table” as they found out. There really was no way around this. We don’t have any record of this conversation, but one could imagine, at the end of the night, it would likely end up much like the rest of the conversations we hear from Mary… “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be as you have declared.”
The bags are packed and they begin their journey. Mary, likely on the back of a donkey for hours, must have been extremely uncomfortable, even with the best case weather conditions. Who knows what they encountered along the way. Perhaps at times, she may have recalled the words that had burst forth from her heart months earlier, “For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed”. Might her heart have wondered, is this what it feels like to be blessed?” Maybe Mary didn’t, but it is a question that rattles in my heart for her as I watch this young couple traveling the road to Bethlehem. So young herself, unaccustomed to so much, including the process of pregnancy and birth. Did they find themselves alone on this road? Did they encounter loving strangers along the way? Did they, like many of us, surely wonder about the timing of God as their circumstances unraveled?
Taken from “Mary and Joseph” by Chris Renzema
“Well, Joseph, Mary
It's a lot that you've carried
This Child, this Savior
And one another
This miracle, this love
This miracle, this love
A miracle, your love
This miracle, this love.”
Corporate Prayer:
We give thanks for your hand of love, that reaches out in the midst of our undoing, gently comforting us and guiding us forward.
Forgive us when what is in front of us, utterly consumes us. We believe, help our unbelief. Grant us a safe space to tuck away with you, to treasure all of these things in our heart, and to see the thread of your loving faithfulness leading us on into the fulfillment of all of your promises, for your glory and our good.
Poetic Response: (TBD… Or feel free to write if you’d like)
When hundreds of years of silence, laid a crushing weight on humanity,
when the timing and circumstances, left much to be wanted in the welcoming of the hope promised,
when the picture was painted for the most humble, obscure arrival, you came.
You came, when all that Joseph had to offer his bride, was disappointedly less than he hoped he could.
When pain and fear screamed into the wonder of the night,
amidst two teenagers very much on their own, who had been forced to grow up faster than
they would have liked, in ways they never would have imagined, you came.
Two teenagers who had not yet known one another,
now found themselves entering the vulnerable, sacred spaces of birth together.
This is the time, this is the journey in which you came.
Not as they would have planned, but fully held within your hands.
Individual Prayer:
Jesus, brightness of your Father, guide every event in our lives for your highest purpose and for our good,
until we arrive in your house, and stand before your throne; you live and reign, now and forever. Amen.
Reflection Questions: TBD
Station 8: The Birth of Jesus (Syd M)
Theme: Humility
Scripture: Luke 2:1-7 (selections)
“While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 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.”
Reflection:
The time had come. The Messiah, so long promised, was born at last. But he came in a way none of the prophets had foretold, humbly and unregarded. His divinity was concealed, but his humanity was laid in a loving mother's arm guarded by a man chosen to act to him as a father. Redemption had come to the world, though the world did not yet know it.
Corporate Prayer:
“We give thanks for the wonderful gift of God’s own Son. As we pass our lives in a world that has been favoured by supreme love, we rejoice in our human nature restored to the image of God who made it. May we have grace to reflect on this great mystery and to adore the Child of Bethlehem who is the Light of the World.
We are too casual in our response to the wonder of the Nativity. We listen to the Christmas story and sing the Christmas hymns without deeply reverencing the amazing grace of which they tell. We are sentimental when we should be full of awe. Forgive the forgetfulness of familiarity, and give us more love for the One who took our human nature upon himself
Poetic Response:
It was the word of prophecy through the long years of waiting,
the word known only to a woman and a man in the few months of waiting,
the Word before all time, now new-begotten at a chosen time.
The past promise became present reality in the harsh reality of an outhouse,
the breathing reality of animals, the alien reality of an unfamiliar town,
the ignorant reality of those who slept in comfort.
Angels had promised great things, a birth by the Spirit,
a new life different from any life since the sun set on Eden.
But here was no place for prophet, priest or king:
bare walls, earth floor, feeding-trough for a bed.
They needed all their faith, Mary and Joseph, to go on believing in the angelic visitations.
They wondered at the helplessness of the baby, who was foretold as the Son of the Almighty.
Parent-like, they wanted so much for him: peace and security instead of this rejection,
this homeless state: something better than the pressure of rough wood on gentle flesh.
Individual Prayer:
Child of Bethlehem, weak and helpless, have pity on my weakness.
Child of Bethlehem, loved and cherished, forgive my lack of love.
Child of Bethlehem, peaceful in a manger, calm my restlessness.
Great Son of God made flesh, hold me in your strong arms.
Reflection Questions:
Station 9: The Angels & Shepherds (Keri Z)
Theme: Ordinary
Scripture: Luke 2:8-14
“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night, Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours.’”
Reflection:
The life of a shepherd was hard, spending much of the time outdoors in all weathers, constantly watchful for predators and for sheep that wandered away from the flock. In the Bible the Figure of the shepherd is often used as a type of those charged by God with the care of his people. More wonderfully, it is also applied to God's caring love, and Jesus spoke specifically of himself as the Good Shepherd. It was shepherds who had the privilege of first being told that the Messiah was born and chat he would be the Saviour of the whole world.
Corporate Prayer:
We praise God for the assurance that his mercy extends to all humanity;
that Christ was born to save any who would accept his pardoning love.
We give thanks for the many ways in which the good news has been made known to us
and to the whole world, and for the signs of glory that are all around us if we will
look with the eyes of faith.
We too often act as if true Christianity was only to be found in the church or group to which we belong. Even when we share fellowship with others, we keep a secret sense of our own superior ity. Forgive our narrow minds, open our closed hearts to learn from different ways of expressing faith, and keep us always ready to hear the mess sages of divine love.
Poetic Response:
An ordinary night, a peaceful night offering no disturbance unless from the odd wolf,
or the silly strayer that might mean a long search in the darkness
when ninety-nine were behaving themselves.
They did not think they were particularly good shepherds - just men with a job to do, flocks and families to keep,
quiet men, not highly regarded in the courts and cities.
The glory of the Lord was not something that concerned them: the Rabbi might have mentioned it in forgotten school days
as appearing to Moses, Elijah and such great ones.
It was not for them, but it came upon them, it shone, revealed, terrified, and brought words of peace, comfort, favour- little enough of them in the cold fields - and of the Messiah all hoped for, few expected, all because of a birth in a little place, not far off.
Somehow the glory, the promises, so far above them,
were really for them, startled night watchers, because that child was lying in a manger
born among their own kind, the simple people who would be around on an ordinary night.
Individual Prayer:
Glory to God in the highest, hidden among the humble.
Glory to God in the highest, revealed to the poor and lowly.
Glory to God in the highest, come to the earth he created.
Great shepherd, be merciful to your silly, wandering sheep.
Reflection Questions:
Station 10: The Shepherds at the Manger (Tingleys)
Theme: Rejoicing & Adoration
Scripture: Luke 2:15-20
“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.' So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”
Reflection:
Faithful to the word of the angel, the shepherds went to see for themselves what God had done. The poverty and humility of the scene in the stable did not disturb their faith. It was all as they had been told, and they rejoiced that the Saviour was born. They began at once to proclaim the good news. Mary responded quietly to the marvelous promise that had been fulfilled.
Corporate Prayer:
We give thanks for the divinity that is in all people because God has taken our nature upon him. We are comforted and joyful to know that he speaks not only to the wise and the mighty but to all who are open to receive his word and respond with faith.
Too often we fail to see the glory that is all around us and to find the presence of God in the simplest things of this world. We do not value the quiet goodness of people whose lives seem unremarkable. Help us to discern Christ everywhere and in all, and to rejoice in knowing his continual presence with us.
Poetic Response: (Sam will re-write his own here)
It was no royal court, no place for a king to be born,
no hallowed sanctuary where a priest should enter,
no walled security for a vulnerable new baby.
Few would turn aside to see evidence of another birth,
another life in this land where promises seemed forgotten
and foreign rulers demanded their dues from the poor.
But it was a fair sight, something acceptable, understood by those who lived close to animals; it was what they had expected - no ceremony,
nothing to hold one simplicity apart from another.
It had been a good angel, a messenger of truth, for the glory of the Word is in its fulfilment,
not in the qualifications that we lay upon it.
They praised God in loud voices, the voices of men who could call far across the hills,
and took on themselves the role of angels among their own kind.
But Mary was silent in the mystery of grace,
in the silence that can be the highest praise of God.
Individual Prayer:
Give me, dear Christ Child, ears to hear the message of the angels.
Give me, dear Christ Child, lips to make known your love.
Give me, dear Christ Child, the wisdom of silent adoration.
Reflection Questions: TBD
Station 11: The Naming of Jesus (AJ)
Theme: Obedience
Scripture: Luke 2:21
“After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”
Reflection:
The earthly life of Jesus begins with an act of obedience, as he himself would be obedient to his heavenly Father even' to the end. Following the Jewish Law for male children, he was circumcised and named a week after his birth. The name commanded by the angel of the Annunciation is given public declaration. He is Jesus, 'Jehovah saves, and the salvation will be for all people.
Corporate Prayer:
We praise the holy name of Jesus above all names.
We give thanks that the Saviour of the world was born as man, giving us a pattern of obedience for our religious duties, to be the outward sign of our inward love and faith. We give thanks that we are given grace and commandment to pray to the Father in his name.
If we trust to ourselves, we can easily go astray in our religion. Sometimes we raise the performance of public worship above the need for private prayer and for lives that follow the divine will. At other times we are slack and think that if we pray alone we do not need to join in prayer with other Christians. Help us to honour the name of Jesus both in our hearts and in the fellowship of the Church.
Poetic Response:
Names are the signals that make people real to us,
names we love are the dearest sounds of our lives.
Names can be a screen, concealing a person behind a word.
One Name only links God and our humanity and
makes us bold to give expression to the inexpressible.
The Name of Jesus brings the faithful to their knees;
but to the unbelieving it is a dead echo of things past,
and to the angry and impatient becomes an obscenity.
But for Mary and Joseph, the Name meant a little baby
to be loved and protected and made obedient to the Law.
It is the holy Name that calls the child made new by water,
the hope of the old who utter it as breath comes slowly,
and mercy to those who use it in vain, for he loves them too
and will love them to the end.
Individual Prayer:
At the name of Jesus every knee should bend
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.
May I honour that dear Name more truly, on my lips and in my heart.
Reflection Questions: TBD
Station 12: The Presentation at the Temple (Ruth E)
Theme: Light & Revelation
Scripture: Luke 2:22-35 (selections)
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.' Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, 'A sword will pierce your own soul too.'
Reflection:
Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph went to make their offering as the Law commanded (Leviticus 12:6-8). This religious duty brought a further revelation that Jesus the Messiah was born for the salvation of the whole human race. Simeon, a devout worshipper after the Old Covenant, was given a vision of what would come to pass under the New.
Corporate Prayer:
We give thanks for the gift of light by which we receive the word of God and can see the tokens of his presence all around us. We praise the salvation brought by this Holy Child and pray that the light of his grace will shine within us and through us, keeping us faithful to the end when we may depart in peace.
We too often observe our religious duties in a casual way, and sometimes resent the time that they require, failing to accept the peace that they can bring. Help us to come with joy to our worship, resolved to open our hearts to what God is showing us, so that we may receive and declare the word of revelation.
Poetic Response:
God said, Let there be light, and for ever after there was light for those who would see it,
and no darkness of sin or sorrow could quench the light.
Light reveals the visible signs of God's glory and the secret signs of his grace: for light itself is his glory, awesome, unapproachable,
and also the grace that is intimate, inviting all to the Child.
Light reveals the true state of our being, the hidden things that we would rather not have known,
penetrates like a scalpel the festering wounds of sin.
If a sword would pierce the most pure heart of Mary,
none can escape the sword of judgement at the last -
except by the love in the eyes of the Child that lets us depart in peace.
Because he is the Word of salvation who reads us in the light of mercy.
Individual Prayer:
That was the true Light, coming into the world.
Lord, give me light to know my sinfulness
give me light to see your salvation
give me light to overcome the darkness of death.
Reflection Questions: TBD
Station 13: The Magi (Rocky)
Theme: Gifts of Love & Obedience
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 (selections)
“In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.' When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea.' Then he sent them to Bethlehem saying, 'Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.'
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
Reflection:
The 'wise men' have been subject to more legendary additions than any other part of the Nativity story. They have been given names and described as kings, but the Greek word in the Gospel is magi which was widely used of those who practiced magic and divination. These men may have come from anywhere in the Middle East region: the point of the story is that they were the first Gentiles to visit and worship the Christ Child, offering him gifts that relate to his kingship, priesthood and sacrificial death.
Corporate Prayer:
We give thanks that the Incarnation was for all people; that God makes a new covenant with any who will come to him in faith. We ask for grace to offer our gifts of love and obedience. They are all that we can give him, but he graciously accepts them if they are offered in the name of Jesus. May we be watchful for his many ways of guiding us, and joyful to follow them.
Although we have learned and experienced so much of the steadfast love of God, we are still hesitant in following where he leads, as the Magi followed his guiding star. We do not make ourselves open to his calling, and we are grudging in our response. Help us to seek diligently after his will and to make our lives richer in worship.
Poetic Response:
Gold for a king, for the King of the Jews, and King of all the earth, for he made it:
stoop under the low lintel of humility, to fall before him throned in a cradle.
Incense for a priest, for the High Priest of the Covenant, rising over the sacrifices that unite divine and human:
these rough walls contain the Holy of Holies, where all may enter into a greater Covenant.
Myrrh for the dead, for those whose life returns to the Giver, yielding the breath that was granted for a span of years:
learn from this Child that the cradle leads to the tomb, but the anointed body is not the end of the story.
Mary and Joseph wonder at the strange vision who are brought to their knees before their long fragility;
not yet knowing of the royal title to be nailed over the priestly sacrifice, silent in death.
Individual Prayer:
Star of Bethlehem, guide me onward to the banquet of the King
to the pardoning by the Priest
to the life beyond death.
Reflection Questions: TBD
Station 14: The Flight to Egypt (Rachel)
Theme: Wandering
Scripture: Matthew 2:13-15
“An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.' Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.”
Reflection:
While shepherds and Magi adored the Child, Joseph had been in the background, quietly watching and caring for his wife: now he was urgently called to action to protect the Son of God. Escaping the jealous rage of Herod, they fled southward to Egypt, the land from which their ancestors had been brought out of slavery.
Corporate Prayer:
We give thanks for all who protect the weak and vulnerable and pray that they may be given strength to fulfill their calling; and for the divine love the uses our frailty to support one another in need. We pray for guidance in all times of danger and uncertainty.
We do not open ourselves fully to God's way of guiding; we stand aside while others act to help those in need. Make us more ready to care not only for those near to us but for the stranger and the outcast, the homeless and those who flee from persecution.
Poetic Response:
God's protecting darkness concealed their flight from the dark jealousy that feared the defenseless.
They had to leave the Promised Land, go back through the wilderness to the place of slavery.
God who had carried his people in the wandering years
made the return journey in a mother's arms, divine power diminished into a bundle of humanity.
They were not the first to flee from tyranny or the last to stumble across a strange frontier,
to seek safety among alien faces when the familiar took on a face of doom.
In time the Child would welcome the stranger, the outcast, the despised, the unprotected,
with a royal love that kings dared not feel because the ground beneath the throne might be shaken.
Individual Prayer:
On wanderers without a home: Lord have mercy.
On refugees driven by war and violence: Lord have mercy.
On my hardness of heart when help is needed:
Lord have mercy.
Reflection Questions: TBD
Station 15: The Massacre of the Innocents (Greg A)
Theme: Grief/Help in Suffering
Scripture: Matthew 2:16-18
When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’”
Reflection:
Like all tyrants, Herod feared any challenge to his position. No star would guide him to the real King of the Jews, and he thought he had made himself secure when he murdered all the infants in the region of Bethlehem. He did not know that the one he sought was safely away from his power, and that he himself had not long to live. The wonderful birth of Jesus brought a cruel response from an evil heart, as many today still refuse his offered love.
Corporate Prayer:
We give thanks for the faith that grants us light in darkness, to see divine love at work even through suffering. Help us to hold fast when hope fails and understanding is dimmed, ever to trust in Christ who brings new life out of death.
We close our eyes to the suffering that does not come near us; we too readily ignore the abuse of power that does not touch us. Give us strength to speak for those whose voices are not heard, and to reach out in love to those whose hearts are broken.
Poetic Response:
Death came with a new face into the village, not with the familiar sword of sickness or striking through the perils that evade a mother's care.
The royal swords, forged for confrontation of equals,
flashed like deadly lightning in a clear day;
mothers cried out to an empty sky where no angels descended,
demanding to know why God had forsaken them.
It was not the first or the last time that innocence would be harried into death:
and the pain would never be lessened by sharing or the mystery of suffering be made clear.
One mother was spared to hold her child in safety until the time of agony by the soul-piercing sword.
One child lived, to grow into perfect manhood, suffer a greater torment, break the tyranny of death.
Individual Prayer:
Lord, take our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh:
restore lost innocence, that we may relieve the innocent.
Reflection Questions: TBD
Station 16: The Return to Nazareth (Ethan P)
Theme: Quiet Happiness of Daily Life
Scripture: Matthew 2:19-23
“When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead.' Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth.”
Reflection:
After the joys and perils of the birth of Jesus, the Holy Family moved quietly back to Nazareth, where the first announcement of God's purpose had been made. Jesus began the years of growing and learning, and the life of a family home, until the time should come for his ministry to begin.
Corporate Prayer:
We give thanks for our homes, for the shared joy or families and the quiet happiness of daily life, Grant that the pattern of our lives may be governed by the grace that was in the home at Nazareth, as Jesus grew from infancy to manhood.
We do not always value as we should the simple blessings of life. We would like each day to bring a special pleasure or a new personal success, Give us contentment in the day and the hour of opportunity, with grateful hearts for our creation and preservation.
Poetic Response:
The time of waiting was not yet over.
Centuries of expectation had ended with a host of angels,
with great wonder among the simple and the wise, and flight from the shedding of innocent blood.
The final time appointed would not come until God had lived the full experience:
learned to walk, read, reason, labour for a living, and the Maker came to the maturity of his human image.
Before the battle with evil was begun, life was blessed in the little things, and there was grace in a humble house;
and light would forever shine in darkness because God had visited and redeemed his people.
Individual Prayer: (may change this up a bit…it’s sort of got the praying to saints vibe… we will see. If you’ve got a prayer you would like to insert here, go for it!)
Jesus bearer of our humanity,
Mary gracious, gentle Mother,
Joseph faithful, loving protector,
have mercy on us.
May God grant that the Holy Family of Nazareth shall be our protection and guide day by day and year by year, leading us to the full revelation of glory.
Reflection Questions: TBD
