Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce 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.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
“Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke from sleep,
he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.
(Matthew 1:18-24)
How often has it happened to you? You are on a well-planned road trip– confidently driving to your destination – and the car’s GPS suddenly says “recalculating.” You perk up and think “where are you sending me now?” You quickly consider the revised road before you – and reluctantly choose how to proceed – hoping and trusting you will arrive to your final destination. The truth is that life is full of these “recalculating” moments – moments we were not planning to consider; moments that require we pivot and reconsider the options before us.
The story of Joseph is the story of one such moment. Filled with expectation about the life he is planning with his beloved Mary, he’s forced to confront a truth that was uninvited, unexpected and unwanted. We can only imagine the plans he had for their new life. He was clearly embracing one direction – when he learns his young fiancé is pregnant – a loud and profound announcement inviting Joseph to consider “recalculating.” What will he do? We know that Joseph selects the unimaginable choice – unimaginable because in first century religious tradition, he could have walked away – or worse, could have had Mary stoned to death. He allows himself to be open to the voice of the angel that came to him in a dream – and boldly leans into a new road before him – a new road shaped by more unknowns accompanied by a deep love and faith. It would be a love and faith that would ultimately be embodied in nurturing, growing, teaching and loving the infant Jesus through the stages of his human life.
“Recalculating” – when have you heard that disruptive call inviting you to pivot from the pre-planned road before you? There have been many moments in my life where that phrase disrupted the assumptions I held dear, causing me to take on a new route. When I was first ordained, I served a large congregation as an associate pastor. I dreamt of the day I would lead my own flock as a pastor/head of staff. That was the pathway before me – or so I thought. “Recalculating” was the call – and to be clear, I resisted. I never intended to serve in mid-council ministry. I reluctantly opened myself up to an unanticipated and largely unwanted journey that took me to California. That journey along with the subsequent one that led me to our presbytery some 12 years ago, helped me recognize and embrace that I could use my gifts to shepherd and love many leaders and churches – not just one. It helped me recognize that ministry was not limited to one congregation – although I believe our congregations are the front line for putting hands, heart and feet into our communities. This pivot opened my heart to a breadth of people, theologies, races – a people I’ve come to love. This pivot has shaped my sense of self in ways I would have never imagined – it has opened my heart in ways that still leave me in awe of God’s presence in my life.
Where is it that you hear God’s voice calling you to pivot from the road you’re currently on? As we make our final approach to the manger, consider how this question might be answered as individuals, as congregations or other ministries, or as a presbytery. My prayer is that we will be like Joseph – open in spirit – to the disruption of our assumptions. May that holy disruption strengthen who we are because of whose we are – a people created out of love – to be a people of love – in a world that desperately needs love.
So together let’s light the 4th candle of the Advent Wreath – the candle of love that shines brightly alongside the candles of hope, peace and joy – as we once again welcome the birth of the infant child whose cries continue to break into our hearts and lives more than 2,000 years later.
