A God Who Stoops To Ludicrous Depths
It’s amazing how many of these Nativity scenes I can pass during this time of year and rarely, if ever, think much about it. It’s sad, but in many ways I’m afraid we’ve put the nativity scene in the same category as Santa, Frosty and the little elves reducing it to a mere symbol of the holiday season.
However the “Nativity” should be a reminder that Christmas is thick with unexpected, transcendent, hope.
The Nativity scene should be a reminder that Christmas is God telling His people, “You can’t predict me! I’ll show up at anytime, anywhere, in the midst of the most unlikely circumstances and through the most unlikely people.”
Frederick Buechner said
“Those who believe in God can never in a way be sure of Him again. Once they have seen him in a stable, they can never be sure where he will appear or to what lengths he will go or to what ludicrous depths of self-humiliation he will descend in his wild pursuit of man… And, this means that we are not safe, that there is no place where we can hide from God, no place where we are safe from his power to break into and recreate the human heart because it is where he seems most helpless that he is most strong and just where we least expect Him that he comes most fully.”
Don’t allow the frequency of the portrayal of this event to rob you of the wonder and awe it represents. What if over the next four weeks every time you see a nativity set up you simply….
PAUSE.
Seriously how different would this Christmas be if you pause every time you see a nativity and remember you worship a God that is unpredictable. A God who can and will stoop to the most ludicrous depths to breath hope into your life.
Will you pause?
46 Comments:
Will I pause? I will try but the one you have pictured would sure make it hard to be serious.
In all honesty: I agree with your thought. Have we made the nativity so commonplace that it holds no mystery for us? Guilt as charged. Thanks for the reminder Pete.
Bill (cycleguy)´s last blog ..I Trust You…or Not
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Bill (cycleguy)
7:25 am
Guess you got your inflatable nativity scene after all?
Thanks for the reminder yesterday. I am really going to work at pausing. It will be curious to see how many nativity scenes I have missed because I haven’t slowed down.
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Lindsey Nobles
7:34 am
Love this: “…his wild pursuit of man…”
Sounds like adventure, dirt and sweat.
This is great Pete. A reminder to put up that nativity even though I have four little ones that will probably lose baby Jesus and kidnap the shepherds. His birth, this reminder is worth the extra bit of chaos.
jessica´s last blog ..His Promises
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jessica
7:42 am
@Jessica, in my house it’s a daily routine to try to find and rescue members of the nativity scene who have been captured by certain Power Rangers.
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Pete Wilson
7:49 am
Awesome. Thank you.
I pause every time I see our nativity set. First, because its simplicity and bare starkness makes me remember that the first Christmas was nothing like the gaudy, overblown Christmases we all know now. It’s a handmade, folk-art looking one. Plain, stripped down to the bare essentials.
Secondly, I pause and remember the joy I experienced in finding it. It was one of our first Christmas pieces that hubby and I bought together, having just married a few months before the holiday season. The newness of our marriage and our life together coupled with the coming holiday made everything taste new, feel new, and it was a precious, precious season. Taking it out and setting it up every year reminds me of ALLLLLL I have been given. All the blessings I treasure. All the secrets and joys I hold in my heart.
No wonder I’m a sappy, teary mess from November till January!
The Gang’s Momma´s last blog ..Another View Of Attachment
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The Gang's Momma
7:52 am
@ Jessica: get your kids the Little People version of the nativity, or the Playmobile version. They’re great for little ones to have! It’s so fun to hear them talking about Mary riding the donkey and shhh, Baby Jesus is sleepin’!
The Gang’s Momma´s last blog ..Another View Of Attachment
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The Gang's Momma
7:54 am
A couple of years ago I took my family to see the movie, Nativity. It was well done and one thing in the movie caused me to pause.
It was the part where it said that the people came to worship Him.
For the first time in my life I asked the question, “What is worship?”
So, I began a journey of defining worship. What an amazing word to look into. I would need a book to give it justice so there is no way that I can explain here all of the fullness of that word but consider this.
Worship comes from an older word form, Worthship. The -ship suffix means ‘to have’. A quick look at this word means “to have worth or value.”
We will ‘pause over’ or ‘elevate’ that which we perceive to have value.
Here is something to think about. Imagine if your neighbors placed a stake in the front yard and placed a 100 dollar bill on it. No matter how many times someone passes by that stake, I bet they pause and consider what is on it and wonder about attaining it.
We never take for granted the value of a 100 dollar bill even though it is only a symbol of our purchase ability.
The nativity is a symbol of a promise fulfilled that represents the depth of His love by which we were purchased.
This truth has captivated me about worship: we never fully worship that which we don’t know the value of.
Tony York ´s last blog ..Movie Scenes That Stick With You
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Tony York
7:56 am
yes.
Kinda feeling like I need to now write a blog post entitled Jesus! I know Him!
joyce´s last blog ..Santa! I know him!
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joyce
8:18 am
This “Will you pause” question reminded me of a quote by Max Lucado. Every year on Christmas, my family reads the Christmas story in the Bible, as well as Lucado’s version in his book God Came Near. In Lucado’s book he says “Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking. Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?”
I think you and Max illustrate a similar point. We take for granted the birth of the Christ; we have become numb to the fact that “this baby had overlooked the universe. These rags keeping him warm were the robes of eternity. His golden throne room had been abandoned in favor of a dirty sheep pen. And the worshiping angels had been replaced with kind but bewildered shepherds.”
Will I pause? Absolutely. I do not want the King of King’s ultimate sacrifice for the salvation of all mankind to become just another busy Christmas holiday.
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Jourdin
8:21 am
I’m going to remember by doing something crazy this year…..participating in the re-enactment of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem at our church. No, I’m not an actor, and not good at this, but it is my time to ‘reach up’ and out this Christmas and portray a character in the Nativity scene so that we will never forget the significance of Christ’s birth….
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Vicki
8:57 am
@jourdin, so true! You can never go wrong with a little Max Lucado.
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Pete Wilson
9:00 am
This reminds me of why I love CS Lewis so much! God is NEVER safe but always good! Thanks for the reminder!
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Kristi
9:04 am
We are asking the Lord transform our thinking about this time of year as a time of Advent…hope and expectation! That we would think about this all year long and not just now, is our prayer:
“It is a very blessed thing to be on the watch for Christ, it is a blessing to us now. How it detaches you from the world! You can be poor without murmuring. You can be rich without worldliness. You can be sick without sorrowing. You can be healthy without presumption. If you are always waiting for Christ’s coming, untold blessings are wrapped up in that glorious hope.” C.H. Spurgeon
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Ash Johnson
9:14 am
Pete, My daughter Lily and I talked about this after service. We agreed to watch for Nativity scenes and pause for a moment in an effort to just “let it be”. She’s 5 and 1/2 and I’m running wide open right now, but we’re committed! It’s hard to imagine having the faith that Mary had. I read that scripture at least 6 times yesterday just to try and comprehend it…
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david widmer
9:15 am
The lost art of the PAUSE…maybe has more to teach us today than ever before. Great reminder Pete. Here’s to the God who is unpredictable & whose love is unstoppable! Merry Christmas – available peace for all in Him.
Jack Schull´s last blog ..cheering & coaching
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Jack Schull
9:29 am
Last Christmas was very hard for my husband and I because we had just lost his mom. This year I feel a lot more calm and I truly believe its because I have had to slow down and realize that in order for my girls and also myself to encounter Jesus throughout this season I have to PAUSE and realize that without baby Jesus we have NO hope…Richard’s mom’s death forced us to slow down and embrace family, and Jesus birth gives us hope to push forward and embrace hope:)
Holly Myers´s last blog ..What’s your Jerusalem?
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Holly Myers
9:29 am
Pete, I know I am always sounding redundant, but WOW!!!!!
Lauren Kelly´s last blog ..Weekend Recap, Recipes, and Decorations!
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Lauren Kelly
9:31 am
Thanks for helping me pause and think. Some great words here. I think we often translate the extraordinary into the commonplace – not out of any malice but out of familiarity. Thanks for making me see the extraordinary again.
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Scott
9:45 am
Pete, the only problem I have with this is that most of the time when I see a nativity scene, I’m driving.
Traffic in Little Rock is bad enough without some crazy dude in Yaris “pausing” in front of every church with a nativity scene in the yard!!!
Aaron Reddin´s last blog ..It’s Good to be Poor!!
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Aaron Reddin
9:48 am
I’ve actually ignored many nativity scenes because a lot of times it felt to me as if many places commercialized them. “Come see our living nativity!” and similar things just seemed to take the meaning from it and just make it, like you said, in camp with Santa and Rudolph.
I’m going to try and pause.
Jason´s last blog ..Waiting is not doing nothing…but it feels that way.
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Jason
10:02 am
We have a nice little nativity scene on our television armoire that my 2 1/2 year old son calls a barn and wants so desperately to play with. It’s sad that it is has become just another object (not in all places) during the Christmas season. What an amazing moment in history slowly turned into another Chri$tma$ gimick!
rob´s last blog ..An Interesting Proposal… Satan, Jesus, & You
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rob
10:08 am
@Aaron and others who takes things to literally.
Don’t actually stop the car.
Instead “pause” your mind and choose to reflect on what that moment means.
Pete Wilson´s last blog ..A God Who Stoops To Ludicrous Depths
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Pete Wilson
10:20 am
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Aaron Reddin
10:35 am
Wow. Looks like the same inflatable baby Jesus caught both of our eyes: http://rachelheldevans.com/stand-up-christmas
I love, LOVE your description of “a God who can and will stoop to the most ludicrous depths to breath hope into your life.”
I think sometimes He even stoops to our inflatables.
Rachel H. Evans´s last blog ..On Faith and Football
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Rachel H. Evans
11:18 am
Honestly, there’s so many Santas, snowmen, polar bears, penguins, & other holiday stuff, that seeing a nativity scene does often make me stop and consider the love of God. Perhaps the old adage is true: less is more.
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mpt
12:16 pm
“It’s amazing how many of these Nativity scenes I can pass during this time of year and rarely, if ever, think much about it.”
It’s amazing too how many times I’ve NOT thought of that. Thanks for the reminder. I’m with the crowd who’s trying to pause.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
bondChristian´s last blog ..The purpose of (bondChristian) life
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bondChristian
12:37 pm
@Rachel, I guess great minds think a lot alike.
Pete Wilson´s last blog ..A God Who Stoops To Ludicrous Depths
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Pete Wilson
1:01 pm
Personally speaking I love every part of the Christmas season. It is all a bold reminder of the mystery, the wonder, and the hope. From folks stringing lights and ridiculous blow up scenes, to the overabundance of gifts we don’t need. It is all a part of the “new” advent; our preparation for the coming of something that is wondrous indeed. Whether it’s experiencing a Christmas Eve service with your family, spending a day with friends over a great meal, serving others, or just resting for a day together. Hopefully all of the madness leads us to a place of peace, hope, and joy. Even if only for a moment.
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Jeff
1:59 pm
Pete, you would probably love the annual exhibit that takes place at my alma mater, the University of Dayton (Dayton, OH). UD has the largest collection of Marian art in the world, and has also inherited a huge collection of over 2,000 nativity sets, which they display annually. If you go to this site, you can see a number of the nativities, and they give an explanation of why they think this exhibit is so important. I have yet to see the exhibit in person, but after reading your post, I may just make the trip!
http://www.udnativity.org/
Jan C.´s last blog ..Holidays in Hand, Pages 2 and 3
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Jan C.
2:27 pm
@mpt: One of my neighbors has an inflatable igloo with three adorable penguins that pop out of the top. I thought of you when I saw it.
@ Pete: I often pause and think of others or of God. But it doesn’t always have to be something “religious” like a nativity scene to direct my attention toward Heaven. I pause and worship when I see lots of things. These things have all been “Pause for God” buttons this week: a half moon, a full refrigerator, the flicker of a candle, a collection of Buddha statues, a kitten’s eyes, a stranger’s testimony in a Target aisle, and a warm hug. God is truly amazing. One of my goals in the second half of my life is to reach a point where my heart is in a current state of worship–so no pause is necessary. I don’t even know if that’s possible, but I think I want to try anyway.
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ttm
4:12 pm
paused five times today…
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Laura
4:14 pm
I love this post, Pete. Thanks for reminding me that God is not as predictable as I sometimes try to make Him out to be.
Chuck Allen´s last blog ..Lost in Translation: Indirect Request Phrases
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Chuck Allen
5:12 pm
It’s driving me crazy that I can’t find it right now… but there is a passage that tells of what Jesus gave up to come here to be that Baby…
I think it’s why I love the tradition of Advent… the slowing down. The intentional remembering. I wish our pastor would let us do it, but he has huge hang ups over ‘tradition’ and won’t. I dislike how it’s “suddenly” christmas (and easter, for that matter… no Lent) at our church. Hardly any mention at all during the lead up.
And at the risk of sounding just like everyone else… yes. It’s become such a “used to” thing, that we’ve lost the awe and marvelousness of it. Last year, I tried very hard to think on it as if it had never happened before. It was such a special Christmas
Jen´s last blog ..Yes, Well…
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Jen
5:25 pm
Dude, it’s like the most famous pregnancy crisis story EVER. Of course I pause.
Brunettekoala´s last blog ..A chocolatey giveaway
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Brunettekoala
5:52 pm
@ttm, that’s the goal!!
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Pete Wilson
5:57 pm
Great post! My mind has been so bludgeoned with one cheap manger scene after another that I can become inoculated to the wonder of what really happened on that first Christmas morning. Thank you brother for the reminder.
Bill Foote´s last blog ..Amazing Video from Matt Chandler
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Bill Foote
8:45 pm
What blows my mind is that Jesus was pretty much formed by God in a “out of wedlock” or “prior to marriage” relationship, yet, no different than then, most of the Christians that I know now, shun “mistake” pregnancies like this that are created by young adults. Why is this? Drop the stones, people!
Jody´s last blog ..Too tired
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Jody
9:20 pm
Pausing.
Taking Heart´s last blog ..Low
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Taking Heart
10:41 pm
I so wish my mom would have kept our Nativity from when we were growing up. It was old and chipped, but it has such memories attached. It was one that had a manger and the baby Jesus was separate and wrapped in a blanket. We didn’t put him in the manger until after we got home from midnight Mass, and had the wisemen across the room … helping them travel closer each day. I love that it wasn’t a decoration to us, but a way to learn and play out the story.
gitz´s last blog ..You Need to Prepare for this One…
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gitz
11:58 pm
@gitz That’s really sweet
Jen´s last blog ..Yes, Well…
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Jen
4:46 am
@Gitz, that is so cool.
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Pete Wilson
7:15 am
“Those who believe in God can never in a way be sure of Him again. Once they have seen him in a stable, they can never be sure where he will appear or to what lengths he will go or to what ludicrous depths of self-humiliation he will descend in his wild pursuit of man…”
I had to come back and read that again. Keep that quote in mind and it will change the way you view nativity scenes. What an incredible moment, when God invaded earth to live among man. Just another aspect of Christianity that sets it apart from any other religion. God help every manger scene to become an inspiration to worship you.
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Bill Foote
11:09 am
Well said. Icons can become so common in our environment that we become numb to their influence.
I love the Frederick Buechner quote. It reminds me of the poem, “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson.
In relation to this topic, I wrote a blog post about the spiritual relevance of an iconic Christmas movie from my childhood.
http://randykinnick.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/youre-a-mean-one/
Randy Kinnick´s last blog ..You’re a Mean One…
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Randy Kinnick
9:20 pm
“Those who believe in God can never in a way be sure of Him again. Once they have seen him in a stable, they can never be sure where he will appear or to what lengths he will go or to what ludicrous depths of self-humiliation he will descend in his wild pursuit of man…”
I LOVE that quote, Pete. Love it! I think so often we put God in a safe and predictable box. The thing is, He cannot be contained. He is SO huge, so powerful, so magnificent, so glorious, and SO unpredictable. And, unfortunately, that makes him dangerous to our safe little lives. But, I want to see His glory. I want to see His magnificence. I want to “walk in dangerous proximity to God” (from the book Dangerous Wonder by Michael Yaconelli).
Thanks for that quote and the reminder not to allow our exposure to the nativity scene at Christmastime desensitize us to the wonder of it all!
Chrystie´s last blog ..Let Me Be Weak
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Chrystie
4:46 am
@Chrystie, I agree Chrystie.I can’t seem to shake that quote. I really think that’s one of the central themes God is teaching me this year during Christmas.
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Pete Wilson
6:27 am
New Zealand has a different approach to nativity.
A church in the city has put up a controversial billboard depicting Mary & Joseph in bed with the caption,
“Poor Joseph. God is a hard act to follow.”
Many people are up in arms. First it was defaced by brown paint now the billboard has been stolen!
http://conversationsatintersections.blogspot.com/2009/12/mary-joseph-defaced-literally.html
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Jill
2:10 pm
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