I
am Joseph.
Welcome
to my story,
Your
story,
God’s story;
For
don’t we all come to this place,
At this time,
And wonder?
Who
was this son of mine?
Who is this Son of God?
What
is this night
We
celebrate,
And
contemplate?
Come,
All ye who are faithful.
Come,
All ye who are curious.
Come,
All ye who are hopeful.
Come,
All ye who anxious.
Come,
And like me,
Be captured by the mysterious
wonder of God.
CANDLE OF HOPE
“When
his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she
was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”
I
always hoped for a son.
Someone
to carry on the family tradition,
Someone who loved wood as much as I,
Someone with the imagination
to see and then create,
Someone with whom I
could work side by side.
I had hoped one day to hang a new sign over
the shop.
It would proudly proclaim, “Joseph and
Son”.
People would come from near
and far
To celebrate the
wonders we would create.
But
now,
With this strange turn of events,
What am I to think?
What am I to do?
What am I
to become?
I
always hoped for a son,
But I wanted him to be my son.
I
always hoped for a family,
But I wanted it to be my family.
Suddenly
I am told he is God’s son.
Suddenly
I am told he is for the good of God’s family.
Suddenly
I am supposed to understand.
I
always hoped for the Messiah,
Almost as much as I hoped for a son of
my own.
CANDLE OF PEACE
“Joseph,
son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She will bear a son
conceived by the Holy Spirit. You will name him Jesus for he will save his
people.”
“Do
not be afraid to take Mary for your wife?”
Easy for the angel to say.
But
what will the neighbors say?
She is “with child” and I am without
an explanation.
My
soul is in turmoil.
I am angry,
Confused,
Frustrated.
“You
will name him Jesus for he will save his people.”
This
vision,
This angel,
Perhaps this illusion,
Promises salvation.
My
reputation is ruined for the salvation of his people.
Is this a trade off?
Is it a joke?
Is it a cruel nightmare?
Or is it God’s
eternal dream?
Can
peace come to Jerusalem?
Can peace come to my very soul?
O
Come,
O Come Emmanuel.
Bid envy, strife and discord
cease.
Fill the world, and
my soul, with heaven’s peace.
CANDLE OF LOVE
“A
virgin shall conceive and bear a son. His name will be Emmanuel.”
Do
I love her?
With all my heart!
Do
I believe her?
With all my soul;
but
my mind is still a bit confused.
I
am a simple man and this is no simple matter.
If
God chose her,
Then God also chose me.
I
am not worthy.
I
work with my hands.
I take that which is broken
and make it whole.
Why choose me?
Why not someone
more laudable?
Why
not someone more faithful?
Do
I love her?
With
all my heart!
Do
I love God?
I fear God,
I worship God,
Sometimes I avoid
God.
But do I
love God?
I
honestly don’t know.
Can
I love God’s son?
I would love my son.
I will love Mary’s son.
But that is not the
question.
Can
I love God’s son?
All
I can do is show him how to take something broken,
And
make it whole.
CANDLE OF JOY
“When
Joseph awoke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded. He took
Mary as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a
son.”
I
Joseph,
In the presence of God,
Take
you Mary,
To
be my wife.
I
Joseph,
In the presence of God incarnate,
Take
you Mary,
To
be his mother.
I
Joseph,
In the presence of all witnesses,
Promise to
Lovingly,
Faithfully,
Joyfully,
Be
your husband.
I
may not be fully prepared for this journey,
But I am fully prepared to be by your
side.
I
may not be holy enough for this moment,
But your holiness will be enough for a
lifetime.
I
Joseph,
With complete awareness of the purpose
of God,
Take you Mary,
To birth our
salvation.
Meditation
Matthew 1:25b
“And
Joseph named him Jesus.”
We
know the Christmas story by heart. Mary, a young girl who found favor with God,
was impregnated by the Holy Spirit. After a long and wondrous conversation with
her cousin Elizabeth, Mary traveled to Bethlehem to give birth to the baby
amidst the shepherds and angels in the stable.
We love the image of the Mother and Babe surrounded by God’s creatures. And
if we look closely, way back in the barn, we spy the figure of the man called
Joseph. At least that is the story as presented in the Gospel of Luke.
But there is a second
story. It is the story of a respected carpenter who lived in the city of
Bethlehem. He was an honorable man faced with a less than honorable decision.
The woman to whom he was engaged was found to be pregnant. Joseph did not want to expose Mary to public
ridicule. But neither did he want to raise a child that was not his own. This
is the story the Gospel of Matthew offers to us.
Matthew’s recollection
is not as “tender and mild” as Luke’s romantic account of the glorious wonders
that have defined our recollection of Christmas night. Luke gives us Mary, a
woman many have lifted to God-like status. Matthew offers us Joseph, a man as
human as you or I.
Joseph dreamed of marrying
the most beautiful woman in the world. He dreamed of the moment their love would
be consummated, an act hopefully leading to the birth of his son. But mid-dream
his joy was interrupted by a startling revelation. Mary, the woman of his
dreams, was pregnant and Joseph knew he was not the father. The dream became a nightmare as Joseph’s life
began to completely unravel.
Most folks like
symmetry and balance in their lives. During Christmas at the Andrews’ house my
job is to put the candles in the windows and the ornaments on the tree. Deb’s
job is to go back the next few days to make sure the lights in the windows are
in perfect balance and the ornaments on the tree have found their time honored
spot. Balance brings stability and stability offers peace of mind. Deb adores
Handel, I prefer Coltrane. Joseph was kind of like my wife. He wanted his life
to resemble a chorus from the Messiah. One should be careful what they wish for.
The balanced, respectable
side of Joseph understood what must be done. He would assist Mary in finding a
relative in another village. And if the true father would not reveal himself,
Joseph would provide enough money to assist Mary in starting a new life. But in
a weak moment the respectable Joseph discovered even lovers of the classics gives
an occasional listen to a piece that starts on the offbeat. So when the Angel
of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream singing an outrageous tune, the carpenter
listened.
“Joseph, do not be afraid
to take Mary as your wife. The child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
You will name him Jesus, for he will save his people.”
What does one do when
confronted by the imagination of God? Do you walk away pretending not to hear?
Do you weigh what you thought you heard against the wisdom of more rational
voices? Do you talk it out with others hoping they will bring you to your
senses? Is your next word sung on the offbeat? We would do well to hear the
words chosen by Joseph. Listen carefully.
(SILENCE)
In the midst of doubt
and suspicion, Joseph silently made a leap of faith.
In a world with too
little laughter, Joseph silently performed an act of joy.
In a society filled
with fear and distrust, Joseph silently believed.
In a time when hate
snuffed out any light, Joseph silently lit a candle of hope.
I
can’t imagine how one even thinks about emulating the Virgin Mary. Through the
centuries she has been elevated to a status beyond human reason and
comprehension.
But
we can be Joseph. Through acts of mercy, or even outrageous leaps of faith, we
can light a candle of hope, a candle of joy, a candle of peace or a candle of
love. We can become the silent light that surrounds and imitates the one we
dare to call Jesus, Immanuel.
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