Manger | Presence
The manger is the incarnation—the God who takes on flesh, even to the point of being born in an animal feed box. The manger means that God is not distant, but near. It means that he comes to be with, so that you are not without him. It means that God dwells in the midst of messy human drama.
The gospel as the presence of God is thrilling news for those who are distant from God. This is gospel for those who feel lonely, alienated, and hurt. For those who feel inadequate. For those who feel that God could never love them, never come to them. For those who feel like the very lowest social caste. The manger: God’s presence with us.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
“Remember that you were at one time separated from Christ, alienated…having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).
Word
“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence.” (Isaiah 64:1)
Meditation
“Do We Matter?” by Brett Harmann
The question of, “Where are you God?” gets at a paradox of our belief. How can God, who is infinite and outside of time, relate to us? And how do we, stuck in time, relate to an infinite God? There were 400 years of prophetic silence from Malachi (the final book in the Old Testament) to the birth of Jesus. God seemed absent. But then, Jesus arrived.
Now, it has been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus’ execution on the cross. Yet, we still ask, “Where are you God?” In our own lives, maybe we ask this when a loved one dies. Or perhaps when we’ve been waiting for the right significant other for what seems like forever. Or when we get let go from our job.
Looking more broadly at the world, it seems like we are regressing into moral decay and depravity. All we hear about on the news are drug overdoses, human trafficking, senseless murders, war, and all other kinds of evil. Suicide and depression rates are at all-time highs. We are more connected than ever through social media and the internet, yet we are more alone and isolated than ever in real physical life. So much evil and loneliness in the world—do we even matter?
I was just having a conversation with my mom. With Christmas coming up, gift-giving is on our minds. But she said something that really resonated. She said that “the best gift you can give someone is your time, full attention, and presence.” Being present matters. Ultimately, it’s God’s presence with us on Earth that reveals his love, and it also means that we matter to God. He cares.
As we patiently await Jesus’ arrival this advent, maybe we can take a step back from the hustle and bustle of our lives and reflect. Maybe we can give the gift of our time and presence to someone who is feeling a void this season. After all, the best gift we ever received was the presence of God in human form to dwell with us. And by his presence, he shows his love.
Closing Prayer
Lord, your love casts out all fear. We are grounded, secure, and at home because of your self-giving love. Now we know we can come to you with cares and worries, needs and struggles. Hear our prayers, from a world of separation and division. Today, we ask your presence in these circumstances…Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.