In our series on Christmas as the Night that Changed Everything, this week we’re looking at how it’s the night that changed the poor.  The poor have a priveleged place in the story of Jesus’ birth at Christmas.  Here is where that really shows:

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.  (Luke 2:4-7)

When a politician visits a troubled area, it’s important.  I recall after the 1998 ice storm in Eastern Ontario, the Prime Minister visited Wolfe Island, where I used to volunteer as a paramedic.  Years later, people would still talk about how the Prime Minister had come, and how.  They knew in that moment that he’d seen what they were dealing with, through his own eyes.

Here in the Christmas story we see God doing that.  He has come to visit our broken and hurting world, and has let the entire population know that he is here with us – from rich to poor, young to old.  It’s so apparent in that he comes to earth not like pampered royalty, but as a homeless baby.

His parents are on their way to Bethlehem for the census.  They must travel, even though Mary is pregnant and close to birth.  They arrive, apparently without plans for accomodations (or their plans are cancelled when an unmarried pregnant woman arrives) and find no room in any inns.  If they had money, you can imagine they might buy their way out of trouble, but it doesn’t happen, and they end up in a stable.  The baby is born, wrapped in cloths, a poor, defenseless baby whose parents are doing the best they can, which isn’t much.  The word translated as stable may be a building dedicated to animals like we think, or it’s possible it represented a one room house with both animals and people, but either way it was modest.

This is not a story of privelege and power.  Why would God – who we would expect to come in majesty and splendour – arrive in this way?

Question: What might God be trying to tell us in coming to earth in this way?

Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community – so check out today’s reading here.

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - October 29, 2013

Tuesday - Study It - Growth - in Discipleship

This is our new series on becoming like family. There are five main characteristics of the kind of community we’re forming. The first one: Discipleship – what we’re learning together as a community. Here’s our guidance from the Bible on this characteristic. Comes from Paul, one of the first to start new church communities in the cities around the Mediteranean., reflecting here on what it means to be a church made up of different kinds of leaders and people, all learning the same thing. The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ (Ephesians 4:11-15 Yesterday, I told you about having attended homecoming at the university where I studied engineering. Naturally enough, first year engineering students tend to think they will all end up in engineering careers. My experience, however, was that after graduating we end up in all sorts of professions. My own class includes actual engineers, but also those in business, consulting, full-time parenting, doctors, lawyers, rock climbing gym owners, urban planners, even running mobile apps for commuters. But some common threads emerge – we have learned to think analytically to solve complex and diverse problems that might not have been anticipated. We have a similar aim in discipleship. The point is not that all followers of Jesus will become automatons with no discernible differences. They are simply to have the same aim, purpose in mind, to learn to follower Jesus Christ and apply that to the many challenges of life. The idea is not to memorize rules, but learn maturity in Christ. We can see this diversity in the five types of work in the church listed here. There are other lists, as well, but we’ll just use this example. Teacher – Helps others study the Bible and learn to follow Jesus. Shepherd – Helps others live as a follower of Jesus, through close relationships. Evangelist – Tells the story of the good news of Jesus Christ in compelling ways. Apostle – Develops and leads new church communities that reach new people and places. Prophet – Tells it like it is, speaks for God’s interests when there is injustice and sin. Question: Which of these five do you understand the least? Why might it be necessary? Coffee Hours this Week: Have questions about the challenges, do you want to meet others exploring the same content, or connect with Ryan? Join us for our coffee shop drop-in tomorrow night, Wednesay, October 30th from 7:30pm-9:00pm at the Starbucks in the Ajax Chapters. Look for Ryan Sim in the drink line, or a Redeem the Commute postcard on a table. If you know in advance that you’re coming, please RSVP here http://bit.ly/1aHVTy2

Related Topics: Discipleship, Gifts, Growth, Learning | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio

From Series: "Becoming Like Family"

This series looks at becoming “like family” with others learning to follow Jesus. We're exploring how the church is not a building, institution or event, but a community of people. It's important that explore what church means as we prepare to launch a new church in Ajax in 2014.

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