Christmas Day B (Dec. 25, 2011) John 1:1-14
And the Word became flesh and lived among us ...
                                 John 1:14a New Revised Standard Version 

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

                            John 1:14a Today's New International Version 

So the Word became human and made his home among us. 

                                       John 1:14a  The New Living Translation

The Word became flesh and blood ...
      and moved into the neighborhood.  John 1:14a The Message

Well, the Idea became a man and moved in with us ...

                                             John 1:14a  The Cotton Patch Bible

No matter how you say it (and I distinctly recall a seminary professor saying that the literal translation of the verb all these render 'lived' or 'moved in' or dwelt' with us is actually closer to 'pitched tent' -- which immediately makes me think of God setting up camp with us!), no matter how you rank the above in accuracy or inaccuracy, the general notion is still totally confounding to the unbeliever. 

GOD BECAME LIKE ME? TOOK ON MY LIMITATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS IN LIFE? ARE YOU NUTS?

Which is the #1 of all the outrageous promises (see this week's www.d365.org devotions by Tammy Wiens) that only Christianity experiences with the Divine. I just had that bubbling-over joyous (Marva Dawn would say HILARIOUS!) experience as I lost track of the time and made a mad dash by mini flashlight out of my study, into the sanctuary,successfully negotiating a maze created by the Christmas tree, communion table, music stands and microphones, through the vestibule and into the choir room, to the carillon control -- to set off a wedding peal at midnight to welcome in Christmas Day. And as the raucous, joyful bells began to ring and ring and ring on top of each other, I realized how ridiculous I must have looked: in stockinged feet, sans a certain article of clothing meant to constrain, blouse pulled out, no jewelry, hair askew.... And I could truthfully say I felt like a child sneaking down with my sister to peek at the tree in the middle of the night as I opened the front door out from the vestibule so I could hear the carillon ringing more clearly through the crisp winter air. There was something both clandestine and conspiratorial about it ... yet it was definitely God who beckoned and accompanied me.

So the question I hear this week is: how has God burst in on YOU lately to allow you to experience the Incarnate One's outrageous presence?

hungry are fed ... needs in general are met

  beloved saints on earth are not forgotten

promises are fulfilled, over and over ...

 even when in strange places ...

all of God's children are loved and protected as they are by the Incarnate One, and it has nothing to do with their nuclear family make-up

22 years ago this adventure of mine began with the sun shining on a rooster...

last spring I saw this moon and thought: 'love cradled'; as I prepared the blog I thought: what a fitting image for Incarnation. the realization that followed: it was taken after a wedding reception on March 19; exactly 280 days later (40 weeks) we were lifting candles high to Silent Night -- yes!