The Oasis - December 2, 2020
Author: Rev. Eric Dupee
December 02, 2020
December 2, 2020
Rev. Eric Dupee
Have you met “Charlie the Camel?” Did you know First Parish Church has a camel as tall as me that lives in the church parlor? The first time I saw Charlie, I thought of the Christmas greeting card image of the Wise Men and their camels following the star to the stable where Jesus was born. This Advent, Charlie is being assisted by church school families as he makes his journey to the stable.
I invite you to keep track of Charlies progress each week. The first stop on the journey was Mount Agamenticus. Here is the link to the video https://youtu.be/8bQurtnx93c . Stay tuned for our weekly videos and updates on Charlie’s progress on the church’s Facebook page and on our YouTube channel.
This Advent I’m noticing both the earthly and heavenly aspects of the coming of Jesus. On one hand, Jesus was born in a stable. That strikes me as very earthly. He was outdoors, perhaps surrounded by animals, and visited by shepherds. On the other hand, the star the Wise Men followed was a heavenly body. They were astrologers searching the sky for signs of the coming Messiah.
The Christmas story is both earthly and heavenly. It involves animals and a feeding trough. It also involves angels, bright lights and divine announcements. For me, this is a reminder to seek signs of God’s coming in a variety of places. God might show up in an ordinary and unremarkable way. God might also show up in glorious or spectacular fashion. Either way, this is the time to be ready. This is the time to look for God’s arrival in our world and in our lives.
Blessings,
Eric
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