Jesus Was in Church on Sunday and I Took a Selfie with Her!
Her father introduced her after worship and casually mentioned that she had been the live Baby Jesus in the Christmas Eve pageant back in 1973.
Because my brain has been trained in biblical exegesis and I exegete everything, I immediately decided I needed to learn more about 1973. Here’s a few things I discovered about 1973: Ralph Bolin was mayor of Napa. Rev. Jerry Lowe was pastor of Napa First United Methodist Church. And it was a significant time that changed this valley.
On that Christmas Eve, John and Frances Young arrived at church carrying their six-week-old daughter, swaddled just like the Christ child. They sat before the congregation portraying the Holy Family. Fran says she still doesn’t know what came over her, but as she looked at the manger filled with hay, she gently, and completely unscripted, laid her baby in the manger. The little one woke, stretched, cooed, and drifted back to sleep. Many in the congregation, who had assumed John and Fran were carrying a doll, gasped. It was a moment of pure wonder clothed in a human. God’s grace is best served enfleshed!
This past Sunday, Baby-Jesus-Kelly, who now lives in Southern California and is making a huge difference in the world, was home visiting her parents and came to church. I was so excited to meet her and I insisted on taking a selfie with her. After all, it isn’t every day you get a selfie with Jesus!
That same year, while Kelly was enfleshing the Christmas story, the fruit growing on Napa’s vines in 1973 was preparing to astonish the world. No one knew it then, but the soil, the vines, and the faithful hands tending them were already writing history. Three years later, at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, wines from that harvest would surpass some of France’s greatest vineyards and forever place Napa Valley on the world’s map. (I learned that during one of the church suppers with a Master of Wine: thanks Peter!)
So 1973 tells me that history is written in the small, quiet, persistent, faithful, ways by ordinary people. I wonder whether there are already ways we can stop to realize we had been standing in the middle of a miracle all along.
Finally, I wanted to give you a heads up regarding worship. In July we reflected on God’s love we call Grace. In August we dig deeper and explore how God’s Grace is lived out in our lives. That is, enfleshed! That is, made into fine wine!
Our readings are from the lectionary and our August theme is Guerrillas of Grace, borrowed from Ted Loder’s beautiful collection of prayers. Loder imagines the Christian life as a holy resistance movement—not one of violence, but of ordinary disciples pushing back against despair, injustice, fear, and the “principalities and powers” through persistent acts of love, mercy, courage, and hope. I have had some fun comments on the theme with some saying the spelling is a bear and yes, enough jokes about gorillas of grace! Which led me to find my Jane Goodall books and found her quote “The greatest danger to our future is apathy.” Guerillas or Gorillas, don’t matter. Grace is never apathetic.
I will be preaching on August 2, 9, and 23. Bishop Sally Dyck will preach on August 16, and Michael Herzog will conclude the series on August 30.
This Sunday we begin with Matthew’s account of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Everyone eats. Everyone is satisfied. And then comes my favorite detail: “They picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.” (Matthew 14:20). I cannot help imagining families who never made it to the hillside receiving a knock at the door later that evening. “Here. Jesus sent leftovers.” Now, that’s prevenient grace.
See you Sunday.
With love,
Pastor Grace