MINISTER’S MUSINGS

Our Sunday School lessons this year begin in an odd place: the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness during the exodus. In fact, this particular story in Exodus 36 - 39 is often not taught at all. And yet it is important.

It is important because the tabernacle was a tent. During the 40 years in the wilderness, the people moved from place to place. They lived like Bedouins. AND THE TENT OF MEETING (i.e., meeting God), THE TABERNACLE, MOVED WITH THEM! The word in Hebrew means that God “tented” with the people. They lived in a tent, so did God. They moved around, so did God. God identified with them and dwelled with them.

When Jesus is born, one of the titles he is given is “Emmanuel.” Emmanuel means “God with us.” That, amazingly enough, is God’s desire: to be with us, to live in the midst of human society. In fact, God wants to live with us so much that God becomes human. God becomes one of us!

We call that the “incarnation,” a fancy word that means God takes on human flesh and becomes a human being. And God becomes incarnate, not like the ancient Greek gods who suddenly appear fully grown. God becomes human the way we all do: growing in the womb of Mary and being born a baby.

Think about that for a minute. The God who created the universe came to live with us as a vulnerable baby. Jesus escaped King Herod’s order to kill all the baby boys of Bethlehem, but think about all of the ways that children died in that world before modern medicine. People knew nothing about germs and the garbage trucks did not come by every week for pick-up. Smallpox, diphtheria, typhus and other illnesses killed children regularly. There were open cooking fires and wells. And think of all the tools in Joseph’s carpentry shop. Many children did not live to their sixth birthday. And yet when God came to live in our world, God comes as a vulnerable baby.

In the Old Testament, God came to “tent” with God’s people - to go with them wherever they went - even into exile in Babylon. Jesus was born to BE our Emmanuel, God with us, even God one-of-us, who promises “I am with you always.”

Jesus IS with us in so many ways. As Lutherans, we believe that Jesus is the Word, the Message, from God. Jesus comes to us through the Holy Scriptures. In Holy Communion, Jesus gives us his body and blood to eat and to drink and so be united in him. When I bless the congregation after communion, I see the body of Christ reincarnate and ready to go out into the world to continue to fulfill the ministry of Jesus. Paul tells us “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (I Corinthians 12:27) In other words, the way that Jesus is incarnate in the world today is through us! When we participate in God’s mission to bless and heal this world, we become, in Luther’s words, “little Christs.” Through the Church around the world, God continues to tent with God’s people and to be Emmanuel.

Merry Christmas!

In Christ,