Thoughts on Christmas Eve

I wanted to get a few things down in an entry, so here I am. I'm currently listening to the theme from "Amahl and the Night Visitors."

1. I was reading through the Christmas story this week and happened to take note of a couple of verses in Luke 1. Gabriel has just appeared to Mary and he says

"Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." -Luke 1:30-33

Did you ever notice the name-dropping on Gabriel's part? Not only does he mention God, but he then proceeds to connect her son to historical figures like King David and Jacob. How daunting must that have appeared? I've been trying to figure out how I could make that relevant to today. I can't. But I'm fairly certain that Mary was familiar with these figures and probably didn't know what to make of it all.

2. There is a lot of rich Christian traditions outside of America. Tonight, I accompanied our choir on a Nigerian Christmas piece called "Betelemu." It was awesome to think about cultures so rich in percussion, using that talent to it's fullest extent. It almost makes a lot of our American music kind of bland. And it makes me want to play more world music. Does that make me un-American? (It's okay if it does, my citizenship is somewhere else)

3. I had a very encouraging online chat with a friend this morning. I was hoping to touch base with him before Christmas and was glad I was able to do so.

4. Have you ever thought about what Jesus did before age 30? What kind of carpenter was he? Were his rates good? Was his handiwork sought after? Did he have an apprentice? Imagine this job interview:

Interviewer: "I see that you had an apprenticeship several years ago. Who did you apprentice with?
Job Candidate: "Oh, I apprenticed with Jesus of Nazereth."
Interviewer: [jaw drops] Umm, you're hired!

5. Last thought. Ladies, have you ever wondered what Elizabeth felt when John leaped in the womb in the presence of Mary? Would it be like a normal kick? Or would it be like a somersault or something like that?

Merry Christmas.