Finding the King in the Straw - An Advent Sunday Sermon
FINDING THE KING IN THE STRAW In a few short weeks, most of us will be opening Christmas gifts. You may receive a gift that is impeccably wrapped; the paper will be of the expensive, festive variety; the wrapping will be accented by a carefully tied ribbon and curled endings; maybe there will be bow; and there will be a name card with a masterful cursive script. Given the exquisite exterior of the gift, one would expect something fantastic within the wrapping. You hope that the gift outshines the wrapping. What if the wrapping is misleading? What if the gift itself is so ordinary that you would have preferred leaving it unwrapped? The gift may be practical and thoughtful, but out of sync with the presentation that preceded it. I just described the Christmas season. The trappings of the “Yuletide” season have always left me with a strange feeling. I enjoy them, but the traditions we have wrapped Christmas in do not seem to match the gift we have received.