Unexpected

My last Sunday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Connellsville will be January 9. Between now and then, expect lots of reflection and thanksgiving in this space!

As the end of our time together draws nearer, know that I am praying for you in the midst of this transition. This coming Sunday's prayers of intercession include this line: "As the seasons and the calendar change, equip us for unexpected challenges," which hit my ear differently at this moment in time. It's true that's there's not much we can do about unexpected challenges. However prepared we think we are, inevitably something will happen that we did not plan for. In those moments, we take comfort that God continues to be with us, equipping and strengthening and walking alongside us through whatever comes.

Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash

In that vein, on this fifth day of Christmas, here's the poem "Unexpected" by Ann Weems:

Even now we simply do not expect
to find a deity in a stable.
Somehow the setting is all wrong:
the swaddling clothes too plain,
the manger too common for the likes of a Savior,
the straw inelegant,
the animals, reeking and noisy,
the whole scene too ordinary for our taste.
And the cast of characters is no better.
With the possible exception of the kings,
who among them is fit for this night?
the shepherds? certainly too crude,
the carpenter too rough,
the girl too young.
And the baby!
Whoever expected a baby?
Whoever expected the advent of God in a helpless child?
Had the Messiah arrived in the blazing light of the glory
of a legion of angels wielding golden swords,
the whole world could have been conquered for Christ
right then and there
and we in the church—to say nothing of the world!—
wouldn’t have so much trouble today.
Even now we simply do not expect
to face the world armed with love.

Weems, Ann. Kneeling in Bethlehem. Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition. 

What has been unexpected for you this season? Perhaps an unexpected loss. Perhaps an unexpected joy. In all of it, may we find unexpected grace, and reminders of God's unfailing presence. 


Bonus Resources: 

• The season of Christmas continues until January 6, Epiphany Day. Here's an essay from Living Lutheran with more about the twelve days of Christmas.
• A piece I wrote last year, about New Year's resolutions, called "Worthy of Love."