The Bible says very little about the childhood of Jesus but today we spend time with the one and only passage that provides a window into Jesus’ boyhood.

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we take a step closer to the manger, spending time with Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Our text returns us to the home of Elizabeth and Zechariah where Mary finds refuge in the early days of her pregnancy.  What did it mean for her to find safe space in the midst of that uncertain time?  How did that safe haven impact her capacity to be “Theotokos,” or “God-Bearer”—the one who provided the first home and safe space for God incarnate?

Last week we spent time with Zechariah’s beautiful blessing for his newborn son, John, and this week we meet John, fully grown and in the wilderness, as he calls others to repentance in order to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord.  What does that mean and how does it get expressed in the real lives of listeners of that day and listeners today? Join us this Sunday as we continue our journey in and through Advent and as we light the third Advent candle, the candle of JOY!

Because God is a God of relationships and stories, the birth of Christ is not a solitary, disconnected event.  The birth of Christ is woven into the fabric of relationships and the stories of others.  This week we begin to explore the connection between Jesus and John the Baptist with a specific focus on John’s father, Zechariah.