Several years ago, I was setting up for my church’s 7th Annual Living Nativity. There’s quite a bit of prep work involved which includes recruitment of actors, hostesses, musicians, and servers. Given all the Christmas activities with my family and church, I was very busy. And who isn’t busy this time of year? Between shopping, baking, parties, and special events there’s a lot to do! Growing up in a pastor’s family, this was an even busier time of the year. Yet, if i’m not busy it doesn’t feel right.

A few years ago, at that Nativity I had a “Martha moment” when I saw things from a different perspective. For a quick recap, here is the scripture I’m referring to:

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  (Luke 10:38-42)

On the opening night of the Living Nativity, after making sure all the actors were in their stations, including the chickens, ducks, goats, and sheep, I made my way to the front door to see the crowd of people waiting to go through. But, there was no crowd.  Just a small gathering of five or six people.

I was disappointed. I was hoping for more people. Although I had made an extra effort in advertising, for the next hour no one besides the five to six people showed up. I started to do what often is natural for me to do in these situations, I began to worry -- worry that no one new would come through, worry that others won’t think this was a worthy effort, worry that people participating won't want to come back.

Then I stopped and watched. Children, youth and parents were dressed up in Bible Christmas costumes to tell the message of Jesus’ birth. People had donated cookies for others to enjoy. Musicians from our church were singing Christmas songs together. Everyone was smiling as they talked with one another. The children were picking up the chickens and gently petting them. Smaller kids ran around the sets laughing as they chased each other.

At that moment, I realized they weren’t worried about low numbers. Families, musicians and other members of my church were coming together to be part of that story in teaching one another about Jesus. In education this is the most effect way to learn. In addition to that, Christmas memories were being created.

I found and put on parts of a villager’s costume and joined the children and adults in the area of Bethlehem town where Mary and Joseph would walk through to the stable. I smiled and talked with parents and anyone that came through to hear the true Christmas story.

During what is often a stressful and worrisome time of the year, may we stop being busy for the wrong reasons, have a “Martha moment” and see our part in God’s story as we share that with one another.  Let’s pray that God will help us to share that true reason to celebrate Christmas with someone who needs to hear it. As always, please keep the Indigenous people up north in your prayers, that they too would hear the Christmas message.

For unto you is born day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

          So far in my short career with LAMP every trip that I’ve taken north has been a little different. This pass fall was a little different for several reasons. First, I had a chance to fish with my friend Ray in Kitamaat. Ray is in his 80’s and loves to fish. Ray also just had a knee replacement about five week before our fishing trip. I don’t know a lot about knee replacements but I’m guessing five weeks is a little early to fish but nothing was going slow him down. What made this fishing trip “different” was the weather was nice! Weather in Kitimat is normally rainy, and coming from Portland it rains a lot in Kitamaat.

        My visits to the different communities I found half my contacts were gone for different reasons. Normally this time of year, people tend to settle in for the fall. But for whatever reason people were out. So I manage to visit with different people. I visited with on of the principles at the local high school. Walking the halls with the principle, I recognized several faces of the high schoolers from the different communities that LAMP serves. After visiting at the high school, I left to visit Gitanyow and meet with the new health worker. I was excited to see and hear all the things she was doing with the kids in Gitanyow. The gym was open most nights during the week, allowing kids and older youth a place to run around. The younger kids played earlier in the gym and after they left, the older kids took over the gym. It was also good to see her not just watching from the bleachers but she would also monitored their behaviors. Even though she lived in Kitwanga, she knew most of the kids and this backgrounds. She had heard of LAMP from the other communities but not much about our time in Gitanyow. I mentioned that we would be back in the spring and that we looked forward to working with her.

          The next day I met with teacher Jane who teaches second grade at the school in Old Hazelton. On Monday evenings during the school year, she teaches Gitsanimx to adults in the community. I picked up a couple books she had written and then helped her setup a web camera so that I could start to learn Gitsanimx. I would be part of the bluebirds, the beginner group and the eagles are for the more advance students. To be honest I’m a bluebird still in the egg, Gitsanimx is very hard to learn, 

Now normally I head home after my trips but again, this was a little different. I wasn’t going home just yet but I went to visit a church in Pembroke, Manitoba. Like most of you I had no idea where Pembroke was but think of where New York is located, go to the coast and head north and just to the west of Canada’s capital, Ottawa you will find Pembroke. The church St.John Lutheran is part of the English district of the Missouri Synod church. For many year’s St.John has faithfully supported LAMP and I was asked to share with them my work in British Columbia. Where St.John was located, was in an older part of Pembroke with very old brick houses. The church itself was very old and everything reminded me of Hickory North Carolina where I was born and where my father served for the first seven years of his career. The people of St.John were very friendly and it was a real treat to worship with them and lead the children’s message with a puppet skit. In between Sunday school and the worship service, an older gentleman asked if I knew of a Jeffery Kranich. As you can tell by the name, there aren’t too many people with the last name of Kranich especially in the Lutheran circle. Yes! There is only on Jeff Kranich who happens to a DCE I look up to and was the leader of a camp I attended in high school. I learned that Jeff started his career at the church, coming from Concordia in Portland, Oregon. Jeff was in Pembroke for a few years before returning and continuing to serve as a DCE in the Northwest district.

        Once I was home it was a quick turnaround for the board meetings and staff retreat in Edmonton. I was also able to visit with two church's that send teams for the summer. I presented at another Lutheran Church, the group from Barrhead where one of the team leader's husband drove a 1996 Dodge diesel. I was also able to have dinner with most of their team and catch up with them. Their church also donated over a hundred quilts and knitted blankets to take up north.

I came home to elk hunt with my two younger kids before leaving to visit with two churches looking to send teams this summer. Pray that plans come together for both these churches and that God will provide more to help bring the gospel message to people in first nation communities.

As the season of Advent is upon us, I ask you to join me in prayer as we thank God for sending His son Jesus and we look forward to when Christ returns again. Pray that up north and around us hear the true meaning of Christmas.