Do you ever wonder what it was really like when Joseph found that Mary, his fourteen-year-old prospective bride was already “with child”? So many questions we could ask with so many possible answers. What do you think?

This past Sunday Sound Traveler was honored to share in the Sunday service at Faith Lutheran Church on Merritt Island. The congregation at Faith is wonderful. The sanctuary is beautiful. The minister is intelligent and spiritual, and the music is conducted as a real ministry. Karen Frahm, the music director, gave us the opportunity to sing an offertory song and four communion songs.

During the offertory we sang an original song of ours called “Love from a Manger.” I felt a little thrill as I saw the words projected on a large screen as I voiced them. For those of you who haven’t heard the song, there is a reference to Mary and Joseph as a young, married, and very human couple facing the daunting prospect of giving birth to and raising the Messiah. They aren’t given a road map, and they don’t have golden halos suspended over their heads. They are probably a lot like what you and I would have been — not that any of us would have proven equal to the task, at least not on our own.

In one verse of the song, the lyric states:

Mother and father huddled near
Did their best to dispel their fears,
But the child that was born
And who was laid in a manger,
Such a small child
Came into the land like a stranger. (“Love from a Manger” – Tatum)

Now I wasn’t there, so I don’t know for sure how it all happened. But I often see God working through ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. I think that on some level Mary and Joseph were frustrated, cold, uncertain, and even scared about what might happen — hanging on to trust and belief when circumstances suggested that not everything was going according to plan. Only later do we look back and think how wonderful it must have been. But I can’t help but think there were some bumps in the road as they traveled it. I’m curious what you think about that first Christmas, and I would love to read what you might share on the topic. — Bob Tatum

Check the schedule to see where Sound Traveler will be this coming weekend. Last night we were lucky enough to be invited to Roy and Anne Carlson’s Christmas party. Roy Carlson and Bo Frazer, among many others, presented an amazing display of musical skill — I have seen few professional concerts that were as good.

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6 Comments to “SongTravelin’: 12.13.10 — “Mary, What Did You Say????””

• December 13, 2010 at 9:21 am
  Libby says:

  It’d be cool to be at bethlehem. Snow n angels and everything – and all those animals
• December 13, 2010 at 12:19 pm
  karen says:

  Mary is referred to as Joseph’s “espoused wife” or “betrothed” and a big point is made of them not conceiving Jesus. Living in the Middle East I have gotten some insight into their marital situation. Then, as now in Saudi Arabia, the couple sign a marriage agreement and then they are totally legally married, but they won’t live together and consummate the marriage until they have a wedding ceremony making it public which could be a short or long time after depending on their age or other circumstances. I think this was the situation Mary and Joseph were in. To end this agreement there would need to be a formal divorce. Before the angel explained to Joseph the situation Joseph may have figured she was involved with someone else and compassionately decided to quietly and privately divorce her since they had not had their public ceremony yet and everyone did not have to know. He could have brought her before the elders for adultery. As to when they had a marriage ceremony it doesn’t matter. They could not be more married before the law than they already were.
• December 13, 2010 at 12:58 pm
  Bob says:

  As usual, your personal experience in the Middle East provides you with raw materials for great insights, especially with respect to Biblical accounts. More of us need more direct experiences with other cultures. Thanks.
• December 13, 2010 at 1:34 pm
  karen says:

  Another thought on “that first Christmas”. I responded on another blog where someone was complaining about the saying “Jesus is the reason for the season” when the “season” Winter Solstice, Hannakuh, Yule etc pre-existed the celebration of Christmas which was overlayed on top of those holidays and incorporated some of those traditions. The poster was frustrated that many people actually believe that Jesus was born on December 25 when the date is not actually known and the timing of its celebrations seems to be purely contrived to fall with the pagan winter holidays. The poster said Dec could not be the birth month because shepherds with out at night with their flocks and it was more probably in the fall around the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

  I replied:

  I agree about Dec. definitely not being the birth month of Jesus for the same reasons she cites. Sukkot in the fall (The Feast of Tabernacles) when the “Word became flesh and dwelt (literally tabernacled or pitched its tent) among us” seems auspicious and appropriate for the birth. That would make the conception to be at Hannakuh – The Festival of Lights! Christians see a lot of significance in the Jewish Festivals. We may be celebrating the same thing with different understanding. So as Hannakuh is a holiday that changes dates each year sometimes overlapping with Dec. 25 then we are not so far off in celebrating the Light of the World on that day.
• December 13, 2010 at 3:17 pm
  admin says:

  I totally agree with your assessment. We choose a day to celebrate that which goes beyond any date on a calendar. I think the Festival of Lights is quite appropriate as our season of celebration well.
• December 20, 2010 at 7:16 am
  karen says:

  What if Mary and Joseph had Facebook? See this little movie.

  http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1573735336164