Occupy Bethlehem

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, Pastor Phil Kniss began his sermon with a litany of generally accepted "facts" about Christmas that are nowhere to be found in the Bible. He then proceeded to lay out a picture of some of the realities of that first Christmas when Joseph and a very pregnant Mary came to Bethlehem. The Christmas story as outlined in Luke is a story of God asking the powerless to do amazing things. Luke 1:25-55 recounts the story of Mary being told by Gabriel that she will change the world. Mary's response? She said "Yes!" Pastor Phil invited us to come and occupy Bethlehem again this Christmas, and invited us to say "Yes" to God, just as Mary did.