I my Christmas preparations this year, I have been reading Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, by Kenneth E. Bailey. ?I highly recommend it.
I would commend to you one of the opening paragraphs in his essay on the story of Jesus’ birth:
A diamond ring is admired and worn with pride, but with the passing of time, it needs to be taken to a jeweler to be cleaned to restore its original brilliance. ?The more the ring is worn, the greater the need for occasional cleaning. ?The more familiar we are with a biblical story, the more difficult it is to view it outside of the way it has always been understood. ?And the longer imprecision in the tradition remains unchallenged, the deeper it becomes embedded in Christian consciousness. ?The birth story of Jesus is such a story. (p. 25)
So what are you doing this season to make your preaching of the birth of our Lord fresh and invigorating? ?I would certainly commend this essay, but I would like to hear what other areas you have gone into in your preparations.
-Peperkorn