Humble, Obedient and Fully Alive

In traditional theatre there is a term for characters which are not the "main character" yet without their intervention the plot would unfold ...dramatically different (pun intended). This term is "fifth business" and though it could be argued several minor characters in the Advent story embody this role none embodies it more fully (in my opinion) than Joseph, the adoptive father of Christ. Joseph sacrifices much for Mary and her Blessed Babe and without his quick and direct obedience to the direction given through his dreams, Jesus may have grown up without a provider or home, or may have even been killed through Herod's plot. Joseph plays his role well yet never utters a single line within our scriptures. Yet God... saw fit to appoint this simple carpenter, a man grounded in the material and practical world yet one with the character to protect, cover and provide - this "Silent Knight", if you will - to steward Christmas' first and most precious gift in his most vulnerable years on this earth.  Join us as we unpack the character of Joseph, and understand some of the key ingredients that made for a Fully Alive advent.  Pastor Joel Lise