This is a monologue from the perspective of the innkeeper of the Christmas story - stressed and harried by his many guests and many duties - perhaps ultimately haunted by events that happened nearly under his nose but of which he was not really a part.

It is an experience that in our busy twenty-first century lives we find all too familiar. Many of us celebrate our Christmases somewhere on the path between the stable and the inn - somewhere between the place where we long to just worship and the place where we work, do Christmas shopping, and cook for holiday meals. Sometimes the preparation for even church Christmas musicals and special events robs us of the opportunity to truly come before the manger.

This is essentially the Mary and Martha story, with Mary off-stage amazed by the grace she has seen and Martha on-stage over-worked and full of regrets. This Christmas, we pray you will take a breath, forget the inn for a while, and just come to stable.

Related scriptures: Luke 10:41-42 Luke 2:4-7