A Tree and a Bird
This Christmas memory comes from Sarah Brubaker via her mother Cheryl. (P.S. I need more stories!)
I have been thinking about your request for Christmas stories and mentioned your request to the girls. Sarah immediately reminded me of this little interaction between Jim Boice, and herself, around age 4 or so. I don't really know all of the history of "that bird in the tree at Tenth," but I know it is part of my daughter's "Christmas at Tenth" memories ( "there would have been birds in the trees where Jesus was born, wouldn't there Mommy??"..)..and one way in which she remembers her very first Pastor caring for her concerns. Below is Sarah's story retold in her own way....
Dr. Boice had just finished another spectacular sermon of the Christmas season 1995. A small girl of about four who had sat through the entire sermon in one of the Amen pews, runs up to him right as he leaves the platform. She had been studying the tree for the past half hour and had found something lacking. She has sat dutifully through the sermon, waiting with anticipation (and great difficulty) for the moment when she could go to Dr. Boice and ask him the question that has been burning in her mind since she first started studying the tree. “Where is the bird?” she asks, when she finally reaches him. He turns around and studies the tree. After affirming that the dove was indeed not in the tree he bends down to her and says “I don’t know, but I will find out!”
When we went in the next week for church, low and behold, there was the bird! And the little girl was content.
I have been thinking about your request for Christmas stories and mentioned your request to the girls. Sarah immediately reminded me of this little interaction between Jim Boice, and herself, around age 4 or so. I don't really know all of the history of "that bird in the tree at Tenth," but I know it is part of my daughter's "Christmas at Tenth" memories ( "there would have been birds in the trees where Jesus was born, wouldn't there Mommy??"..)..and one way in which she remembers her very first Pastor caring for her concerns. Below is Sarah's story retold in her own way....
Dr. Boice had just finished another spectacular sermon of the Christmas season 1995. A small girl of about four who had sat through the entire sermon in one of the Amen pews, runs up to him right as he leaves the platform. She had been studying the tree for the past half hour and had found something lacking. She has sat dutifully through the sermon, waiting with anticipation (and great difficulty) for the moment when she could go to Dr. Boice and ask him the question that has been burning in her mind since she first started studying the tree. “Where is the bird?” she asks, when she finally reaches him. He turns around and studies the tree. After affirming that the dove was indeed not in the tree he bends down to her and says “I don’t know, but I will find out!”
When we went in the next week for church, low and behold, there was the bird! And the little girl was content.
posted by M Clark at 12/02/2005 08:46:00 AM
2 Comments:
Sarah: Thank you for this, it reminds me that God ministers to and reaches each of us in different ways. This is part of the beauty of the fellowship of believers. Though the bird still is not my favorite thing I will (like the women with the lost coin) join in your joy if he is found and placed in the tree.
I personally like the bird. I recall one other year, it took a few weeks for the bird because it had been misplaced. Someone on church staff told me that now there are a few birds kept in different places so that in case one gets lost again - there is another in reserve & ready to go. :)
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