On the 21st day of December in the year of our Lord 2003, when George Bush was President of the United States and Phil Bredeson was Governor of Tennessee and Ann Dunn was Mayor of Brentwood, the people of Brentwood United Methodist Church gathered to worship Jesus Christ, the newborn King. Somebody is surely thinking so what, why all the details?

A similar question might be asked of Dr. Luke as he opens the narrative of Jesus Birth. “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register." So what, why all the details? Who wants to talk about emperors, governors, and a census when we can marvel at the angelic visitat…