Advent: Carry Jesus | Seven Pancaldi-loxley | December 15th 2025

Merry Christmas! I love this season, even if it now involves outside lights I refuse to climb a ladder to install or remove. Every December I try to look at the nativity from a fresh angle, and this year I found myself captivated by the most overlooked figure in the scene: the donkey. Mary and Joseph are on a real journey—unlike the “journeys” we hear about on reality TV—and their path is full of change, fatigue, and uncertainty. What do they do? They put one foot in front of the other. That image has been shaping me all year: a long obedience in the same direction. Practicing the Way isn’t glamorous; it’s a daily choosing to carry Jesus when the road is dull, hard, and no one is applauding.

Here’s the thing: no one even notices the donkey. The donkey isn’t named in the Gospels, barely gets a carol mention, and yet it models the humility and perseverance we need. In a world that shouts “Look at me!” the donkey simply carries Jesus. Quiet faithfulness matters, not because it gets likes, but because it hosts the presence of God. And that’s the other thread I can’t shake: “no room at the inn.” The King arrives wrapped in rags, and people miss him because he doesn’t look like what they expected. It’s like those tourists who met the Queen, asked for a photo with the bodyguard, and didn’t recognise royalty standing right in front of them. I wonder how often I miss God because my diary is full, my attention is scattered, or he arrives in a form I didn’t plan for.

So I’m asking us to make space—real, inconvenient space—for God in disguise: the interruption, the neighbour, the need that doesn’t fit our timeline. Participation beats perfection. Practice wins over posturing. Keep going when it’s unglamorous, carry Jesus even when no one notices, and open your home and heart when the inn is full. I like to imagine that hidden faithfulness now sets the stage for public praise later—like the colt that carried Jesus into Jerusalem. I want to carry him in the quiet so others can see his majesty. This Christmas, let’s make an ass out of ourselves—in the best way—by choosing steady, humble, faithful steps that keep Jesus at the centre.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Choose a long obedience daily Faith rarely advances by fireworks; it matures through repetition. Build habits that carry you toward Jesus when enthusiasm runs thin. When anxiety or impulsiveness presses, take the next small faithful step. One foot in front of the other often is the path of transformation. [04:11]
• 2. Carry Jesus when no one notices Hidden service forms the heart more than visible achievement. The donkey doesn’t trend, but it transports the presence of God where it needs to go. Resist the subtle hunger to be seen; let love be its own reward. God notices what the crowd overlooks. [09:00]
• 3. Make room for royalty in rags We miss God most when he arrives in ordinary clothes. Create margin in your calendar and attention so interruptions can become encounters. Hospitality is a spiritual discipline that recognises the divine hidden in the inconvenient. Don’t let a full inn keep out a present King. [14:43]
• 4. Participation over perfection, step by step God isn’t waiting for flawless plans; he’s inviting faithful involvement. Start where you are, with what you have, and keep practicing. Small, consistent acts shape a soul more than sporadic heroic efforts. Better a humble stable that says yes than an immaculate inn that says no. [10:41]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:54] - Roof lights and fear of heights
• [04:11] - Advent as a real journey
• [06:25] - Practicing the Way and habits
• [09:00] - Meet my 2025 hero: the donkey
• [10:41] - Participation over perfection
• [13:30] - No room at the inn
• [14:43] - Royalty in rags: missing God
• [16:18] - Making space when others won’t
• [19:14] - Carry Jesus now, glory later

1. From Luke 2:4-7, trace the journey: where do Joseph and Mary travel from and to, why are they going, and what details are given about Mary’s condition and the place the baby is laid?
2. Which figure in the nativity scene was pointed out as the most overlooked, and what simple task does that figure model? [09:00]
3. What contrast was made between TV-show “journeys” and the real journey Mary and Joseph took? [04:11]
4. What everyday detail caused people to miss the King’s arrival, and how was that illustrated with the “royalty in rags” story? [14:43]

1. “One foot in front of the other” was highlighted as a way of following God. What might that teach about how spiritual growth actually happens over time? [06:25]
2. The unnoticed donkey quietly carrying Jesus challenges the need to be seen. What does this image suggest about the kind of service God values? [09:00]
3. “No room at the inn” exposes a deeper issue than just a full house. What might this reveal about human expectations and busyness when God arrives in ordinary or inconvenient ways? [13:30]
4. “Participation over perfection” was emphasised. Why might imperfect but faithful involvement be more transformative than waiting until conditions are ideal? [10:41]

1. Where has your enthusiasm run thin lately—in work, family, serving, or prayer? What is one small, faithful step you can take this week to keep going, even if it doesn’t feel glamorous? [06:25]
2. Name one place you quietly serve where hardly anyone notices. How could you reframe that hidden space as “carrying Jesus,” letting love be its own reward? [09:00]
3. Look at your diary for the next 10 days. Where can you create real, inconvenient margin to welcome “royalty in rags”—a neighbour, a need, or an interruption that doesn’t fit your plan? [16:18]
4. Think of a recent interruption that annoyed you. If you had treated it as a possible God-appointment, what might you have done differently? What would that look like next time? [14:43]
5. Perfectionism often stalls obedience. Where are you hesitating because things aren’t tidy, ready, or impressive? What is one “stable” you could offer Jesus this week—small, scruffy, but available? [10:41]
6. Choose one simple practice to anchor your days this season (for example: morning Scripture with a short prayer, a daily 10-minute walk with God, a weekly open-table meal, or a device-free hour in the evening). What will you do, when will you do it, and who will you tell for gentle accountability? [06:25]
7. Imagine a future moment when Jesus is clearly seen by others. What hidden, faithful choices now—habits, hospitality, unseen service—could prepare the way for that day? Be specific about one you’ll start this week. [19:14]