This is a Children's Sermon that I preached on Christmas Eve this year. People have been asking for it, so I've put it into a narrative format.
Astrid the Camel Formerly Known as Angry
By the Rev. David Simmons
Astrid was a famous camel, through you don't know her name. Do you know the names of the three Wise Men? Western tradition says they were Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. But how did the Wise Men get around? Camels! They also had names. They were Astrid, Cletis, and Frank.
Why was Astrid angry? She was originally a very happy camel, but the three camels had to carry the three wise men. Caspar was tall and thin, Melchior was short and wide, But Balthasar was both tall and wide, and Astrid got to carry him. The three wise men would travel a lot. They were astrologers. Every time something unusual would happen in the sky they would hop on their camels and off they would go, swaying across the desert to see one thing or another.
One time, they saw a comet in the eastern sky. The wise men grew excited. Caspar said, "That means that a new king has been born." Melchilor said, "And we must go and find him!" Balthasar said, "And we must travel to China!" Astrid thought, "China? That's a long way!" But immediately the three wise men bounded onto the backs of their camels and off they went, treckking over the desert.
When they arrived, the wise men ran into the palace. Astrid thought it was only right that she should get to see the new baby, after all, it had been her back that had been aching. But when she tried to walk into the palace, the guards stopped her. "No animals," they shouted, "A palace is for a king and is no place for camels." Now she was Astrid the slightly miffed camel. So she wandered back to a fountain and began to drink. The wise men came back out of the palace, their shoulders slumped. Caspar said, "not the king we were looking for." Melchior said, "Just like any other one." Balthasar said, "We must continue to look to the skies." And with that, without a break, the wise men had jumped onto the back of their camels and headed back home, swaying all the way.
Another time, the wise men saw a falling star in the northern sky. They got excited. Caspar said, "That means that a new king has been born" Melchilor said, "And we must go and find him!" Balthasar said, "And we must travel to Syria!" Astrid thought, "Syria? That's a lot of miles!" But immediately the three wise men bounded onto the backs of their camels and off they went, treckking over the desert. When they arrived, the wise men ran into the palace. Astrid thought she should get a view of the new king, considering she had done the hard work of shlepping Balthasar across the desert. She stuck her head into the window of the palace to get a glance. But immediately, a maid pushed her head back out and slammed the shutters. "No animals," she shouted, "A palace is for a king and is no place for camels." Now she was Astrid the Peeved Camel. So she wandered over to the oasis and took a drink. The wise men came back out of the palace, their shoulders drooping. Caspar said, "not the king we were looking for." Melchior said, "Just like any other one." Balthasar said, "We must continue to look to the skies." And with that, without a break, the wise men had jumped onto the back of their camels and headed back home, swaying all the way.
And then, just a couple of weeks ago, the wise men saw a new star in the heavens. They got excited. Caspar said, "That means that a new king has been born." Melchilor said, "And we must go and find him!" Balthasar said, "And we must travel to Palestine!" Astrid thought, "Palestine? No Way!" She was now Astrid the Angry Camel. She laid down and refused to move. Cletis and Frank looked on as the three wise men pushed and shoved, trying to get Astrid to stand up. Finally, Caspar, the most compassionate of the three wise men looked at Balthasar, and then at Astrid. "Ok," said Caspar, "What if I let you carry me this time?" Astrid still wasn't happy, but she was a little less angry. She stood up and let Caspar get on her back, and they went off, trekking over the desert.
When they arrived in a small town in Judea, there was no palace. Oh they stopped at a palace on the way, but it did not appear that this was the correct place. In fact, the wise men appeared stymied. After asking around, they finally made their way to a stable behind an inn. The wise men rushed in. Astrid looked around - no guard, no maids, and it WAS a stable. She held her head up high and marched into the stable.
There was a baby, lying in a manger with his parents at his side. All around them were animals. A donkey and sheep a cow and even a horse from someone staying at the inn. Astrid looked at the wise men. They held back, their faces showing confusion. Astrid looked at the baby. She wasn't sure what a king was supposed to look like, but his eyes looked into hers with compassion. She wasn't sure what a king did, but this was the first king's house she had been welcome in. The wise men still held back. "They are really pretty slow sometimes," she thought. She stepped forward. The baby's father stepped forward to stop Astrid, but the mother lightly waved him away. Astrid stepped up to the manger, then gently lowered her head to the baby and lightly licked his face with her tongue. The baby giggled, the donkey brayed, the cow mooed, the sheep baaed, and the horse whinnied. That seemed to snap the wise men out of their confusion. Caspar said, "The very animals proclaim him their king!" Melchior said, "He is the ruler of all creation!" Balthasar said, "Come let us adore him!" And they knelt before the child and offered him rich gifts of Gold, Frankinsense and Myrrh. Astrid watched with approving eyes, her mood improving by the minute.
On the way home by another route, swaying back and forth across the desert, Astrid had a lot of time to think. Maybe this ruler of all creation thing was good. Being born in a manger might change the equation between animals and humans. Maybe someone in power among the humans who thought in terms of the good of everything, including camels, rather than just human wealth would change things. Maybe if their king was born among the animals, they might come to learn their proper place as people who take care of it rather than those who only take from it. Maybe, but Astrid wasn't holding her breath. Just then, Balthasar reached down and scratched behind her ear and said, "I think our camels are exhausted - what say you gentlemen that we stop at the next oasis and stay there for a couple of days so they can rest?"
As Astrid the happy camel drank from the oasis, she caught sight of the star of the east. She raised her head and thought, "Thank you, my king."
