Synopses & Reviews
The Christmas story has been retold in many ways, but Ted Loder, minister extraordinaire, startles the oversentimentalized story into reality. In Tracks in the Straw some of the unsung participants in the nativity story -- stable hand, innkeeper, tentbearer to the Magi -- share their impressions of the birth of Jesus and invite readers to think about it in new ways. In another tale, an imaginary dialogue takes place between an unborn child about to be sent to Earth and an angel, revealing the irony, humor -- and tenderness -- in the human dilemma.
But just as Christmas is more than the story of a particular birth, Tracks in the Straw is more than imaginary perspectives on ancient events. Loder spins modern fables with a subtle Christmas message, whether telling of a minister coming to grips with his own doubts or of an old woman with a penchant for chewing gum.
Through these stories, Loder invites us to explore the deeper meanings of the Christmas season: God leaves faint "tracks in the straw" that are there if we only look.
This newly expanded modern day Christmas classic is now even more appropriate for holiday use, church programs, Advent meditations, and family sharing. The stories are arranged into 24 Advent readings with a special concluding story for Christmas day.
"Once in a while a book comes along that leaves us breathless with the joy of it. Tracks in the Straw is such a book.... Truly a gift anytime, but especially for Christmas". -- Ruth Butler, Faith at Work Magazine
Synopsis
A collection of stories centering on the birth of Jesus.