Three Ships

There is a 17^th century Christmas carol called, “I Saw Three Ships”. It has always been a favorite of mine. The lyrics are a bit confusing. The song refers to three ships that sailed into Bethlehem on Christmas day. However, the nearest body of water, the Dead Sea, is over 20 miles away. Some say the ships refer to the three Maggi who traveled by camel, or “ships of the desert”.  Equally confusing are the three ships that have recently set sail out of the church. Not boats, or camels, but something much more vital to the 21^st century church. The church needs to navigate these three ships back to port, or the church will continue to see young people walk away from what she offers. So what are the three ships? There are three key areas that are lacking in the church today that have young people…