Ben Lippen Podcast

The God of Creation

• Ben Lippen Podcast • Season 2 • Episode 7

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The manger is quieter than our calendars, and that’s the point. We sit with Dr. Ben Porter to explore how the Nativity’s simplicity, an ordinary place, a young family, and the presence of God, can reset our pace, heal our hurry, and restore what matters most. Instead of chasing perfection, we trace a gentler path toward presence, where spiritual growth often happens off‑schedule and in stillness.

We share practical ways to make room for God in daily life: early‑morning rhythms, dim spaces that reduce visual noise, and simple habits that invite unhurried prayer and Scripture. The conversation follows the Gospel thread from Bethlehem to today; God meets people in ordinary places and uses overlooked people for extraordinary purposes. The shepherds become our teachers; availability beats acclaim. Along the way, we talk about entertainment versus engagement and why our best days end with meaningful connection rather than passive consumption.

This episode leans into the heart of Advent themes: hope, peace, love, and joy, as lived realities, not seasonal slogans. We unpack how unconditional love is revealed in Christ’s birth, why presence uncovers the needs beneath words, and how everyday interactions build relationships that last. For our school community and beyond, Dr. Porter’s “dash” metaphor challenges us to steward this season well: show up for one another, celebrate generously, support steadily, and let quiet faithfulness point to Jesus.

If this conversation helps you breathe a little deeper and choose presence over performance, share it with a friend, subscribe for more thoughtful episodes, and leave a review to help others find the show. What simple practice will you start this week?

Speaker:

Welcome to our Advent Podcast series, where we prepare our hearts to celebrate the coming of Christ. During Advent, we remember that God entered our world bringing hope, peace, love, and joy, not as distant concepts, but as gifts fulfilled in Jesus. Each week, you'll hear from a special guest who will share scripture and personal testimony as we reflect on what it means to live in Christ's presence. Whether you're listening at home, in the classroom, or on the go, our prayer is that this conversation draws you closer to the heart of Jesus, who is Emmanuel, God with us.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of the Ben Lippen Podcast. This is our Advent series of 2025, and we have a special episode today. And I have with me Dr. Ben Porter. Welcome. Thanks for being with us here today.

Dr. Ben Porter:

Thank you for having me.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Today we're going to be talking about the simplicity of the nativity. But Dr. Porter, take a second just to introduce who you are and what you do here at Benlipen.

Dr. Ben Porter:

Yeah, so Ben Porter in year 16 here at Ben Lippen. Done a little bit of everything. We started out, my wife and I, with our two kids, Dragon Stone, as house parents back in 2010 and different roles throughout the years, but just began my first full year ahead of school.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

So all right, so let's dive right in. So as we know, the nativity story is often wrapped in glowing lights, beautiful music, and lots of festive celebrations, even here at Ben Lippen. Yet scripture presents a scene marked by quiet simplicity. And as believers, the nativity offers a gentle invitation to slow down, to breathe, and reflect on the profound ways simplicity nurtures emotional, spiritual, and relational health. So, Dr. Porter, share with us more about the simplicity of the nativity.

Dr. Ben Porter:

Yeah, well, if you take the story just in and of itself, right, you go back to the setting of the scene, you know, you're in a stable. You know, there's not competing voices, there's not crowds, there's not schedules. There's simply a young family in the presence of God. And so, you know, you look at that and you think, you know, what does that look like? What does that mean to us? And as believers, I think speaks to us the fact that his presence, not perfection, is the important part, right? It's the part that heals. It reminds us the most meaningful growth can often happen when there's not structure, you're right. And there's not the anticipated, you know, you can't always plan spiritual growth, right? It's not uh linear in that way. And oftentimes this is the stillness, you know, when distractions are gone, when there's calm, when there's just a time to sit with your own thoughts. That's where God works, and that's where God has worked for years and years and years. And so I think it's important that we find ways in our own lives to do just that, to limit our schedules, to limit, you know, and to find a little bit of boredom perhaps, you know, just kind of be alone with our own thoughts and let God speak to us in those moments.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

So speaking of building simplicity into our lives, where in your life have you created space for simplicity and how has that brought you closer to the Lord?

Dr. Ben Porter:

You know, I think it's looked different over the span of having kids, right? So when they were really young, that probably looks a little bit different than it does for me now. But for me, it's always one of the consistent things, it's always been getting up before everybody else, you know. And so I'm an early morning guy, enjoy my mornings with coffee. And what I often do on my better days is I shut all the lights off. I keep the lights off in the house, make my coffee, and I just sit. And, you know, whether I'm listening to scripture, just having a conversation, you know, with God, whether my eyes are open or closed, it doesn't matter. I'm not distracted by the cup that was left out, you know, from the night before or the shoes that weren't put away, uh really gives me a chance just to really focus in and just have real conversation, really real communion with God. And for me, so lights out are is a is a pretty key deal. I like things in order. And so when things aren't in order, it's hard for me to really simplify and calm my brain down. So turning lights out has been a trick for me to be able to do that a little bit, a little bit easier.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Through the birth of Christ, what is the connection to how God meets people in ordinary places?

Dr. Ben Porter:

When you look at the story, again, going back to the stable, God had the ability to enter this world any way he wanted to. And he chose the unremarkable manger, right? It didn't come through power or wealth or status, but instead came as a child, as an infant who was fully dependent on a human mother to care for him and all things. And so, you know, a lot of times, you know, when we're looking at at ordinary places, a lot of us feel like you know, we have to get things together, we have to figure ourselves out before we, you know, go to church or before we do something in response to how we feel with our faith and things of that nature. And it's just not true, right? And so we see time and time again, but even going back here where God just steps into messy, humble spaces without hesitation. And so again, it wasn't about the the grand entrances, it wasn't about that. It was simply a family with a babe and a manger who happened to be the savior of the world. So it's pretty ordinary in some ways, but obviously extraordinary in others.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Bridging that together to where we are today, how can we use ordinary, simple moments in our lives to connect us to others and the Lord?

Dr. Ben Porter:

You know, thinking back to my time in education, this is year 24 for me. And one of the things that I find the most exciting is that I still have former players, former students that'll reach out to me from time to time, you know, some I keep in contact with pr pretty regularly, asking me for advice, you know, and how do I do that? And you know, as I think back to the foundations of those relationships, it wasn't because of a spectacular moment or particular set of events. Uh, it was just the fact that there was a season that God had me live life alongside those individuals. And and during that season, through ordinary conversation, ordinary interactions, foundations for relationships were formed. And these foundations of these, well, these relationships rather continue to this day. And it gives me a chance to to really continue to have an impact on those lives. And and you know, seeing former players and students and all that have now grown up and gotten married and have their own kids and to watch them, you know, father their sons or their daughters and all, is it's really a special, special thing as an educator to be able to be at this point and be able to look back. But but when you look back and you and you think through what are the where was the connections and you know how those things happened, it was the the normal, everyday, you know, living life aside on, you know, things that that really allows me to still have a hopefully a positive impact on those lives.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Through the story of the birth of Christ, we see some of the most ordinary people used in extraordinary ways. How can the simplicity of who the Lord used at the nativity shape us as believers today?

Dr. Ben Porter:

When you look at the the very first witnesses, they were shepherds. You know, you have ordinary, often unseen, overlooked people, but yet God uses them to be the announcers of Christ's birth. And so, you know, as believers, we we get to see, you know, how God uses all people, regardless of things, but but he has particular purpose for them and for their lives. And so what a great message, you know, with that and and who he uses and how he uses you know folks there during this time, where you compare it to the world today where often you know the busyness um is seen as as of great importance, you know, but again, you go back to the quietness of the stable, right? And you go back to the simplicity of that. And so, you know, I think that again, going back to like we talked about previously, you know, clarity often emerges in calm, simple spaces. And I think this is another example of that, not just with the setting, but also the people being used as well.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

What noise in our lives often distracts us from the ordinary ways the Lord seeks to connect with us?

Dr. Ben Porter:

You know, I think right now we are, as people, myself included, we're really good at being entertained. We're not really good at being engaged. And, you know, when I'm at my best, so when I put my head on my pillow at night and I've had my best days, it's the days that I've been engaged and I've been communicating and interacting with people, not the days that I've sat and watched movies or Netflix or or whatever the case is. And so I do think that there's plenty of noise out there, right? And there's plenty of things to distract us. You know, the old saying that the devil will, if it can't get you to trip up on the big things, he'll distract you with enough of the little things to keep you from being, you know, being effective. And I think that there's a lot of truth in that. I see it in my own life, you know, where whether it's you know, doom scrolling or whatever the case at the end of the night, where you know, there's certainly better things that I could be doing with my time. Plenty of noise, you know, the the drama, the politics, the everything, you know, again, not in and of themselves inherently bad, but giving too much attention, you know, they they certainly can become idols and and part of the noise that that uh messes up the message that uh God's trying to give us.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

We know that the birth of Christ is one of the deepest acts of love the Lord shows us. Share with us your thoughts on the unconditional love the Lord shows us through Christ's birth.

Dr. Ben Porter:

You know, when you when you consider unconditional love and its totality is such a tremendous goal for us, and you think about the Lord, right? And so he gives his one and only son, already knowing the outcome and what it's gonna be and how that's gonna play out. But he does it anyway. Why? Because he loves us that much, unconditionally, because we didn't deserve it. We certainly still don't deserve it, but despite who we are, he loves us anyway, and it's a beautiful definition of unconditional love. And it starts with the birth of Christ, right? It starts with all the things that go into this, the reason that we're that we celebrate Christmas, right? And all those parts. But the unconditional love component is an awfully lofty goal for humans, and it is exactly the right goal. But I don't know that it's one we'll we'll ever be able to meet, not this side of heaven.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Yeah, absolutely. And so, what are some ways that we can really lean into that unconditional love to notice the needs of others with more intentionality?

Dr. Ben Porter:

Yeah, I think it ties back to the previous question where the difference between being entertained and being engaged. When we're engaged, then we we do have those relationships. We are being intentional about our conversation, we are paying attention not just to what's being said, but but why people are saying what they are. And I think in in those moments, you know, we have the ability to love people well because we get to see different parts of them. It's the challenge when with the differences between a text message and a conversation, right? In a text message, you see what the person wants you to, the message, but you don't hear the backstory, you don't hear the the way it's said, you know, those type of things. But in a conversation, particularly face-to-face, you see facial expressions, body language, all those things speak into the conversation differently. And if we're intentional and if we're mindful in those moments, well, we have a chance to love people differently, right? We have a chance to care for them differently because we see their needs differently than we would in a text situation. So uh again, yeah, how do we how do we love others well? How do we how do we become more unconditional? How do we take care of people? It really comes with being fully engaged in conversation and being present in the moments that we're in.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

How does the nativity reorient us to what matters most?

Dr. Ben Porter:

You know, I think it's again, when you compare it to what we say matters most versus what we know matters most, they look different. And so, you know, when you look at the nativity, again, going back to the simplicity, again, a simple family with a baby who happens to be the savior of the world in a very simple moment, compared to the complexity of the world that we live in and the things that we deem is very important in the times, you know, the nativity gives us a chance to sit back and reflect and to pause and and to consider truly the importance of life, the purpose of life, and why God's put us here in comparing our daily activities and our daily complex, you know, conversations or actions, whatever that looks like, compared to the simplicity and recognizing the fact that things that we do in our life today that are meaningful still tie back to the simplicity of the nativity.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Our final question is about Ben Lippen and how Ben Lippen is known for its community. How can we as a community embody the simplicity and the magnitude of the birth of Christ beyond the Advent season?

Dr. Ben Porter:

You know, when I was coaching, I used to have what we call dash talks. And so, dash talks on your tombstone, you'll have the year you're born, you'll have a dash, then the year you passed away. And we talked about the importance of that dash in between and and how your legacy, how what you would be remembered for, would would all be summed up in that dash. And so, you know, the same is true for Ben Lippen for this season for these students. And so, you know, one of the things that I think is important is to recognize just that we're here for a season. You know, this is you know, right now I'm the head of school. I won't forever be the head of school. But for this season, how can I steward well what I have before me in a way that brings him glory and ultimately represents the dash, right, for for Ben Lippen's existence, you know, well. And so personally, I think as students and as faculty staff and and families, I think number one is to recognize that we're here for a season. Number two is is really to make sure that we're there for others. You know, during the season, yeah, you know, the idea that this too shall pass that is very true, the good and the bad. It goes quickly. But how do how do we be there for others? How do we celebrate them well? How do we support them well? How do we love them well? You know, because ultimately, like we've talked about through this whole thing, it is about relationships and it's about the ability to have a positive impact for the Lord because of what he's done, because the unconditional love he's shown through the birth and then future death resurrection of his son. How do we represent that well in our day-to-day interactions? The better we can do that, the more beneficial that we will be for the kingdom of God.

Mrs. Erin Kay:

Dr. Porter, thank you for your time today and for leading our school under the direction of our Lord. And listeners, if you haven't listened to the other four episodes in this series, we would like to encourage you to go back and listen to what our high school Bible teachers share about hope, peace, joy, and love. Thank you again, Dr. Porter, and Merry Christmas.

Dr. Ben Porter:

Merry Christmas.

Speaker:

As we conclude this Advent series, we remember that the birth of Christ is not just the beginning of a story, it is the fulfillment of a promise spoken since the very first pages of Scripture. Jesus is our hope fulfilled, our peace restored, our love personified, and our joy made complete. Advent points us to the manger, but it also points us forward to his return when every promise will be made whole. May the God who came down through Christ continue to draw you near, and may your heart be filled with expectant faith this Christmas season. Christ has come, Christ is present, and Christ will come again.