Lessons from the Shepherds

I’ve been thinking about the shepherds in the Christmas story. Usually, we focus on the main characters…Mary, Joseph, the angel and the baby Jesus. But, the shepherds were a pretty important part too. How did the story come down for the shepherds?

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An Angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:8-12

So, the shepherds were just out in the fields doing their job. They were on the night shift, most likely tending to the sheep outside Bethlehem. Their job was to guard the sheep from human and animal predators. They might go for nights without any issues at all, but still, they needed to be awake and ready for anything to happen.

But this one night.... the shepherds must have stopped dead in their tracks. All at once a brilliant light nearly blinded their eyes! This was unlike anything they’d ever seen! Can you picture their big eyes staring at the light, wondering what was going on? They immediately were terrified. (This is where I bet you and I would be feeling the same thing!)  Then, the angel left. Wow. I can only imagine the shepherds looking a bit dazed..... "Did you just hear I what I heard and see what I saw?" Then, in Luke 2:15-16 we find the shepherds making plans "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off straight from work to go visit the baby Jesus.

The shepherds were just everyday normal people with no special credentials. Yet, they were were invited to participate in the most extraordinary event on earth, the birth of Jesus. And, they responded and acted on what they heard. They went quickly to see the baby Jesus.

Let’s not miss this simple lesson from the shepherds. The shepherds could have all sorts of excuses…What if we leave the sheep unattended? What if something happens to the sheep and we’ll be blamed? What if our boss found out we had left the sheep? What if others make fun of us for going? What if we were mistaken about what we heard? It’s easy to second-guess the voice of God.  

We can learn from the shepherds in our own lives. How do you respond to God? Are you content to keep God at arm’s distance for another year? Will you come to Him or run in a hundred different directions?  Learn from the shepherds who dropped everything to follow God. Dare to act and respond to the Christmas message. This message can rock your world too.

"The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." Luke 2:20

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Snow in San Antonio!

The wonder of Christmas hit San Antonio last Thursday night in a flurry. Yes, beautiful big white flurries blanketed the area on that still night, all to the glee of children and adults alike. It was whimsical, nostalgic and magical. Who would have thought? Snow in San Antonio!

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent starts go by. Yet in the dark streets shineth the everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

I wonder if that night long ago in Bethlehem was somewhat like our snowy night? The stars glistening against the dark streets. Mary and Joseph knocking out thousands of steps in the cold as they searched for a place to have their baby. Could those in Bethlehem even comprehend at all what took place that night? Never in a million years would they have expected Jesus to be born THERE!

How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n; So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

What a gift we received that night in San Antonio. No one believed it at first. Until we saw for ourselves. It really WAS snowing! Any burdens or worries we carried seemed to vanish instantly, as we took in the snow. Grown ups became like children, playing with delight in the snow. Children squealed in excitement as they created their first EVER snow man.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell: O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

Could it be that the magic of Christmas is found in the unexpected, least likely corners of the world? Could it be that the Holy Child of Bethlehem COULD descend to each of us? O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel! God, would you surprise us with a glimpse of the wonder of Christmas?

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from old, from ancient days.” Micah 5:2

* (Phillip Brooks (1835-1903) of Philadelphia, wrote the words to O Little Town of Bethlehem in 1868, following a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He was inspired by the view of Bethlehem from the hills of Palestine, especially at night time.)

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Christmas Overflow

I made my favorite whole-wheat rolls for our family gathering this past Thanksgiving. It’s a bit of a production, given that I grind wheat berries to make the flour, add a ton of yeast and then knead it all together in my Bosch. This year, I placed the dough in the fridge over night. In the morning, the dough had grown beyond the confines of the bowl!

I have a pretty good picture in my mind of the bread dough living it up and partying in the fridge that night! It had no need to restrain or confine itself. It was fit to be free! It just kept overflowing, and nothing stopped it.

I want my life to overflow with the Gospel just like that bread dough. Always. Every day, especially at the Advent season. I want to see Jesus’ manger getting bigger and bigger in my heart and me getting smaller and smaller. I want to give lots of grace to others and be less irritated when in traffic and crowds. I want to give bigger tips and more thank you’s and fewer complaints. I want to overflow with kindness and God-given patience when I have to waited long enough. I want to freely love those that are hard to love. I want to sip the joys of this Advent season, slowly and reflectively, refusing to give in to the craziness around me. Just like the bread. Unhindered. Overflowing. Free.

What keeps you from living out of God’s abundance? The news and unrest of our day? The stress of shopping? The craziness of the season? Before you know it, a cranky spirit can take over and we can become an all out Grinch. Judging. Evaluating. Complaining. Gossiping. Irritable. Our Grinch-like attitudes don’t have to steal away our Christmas joy!

Stop and think about the next 21 days leading up to Christmas. Start today knowing that God is right there to help you live in this kind of abundance.

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation- the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ- for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”  Philippians 1:9-11

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.