Each year the four weeks preceding Christmas I use as the subject four characters from the Christmas Story following the Advent emphasis. Honestly, it makes it easier for preaching. The first Sunday Angels, the second Mary, the third the Shepherds and the fourth the Magi. I’ve been doing that for a few years and it’s not like the story is new. However, each year I am surprised at the truth God reveals in the familiar story of Jesus birth.
For me preaching is a love/hate kind of thing. I like doing it and learning through it but I don’t always like preparing for it. The hardest part is what to preach and waiting for God to speak the inspiration. It is a difficult task. A message needs to be accurate to God’s word, inspired in and through me and relative to the time and people who are listening, well at least I think so. Yep, there is a lot to balance in a few moments of speaking. Most times I don’t get all of that and sometimes I don’t get any of that done. It is a little more challenging at Christmas as most are familiar at some level with the story after all it is 2000 years old and there is Peanuts TV special and all. The task is how to make it relevant and fresh and new today?
Recently a well-meaning brother said don’t worry about Sunday you won’t HAVE to preach. What that means to me is I don’t GET to preach. Do you see how it is a love/hate kind of thing for me? But I want you to know God never fails to surprise me. This is especially true of the more familiar stories and Christmas is at the top of the list. It happened last week as I was preparing a message on the shepherds.
Shepherds are outside people. They have to be as sheep are live outside and so therefore shepherds must be outside with the sheep. That means they smell like sheep. It’s not a good fragrance. The nature of the task excludes them from temple worship. If they touch dead animals or birth a lamb they are unclean. They are outcast from their worship in the temple but they are also socially outcast from people. They spend a lot of time by themselves doing what is considered the least of jobs as only the youngest or the very oldest are relegated to shepherd sheep as they are thought to be unfit to do anything else. These folks are out cast from almost everything except well sheep and God. God announces the most important event of all time to shepherds. Using an angel and then a multitude of the heavenly host saying…it must have been…The angel tells them the proof is they will find a baby wrapped in cloths laying in a manger. You know what I saw? A manger is in a stable and a stable is outside. God is outside so outside people could and would could come and meet him. How about that? I have never put that together before. God becomes man and moves into the neighborhood so that we can relate to him. This is not the only instance either.
Look at the Magi, they don’t come to the manger no they come to a house later on. Yes, you thought the manger after all every nativity has wise men at the manger but that’s not the story. Magi are learned, studied important men. They are upper echelon in society, inside people. See that? They are invited by the star to meet God not outside but inside at a home. God is inside for inside people. How about that?
You know that means God will meet you where and when you can and will meet him. He will go to any length to be accessible to you and for you. Are you ready to meet him?
Christmas will surprise you. It has me. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Bro G
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