In this blog, we'll focus on the working being done at Sligo Presbyterian Church, Sligo, Pennsylvania. We'll also look at what's happening in Sligo, Rimersburg, Clarion, and all the other communities served by our congregation.
During the sermon series I Believe: Exploring the Apostle's Creed, the congregation of Sligo Presbyterian Church is using The Apostles Creed to discuss some basic Christian beliefs. We’ll also take those beliefs and apply them to our daily living. This includes talking about why they're important and how they might shape our thoughts, feelings and faith. Below are the topics we'll cover:
August 24 - I BELIEVE in Jesus Christ,...who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
August 31 - I BELIEVE...he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;
September 7 - I BELIEVE...he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead.
September 14 - I BELIEVE...he ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
September 21 I BELIEVE...from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
September 28 - I BELIEVE in the Holy Spirit,
October 5 - I BELIEVE in...the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,
October 12 - I BELIEVE in...the forgiveness of sins,
October 19 - I BELIEVE in...the resurrection of the body,
October 26 - I BELIEVE in...and the life everlasting. Amen.
On Sunday, we’ll continue this series by looking at the meaning and significance of saying, "I BELIEVE in Jesus Christ,...who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary." Below is the bulletin for the service. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.
Christ came in simplicity. His mother was a young woman who'd found favor with the Lord. He was born in a stable and laid in a manger. He was first praised by shepherds. The light entered a dark world without brass bands or fanfare. On Tuesday, December 24, 7:00 p.m., the members and friends of Sligo Presbyterian Church celebrated the simplicity of this event in a traditional Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Below is a video of the service, a recording of the mediation and a copy of the bulletin.
Christ came in simplicity. His mother was a young woman who'd found favor with the Lord. He was born in a stable and laid in a manger. He was first praised by shepherds. The light entered a dark world without brass bands or fanfare. On Tuesday, December 24, 7:00 p.m., the members and friends of Sligo Presbyterian Church celebrated the simplicity of this event in a traditional Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Below is a recording and the text of the mediation offered during the service.
Now, let me ask y’all a few questions. Over the next twenty-four hours, how many of y’all will watch at least a little of A Christmas Story on either TBS or TNT? OK, how many of y’all will watch the whole movie, even though you’ve already seen it, maybe a dozen times? That’s good. And how many of y’all will have it on sort of a loop through most of tomorrow, you know, as y’all do other stuff? Thanks.
Now speaking for my family, I know that, sometime tomorrow, Debbie, Maggie and I will watch the whole thing, and I’m talking about, from beginning to end, even though I think we probably know most of the dialog by heart. Let’s just say, it’s one of our favorite Christmas movies. And even though it was set a little before my time, personally, I can really identify with what happens. I mean, when I was growing up and not dissecting Joy pixies, Christmas sort of came in a whirlwind that seemed to intensify as we got closer to the day. And then it would reach its peak on Christmas morning when my brother, sister and I would attack our presents in about twenty minutes of absolute chaos. And even though I never got a pink bunny suit or an official “Red Ryder carbine-action, 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time,” I do remember feeling almost numb after it was all over, not unlike Randy who falls asleep holding onto his zeppelin. I mean, that’s the way it was when I was growing up. And of course, when my daughter Maggie was little, well I can tell you, after putting together the My Little Pony Water Park or the Barbie recreational van or the kitchen like Claire Marie’s, with its five thousand little stickers, man, I wish I had my own zeppelin to snuggle up with. But isn’t that the case for a lot of us? Let’s just say, Christmas can be crazy. And I’ll tell you, when you think about it, maybe that’s why it’s so easy for us to identify with this movie, regardless of how many times we’ve seen it.
But you know, I think it’s really interesting; for as hectic and chaotic and downright exhausting as the twenty-fifth can be, the story behind Christmas is anything but. As a matter of fact, there’s a profound, almost radical simplicity in the story of Jesus’s birth, something that we just might miss if we don’t intentionally pause and appreciate it.
For example, just think about what the Evangelist Luke wrote. Good night nurse, I don’t think the birth itself could have been described more simply. And even though we have a tendency to shove stuff into the story, you know, to make it a little more dramatic or even child friendly, Luke’s description is pretty bare bones. Just listen.
About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David’s hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David’s family.
Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, and while they were there, she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn. [Luke 2:1-7, CEV]
Now that’s what Luke wrote. And if you think about it, in the story itself, there’s a whole lot more about why and how Mary and Joseph got to Bethlehem than about the delivery itself. You see, the birth itself is really simple.
And I’ll tell you something else, so is the announcement, at least when you think about the folks who first heard it. I mean, they were shepherds, for crying out loud, men who were on the lowest rung of the social ladder, in other words, the kind of guys that no father would want his daughter to date, much less marry. And I can tell you, in first century Judea, there was nothing romantic about a bunch of shepherds. And yet, it was to these radically simple men that the announcement was made. Just listen to what Luke wrote:
That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord’s glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David’s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”
Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said:
“Praise God in heaven!
Peace on earth to everyone
who pleases God.”
After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.” [Luke 2:8-15, CEV]
Now, if you’re talking about the birth itself or the guys who first heard the announcement, man, this is one simple Christmas story.
And I think that’s something we should probably remember tomorrow and for the next week or so. You see, maybe, as we kind of navigate through the chaos and the confusion, maybe we might want to pause for just a spell. Now don’t get me wrong, my little ponies really need their water parks. And how’s Barbie going to dream if she can’t drive her camper? And without those stickers, the kitchen just won’t be the same as Claire Marie’s. In other words, you’ve got to try on Aunt Clara’s present. And zeppelins are made to be cuddled. And if you don’t fire your air rifle, you’ll never know whether or not you’ll actually shoot your eye out. No, I’m not saying we should avoid being busy. Still, in the middle of all that, every now and then, we can still consciously slow down, physically and emotionally, and intentionally pause. And I’ll tell you why I think that’s important.
You see, it’s during those occasional pauses when I believe we can really appreciate the radical simplicity of this story. I mean, regardless of what Rankin/Bass added to all their Christmas specials, the birth of Jesus was really simple, because why he came was, is and will always be more important than how he came. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s also reflected in the announcement made to the shepherds, an announcement which told them and tells us that the baby lying in the hay was, is and will always be Savior and Christ and Lord. You see, in my opinion, it’s only when we pause and tune out the other noise that we can appreciate this message which originally went out to some very common people.
And why wouldn’t it? I mean, this is a simple story that we can understand only if we make the decision to pause so that we can really appreciate it. And you know, it’s interesting, isn’t that what happened in that movie which begins its 24-hour loop in about 30 minutes? I mean, even though all kinds of stuff happens to Ralphie and his friends and family, do you remember how it ends?
Sometime during the next week, let’s intentionally do the same.
Some of our best memories of Christmas involve singing some of our favorite songs and carols. Whether they’re secular or sacred, they remind us of the reason for the season and the sheer joy that’s possible during this very special time of year. And so, with that in mind, we’re going to spend some time talking about the "Great Songs of Christmas” but not necessarily the ones we associate with this holiday. Instead, we’ll look at some of the advent songs from the Bible, passages that had meaning then and can have meaning right now. During four weeks, we’ll consider the following:
December 22 - The Song of the Angels: A Song of Joy
December 29 - The Song of Simeon: A Song of Hope
During the service on Sunday, December 22, we used Luke 2:8-20 to better understand the song of the Angels: a song of joy. Below is the video of the service, the recording of the sermon and the bulletin for Sunday. You can stream our Sunday services by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.
Some of our best memories of Christmas involve singing some of our favorite songs and carols. Whether they’re secular or sacred, they remind us of the reason for the season and the sheer joy that’s possible during this very special time of year. And so, with that in mind, we’re going to spend some time talking about the "Great Songs of Christmas” but not necessarily the ones we associate with this holiday. Instead, we’ll look at some of the advent songs from the Bible, passages that had meaning then and can have meaning right now. During four weeks, we’ll consider the following:
This morning we’re going to continue the series we started at the beginning of the month, you know, a series dealing with those great Christmas songs found in the Gospel of Luke. And as y’all remember, during the first message, we looked at Zechariah’s song of praise, one that came after the angel announced that Zechariah was going to be father and that focused on what God had done in the past and what he was about to do in the present and what he would be doing in the future. And then, we listened to Mary’s song of trust, something she offered after she’d been told that she would be the mother of God’s son, a song that expressed her trust in God by celebrating his blessings and by recognizing his power and by remembering his promises. Now, that’s what we’ve already talked about.
And this morning we’re going to continue with the Christmas story from Luke and consider the song that the angels offered the shepherds, a song of joy. Of course, it’s certainly not a reach to connect joy with Christmas. As a matter of fact, when we were in Weirton, there was a woman in the church named “Joy” and this was absolutely her favorite time of year, because her name was everywhere.
And I’ve got to tell you, back when I was a kid, Christmas joy was a pretty big deal for me too, but it really had nothing to do with names or even feelings. It was all about the dishwashing liquid. You see, growing up, my family always cheered for the Washington Redskins. My dad always owned a Ford. And my mom, well, she always used Joy. And trust me, since we didn’t have an automatic dishwasher, there was a lot of joy around the Rudiger house all year long. But at Christmas, man, Joy meant a whole lot more than just some yellow, liquid soap. You see, back in the mid-60s, during the month of December, each bottle of Joy had this elf or pixie, dressed in either green or red, hanging on to the top. I guess Procter & Gamble figured they’d sell more soap if it came with a toy. But you know, since it looked a whole lot like an “Elf on the Shelf,” maybe their marketing department was being guided by forces far above them. But be that as it may, as a kid, these elves were a big deal, which motivated my sister, brother and I to dirty up as many plates as possible, because the more dishes mom had to wash, the more joy she’d need. And I’m sure she appreciated that.
And like I said, the idea of joy is going to be our focus this morning. You see, we’re going to look at the song the angels offered the shepherds so that we might better understand how to respond to the kind of joy we tend to feel around Christmas but can also experience during the rest of the year as well. And even though we’ll follow the same basic structure we’ve followed in the first two messages, we’ll broaden out the song a little bit. In other words, when we’re talking about the song, we’ll include the whole encounter between the angels and the shepherds, including what happened before the angel spoke and after the “heavenly host” finished their singing. As a matter of fact, we’ll focus more on what the shepherds did then on what that host actually sang. Therefore, by the end of this little message, I hope we’ll have a better idea about how we might deal with those times of joy we may experience but not just around Christmas.
Of course, before we can talk about this joy-filled message the shepherds heard, I think it’s important to understand what motivated the angels to come in the first place. And I think Luke offered this context in the passage that comes right before the shepherds, one that I think you could say provides the reason for this Christmas season. I mean, just listen to what the evangelist wrote:
About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David’s hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David’s family.
Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, and while they were there, she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn. [Luke 2:1-7, CEV]
You see, the reason Zechariah had offered his praise and Mary had expressed her trust, according to this passage from the second chapter of Luke, the reason for this praise and trust was accomplished when Jesus was born. And I’ll tell you, even though now-a-days it’s celebrated with a whole lot of stuff, the birth itself was incredibly simple: no tiny babies glowing or little boys drumming or farm animals talking. Just a baby lying in a bed of hay. And you know, because it was so simple, it’s really not surprising that, in Luke, the first people to hear about the birth weren’t the high and mighty but the low and humble. Now, that’s the context for the encounter between the angels and the shepherds.
And as to what happened before, during and after the song, well, I think it’s right here where we can get a pretty good idea about how the shepherds handled this joy-filled message they received. You see, right at the beginning of the encounter, in fact, before any kind of message had been given, first, the shepherds sure seemed to be open. I mean, just listen to what the Evangelist Luke wrote:
That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord’s glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. [Luke 2:8-9, CEV]
In other words, as they were, using some good King James language, “keeping watch over their flock by night” [Luke 2:8b, KJV], in a very real sense, these shepherds were just out there, doing what must have been an unimaginably boring job, watching a bunch of sheep. But you know, when the unimaginable did happen and an angel flashing the Lord’s glory appeared, those guys didn’t run away. Instead, in spite of being afraid, they stuck around and waited for the angel to speak. You see, even though they couldn’t have known it at the time, they were actually open to hear the joy-filled message the angel brought. You see, according to the story, these shepherds were open.
But that’s not all, because when the angel began to speak and the host began to sing, these same shepherds were also attentive. Now I think that’s the second thing they did. Just listen:
But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David’s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”
Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said:
“Praise God in heaven!
Peace on earth to everyone
who pleases God.” [Luke 2:10-14, CEV]
Now that’s what Luke wrote. And just think about what’s going on here. Instead of asking a whole bunch of questions, which by the way both Zechariah and Mary did when the angel came to them, these shepherds just listened, you know, taking in what they were hearing, a message of “good news of great joy which will be for all the people.” [Luke 2:10b, CEV] In other words, the shepherd listened to the good news that this baby lying on a bed of straw was going to be their savior, the Christ, the Lord, and they allowed the praises from all those other angels to sort of wash over them, because, not only were they open, they were also attentive.
And third, in light of all this joy they had encountered, these shepherds were also responsive. Again, just listen to Luke:
After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.” They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay.
When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him. Everyone listened and was surprised. But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant.
As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him. Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said. [Luke 2:15-20, CEV]
Now that’s what happened, and personally, I think it’s really important. You see, those guys didn’t just feel joy and then go back to their business. Instead, they got up and went. They left their sheep and hurried off to Bethlehem just to see the child. But, you know, they did even more than that. They shared what the angel had told them. And then, when they went back to work, man, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him. You see, not only were they open and attentive, these shepherds responded to the joy they felt.
And I’ll tell you right here and right now, I think we can do these same three things ourselves. You see, as we pass through this joy-filled season of Christmas and as we move into a new year that, you can take to the bank, will also have reasons for joy, we can follow the example of these fine, up-standing shepherds.
For example, like them, we can sure be open, open to possibilities that may be beyond our imagination and open to all kinds of good news that we certainly can’t anticipate. You see, we can move forward with eyes that are open so that we can see God moving in ways that are radically different from what we might expect. And we can move forward with minds that are open so that we can entertain ideas that may be new and exciting and even life-changing. And we can move forward with hearts that are also open so that we can feel the joy and the hope and the peace that we might never know if we choose to cut ourselves off from others, especially those who are not like us. You see, we can be open, doing the same kind of thing the psalmist described when he wrote this:
I praise you, Lord,
for being my guide.
Even in the darkest night,
your teachings fill my mind.
I will always look to you,
as you stand beside me
and protect me from fear.
With all my heart,
I will celebrate,
and I can safely rest.
I am your chosen one.
You won’t leave me in the grave
or let my body decay.
You have shown me
the path to life,
and you make me glad
by being near to me.
Sitting at your right side,
I will always be joyful. [Psalm 16:7-11, CEV]
I’ll tell you, if we want to experience the kind of joy felt by the shepherds, like them, we can sure be open.
Just like we can also decide to be attentive. In other words, as we take in the spirit of this glorious season, we can make the conscious and intentional decision to do three things that may not be easy for some of us (and right now I’m talking about myself) but that, I swear, will make a huge difference. For example, we can decide that we’re going to listen before we talk. And we can decide that we’re going to think before we assume. And we can decide that we’re going to feel before we dismiss. In fact, we can decide to follow the advice that James gave to the readers of his letter, when he wrote this:
My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things God wants done. You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message planted in you to save you. [James 1:19-21, CEV]
I’m telling you, just like those shepherds, when face to face with good news, with wonderful news, man, with the best news of all, we can be attentive.
And finally, we can also be responsive. I mean, we can get up and move, physically and mentally and emotionally, so that we can put ourselves in a better position to appreciate the incredible things that God is doing all the time. And then we can share what we’ve seen and heard and felt so that other folks who may not have had our opportunities might experience a little bit of the joy we know. And along with the moving and the sharing, we can praise. We can praise God for what he’s done for us and what he can do for others. And we can praise him for the hope we have, just knowing that, regardless of where we go or what we do, “nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!” [Romans 8:39, CEV] As a matter for fact, this just might enable us to claim the challenge the Apostle Paul presented to the Philippians.
Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. [Philippians 4:4-7, CEV]
You see, as we deal with all the joy that surrounds us this time of year, not only can we be open and attentive, we can also be responsive.
Of course, I sincerely hope that how we respond to Christmas joy isn’t like what my sister and I did to one of the elves that was just hanging on to the Joy, and now I’m talking about a bottle of dishwashing liquid. Although I’m embarrassed to admit it, my sister and I did some major surgery on one of our many pixies. We removed one of his legs, something you should never do to your Elf on the Shelf. But I’ve got to tell you, what we found was really interesting. You see, there was paper in both the arms and legs, but not just any kind of paper. We found these strips of rolled up Japanese newspaper in our elves. And you know, that changed forever the way I saw those little green and red pixies. Man, it even caused me to question whether Santa lives at the North Pole or just outside Tokyo.
But you know, as it relates to our Christmas, well, we can be a little different. You see, in just a few days, we’re going to celebrate the birth of our savior and Lord. And this morning, we’ve talked about how the shepherds received the joy-filled message the angels brought. And so, because of that, as we move through this remarkable season and beyond, like them, we can be open and attentive and responsive. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s certainly appropriate, because we’ve also heard the angels and their song of joy.
In each message, we’ll consider how the miracle of Christ’s coming into the world changed history, brought peace and offers the hope of salvation.
During the final service in his series, we considered the miracle of the manger, focusing on the simplicity of the birth. A video of the service, a recording of the sermon and the service bulletin are below. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel at 10:00 a.m. (EST)
In each message, we’ll consider how the miracle of Christ’s coming into the world changed history, brought peace and offers the hope of salvation.
During the final service in his series, we considered the miracle of the manger, focusing on the simplicity of the birth. A recording and the text of the message are below. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel at 10:00 a.m. (EST)
Christmas is just about over, and PTL, we have all survived. In fact, all the stuff we had to get done two weeks ago is now becoming a distant memory, at least until next year. And all we have left to do right now is to pay for all those presents we bought and to put away all those decorations we set out and of course, my favorite, to eat all those cookies we baked. Stick a fork in it; Christmas 2023 is just about over.
And you know, that’s also true of the series we started at the beginning of December. I mean, during three worship services, we talked about the miracle of Christmas. And during that time, we considered the miracle of the message, how it was about hope and peace, joy and love. And we talked about the miracle of the moment and how it was expected and is radical and will last. And then last week, we looked at the miracle of the method, and discussed how God entered our time and space, and why it’s important. Now, that’s what we’ve done.
And this morning, we’re going to put a bow on it by focusing on the miracle of the manger, you know, how the incarnation of God was done through an extremely simple birth. And I’ll tell you, that’s one of the reasons we sang Away in a Manger right at the beginning of this service. You see, personally, I have always loved this song, because, for me, it’s incredibly simple. And you know, looking back, that’s the reason it may have been the first Christmas carol I learned, probably before I could even read. I mean, even though Jingle Bells or Rudolf or Frosty may have been first, Away in a Manger was right up there. In fact, every time I hear it played, I always think about children singing. And that just makes sense. My goodness, the melody is easy to follow. And the words are easy to remember. And the meaning is easy to understand. Why? Because it’s really, really simple. And for that reason, although it may not be my favorite carol anymore, it will always have a special place in my heart.
And like I said, that’s why I picked it for a service during which we’re considering the simple way Jesus was born. And so, with that in mind, for the next ten minutes or so, we’re going to focus on the miracle of the manger and talk about how it can remind us of the simplicity that surrounded the birth and the simplicity that was the focus of Jesus’s words and work and the simplicity that can define our faith. Now, that’s what we’re going to do. And hopefully, by the end, we’ll have a better idea about why that simple manger can be so very important as we try to keep moving forward with hope and direction in a world that often seems far too complicated.
And of course, like I said a moment ago, it all starts with the simplicity that surrounded the birth. You see, that’s the first thing I think we can say about the miracle of the manger. In other words, the way God entered our time and space was natural and genuine and modest, without a lot of fanfare and bluster and bravado. And even though I think we all know the basic story, this was how the Evangelist Luke described the birth of Jesus. He wrote,
About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David's hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David’s family.
Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, and while they were there, she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn. [Luke 2:1-7, CEV]
Now this was how the birth was described. And even though artists through the centuries have tried to put their own almost supernatural spin on it, with animals talking and lights shining, there’s really nothing remarkable happening in this very brief description, is there: just a young woman giving birth in a stable because that’s the only place she and Joseph could find and then her wrapping the baby up in what she had and laying him on a bed of straw. In fact, when you think about it, Luke spent more time describing why they had to go to Bethlehem than in the delivery itself. I’ll tell you, it was a simple birth.
And as to the announcement, I don’t think you could find any people more simple to hear about what had happened than a bunch of shepherds. Again, this was what Luke wrote:
That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. But the angel said, “Don't be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David's hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”
Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said:
“Praise God in heaven!
Peace on earth to everyone
who pleases God.”
After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.” They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay. [Luke 2:8-16, CEV]
Of course, I’ve got to admit the way the announcement was given is anything but simple. I mean, I don’t think most of us have ever had the chance to hear angels talking, much less singing. Now, that’s what I call a pretty big deal. Still when you consider their audience, man, those shepherds were just about as common as dirt. I’m telling you, these guys were near the bottom of the social ladder. In other words, if I’d have been living back in the day, I sure wouldn’t want Maggie getting engaged to a shepherd. And yet, they were first to hear. And they were the first to come. And they were the first to see. And I think this is really important, because I believe simplicity really surrounded the birth. And that’s one thing we can take from the miracle of the manger.
But you know, that’s certainly not all, because, second, I believe simplicity was also the focus for the words Jesus said and the work Jesus did. I mean, with a few exceptions, not only was it reflected in both his style and attitude, I think it was most clearly seen when you look at the content of his lessons and actions. You see, based on what he said and did, Jesus came for the simple. He came to lift up the humble and the poor and the powerless, in other words, he came to help the very folks that the world often ignores and overlooks. Of course, for those of us who know the story, this isn’t a surprise. Man, we knew before he was even born that he came to show special attention to those who often fall between the cracks. I mean, just listen to what his mother said about Jesus before he was even born:
Mary said:
With all my heart
I praise the Lord,
and I am glad
because of God my Savior.
God cares for me,
his humble servant.
From now on,
all people will say
God has blessed me.
God All-Powerful has done
great things for me,
and his name is holy.
He always shows mercy
to everyone
who worships him.
The Lord has used
his powerful arm
to scatter those
who are proud.
God drags strong rulers
from their thrones
and puts humble people
in places of power.
God gives the hungry
good things to eat,
and sends the rich away
with nothing. [Luke 1:46-53, CEV]
Now that’s what the mother of Jesus said before he was born. And I’ll tell you, even though we may ask in song, “Mary, did you know,” let me tell you something; she knew. She knew exactly what Jesus came to do: to scatter the proud, to drag down the powerful and to lift up the humble, to feed the hungry with good things and to send away with nothing those who usually eat the best. You see, that’s what her son came to do, and Mary knew it.
And you know something, we know it too, because that’s exactly what Jesus did. I mean, he didn’t give even more to those who actually had too much. My goodness, he didn’t give tax cuts to billionaires. Instead, he helped those who had nothing. For example, when John the Baptist started to have some doubts about whether or not Jesus was the one and so he sent some messengers to ask him, “Jesus said to the messengers sent by John, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard. Blind people are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People who have leprosy are being healed, and the deaf can now hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news.” [Luke 7:22, CEV] You see, he helped those we might consider simple. And when he was teaching his closest followers about the way the world would someday change,
Jesus looked at his disciples and said:
God will bless you people
who are poor.
His kingdom belongs to you!
God will bless
you hungry people.
You will have plenty
to eat!
God will bless you people
who are now crying.
You will laugh!
But you rich people
are in for trouble.
You have already had
an easy life!
You well-fed people
are in for trouble.
You will go hungry!
You people
who are laughing now
are in for trouble.
You are going to cry
and weep! [Luke 6:20-21, 24-25]
You see, that was what Jesus came to do, to show through what he taught and what he did, that the time was coming when everything was going to be turned upside down. I’m telling you, since he came, a reversal is about to take place, and “everyone who is now last will be first, and everyone who is first will be last.” [Matthew 20:16b, CEV] And why did Jesus teach that this was going to happen and those who were simple folk could have hope? Because simplicity was also the focus for the words that Jesus said and the work that Jesus did. And for me, that’s something else we can take from the miracle of the manger. But again, that’s not all.
You see, since it surrounded his birth and was also the focus of his words and work, third, this same kind of simplicity can define our faith. In other words, it can define who we are as followers of Jesus Christ. For example, it can certainly shape how we approach God. I mean, since we know that God likes people who are simple and unassuming; therefore, he isn’t impressed by our fancy words and great displays; since we know this, maybe we’ll be able to understand what Jesus was getting at when he told this parable:
Jesus told a story to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on everyone else:
Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood over by himself and prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there. I go without eating for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn.”
The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, “God, have pity on me! I am such a sinner.”
Then Jesus said, “When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.” [Luke 18:9-14, CEV]
You see, knowing that God has a soft spot for those who are simple, maybe that will enable us to feel comfortable putting a side of lot of stuff that we might think will impress the one who knows us far better than we know ourselves and then approaching our heavenly Father with humility .And by doing that, our relationship with God can grow.
And as to our relationship with others, well, maybe we can be more open to actually helping those whom Jesus called blessed. As a matter of fact, in every aspect of our lives, maybe we’ll feel free to follow the advice Jesus gave concerning those who should be invited to a dinner party.
He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” [Luke 14:12-14, CEV]
Now that’s what Jesus said, and just imagine the kind of lives we’d be living if we applied it to other things that we do. And so, since both his birth and his words and work involved the simple, maybe this same kind of simplicity can also define our faith. And that's something else we can take from the miracle of the manger.
Now y’all may not know this, but according to the official church calendar, the season of Christmas started last Monday and will end 12 days later, on January 6. But you know, even if we don’t take down the tree or finish up the cookies until mid-January, for most of us, Christmas ended when we packed up the wrapping paper and put away the left-overs. But as we move into a new year, let’s not leave behind what may be some of the most miraculous aspects of Christmas. I mean, let’s make an effort to remember the significance of the message and the moment and method. And of course, let’s remember the miracle of the manger, and I’m talking about the simplicity that surrounded the birth and the simplicity that was the focus of Christ’s words and work and of course, the simplicity that can define our faith. You see, let’s try to keep these things in mind as we enter and move through 2024. Because, I’ll tell you, if we do, we’ll be taking the miracle of Christmas with us.
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