Luke 2: 8 - 12

There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, but the angel said to them, “Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very day in David's town your Savior was born - Christ the Lord! And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Picture

Unknown artist

Prayer

Throughout the scriptures, angels tell people not to be afraid – which is probably code for ‘be afraid, be very afraid’…

God of the Shepherds, we thank you that gospel writer recorded how scared they were when the angel messengers brought them the news of Jesus’ birth.  All too often, it seems that your messengers arrive with news that is terrifying – a call to take a huge risk, to do something crazy or to risk rejection by those we know best.  When walking in the footsteps of Jesus scares us, when the call to be part of a different world order seems impossible, please give us the courage to hear your Good News of peace, hope, joy and love.  Amen.