I’ve been wondering all week why Shepherds working the night shift on that calm and boring night would even care that a baby had been born. Who has time to go see someone elses baby born in a barn? Why would rugged farm hands care to abandon their post to rush and see some poor strangers baby?
The miracle of birth is amazing... I understand this... I have three kids and two were born at home... but... having grown up on a farm... you sortof get used to it.
Pigs, cows, sheep, puppies, and kittens... just mammals having having babies.
After awhile all you can actually sit and watch the miracle of birth and then say.
“Yup... that’s how it happens.”
It gets so common when you are around it so much. You don’t take the time to stop and notice.
Brian Haag, a friend of mine growing up in Southern Alberta, said he was actually underwhelmed when he had his first kid... he had built it up in his mind that the birth was supposed to be a miracle... something amazing and almost supernatural... he thought that he would be on a high... but... having seen pigs, cows, sheep, puppies, cats etc... having seen this so many times... he held his son and thought to himself...
“yup... that’s how it happens.”
---
So then... why do these Shepherds run off to Bethlehem... they’ve seen all sorts of births... they know the mechanics of it... they’re busy working...
...so why is this child so different that, even now... over 2000 years later we are still dressing up kids in over sized robes to be shepherds at Christmas Pagents... we’re still singing songs of this silent night that we call a holy night... We even send Christmas cards with shepherds on them...
---
Something new must have happened that night...
---
… today we gather families together and travel 1000’s of miles and collectively in Canada we spend around 36 billion dollars on gifts and well wishes for this festive season...
---
something new happened and changed everything on that night...
---
… and yet... in life’s worries and troubles... who has time to notice another baby born? Who has time to slow down and breathe? Who has time to stop... listen... know God is with you...
It’s... just how it happens.
--- (((SLOW DOWN))))
And we know this feeling of numb... we know the feeling of same ol’ same ol’... we live in a fast paced age of technological revolution...
And with so many new toys... with advertisers lifting each item up as the best...
It’s hard to impress us... it’s hard to make us slow down and notice.
We are a boom and bust culture, we live in seconds and want results quick, and this high speed reality... tempers our excitement.
We know that today's new thing might just as likely drag us down tomorrow as the market crashes... again... and we are locked into long term payment plans.
We see know their are problems in the world and on our doorstep but we don’t have time to stop and seek solutions.
---
Brian Haag may have been underwhelmed by the moment of birth... but in his ever growing relationship to his son... everything has changed... priorities shifted... love is grown in a way that he could not imagined...
New priorites grew... and what seemed important in the past as new priorities have taken over... and if you were to ask Brian why it all changed he would probably say something like...
That’s just how it happens.
Looking at that father and son relationship... we can start to get an idea of what is happening in the Christ child. We see why Shepherds run... why society and history wraps itself around this Christ child event.
Here is something new... something personal... something for everyone.
--- (wait for it...)
“To you a child is born...”
These words spoken by divine messengers announcing God becoming one of us changed the lives of Shepherds forever.
“To you a child is born...”
Words that today are now spoken to you. This is not a one time event... it is the reality of God’s action in the world coming to all humanity.
Unto YOU... All of of the poor shepherds... all of us... unto you a child is born. He is the Messiah... the Lord - his name is Jesus which means.... GOD SAVES.
It’s not just another baby born to a poor stranger in a distant land... it’s God coming to you... to bring new life for all.
---
Brian Haag took awhile to get with the program... some of the new changes were not so welcome... like giving up sleep... like losing all sorts of free time... but it’s good. The little surprises along the way as this new life, this child, both amazes and changes you.
That’s how it happens... that’s what new babies do - they change everything and grow with you.
That’s what the Christ Child did. From cradel to cross to empty tomb and the promise to be with us always.
That’s what God is still doing today.
In our songs, our service, our faith, our communion, and our whole lives... God is coming to us and for us.
---
So just Stop... and hear the word proclaimed
To you a child is born.
In the eyes of this child you see your own eyes. In the skin of this child you see your own skin... and... look deeper, in this child you see all of creation and all grace and love and compassion staring back at you... you see God looking out from inside this child.
And so Stop... hear the good new... look around and see the signs... and trust God...
For then, now, and always... unto you a child is born...
Yup... That’s just how it happens.
Amen
(The first Noel)
The miracle of birth is amazing... I understand this... I have three kids and two were born at home... but... having grown up on a farm... you sortof get used to it.
Pigs, cows, sheep, puppies, and kittens... just mammals having having babies.
After awhile all you can actually sit and watch the miracle of birth and then say.
“Yup... that’s how it happens.”
It gets so common when you are around it so much. You don’t take the time to stop and notice.
Brian Haag, a friend of mine growing up in Southern Alberta, said he was actually underwhelmed when he had his first kid... he had built it up in his mind that the birth was supposed to be a miracle... something amazing and almost supernatural... he thought that he would be on a high... but... having seen pigs, cows, sheep, puppies, cats etc... having seen this so many times... he held his son and thought to himself...
“yup... that’s how it happens.”
---
So then... why do these Shepherds run off to Bethlehem... they’ve seen all sorts of births... they know the mechanics of it... they’re busy working...
...so why is this child so different that, even now... over 2000 years later we are still dressing up kids in over sized robes to be shepherds at Christmas Pagents... we’re still singing songs of this silent night that we call a holy night... We even send Christmas cards with shepherds on them...
---
Something new must have happened that night...
---
… today we gather families together and travel 1000’s of miles and collectively in Canada we spend around 36 billion dollars on gifts and well wishes for this festive season...
---
something new happened and changed everything on that night...
---
… and yet... in life’s worries and troubles... who has time to notice another baby born? Who has time to slow down and breathe? Who has time to stop... listen... know God is with you...
It’s... just how it happens.
--- (((SLOW DOWN))))
And we know this feeling of numb... we know the feeling of same ol’ same ol’... we live in a fast paced age of technological revolution...
And with so many new toys... with advertisers lifting each item up as the best...
It’s hard to impress us... it’s hard to make us slow down and notice.
We are a boom and bust culture, we live in seconds and want results quick, and this high speed reality... tempers our excitement.
We know that today's new thing might just as likely drag us down tomorrow as the market crashes... again... and we are locked into long term payment plans.
We see know their are problems in the world and on our doorstep but we don’t have time to stop and seek solutions.
---
Brian Haag may have been underwhelmed by the moment of birth... but in his ever growing relationship to his son... everything has changed... priorities shifted... love is grown in a way that he could not imagined...
New priorites grew... and what seemed important in the past as new priorities have taken over... and if you were to ask Brian why it all changed he would probably say something like...
That’s just how it happens.
Looking at that father and son relationship... we can start to get an idea of what is happening in the Christ child. We see why Shepherds run... why society and history wraps itself around this Christ child event.
Here is something new... something personal... something for everyone.
--- (wait for it...)
“To you a child is born...”
These words spoken by divine messengers announcing God becoming one of us changed the lives of Shepherds forever.
“To you a child is born...”
Words that today are now spoken to you. This is not a one time event... it is the reality of God’s action in the world coming to all humanity.
Unto YOU... All of of the poor shepherds... all of us... unto you a child is born. He is the Messiah... the Lord - his name is Jesus which means.... GOD SAVES.
It’s not just another baby born to a poor stranger in a distant land... it’s God coming to you... to bring new life for all.
---
Brian Haag took awhile to get with the program... some of the new changes were not so welcome... like giving up sleep... like losing all sorts of free time... but it’s good. The little surprises along the way as this new life, this child, both amazes and changes you.
That’s how it happens... that’s what new babies do - they change everything and grow with you.
That’s what the Christ Child did. From cradel to cross to empty tomb and the promise to be with us always.
That’s what God is still doing today.
In our songs, our service, our faith, our communion, and our whole lives... God is coming to us and for us.
---
So just Stop... and hear the word proclaimed
To you a child is born.
In the eyes of this child you see your own eyes. In the skin of this child you see your own skin... and... look deeper, in this child you see all of creation and all grace and love and compassion staring back at you... you see God looking out from inside this child.
And so Stop... hear the good new... look around and see the signs... and trust God...
For then, now, and always... unto you a child is born...
Yup... That’s just how it happens.
Amen
(The first Noel)
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