Advent

Luke 2: 8-11

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them, “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord, has been born today in Bethlehem.”

For many years, my wife, Barbara, and I rang the Salvation Army bell in front of our local Publix grocery store at some point during the Christmas season. We did it because we believe in the work of the Salvation Army and their mission to under resourced people. Every year, Publix store, ring the bell, and help remind folks to have a giving spirit in the season when they are getting lots of gifts themselves.

One year our kids and grandkids had arrived at our house before our scheduled bell ringing. We asked them to excuse us while we exercised our annual hour spent with red apron, a kettle, and a small bell. To our delight, they all—three adults and four teenagers—said they wanted to join us.

So that afternoon—it was around December 22nd or so—the nine of us stood outside the store greeting all of the shoppers who were buying lots of food for Christmas. .  Our son, Scott, said, “We need music!” Our tech savvy grandchildren quickly went to their phones and downloaded lively Christmas music. We all sang. The kids began to dance. Caught up in the spirit, we all began to dance. We joined Mariah Carey singing “All I Want for Christmas is You”; we sang Felix Navidad, White Christmas, Angels We Have Heard on High, and on and on.

My family set a new record for contributions to the Salvation Army. People stopped their cars and handed us money out their windows. One driver said, “That music is wonderful. That sounds just like Bing Crosby!” I said, “It IS Bing Crosby!”

When the angel appeared to common people, shepherds, that Christmas night, the angel announced a message of joy—not for some—but for all people. And the angels sang.

I know that it is hard for some, given what they are currently experiencing, or have recently gone through, to feel joyful. Perhaps for these folks the Christmas message is presence—God is with you, you are not alone. But it’s also true that for most of us finding joy is what God wants for us at Christmas. I invite you to find your joy over God’s good news and sing it this Christmas season.

Loving God who came to us at Christmas, fill us with your joy at the good news that you have chosen to be with us. Now and forever! Amen.

This devotion was written and recorded by Herb Sadler.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.