The Angel's Song

CONSECRATION Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.  Jesus, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you.  Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.  SCRIPTURE Luke 2:8–16 NIV And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. CONSIDER THIS The third song of Advent is short and sweet, a one-liner, but arguably with the best production value—multitudes of angels appearing all at once, singing, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (v. 14). The angels were announcing that the Messiah had come. There’s a bit of irony in this situation. It would make sense for the Messiah to arrive with the same kind of heavenly glory the shepherds witnessed in the field—angels, light, and divine splendor. Instead, the angels’ grand announcement pointed to something very different: go look for a newborn baby in a nearby town, lying in a manger. That’s where the real glory is. God’s glory and presence were not found in the angelic visitation or the heavenly host on display. Instead, the presence of God was found in a manger, hidden in the darkness of the night. How often do we worship the wrong thing? We are awed by the things of God, and we stop there. We end up worshipping the moments instead of the God they point to. The glory of God in this story appeared to an unlikely group of people (shepherds) in an unlikely location (a field) in an unlikely way (a baby in a manger). It redefines what we often think of as glorious and calls us to expand our understanding of where God’s presence is found. Reflecting on the irony of this story, I’m reminded of another story. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah—who had encountered God in dramatic ways, like a column of fire and a rainstorm—was hiding in a cave, running for his life. God told him to stand outside the cave because the Lord was about to pass by. A powerful windstorm came, but God wasn’t in the wind. Then an earthquake came, but God wasn’t in the earthquake. Then a fire came, but God wasn’t in the fire. Finally, a gentle whisper came, and that’s where Elijah encountered God. Just because Elijah had experienced God’s presence in one way before didn’t mean God would always show up the same way. The glory wasn’t in the packaging, it was in the presence of God. And that’s the point. It’s not that dramatic manifestations of God’s power are bad. I’ve had moments in my life where I’ve encountered the presence of God in powerful, heaven-meets-earth ways. Even this past year, I can think of a moment that felt like something you’d read about in revival history books. But the point is this: God’s glory isn’t tied to any specific form or experience. His glory is in His presence—sometimes loud and obvious, other times quiet and hidden. Are we paying attention to where God’s glory might be showing up? And how are we responding to it? RESPONSE PROMPTS List moments when you’ve experienced God’s glory—big or small. For each moment, write a one-liner in response, inspired by the angels’ song in Luke 2. As you reflect and write, it may be helpful to consider the following: • How was God’s presence revealed to you? • What does this moment reveal about who God is? If you feel inspired, go beyond words: create a visual representation of one or more of these experiences. Use a medium like drawing, painting, collage, or photography to capture God’s glory in your story. PRAYER Lord, thank You for the ways in which Your glory and presence have been revealed to me. Help me to respond to You when You reveal Yourself in unexpected or new ways. Amen.