Watching!

"Still Watching"

December 14th 2010 

Lectionary Scripture - James 5:7-18

Christmas Hymn of the Day - "While By the Sheep We Watched" 

German Carol Translated by Theodore Baker

 Based on Luke 2:20

"While by the sheep we watched at night, 

Glad tidings brought an angel bright!

(refrain)

There shall be born, so he did say, 

In Bethlehem a Child today. 

(refrain)

There shall the Child lie in a stall,

This Child who shall redeem us all.

(refrain)

This Gift of God we'll cherish well,

That ever joy our hearts shall fill.

(refrain) 

REFRAIN - "How great our joy!  Great our joy! 

Joy, Joy, Joy!  Joy, Joy, Joy!

Praise we the Lord in heaven on high! 
Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!

Meditation                                   "Watching!"

Picture, if you will, the following scene:

You are a shepherd.  It is a cold, clear night.  The stars are twinkling and shining brightly above you in the night sky.  There is an air of peaceful serenity over the field outside the little town of Bethlehem.  It is very late, and the flock is secured for the night.  You are with a group of your friends - also shepherds - and you gather around a low-burning fire, sprawled out on the ground to rest among your flocks.   You're all talking and enjoying one another's company when you suddenly notice an unusual star in the sky,  and a very young shepherd boy asks you if the special star has any specific meaning. 

Several of you turn slowly and glance over your shoulders at the star in the eastern sky.  It seems to sparkle with a glorious glow, hanging right over Bethlehem.  Suddenly it appears to burst into blinding white light!!  You are all fearful, and you cry out and fall to the ground hiding your faces!  There comes out of the night a soft, consoling voice . . . that of a heavenly angel announcing the coming of the long-awaited Messiah.  How GREAT is your joy!!  You are unable to contain your happiness. 

Have you ever wondered why such simple, uncouth shepherds without wealth or power or social status of any sort at all were the first to receive this glorious news - heaven's most wonderful message . . . news that the Messiah had been born?  Prophecy had foretold that salvation would be offered first to Israel.  In this way the Jewish shepherds were allowed to adore the Savior before the arrival of the Gentile Wise Men ever reached the scene.  Could this be part of the reason?

Or could it be that the shepherds were chosen to receive the angel's message because God wanted to send His only Son to be associated with the seemingly unimportant of this world rather than with the proud and wealthy?  God knew that these lowly shepherds would receive His news of salvation with open hearts and minds, and He knew that they would return to their shepherding with great joy to share what they had heard and seen.  It was a great way to "get the news out" so to speak!

Our hymn originated in 17th Century Germany.  It's a beautiful and vivid depiction of that first Christmas night.  It is often called "The Echo Carol", and is often sung antiphonally creating a lovely effect.  

In John 1:1-5 we find this passage of scripture:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.  In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.  And the Light shined in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." (NKJV) 

One of the key verses in this passage is the fifth verse - "And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."   Isn't it too often the case that we comprehend neither the darkness NOR the light and thus wander rather aimlessly about for most of our lives?  I believe that becoming able to discern the light that is present in every darkness is a little like being out at sea at night, floating around in an eerie, but comfortable, kind of silence, alert to the hangers that may lurk in the darkness, but also certain that there is a lighthouse out there somewhere.  Computers and technology have pretty much rendered lighthouses obsolete, and we keep them up, for the most part, to preserve our heritage and to honor those who kept the lights burning in another time when they were critical to navigation. 

Sailors of old knew well what it was like to come upon a lighthouse with its light flooding the surrounding area for many yards with a blinding white light to guide them to safe passage through an area that would be dangerous, indeed, in the darkness.  Even though the sight of the lighthouse reminds them that there could be danger in the darkness, which is bound to be somewhat fearsome, it is a glorious sight indeed, pointing the way for them,like a sort of "nautical" version of the Star of Bethlehem!

 Take some time to reflect once more on those times in your own life when you have been surprised to find something totally unexpected of beauty and joy in the darkness of life.  It is a good thing for all of us to do this occasionally so that we learn to be less overwhelmed by the catastrophes of life, and better able to face them with some sense of calm assurance that God is present with us, through it all, loving us and caring for our sufferings.  What is frightening about the possibility of there indeed being such a light in the darkness?  The shepherds were fearful at first, but their fear turned to great joy.  Ours can too, bathed in the Light of the World that is Jesus Christ.  Can you see it?

Prayer - Our Father, once again in the words of this joyous hymn of the Christmas season, we are reminded of the beauty that can come to us in the midnight hours of our everyday lives, and we thank You for Your abiding love and presence in our lives and hearts.  We are like the shepherds on the hillside who received the visit of the angelic host proclaiming the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ, in Bethlehem on that first Christmas night.  We're often filled with fear and dreading in those dark times that we experience.  We pray that You will visit each of us in a special way this Christmas.  We pray for a new and more joyful sense of your love and presence with us, and for the vision to take your message to all with whom we come in contact.  We thank you for Your Gift to us.  Indeed, we know that we can never thank you ENOUGH for all of the blessings with which You fill our lives, even in the midnight hours when we least expect them.  We pray for these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen ~


Activity -   Reflect on what you might do to increase your ability to discern the Light of the World in the dark days of life, and do what you can to make any necessary changes.