Devotion for the Sunday of the Third Week in Advent

Greetings Blog Community,

I am posting the devotion for Sunday a bit early. We are expecting bad weather in northern New England tomorrow. I may have to head out to church early, so I am getting a head start on tomorrow's work! For all of you dealing with bad weather, may God keep you safe, warm and dry.

Theme for the week: joy

Devotion for the sunday of the third Week in Advent (Day 15)

Reading: Luke 2:8–15 (NRSV)

⁸ In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

REFLECTION: At this point in Advent, at the beginning of the third week, we are poised to hear Good News and to be joyful. It may seem to be rushing the season a bit, to have a devotion that includes the heart of the Christmas message, but it is certainly a joyful message. I have often wondered how the shepherds felt when the angel appeared to them. Sitting out in their fields, on a hill outside of Bethlehem under a star studded sky, the appearance of an angel was probably the last thing they expected.

When she says to them that she brings message of great joy, particularly great joy for all the people, what went through their heads. Did they feel elated? Did joy run through their bodies? Did they think, “What kind of joy could an angel bring to shepherds like us—our lives are the same no matter what happens?”

How does the Good News of a Messiah bring joy to you? How would your life be different if the Messiah had never been born, or if you had never heard of the birth of Jesus?

PRAYER: Pray that I might feel in my soul and body how the news of a Messiah is joyful Good News for me. Amen