Luke 2:17-18 When
they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them
about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said
to them.
Whenever
I see a good movie, I like to share my delight with other people. I do it
because I want them to enjoy a similar satisfying experience. My wife Evelyn
and I enjoy going to the movies on a regular basis and it helps us to relate to
one another. Some of our first dates, before we got married, consisted in going
to the movies, so I guess we’re still sustaining that mutual interest and bond
that we share together.
Faith
is supposed to be like that, but because of keeping common courtesies and retaining
social boundaries, we’re not so inclined to share our faith with others. We’ll readily
tell people about a good book, great movie, or riveting new television series, but
when it comes to relating about an ‘ah ha’ moment in church last Sunday, we’ll probably
keep it to ourselves and inwardly reflect on it.
It’s
a shame that we do that because all sorts of people in our world, which is such
a broken place, need to hear about God’s presence still being felt in today’s
church. They want to know that God still reaches into the hearts and minds of
believers. They want to hear that in the midst of all the fear, anxiety, and
confusion around us, God is still in control. When the shepherds went back to
the hills after seeing the baby Jesus, they were singing, rejoicing, and
exuberant about the Good News they had personally experienced. As they told
their story to everyone they encountered, the people that they met were amazed.
Wouldn’t
the world be a wonderful place, if we allowed ourselves to share our joy in the
Lord?
Questions for personal reflection
What makes me
delighted to be a Christian? How can I share this with other people in my life?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are God’s
Gift to the world and we are joyful because You are constantly with us. Help us
to joyfully share the Good News of forgiveness and salvation with others. Prevent
us from keeping the blessings of the Gospel to ourselves. In Your Holy Name, we
pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If
you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.
Today’s
image is one of John’s digital glass Psalm drawings (Psalm 24). He has been
tentatively invited to present and display some of his Psalmic art in Dallas, Texas
this Fall. If you would like to view the Psalms art project online, please click
on the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/sets/72157603288751629/
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