Leaning Into Fear
Scripture – Luke 2:8-14: 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
Reflection: Our contemporary Christmas images paint these angelic appearances as exciting experiences. We have the picture of a heavenly choir of some kind. The carols we sing sound joyful and safe.
Yet there was something in the appearance that first left the shepherds terrified. I’ve read elsewhere that angels are really fearsome beings. They can be quite intimidating. In the gospel stories the angels nearly always begin their message with, “Do not be afraid.”
Sometimes what turns out to be a glorious and joy-filled experience begins with fear. If I run away from that, I’ll miss the good stuff. One of the challenges is to lean into fear when it comes. There are times, to be sure, when fear is telling me I need to run away. There are also times when fear is simply the result of seeing or hearing something new. So I’ll avoid automatically running when I feel fear. I’ll remember what the shepherds would have missed if they all scattered that night. I’ll trust Christ to guide me and protect me as I move forward, even when I’m afraid.
A Bonus Observation: This passage also has the answer to a Bible trivia question: How many angels sang to the shepherds the night Christ was born? Now that you have the answer, ask some of your friends. See if they know.
An Invitation: A small group will be meeting this coming Sunday morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.
Reflection: Our contemporary Christmas images paint these angelic appearances as exciting experiences. We have the picture of a heavenly choir of some kind. The carols we sing sound joyful and safe.
Yet there was something in the appearance that first left the shepherds terrified. I’ve read elsewhere that angels are really fearsome beings. They can be quite intimidating. In the gospel stories the angels nearly always begin their message with, “Do not be afraid.”
Sometimes what turns out to be a glorious and joy-filled experience begins with fear. If I run away from that, I’ll miss the good stuff. One of the challenges is to lean into fear when it comes. There are times, to be sure, when fear is telling me I need to run away. There are also times when fear is simply the result of seeing or hearing something new. So I’ll avoid automatically running when I feel fear. I’ll remember what the shepherds would have missed if they all scattered that night. I’ll trust Christ to guide me and protect me as I move forward, even when I’m afraid.
A Bonus Observation: This passage also has the answer to a Bible trivia question: How many angels sang to the shepherds the night Christ was born? Now that you have the answer, ask some of your friends. See if they know.
An Invitation: A small group will be meeting this coming Sunday morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.
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