Glory to God

Glory to God

Introduction

There are those special moments in life where you experience something wonderful and spectacular. These moments have an impact on your memories of people and places and you hold them in your heart with fondness. For some people this is the day they got marries to the love of their life. For others maybe it was the day your child was born. Yet others, it may be some unique place you went to or you were part of some huge event. At any rate, in today’s story, there is a spectacular event that takes place and still to this day we still treasure this special story when our Savior came into the world to rescue humanity. Today is the day where we give glory to God for stepping into this world and taking on flesh so that we may be restored with God.

Trouble in the text

There is one group in this story who probably did not have a grand life. In fact, the shepherds in this story likely had a difficult life. Night after night and day after day, they tended their flocks. I am sure it was a thankless job they carried out. I don’t know about you but staying on guard for a flock must be tiresome work. You always had to keep your guard up for predators. You likely were held responsible if anything happened to the flock. Maybe these shepherds were guarding their own flocks or maybe someone else hired them to do so.

Where is their special fond memories? Where are their moments that they treasure dear in their hearts? I don’t know that tending the flocks creating much as far as special moments. People likely looked down on them because they were dirty shepherds who spent most their time with animals in the fields. In some ways, I don’t think it too much of a stretch that perhaps some days they wondered about their lot in life.

The shepherds were in a job watching over animals so people had food or materials to make other goods and services. I am sure they also might have had that same thought of where is God in the midst of this. Maybe they too needed a special moment with God or a special purpose to fulfill in life. Their moment came that night when they became the first heralds of the good news.

Trouble in the world

I think we can relate to that hunger and desire for something special in our life. We too want to have those special moments with God and to have a special purpose that we can fulfill.

When I look around myself and ask what is it people want in life? What motivates them to do what they do? It is easy to see in some people, there is a drive to succeed in life. In others, there is a desire to climb to the top, whatever that is for them (money, position of power, status in society, etc.). However, the things of this world so many chase after don’t satisfy that underlying desire for significance and truly feeling special in this world.

It is easy to become consumed by the world’s lures that promise significance and satisfaction. But where in all these things we chase after or become obsessed with bring glory to God? When we look at it that way, there is not a lot there to work with. Where is God in the midst of all these things and what should I make of it?

We too crave God’s attention and approval. We too want to find God working in us and through the things we do daily. And in some ways, yes, we also want to bring glory to God in what we do and say but we struggle to understand how.

Grace in the text

Lets go back to the shepherds story. Something special happened to them that did not happen except in very rare and specific circumstances. This was no battle. This was no marching to the promised land moment. This was no special dedication day like when the tabernacle or temple was completed. This was just another ordinary night and the angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone all around them. In some ways, I think of that as a peak into heaven. This angel announces to them the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord is born and is in Bethlehem. They are the first to receive the good news about Jesus’ birth.

If this was not incredible enough on its own, a host of angels appear singing “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors” (Luke 2:12). On top of hearing the good news they witness this chorus of angels praising God singing glory to God. They have witnessed the good news being declared. They have witnessed the choir of angels giving glory to God.

What are they to do with this incredible event? They want to go see the savior. They go to Bethlehem and witness to Mary and Joseph about what the angels had declared to them. They share this story and give glory to God for having seen and heard all they had.

Grace in our world

What an incredible story, right? I think in some ways we also want that special moment where God did something incredible and we were able to witness to others and give glory to God for what has been said and done.

However, maybe we are looking in the wrong way. We look for some grand event coming up or something spectacular that would measure up to this event. Yet, we miss the point if we try to anticipate it that way. I think in some ways, this mundane ordinary night in which the shepherds found themselves that night looked nothing different than most other nights.

I believe the same is true with us. When we keep focused on our daily work and stay rooted in God’s word and mission, then in the ordinary times, extraordinary events may happen. God’s grace is not limited to just the right circumstances and perhaps grace works even better when we don’t try to force those perfect conditions.

May we reflect on the way in which God’s grace works in the ordinary situation and may we see and hear God at work in our lives and in those around us. Perhaps it is also happening all the time in the small ways that we overlook.

One of my favorite traditions is candlelight services. What is special to me is the way in which one candle may night light up much space to the world around it but to the one holding the candle it is all the light that is needed. Yet when we join all of our candles together, the whole room is light up and we see clearly not only what is around us but what is around others as well. God’s grace works that way. The more we focus on the light God has placed in us the more we can start to see it in others as well. The more we see it in ourselves and others, the more glory we give to God for the powerful way grace is flowing into the world.