O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Christians know that the Christmas story involves a group of shepherds near the little town of Bethlehem on that first Christmas so long ago. It is no accident that the angels appeared to the shepherds, because they were very important in the history of Israel. [1]

Abraham, the earliest ancestor of the Israeli people, was a shepherd, just like Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the other patriarchs. Moses, the great deliverer and a leading prophet until Christ, despite being educated in Pharaoh’s court, spent his years of preparation tending to his father-in-law Jethro’s sheep. Shepherding was deeply rooted in Israel’s heritage, much as making, programming, selling, and repairing computers and software are part of American life today.

The life of a shepherd was difficult due to the need for sheep to be defended, led, and protected, as well as fed. The job was filled with boring, routine tasks, including finding the sheep’s food and water and keeping them safe. If animals wandered away, shepherds were responsible for finding them. If the sheep were in danger, shepherds were duty-bound to rescue them—though poor shepherds often ran away (John 10:11-13).

The image of a leader as a shepherd has deeply shaped Israel’s history and traditions. David, celebrated as the greatest king, was actually a shepherd in his early days. The idea of the ‘King as Shepherd,’ from the story of David—the “Shepherd of Israel” (Ps. 78:70-72)—holds a special place in Jewish literature and history. David, a young shepherd from Bethlehem, was sent by his father to meet King Saul and unexpectedly ended up fighting a giant. Through his courage, he became Israel’s most revered warrior and king.

If David had the integrity and skill that God called for in Israel’s leaders, his successors generally fell short. God held Israel’s leaders accountable for neglecting their duty to care for the flock because they were self-centered and morally flawed shepherds (Jeremiah 23:1-4). Truly virtuous shepherds should be vigilant protectors of the flock, committed to gathering and caring for God’s people, and attentive to the needs of the sheep entrusted to them. Sadly, after David, Israel’s leaders did not pass this important test (Ezekiel 34:1-5).

By the time Jesus was born, shepherds weren’t seen as very important. As Israel became more advanced and wealthier, and as leaders in religion, business, and other areas gained influence, the role of an ordinary shepherd became less attractive. Sheep can be quite dirty and don’t smell very pleasant, which made it difficult for shepherds to stay clean or avoid ritual uncleanliness—something that was important in Jewish customs. Over time, shepherds went from being respected members of the community to doing more manual work. That’s exactly the kind of people the angels visited that night. They were hardworking men who endured long years of tending sheep in the heat of summer and the cold of winter.

A Shepherd’s Adventure

Nevertheless, the shepherds of Israel always remembered David, just as we think of George Washington today. They also cherished the promises in the Torah about a new kind of Shepherd, a “Good Shepherd,” who would someday lead Israel. While they believed that God himself would become this shepherd, as the prophets said (Ezekiel 34:11), they never imagined it would happen in their own lifetimes.

1. 1. God meets us right where we are. Back in the day, the Jewish people, even during Jesus’ time, practiced animal sacrifices. They often offered sheep to seek God’s forgiveness for their sins and for many other reasons too. It took a lot of sheep to keep the Temple in Jerusalem supplied. Some farmers, who probably had contracts with shepherds, likely supplied these sheep. Their fields were perhaps close to Bethlehem, just a few miles from Jerusalem, where the Temple was. The shepherds mentioned in Luke were tending their sheep in those fields that very night.

I suppose it was just an ordinary night, like the nights they had experienced a thousand times before. They weren’t doing anything particularly religious. In fact, like men everywhere, they were most likely together, telling stories about their wives and girlfriends and dreaming of getting back home and out of the cold.

Why did angels appear to these shepherds? It’s because God often surprises us in ways we never expect. He doesn’t always show up in our plans, but that’s what makes discovering Him so exciting and special. No matter where we are, God always finds us, ready to meet us right where we are. Remember, your own journey of faith can begin right here, right now, with an open heart and a hopeful spirit.

2. A Strange Light. In the quiet of the night, the shepherds suddenly noticed a beautiful light shining from the sky. It was unlike any light they’d ever seen—brighter than the sun yet gentle, not hurting their eyes. This was the glorious light of heaven, the Uncreated Light of God. In that luminous glow, they saw a figure and recognized it as an angel, filling them with awe and wonder.

People often wonder, “How did they know it was an angel?” My only reply is that if you ever meet an angel, you’ll recognize it right away. The word “angel” means a messenger from God, and angels always have a message to share—that’s why God sends them. In this case, the angel had a special message: “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy to all people, for today is born to you in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

If you’re like me, you might hear those Christmas words so often that they start to blend into the background. It can bring a warm glow and make you think, “Oh, it’s Christmas!” But the shepherds probably experienced a very different reaction. When they heard about the Messiah’s birth, they were genuinely surprised and filled with joy—more than just a little happiness—because they believed the Messiah would restore the kingdom of David. And when the angel called this “good news to all people” (v. 10), the shepherds might have initially felt a bit confused, thinking that the birth of the Messiah was mainly good news for the Jewish people, and not necessarily for others, especially the Romans and Herod, who was the ruler at that time.

            Many of us struggle to fully grasp God’s messages. Sometimes I also struggle to understand what God is saying or doing in certain situations. We all read the Bible, but there are many parts that can be confusing, especially when we read about ancient kings and prophets. Most first-century Jews believed that God would send a savior, but that’s where their understanding stopped. They probably never imagined what kind of savior it would be. Many thought of the Messiah as a mighty warrior and king, expecting Him to come from a wealthy or powerful family. But they often overlooked that David was a humble shepherd boy when God called him. Like us, they sometimes misunderstand the prophecies of the “Suffering Servant” in Isaiah.

Maybe you get confused when you try to read your Bible, and maybe God does not always make sense to you. Personally, I think that is O.K. The important thing is to keep reading and trying to understand. Reading and hearing God’s word in the Bible and trying to apply it to our lives are part of the “Adventure of Faith.”

3. We Must Experience the Good News for Ourselves. The angel told the shepherds they could expect a sign, that they would “find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (v. 13). This probably didn’t seem like much of a sign at the time. Almost all babies in their culture were wrapped in swaddling clothes, so there was nothing unusual about that. The manger was a bit unusual, but shepherds were an agricultural people and had probably seen other babies in just as silly a place while parents worked around the barn. The most unusual thing was that a barn was a completely ridiculous place to find a king. (I am sure you would agree.) One would expect a king to be born in a palace.

All of a sudden, the shepherds saw a host of angels singing, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and goodwill toward those with whom God is pleased” (v.14). Then, just as unexpectedly as they had come, the angels left. They were all alone in a cold field in the middle of the night.

After the angels left, the shepherds excitedly began sharing their amazing experience. The leader of their small group, who was caring for the sheep, likely wanted to stay and keep everyone safe, showing his wise instincts. He might have been worried that if they headed into town, a wolf or lion could pose a danger to the flock. Still, everyone was eager and hurried into town, curious about what awaited them.

Today, you can go to Bethlehem and see a field where legend says we were keeping sheep that night. It is about a mile out of town, so it took us about 20 minutes in the dark to walk there. Once we were there, we had to search for a stable. We found one in a small cave on the hillside behind an inn. There is a Greek Orthodox Cathedral on the spot, the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest Christian churches in the entire world! According to tradition, this is where the shepherds found Mary and Joseph and their newborn child.

 I often wonder what life might have been like if those shepherds had stayed in the fields that special night instead of heading into the city. Here in our country, we celebrate Christmas with so much joy—exchanging thoughtful gifts, shopping, and carefully selecting the perfect presents for loved ones. But the very first Christmas was much simpler and more meaningful. Hearing the angel’s message and visiting Baby Jesus filled the shepherds’ hearts with wonder. I truly believe that if we take a quiet moment to reflect on that story and allow the presence of Jesus to touch our lives—and the lives of our children—it can become even more special. Remember, even if you hear the story on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, it’s truly meaningful when you personally visit the manger and invite Jesus into your heart, where He can touch you deeply.

Conclusion

History doesn’t tell us exactly what happened after the shepherds left the manger. We only know they went home, filled with joy and gratitude, saying they were ‘glorifying and praising God for all the things we had seen” (v. 20). As Jesus grew up, people responded in different ways—some as devoted followers, recognizing him as a great teacher and miracle-worker; others turned against him when he was crucified; and a few finally understood his significance after God raised him from the dead. It was then that the importance of the shepherds’ visit became clear. Being among those tending the temple flocks that night meant more than a simple act—it pointed to something special. We saw not only the “Chief Shepherd of the sheep” (I Peter 5:4) but also “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), highlighting how meaningful that moment was. [2]

What glorifies God in the end is that all of us who have really seen the Babe can or want to do – glorify and praise God, for he does things none of us can imagine. You know what? Telling the story of Jesus to others is the greatest adventure in the world!

Copyright 2025, G. Christopher Scruggs, All Rights Reserved

[1] The description is based on a portion of my dissertation. See, G. Christopher Scruggs, Patterns and Practices for Renewing Mainline Congregations: Case Studies from the Presbytery of Memphis (Unpublished Dissertation, 2004), 31-35. It was also the subject of a first-person sermon I gave some years ago at Christmas in Memphis, TN.

[2] See Barclay, at 17.

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and as our sins sorely hinder us from running the race set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, towhom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen

One of these days, I am going to get around to reading all of Jurgen Moltmann’s Theology of Hope.[1] In this book, at one point, he makes an essential point for contemporary Christians:

If it is hope that maintains and upholds faith and keeps it moving on, if it is hope that draws the believer into the life of love, then it will also be hope that is the mobilizing and driving force of faith’s thinking, of its knowledge of, and reflections on, human nature, history and society. Faith hopes in order to know what it believes. Hence all its knowledge will be an anticipatory, fragmentary knowledge forming a prelude to the promised future, and as such is committed to hope. [2]

The hope we celebrate at Christmas is exactly this kind of hope. We cannot prove beyond a shadow of a doubt to a skeptical world that God became human. We cannot prove against all odds that faith is superior to skepticism, that love is more powerful than hate, or that the wisdom of the cross is wiser than the wisdom of human beings or AI engines.

The ancient Jews could not prove to one another that God was faithful even in the midst of attacks by larger and more powerful world powers. What the prophets did do was look far into the future to God’s promises. One of those promises we celebrate at Christmas comes from the prophet Isaiah:

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this (Isaiah 9:6-7).

This and other promises followed the ancient Jews throughout their long history of defeat and captivity by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Medo-Persians, Greeks, and Romans. They did not always or even typically understand the promise of God’s deliverance. They did not always or even normally experience that deliverance. But they read these words at the synagogue, they shared them with their children, and they lived in the hope they found in the unfulfilled promises of God.

The Moral Passion of Christmas

Christ and the earliest Christians explained the meaning of the incarnation in terms of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah. It was from Isaiah that Jesus and the Apostles taught:

Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself (Luke 24:26-27, see also Luke 18:31-34; 22:37; 24:44-47; Acts 28: 23-28; I Peter 1:10-11).

The Jews expected a Messiah who would give them victory over their oppressors in their national history—a Messiah who would be a great conqueror, hero, and king. Instead, they received a crucified Messiah who ruled in weakness and powerlessness upon a cross, defeating the enemies of evil, division, and death in a way that no one could have imagined. This was the “foolishness of the Cross” of which Paul spoke to the Corinthians:

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (I Corinthians 1:18-25).

A key need in modern American politics is for both the left and right to realize that a perfect society cannot exist in human history. We are limited, flawed beings who cannot achieve such a goal, even if it were possible—which it is not. The creation of a perfect society is beyond what flawed humans can accomplish. Additionally, we are driven by endless hopes and dreams and are never content with any achievement, no matter how significant. All we can do is respond to the needs and issues of our time and try to improve things within the boundaries of our place in history, steering clear of the chaos and violence that come with every effort to impose a perfect order on others in history.

We can and should long for a “Wonderful Counselor” and “Prince of Peace,” whose shoulders are strong enough to bear the brokenness of the world and the hopes and dreams of a finite and flawed human race. Still, we should not delude ourselves that such a person can appear within the history of any secular, human society. He came once, and it was not to produce a secular paradise. It was to bear the brokenness of his and every human culture. When Christ comes, human history will not “enter a new secular phase.” Human history will be over and something different and grander will begin.

His next appearance will, instead, mark the end of history as we know it. His coming will not mean a perfect socialist or capitalist world, for whatever world exists at that final moment in time will pass away in the face of the “New Heaven and New Earth” of which Isaiah and Revelation speak. The world we inhabit with all its beauty, glory, uncertainty and violence must pass away when the one who can meet our deepest desires, the Desire of Nations, finally arrives.

In the meantime, what we can do is given to us by one of the prophets when he said:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

Conclusion

What can be achieved within history is what I would call a humble politics of wisdom and love, of nurturing slow organic change; of eliminating evils gently, even when working with diligence and speed; of patiently working to end poverty and war and all the other scourges of the human race with a wise understanding that we will ultimately fail, because the creation of a perfect world is a task too great for our limited human moral and spiritual abilities. “The poor will always be with us” and “Only the dead will never now war again.” This is the tragedy of history.

I hope by the end of next year we will all recognize that the Romantic hope of a perfect world within history that gave us the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the Communist Chinese Revolution and numerous bad policy decisions in the Western Democracies was based upon a harmful delusion concerning the possibilities and potentials of secular politics. What is needed is not a continuation of the Nietzschean, Marxist, or Laisse Faire Capitalist ideal, but something new and different. When we finally end the period of decadent, Hyper-Modernity we are in, there is hope for a more human future.

Jesus and the Apostles urged us not to look to the worldly wise or the worldly powerful for our salvation. Instead, as we celebrate this week, they suggested that we look at a baby born in a manger and at a broken body nailed to a cross. We do not want to think that our true hope lies in a poor, helpless baby in a manger or a dying man, but paradoxically, this is our best and only hope.[3]

Copyright 2025, G. Christopher Scruggs, All Rights Reserved

[1] Jurgen Moltmann, Theology of Hope (Minneapolis MN: Fortress Press, 1993).

[2] I found the quote at https://www.logos.com/product/43568/theology-of-hope-on-the-ground-and-the-implications-of-a-christian-eschatology(downloaded December 8, 2025).

[3] This post was a fairly substantial rewrite of a sermon prepared for Advent Presbyterian Church in Cordova, Tennessee several ears ago.

Holy, Powerful, Savior God: We praise you for though we doubt and become depressed, you are faithful, though we forget your mercies past, you never cease to show us mercy. Though we often lack the joy of your presence, you are always present to bring us joy. In Jesus Name, We Pray, Amen.

One unfortunate result of growing old and having many responsibilities is that it can rob us of the joy of Christmas. When we were young, the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day were filled with a kind of magical anticipation. My brother and I looked forward to Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. We wrote letters to Santa Claus. We went shopping with Mom and Dad. We helped decorate the house and the church. We were filled with the joy of anticipation as we knew Christmas was right around the corner.

            Every Home Improvement Project I’ve ever undertaken has a similar character: at the beginning, it seems impossible. Then, you begin to sense progress. From there on, the project picks up steam, and you don’t feel so hopeless. There is a growing sense of joy. The Gospels tell us the story of God’s World Improvement Project – the coming of the Savior, the Messiah, the Christ. In this meditation, I want to talk about the growing senser of joy, a moment of joy near the beginning of the project, the moment when Mary and Elizabeth were captured by the Holy Spirit and anticipated the happy end—and how that growing sense of joy can be ours.

            In Luke 1:39-55, the writer tells the story of a hurried trip that Mary made to visit with her cousin Elizabeth during her pregnancy. It goes like this:

 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”

Joy is a Major Theme of Scripture

Some years ago, I started coloring in orange whenever the words “joy” or “rejoice” appeared in Scripture. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I had overlooked a major theme in scripture. The theme of joy and the joy that God’s presence brings to our lives recurs throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Last week, I mentioned that the peace God offers isn’t the kind secular society often expects. Similarly, the joy that God provides isn’t just the kind of happiness that comes from being successful in life. The joy discussed in the scriptures is the joy of the Lord.

Joy in the scriptures connotes more than a mere emotion. It combines a sense of happiness with a state of blessedness. In the Old Testament, joy is the characteristic of public excitement at times of festival (Deut. 12:6ff.), which is similar to what we refer to as the joy of Christmas. It is also a word used to express relief when an individual had a grievance which he could bring to the Temple for settlement or when Israel is victorious over its enemies (Ps. 43: 4). This too is a kind of earthly pragmatic joy.

Joy is a prominent element in Luke’s gospel (2: 10; 19: 37). In Luke’s gospel, angels visit shepherds with a message of joy:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:8-14, emphasis added).

The birth of the Messiah was the occasion of great joy and the announcement of a great joy that would change the world. The Messiah Israel had expected and prayed for for a millennium had finally been born.

There are several places in Scripture where the characteristic of joy is ascribed to Christ. Jesus is the shepherd who “rejoices” at finding one lost and straying sheep (Matthew 18:13). Jesus is filled with joy when the disciples return from their test mission to share the gospel without Jesus present. Luke records that,

“In that same hour he [Jesus] rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will” (Luke 10:21, emphasis added).

In Hebrews, we learn that it was for “the joy that was set before him” that Jesus could endure the cross—a joy that we should have when we face difficulties:

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:1-3, emphasis added).

Paul teaches that joy should be the natural fruit of the presence of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit when he lists joy as a fruit of the Spirit:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25, emphasis added).

This leads to a hard teaching about the kind of joy that Christians can expect: It is not necessarily a joy that eliminates suffering. Instead, it is an anticipated joy that endures suffering with an expectation of its redemption by God. Living by the Spirit did not eliminate the cross from Jesus’ life and experience. Living by the Spirit will not have a different impact on our lives either.

Joy in Uncertain Times

When Mary was filled with joy at the announcement of Elizabeth’s blessing for her child, she was in a period of uncertainty. It’s been my guess over the years that one of the reasons Mary went to visit. Elizabeth had to do with the wagging tongues of Nazareth. She was pregnant without a full completion of her marriage. Beyond that, she probably had plenty to worry about. We know that Joseph was pondering whether or not he should divorce her or put her aside because of her pregnancy. We also know that she was living in an occupied country with plenty of political instability. In the midst of all that uncertainty, she was filled with joy at the promises of God—and specifically the promise that the promises of God to her country were going to be fulfilled in her.

What we today call the “Magnificat” is filled with anticipation that God’s promises will be met. Those who have abused their power will be cast down. Those who have been trampled underfoot will be lifted up. Those who have been poor will find their needs met. Sometimes scholars call this the “Great Reversal.” Maybe it’s better to think of it as the Great Consequence of God’s Mighty Acts in history. God is in the business of bringing justice into the world.

We live in uncertain times. From 1900 to the 21^st century, Americans lived through an era of unprecedented economic growth. The United States also became the world’s leading power and largest economy. We’ve all enjoyed the results. Because of the great oceans on either side of our continent, there was little chance of an enemy invading successfully. After the scourge of the Civil War and the end of slavery, America became a great industrial power. By World War I, we were potentially the most powerful nation on earth, and by the end of World War II, we were.

However, history progresses, and times are changing. The modern world we were all born into and have lived most of our lives in is coming to an end, and a new chapter of human history is beginning—one we often call “postmodernity.” I don’t believe that’s the right term, because it simply means after modernity. Without assigning a specific name, I hope this period will be one in which the human race rediscovers ancient truths and the eternal need for humility and recognition of our human limits.

Perhaps even more disturbingly, the American Century (20^th), and there is every sign that the United States has both reached a limit and lost confidence in its unique place in history. Being the world’s greatest power is not unique—a lot of nations have held that honor and lost it, most recently Great Britain. No nation gets to be top dog forever.

The result is change and uncertain times—uncertain times that will certainly last for a long time to come. If we are going to find true joy, we cannot find it in creating or trying to create a world without uncertainty. We must find our joy within a world of uncertainty.

Welcoming Christ and Christmas with Joy

In the meantime, it’s the Christmas season. It’s a season in which we anticipate that great joy of which the angels spoke. We even experience some of that great joy if we join with all of those who are celebrating the mysterious birth of Israel’s Messiah and the beginning of the new age of Christ. We can invite our neighbors to experience just a little bit of that joy.

I live in a fairly secular part of town. Most of my shopping is at stores that my neighbors frequent. Fewer than half of them ever go to a church service, and many don’t believe in God. But I see smiling faces in the checkout lines, as if the joy of Christmas can reach even the coldest human heart. That’s worth remembering. We can share our source of joy as we join in the happiness of our friends, coworkers, and neighbors, without insisting they think or believe as we do before we share the joy they already know and understand at this stage in their lives.

Sharing Christmas joy with others is not the ultimate or even the most important part of the season for Christians. Here, we celebrate the coming into the world of the source of all joy, and even a special kind of joy to be shared by his followers. In retirement, I do not miss spending Christmas Eve conducting three or more services from late afternoon until 1:00 am the next day. Still, I vividly remember singing “Silent Night” at midnight and experiencing just a bit of the joy the angels announced in that first Christmas Carol ever sung.

Copyright 2025, G. Christopher Scruggs, All Rights Reserved

As I mentioned last year. we have family and friends in Israel. For more than two years, I have checked the news many times a day, following the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. I have also followed the conflict in Ukraine, where thousands of Ukrainians and Russians have died in a historic border dispute.[1] For the past year and more, we have all been waiting for peace in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. We were, of course, happy for the people of Israel and Lebanon when a cease-fire was announced. We hope for a peace agreement in Ukraine as well. However, the Bible warns us that “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” (Matthew 24:6). I have often quoted the notion that “only the dead will never know war again.”[2]

Watching for a Prince of Peace

The ancient Jews were not a particularly warlike people, and the size, strategic location, and vulnerability of their land meant that foreign powers often attacked them. For most of their history, they were a conquered people: by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Medo-Persians, Greeks, and Romans. They saw a lot of war during their history, and most of the time they experienced it as a conquered and helpless people. They longed for peace and believed that the peace they longed for would be created by a deliverer they called “the Anointed One” or “Messiah,” which in Greek is translated “Christ.” The Messiah would be anointed by the Holy Spirit in such a way as to liberate captive Israel.

One of the most familiar Christmas passages is from Isaiah:

For to us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Israel thought of their Messiah in political and military terms. At Christmas, we celebrate the arrival of that Prince of Peace and anticipate the final victory of his peace over the forces that limit and destroy human flourishing. Yet, the arrival of the Prince of Peace did not bring the kind peace that Israel desired nor does it bring the kind of “power-peace” we humans today often desire. This is why Jesus, when he promised his disciples peace, did not promise the kind of peace the world seeks (John 14:27).

The Peace We Seek

Old Testament scholars helpfully remind us that the passage from Isaiah was not written in a time of peace but in a time of war. Isaiah probably believed that the newborn child of the current Israeli king would be the anticipated Messiah/Savior. He would bring the kind of peace won through military force that David achieved. Indeed, one meaning of peace in the Old Testament (and today) is the absence of conflict based on the victory of one side. It is very possible that this is the kind of peace Isaiah anticipated.

However, scholars remind us that the meaning of “shalom,” the Hebrew word for peace, goes far beyond simply the absence of conflict. It signifies “wholeness and completeness,” a state where all aspects of human flourishing—physical, mental, moral, spiritual, and social—are in harmony. In ancient Hebrew, if someone asked, “Is your family Shalom?” they meant, “Is your family okay?” Just as today, they would not be asking, “Has your family stopped fighting?” Instead, they wanted to know, “Is your family doing well?” Therefore, shalom encompasses well-being in every part of life.[3]

If the Messiah had merely been a military leader, perhaps a bit more moral than David but fundamentally “David on Steroids,” he would not have brought Israel the kind of shalom God wants for the world. He would have brought victory and cessation of hostilities. In order to give the human race the hope of victory over all that inhibits human flourishing and happiness, God had to send a very different sort of Messiah.

Personal and Social Shalom

We need the shalom (peace) that goes beyond just the absence of conflict. We need a shalom that includes personal wholeness and well-being. Social scientists tell us that human flourishing involves several components, such as:

• A feeling of well-being
• A sense of meaning and purpose in life
• Economic security
• Mental and physical health
• A sense of integrity and virtue
• Close and meaningful social relationships
• An absence of personal and social conflict.[4]

This list reminds us that there is much more to shalom than an end to fighting. We human beings are social animals. We need close, healthy, non-conflicted social relationships; without them, we wither on the vine of life. As a pastor, I have observed that healthy relationships characterize happy families. On the other hand, dysfunctional families are often characterized by unhealthy relationships. People who grow up in unhealthy families are wounded by the dysfunction they experience as children. These wounds can take decades to cure—and sometimes, they are never cured.[5]

As a pastor, I have also often noted that healthy relationships among and between members characterize happy, growing churches. The same phenomenon is true in business and other organizations. When human relationships among people are or become dysfunctional, there is a lack of health and wholeness, and everyone suffers. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit can work within our spirit to restore the wholeness for which we were intended—which is one of the primary roles of the Christian church. In addition, those who are touched by the spirit can act has vehicles to increase shalom and human flourishing in every situation of which they are a part.

When Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Shalom-makers), he means a lot more than “Blessed are those who engage in transnational peacemaking.” He means, “Blessed are all those who enter any situation, personal or social, in which human beings are not experiencing the wholeness for which they were created and work to restore health and wholeness.” This blessedness of true shalom is one of the primary fruits of faith in Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and the healing and restoring power of the Holy Spirit. God wants this not just in politics or in the church, but in every single relationship human beings have.

Jesus does not promise us the absence of conflict in this world. The words, “I come to bring not peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:24), alert us that conflict may be the price we pay for a better, fuller, more humane peace. God also does not promise disciples success in the endeavor of peacemaking. Instead he promises us the same kind of cross he endured in this own mission of peace.

Jesus as our Peace

Near the end of John, Jesus warns his disciples about the peace or shalom he came to provide. “Peace I give you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let your hearts not be troubled nor be afraid” (John 14:27). Jesus warns his disciples that the peace, shalom, wholeness, and flourishing that he will provide is not the “personal peace, pleasure, and affluence” that the secular world seeks and its apostles promise. It is a deeper, richer, and more lasting peace that sickness, age, disease, and death cannot take away. It is ultimately faith in God, forgiveness of past wrongs, peace with God, and the feeling that one is within God’s will.

In his gospel, Luke records that, after Jesus was born, angels visited sheperhds who were watching their flocks by night (Luke 2:13). When they appeared, the sang  or spoke a divine message:

 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:13-14).

We often sentimentalize this verse as a promise of peace on earth no matter what we do by the sheer power of God. Unfortunately, this is not the best reading of the text. It is not “Peace no matter what.” It is peace to those who respond to God’s gracious favor of peace in all their relationships. [6] It is a peace for those who live in this peace and share it with others. This is the shalom we celebrate on Christmas Eve when we hear the angels sing, “Peace on earth, Goodwill to men.” Jesus is a peace that will transform the world as it becomes our peace, which we share daily in relationships of love with others.

Copyright 2025, G. Christopher Scruggs, All Rights Reserved

[1] This is a reworking of a blog I did last year with more information and depth.

[2] The quote is attributed to Plato, in General Douglas MacArthur’s farewell address to the cadets at West Point (May, 1962). It is also attributed to Plato in the movie Patton. Patton. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring George C. Scott and Karl Malden, 20th Century Fox, 1970. Finally, the source of the quote may be the philosopher George Santanya. In the entry on George Santayana in the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy on the Web, one can read: “Santayana’s stay in Oxford during the Great War led to his famous counter to Wilson’s war to end all wars: ‘Only the dead have seen the end of war.‘ (Soliloquies in England and Later Soliloquies, 102). Whatever the source, I think the thought is probably correct.

[3] See, Donald E. Gowan, Shalom: A Study of the Biblical Concept of Peace (Pittsburg, PA: Creative Edge, 1984). This helpful study was a part of the Kerygma Bible study program sponsored by the Presbyterian church some years ago. This study was central in preparing this blog.

[4] This particular section of the blog is dependent upon research done by the so-called “flourishing initiative” being led by researchers out of Harvard. The Human Flourishing Program at Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science (IQSS) seeks to carry out research and teaching to bridge the empirical social sciences with the humanities on topics related to human flourishing. See, for example, the Flourish Initiative at https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu/.

[5] I do not want to indicate at all that every emotional scar indicates a dysfunctional family, as all families have some dysfunction. Nor do I want to suggest that these emotional scars from childhood cannot be cured. They can. See, Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality updated ed (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017). Today, the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and Relationship Courses are available as the “Emotionally Healthy Disciples Course,” which includes books, study guides, teaching videos, devotional guides, and teaching helps. Finally, for leaders, the following can be helpful. Peter Scazzero, The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform your Church, Team, and World (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017).

[6] William Hendriksen, “Luke” in New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1978), 156.

Eternal God: You are beyond our words and our understanding, yet have revealed yourself to us in Holy Scripture and in the person of Your Beloved Son, Jesus the Christ. Come by the power of Your Spirit this morning that we might be filled with a desire to listen to Your voice and live according to Your leading, even at the price of taking time out from our busy activities to await Your coming in silence, solitude, and prayer. This we ask in your Precious Name. Amen.

            A Pausing our Busyness

When I was doing my doctorate, I was asked to read a little book by Robert Benson, a writer from Nashville, titled “Living Prayer.” [1] It is the story of one man’s journey into a life formed by prayer, silence and solitude. Benson is a Christian, though not a religious professional. I have used a quote from his book as the meditation for the day: “We take our place in the race and watch our lives disappear in the daily grind. We rush through the present toward some future that is supposed to be better, but generally turns out only to be busier”. [2] For Robert Benson, the realization that he was not centered in God in his day-to-day life was the beginning of an adventure, a spiritual adventure of learning to live his life around habits of prayer, silence, and solitude.

This Advent season, Kathy and I are focusing our attention on listening for God. Both of us are relentlessly busy and active people, and slowing down to hear God does not come naturally. But, after eight weeks of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship and its constant reminder that what is most needed in contemporary American life is a “slowed down spirituality,” we decided to spend the next four weeks being more contemplative.[3]

            Most of us live busy lives, with jobs, spouses, children, schools, after school activities, parents and the like for which we must care. This is important, for as our mission statement reminds us, we exist to share God’s love with others as we have seen it in Jesus Christ. There is, however, a trap in all this activity. If we are not careful, what begins as a well-intentioned sharing of God’s love by supporting our families and caring for their physical, emotional and spiritual needs becomes just another activity or group of activities without a meaningful center in God or God’s will for our lives and theirs.

            It is important to live an active Christian life by demonstrating God’s wisdom and love to others in practical, everyday ways. However, it is also crucial to take time to pause, meditate, and reflect on God and His will, so that we can be drawn more deeply into His heart and become more of who God wants us to be. The ancient Jews waited nearly 500 years for their Messiah—500 years of prayer and silence. During Advent, we begin by remembering the patient waiting of God’s people.

Christmas is Busy and Our Lives are Busy

            I want to start with just one verse from Mark: “When it was early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus went off to a solitary place to pray” (Mark 1:35). For those unfamiliar with Mark, the first chapter shows a busy series of activities by Jesus. Then, he takes time to pray. Jesus made time to pray even on the busiest days. If Jesus could find time to pray, this Christmas, maybe we can too.

I know Christian pastors who dread the arrival of Christmas. There are so many activities and services that we often lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas—and gradually disconnect from the Divine Love that brings the joy of the season. Interestingly, I’ve also spoken with laypeople who feel the same way from time to time. During one Christmas season, I was visiting a member who had been caught up in a continuous stream of busy days and nights leading up to the holidays. He was completely exhausted by the time Christmas arrived.

            For most of us, our busy Christmases reflect our busy lives. Robert Benson expresses this in his book:

Our work has become almost everything to us. Our lives are built around it, and the fruits of it. Productivity, success, and efficiency have become the watchwords of the day. It is no wonder that our days seem very often to be devoid of meaning. At best, they are built around about a fourth of who we are. It is not necessarily the work itself that is killing us; it is the way we give it such meaning and power and control over our lives. [4]

            One reason I chose to leave the practice of law was a growing sense that I was merely going through the motions, and that much of what I was doing was often more or less meaningless. I often tell a story about a day in Washington, D.C., when I was negotiating a transaction for a client. We had been working endless days and nights on this deal. One morning, we debated a very abstract point of merger law, and the discussion had gone on for a very long time. Suddenly, I realized it really did not matter who won the debate. That made me think: “I am spending twelve hours a day, nights, and weekends on things that might not matter at all in the grand scheme of things.” My life had become a never-ending cycle of meaningless activity.

            Now, don’t get me wrong: our customers and clients matter. Contracts matter. Doing our best matters. Serving people matters. The point is that sometimes we focus on all the little things that matter to the exclusion of the things that truly matter most.

            It is comforting to know that Jesus was busy too. In the first chapter of his gospel, Mark records Jesus’s activities from his baptism until the verses I read just a moment ago. In the first chapter of Mark, Jesus is depicted as constantly active. Once he was baptized in the Jordan River and began his public ministry, Jesus chose his disciples and started teaching, preaching, casting out demons, and healing the sick. If we read the Gospels carefully, we see Jesus continually busy with the Father’s work.

Now, the kinds of things Jesus did might differ from what you and I do, but the same issues could have occurred in Jesus’s life as occur in ours: He might have just been doing things. Jesus could have ended up like many people in caring professions in our country—burned out from doing good. The reality is that, as many studies have shown, caring professionals are especially at risk of burnout. Pastors are leaving the ministry at unprecedented rates. Jesus did not burn out because He took time to maintain His connection with God the Father.

Time for Prayer and Rest

            If we want balanced lives, we need to make time to think, pray, plan, and be silent alone with God. This is how we grow close to God and not just do good things, but do what God truly desires. We can learn from how Jesus maintained a life of constant loving activity. Jesus took time for silence, solitude, prayer, and reflection. The key to Jesus’ activity is found in moments of stillness. His ability to do God’s will depends on the time he spent alone in prayer. Jesus understood that while activity is important, it is even more crucial to do the right things at the right times. Often, good is the enemy of the best, and those who do too much too often miss out on the best that God offers and only experience the good.

Taking Time to Listen

            For just a few moments, I want to suggest some things we can all do to ensure we are doing what God wants us to do and avoid just busywork that leads to burnout. I want to divide these into daily times of silence, solitude, and prayer; weekly times of silence, solitude, and prayer; and less frequent but still critical times of silence, solitude, and prayer.

First, all of us need daily times of silence, solitude, and prayer. We need to take time out daily to think, to pray, to be quiet and to recharge our batteries. This can and should involve some kind of morning quiet time, but it also needs to involve other times during the day when we stop doing and take time to just be. In particular, at the end of each day, we need to take stock or what we have done and left undone.  An Episcopalian named John McQuiston has written a book, Always We Begin Again, which many people have found useful. [5] In his book, McQuiston takes the Rule of St. Benedict and creates a kind of order for living that he uses in his profession and that others in our congregation find useful. However we do it, we need to find ways to create a balanced life.

Second, we need accountability. Then, weekly, we need to find time to pray and hold ourselves accountable. Several of the men in one of my congregations met at 8:30 every Saturday morning to share our lives and pray. Most of those meetings consisted of sharing experiences of worship, daily devotional study, experiencing Christ personally, and acting as Christ’s hands and feet in the community. [6] Our group happened to be a Reunion Group, but there are many, many different ways for one, two or a few people to get together and share their lives briefly each week. This can be done as a couple, as a two men or women meeting together, or in slightly larger groups. These kinds of groups should not be too large or the time commitment to share deeply gets to be too great.

Third, we need some time in solitude and reflection. Once or twice a year, we need to take time out to be silent, to be alone, to pray and think about where we are going in the year to come. If you are fortunate, you have a place to go for solitude. However, it can be as simple as walking into your bedroom and shutting the door. In a few weeks, most of us will have a bit of time to celebrate the coming of a New Year. This is a good time to take a few moments or hours, turn off the electronic media and take stock of where we have been in the year past and where we are going in the year to come. Perhaps one of the benefits of doing this for just a few moments in a quiet room will be to convince some of us that we need to take more time to think, listen and to pray and grow closer to God.

During my time in ministry, I aimed to take a solitary retreat for at least three days each year—and most years I managed to do so. Usually, I visited a retreat center where I could have three meals, a place to sleep, and areas for prayer. Toward the end of my professional career, my annual retreat was often held at a Catholic retreat center near where our family used to spend the holidays. I found that Thanksgiving week was the best time in my schedule.

Conclusion

            One year, on December 7^th (my father’s birthday and Pearl Harbor remembrance day), during one of the busiest periods at our church, I went on a two-day silent retreat. Although we are all busy, much of what we do is busy work. So, when I was asked to attend this retreat, I decided to go away just to gain some perspective on Christmas, the church, where Advent might need to head in the next year, and what Chris needed to do in the upcoming year. This was not the first silent retreat I’ve attended—and I hope it will not be the last.

I committed to this weeks ago, and it didn’t get any easier as the retreat day approached. (I also had to tolerate teasing from the staff, who doubted I could stay quiet that long.) The goal was to find a place where the phone didn’t ring, where email and texts weren’t accessible, and where DirecTV was unavailable. Then, after disconnecting from all the noise that surrounds us most of the time, I was to listen for God. Although I’ve brought books on retreats before, I try to limit myself to a Bible and my journal because all I wanted was to spend a couple of days listening for God, listening for that still small voice we can’t hear if we are surrounded by sound and information.

The point was not to become a monk. I had no intention of becoming a monk. The point was not to ignore my family. I had every intention of returning home in time to take care of those responsibilities. The point was not to ignore the needs of the church. In fact, I was back in time to prepare for a Sunday service and teach a Bible study. The point was not to ignore the needs of the world around us. The point was to grow closer to God to be sure that we do those things in the right way.

I sincerely hope that everyone reading this blog has a wonderful Advent season. Additionally, I wish that everyone will take a few moments this holiday season to be silent, listen, pray, reflect, and sense God’s will for you in the coming year, so we can start the new year in just the right way.

God bless you all.

Copyright 2025, G. Christopher Scruggs, All Rights Reserved

[1] Robert Benson, Living Prayer (New York: NY: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1998).

[2] Id, at 71.

[3] Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Discipleship: Moving from Shallow Christianity to Deep Transformation (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2021). See also, The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and World(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017).

[4] Id, 72.

[5] John McQuiston, II, Always We Begin Again: The Benedictine Way of Living (Harrisburg, VA: Morehouse Publishing, 1996). The Rule of St. Benedict is the most common monastic rule. Benedict structured the lives of his followers around times of worship, listening to Scripture, silence and work. Although modern folks may think of the rule as somewhat restrictive, what made the Rule attractive in the beginning was its modest, Biblical center. Recently, many protestant groups have seen Benedict’s rule as helpful to guide lay people to discern a way to structure their own lives in a more spiritual way.

[6] Order of Reunion Group, Madisonville, KY: Lampstand Ministries, 1992. The Order of Reunion Group is a designed as a follow up to what at Advent we call the Great Banquet, which is like the Presbyterian and Catholic Cursillo and the Methodist Emmaus Walk. It is a three day retreat during which people here fifteen talks on the Christian life, mostly given by lay persons.