Advent Reflection 20 December

While Shepherds watched their flocks

 

Pause for a moment

What is the most ‘normal’ thing you will do today?

Listen to the music

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.

Fear not," said he, for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind;
"Glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and all mankind.

"To you, in David's town, this day
is born of David's line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:

"The heavenly Babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
and in a manger laid."

Thus spake the seraph,and forthwith
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:

"All glory be to God on high

and on earth be peace;

good will henceforth from heaven to me

begin and never cease.".

Learn about the carol

This carol describes the Annunciation to the Shepherds, with words attributed to Irish hymnist, lyricist and Poet Laureate Nahum Tate..

The exact date of its composition is not known, but the words appeared in a 1700 supplement to the New Version of the Psalms of David of 1696. It was the only Christmas hymn authorised to be sung by the Anglican Church; before 1700 only the Psalms of David were permitted to be sung. It is based on Luke 2:8–14.

It is the only one of the sixteen works in the 1700 supplement to still be sung today. The carol is sung to a wide variety of tunes, the two most common ones being Winchester Old and a variation on a Handel aria arranged by Lowell Mason.

Time for reflection

The shepherds were just there on the hillside doing what they always did watching their sheep when suddenly there was a blazing light and then angels. It must have been total shock, no wonder that what they most needed was to hear was ‘fear not’.

The Bible contains hundreds of verses repeating this command. It is something God knows he needs to tell us repeatedly, the Bible teaches that fear, not hate, is the opposite of love.

The shepherds truly had nothing to be frightened of, because Jesus’ birth marked the coming of perfect love. It began a reconciliation process between God and humankind, setting off a ‘Kingdom’ chain reaction of new possibilities for goodwill between people .

But how can the Earth experienced peace when we are still fearful of God and each other? Fear is not just the opposite of love ; it is also the enemy of peace .

Rebuilding communities after conflict and distrust is challenging; it requires individuals paying the great personal price of for giving and letting go. but it is possible. This is the hard work of peace building.

Time for Action

Contact someone that you have disagreed with, to offer wishes of peace this Christmas.