And once I remember that the Christmas message is for me too, it makes it that much easier to share it with others through my ministry service.
Luke chapter 2 is easily the most popular narrative for the Christmas story. And if you’re anything like me, you’ve heard it, read it, or recited it multiple times a year ever since childhood.
The downside of knowing something inside and out is that the details can sometimes get lost or overlooked; the more familiar we are with something, the less certain pieces stand out.
He knew they probably felt tired and overworked. He knew they probably felt lonely and neglected, and he knew they probably questioned their purpose and impact.
And in the middle of all that, he chose to remind them of how important they really were.
That’s definitely true for me. In fact, despite my level of familiarity with this passage, it wasn’t until my pastor pointed out something a couple of years ago that I really noticed some key details that are in the story.
We’ve all heard about the shepherds being the ones to witness the angels’ appearance and message on the night of Jesus’ birth, and we’re probably quite familiar with various nativity scenes also showing a shepherd or two gathered around Mary and Joseph in the stable.
But why were the shepherds so prominently involved in the story in the first place? Why did they merit being the first recipients of the message? Why not someone else?
In Biblical times, being a shepherd wasn’t exactly akin to having a place atop the totem pole of social hierarchy. It was a dirty profession often looked down upon. Shepherds were outcasts who lived on the fringes of society, and in some cultures, like the Egyptians, even found them “detestable” (Genesis 46:34 NIV).
So why was that the group that got to break the news of the Messiah’s birth?
If you think about it, it fits in perfectly with the theme of Jesus’ ministry. He didn’t spend his quality time with the popular or the famous. He invested his greatest energy on people who were labeled, forgotten, misunderstood, or cast aside. He didn’t discriminate with his time and energy, and he made sure that those who felt like the “least” were able to access him the most.
But what does that have to do with you and me? We’re not shepherds, we’re church technical artists. Big difference, right?
Well, maybe not.
Many of us probably feel just like those Biblical shepherds did. Overlooked and neglected. Forgotten about and underappreciated. Not “good” enough to fit in with others. Heck, we even have the same work schedule as the shepherds! While everyone in Bethlehem was back home at night with their families, relaxing after a long day and enjoying a good meal, the shepherds were still hard at work, protecting their flock from nighttime predators.
[Jesus] didn’t spend his quality time with the popular or the famous. He invested his greatest energy on people who were labeled, forgotten, misunderstood, or cast aside.
Working late at night while everyone else is at home—does that sound familiar?
Here’s the good news about the Good News: it was and still is a message of hope, joy, expectation, and fulfilled promises. It’s an all-inclusive message that is for everyone. All are invited to receive that hope and joy, and all are able to partake in the promises fulfilled in God’s word.
But just like the shepherds, we have a role to play. We as technicians aren’t bystanders—we’re participants. And like the shepherds, the masses are counting on us to do our part.
What does that mean?
In order for the shepherds to do their job and share the angels’ message, they first had to listen, internalize, understand, and receive the message that the angels were giving. You can’t be an effective messenger without understanding the message. The shepherds couldn’t dash into town without remembering what they had seen and heard!
It’s the same for us as technical artists. Many times it becomes easy to go through the motions, turning our ministry into a task. Services just become long processions of task lists. But how often am I really stopping to listen, engage, and receive the message itself?
I play a critical role in helping bring that message to life for the congregation. I can’t do that effectively if I don’t first internalize the vision of our ministry leaders, embody that vision, and embrace my role in sharing it.
Whether it’s the Christmas season or a Sunday in the middle of summer, I’m still an important part of the process of sharing God’s Word with those my ministry is reaching. Am I really embracing my role in that? Do I fully understand how important it is that I’m sold out to that vision and message first, so I can better share it?
Jesus can use anyone as a vessel of hope, as the shepherds showed. I can stand firmly and confidently knowing that He’s using me too.
Beyond just understanding how my role can impact others, I can use the story of the shepherds to reframe how I see myself, in light of how God sees me.
He didn’t see the shepherds as “less than” or unworthy. He didn’t forget about them, even though society had. He knew where they were and what they were dealing with. He knew they probably felt tired and overworked. He knew they probably felt lonely and neglected, and he knew they probably questioned their purpose and impact.
And in the middle of all that, he chose to remind them of how important they really were.
This Advent season, as we’re all working long hours behind-the-scenes or alone after dark, when that discouragement or loneliness begins to set in, I can remember that, like the shepherds, I’ve been blessed with the greatest message ever given to the world.
I can understand that, even through my occasional dark times in life, there is Light that didn’t just come for the masses, it came for me too.
The Gospel message of hope and joy is a message that I can choose to embrace also. I can experience the same hope and joy those shepherds did 2,000 years ago. And once I remember that message is for me too, it makes it that much easier to share it with others through my ministry service.
While I might be busy, I need to ensure that I’m finding time to slow down and meditate on what this season means. It’s not just about music and videos. It’s about joy and hope. And I’ve been chosen to be one of the ones to deliver this message of good news to those who need it.
I may feel like a shepherd sometimes, but that doesn’t have to stop me from being a herald.
