Happy birthday to me…

Pastor Carol Grace ♦ October 29, 2009 ♦ Leave a comment

Well, another year behind me and my twin, Cheryl.  Hubby got me my very favorite thing (besides chocolate) a pair of pj’s by Karen Neuberger.  Love ’em.

Funny how we can point to the very minute each of us was born, at least those born after 1914 in Arkansas, which was when births were first officially recorded here, yet we celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25, not because we know that is factually his birth date, but because we borrowed the date from the pagan celebration of the return of the sun which occurred after the Winter Solstice.  The thinking at the time was that it would be easier to replace a pagan holiday with a holy day rather than eliminate the celebration altogether.

Many scholars believe Christ’s birth actually occurred sometime between May and September because shepherds would not have been attending their flocks in the fields during the winter.  Therefore, instead of celebrating Christ’s birth on December 25 we are closer to celebration His conception.  Appropriate, I think, that during the earth’s annual cycle, when the darkness is more prevalent than any other time during the year, that God would choose to introduce the Light of the World to the world.

And the Word says:

The Shepherds and the Angels

Luke 2:8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

May we, too, glorify and praise God for all we have seen and heard, and for all that is yet to come.