The Work of Christmas

by Dee Cole Vodicka
December 24, 2019

Luke 2:15 — “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Christmas Eve … the busyness of the season is about to be behind us. These weeks have been filled with good music in worship and holiday concerts, perhaps a few holiday parties, and preparations and planning for various gatherings. You may be experiencing pressure to do things in a certain way (and purchase certain items), to create lasting memories, and to add another event to an already busy schedule. 

I invite you to pause. To take a deep breath. And to consider another point of view, expressed by the author/philosopher/theologian/educator/civil rights leader Howard Thurman (1899-1981): 

“Christmas is Waiting to be Born”
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.

Rather than being at the end of a busy season, on this Christmas Eve we are invited to anticipate a marvelous beginning! Indeed, we are invited to find Jesus in the here and now every day of the year (Matthew 25:40). 

What might it look like for you to engage in the ‘work of Christmas’ in 2020? 

Prayer: Mothering God, thank you for birthing newness into my life. Help me in my life-long journey of inviting you in and engaging in your work. Thank you for your grace. Amen.