Birthing the Good News / Advent 4

Dear friends,

I write to you with a lopsided Advent wreath. Tonight we’ll light the fourth candle, the last purple taper of love. In this week’s practice we’re also centering the theme of birth. After all, the Christmas story is one of the most well known birth stories. Though we don’t get all the gritty details, we’re given enough information to make it interesting.

This is our final week in Advent and our last lectio divina for the season. I encourage you to read each passage slowly. (Or, if you’re a paid sub, listen to it above.) Whether silently or aloud, the practice of lectio divina invites us to open ourselves to the text. What will you notice a second or third time through? Where might the Spirit lead you?

If sacred reading is unfamiliar to you, lectio divina is a prayerful way of reading scripture or other beautiful texts by using four steps.

• Lectio: Read or listen to the passage with care. Repeat 2-3 times.

• Meditatio: Meditate on the text for a few minutes. Take note of any words or phrases that stick out.

• Oratio: Respond to God with prayer.

• Contemplatio: Contemplate God’s love for you.

Take as much time as you need with this practice. I’d suggest a ten minute minimum.

This particular passage draws our eye away from the manger and into the surrounding hills of Bethlehem. Shepherds, a vocation without much respect, are given a personal invitation to see the Christ child. (Their inclusion in this birth story reminds us of the communal participation within the historical event¹ and the collective vision of God’s salvation.) This encounter is similar to the angelic interruptions in the lives of Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph in that God is revealing Godself in ordinary life, often outside typical settings. The heavenly choir sends the shepherds off to find a swaddled Jesus. The text tells us the birth was recent, even the same day. Signs of Mary’s miraculous labor and delivery would have been present: a soft tummy, postpartum bleeding, flushed cheeks. Whether or not the shepherds visited within hours or days, they witness the aftermath of a new baby. The baby. The Savior. They witness the presence of the Incarnation. Their return to the fields is filled with joy as the good news is confirmed.

With birth in mind I return to Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love. She plays with the metaphor of mother in relation to God’s nature towards us.

Jesus Christ therefore, who himself overcame evil with good, is our true Mother. We received our ‘Being’ from Him ­and this is where His Maternity starts ­And with it comes the gentle Protection and Guard of Love which will never ceases to surround us.

Through his own humble birth, Jesus offers us new birth into eternity with God.

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Angels Appearing before the Shepherds, ca. 1910

An Event for Everyone: Luke 2:8-20 (The Message)

“There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the shepherds talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the shepherds were impressed.

Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The shepherds returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!”

(This song was one of the first songs I added to my birth playlist for my second birth earlier this year. It’s one I cherish. Enjoy!)

Journal Prompts:

• The shepherds were in for the night. The night watches were put out so others could get some rest. Suddenly a group of angels appear telling them to search for a baby. A baby! In the middle of the night! With songs, no less! In what ways has God interrupted your usual routine?

• Mary labored and birthed the incarnate Christ. Her body pushed forth the literal hands and feet of Jesus. In a metaphorical way, we are invited to also be the hands and feet of Christ. What does this look like in your life?

• Mary’s posture, yet again, is to hold recent events quietly within her heart. In contrast, the shepherds are said to have returned to their camp rejoicing. Both responses are contemplative in nature. How might you respond to God’s trustworthy love today?

Related Resources:

• Find last week’s reading here.

• Get a free preview of the Advent resources listed in the 2024-2025 Liturgical Calendar Guide in the Library, and a discount code for the whole thing!

• It’s not too late to download some Advent breath prayers.