At Christmas, we are invited to use our spiritual imaginations. (I talk about this on IG Live, which you can watch here.) What is God saying to you this Christmas?
The story seems so familiar. Angels and shepherds and Mary and Joseph and the wise men. And of course, the baby Jesus. But if you want an unexpected encounter with the story of Jesus’ birth, I want to invite you to take a few minutes to listen or read Luke 2:8-15.
I lead two different weekly Bible studies, and we read this passage in each group this week. Instead of asking my typical list of questions, I simply invited everyone to share whatever stood out to them.
One person mentioned how she noticed for the first time that the shepherds went to see Jesus before they told anyone about how the angels had appeared to them.
Another remarked on the idea that there is still “good news of great joy” for us to receive and share.
Yet another talked about how this good news was for “all the people” and how God’s love and welcome extends farther than we ever imagine.
One person commented on how Mary treasured and pondered things. She talked about wanting to cultivate time to ponder.
There were as many answers as there were people in the room, and we could have kept going.
My point is this: there is a richness to the story of Jesus’ birth that is available to all of us. The angels still sing. The Christ child is still born anew. The weary world still rejoices.
Whether it is before Christmas Day or after it, I invite you to use your spiritual imagination with this story. To pause and ask God to speak a word that both brings you back to that birth 2,000 years ago and carries forward into your life and your community today. What is God saying to you this Christmas?
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