All Things Joyful with Alexa Balsiger

It’s been an honor this year to lead chapel for the early grades at the school held within my church this school year. Last week I spoke about the shepherds. We learned about how common of a job they had and yet how hard of workers they were. We talked in detail about how it was so significant that God would choose these ordinary men to have the message of the Messiah delivered to. I love that. I often feel unworthy, not good enough, and left out–to know that God would choose the ordinary shepherds and give a message, through the angels, that it was good news for ALL people gives me hope and assurance that His message is for me. The angel said “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for ALL people…” It’s for us. It was for the shepherds, it was for the people longing for the Savior, it was for ALL the people. What if He’d chosen royalty? What if He’d only chosen those who society viewed as worthy? What if Jesus had been born like a King was expected to be born? I think that would take away from the significance of our sacrificial, fully human, fully God, King.  Joy radiates when I think about the way God orchestrated what He did here.

The Christmas story is common and well heard, especially by those within Christian circles. I’ve heard it yearly at church my entire life–in Sunday school, in main services, in Christmas Eve services. I’ve heard it at multiple family Christmas each year (I have a ton, seriously.), in school, devotions, small groups, youth groups, and so many other places–you get it, maybe the same is true for you, too. So how do we find something new  to pull out of it? How do you reiterate something that’s potentially become routine (may this NOT be!)?  Tomorrow I’m speaking to the families of the school and as I was prepping and deciding what do I want to share about Christmas and what do I want to focus on, I kept coming back to this idea of what happened after the shepherds heard.

For years I have had a passion for worship, what that means, and what worship to God really looks like. For chapel this year, I have focused on worship and prayer. Of course chapel is great for being a time for kids to learn knowledge and character of God and truth stories from His Word, but also an incredible chance to learn how to grow in acts of worship and prayer. Worship is a natural response from all people–to give honor and adoration to someone or something. My goal is to help the kids and myself give that worship to God and God alone.

What happened after the shepherds heard the message from the angel that there was good news and a Savior had been born? SUDDENLY a multitude of angels appeared with the angel praising God and saying GLORY to God in the highest and peace on earth, goodwill to men. The angels didn’t wait to celebrate and worship. They didn’t wait for the shepherds to get there and rejoice or confirm the baby, they worshipped immediately.

What are angels? Scripture gives us some beautiful imagery of them to provide some awe and amazement and yet also leaves our imaginations to be left with wonder about them and their mystery.  We do know they are created by God and for God, look different from us, and are worshippers. The angels were majestic and whenever and wherever they appeared the response was likely worship–from everyone–the angels, the shepherds, and anyone else who may have seen. In this particular instance, worship because God sent the angels at all to deliver news, worship because of the realization that the Savior had finally appeared, and worship because of the good news that had been delivered. Side note, angels really fill this story so much–the story starts with an angel telling Mary she’ll give birth. Like, these worshipping beings understood what God was doing, what this salvation plan would really mean and how that rescue would change everything.

What was that first Christmas night like? What did the realization of the Savior of the world coming mean? How did our separation of God get resolved?

….All with a tiny baby born in a stinky barn, laying in a feeding trough wrapped in whatever cloths they could find. He came wrapped in love that we can’t even fathom.

An unlikely way for a King to be born, an unlikely way for us to be saved, but a worthy reason to worship and rejoice.

God makes no mistakes. It was God’s plan to redeem and rescue His people. His love for us made this happen. It was God’s intent to save the shepherds and to give that good news to ALL people–us included. It was God’s design that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem after His poor pregnant mother had to travel on a donkey (moms, how excited would you be?!) and sleep in a barn after giving birth.

What is our response to God’s good news? Is it immediate worship? Immediate declaration of God’s glory? Awe, wonder, amazement?

I love that the automatic response was worship to this baby being born. Worship should be our response to everything God has done. I long to live a life of this so that every breath I breathe, every song I sing, every thought I think may be worship–glory to this newborn King who grew up to save me and you.

Scriptures referenced: Luke 2:6, 10, 12-14, Colossians 1:16, Revelation 4:8,