“Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth…” – Luke 1:11-14
”The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God…’” — Luke 1:30
“…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet” — Matthew 1:20b-22
“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11
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Do you notice how the angels keep telling the people in the Christmas story to not be afraid? It makes me think of a parent telling a child to stop crying, or a friend saying “I want to tell you something, but you gotta promise not to get angry.” Simply saying “do not be afraid” is not going to change the reality that being visited by an angel is some pretty scary stuff!
Of course the angel isn’t simply saying “stop feeling!” The angel is recognizing that this is a disturbing experience, and saying “do not be afraid” is a way of acknowledging the frightening nature of this encounter. The angel follows these words with an explanation of WHY they might not need to fear. God is doing a new thing! It is a good thing! And you can be a part of it!
But… new things ARE scary. Change is hard. Once again, in this season, we are having to do things in new ways. When we remember what God wants to do through us, however, we can be feel the assurance of the angel, “Do not be afraid, God is with you!” God is doing things in a new way, through us.
Some have suggested that the wearing of masks, washing of hands, keeping of distance, and gathering online are signs that people are living in fear. I think it is just the opposite: putting others first can be scary if it is a new concept. I am not afraid of God doing a new thing in us, nor of God working through us in new ways. I wear my mask, keep my distance, and wash my hands, as a bold statement of my love. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) Surely that means I can endure the inconvenience of doing the things that promote health and wholeness.
Bless us O God, with wisdom. Help us to learn how to care for others. Teach us your new ways of being one body. Calm our fear of the new by showing us how we can be a part of your new works of love. We pray this in the name of Jesus, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
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We will continue to hold outdoor services at 9:30 AM on Sunday mornings. Even so, please consider your own well-being and that of others. If at all possible, please join us for streaming or online worship. Of course, please do not attend if you have any symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19.
All of our Christmas Eve services will be online-only: 5:30 on YouTube, 7:00 on Facebook, and 11 PM on Zoom.
Your questions for this Sunday in Worship:
1. When have you experienced infectious joy?
2. What does it mean to be chosen?
3. How is the Spirit of the Lord upon you?
Pastor George