Christmas Memories-Christmas meaning, has been the theme for our Wednesday Advent Vespers, and we've been blessed by several of our high schoolers who have been willing to share with us, their personal Christmas memories that have helped them to understand and appreciate the true meaning of Christmas. That caused me to think about my own personal Christmas memories, and what they've meant to my understanding of the birth of our Lord at Bethlehem. Of course, as with most of us, there are my memories of home, and family; memories of our home in Columbus, Indiana where I was a child, but also memories of our own kids gathered with us around the Christmas tree. These, of course, are warm and meaningful memories that never cease to bring a tear, and perhaps, a smile. But I've also given some thought to Christmas memories at church when I was a child. For those of us raised in the faith, Christmas is nothing, without church! And nothing was bigger for me, at Christmastime, at church, than the annual Christmas program. I don't know whether other kids looked so forward to being in the church Christmas program, but early in Advent, I began to think about, dream about, whether or not I would get a part in the Sunday School Christmas pageant. And not only did I want a part-- not only did I want just any old part-there was one role that I really always coveted.

     And-can you guess which role I desired in the traditional Christmas program? Of course, there was the Virgin Mary-which never seemed a part I could do justice to. But then, being Joseph never appealed to me either. It seemed, presumptuous for me to aspire to play such an important part as Joseph-truly, the primary male role in the pageant. I mean-it always seemed the pastor's son should play Joseph-yes, that was before I learned what pastor's kids are really like! Similarly, I couldn't relate to the Three Kings-their Persian, oriental personas seemed so foreign, so alien, I could never picture a crown on my head. So, what's left? Well, I suppose at some point before I had a choice, I, too, wore a fuzzy little Lamb's head-and then probably, too, I took my turn as a cow, and a horse, and yes, probably even a donkey. But the role I really wanted, was to be the shepherd! To be a shepherd, it seemed to me, was the best role possible.

     Now, you may find that strange, unusual, maybe even surprising. With roles available such as angels or Magi, what kid would want to play-a shepherd? Fr. Martin Luther said in a Christmas sermon, "That was a mean job-watching flocks by night. Common sense called it low-down work, and the men who do it are regarded as trash." And that's the role I wanted? The shepherds were humble, ordinary, working class folk-what was so alluring about that? Well, it's not that they were "alluring"-its that they WERE humble, ordinary, working-class folks-it was the fact that they were not wealthy, not privileged, not even educated for that matter. And yet, think of the honor that was bestowed on them! Martin Luther also said, "Who would have thought that men whose job was tending unreasoning, dumb animals, would be so praised as to be visited by angels! I would rather be one of those shepherds, than a saint or a king!" And wasn't Luther right?! While there are certainly those, even in the church today, who like to think themselves, glorious angels, or deep-thinking Wise Men, most of us are more, the shepherds. Plain, simple people who are just trying to do our job-out in the fields watching our flocks by night. We are the computer guy, keeping our eyes on the program we're running; we are the teacher, watching faithfully over our students; we are the army private guarding our post. The fact is we all have our areas of responsibility-sometimes mundane, unexciting, unglamorous, but still, our responsibility, and a charge we take seriously, as did the shepherds. And yet, in spite of their constancy, their steadiness in life, their faithfulness to their task, still, they were lowly shepherds...never the center of attention, not the most visible or popular people in the village-they were people who went about their business with little recognition or reward.

     And what do we think of such people? We think people like the shepherds, people like us-- don't get invited to the party-to the Big Dance...but the Christmas narrative tells us differently, as St. Luke makes it clear that the coming of the Christ, the birth of God made flesh, is not just for angels and royalty. Indeed, angels are sent to proclaim this miraculous birth to the shepherds! The shepherds arrive at Christ's side, before the Magi! And, as Luther said, who would've thought angel choirs would've sung to common shepherds out in their fields? Who could imagine that ordinary folk would be invited to witness the nativity of our Lord, not from afar, not as a news report on CNN, but up close and personal, like immediate family, invited into the intimacy of the birthing room. But that's what happened! Angels came to shepherds and proclaimed to them, "for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign for you-you will find the babe lying in a manger, wrapped in swaddling cloths." And as amazing as it was that the shepherds were invited to be included in the nativity of our Lord, it's just as amazing, that they went! Not that they seriously considered NOT going, but it wouldn't have been surprising had they not gone, because they had responsibilities-they were "on duty". They had heard the good news proclaimed, so, did they really need to go? The message is, when you're invited, you go. No questions asked, no looking back, no second thoughts. If you were invited to a dinner at the White House, you would go. If Queen Elizabeth sent you an engraved invitation to her palace, you would go. If John Elway invited you-well, you get the idea. This was something of a command performance-and yet, the shepherds did not have to go, they wanted to go! St. Luke tells us they went with haste to see this thing that had happened. The shepherds went with haste to see, never realizing that they would return, changed, transformed, different. They went to see the spectacle of a royal birth, what they saw was the Son of God come down from heaven to be, the Light of the Gentiles and the glory of God's people Israel. They went to see the show, what was revealed to them was the Savior of the world, the one who would become their Savior! Yes, and our Savior. The angel Gabriel told Mary to name her child Jesus because he would save us from our sins. That's what the name "Jesus" means. Which, sad to say, meant that this baby, this child, Jesus, would not grow up, himself, to be a king in a palace, to be waited on hand and foot, to be served by courtiers and maids in waiting. No, this child came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. This child, Jesus, came to die on the cross, the sacrificial Lamb of God, who would give His life for the sins of all--shepherds as well as CEOs, common working people as well as princes and presidents, little bitty kiddies in sheep hats, as well as wise men in their ivory towers. The Good News, tragic and as out-of-place as it may sound, tonight-is that this baby came to die--for you! And this baby would be raised from death, for you! And for all the shepherds and magi of the world.

     And though the shepherds didn't realize all that this babe lying in a manger would mean, for them and for the world, just being in his presence, changed them, transformed them, made them believers. St. Luke tells us they returned, praising God for all they had heard and seen, telling others the good news of this miraculous birth. And just as we stand with the shepherds tonight, looking in wonder at the miracle of God become flesh; just as we kneel with them at the manger pondering the Christ child-we will be transformed, as well. Our lives will be changed, as the very presence of God incarnate leaves nothing as it was before. Oh, you may not notice a change right away-you may leave feeling pretty much the same as when you came tonight, to the manger. But Jesus' presence in you-receiving God made flesh in the bread and wine that become His Body and Blood-is the gift that keeps on giving. It is the food that stays with you, so that, if nothing else, you, too, will go, praising God for all you have heard and seen.

     In Italy, it is an age-old tradition for real-life shepherds, or zampognari to come down from the mountains and hills, into towns and villages playing Christmas-tunes on their bagpipes and flutes, continuing the role of the Biblical shepherds, glorifying and praising God for the miracle of Jesus' birth. But the glorifying and praising doesn't end with these Italian shepherds-because the children of the towns and villages, themselves, dress up as shepherds, and go house to house, door to door, bringing the good news of Christmas, with carols and poems. And maybe, just maybe, you, too, will join the biblical shepherds, and the zampognari, and the children, and return from this service, glorifying and praising God for all you have heard and seen. Oh, you don't need to dress up like shepherds; you could, but you don't have to-because it's the message of Christmas that matters; it's sharing the good news of Jesus' birth, that changes lives, and transforms hearts, and brings people light and life, and joy and hope! It is the Truth that this Jesus, born in Bethlehem is for you-that touches people, and makes them new. Martin Luther wrote,

     "For unto you is born this day," that is, unto us. For our sake, he has taken flesh and blood from a woman, that His birth, might become our new birth. This is the way to observe this festival-that Christ be formed in us anew. I must listen, not to a history, but to a gift. If I tell you that someone on a certain mountain peak has found a hundred gold coins, you will say, 'what is that to me?' But if you are the one who has picked it up, you will be joyful! If you hear that this Child is yours, that touches the heart, and you are changed."

     So, let us be shepherds, and leave the nativity of our Lord, glorifying and praising God for all we have heard and seen-let us leave the nativity of our Lord, telling others the Good News, as it has been told us. And let us share it, not as a history, but as a gift-a gift that is for you-a gift that touches that heart, and changes us-that we may all, be joyful, and hopeful, because we are filled, with the very presence of Christ-the very presence of Emmanuel, God with us!

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.