December 17, by Roger Maness

SCRIPTURE
Luke 2: 8-20
If possible, read the entire passage and then focus specifically on verses 15-20.

The shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. “ So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger….The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

When I hear this story each Christmas, memories of Christmases past spin around in my head faster than a scrambler ride at the county fair. And yes, like many of you, I long to recall the happiest of times to replace some of those “ghosts of Christmas past” that haunted Scrooge in A Christmas Carol and that haunt us even now. It might be longing to see loved ones removed from us by age, by distance, by circumstance, or even by death. It might be a longing to “return to the good ole days,”when life seemed simpler, at least as it is reflected in the pleasant memories that we can recall. For me, I simply long to hear this story once again and to ponder what an incredible gift God gave us with the birth of Jesus.

When I fast forward to 2008, I am fascinated that parts of this story remind me of some happenings at Riverside. When I read the verses about the “shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night,” I think about our wonderful volunteers who stay awake at the Emergency Cold Night Shelter each Tuesday night when it is 40 degrees or less outside watching out for a hundred of our city’s homeless men. Although the volunteers probably seldom think of themselves as shepherds, and the homeless men probably never think of themselves as sheep, the correlation is true and worthy of consideration.

Then, I question whether we are the “shepherds” like in this wonderful story, or are we really just spectators while those who occupy the Emergency Cold Night Shelter are the shepherds, living outdoors, wandering the streets, probably caring for more than we ever imagine. Hmmm.
Regardless of which analogy means more to you, I am confident that today’s story bears a resemblance to the story in Luke. The shepherds went to Bethlehem and “found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger”; they returned “glorifying and praising God” and telling others of the amazing things they had seen. Yes, I think the shepherds then got it. But what about the shepherds and sheep of today? I trust that our Cold Night volunteers get it (or at least a great deal of the time), and I am also pretty sure that the “shepherds or sheep” being helped downtown get it, too. Why? Because almost every one who steps back into the cold the following morning, hopefully at least a little bit refreshed from the night’s sleep, says “thanks,” followed by, “God Bless You!” What a terrific message at Christmas, or all year long!

Roger Maness is Director of Community Life at Riverside, which includes staffing most of the fellowship and local mission programs and ministries. He is married to Sophie and enjoys being dad to Brian (also a recreation leader at Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis) and step-dad to Jerry and Sophie Ann (juniors at Stanton). He professes to love each of the above, as well as their 2 ½ year old yellow lab, Ellie.