Luke 2:15

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

From Background Notes [BN] for Dec 24th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

During the Feast of Tabernacles (that is, Sukkot) Jewish people have a tradition of imagining the arrival of seven shepherds, one each night, ancient worthies like Abraham, Moses, and David. In so doing...

...they remember the ways Yahweh cared for His people and provided them with shelter and light. This practice belongs to the larger value of hospitality, the providing of lodging for the weary traveler. How amazed must Joseph and Mary been when these unexpected visitors showed up, and they were shepherds no less! Perhaps this is why Luke tells us about Mary's own reaction: "Pondered, treasured these things in her heart", he writes. This sort of language implies an ongoing reflection. More had happened that night than Mary could absorb in a single sitting. How long did it take the early followers of Jesus, Mary included, to put together the pieces and arrive at a coherent understanding of God's purposes, freshly revealed in this most recent visitation?  [BN,6]

Join us this week in Worship, Praise and Celebration at C1:
* Christmas Eve Service Times: 3:00 p.m.; 4:30 p.m.; 6:00 p.m. 
* Saturday 6:00pm
* Sunday 8:30am & 11:15am
* Family Xperiance (FX) 10am