Christmas | Shepherds - The Margins Returned to the Center: Christmas in a Minor Key - Part 2

Send us Fan MailSHEPHERDS: THE MARGINS RETURNED TO THE CENTERChristmas in a Minor Key – Part 2Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith StewartDecember 11, 2022When Christians don’t know the Christmas story as well as we think we do, we run the risk of turning Jesus’ birth into a fairytale or bedtime story. That is truly one of the worst things we could ever do to Christmas. The Christmas story is anything but sanitized and the minor characters were looking at in this series prove that. In particular, this is something we do with the shepherds. We romanticize their profession and altogether miss the point as to why they were chosen as the first witnesses to the birth of Jesus Christ. Experience Christmas as it actually was in all of its beautiful, gritty reality.SERIES: Christmas in a Minor KeyIn truth, Christmas is both joyous, because of what it represents, and dark, because of the reality of the world into which Jesus was born. In church, we often only tell the Christmas story in one way - the happy, festive, joyous way. But for people who are struggling, facing loss, or lacking in supportive families, Christmas becomes just another reminder of everything they lack. The original Christmas story is a message of hope for all people in all circumstances. Join us this December as we re-discover the real Christmas story in all its gritty, beautiful reality.DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1.) Both Old and New Testament perspectives on shepherds were negative. Shepherds were judged, stereotyped, and treated as if all of them were terrible sinners. Who else do we treat in this way? Of the people you think fall into this category today, have you ever had a personal relationship with one of them? How did that affect your perceptions? Given the horrible reputation shepherds had, share your thoughts and feelings about God choosing them as eyewitnesses to the birth of Christ.2.) The Glory of God - the shekinah glory or presence glory of God - is often a neglected topic among Bible students today. What new understandings do you have now that you didn’t have prior to this message? At the heart of the topic of the glory of God is the idea of God wanting to dwell among His people. The heart of the Christmas story is the return of the glory of God to live among His people in the person of Jesus Christ. The prophetic name given to Jesus is Emmanuel which means God with us. How is God with you today? How do you become more conscious of His presence? What would you say to someone who struggles with sensing the presence of God?3.) Why is the presence of shepherds as the first witnesses to the birth of Christ one of the most compelling reasons as to why this story is true?4.) God coming to the most despised, untrusted, unworthy, and marginalized people in society makes a powerful statement about God joining us where we are and valuing us as we are. Luke’s gospel places special emphasis on the poor and marginalized and how they are included in God’s kingdom (even prioritizing them). In a similar vein, Pastor Keith often says, “If you go after the people nobody wants, you’ll end up with the church everybody wants.” Do most churches think this way? If not, why? If so, why? How do we as a church keep God’s priorities as our own?5.) God’s desire to dwell among us is now fulfilled by living within us. We carry God into every situation where we go. Have you ever had someone meet you at a place of real need in your life with exactly what you needed in that moment (and you knew it was God Who arranged it all)?  Have you ever stepped into a desperate situation, a crisis, a difficulty, and through what you did or said, you brought a godly solution or timely word? Describe what that was like for both you and the other person(s) involved.https://www.springcreekchurch.org/#realspringcreekchurch #christmasinaminorkey #christmas #shepherds