THE THRILL OF HOPE: WK 4 - "The Nameless Shepherds"

A ‘thrill’ is essentially ‘enjoyably nervous excitement’—the kind we feel on roller coasters or in suspenseful movies. But poets from our faith tradition often describe the feeling of Christmas as ‘The Thrill of Hope’. Every year, the December air is thick with it. Ancient songwriters and storytellers seemed to believe the birth of Jesus somehow stirs up a sense that things are going to get better in the hearts of those on the verge of giving up. This is especially profound when you realize who they claim first felt this thrill—people on the fringe: nameless shepherds, an invisible innkeeper, an unprepared father. And yet their roles in this story changed all of human history. So what if what God did for them that first Christmas is something He longs to do in you this Christmas—to show you the significance of your role in His story & instill in you a hope every bit as thrilling as it is fulfilling.