Faith, Folklore, and Friends

It is an ancient profession, this job of being a shepherd. Someone has to tend the sheep. Someone has to keep the flock together; to chase away the predators. They have to keep the little lambs from wandering off and getting lost. They have to keep moving sheep to different pastures, searching for fresh grass. Fresco by Taddeo Gaddi, Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence, Italy, 1332-1338 In the days when believers read Isaiah and waited for the promise, there were many shepherds. The job sometimes fell to single men who had no family responsibilities, who could stay with the sheep day and night. They moved about with the sheep, living in tents or wagons. Being a shepherd was a mundane, lonely job with little to eat and none of the comforts of home. Throughout time, God has used shepherds for his purpose. Before he became the Father of Nations, Abraham tended sheep. Jacob and Isaac were shepherds. Moses spent his time in exile tending sheep. David, who had God's he...

Loving Father, Help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds and worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, And teach us to be merry with clear hearts. May Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

It is an ancient profession, this job of being a shepherd. Someone has to tend the sheep. Someone has to keep the flock together; to chase away the predators. They have to keep the little lambs from wandering off and getting lost. They have to keep moving sheep to different pastures, searching for fresh grass. Fresco by Taddeo Gaddi, Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence, Italy, 1332-1338 In the days when believers read Isaiah and waited for the promise, there were many shepherds. The job sometimes fell to single men who had no family responsibilities, who could stay with the sheep day and night. They moved about with the sheep, living in tents or wagons. Being a shepherd was a cold, lonely job with little to eat and none of the comforts of home. Throughout time, God has used shepherds for his purpose. Before he became the Father of Nations, Abraham tended sheep. Jacob and Isaac were shepherds. Moses spent his time in exile tending sheep. David, who had God's heart...

Star by Wanda Stricklin Robertson No loud, lighted shopping malls, No shimmering street lights in a row, No service stations with dazzling fluorescents, No string of cars with headlights beaming. No burning bush in the wilderness, No lanterns to light the crooked paths. No brilliance to point the way home. All was darkness, gloom, murkiness. Then, over a barn in Bethlehem, a star appeared, lighting the sky, illuminating the Baby, the shepherds, the angels, and the hearts of mankind. The ones who witnessed the flaming star  wondered what it would mean to them, not knowing why or how, but knowing that nothing would be the same again. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. ~Isaiah 9:2

It is an old profession. Someone had to tend the sheep. Someone had to keep the flock together; to chase away the predators. They had to keep the little lambs from wandering off and getting lost. They had to keep moving sheep to different pastures, searching for fresh grass. The job sometimes fell on single men who had no family responsibilities, who could stay with the sheep day and night. They moved about with the sheep, living in tents or wagons. Being a shepherd was a cold, lonely job with little to eat and none of the comforts of home. Throughout time, God has used shepherds for his purpose. Before he became the Father of Nations, Abraham tended sheep. Jacob and Isaac were shepherds. Moses spent his time in exile tending sheep. David, who had God's heart, was with his flock when he was called to service. Then the day came. The day God had known about since the beginning, the day that would change us forever. Heaven trembled with excitement. The angel mi...