Pause In Advent #4 - And Glory Shone Around

The final of my Advent Pauses. It is the fourth Sunday in Advent - cue all the usual jokes "We call it 'Two Ronnies Sunday' because we light fork 'andles" But this is the Sunday when I really need to pause, somehow.
I'm involved with teaching the children at Church this morning, and then this evening it is the Candlelight Carols, and there's candles, and hot chocolate, and the Christmas Charity Offering and the choir, and, and, and ...[and this year the additional feature of gifts for 'angel-bearers']
And I am not complaining, it is a wonderful time, and the opportunity to share the good news with all the visitors at Church is great. But I recognise that it has been a long and tiring half-term of teaching, and I am utterly exhausted. 
I look at Martha's final picture, the angels coming to the shepherds and I feel uplifted. For a start, this was probably the end of a long and tiring day for the shepherds. Trying patiently to herd their wandering sheep, a life of late bedtimes and early morning starts. Maybe sometimes feeling undervalued. Look at the guy centre back, with tired slumped shoulders, and the one on the left with a furrowed brow. ...and when they least expect it, the sky lights up [seethe strip of red sky on the horizon? hinting at the shepherd's future delight!] And the stars shine, and the angels sing, and their message is earth-shattering, breath-taking, mind-blowing, life-changing...and they go to see the baby for themselves - and then "The shepherds went back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just as the angel had told them." They returned to their ovine duties with added enthusiasm. God had chosen them to hear this news of love, joy and peace - the Saviour is born.
May there be a moment in this busy Sunday when we too can kneel before the manger and worship the Christchild in awe and wonder, before we return to all the things on our to-do lists.

A Christmas blessing for you all...

May the joy of the angels, 

the eagerness of the shepherds, 

the perseverance of the wise men, 

the obedience of Joseph and Mary 

and the peace of the Christ-child be yours this Christmas;

and the blessing of God Almighty, 

the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, 

be among you and remain with you always. Amen.