3rd
Reflection on Herding
The gospel of Luke talks about shepherds who were waiting in the fields at night when they got a message from an angel announcing the birth of Christ. It seems significant that this message came to the shepherds; the Bible recognises that herders, like Moses and Abraham, are accustomed to silence, to long nights of quiet watchfulness, and alert attention to present events.
It’s like meeting for worship. Quiet mindfulness to present events exposes us to the plain promptings of the Spirit that we are often ready to overlook. Not every shepherd recieves a message from God every time she herds sheep, and not every attender recieves a message in every meeting for worship.
But as a pattern of life, regular practice of alert, attentive stillness gives us a space to experience the inward birth of Christ.
