Tonight all across McPherson, people are singing “Silent Night.” We’re all celebrating Christmas Eve, but each of us is doing it a little differently. Some of us are sitting in the same pews where our parents and grandparents once sat. Others are starting new traditions. Some of us see empty places where loved ones used to sit. Others have new faces around them. Kids are squirming with excitement, while grown-ups carry both joy and worries in their hearts. Even now, some of our neighbors are working late shifts at the hospital or refinery or caring for family members at home, just like they do every night.
The first Christmas was a lot like this. Three different groups of people met God that night, and their stories help us understand our own lives better.
First, there were Mary and Joseph. They were far from home because they had to travel for a government census. Mary was about to have a baby, and they couldn’t find a proper place to stay. Imagine how worried they must have been when the only space they could find was a stable. They might have wondered if they had misunderstood God’s plan. But right there, in that unlikely place, Jesus was born. God came to earth as a tiny baby, wrapped in simple cloths and laid in a feed box for animals.
Then there were the shepherds. They were just doing their regular job that night, watching their sheep under the stars. They weren’t looking for anything special. Maybe they were telling stories to stay awake or thinking about their families at home. But suddenly, angels lit up the sky with amazing news. These ordinary workers, people that most others looked down on, became the first people to tell others about Jesus. Their regular hillside became a special place where heaven touched earth. Their simple job became part of God’s incredible story.
Meanwhile, the people of Bethlehem were sleeping. They had no idea that God had come to their small town. Some had welcomed travelers into their homes, not knowing they were part of this incredible story. Others had closed their doors because the town was so crowded. None of them knew that people would remember this night forever as the time God came to live among us. None of them realized that their ordinary town would be sung about for thousands of years.
These three stories are a lot like our lives today. Like Mary and Joseph, some of us are dealing with big changes we didn’t choose – maybe a sudden move, unexpected health news, or retirement plans that had to change. When life takes unexpected turns, we’re like them, trying to trust God even when things don’t make sense.
Like the shepherds, some of us are just doing our regular jobs – helping students achieve greatness through our schools, serving customers in local businesses, farming to provide food, or caring for our families. God can show up in these everyday moments, just like the angels appeared during the shepherds’ normal night shift. The places where we spend our ordinary days can become places where we meet God in surprising ways.
And like the people of Bethlehem, we may feel overwhelmed by life’s demands. Some of us still find ways to welcome others, while some of us are too tired to notice the special moments happening around us. But God comes close to us in both our welcoming moments and our tired ones, in our celebrations and our struggles.
This story of Jesus’s birth is part of God’s bigger story of love. Long ago, God made promises through people like Isaiah, who said light would shine in darkness. Another prophet named Micah said the promised king would be born in tiny Bethlehem. When Jesus was born, these promises came true in a surprising way – God’s love became a person in an unexpected place.
Jesus kept surprising people throughout his life. He turned ordinary places into special ones. He taught by lakes and on hills. He made friends with fishermen and welcomed people others ignored. He showed that God often works through regular people and ordinary places to do amazing things.
That’s why the manger is so important. It shows us that God appears in everyday places. Look around McPherson and you can see it: friends supporting each other during cancer treatment, grandparents teaching family recipes in their kitchens just off Main Street, neighbors helping neighbors at The Cedars, people in our church facing tough times with courage.
The good news is this: God loves us so much that God chose to come to earth as a tiny baby, not in a palace but in a stable, not to powerful people but to ordinary ones like us. This wasn’t a one-time event. God is still with us now, showing up in our everyday lives. God appears in late-night talks with worried teenagers, in quiet moments between spouses, in the courage of people starting over. God is present in dorm rooms at McPherson and Central Christian College where homesick students find friendship, in retirement homes where shared meals become family time, in hospital rooms where worry turns to peace.
Tonight, I invite you to explore some practical ways to embrace this good news in your everyday life.
Every evening this week, try to spot one moment where God showed up in your day. Maybe it was a kind word from someone at work, children laughing at play, or a beautiful Kansas sunset. When we look for these moments, we’re like the shepherds discovering God’s glory in their familiar fields. It might be as simple as noticing the warmth of sunlight through your window or the taste of your morning coffee.
Then, as we start the new year, join us for our “Reset” series. We’ll explore stories of people whose lives changed when they met Jesus. Their stories might help you see new possibilities in your own life, just as the shepherds’ lives changed that first Christmas night. Together, we’ll discover how God is still changing lives today.
Finally, share the light you’ve received. This could be as simple as sending an encouraging text or making time to really listen to someone who’s struggling. When we share God’s love with others, we’re like the shepherds spreading their good news through Bethlehem. Small acts of kindness can make a bigger difference than we imagine.
These simple practices help us live into the truth that God is still with us today. They remind us that we don’t have to do extraordinary things to experience God’s presence. Just like that first Christmas, God often shows up in the midst of our regular routines and everyday relationships. The shepherds weren’t doing anything special when the angels appeared. Mary and Joseph were just trying to find a place to rest. The people of Bethlehem were going about their normal lives. Yet God chose these ordinary moments to do something extraordinary.
Life isn’t always easy. Like Mary and Joseph, we face hard journeys. Like the shepherds, we might be scared when God breaks into our normal routines. Like the people of Bethlehem, we might feel overwhelmed by changes in our lives. But in all these moments, God comes close to us. Not to make our problems disappear, but to be with us through them. Sometimes God’s presence comes through a friend’s phone call, a moment of unexpected peace, or the simple gift of strength to face another day.
Whether your heart is full of joy or heavy with sadness tonight, remember this: God comes to ordinary people in ordinary places with extraordinary love. The miracle isn’t just that it happened then, but that it’s still happening now – God is with us, showing up in unexpected places, transforming ordinary moments into holy encounters. Just as God chose a simple stable, common shepherds, and a small town to reveal divine love, God still chooses to work through our simple lives and everyday moments.
Will you pray with me?
God of love, help us see you in unexpected places. Give us courage to share your light with others. Help us remember that you are with us, now and always. Amen.
In crafting today’s sermon, I employed AI assistants like Claude and Apple Intelligence, yet the ultimate responsibility for its content rests with me. These tools offered valuable perspectives, but the most influential sermon preparation hinges on biblical study, theological insight, personal reflection, and divine guidance. I see AI as a supportive aid to enrich the sermon process while ensuring my own voice in proclaiming the Word of God.
Rev. Andrew Conard 