We Come Like the Shepherds to Jesus

What does the prayer “Jesus, come and be born in my heart?” imply?

 Who first witnessed His coming?  Shepherds…….not Kings.  If we try to imagine being one of them, what would we be like?  Poor obviously, politically powerless, without social status, accepting of physical hardship, called to put the wellbeing of defenseless sheep ahead of our own comfort, but being part of a band of brothers who share this vulnerability and commitment, and who one night are suddenly awestruck by a “charged” atmosphere full of significance around a vulnerable baby and its tired, worried, helpless parents. Those are the hearts that are open to Jesus.  When we pray, “Come Lord Jesus, be born in our hearts,” we admit our vulnerability, our neediness, our call to protect and support God’s helpless ones, and our dependency on mutual support.  To me this prayer describes both our own situation and our call together through openness to Jesus, as both our Savior and Lord. This is the heart of religion. This is Spirituality. And this is the call of the church. Are we listening?

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About Eileen

Mother of five, grandmother of nine, great-grandmother of five. 1955 -1959 Rice University in Houston, TX. Taught primary grades; Was Associate Post Director of Religious Education at Ft. Campbell, KY; Consultant on the Myers/Briggs Type Indicator, Was married for 60 years to an Architect in Middle Tennessee.

Posted on December 8, 2024, in Advent prayer, Heart over Mind, Imperfection is the same as unfinished., Moments of Wonder, Power vs Love, The journey from need to love., The Spiritual Journey to Wholeness.. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.

  1. Eileen, you always hit the nail on the head! Thanks yet again for this.

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