Nativity Candle lighting skit Advent 2

Hello
I am not used to talking to groups of people
In fact as a shepherd I am not really used to groups of people at all

Its not that I don’t like people, its just that they tend to stay away from me.
I am not quite sure why?
What’s wrong with not having a shower for 30 days?
Or smelling like you have slept curled up to a sheep?
I suppose its because I don’t have much to offer….I live a fairly rough life
Perhaps people think I am a little strange living in the bush with wild animals, snakes and creepy crawlies, with my closest friends being sheep
Even my brother doesn’t invite me to his Christmas parties!!!

So could you imagine my surprise when many years ago on that first Christmas
A whole bunch of angels came to me and told me some news
There was so many of them that the whole night sky went from complete blackness to a really bright white….
it was like it was daylight, yet it was after midnight
The entire sky was filled with angels, singing

I thought they had lost their way out here in the bush!!
Why would anyone want to tell me any news…
there are more important people in the world
People who have a lot more to offer than me

But it turned out the news was for me
We were one of the first to be told about the birth of baby Jesus
We were one of the first to be told about that very first Christmas
Not only this we were told where we could find the baby,
Would you believe he was born in an animal shed??

I still can’t believe it that God would want us smelly old shepherds to be the first to know about the special gift he sent at Christmas
But that seems to be God’s way
To be willing to come to anyone and everyone,
even people like me

Some years later he did something similar
He could of chosen anyone to be his messenger
But he chose a weird, rough looking character called John the Baptist,
He was so weird that he ate bugs and only wore camel hair shorts and shirt
No one really liked him much
He came from the bush with a message to get ready
To get ready for Jesus

Are you getting ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus?
This is a good thing to get ready for, because
Jesus makes the rough ways smooth,
and probably rough people smooth too
Not only this, he makes it possible for us to see and experience God’s salvation.
He makes it possible for us to have peace with God and with other people

Last week we lit the candle of hope with Gasper the wise man
This week as we prepare to celebrate Christmas lets light the candle of peace
As a reminder that Jesus brings peace by making the the rough ways smooth
For our life on life heaven and earth