“Mighty dread had seized their troubled minds.”

Carol: “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks” – Nahum Tate (1700)

Tune: CHRISTMAS (adapted from G. F. Handel)

How long since you really dreaded something? Since you had a foreboding feeling that made you numb… maybe even incapable of moving ahead? You may have called it a “panic attack.”

Here, the dread is taken up a notch from your everyday basic dread to “mighty” dread. If you thought you had been anxious before, this is even a higher level of apprehension!

The shepherds of the Luke nativity story were caught off guard to the point that their thought processes were seized by a double-dose of dread when a heavenly messenger appeared in their midst. Nowadays, we would say they were in shock.

Some of us seem to be troubled more than we should; worry is our companion too much of the time… even in the weeks leading up to Christmas!  I’m a worrier by nature – always have been. If I’m not careful, my theme-song might be “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen”!

What if those shepherds were already worried about how things were going? Perhaps the political unrest of their day was overwhelming… or a pandemic loomed largely… or they were mistreated or looked down upon simply because they were shepherds. Those can be troubling, don’t you know?

Then added to their already troubled state of mind, the dreaded dread came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone ‘round about them making them sore afraid!

Before they could suffer an attack of panic, the angelic messenger calmed them down with those three words that occur SO often in Scripture when anxiety rules: “Be not afraid.”

From what we can tell, the message of gladness and joy eased their alarm, caused them to listen-up, and ultimately drew them to Christ.

That’s how it is with us, especially during this time of the year: If we heed (listen-up to) the pervasive message of gladness, joy, hope and love being sung and spoken all around us, we might disregard our trepidations and be closer drawn to Christ.

Worrying souls, move away from your anxiety once and for all. Let’s put all that behind us and allow “Good will henceforth from heaven to earth (to) begin and never cease.”

After all, “Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen. Nobody knows but Jesus.”