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Hello my friend Dr. Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh.

This is your daily reading of the Bible from a progressive point of view.

In a bit I will read the New Testament lesson selected from the Revised Common Lectionary for this very day.

The reading is understandable.

I use the message version relatable.

Please listen to the points to ponder and applicable and with action steps you can take.

We pray and are done in less than 10 minutes.

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Here's today's reading and we're reading today.

From the gospel of Luke 2:1 14 from the message this is the narrative about the birth of Jesus.

About that time, Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the empire.

This was the first census taken when Quirinius was the governor of Syria.

Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for.

So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census.

As a descendant of David, he had to go there.

He went with Mary, his fiance, who was pregnant.

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

She gave birth to a son, her firstborn.

She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the hostel.

An event for everyone.

There were shepherds camping out in the neighborhood and they had set night watches over their sheep.

Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them.

They were terrified and the angel said, they be afraid.

I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody worldwide.

A savior has just been born in David's town.

A savior who is Messiah and master.

This is what you're going to look a baby wrapped in a blanket and lined in a manger.

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises.

They sang glory to God in the highest heavens, peace on earth, and to women who please him.

And the angel choir withdrew into heaven.

The shepherds talked it over.

Let's go over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.

They left running and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger, seeing, was believing.

They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child.

All who heard the shepherds were impressed.

Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear deep within herself.

The shepherds returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had seen and heard.

It turned out exactly the way they had been told.

Well, my friends, that ends the reading and let's just go a little deeper in this story of the Christmas story, the birth of Jesus.

Just to recap a little bit here.

Caesar, who was the ruler of this land, issued a census.

Everybody was to be counted.

And Joseph and Mary had to travel back to Joseph's hometown, Bethlehem.

Mary was pregnant.

No room at the inn.

The baby is born and laid in a manger.

A manger, remember, is the trough where animals ate from.

Then the angels show up to the shepherds who were nearby.

These were the night shift workers of the day.

These were people in the margins and they were there.

The angels were there to announce good news for everybody worldwide.

And they, the shepherds then run to see what was going on and to tell what they've heard.

They go home singing.

And Mary treasures it all quietly.

It's just an incredibly powerful story.

So let's go a little deeper for three points to ponder God.

The first is that God arrives at the margins, not at the center.

This story contrasts the Empire's census with the baby in a feed trough.

Get your head around that for a second.

Progressive faith pays attention to where God chooses to be found.

In insecure housing, in working class hands, among those who can't afford to take days off.

If we're looking for God's activity, start where power is thin and the need is real.

There we'll find good news taking flesh.

Another point, the good news is public material and it's for everyone.

The angels didn't whisper to the elites about what was happening.

They announced to the shepherds, the people out in the fields, that a savior is born.

To all, progressive discipleship insists that the Gospel shows up as accessible care, dignified work, fair policies, food on everybody's table, and everybody being safe.

If our Christmas leaves neighbors hungry or unheard, that's simply not the angel's version.

Third point to ponder is that joy moves us quietly and loudly.

Get the image of Mary treasuring the whole experience in her heart, and the shepherds loudly testifying, screaming at their lungs.

Joy to the world.

The Lord has come.

Both are faithful.

A progressive reading of this honors the contemplative work of wonder and the public witness.

We need quiet courage that holds stories with care and the loud gratitude that spreads hope.

And we measure both by whether they reduce suffering and expand belonging.

I want you to think about an action step after reading this passage here.

The action step is this make some room in your life where there isn't any.

That is maybe identify a person or family facing kind of a no room at the end moment, that is the realities of housing insecurity or medical stresses or caregiving overload or loneliness.

And do one concrete act of hospitality.

Deliver a meal, offer a ride to a doctor's appointment, help out with some paperwork regarding insurance or something like that.

Contribute to mutual aid or invite them just for a walk in the park or have a cup of coffee.

If you're in a position of influence in a church or a company, shift some budget items around or find some calendar some time in the calendar which makes for inclusion.

Find some item in your budget for benevolence giving or find some way to offer childcare where maybe there was lack thereof.

Find some ways to make your world more accessible to others and sharing leadership with marginalized voices we're going to come back and have a prayer here in just a minute, but I want you to know we've got a very good resource for you.

It's called the ABC 123 Bible Study Method.

Consider our Christmas gift to you.

You just go over to voiceofgoddaily.com that's where you find it.

Let's pray God who makes room thank you for showing up where beds are borrowed and the work is overnight, where fear sits close and joy still breaks in.

Teach us to notice you among the shepherds, to treasure like Mary and to testify like those who ran to see what was going on.

And when systems feel like season, the doors say no vacancy.

Give us courage to open our own hands and homes and to bless others.

Bless patients and caregivers and night shift workers and new parents.

The tired, the trying and the ones stuck in red tape.

Meet us in hospitals and wooded trails, in family groups and in day to day cheering on one another and in laughter of children.

Make our communities mangers simple places with real welcome where your good news becomes food, friendship and fairness.

Amen.

My friend.

I am delighted you chose to join me for today's reading.

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My name is Dr. Brad Miller and I'll be right here tomorrow with your daily Bible refresh.

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Remember, God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new every morning.