The presence of God, represented by the angel Gabriel, appeared to Zechariah and to Mary. Next, we see the presence of God with an unnamed angel who proclaims Jesus’ birth to the shepherds. God interrupted their humble job as caretakers of sheep, which led to their assignment as the first evangelists to share the good news. As the Theology of Work Bible Commentary (vol. 4) notes,  “God is able to break into the midst of everyday life with his goodness and glory.”

In this Advent season, we celebrate the birth of Immanuel, who brought God’s presence to us. As we live in between Jesus’s first and second comings, the reality of his presence affects every aspect of our lives at church, at home, and at work.
Luke’s version of the Christmas story offers glimpses of men and women of faith—ordinary workers, like you and me—who illustrate the repeated biblical connection between God’s presence and human work, which I call Immanuel labor. I invite you to join me as I unpack their stories, share some observations, and consider how to apply these principles to experience God’s presence at work.
Zechariah’s Work
The first character Luke introduces us to in the Christmas story is Zechariah, an ordinary priest. His wife, Elizabeth, was barren (we also later learn she is a close relative of Mary, Jesus’ mother). When Zechariah was doing his duty serving in the temple, he was randomly chosen to burn incense. Luke tells us that there, in the middle of carrying out his job, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, announcing that Elizabeth would bear a son who would “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Lk. 1:5-17).
This divine encounter undoubtedly enabled Zechariah to continue his priestly work in a new light, but it also gave him a new role: the father of the boy who would grow up to be John the Baptist. As we consider how God’s presence with Zechariah might apply to us, perhaps our most significant contributions to God’s Kingdom are not what we accomplish, but what God will do through the children we raise.
Mary’s Faith 
Like Zechariah, Mary is an example of an ordinary parent raising an extraordinary son—and thus another great example of God’s presence connecting with human work. However, Mary’s faith in God was deeper and her work far more profound.
God was present with Mary as the Holy Spirit came upon her at Jesus’s conception (Lk. 1:35). God was present while she was in labor to deliver the Deliverer. Through the pain of childbirth that Eve was cursed with in Genesis 3:16, Jesus was born so that we could be born again. God was present with her as Jesus’ loving mother as she worked daily to meet his human needs.
In reading Mary’s song of praise (Lk. 1:46-55), we see that she not only understood God’s omnipresence with his chosen people, but that she had experienced his presence personally.
Read More
Related Posts:

Once inside the room, the two women who had hoped for this moment, Elaine Edwards and Karen Scheibe, recited the first 10 questions. The lady in charge watched and listened and suddenly seemed to be interested. I then asked if these women, who had worked so hard for this time, could recite the entire Catechism? It would take only about 30-40 minutes? She said “yes.” By this time, she was on our side and listened intently.

When I married into the Horton Family in 1969, I realized quite soon that Joyce’s parent’s were quite serious about The Westminster Standards. My father-in-law, Frank Horton, was a very successful defense attorney, a godly man, and one of the six original founders of Reformed Theological Seminary in 1966.  He told me once, “When you know and understand The Shorter Catechism, you know theology, PERIOD!” My mother-in-law, Joyce Horton, who was the greatest Christian I ever knew, wrote a book entitled, “How To Teach The Catechism To Children.”
As we raised our five daughters with this story, we told them that they had to learn, memorize and recite at one sitting The Children’s Catechism and The Shorter Catechism; of course, each at different times and ages. This was certainly not easy; and required that Joyce and I help and encourage them often. And one very motivating factor when they were teenagers was, “No driver’s license until you say the Catechism.” It worked and they all did it. There was a great celebration each time, as well as public recognition in our church’s worship services; there were even and some Christian periodicals that reported their accomplishment.
When I was an Associate Pastor with John Sartelle at Independent Presbyterian Church in Memphis in the 1990s, there was an amazing time of growth for that church both spiritually and numerically. And during that time, Joyce started a study group for women on The Shorter Catechism. It became very popular and was greatly blessed by God during those years.
Out of that group and from her Senior English teaching time at Evangelical Christian School in Memphis, we began to lead tours to the United Kingdom from the mid-1990s through 2010. During an adult tour, while we were at Westminster Abbey, I discovered that two of the women in our group had recently memorized the Shorter Catechism. They asked me if it would be possible for them to recite the Catechism from memory in the room, of course, referring to the Jerusalem Chamber, where the Westminster Assembly met, wrote, and eventually adopted the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger Catechism and the Shorter Catechism, in 1648.
Most people do not know the origin of that name, the Jerusalem Chamber. It dates from the 13th Century when Henry IV was King of England. He had been planning a trip to Jerusalem when he had a stroke in Westminster Abbey, nearly died and was semi-comatose. It was a very cold winter and the king was moved to a side room near the front of the building where there was a fireplace. He soon awakened and asked immediately if he was in Jerusalem? Since that day, the room has been known as The Jerusalem Chamber.
So early one morning after a brief tour of the Abbey, I inquired at the Visitors Desk if we could see the Jerusalem Chamber. I was told “NO” that it was not open to the public that day. I then said that we were a group of “16 Presbyterians on a Pilgrimage from America,” and that it would mean very much to us if we could step into that room for a few minutes where several of the most meaningful documents in our church history were written. After a long pause, the lady in charge said, “yes.” Once inside the room, the two women who had hoped for this moment, Elaine Edwards and Karen Scheibe, recited the first 10 questions. The lady in charge watched and listened and suddenly seemed to be interested. I then asked if these women, who had worked so hard for this time, could recite the entire Catechism? It would take only about 30-40 minutes? She said “yes.” By this time, she was on our side and listened intently. My wife Joyce, and another lady, Candy Denton, asked and listened to each answer. The rest of us watched in awe!
When they finished, the Abbey official stood and said in British fashion, “Brilliant! I have never seen anything like that before. We must celebrate! I will be back shortly.” When she returned, she brought a tray with about 18 little glasses and a bottle of Sherry. She then said, “We must all take a “nip” in celebration and congratulations.” And we all did! It was such a happy, joyous, and God-glorifying occasion.
I have always wondered if anyone else in history had recited entire Shorter Catechism at one sitting in the room where it was written and adopted?.
The Westminster Assembly was like none other in church history. Those men had  prayed, fasted and studied together for many days over several years (1643-1649), and produced unique materials that have served as an anchor for “true truth” through the centuries.
So remember: “If you know and understand The Shorter Catechism, you know theology, PERIOD!”
Wayne Herring is a retired Minister in the Presbyterian Church in America living in Raymond, Miss.
Related Posts:

God is grieved when we turn to worship anything but him. Ezra’s visceral sorrow reflects the size of the offense against the Lord. In this text, we see the people’s need for a savior—we are “before [God] in our guilt,” as no one “can stand before [God] because of this” (Ezra 9:15). The need for forgiveness and transformation is gigantic. And God has provided! Jesus is the one who was consumed in anger, he was the remnant that was eliminated in our place (Ezra 9:14).

It’s unlikely that Ezra 9 tops anyone’s list of favorite chapters in the Bible. But with regard to grief over sin, few sections of Scripture are more instructive.
By way of background, Ezra is sent from Babylon to Jerusalem roughly 70 years after the first exiles made the journey. Ezra is both a priest and a scribe, and he will teach the law to the people in the rebuilt temple of God. Ezra 8 describes the travel to the holy city, then Ezra 9 opens with a bombshell.
The Faithlessness of the People
Ezra is told that many Israelites “have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations” (Ezra 9:1). They have married women from the surrounding nations who do not worship God. And it gets worse: “And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost” (Ezra 9:2).
Ezra’s response is dramatic.
As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. (Ezra 9:3–4)
This is no run-of-the-mill sin. The identity and integrity of this new Jerusalem settlement is being compromised by these marriages. The issue is not mainly cultural or ethnic—it is about worship. Every spouse has enormous religious influence on their partner, and Israel’s history is peppered with unfaithfulness to God beginning with a marriage outside the faith.
Ezra grasps the severity of the situation, and he is undone. He is as torn up as his garment and facial hair.
While his ministry seems to have born fruit—witness those gathered with him who revere God’s word—the unearthing of sin this pervasive is devastating.
Communal Sin
Ezra sat appalled in his grief for a while. Then at the evening sacrifice (a public event), he fell on his knees to pray (Ezra 9:5).
O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.  (Ezra 9:6–7)
Read More
Related Posts: