As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, many of us will once again hear the familiar account, including the angel’s announcement to the shepherds.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10–11 (ESV)

The fact that the first announcement of the Savior’s birth came to shepherds holds significance for many reasons. One cannot miss the beauty of the connection between the birth of the One who would be called “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,”1 and those who cared for lambs, working in close proximity to Jerusalem, where sacrificial offerings were made.

But it is worth noting another aspect of the account: this announcement came to people while they were at work.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. Luke 2:8–9 (ESV)

In their workplace, out under the stars, on the night shift, an extraordinary interruption occurred. God’s good news broke into the ordinary rhythms of labor, not just into spaces considered “sacred.” In fact, a kind of worship service broke out right there in the fields, as a multitude of angels burst into praise.

In this moment, God demonstrated that there is indeed no division between “sacred” and “secular.” As Dutch pastor and Prime Minister Abraham Kuyper famously said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”

For leaders in missional enterprise — entrepreneurs, managers, teachers, makers, builders — this Christmas story carries a clear and encouraging echo: the gospel comes not only to our ceremonial spaces, but into our workplaces and daily routines. Just as God chose shepherds at their posts, He invites us to see our work as a place of encounter, proclamation, and joy.

Verse of the Week:

May this season remind us that good news comes to where we are, even in the midst of deadlines, meetings, tasks, and responsibilities, and empowers us to carry that news into the everyday lives of those around us.