When we hear in the story of the shepherds, we see that they were not expecting anything extraordinary. They were simply going about their work, living ordinary lives, when wonder broke in. Angels appeared. Good news was shared. And suddenly, they realized they were part of God’s story. But what mattered just as much was what came next. The shepherds did not stay in that moment of awe. They went and told others, returning to their lives changed, praising God and sharing what they had seen. Wonder led them to witness. This season is full of moments that invite a sense of wonder. Whether it is through music, familiar scriptures, candlelight, or quiet pauses we did not plan for. The question is what we do with them. Do we let them pass as fleeting feelings, or do we allow them to shape how we live and love? Like the shepherds, may we carry it with us into our conversations and our care for one another, bearing witness to the light that has come into the world.

This Advent season invites us into wonder—yet wonder often leads us somewhere deeper: acceptance. In recent weeks, shifting weather patterns have disrupted our carefully laid plans. Meetings have been postponed, deadlines rearranged, events reshaped. We’ve checked our calendars only to discover that nature has rewritten them for us. But these interruptions carry a quiet wisdom. They remind us that life, like the weather, is not always predictable. There are moments in our faith journey when all we can do is accept. Not resignation—but holy surrender. A laying down of what we cannot control so that God may lift up what we cannot yet see. Advent is the perfect season for this surrender. We wait for Christ’s coming with hope, but also with the humility to admit that God’s timing, God’s movement, and God’s way often arrive differently than we expect. The shepherds were surprised. Mary and Joseph were redirected. The wise men were rerouted. Every story of Christ’s arrival begins with wonder, and then asks for acceptance. So what is God calling you to surrender? A burden too heavy? A timeline too rigid? A worry that has carved out space in your spirit? Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up—it means opening up. It means trusting that God is already at work, even in the disruptions.

Silence has a way of sharpening our vision. It slows us down enough to see what has been true all along but overlooked in the rush. It opens the door to wonder. In the hush of a dimly lit room, you remember, this is sacred. This is gift. And if silence can help us see our own children more clearly, how much more can it help us see God? This week, as we continue our Advent series Wonder, we turn to a man who learned the language of silence in a most unexpected way—Zachariah. His story begins with disbelief and muteness, but it unfolds into revelation, renewal, and awe. In the quiet, God was doing deep work in him, reshaping his heart to receive the miracle that was coming. As we enter this season, perhaps God is inviting us into a similar stillness. A silence that isn’t punishment but preparation. A quiet that positions us to notice, to understand, and to behold the wonder of what God is bringing to life in us.