As we think about the Christmas story, the part of the story that seems minor is the shepherds. The humble shepherds were doing what shepherds do; taking care of their sheep. Was it warm? Cold I have no clue. I imagine that they were out there in the fields, expecting things to be the same as they were every other night. But... this was not going to be any other night. Perhaps they sat around the fire sharing stories; or maybe the night was so still that they sat staring at the stars in silence. however it played out, they were out in the fields when the angels light up the night sky and spoke their happy greetings. Their instructions were simple. Nothing hard or important; go to Bethlehem and see the child. Did others see the angels? I don't know. If they did, they did not go see the baby as the shepherds did. For the lowly shepherds, obedience cost nothing but a little sleep. Yet, the blessing they received fro...