FILO: Advent for the Church Technical ArtistНамуна

Much of the work we do is unseen in the realm of technical artistry. And the work that is seen - the gatherings that we produce, design, or lead - only reflect a fraction of the actual work that goes into what we do. In those unseen moments, I fall into the trap of minimizing the work God has called me to do. I may spend countless hours and late nights building a landing page, programming lights, and crafting artistic service elements, and all I can think is, “What’s the point?” “Will anyone even notice?” “Will this ever measure up to what >>insert church name<< is doing?” Questions like these plague my mind and I’m left wandering through the ever-familiar halls of self-doubt, comparison, and discouragement. It’s a place I’ve been to many times, and perhaps it’s a place that feels familiar to you as well. In these seasons, I’m reminded of and blessed by God’s track record of revealing His glory in the humble, the lowly, and the unexpected. Today’s reading is a beautiful example of this.

Micah 5:2 reads,

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me One who is to be ruler over Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

Whether young David with a sling, Rahab with her hospitality, or Joseph with a dream, the Bible is full of examples of God’s glory, favor, and plan revealed in the unlikeliest places. This passage brings yet another character into the fold, and that is the city of Bethlehem. The scripture even articulates its perceived insignificance, referring to it as “small among the clans of Judah.” For years God’s people expected the coming of the long-awaited Messiah, and I’m sure that many had already built up how they saw it playing out - a grand entrance, one befitting the promised Savior of the world. But as we often find, time and time again, God likes to work outside the realm of the expected. Not only did Jesus come into the world in the small, helpless, vulnerable form of a newborn baby, but He did so in perhaps the most unlikely place of all - in a feeding trough, in a barn, in the insignificant city of Bethlehem.

As you press on, be encouraged by His faithfulness to bless you in the little things. He will use a technical artist’s small, overlooked, often-undervalued work to reveal His glory to the world and declare His good news to all the ends of the earth. Be humble, be faithful, and God will show up. He always does.

- Joshua Hoegh