Song of Life 7

Shepherds at worship

On worship day, Sarabek was up and eager to get to the village. She made sure the preparations were started for the midday meal her family would eat after fasting before service. She had brushed her hair more vigorously than usual the night before and carefully plaited it into the manner she wore to service. She arranged her shawl 3 times before she was satisfied with it and pinched her cheeks to make sure they were pink, even though they always looked like roses in bloom.

As her family left their gate, the three shepherds came down the trail from the mountain valley and joined them. Sarabek’s heart raced because the young shepherd was among them. Her father greeted the men and introduced them to his wife. They joined the family, walking toward the worship place in the center of town. The oldest shepherd walked with her father, discussing the valley and the village, the next shepherd joined her brother, James, and her mother, and young shepherd, named Ruben, asked if he could walk with her. She looked up into his face and thanked him. He admired her lovely shawl, asked if her mother had made it, and she explained she was the family weaver.  He said no shawl in the city was finer. He said each time he returned from travels, he took a gift to his mother, and he asked she would make the gift he would take when the herds left before winter set in. She gladly agreed and asked if his mother had a favorite color. Ruben said he would like another like the blue one her mother was wearing and Sarabek said she would start on it right away. There was a ready supply of wool. The shepherds gave combed wool to each family for their noon meal.

By this time, the group had reached the worship area. She and her mother left the men and joined the other women and girls. The worship leader recited the passage for the day. He spoke about its meaning for their lives and told the stories from the past of how God had saved their tribes from slavery and given them the good land they now lived in. Then singing began, using the passage as the song with the children joining the adults, learning the scripture as they learned the song. The leader then led the group in prayer, thanking God for their families, health and homes, for the visiting shepherds and flocks, for the land and the king who reigned. He finished the blessing for the coming week and all the people shouted praises. The groups of men and women talked amongst themselves telling the current news while the children played. The adults gathered their children to return to their homes. The shepherds were greeted by the family providing their meal, took the baskets of food and wine and headed back toward the mountain valley. Sarabek’s family walked with them as far as their home. Ruben walked with her brother Isaac this time but turned to Sarabek as they reached the gate and said he looked forward to seeing her and the progress on his mother’s shawl when he next came to worship.

Next: Summer’s promise