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Once when Zechariah\u2019s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.\xa0 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense (Luke 1:8-11).

There had been many ordinary priestly days for Zechariah. Twice each year he travelled to the temple to fulfill his duties as a priest before God, a week each time. How many years had it been? How many trips had he made? He had lost count. Every day was ordinary.

In those days, Israel had priests a plenty. So many in fact, that some never got to do that one thing all those ordinary priests wanted to do. Three times each day, the Israelites gathered in the temple courts to pray. The first and third were accompanied with the morning and afternoon incense-offering. A priest would be chosen by lot for each occasion; you could only be chosen once. There were so many priests that some never got chosen. Some died, never having poured the incense on the altar fire.

On this day, which began with ordinary priestly duties, Zechariah was chosen to pour the incense on the altar. Finally, after all these years, God had chosen him. This was the most important moment in his life. The other priests helped him prepare the spice and bring it into the holy place. Then, once the others had retreated leaving him alone and the temple president had given the single, Zechariah poured the incense.

Outside, the praying people waited. When they saw the white smoke from the incense rising up to God, they bowed down, spread out their hands in silent prayer and for three holy minutes there was silence in the centre of this bustling city. And the people waited. They waited for the chosen priest to come out and bless them for the night. They waited. They got restless\u2026he wasn\u2019t coming, something was a miss.

If only they had known. For Zechariah, the ordinary was no longer. God had come. This old priest tarried long because inside the temple an angel stood between the altar and the candlesticks.

This is how the story of Christ\u2019s birth begins. In the days when Herod, the godless, was king, Israel\u2019s God, her true king, shows up. He briefly interrupted the very ordinary events of Jewish life. While the people were doing what they did every day, twice a day, God\u2019s angel appears. God still had need of old Zechariah. It is time for salvation, and God needs Zechariah.

While our visits from God may not be as dramatic as Zechariah\u2019s, they are just as personal. The acts of our piety may have become empty rituals. We may be filled with cynicism and despair, not at all convinced that God cares. Luke boldly asserts no matter how dry and barren our world (or our soul) may feel today, salvation is in the works.

Death comes into our lives in many forms. Today\u2019s text offers us the hope of the gospel. There was nothing unusual about that day when God showed up. Zechariah, the other priests, and the whole crowd gathered outside were doing very ordinary things when the angel appeared. This text invites us to open our eyes, to look up, to expect God to come with the words of life.

Today (or tomorrow) as you go about the ordinary events of the day, accompany them with prayer. Let them rise like the white smoke from the altar of incense. And live with expectation. God is still in the business of showing up. He is still working out his salvation. Watch for it.

Though you walk in darkness, may you see the great light. Though you live in a land of deep shadows\u2014may you see light! sunbursts of light! May God increase your life, expand your joy. May you be glad in his presence! May God give you the joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings (cf. Isaiah 9:2-3 MSG).