Today’s message was written by Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

One of the most beloved legends of Christmas is the story of “The Little Drummer Boy.” When the Christ child was born, according to the story, many beautiful gifts were brought to the manger, gifts of great beauty and splendor. But one small boy was very poor and had nothing to offer the Lord. This made him very sad. But then he thoughts, “I know what I can do, I can play my drum for him.” And so he did – “pa rum pum pum pum – pa rum pum pum pum.” He played with all the love in his heart. And as he played, so the legend tells us, the Christ Child smiled, showing that at Christmas, the gift of love is the best gift of all. 

You see, it was not so much what the drummer boy did as how and why he did it. The real key was not his drum playing. I’m sure there were better drummers around. It was his spirit, his attitude of love, his desire to celebrate, his willingness to give of himself – those were the things that made the Christ child smile. And they still do!

What can we give to the Christ Child in the Christmas season this year? What are the best gifts you and I can bring to the manger? What can we give him? 

In 1872, Christina Rossetti wrote a beautiful poem with these poignant words:

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would give Him a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man,
I would do my part,
But what I can I give Him:
I give my heart.

Let us pray: Loving God, who came into the world clothed in our garment of flesh and who willingly gave yourself to the cross, clothe us in your own Spirit, that persons will recognize you in us and receive your great gift of love. In the name of Jesus, your greatest gift. Amen. 

Some time ago, I read a compelling story about a statue called “Christ of the Andes.” In 1988, the people of Argentina and Chile were on the brink of war. At the last moment, an Argentine bishop stepped in and appealed for peace between the two countries. In response, a Chilean bishop joined the cause, and the dispute was sent to King Edward VII. He in turn was able to settle the issue, and war was avoided.

In the wake of this potential conflict, the unused guns from both countries were melted down and the metal was used to build a colossal statue of Christ which now sits on a mountain range between Argentina and Chile.

In Isaiah we read the following prophecy:  
…they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
     and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
     neither shall they learn war anymore.

In this season of Advent, we look forward to the day when this prophecy will be fulfilled; to the day when the One who is born as a baby in a manger, will ultimately reign in the fullest sense as the Prince of Peace.

Let us pray: O God we long for the day when wars will cease and your peace will reign. Until that day, may we as your followers ever be your ambassadors for peace. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

In one of his creative sermons, author and pastor Leonard Sweet gave a new twist to the acronym ASAP. Usually, we think of ASAP to stand for As Soon As Possible. But Rev. Sweet encourages us to Always Say A Prayer…

“There’s work to do, deadlines to meet, and you’ve got no time to spare, but as you hurry and scurry, ASAP: Always Say a Prayer. In the midst of family chaos, quality time is rare. Do your best; let God do the rest, ASAP: Always Say a Prayer. It may seem like your worries are more than you can bear. Slow down and take a breather, ASAP: Always Say a Prayer. God knows how stressful life is; God wants to ease our cares, And God will respond to your needs, ASAP: Always Say a Prayer.” 

President Dwight Eisenhower once put it this way, “Personal prayer, it seems to me, is one of the simplest necessities of life, as basic to the individual as sunshine, food and water, and at times, of course, more so… A thousand experiences have convinced me beyond any room of doubt that prayer multiplies the strength of the individual and brings within the scope of his capabilities almost any conceivable objective.”

Let us pray: Gracious God, amid the business and stress of everyday life, we need your grace. We need your presence and guidance. So we turn to you again and again. And we humbly ask you to meet us in these moments along the way. Amen. 

Some friends from my congregation once gave me a short but powerful parable written by the Lutheran pastor, Gene Thiemann. It was titled, “The Mouse and the Snowflake.” It goes like this: “A mouse once asked a dove to tell him the weight of a snowflake. ‘Nothing,’ was the answer. But then the mouse told the dove a story.”

“‘I sat on the branch of a fir, close to its trunk, when it began to snow, not heavily, not in a raging blizzard, but just like in a dream without any violence,’ he said. ‘Since I didn’t have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and needles. The number reached exactly 3,741,952. When the next snowflake dropped onto the branch, weightless as you say, the branch broke off.’”

“The dove thought about the story for a while and then mused, ‘If something as light as a snowflake can break a branch with the combined weight of many, perhaps the combined weight of people working together can also make a difference.”

Sometimes we think that our small actions won’t matter. Sometimes we think that our small gift, our small action, or our few words won’t make a dent. But the parable is true. The money we give, the actions we take, and the words we say add up. 

Mother Teresa once said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”

Let us pray: God of love, may we be generous as you are generous. Take what we have to offer, bless it, multiply it, add to the love and generosity of others, and use it as an instrument of your love for a world desperately in need; through Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.

In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul writes: So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God. In Christ, the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord;  in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

This is an interesting metaphor for the church. Paul says that in some mystical way – this community of gathered believers are being built together into a living, breathing temple – where God present and at work. In other places, Paul says that the church is like a body… we all are like the different parts of the body with different gifts. 1 Peter says we are like living stones, again, being built into a living temple. Jesus says we’re like a family.

All of this makes me wonder what comes to mind when you think about the church.

When I think about church, I remember a moment as a young adult, after being away from the church for years, being touched by the stories of a young missionary. He had been caring for people with AIDS in a shanty in Africa. And I thought: Who does that?

When I think about church I think about working side by side with a Mexican Family in Piedras Negras, Mexico. We were building homes through a ministry called Builders for Christ. Every afternoon, a group of people from a local Pentecostal church brought us food and bottled water and prayed over us.

When I think about church, I think about people in my church giving one of our elders members rides to the doctor’s office. I think about how time and again they have rallied around those in our congregation battling cancer. Prayers, meals, phone calls, listening ears…

I’ll never forget after Hurricane Irma, one Sunday morning, someone pressed a wad of cash into my hand and said, “Hey Joe, we have a mutual friend who doesn’t go to our church, but who I know is struggling financially. Her house was damaged by the storm and on top of that, she was having health issues. He said to me: Please give this to her – and don’t tell her who it’s from.” I uncrumpled the wad of cash – and it was $400. When I gave it to the woman in need, she cried…

I know some people think of it as an institution or a building or a pastor… But we know it’s way more than that. Paul says we’re a living breathing temple, with God’s Spirit binding us together, enriching us, enlivening us…sending us…

What do you think about, when you think about church?

Let us pray: Bind us together loving God, that we might be strengthened and healed to serve you and this world you so love. In Christ’s name. Amen.