2007 Devotional Guide
for ELCA Congregation Councils and Committees

The Birth of Jesus — Little Things Mean a Lot
December 2007 by Margaret Payne

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. —John 1:14

We love the calm, cosmic view of the Word become flesh given to us by John’s mystic vision. Yet we also cherish the details of the birth of the babe in the manger. We need both versions to tell the story completely.

The grace of God was delivered to earth in the package of a tiny, squirming baby boy. He was a little thing, but he split open time and began a journey to the cross where death was defeated once and for all. The strain and haste and worry in the very human story of Jesus’ birth remind us of our own human lives. It is a story that draws us as irresistibly as we are drawn into all the busy ways that we create to celebrate it.

It is an infinitely precious story. But why do people who are already frantic with preparations for Christmas agree to the task of gathering over-active children and stuffing them into itchy costumes to stage an amateurish pageant to tell it? And why do tears come to our eyes more often during a Christmas pageant than when instrumentalists perform spectacularly or the preacher preaches well?

Perhaps it is because the flesh of children becomes the Word for us. They are little things, the children of the congregation, but they tell the story in a way that means a lot. They make mystery accessible and they give us a glimpse of glory. God’s version of glory is not a polished and popular glory, and so it is well told in the messiness of a child’s play. The words are not always just right, the actors stand in the wrong spots, lighting fails, songs are off-key, and the crown is tilted on the wise man’s head. But in a pageant we see the Word alive and close enough to love easily, and so we are drawn into the amazing mystery that so often is best communicated by children.

Thanks be to God for children and Christmas and the grace that comes to us through all the little things that God sends our way.

Prayer
We give you thanks, Gracious God, for the amazing story of Jesus. As we celebrate the birth of our savior, help us to remember to share your story and your love with the world. Teach us to give ourselves to others as you gave Jesus to us so that we can give others a glimpse of your glory. Amen.

For Reflection or Discussion
What are the little things that mean a lot in our congregation?

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