Dear Brothers and Sisters,
  A Blessed continuing celebration of Christmas to you.  It still is Christmas on the church calendar through January 5, so keep remembering the birth of the Savior for you and the whole world.
This Christmas is like all others in that it comes at a time when many dangerous, dark things confront or threaten us.  At the time I write this, for example, our nation is on high alert for terrorism and there is a lot of flu going around, and for several people the onslaught of serious illness and death shadow their days.  The desired joy of the season accentuates the loneliness of those who are about to or who have suffered terrible loss.  Especially in this time, let us bring these people, our nation, and all those in the world who are in need of our prayers before the Lord and ask for his mercy and love.
   Beyond praying, may I remind you of the presence of God in our lives through the Christ, the light for a world adrift in darkness, and may I ask you to reflect that light as best you can to those around you and even to those far away with your acts of compassion and your prayers.
As I prepare for preaching the good news of Jesus, I read several stories searching for a few that I can use to illustrate the Gospel that you might take hold of the good news a little more tightly.  Let me share this story here.  It comes from Dr. James W. Moore.
Back during WWII, four young American soldiers, who had been on the front lines of battle for some time, were sent back away from the fighting to a small French village for a little R & R.  When they arrived safely in the village, they suddenly realized that it was Christmas Eve.  They began to discuss how they would like to spend Christmas.  One of the soldiers said, "You know, as we were coming into town earlier today, I noticed an orphanage on the outskirts of the village.  Why don't we go there in the morning and take some Christmas joy to those children?"  The others liked the idea and the more they talked about it, the more excited they became.  So they went out and bought all kinds of toys and candy and clothing, food and books and games, and early the next morning, they showed up at the front door of the orphanage with wonderful Christmas presents for all the children.
The orphanage director was pleased and all the children were delighted as they opened their gifts.  All the children that is, except for  one little girl who stood quietly off to the side.  She appeared to be 5 or 6 years old and her face looked so very sad.  One of the American soldiers noticed that she was not participating, and he asked the orphanage director about the little girl.  "O, bless her heart,"  said the director, "We just got her last week.  Both of her parents were killed in a car wreck.  There was no one to take her in, so we brought her hers."
The soldier went over to the little girl and gently he said to her, "It's Christmas morning and we have wonderful Christmas presents here;  toys, clothes, candy, food, books, puzzles.  Which would you like?  what do you want most for Christmas?"  And the little girl said, "I want somebody to hold me."
Maybe this is the best Christmas gift of all, someone to hold us.  As somebody once put it, "Rich is not what you have.  It's who you have beside you."  Well, this sacred season comes along once each year to remind us that "Love Came Down At Christmas," that God even now reaching out to us with open arms, and that He wants us to accept His love and to pass it on to others.
 
A Blessed and Merry Christmas to you and a good New Year, too.        In our Lord and Savior, Pastor John