So I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days. Then I got up during the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the animal I rode. I went out by night by the Valley Gate past the Dragon’s Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool; but there was no place for the animal I was riding to continue. So I went up by way of the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest that were to do the work.

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer suffer disgrace.”  I told them that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us start building!” So they committed themselves to the common good. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they mocked and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven is the one who will give us success, and we his servants are going to start building; but you have no share or claim or historic right in Jerusalem.”

Nehemiah was not a priest or prophet but a layperson who lived around 400 years before Christ, and he received a call to rebuild Jerusalem after his release from captivity.  He was distressed at the desolate condition of Jerusalem and stated the work of gathering the people to rebuild its walls.  During his attempt, he encounter mockery and ridicule from non-Jewish people, but he continued with his work of rebuilding.  After the physical rebuilding of Jerusalem, he undertook various religious and economic reforms, which included strengthening the observance of the Sabbath, ending mixed marriages, canceling oppressive debts, and returning the law of Moses.  In partnership with the priest, Ezra, there was a great revival of the people and a political and religious restoration of the faith after years in Babylonian captivity.  There is no question that we need God to raise up other “Nehemiahs” in our day.  Lay people who first love God and His Church so much that they use their leadership skill and resources to rebuild the Church after years of destruction by those inside and outside the Church, leaders and followers alike.  I think of the great people of the past who seem to show up on the scene just at the right time to do the good that God has called them to do, to seize the moment, and many of them were lay people who saw themselves as necessary parts of the Church.  Now more than ever, do we need those same kind of people.  There is no shortage of gifts to offer God in rebuilding the faith, there is only a shortage of people willing to answer the call.  Jesus coming at Christmas was a commitment by the Holy Trinity that at the fullness of time, God would save his people and rebuild the faith.  Let us hope that in the wake of a Church falling apart he will send men and women to lead us to rebuild the beautiful gift he left us.

Nehemiah was someone who used his gifts to help the people build up the city of Jerusalem after it have been destroyed by people who did not like them.  He got all kinds of people together to repair the walls and the towers to work together and make it happen.  Leadership is so important and having many hands to help makes the work easier.  God is calling us to use our gifts that he gave us when we were born to do the good that the world needs.  Jesus coming at Christmas is also a great gift, he came to bring goodness into the world and taught us to do the same as well.  Hopefully every person always wants only to use the good things they have to do good things with them.

Explore the kinds of talents and resources each member has in the family and how he or she can use them for the good of the family.  Then discuss how these same gifts can be used outside the family for building up the faith.  Talk about the places that need help in the Church and how as a family you can do God’s work and make a difference.  Mention that the Church is not about getting but about belonging, giving and participating in the family of faith that Jesus started when he came at Christmas.