The smaller something is, the closer you have to get in order to see it. That’s why the best way to view the gifts God gives at Christmas is “up close and personal.” God acts in ways that seem small so we can get a good look at the big things he’s doing. Today we see how God’s presence among his people seems small and insignificant. Just as Jesus entered Jerusalem on a humble beast of burden, so also water and word, bread and wine now carry Christ and his gifts into our midst every time we gather together. As we begin another Church Year, we are reminded that God is present among us, up close and personal, through the gospel.