Thank You, God

The NEWSLETTER Newsletter CONTENT December 1996 Page 1

It’s a wonderful life Words of welcome I love that movie. Jimmy Stewart represents all our (Feel free to use these in your worship bulletins.) dreams and Lionel Barrymore is a first class villain, the devil in the flesh. What’s more, I believe in its message, that (Advent) A warm welcome to our visitors on this first (or we do not know how our lives touch others, nor can we see second, third, fourth) Sunday of Advent. In this holy season all the good we do. Is that all there is to wonderful life? we remember that God keeps his promises. Rejoice with us Look deeper into the message and you see what’s in the covenant of God’s love. And do stay awhile after wonderful. The Lord hears our prayers. He is always with us worship so that we may meet you. surrounding us with his grace and uplifting us in any . situation, even if we don’t know it. Standing on that rock is (Christmas) Welcome, Friend! You are in (name of town what makes mine, and yours, a wonderful life. and state), USA, thousands of miles and nearly two — Mike Bell thousand years from that nameless inn, but you are invited First United Methodist Church, to share the joy of those shepherds and sing with those Willard, OH angels and with the rest of us as if the Christ child were being born right here, right now, because he can be re-born in you heart today. We hope and pray that you will give him Commit to resist commercialism that chance! In response to God’s great Christmas gift, I will: .  Remember whose birthday is being celebrated. Welcome to all who worship today. May our singing, our  Earmark at least 25 percent of my Christmas budget for fellowship with Christ and with one another, our prayers, those who are truly in need of my gifts. our hearing and our studying of God’s Word all be blessed  Set aside time each day to read Scripture, pray, be still and by him. Visitors, please come again! prepare for the coming of the Prince of Peace.  Include the hungry, the stranger, the sick and the imprisoned in my Christmas celebration.  Faith is the gateway of communion with God; Love  Strive to be a peacemaker in my family, community and is the gateway of ministry to people. world.  Take back my celebration of Christmas from the  Christmas — it’s that time when even the strongest of men marketplace by resisting consumer pressures to spend get emotional over family ties — especially if they have to beyond my means. wear them. — St. Luke’s Episcopal Church — Bob Monkhouse Chardon, OH  The only right time to look down on others is when you’re helping them up. Advent promise — William Arthur Ward God comes to us across this brief and wondering season  The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have tracing the ways of pain and song others on your side. sharing beyond all rhyme or reason — Margaret Carty this long year’s darkest days ’til we can face his radiant bearing  Children aren’t necessarily better than other people. Like in the stable place of peace. the child in “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” they are just — J. Barrie Shepherd apt to be better at telling the difference between a put-up job and the real thing. — Frederick Buechner

Special dates  The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather  First Sunday of Advent, December 1 than in its value.  Second Sunday of Advent, December 8 — C. D. Warner  Third Sunday of Advent, December 15  Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 22  Discipleship is like riding a bicycle — if you don’t pedal  Christmas Eve, December 24 forward, you’ll fall off.  Christmas Day, December 25 The NEWSLETTER Newsletter CONTENT December 1996 Page 2

The art of keeping Christmas Tears are important How can we best keep Christmas? Have you ever been moved to tears in church? Then you By sinking the shafts of our spirits deep might appreciate a tissue. College Avenue UCC, Modesto, beneath the sparkling tinsel of the surface of California, now supplies tissues in every hymnal rack. It has Christmas and renewing within us the nothing to do with colds, says Rev. Diane Darling. “When radiance of the inner meaning of the season. you come to this church, you don’t have to leave your By following the Star on an inward feelings behind or hide them away.” journey to Bethlehem to stand again in awe — Colonial Park United Church of Christ and wonder before the babe in a manger. Harrisburg, PA By rediscovering the faith and simplicity of a little child, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. By being still and listening to the angels sing within our Love’s alphabet hearts. You will have your hands full and your heart filled as By quietly evaluating our lives according to the Master’s you strive to live out Love’s Alphabet: standards as set forth in the Sermon on the Mount. LOVE: Accepts ... Behaves ... Cheers ... Defends ... By reaffirming the supremacy of the spirit in man’s Enriches ... Forgives ... Grows ... Helps! conquest of himself. LOVE: Includes ... Joins ... Kneels ... Listens ... By rededicating ourselves to the Master’s ideals of Motivates ... Notices ... Overlooks ... Provides! peace, brotherhood and good will.... LOVE: Quiets ... Respects ... Surprises ... Tries ... By resolving to give ourselves away to others in love, Understands ... Volunteers ...Warms ... joy and devotion. Expects ... Yields! — Wilferd Peter in Moreover, love in action is the code that adds Zip The New Book of the Art of Living to your life! — Redeemer Church of Joy Odessa, TX This is the time This is the time of endings, but of new beginnings, too... God sends us another year and maketh all things new... Clap your hands... Another hope, another chance, another road to take... Let’s take another look at the Christmas tree. If given a Another star to follow, and another start to make... slight shake, the branches bounce and “clap their hands.” So New beginnings, new adventures, new heights to attain... it is with all creation: it sounds forth joy and applause for Golden opportunities to work and build again... God’s amazing gift in the Christ Child. Let it be with us as New and higher aspirations, for the future days... well. Why should the trees have all the fun? As God says, Seeking, dreaming, moving on to bright and better ways. “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace” Isaiah — Patience Strong 55:12). Let’s join all creation in giving thanks to God for our newborn King! — Roger P. Theimer in Portals of Prayer A test for church people The Worship test: Am I faithful in attending the worship services of my church? The real thing The Weather test: Am I a “fair weather” Christian? In Rockford, Illinois, some years back, members of a Does the same kind of weather keep me from going to congregation prepared an elaborate new Bethlehem scene church that would not keep me from going to work? for the Christmas season but decided it lacked one final The Work test: Am I willing to work for my church? touch of authenticity. Can my church count on me to do what I’m able to do To provide it, they enlisted the rabbi of a neighboring and what I have a talent for doing? synagogue, who complied with their wishes by lettering a Am I too busy doing other things? Hebrew sign for the front of the inn. The Wallet test: Am I a regular in my contributions or Translated, it read, “Drink Coca-Cola.” my tithe to my church? — Clergy Talk Am I giving to God’s work “as God has prospered me?” — St. James United Methodist Church Sarasota, FL The NEWSLETTER Newsletter CONTENT December 1996 Page 3

Cramming for finals A matter of perspective A 96-year-old lady was a faithful attendant at my A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from women’s Bible studies. She came with her lessons prepared the past; he is one who is prematurely disappointed in the and knew all the answers. One day a tactless member asked future. her, “Why do you work so hard on these lessons when — Sydney J. Harris you’re so old and it doesn’t matter?” Little Bess Elkins looked up and said confidently, “I’m cramming for my finals.” Christ, THE Savior — Florence Littauer in the Women’s Devotional Bible The church today faces a crisis of Christology. Certain teachers cite “ecumenical embarrassment,” “western triumphalism,” “lack of global awareness,” “Christian There is a difference arrogance” and “scientific improbability” as grounds for There is a significant difference between having religion speculating that Christ is only one spiritual guide among and having a relationship with Christ. The key word in others. However, Scripture pictures him sitting at “the right religion is “do.” It is a present tense verb. Do. Do. Do. You hand of God; with angels, authorities, and powers made need to be baptized. You need to join the church. You need subject to him” (1 Peter 3:22). to learn the catechism. You need to be confirmed. You need ...The astounding wonder of the Christian Gospel is that to take Communion. You need to .... And the list goes on. for our sakes God the Father freely gave his sinless Son to Religion is based on the idea that we must do things in order the world so that through his redeeming work we might to win the favor of God and receive salvation. become “the righteousness of God.” Having a relationship with Christ is not based on the — Kenneth Cain Kinghorn in The Asbury Herald word “do”; it is based on the word “done.” Everything we need for salvation has already been done. We have been accepted by God “through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus A season of generosity Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). A miser must have a wretched time at Christmas, for — Edward G. Dobson in Simplicity: Finding Christmas is preeminently a time of generosity. God set the Order, Freedom, and Fulfillment for Your Life example when he gave his own Son; the wise men followed it when they gave their gold to the Christ child; and in proportion to our share of the Christmas spirit, we are A star in the window walking in their footsteps. During World War II, a little — John T. Faris boy and his father were driving home on Christmas Eve. They drove past houses with Christmas The work of Christmas trees and decorations in the When the song of the angels is stilled, windows. In many of the windows, When the star in the sky is gone, the little boy noticed a star. He When the kings and princes are home, asked his father, “Daddy, why do When the shepherds are back with their flock, some of the people have a star in The work of Christmas begins: the window?” His father said the to find the lost, star meant that the family had a to heal the broken, son in the war. As they passed the last house, the little boy to feed the hungry, caught sight of a bright evening star in the sky. “Look, to release the prisoner, Daddy, God must have a son in the war, too! He’s got a star to rebuild the nations, in his window.” to bring peace among brothers, Indeed, God has a Son who went to war as Jesus came to make music in the heart. into our world to go to war with evil itself. Victory is — Howard Thurman assured as we “behold the lamb who takes away the sins of the world.” We are all victors because of the peace of Christ. — Lonnie Richardson Florissant, MO