December 2017
He’s Coming,
He’s Here
The season of Advent anticipates Christmas. For many people today, Advent has almost been lost because of all the commercial buildup of Christmas. But it can be regained if we properly understand why Jesus came, is here now, and will come again for us. Let’s take a brief look at the importance of this preparation period prior to December 25.
The easy part for us consider is why Jesus came as a baby to be our Savior. This was part of God’s plan of salvation for all humans from their sin. Our heavenly Father knew that we could not save ourselves from our sinful condition and that we needed a Messiah. Jesus came to this earth to live in our stead and take our sins to the cross so that our salvation would be made complete on Easter. Each Advent, the call goes out for us to “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15) which we can do by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Advent repentance opens our hearts for the celebration of our Lord’s coming into the flesh. “I bring you Good News of a great joy that will for all the people” (Luke 2:10) the angels will say.
That’s why we also remember in Advent how our Lord comes now, comes in His Word, comes with His body and blood in the Supper, comes by the Spirit in the water with the Word in Baptism. He is here with us right now, offering us the support and strength we need to live lives that give and glory to Him. We don’t need to face the daily battles of living alone because Jesus wants to be part of our being and give us the grace and comfort that are ours as His children.
Finally, there comes the day when Christmas and all the surrounding excitement is over and we wonder what is next. As Christians, we know the answer to that question. We know that Jesus will return once again and take us to our everlasting home. The anticipation of Christmas is a picture of the Church’s faithful waiting for our Lord’s coming again.
The hymn writer got it right when he wrote:
The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light and beauty brings.
Hail! Christ the Lord! Your people pray:
Come quickly, King of kings! (LSB 348)
Pastor Herring
Stewardship Moment –
Remembering Jesus at Christmas
Christmas is the gift-giving season. We make our lists of what we’ll give and what we’d like to receive. We gather together with family and friends and exchange those gifts, and we’re thankful to receive them and enjoy giving them as well.
Even though in preparation for Christmas our lives are in fast-forward—shopping, attending parties and gatherings, and sending cards—we remember, as Christians, that Jesus is the reason for the season. We’re attending Advent services and Sunday worship, and we see the candles being lit every week, culminating in the lighting of the large white candle on Christmas morning. And we rejoice. God has given His Son. God has sent Him into the world to be the only gift we need. Jesus took on our flesh and walked among us, and He willingly laid down His life in order to save our lives for eternity. He gave us the gift of salvation.
So what gifts can we give to Jesus? After all, the earth and everything in it is His (Psalm 24:1). Every animal of the forest and the cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him (Psalm 50:10). What is expected of and from us? The psalmist tells us, “A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise”(Psalm 51:17).
Let us, then, bring our sins to our Savior. Let us kneel before Him in contrition and allow Him to give us even more gifts – clean hearts and right spirits (Psalm 51:10). Like the Wise Men from the East, let us rejoice “exceedingly with great joy.” Let us bow down and worship him and present Him with our gifts (Matthew 2:10-12). Let us also rise up just as the shepherds did on that first Christmas and go on our way, “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20).
In obedience to His command (Matthew 28:19-20) and in response to His great love for us, let us love one another (1 John 4:11) by teaching and preaching, baptizing and making disciples, so that others may receive the gift of salvation from the Giver of all good gifts (James 1:17). In doing these things for Jesus and in His name, we remember and praise Him not only at Christmas but all year-round.
Pastor Herring
Thoughts
From
The
Board
OfElders
The Season
A popular song had the line: “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” But just what does that mean? The description in the song and much popular opinion has to do with decorations and shopping. As Christians we should think beyond what we see and hear from the world.
I have one pet-peeve that I see considerable support for: the Christmas season keeps getting pushed back to ridiculous points. I write in November and for the whole month, both Hallmark channels have been having non-stop “Christmas” programs. What seems to make them Christmas is the props and an occasional dialogue remark.
At one point in history, Christmas was banned in England because it had become a time of drunken parties and various wild things. Now despite what I said above, I do not favor such extreme measures. What I do think is that we use these things to move us to look at and appreciate what Christmas really is about. The birth of Jesus Christ.
What does this mean? Isaiah promised: “6Fortousachildisborn,tousasonisgiven;andthegovernmentshallbeuponhisshoulder,andhisnameshallbecalledWonderfulCounselor,MightyGod,EverlastingFather,PrinceofPeace. 7Oftheincreaseofhisgovernmentandofpeacetherewillbenoend,onthethroneofDavidandoverhiskingdom,toestablishitandtoupholditwithjusticeandwithrighteousnessfromthistimeforthandforevermore. ThezealoftheLordofhostswilldothis.” (Isaiah 9)
This is not any child, but the child long promised as Savior. This is God come in human flesh and blood to overcome and reverse what flesh and blood had messed up ever since Adam and Eve. This is the son of David who would rule forever. This is the fulfillment of God’s promises.
The world would fight against Him in His life time and continues to do so today. We see it and we feel the pressures of the world around us. But then the Prince of Peace calls us to lean on Him and receive His peace and be assured of His love for us. We are called to live in His love and not in the ways of the world. This we can do because He has promised to walk with us.
In Christmas we celebrate the event which changed the world and still works change – especially in the lives of believers. So much of what we take for granted today is the result of this ‘intrusion’ into history. That would take an entire history course to explain, but we can gain it a little at a time as we make use of the Word of God in private and in Bible Studies. Amid busy schedules, it is beneficial to keep time for these and to utilize not only Sunday worship but our Advent Services.
Kenneth Haydon, Elder
Minutes of Ladies Guild
November 21, 2017
Barbara Herring opened the meeting with prayer.
Lisa Bennett gave the devotion, “Thankfulness” from the devotional Grateful Heart and closed with a reading from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.
Secretary’s Report: Sharon Schultz read the minutes of the October meeting. The minutes were accepted with corrections made. Sharon also read two email letters from Simeon Cornwell, our adopted Seminary student. One was a thank you for the gift of $1,000.00 sent to him to help with expenses and the other an update on his fall studies.
Treasurer’s Report: Dianna Mancuso reported as follows: Checking Account Balance: $2,812.02 and Savings Balance: $3,482.00.
Mission Projects:
☧Books for Eureka School: Barbara reported she purchased 20 of “Alice in Wonderland” and 20 of “Where the Red Fern Grows”. She delivered the books to the class and the teacher and children were very excited about receiving their own copies.
☧Cookies for “Lives Under Construction”: Cookies will be brought to the Women’s’ Guild Christmas Lunch December 12th.
☧Christmas Caroling at Peach Tree and Green Acres: After discussion, it was decided we would only carol at Green Acres on December 12th after our Christmas Lunch. We will come to the Church after the Christmas lunch to practice before going to sing and Sharon will bring some accompaniment CDs to help us.
OLD BUSINESS:
Field trips/Outings:
☧The Women’s’ Guild Christ-mas lunch will be December 12th at Myrtie Mae’s at 11:00 a.m.
☧We discussed having the Valentines Dinner on February 12, 2018 which is a Monday. Barbara will check with the Clubhouse to see if we can have it there again.
Project Ideas:
☧Bake Sale: Barbara will check to see if it might be possible for us to have a bake sale at the same time of the Chili Cook-off. Other ideas about projects were discussed and will be discussed further in January.
Bible Study:
☧Several topics for Bible study were shared. Sharon shared she had previously purchased several of the “Life of Jesus” series for the women in Okmulgee and the ladies enjoyed all of them. Sharon was given permission to make copies of these Bible Studies at no charge after purchase of the Study Guide and Study sheets of each. It was agreed that we would begin the study of Jesus’ “Teachings” from this series in January.
NEW BUSINESS:
☧It was shared that we could possibly celebrate Mary Jane and Freddie’s 75th Wedding Anniversary.
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. The Devotion will be given by Barbara Herring. Barbara will also take care of Fellowship. Sharon Schultz will lead our new Bible study.
The meeting was closed in prayer by Pastor Herring.