Pastor John’s Corner
I truly do hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I know Kathy and I certainly did. It was wonderful to see the sanctuaries all decorated and to once again hear the old and familiar Christmas Carols. I was really impressed by the youth of the parish as they performed in the Christmas Pageant. And of course no Christmas would be complete without the youngsters doing their part of the Christmas program. It was wonderful too to see large attendance at each of our Christmas Eve services.
The year 2008 was beset with bad weather in the spring and bad financial news for not only our country but for the world in the fall. History was made though as this country elected its first President of a mixed race. I don’t know about you but, I take pride in saying that President-Elect Barrack Obama is a member of the United Church of Christ. I guess though, --- the thing that I take away from this election is the hope that just maybe, this country is beginning to “get it”! We are all children of God and there is just no room for things like racial bigotry and hate in any society that claims to be God fearing and or professes to be a “Christian nation.” I wish the new president and our country well as we begin a new era in our country’s destiny.
We have just completed a very successful year in the parish. Each church has gained new membership in addition to those gained through the confirmation process and we frequently see visitors in the pews. I’m thankful to see our St. Paul’s “Scriptures and Donuts” program going strong and I’m also grateful to see good attendance at our Bible study programs. I’m looking forward to the Lenten season when Julie Wallis will be presenting a book discussion series on W. Paul Young’s fictional novel “The Shack”. I hope many of you will attend.
I wish you a very spiritually rewarding 2009. Study your Bible and share your faith with someone who may be searching for help to get through the year. God bless you all.
Pastor John
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Pastor John's Corner December 2008
Pastor John’s Corner
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” These words from Luke 2:10-11 are a singular discourse and account of the birth of Jesus. Matthew, in his gospel, only says “Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King Herod.” He then tells us the story of the visit of the royal astrologers or “wisemen” as we tend to call them. Mark and John speak nothing about a miraculous birth.
Why then do you suppose it was so important for Luke to tell us about a “miraculous birth” with angels and shepherds on the hillsides and all of the other things that we have come to associate with the Nativity scene? And of course the second question would be; “Why, after 300 years, did we suddenly decide that this was event that needed to be told in this particular manner.”?
I think the answer lies in the simple word: “hope”. By the year 313 AD approximately 90% of the Roman Empire had “converted” to Christianity, however, there was a large split looming in the faith because of a division over the acceptance of the divine nature of Jesus. So the Emperor Constantine, at the Council of Nicaea, established and wrote the Nicene Creed, thereby “officially establishing” for the church, the Divinity of Christ. That then brought into play, Luke’s gospel and the telling of the Nativity story as we know it today.
I personally love the Christmas story because it is a story of hope. It tells of a longing of people to be a part of the kingdom of God. It gives us hope to know that God loves us enough to send his very own son, and that makes the birth of Christ very personal to me. Luke wrote of the birth because he felt it important that we hear the story and realize that this wasn’t just a man that God tapped on the shoulder to give a good message. This man had been miraculously conceived and angelically announced. This man was God’s Son.
I hope you too have a miraculous Christmas.
Pastor John
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” These words from Luke 2:10-11 are a singular discourse and account of the birth of Jesus. Matthew, in his gospel, only says “Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King Herod.” He then tells us the story of the visit of the royal astrologers or “wisemen” as we tend to call them. Mark and John speak nothing about a miraculous birth.
Why then do you suppose it was so important for Luke to tell us about a “miraculous birth” with angels and shepherds on the hillsides and all of the other things that we have come to associate with the Nativity scene? And of course the second question would be; “Why, after 300 years, did we suddenly decide that this was event that needed to be told in this particular manner.”?
I think the answer lies in the simple word: “hope”. By the year 313 AD approximately 90% of the Roman Empire had “converted” to Christianity, however, there was a large split looming in the faith because of a division over the acceptance of the divine nature of Jesus. So the Emperor Constantine, at the Council of Nicaea, established and wrote the Nicene Creed, thereby “officially establishing” for the church, the Divinity of Christ. That then brought into play, Luke’s gospel and the telling of the Nativity story as we know it today.
I personally love the Christmas story because it is a story of hope. It tells of a longing of people to be a part of the kingdom of God. It gives us hope to know that God loves us enough to send his very own son, and that makes the birth of Christ very personal to me. Luke wrote of the birth because he felt it important that we hear the story and realize that this wasn’t just a man that God tapped on the shoulder to give a good message. This man had been miraculously conceived and angelically announced. This man was God’s Son.
I hope you too have a miraculous Christmas.
Pastor John
Pastor John's Corner- November 2008
Vacations are a wonderful time if we only let ourselves physically and mentally actually take one. Probably one of the hardest things for me to do is to “let go” and walk away to let someone else do the job. Kathy will be the very first to attest that I am a person who has not learned to relax. But this last week Kate and I again made our way to Nevada and California, and for once I think I really relaxed and refreshed myself.
I owe part of that relaxation, and my sincere thanks, to Julie Wallis who shared her book with us called “The Shack.” I read this book from start to finish in one sitting, (four hour planes rides will give you that opportunity) and I believe it truly set the tone for our vacation. If you have not read this book, I would suggest you put it on your personal Christmas list of “things to do for myself.” I guess I would call it a “Christian fiction” book, but it is deeply theological and will not only give you much to think about, but will maybe even challenge your ideas about God’s essence and will possibly open you up to new and insightful thinking about faith ---- not religion ---- faith.
The second book I read, (yes, on the plane ride home) was called “FIREPROOF”. This story is about a couple who discovered, almost too late, that the power of Christian faith and the Holy Spirit were the only answers that might save their marriage. The book has just recently been released as a movie. Buy this book somewhere and read it.
My other relaxation blessing came as Kate and I were driving through the Lake Mead and Valley of Fire National Recreation areas. The convertible top was down, the sun was sitting low on the mountain horizon, the scenery was breath-taking and suddenly the “Hallelujah Chorus” came wonderfully and loudly through our Sirius Satellite Radio Station. God is Still Speaking! --- And when God says “take a break,” God not only means it ---- God provides the tools and the setting.
Christ’s Blessings,
Pastor John
I owe part of that relaxation, and my sincere thanks, to Julie Wallis who shared her book with us called “The Shack.” I read this book from start to finish in one sitting, (four hour planes rides will give you that opportunity) and I believe it truly set the tone for our vacation. If you have not read this book, I would suggest you put it on your personal Christmas list of “things to do for myself.” I guess I would call it a “Christian fiction” book, but it is deeply theological and will not only give you much to think about, but will maybe even challenge your ideas about God’s essence and will possibly open you up to new and insightful thinking about faith ---- not religion ---- faith.
The second book I read, (yes, on the plane ride home) was called “FIREPROOF”. This story is about a couple who discovered, almost too late, that the power of Christian faith and the Holy Spirit were the only answers that might save their marriage. The book has just recently been released as a movie. Buy this book somewhere and read it.
My other relaxation blessing came as Kate and I were driving through the Lake Mead and Valley of Fire National Recreation areas. The convertible top was down, the sun was sitting low on the mountain horizon, the scenery was breath-taking and suddenly the “Hallelujah Chorus” came wonderfully and loudly through our Sirius Satellite Radio Station. God is Still Speaking! --- And when God says “take a break,” God not only means it ---- God provides the tools and the setting.
Christ’s Blessings,
Pastor John
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