marion united methodist church dec. 12: pathwaymarion united methodist church pathway december 2011...
TRANSCRIPT
Marion United Methodist Church
PATHWAY
DECEMBER 2011 VOL. 5 NUM. 10
The Perfect Christmas
Dear Members and Friends,
When I was a boy, I thought we al-
ways had the most beautiful Christmas
trees. On Granddad’s farm there was an
abundance of cedar trees, and when I was
little, I thought they were the most beau-
tifully shaped Christmas trees ever! It
was only when I was older that Mom
chuckled and said they’d send Granddad
out for a Christmas tree, and, being a no-
nonsense type, he’d just pretty much cut
down the first one he came to … what-
ever it looked like. Well, I didn’t quite
believe her, because I remembered how
wondrous they all were!
So I went to the boxes of photos we
had, and sifted through to find pictures
with those Christmas trees. Mom was
right! Those trees were lop-sided, mis-
shapen, and one even had two tops! But
they were decorated with love, and they
really were a delight to a small boy’s
heart. Only the more critical eyes of
adulthood revealed the shortcomings of
those trees.
Each Christmas, we fret, we worry, we
plan, we pant, we shop … all with the
goal of creating the perfect Christmas.
Then we go to visit, or company comes,
Aunt Sarah doesn’t like her gift, the tur-
key’s overdone, all the petty resentments
of childhood seem to surface … and it’s
anything BUT perfect! We then settle
down into the new year with fresh
wounds in places we didn’t even know
we could be hurt!
Dear friends, there was only ONE per-
fect Christmas, though it too was filled
with murder and going on the lam to es-
cape a crazed king. But it was perfect
because it was the beginning of God’s
perfect plan to save all humanity, as He
came to US, in Jesus of Nazareth.
Forget creating the perfect Christmas.
Do what you can, with love, and then re-
lax. If you fret much over it, you’re go-
ing to miss the perfection of Christ the
Lord who has come, and is coming
again! Be at ease, and bask in His PER-
FECT love for you!
May His blessed, perfect Christmas be
yours!
See inside ...
2 Advent & Christmas News 3 Prayer List 4 Birthdays and Anniversaries 6 Short Story—God’s Shepherd 8 Christian Symbol—The Rose
ADVENT … our Pathway to
Christmas:
Dec. 4:
6 pm THE CHARACTERS OF CHRISTMAS
— Bethlehem is on display
… but where are all the
characters of Christmas?
Watch as the “little town”
becomes populated in re-
sponse to Scripture, readings, and carols.
Dec. 8:
The PLUSES (age 80 and above) visit
Patty’s for Christmas lunch-
eon. Please meet at the
church at 11:00 am. Eyewit-
ness reports say the food and
décor make it well worth going.
Dec. 10:
10:30 am ~ 12:30 pm. UMW Christmas
Coffee at the home of Ethel Tucker . All
church women are invited and expected!
Dec. 11:
Morning Worship — Cantata—Beautiful
Star of Bethlehem
3 pm — We encourage as many as possi-
ble to go with us to Corona de Vida in
Hopkinsville for the Conse-
cration of the new (to us)
church and activities building.
Bishop Davis will be preach-
ing.
Dec. 12:
6 pm — Centennial Planning Committee
7 pm — Admin. Council
Dec. 13:
2:00 pm — Circle 3 Christmas Meeting
at home of Mary Lou Chipps.
Dec. 17:
Christmas Food Basket Delivery
Dec. 18:
6 pm — Children’s Program and Christ-
mas Dessert. Please bring
your signature dessert to
share after the children
perform … cakes, pies,
cookies, tortes, me-
ringues, bars, etc. Perhaps we can trade
left-overs?
Dec. 21:
6 pm —Church-Wide Christmas Fellow-
ship Dinner. A true potluck, meat dishes
are welcome along with everything else.
Dec. 24:
5~7 pm—Christmas Eve Communion
(open to all, families come at time de-
sired and commune together—you’re
free to reflect and pray in the beauty of
the sanctuary before or
after you are served.)
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PRAYER LIST AS OF NOV. 30, 2011
ASSISTED LIVING: Ruth Hill
THE CHURCH: Bishop Lindsey Davis,
Dr. Jay Smith (our D. S.), the Pastor; our
Financial needs; the Persecuted Church;
Church Staff, and the SPRC search; all
Church groups as they meet.
HOSPITAL: Josh Beals (Rita Watson’s
nephew), Ed Davidson, Anna Maier
(Jerry Beavers’ sister), Jane Miller
(Donna Barnes’ sister), and David Mul-
lins (friend of Carolyn Fralick).
LONG TERM CONCERNS: Darlene Abell,
Paula Arflack, Ryan Beverly (Del
Brantley’s granddaughter), Frank Black-
burn (to M.D. Anderson Dec. 5), Laurel
Brown (reflux, and hiatal hernia, that
surgery will not be necessary until she is
much older), Mary Lou Chipps, Linda &
Virgil Cook, Truman Croft, Ann Day
(significant complications with Alz-
heimer’s), Keith Easley (cancer), Lucky
Easley (cancer), Phil English, Draven
Paul Farmer (Mary Orr’s grandson, born
Nov 2 with serious health issues), Danny
Fowler, Frances Fondaw (Karen Stone’s
aunt), Dennis Gilmore, Margie Hamilton
(friend of the Pyle family), Pippi Hardin,
Nida Heady (Trina Dyer’s mother),
Eugene Hayes (prostate cancer, friend of
Pippi Hardin), Leroy Hodge, Mae
Hodge, Jesse Hughes, Elizabeth Jackson,
Art Kupisch, Dr. Dennis Lacy, Norma
Lehman (Debbie Wicker’s mother), Ste-
fanie Lester, Dathel Lockhart (Dottie
Winn’s uncle), Louise May, Donna Mills
(friend of Dulcie Hardin), Anthony
Minton, Helen Moore, Larry Orr, Larry
Parish, Randy Poindexter, Kathryn
Pritchett, Kathleen & Herman Reed
(Elizabeth Jackson’s brother/sister-in-
law), Donna Starrick, Cindy Stone
(Dottie Winn’s sister), Kristy Strack (Kim
Brown’s friend), Nick Taylor, Ann Tho-
mas (Chad Thomas’ mother) Kirsten
Webb (Roger & Phyllis Dutschke’s
daughter), Lucille Williams (Phil Eng-
lish’s aunt) Mary Wicker, and Dottie
Winn.
MILITARY: All our military personnel
and their families, and specifically —
Preston Blake, Kelsey Brown (Stan
Brown’s cousin now deployed in Ku-
wait), Brent Corley, Zack Guess, Jarred
Harrison, Barkley Hughes, David King,
Dusty McConnell, Sarah Fowler Morton,
Austin Rushing, and Josh Urbanowski.
Pray for PEACE!
MISSION FIELD: Brent & Jeanette
Brantley, Karen & Craig Dials, Steve &
Pam English, Norma Hunt, Chuck &
Betsy Jack, Steve & Martha Jeavons,
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Doug & Diane Markesbery (preparing
for Romania), Jeff & Roseanne
McKenney, Mike & Sherri Morrissey,
David & Lori Persons, — and their fami-
lies. Corona de Vida and Pastor Isabel
Soberal (our Hispanic ministry in Hop-
kinsville.)
NURSING HOME: Sara Brandon, Shelby
Clevenger, Bud Crider, Rose Crider,
Emogene Davidson, Lois Edwards,
Willard Mott, Effie Shaffer, Katharine
Wardlaw, Loretta & Willie West.
OTHER: Tony Belt (back issues), Caro-
lyn Fralick (Praise! Procedure on eye
done in time to prevent serious damage).
REHAB: Beverly Brantley (Lourdes),
Charles Hicklin (Evansville), B.J. May
(progressing at home).
December Birthdays
2. Jim Wheeler
4. Perry Chipps & Taylor Jepsen
7. Shelly Johnson
9. John Wardlaw
14. Emogene Davidson
17. Pam Arnold, Debbie Fowler, Lydia
Roberts, & Lisa Tucker
18. Danny Fowler
19. Debbie Keller & Saundra Winn
23. Brian Kirby & Susan Yarbrough
25. Laverne H. Travis
26. Julie Champion & Helen Moore
27. Rose Hill
28. Logan Stout
30. Shawna Thomas
31. William Robert Frazer
& John Watson
December Anniversaries
25. Don & Denese Keene
31. Chris & Tracy Cook
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Circle 5 still has cook-
books available for sale,
at $15.00 apiece. Just see
any Circle member to
purchase one, or, swing
by Rebecca Johnson’s
Law Office, 217 W.
Bellville St. You may also call Rita Wat-
son (965-5951) or Karen Stone (853-
2290). Great gift idea!
CHRISTMAS BASKETS
2011
As always, you have
responded so gener-
ously to our call for
groceries to fill our Christmas Baskets.
The tables are beginning to “smile” —
they’re sagging in the middle! Barbara
Hunt is heading this ministry again this
year, and would welcome any names you
might have to submit. Delivery will be on
the 17th.
Again, you have been most generous, but
if you’re following the weekly requests,
here is what remains:
Dec. 4 — Paper Goods
Dec. 11 — Cash donations for perishable
items.
Thank You SO MUCH!!
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NEW CHAIRS TO GO WITH
NEW TABLES
Circle 5 is spearheading a
drive to raise money to pur-
chase chairs to match the
new tables in the social hall.
We want to purchase 120
chairs. The chairs cost $20.00 each. Thus
far, donations for 31 chairs have been
received. Checks may be made payable
to Circle 5 or Marion United Methodist
Church and designated for the “chair
fund.” You may give your donations to
any Circle member.
Karen Stone, for Circle 5
From my peep-hole in the
church basement on Nov. 20,
the most enticing smells
came to my quivering nose.
Oh, the working, warming,
carrying and cleaning up those women
(and trash-carrying men) did! A loud
shout-out to the Meal Coordination team
and everybody who helped them. What a
fine meal, from décor to clean-up! (I saw
the same thing Nov. 27 as folks jumped
in to help pastor assemble the soups he
was making. Good on you, ladies!) But
nobody ever leaves me a crumb!
“Buenos Dias!” I need to learn Spanish!
Wanting a change in scenery, I crawled
in the pastor’s coat pocket before he, Ben
Dyer, Tom Crider, Bill Arflack, and Don
Brasher left for Corona de Vida on Tues-
day. Those guys painted through 7 rooms
in preparation for the Bishop’s coming
on Dec. 11. I hope I get to go!
— Church Mouse
Circle 5
Cookbook
God’s Shepherd Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
The frost of forty winters had etched deep lines into the shepherd's face. Having spent his entire life out-doors on Bethlehem's hills, he was old at forty -- and cold. The hillside where he sat this day was cold, too, and he pulled his mantle close about him to block the wind. Every so often he would shift posi-tion, not out of discomfort so much, but from a sense of unease, anxiety, crowdedness. Instead of hundreds of sheep with whom he felt quite at home, this hillside was flocked with people -- thousands of them -- listen-ing attentively to the Teacher. They could hear him fairly well, except when the wind whisked away his words. Tobias ben David (pronounced da-
VEED) was the shepherd's name, though people called him Toby. His flocks were in good hands this week, cared for by his grown sons, but Toby had left them to listen to Jesus of Nazareth. Today the Teacher was talking about salvation, how God came to save his people from their waywardness and sins, to rescue them and gather them close. Now Jesus' illustration turned to sheep. Toby felt better. He knew a lot more about sheep than people. "The good shepherd," Jesus was saying, "lays down his life for the
sheep. The hired hand who doesn't own the flock runs away when he sees the wolf coming, but not the good shepherd...." One night, years ago, the men Toby had hired to watch the flock with him fled when they saw a mountain lion roaming the hills. But Toby had stayed. Shepherd-ing was his livelihood. He knew the sacrifices that good shepherding re-quired. He knew about defending de-fenseless lambs. He knew about put-ting his life on the line for the sheep. That's what good shepherds did. Jesus continued, "Suppose you have 100 sheep and when night comes one is missing. What do you do? You leave the 99 sheep all safe together and then climb the hills, looking, searching until you find the lost sheep. Then you pick him up, put him on your shoulders, bring him down the hill to the camp, and ask your fellow shepherds to rejoice with you." "Your heavenly Father is like that," Jesus said. "When you have lost your way, he will rescue you and save you and never give up on you until he finds you -- and you find him." Toby's heart was racing. He felt a lump in his throat. He understood. Toby had combed the hills for lost sheep, not stopping, not quitting. He knew the joy of discovery, of rescuing the sheep from a thicket, of bringing it back and celebrating with his friends. He had been that kind of shepherd.
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But he also knew how it felt to wan-der off, feeling lost, aimless, trapped. Clueless about where he was and where he was going. Flailing about, struggling to climb out of what seemed like a steep ravine. That's why he came today to hear the Teacher, hoping to regain the faith he had felt as a child, a ten-year-old child. His mind spun back to the evening of his tenth birthday. Like nearly every night, he was out on the hills with his dad or his uncles, caring for the sheep. The stars were brilliant, dancing in the black sky. But sud-denly an overpowering bright light flooded the hillside. A voice boomed out, "Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people. For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!" A savior, a rescuer -- shepherds' work. He had often wondered about the boy-child they discovered that night, lying in a manger, just as the angel had said. Toby had knelt down and worshipped the baby who bore the world's destiny upon his tiny shoulders. What had become of him, this baby? By now he must be thirty-something. Had this savior saved anyone yet? Rescued anyone? Could he rescue me from my aimless exis-tence? Toby wondered. Just then the wind caught Jesus' words and blew them Toby's direc-
tion. "I am the Good Shepherd," Je-sus was saying, "who lays down his life for the sheep. Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me," he said with warmth and joy full on his face, "for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." I wonder? thought Toby as he felt big tears begin to roll down his cheeks and into his beard. I wonder? thought Toby as joy and the certainty of God's love began to fill his heart until it seemed like he would explode. I wonder? thought Toby, if this Jesus is the little baby I saw that night, the Savior of the world? Yes, thought Toby, he must be. His words found me and, frankly, he sounds just like he's ... God's shepherd.
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“I stopped making a list. Nothing is considered naughty anymore!”
A sad. but true. commentary:
Christian Symbol The ROSE, often shown as styl-ized artwork, is a symbol for Ad-vent, the promise of the Mes-siah and Jesus’ nativity.
A white rose represents the Virgin Mary, and a red rose stands for martyrs.
A wreath of roses symbolizes heavenly joy.
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Marion United Methodist Church
112 S. College St.
Marion, Ky. 42064-1602