E IG H T - H eppner G a zette -T im es , H eppner, O regon Wednesday, December 23, 1992
it's Christmas
What is Advent
By R ev. Bob D ow rey, pastor, U nited M eth o d ist C h u rch
By the time you have read this word, Advent will be almost done.
What is Advent, and why do we celebrate it as a season in the church
year?
The word Advent comes from the two Latin words, meaning to
come close. God comes close to us in the person of Jesus. It is through
Jesus that we see God. know what He is like, and follow Him by
following Jesus. In the birth of Jesus in the manger at Bethlehem,
we see that God cares enough for us to send His Son, our Savior,
into the world...into a world full of trouble and turmoil. He didn’t
want a world like that—neither do we What a better world it would
be if we followed in His way and walked in his path!
Why not just have Christmas Day, the day Jesus was bom, as our
special day, and not bother with any Advent season at all? After all,
many of us grew up never even hearing of Advent. Actually though,
we did hear of Advent, but called it by another name-the Christmas
Season. We can call it by whatever name we wish. The meaning of
God’s coming close to us is still there.
We need a Christmas Season! We need an Advent! After all, if
it takes so much preparation for the birth of an earthly baby, how
much more preparation it takes for a heavenly one. We couldn’t do
everything in one day. Imagine trying to sing all the carols at once,
and not singing them after that.
This year the first Sunday in Advent was November 29. Christmas
is a special day by itself. May God bless all of you as we join together
this season in worship, fellowship and happiness in our church and
in our community and family activities. With the strength we receive
at Christmas, let us look forward to the new year.
Christmas
By R ev. Larry D. B e n jam in , C hu rch of th e N a z a re n e
Christmas! Just the word brings excitement and joy to the faces
of little ones. What does the word “ Christmas” mean to you?
There are two terms that I like very much, they are: “ Jesus is the
Reason for the Season" and "Wise Men Still Seek Him." Without
the birth of a very special baby, we wouldn't celebrate Christmas.
We may have the commercialism of the season, but it wouldn’t mean
anything more than any other day off from school or work.
The wise men came to find this special baby. They traveled a long
way just to see Him and give Him the gifts they brought. By follow
ing the star, they eventually found Him. The Lord still has ways of
bringing people to Himself. One way is through the Holy Bible. It
is a map of how we can find the Christ, and have Him become our
personal Savior. Another way is through our churches. Our com
munity is blessed with several churches and the people in them would
be very willing to help someone find their way to the Savior.
As we celebrate Christmas with our family and friends, let’s not
forget that “ Jesus is the Reason for the Season,” and the fact the
“ Wise Men Still Seek Him."
He is the Light of the World
By Lynda L. C ra n e, Pastor, H ep p n er Christian M issionary
Fellow ship
Historians tell us that Dec. 25 is not the true birthdate of Jesus
Christ. But whatever the date, we have something to celebrate!
He is the light of the world. And as we walk in Him, we too will
walk in the light. In Him is life and his life is our light. (Jn. 8:12
Jn. 1:4)
The world is getting darker every day but, in the midst of that
darkness Rejoice! The glory of the Lord is going to arise upon a peo
ple! (Is. 60)
Be wise be ready. He will come suddenly to His temple, but who
may abide the day of His coming? (Mai 3:1-2). Let no man deceive
you by any means, for that day shall not come except there come
a falling away first and the son of perdition be revealed. His coming
will be after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders.
In this hour we must receive a love of the truth, for strong delu
sion shall come upon all those that don’t. But God from the beginn
ing has chosen you to salvation through sanctification and belief of
the truth.
He has called us by the gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ. (II Thes. 2)
We have much to celebrate in this hour. Let God arise! His enemies
will be scattered! (Ps. 68). Continue to press toward that mark for
the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus.
Have a wonderful holiday season. In His Love and Service,
“Here am / ”
T h e R ev. L e a M a th ie u , lone U nited C h u rch of C hrist
The Christmas story is radical in many aspects; the first is that
a poor young girl was told: “ The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you.”
The second radical aspect of Christmas is that this brave child simp
ly answered. “ Here am I. the servant of the Lord.”
This radical annunciation and acceptance hold a direct lesson for
all of us, for you never know when the Spirit may come upon you,
do you? It is thus best to be always open, and to cultivate a constant
awareness of the possibility of the Spirit’s unexpected visitation.
Such growth in the awareness of the holv is difficult for us; human
beings (sadly) seem to prefer God in a tidy, closed box. So as a
Christmas season exercise in opening up to the anytime-anywere
sense of God, I offer these beginning steps:
Live as though the angel Gabriel may alight on you at any mo
ment in any guise.
Watch everything around you for signs of the Spirit.
Anything beautiftil. anything loving, anything solid and real, is
to remind you of God.
Watch the stars.
If you ever loved poetry, start reading and writing again. If you
ever loved music, really listen, play and sing. If you ever loved...etc.
If you have lost touch with the Spirit of God’s revelation in your
own life, you are to begin praying.
The best way to start is to say “ Here am I '’--all the time.
A Wonderful Name
By R o g er W . S c h a re n , P astor, First C h ristian C h u rch
Everyone’s name is special. It is a possession given to us at birth,
and used to identify us forever after A name may be chosen because
it reminds the parents of a friend or relative...or it may be selected
because it has a combination of sounds which are pleasing to the ear.
Only one name was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah as being
“ wonderful.” It was the name to be given to the Savior. Isaiah 9:6
says, “ And His name will be called wonderful..” but it was nearly
800 years before God told what that name was to be, and why.
Joseph, to whom the virgin Mary was promised, was told by an
angel; “ You are to call his name Jesus, because he will save his people
from their sins.”
That is why Jesus’ name is so special, so wonderful! He is our
Savior. Christ was bom in Bethlehem, died on Calvary, and is now
in the presence of God. He is Wonderful!
The World Was At Peace
R ev. T h o m a s R. S c a n la n , pastor, St. P a tric k ’s C h u rch
And the whole world was at peace. How long has it been since
those words could be spoken? But then, the Prince of Peace would
not be bom into a world at war. So the world was at peace when
the angel said to the shepherds, “ Be not afraid...for to you is born
this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
In the inspired word of God in Psalm 85 we read the words, “ Justice
and peace shall kiss.” Pople Paul VI might have had that passage
in mind when he said that there can be no peace in the world unless
there is justice. Justice, the fundamental moral virtue that demands
that we give what is due to each person. Where injustice rules, peace
is missing.
Jesus Christ, the Savior, the Second Person of the Blessed Trini
ty, came into this world and became a human being like us to show
us how to live a life of justice and peace. He went about doing good.
He had compassion on the multitude. He fed the hungry. He forgave
repentant sinners and did not condemn them. He endured hardships,
the human weakness of his apostles, denial by one of them, betrayal
by another and, dying in terrible agony on the cross said, “ Father
forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”
In the Christmas season we celebrate more than a little infant on
a bed of straw. We thank God for sending his Son to conquer sin
by his death ont he cross and then triumph over death by his resur
rection from the dead. The true meaning of Christmas is told in the
inspired word of God, “ For God so loved the world that he gave
his only Son. that whoever believes in him should not perish but have
eternal life.” John 3, 16.
“ Yes Lord, / believe 99
T h e R ev. R o b ert C ru m , All S ain ts E p isco p al C hurch
Once upon a time there was a theologian who, over a period of
some months, spent each Saturday morning in a bath tub asking
himself questions as he prepared for an important examination. The
questions he would ask ranged from the profound and unanswerable
type (like: “ What is the meaning of life?” and “ How many angels
can dance on the head of a pin?” ) to the more practical (like: “ Why
is there an expiration date on sour cream packages and once you pass
that date does it turn good?” ) Another question that haunted this
thinker as he lay “ prune-bottomed" in his luxurious tub was: “ When
precisely was the moment of salvation?” “ When was it, exactly,
that God saved us?” I suppose that sounds like a wondrously silly
thing to contemplate, but church officials and clergy are like that
at times...wondrously silly.
Be that as it may, this explorer of the profound continued to
ruminate; to chew the cud of this question for some time developing
a number of interesting and, at least to his mind, legitimate responses.
For example, some could argue that salvation came as soon as God
committed to the humiliation of becoming one of His own creatures;
when He said He would submit for the love of His people. Others
might say salvation came with the baptism of Jesus by John in the
Jordan and His annointing with the Holy Spirit; when the Master
responded overtly to the call He had felt for years to preach good
news to the poor. Still others might claim we were saved as soon
as Jesus prayed that heart-wrenching prayer in the garden: “ Father,
if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will but yours
be done” (Mt 26:39) And, of course, there is the classic answer:
salvation came with the death of Jesus on the cross.
I wonder if we might be able to make an argument, not for one
precise moment of salvation, but for all the moments of decision and
commitment? Not just when Jesus committed to death but when He
committed to life as well? When He said He would not only die for
us but live for us, too. When He made the commitment to teach us
how to be more fully what we were created by God to be: loving
and caring and concerned more for others than ourselves.
Salvation is a free gift from God and cannot be earned, but it is
also a partnership in which we participate developing a disposition
in which to accept it; a synergism. What if it could be seen that Jesus
saved us not altogether through one great act, though I do not deny
it, but also through innumerable little acts of love and self-sacrifice?
And wouldn't it be interesting if that same approach manifested itself
in our lives and that we could recognize that we grow and become
all that we are meant to be, not so much by the conspicuously given
big sacrifice wrapped in bright paper that all will notice but by the
little ones given as gifts to one another a hundred times a day.
Merry Christmas! Enjoy the giving and receiving.
And the Word Became Flesh
By R ev. S ta n H o o bing, H o p e -V a lb y L u th eran C h u rch
Christmas Season is a time when people are busy shopping for gifts,
attending holiday functions, putting up decorations, sending Christmas
cards and letters, delivering packages and entertaining family and
friends.
Frederick Buechner shares the story of a pastor who is caught up
in all the things we all get caught up in at Christmas: stringing lights,
hanging ornaments, hanging stockings and making sure things were
“ right” .
Just after tucking in his children on Christmas Eve the pastor was
about to drop exhausted into bed when he remembered he had agreed
to feed his neighbors’ sheep. So he trudged down the hill through
knee deep snow and carried out two bales of hay from the barn to
the shed. After turning on a 40-watt bulb hanging by a wire from
the rafter, he cut the twine on the bales and scattered the squares
of hay around for the sheep, as ne watched these “ dumb" sheep
going for the hay he turned off the dim light and he suddenly realiz
ed where he was. The smell of the animals and hay, the dim light,
the sound of the animals eating suddenly overwhelmed him. Here
on Christmas eve. he was in the manger.
In the midst of our hectic pace this Christmas season with all our
shopping sending and receiving Christmas cards and letters and gifts,
decorating and entertaining, let us not forget the perfect gift that God
in his infinite wisdom has given us -- the Christ child, who bestows
freely upon us God’s compassion and grace. St. John wrote in his
gospel: “ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we
have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace
and truth (NRSV John 1:14).”
Christmas Eve services planned All Saints Episcopal Church
Hope and Valby Lutheran Church
The congregations of Hope and
Valby Lutheran churches will
celebrate the Christ Child's birth
with candles, carols and Holy
communion on December 24.
Pastor Hoobing’s Christmas
message will be “ Come and See
the Baby” . The scripture
readings for the service will be
Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14 and
Luke 2:1-20.
Service at Valby Lutheran
Church located on the Ione-
Gooseberry road will begin at 6
p.m. Service at Hope Lutheran
Church will begin at 9 p.m.
United Methodist
Church
The Christmas Eve candlelight
service at the United Methodist
Church will be held December 24
at 7 p.m. “ Everyone is invited to
enjoy this family oriented even
ing of singing carols, lighting the
Christ candle and lighting their
own individual candles," said a
church spokesperson. The choir
will sing the anthem “ O Come
To My Heart. Lord Jesus” .
Worship service on Sunday,
Dec. 27 will begin at 10:30 a.m.
with Sunday school beginning at
9:30 a.m.
Sunday, Dec. 27 will be St.
John the Apostle and Evangelist
Day at the Lutheran church. The
congregations of Hope and Valby
will hold a service of carols and
the Word. Pastor Hoobing will
preach on the theme of “ Meeting
Big John” based on a reading of
scripture passage of John
21:20-25. Services will begin at
Valby at 9 a.m. and at Hope at
11 a.m.
All worship services and con
gregational events are open to
friends and visitors.
The Christmas Eve service at
All Saints Episcopal Church will
be Thursday, December 24 at 7
p.m. The Rev. Bruce Spencer
will celebrate Holy Communion.
The community is invited to
attend.
Sunday, Dec. 27. Rev. Bob
Crum will celebrate Holy Com
munion beginning at 10:30 a.m.
A coffee hour at the home of Bob
and Suzanne Jepsen will follow
the worship service.
St. Patrick’s and St. Williams Church
Christmas Eve Mass at St.
Patrick's Catholic Church will
begin at 9 p.m. with the
children’s candlelight procession
and the blessing of the crib.
Christmas carols will be sung
before Mass.
Christmas day Mass will begin
at 11 a.m. with Christmas carols
sung before Mass.
St. William’s Catholic Church
in lone will have their Christmas
day Mass at 8:45 a.m. Christmas
carols will be featured and there
will be a procession with the
statue of the Infant placed in the
crib and the blessing of the crib.
Soroptimist announce coloring contest winners
Weather Report
by C ity of Heppner
D e c . 15 - 2 1 , 1992
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