Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 20, 1995 - FIVE
"H e is The Light"
By Pastor Lynda L. Crane, Heppner Christian Missionary
Fellowship
" Looking Beyond the Baby"
By Pastor Perry Melnychenko, The Heppner Seventh-day Adven
tist Church
It was a Christmas that I will never forget. I had my first real
job, received my first real paycheck, complete with deductions,
and now I had money in my pockets. I had been saving it for
months waiting for Christmas so that I could be a giver of gifts
this year and not just a receiver. And so to mark this occasion,
I was extravagant. 1 lavished gifts upon friends and family alike.
Some would say, and unfortunately did, that I had gone over
board. But they missed the point entirely. Instead of recogniz
ing how valuable they were to me and accepting these tokens
of my love for them, they instead said that I couldn't afford to
do this. What began as a day of eager anticipation ended in disap
pointment. Disappointment because no one saw beyond the gift
to reason it was given.
In a real sense, the same happens to God time and again, ex
cept that we fail to see how much He gave and fail to realize how
much He really does love us. He risked all, emptied heaven and
came Himself that first Christmas. He came as a tiny, helpless
baby all to show how valuable we are to Him and how much
He really loves us. But instead of realizing this, we trivialize it
and commercialize it until the nativity is powerless.
This Christmas, I invite you to join me in looking beyond the
baby in the manger to see Him for who He really is, the One
who spoke this world into existence and fashioned us with His
own hands. It is my prayer that in doing so this Christmas that
you will realize that God risked everything, all because He loves
you.
On behalf of your friends and neighbors at the Seventh-day
Adventist Church in Heppner, I extend to you God's love this
Christmas and throughout the year ahead.
"Angel Messages"
"His G ift is Your Presence"
By Reverend Duane Jones, Church of the Nazarene
During this Christmas season, joy should fill your heart. It is
a time of remembrance of when God presented Himself to you
in human form. He gave Himself as a newborn child, born of
a virgin, to become, later in life, a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice,
falsely accused, condemned to death, then crucified on a cross
for your sin.
God has given you several notable gifts. He gave you life. He
gave you the moral responsibility to become who you are. He
gave you the privilege to make your own choices in life. He gave
Himself (life on earth) to you, so that your could equate to Him.
He freely gave His physical life on the cross to deliver you from
sin. If only you freely choose to believe in Him. He has given
you countless material and spiritual blessings.
To give you more would deprive you of your privileges and
responsibilities as a person. It would destroy your freedom of
self-will and self-choice, which is the foundation of your humani
ty. This independence separates and distinguishes you from all
other living things.
Is it time for you to freely give something back to your Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ? I believe it is. This coming Sabbath/Sun-
day, attend worship service at your church. Give of yourself
wholly to Him in worship. Freely tithe your time, talents and
presence. Worship Christ your King with songs of praise, devo
tions of heart and gratitude for His gifts and presence.
Should you not have a church that you can claim as your own,
there are several admirable and Godly Christian churches in our
community to pick from, maybe the one nearest to your home.
I'm sure you would be welcome to any one of them as well as
this Nazarene Church I serve. Come, let us worship our Lord
together.
"O n coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother,
Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they
opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and
of incense and of myrrh." Mathew 2:11
"Christmas is Surely in the A ir"
By Reverend Al Trachsel, the United Methodist Church
Christmas is surely a time of music. There are great cathedral
choirs heralded and celebrated. There are simple church choirs
unheralded and passed by. There is music of radio, of television,
of endless recordings. There is music at Christmas.
Amidst all the music of the season, there is, to be sure, a very
special music. A music heard by only a few, although it is of
fered to all. This music comes in the still of the night when the
chill heightens the senses and alerts the heart. It is a music which
appeals to all...be we aged or child-in-arms, be we learned or
unlearned, be we of trained or untrained ear. It is the music echo
ing across the barrier of race and creed, of the national boun
daries and long-standing hostilities, of deep-seated prejudices;
it is a music near and dear and familiar which heralds again God's
great gift, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace,
good will toward m en."
These words and this melody come only to the ears of faith,
to an innocence receptive and expectant. Those of humble mind
who have not outgrown angels and visitations and dreams hear
the music clearly.
Christmas is surely in the air. We stand on the tiptoes of faith
and our ears are listening for the distant heralds approaching.
Our eyes are scanning the heavens and we will not miss the Light.
Our minds are disciplined to read the signs and to seek the revela
tion. And, beyond all else, the womb of our innocence is stirr
ing with movements which can only be those of the Child..."For
unto you is b o m ..."
By Pastor Tim Van Cleave, Christian Life Center
As we think about giving gifts to those we love at Christmas,
one of the most commonly quoted Bible verses comes to mind:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life." (John 3:16) But why did God give His only Son?
Why did Jesus Christ become a man, born that first Christmas
night long ago in Bethlehem?
God gave His Son because all men are sinners. There are no
exceptions. Every hospital, every funeral home and every ceme
tery is evidence of sin. Every locked door, every bank vault and
every prison is evidence of sin. Tears, broken hearts and sor
row are the results of sin. The whole race is lost and unable to
save itself.
Salvation cannot be found by sprinkling a baby nor by baptiz
ing an adult. It cannot be obtained by joining a church nor by
taking the Lord's Supper. It is not found by being honest or by
living by the Golden Rule. Man does not work for God to earn
salvation. Christianity is not man's search for God; rather it is
God reaching out to sinful man.
Because of God's unchanging love for man, He gave His Son
Jesus. Calvary was God's answer to man's need. Salvation is
God's free gift, purchased by the blood of Jesus and received
by faith. Calvary was God's remedy to cure us from the curse
of sin and allow us to live in Heaven with a holy God.
However, salvation does not come to us without us receiving
Jesus into our lives. We must repent of sin, turn to God and put
our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus
described this as being "born again". He said, "You must be
bom again". (John 3:7)
As you give gifts to those you love this Christmas, they must
do their part by receiving those gifts. And so it is with our
Heavenly Father. He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die at Calvary
in our place, for our sin. But salvation does not come automatical
ly to every person. We must individually receive the free gift of
salvation by believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior. During this
Christmas season, will you receive the greatest gift ever offered
to mankind? Will you receive Jesus?
"Let Us N o t Forget foseph"
By Reverend Stan Hoobing, Hope-Valby Lutheran parishes
"...A young woman named Mary was engaged to Joseph from
King David's family. But before they were married, she learned
that she was going to have a baby by God's Holy Spirit. Joseph
was a good man and did not want to embarrass Mary in front
of everyone. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding." (St.
Matthew 1:18-19 CEV)
One of the personalities of Holy Scriptures that get little press
or recognition is Joseph, the husband of Mary-the mother of Jesus.
He is mentioned a few times in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke-
almost exclusively around the birth of Jesus. Mark's Gospel does
not even mention him, and only twice is he mentioned in the
Gospel of John.
Joseph was a good man. He was a devoted servant of God and
lived his life according to the law of Moses. He was also kind
and wise. When the Angel of God told Joseph that Mary had
been chosen by God to bring forth the Savior of the World, he
followed with respect the directions of God.
There are many wonderful people in south Morrow County
who are a lot like Joseph-they get little or no press, or recogni
tion. They are deeply devoted people who throughout the year
share the Christmas message of hope, love, peace and joy with
all they meet. And it is these individuals who keep the true spirit
of Christmas alive for us all. Let us not forget them.
"G od is Touchable, Reachable"
By Reverend Al Miller, All Saints’ Episcopal Church
Caterpillars, dogs, trees, rocks and water all have something
in common with us; they are physical. Most of us are very much
like the state motto of Missouri, "Show m e". And then, maybe
I'll believe it. In this neck of the woods, we spend a great deal
of time out in the fields and the hills-many of us believe that this
is where we find some special part of God that speaks to us best.
I'm one of the first to tell you that my personal faith is founded
upon a God who gave us earth and sky, trees and water, and,
yes, even caterpillars.
It is at Christmas that God has been most honest with us as
human beings and the very things we need. We need to touch
and see the stuff of God in order to believe that He might really
be here for us. When Jesus was born into this world, it was in
real flesh and blood, in a real place and a real time. God was
no longer "untouchable, unseeable, or unreachable". We ask
ed, "Show m e," and He did.
Some say that becoming human make God less than God
Almighty. I believe the opposite. That just because God was will
ing to take human form, to live and die as one of us, to suffer
hunger and thirst; God is truly great. It is Christmas and the birth
of Jesus that make sense out of faith. I indeed am able to know
that God is real, "touchable, seeable and reachable"; not because
I make it happen, but because God has made it happen.
Christmas is about God being big enough to make Himself
small and not about humans being big enough to make God
small. It is a gift. It gives meaning and purpose to living. It in
deed gives us something far greater than we can expect or ima
gine of our own doing. God is God, so that we might follow
where He leads the way. He leads us in humbleness, sacredness,
joy and blessedness. Not to our end, but to His. All we need
to do is acknowledge that we needed the physical form, the con
crete reality, the flesh and the blood in order to know that is really
there.
May you celebrate the reality of Jesus this Christmas.
"To Heal, to Unite, to Bring H om e"
By Father Gerry Condon, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
i Christmas church services announced
S
| St. Patrick's and St. William's Catholic Church
| St. Patrick's apd St. William's churches have announced their
| Christirtos'Schedule.
»
| The Christmas Eve Mass at St. Patrick's Church in Heppner
| will begin with Christmas carols at 8:30 p.m. The Candlelight
| Procession will begin at 9 p.m., followed by the Blessing of the
| Crib and the Christmas Vigil Mass.
| Christmas Day Mass will be at 11 a.m.
| St. William's Parish in lone will hold Christmas Day Mass
| beginning at 8:45 a.m. with the Blessing of the Crib and singing
| of Christmas carols.
| Lexington Baptist Church
| A candlelight Christmas Eve service will be held Sunday even-
| ing, Dec. 24, at 6 p.m.
| Pastor Glenn Anderson says that it will be an evening of special
| music, scripture and Christmas readings to celebrate Christ's
| birth.
| Program organizer Laurie Marks has lined up a variety of
| Christmas musical numbers which include both vocal and in-
| strumental selections. Both adults and children will be partici-
| paring.
| Everyone in the community is invited to come and enjoy the
| services.
| All Saints' Episcopal Church
Christmas is a time when we all think of peace. This year it | All Saints' Episcopal Church will celebrate its traditional Christ
may be peace in Bosnia; in other years, it was Haiti, Somalia or
mas Eve service Sunday, Dec. 24. This celebration of the nativi
Iraq. We like to think of peace in the troubled parts of our world,
ty will begin with the singing of carols at 7 p.m. At 7:30 p.m.,
especially among nations. Yet there is another peace that we
worship will begin with the celebration of Christmas Commu
should be concerned with. This peace is not as prevalent as it
nion, the sermon, the singing of more hymns, a Christmas Bless
should be-peace in the home. Domestic peace is sadly lacking
ing and the lighting of candles. This is a service for the entire
in many homes. It is true that we are more aware of the violence
family, complete with children's sermon.
and unhappiness that exists in families than we ever were before.
A service of Morning Prayer w'ill be held at 10:30 a.m. on Sun
Yet even after almost 2000 years of Christianity, many couples
day morning, Dec. 24, as usual.
seem unable to solve their problems; children and parents can
Anyone is welcome to join the festivities at All Saints' Church.
not reach agreement; and the numbers are frightening.
The Cross up on "Cross Hill" will be lit to honor the holiness
It was St. Francis of Assisi who said, "W e have been called
of the season and to remind us of Jesus during this time of many
to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring
"going-ons".
home those who have lost their w ay." One would almost think
that those words had been used for our century rather than 400
Heppner United Methodist Church
years ago.
The Heppner United Methodist Church will hold a very special,
"To heal wounds"-there are many wounds in our world-anger,
old-fashioned Christmas Eve Candlelight Service to be held at
substance abuse, injustice, hatred, resentment, unfaithfulness,
11 p.m. Christmas Eve.
rejection. The way to heal these wounds is through forgiveness.
The service will feature "The Christmas Story" as found in
Jesus Christ set us an example, "Father forgive them, for they
scripture, singing of the great Christmas hymns of tradition and
know not what they d o ." So, in a spirit of peace, be the first
a message by Pastor Al Trachsel. The conclusion of the service
one to take the step to bring about reconciliation. To give
will feature the lighting of the candles in celebration of the birth
forgiveness is a source of deep joy. Could this be the "Tidings
of the Prince of Peace.
of Great Joy" in your life this Christmas?
The entire community is welcome. "Come and enjoy."
"T o unite what has fallen apart "-families are being disinte
grated in our modem world. Sometimes they do not know where
Hope-Valby Lutheran Parish
to turn for help, or are unwilling to seek help. Yet help is
The last mid-week Advent service will be held at Valby Wednes
available. Jesus Christ is always there, for He says, "Come to
day, Dec. 20, at the home of Don and Martha Peterson. Hope
me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.
Lutheran's last mid-week advent service will be held on Thurs
Learn of me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will
day, Dec. 21, beginning at 6 p.m. with a soup supper. Worship
find rest for your souls." The Church is there, ever striving to
service will follow at 7 p.m. Pastor Stan Hoobing will deliver a
bring the Gospel of peace to all.
message entitled, "The Magnificat: The Awe of Mary,’ based
"Bring home those who have lost their way "-some have lost
on the scripture reading of Luke 1:26-38 at both Hope and Valby.
the way of faith, some the way of truth. Some are following the
A special joint Sunday morning worship service for both Hope
way of selfishness, indifference or apathy. For them, the Lord
and Valby congregations will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec.
said, " I am the good shepherd." That good shepherd is always
24, at Hope. An open house will be held at the home of Pastor
seeking his lost sheep.
and Mrs. Hoobing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
So let this Christmas be one of true love and domestic harmony.
A celebration of candlelight, carols and communion will be the
Peace in our homes may be our greatest challenge. Meet that
highlight of the Christmas Eve service at Hope at 6 p.m. and at
challenge with the courage of Christian conviction, and let that
Valby at 9 p.m. Pastor Hoobing will deliver a Christmas sermon
be your contribution to peace on earth.
entitled, "Like Shepherds, You and 1."
I l l l l l ll l ll lf ll ll
By Reverend Lea Mathieu, lone United Church of Christ
Angels have become very popular lately, and now that Christ
mas is here, they seem to be everywhere. But angels certainly
aren't new. They are mentioned over 400 times in the Bible, either
glorifying God or acting as messengers between God and mor
tals. They tell us that we are loved and protected, in this life and
through to the next. Meister Eckhart, a 13th century theologian,
said, "That's all an angel is-an idea of G od." And the more ideas
of God we have around, the better.
On December 10th at our church, we decorated our tree dur
ing the worship service with angel ornaments. Then we dedicated
the tree with these words: "O ur God has blessed the world
throughout time with the messages of angels: warnings, good
news, eternity, deliverance, peace and good will, courage, and
above all, God's love."
May the angels on this tree remind us of all of these messages
and especially of their Christmas message:
Unto us is born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Hallelujah,
Amen!
Surely we live in a day like none other-a day the prophets of
old longed to be a part of. A day of darkness, yes; but also a
day when we shall see the mountain of the house of the Lord
established in the top of the mountains. (Micah 4:1)
Glory to God in the Highest!
Many in this hour are saying; peace, peace. Many prophesy
of wine and strong drink, but they do lie. This is not your rest,
because it is polluted. (Micah 2:10)
Noah means rest. May God give us ears to hear what the Spirit
is saying to the church today. Let us therefore fear, least, a pro
mise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should
seem to come short of it. (Heb. 4:1)
We have a hope. That hope is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
(Col. 1:27) That glory shall be our defense. (Isaish 4:5) That glory
that shall be revealed in us. (Rom. 8:18)
This holiday season as we look at all of the lights, may each
one of us remember-He is the Light that lighteth our lives. God
arise in your people.
May '96 find us in Him. Let's get into the ark. It is the faithful
servant that will enter into the joy of the Lord (Matt. 25:23) He
will stand in Zion with the called, the chosen and the faithful.
Those the glory arise upon will be called Zion. (Isaish 60:11)
God bless and keep each of you. Have a wonderful holiday
season.
"Salvation: Cod's G ift to Sinners"