Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 23,2009
- THREE
Christmas messages from area pastors
A message of great hope
An inspiring invitation
and great freedom in Jesus
M a tt 1 :1 8 , 23
Now the birth o f Jesus
Christ took place in this
way... "Behold, the virgin
shall conceive and bear a
son, and they shall call his
name Im m anuel” (which
means, God with us).
The power and po
litical system at the time of
the birth of Jesus was an
interesting one. The Ro
mans were in power in that
part of the world and while
their occupation offered
protection and peace, these
came at price: Taxation
was tremendous and per
sonal freedoms were heav
ily controlled. Many Jews
were severely punished or
crucified at the hands of the
Romans. Rome did offer
some "self-governing,” but
the "political” party they
(mostly) offered it to, the
Sadducees, was corrupt and
more interested in maintain
ing their wealth and power
with the Romans than in
truly helping the people.
The Sadducees political
adversaries, the Pharisees,
were not much better. They
were sticklers in following
the letter o f the beloved
Torah, the Word of God,
but found ways to explain
around its demands. They
had knowledge, but no ac
tions. They w ere hypocrites.
Throw into that mix some
isolationists (Essenes) and
revolutionaries (Zealots)
and you had quite a volatile
social and political mix. In
many ways these were a
part of the problem instead
of being a solution.
-
Today is not so
different. Taxes, climate
change, health care, debt,
economic and financial in
stability, cost of living, war,
threats o f nuclear power,
poverty...well, you get the
picture. And I’ve got to be
honest with you; I have
little use for politicians (and
1 am trying to be very polite
here). Like the Sadducees
and Pharisees our leaders
seem more interested in
maintaining power, control
and prestige than in really
helping the people. The
older I get, the more I see
them as part of the problem,
not the solution. I could see
how someone would want
to throw up their hands and
quit. And yet, even though I
see the world around me as
more messed up, unstable
and dangerous than I have
ever seen it, I have more
hope, confidence and peace
than I have ever had. Let me
explain...
During this Roman
occupation many looked for
the coming of the promised
Messiah; one who would fix
the mess, one who would be
“God with us,” Immanuel,
one who would establish
the kingdom of God. There
was great hope. And One
did come. His name was
Jesus, which means “Yah-
weh saves” as he would
save the people from their
sins. He challenged the
political corruption of the
Sadducees, the hypocrisy
of the Pharisees, the vio
lence of the Zealots and the
isolationism of the Essenes.
But, He did not come to
overthrow the political es
tablishment. His kingdom
was a different kingdom.
His followers were to be
know n for their repentance,
for following Torah with
passion and compassion.
They would love God and
love their neighbor. This
"kingdom” would be about
releasing captives and heal
ing. His followers would
have freedom, joy, shalom,
and a peace that passes
all understanding in spite
o f and in the midst of all
of the social and political
turmoil.
You see, I too have
great hope, freedom, joy,
shalom and peace that
passes all understanding,
because I am a follower of
this Messiah Jesus, “God
with us.” Even in spite of
and in the midst of all of
the problems of the world
and in my life, I will not
be afraid. I will try to love
God and love people with
passion and compassion.
I have to tell you, there is
great freedom in this...
Perhaps you find
yourself during this holiday
season a little down in the
dumps. It might be because
of the social and geopoliti
cal circumstance. Maybe it
is something intensely per
sonal. No matter. I would
offer you a message of great
hope and great freedom
in Jesus, Immanuel, “God
with us.”
Keith Price
Willow Creek Baptist
Church
Be grateful for a season
when our Savior was born
Before Jesus was
born, a prophet taught of
Christ, that “He shall go
forth, suffering pains and
afflictions and temptations
of every kind; and this that
the word might be fulfilled
which saith he will take
upon him the pains and the
sicknesses of his people.
And he will take upon him
death, that he may loose the
bands of death which bind
his people; and he will take
upon him their infirmities,
that his bow els may be
filled with mercy, according
to their infirmities. Now the
Spirit knoweth all things;
nevertheless the people,
that he may blot out their
transgressions according
to the power of his deliver
ance.” Christ has made it
possible for us to overcome
all things.
Let us all be grate
ful for this season of joy, a
Lexington Community Bible Church
to hold Christmas Eve service
The Community Bible Church in Lexington
(formerly Lexington Baptist Church) will be holding a
Christmas Eve Service on Thursday, December 24, begin
ning at 7 p.m. There will be special music and a candle
lighting service will be held.
Refreshments will be served after the service.
The community is invited to attend.
season where, “Unto us a
child is bom, unto us a son is
given; and the government
shall be upon his shoulders:
and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor, The
mighty God, The everlast
ing Father, The Prince of
Peace.” Let us be grateful
for a season when our Sav
ior was bom.
Elder Miles and Elder Mick
The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints
Christm as Eve
services to be
held at Valby
The community is
invited to a traditional ser
vice of carols and scripture
at Valby Lutheran Church
on Thursday, December 24,
at 6 p.m.
V alby, a sm all
All Saints Episcopal/Hope Lutheran to church set in wheat fields
15 miles south of lone, w as
hold Christmas Eve Eucharist service
founded in 1886 by Swed
All Saints Episcopal and Hope Lutheran Church ish immigrants.
es will hold a Christmas Eve Eucharist service at 7:30
For directions call
p.m. on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, at All Joel Peterson at 422-7215.
Saints Episcopal Church.
Last year, at this
time, you probably received
dozens, or maybe hundreds,
o f Christmas cards. You
probably read the verse,
though maybe not. Even
if you did, the chances are
that you do not remember it
now. This year, one person
did remember the verse that
was on one card. That verse
was: "Blessed is the Season
that invites you to engage in
the birth of the Savior!”
What an interesting
invitation. It invites all of us
to be more than spectators
in the birth of the Savior.
It would seem to invite all
of us to bring a know ledge
and love of the Savior to our
world. As I thought about
this, I thought of the oppor
tunity each of us has to be
a spiritual influence in the
lives of others. As I write
this article, the news media
brings us some good news.
However, through the year
it seems to predominantly
bring us the ills, hardships,
immorality, evils that exist
in our world. An example of
this is w hat happened in Ta
coma recently. Four police
officers were shot, initially,
the media gave much more
coverage to the perpetrator
of the crime than to the lives
of the officers. Eventually,
there was a wonderful me
morial tribute to them. So,
frequently, the message we
are getting is about vio
lence. In a less significant
way it was interesting that
the couple w ho crashed the
President’s Banquet got
more publicity than anyone
else at that event. It also
seems that there is concern
that the forthcoming trials
of terrorists may be used by
them to make a mockery of
our justice system.
So the invitation
to engage in the birth of
the Savior is especially a
time for Christians to con
centrate on the good that
there is in the world. We
might want to recall those
who have had a spiritual
impact in our lives. They
may have been our parents,
our favorite teacher, or our
clergy. They reflected the
goodness of the Savior, and
so can we. As we engage
in the birth of the Savior,
we have the possibility of
also being an inspiration to
others. What a wonderful
celebration of the birth of
the Savior, if every Chris
tian inspired someone else
to come to Bethlehem and
become a true follower of
the Infant Savior. As we
engage in the birth of the
Savior, it will truly be a
season of hope and a truly
blessed Season.
Father Gerry Condon
St. Patrick’s Catholic
Church
St. William's Catholic
Church
Christmas greetings from Christians
known as Heppner United Methodists
Have you received
any “religious” Christmas
cards this Christmas sea
son? If you have, they prob
ably depict the nativity
scene with Mary and Joseph
gathered around the cradle
in which the baby Jesus
is softly sleeping. There
may be some animals in
the scene also to remind
you that Jesus was bom in
a stable and that “cradle”
in which Jesus is sleeping
is really a feeding trough.
And maybe there are some
men dressed in regal wear
standing next to camels
or kneeling in front of the
baby. And there may be a
big star over the stable. Our
Christmas cards depict a
peaceful, serene, beautiful
gathering of adoration of
the baby Jesus.
In the commentary
of the “Renovare Spiritual
Formation Bible,” we are
reminded that the bibli
cal account of the birth of
Jesus, as it is written in the
Gospel according to Luke
chapter 2 versus 1-21, is
anything but a sterile ro
m anticized scene. Mary
who is pregnant and Joseph
to whom she is engaged
have just completed a 40-
mile hike from Nazareth
to Bethlehem. When they
arrive in Bethlehem, they
find a town over-crowded
with descendants of King
David who have come to be
counted in a census. By the
time they get to Bethlehem,
all of the inns are full.
1 am sure that there
have been times for all of us
that w hen we needed some
thing the most, it wasn’t
available. It would have
been great for Mary and
Joseph to find a clean, safe
place to stay since Mary’s
due date was fast approach
ing. But, it was not be. Mary
gave birth to her first bom
son in a stable and placed
him in the feeding trough
to sleep, while Mary lay
down to rest and recuperate
from the ordeal of giving
birth unassisted by modem
medicine.
Her rest and re
laxation was interrupted a
short while later as a group
of shepherds came visit
ing - shepherds smelling
of wood smoke and sweat
and sheep, still in a state
of shock of being informed
for the birth of their Savior
by a host of angels, keep
ing watch over their flocks
by night.
I am sure that there
are times in your life when
things have not happened
the way that you would
have liked them to happen.
Things that you dreamed
o f happening in a certain
way, actually, turn out to
be messy. When things do
not turn out the way we
have dreamed, there is a
tendency to question what
has gone wrong with our
prayers and our relationship
with God.
In such times, it is
important to reflect upon the
birth of God’s Son, Jesus,
into this world - an event
anticipated for hundreds of
years; an event announced
by angels in a blaze of light,
an event unquestionably
orchestrated by God. God's
will is accomplished in our
lives - in our world - even
in situations which may
appear to us to be messy at
first glance.
So, this Christmas,
either on the ev ening of the
24th or 25th, 1 encourage you
to visit the church of your
choice to join others in cel
ebrating the birth of Jesus,
the Son of God, who came
into this world to teach us
what it means to live God's
love that we might have an
abundant live and receive
eternal life.
At Heppner United
Methodist Church, we will
be celebrating the birth of
Jesus on the eve of Christ
mas, December 24, at 7
p.m. and 11 p.m. You are
welcome to join us.
Jonathan Enz
Heppner United Methodist
Church
St. Patrick’s, St. William’s Catholic
Churches announce Christmas schedule
St. Patrick’s and St.
William’s Catholic Church
es in Heppner and lone
announce their Christmas
schedules.
On Thursday, De
cember 24, Christmas car
ols will be sung at 8:30
p.m., followed by a candle
light procession, blessing
of the Nativity scene and
Vigil Mass at 9 p.m. On
Friday, December 25, at 11
a.m„ Nativity Mass will be
held and Christmas carols
will be sung. Everyone is
welcome to join in these
celebrations.
At St. W illiam ’s
Catholic Church in lone
Christm as Mass will be
held and Christmas carols
will be sung at 8:45 a.m. on
Friday, December 25. Ev
eryone is w elcome to join in
this celebration as well.
REGARDING BOMBING RANGE ROAD TEMPORARY CLOSURE
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Morrow County Public Works Department
would like to announce Due to reconstruc
tion on the south end of the Bombing Range
I Hwy 207 Intersection project It is necessary
to close the South end section of Bombing
Range road for a penod beginning on January
4, 2010 and continuing through January 29,
2010 weather permitting. The primary north
detour route will be Gneb Ln. The South de
tour route will be Juniper Canyon to Baseline
Rd All traffic of any kind with the exception
of those local residents will be restncted and
the closure will be stnctly enforced dunng this
penod Local residents will be allowed access
subject to following traffic control measures
necessary at the time
This protect is an Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program (STIP)
Any questions or concerns may contact the
Public Works office 365 W Hwy 74, P 0 Box
428, Lexington, OR. 97839 541-989-9500
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