FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 18, 2019
WISHING EVERYONE
Identifying with God
It’s time to go deep. I
love hot chocolate, Hershey
Kisses and Christmas music
as much as anyone else, but
there is a danger this time
of year in getting so caught
up in the happy holidays
that it is easy to overlook
the deeper purpose of this
time of year. That deeper
purpose is identification
with Jesus Christ.
That identification
came in what is referred
to as the incarnation. This
is the event in which God
became human. The authors
of the Bible appreciated just
how difficult this is to un-
derstand. It is further com-
plicated by that fact that the
history of ideas had already
mixed notions of human/
god hybrids in Greek and
Roman mythology. Even
Caesar Augustus referred to
himself as son of god. How
could people possibly grasp
such confusing and muddy
concept?
The answer is as simple
as it is complex. Primarily,
it had to be this way. God
becoming human was the
only way people could be
made whole and reach God.
All of our attempts to go to
God are a dismal failure.
We need him to come to
us, which is exactly what
he did. Imagine the same
being who made the mighty
Columbia River, who is
infinitely all powerful and
all knowing, the same one
who fashioned together the
complexities of the human
body or the perfect smile of
a toddler decided to inhabit
one of these human bodies
knowing its limitations and
frailties. Only love could
explain such devotion.
The Apostle John de-
scribed this event as the
Word became flesh and
took up residence among
us. That Word is the power
that created the universe in
the beginning. It was not
another god, like in mythol-
ogy born out of the wedding
of gods and humans, it is
the God. This One John
speaks of is the One and
Only Son from the Father.
There is no other like him.
There are no other gods.
This is the one true God
who is trying to reach you
and me this Christmas with
the good news that he has
made a way for us to finally
be at peace. This peace has
come because he came to
us in a lowly manger 2,000
years ago.
Of course, all this must
be believed in order for it
to be effective and change
your life here on earth and
for eternity. That belief
comes by faith. We all live
by faith whether we would
like to admit it or not. We
really have little to no con-
trol over what the peo-
ple around us do or what
circumstances we face.
We choose to believe that
things will work out. We
trust that our children will
eat their vegetables. We be-
lieve that the people around
us have our best interest at
heart and will act accord-
ingly. We all live by faith.
The real question we
must ponder is, what am I
really putting my faith in?
This Christmas and beyond
am I trusting that it will all
just work out or am I trust-
ing in this magnificent wa-
ger that God has placed on
the table? Will you accept
his offer this Christmas?
Could you by faith believe
that God has come to you
in the person, Jesus Christ?
Pastor Tripp Finch
Willow Creek Baptist
Church
The reason for the
season
For many of us, Christ-
mas is one of the busiest
times of the year, and for
some it can begin losing
its joyful celebration of
life and change into a time
of physical and financial
stress. Responsibilities re-
lated to parties, gifts, bak-
ing and decorating can
drive one nuts. Perhaps as
crazy as doing everything
possible to celebrate the
birthday of someone you
don’t know all that well or
at all…
The truth is Christmas
can be most enjoyed by
those who have an active
relationship with Jesus
Christ, know the story of
His birth and life and death
and resurrection, and fully
understand what it means
to humanity and their own
lives.
They understand why
the night of His birth was
different from all the other
nights throughout history;
why a small town in Israel
was briefly the most bless-
ed place on earth; why the
birth of a child changed ev-
erything; why angels sang
to simple shepherds and
wise men made a difficult
journey to a faraway land.
Understanding is ev-
erything when it comes to
Christmas.
If you’ve never stopped
to consider the reason for
the Christmas season, or
perhaps you know but have
just lost touch with it, please
know that the “why” is what
brings Christmas to life.
God comes to us in this
busy Christmas season to
make all things new. Where
we are too busy, God brings
peace; where we are lost,
salvation; where we are sad,
joy; where we are bitter,
God gives us courage to
love again.
Area
churches
to hold
services
C olumbia b asin
E lECtriC C o -o p
W e are happy to serve you !
MERRY CHRISTMAS
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR BUSINESS!
Celebrate the light
Ch r is t ma s Me s s a g e s
Hopeful Saints Minis-
try, a Lutheran and Episco-
pal partnership, will cele-
brate the birth of Jesus with
a festive service of lessons,
carols, communion and
candle lighting on Decem-
ber 24 beginning at 7 p.m.
at the Episcopal building
located at the corner of
Church and Gale in Hep-
pner. Everyone is welcome,
including kids of all ages.
Willow Creek Baptist
Church, 560 Minor Street in
Heppner will hold a special
Christmas Eve service on
Tuesday, December 24 at
Christmas Eve can be
an amazing and joyful time
to acknowledge this most
pivotal point in human his-
tory, and honor how God
reached down from heaven
and built a bridge between
Himself and humanity.
The story of that in-
carnation — God sending
His Son to be born into the
human race — is beautiful
beyond our ability to ex-
press.
Some churches in our
area extend open invitations
to hear the timeless story of
an infant king, to have your
spirit lifted by the sound
of Christmas carols and
celebrate the miraculous
event that brought us hope,
reconciliation with our Cre-
ator and the promise of an
eternity that transcends
the bonds of our earthly
existence.
These Christmas Eve
services typically take only
an hour or two of your time,
and it could be the very
thing that adds depth and
meaning to all you do this
Christmas. The friends and
family of the Ione Com-
munity Church invite you
to our own Christmas Eve
celebration, taking place at
7 p.m. on December 24, and
hope you will come!
All are welcome, so
bring a friend.
Jeff Clabaugh
Minister
Ione Community
Church
In these darkest days of
the year, light is a precious
commodity—not just be-
cause daylight is short, but
also because we lack the
ability to cast much light
into our surroundings at a
time when common ground
has become so elusive,
careful listening to oppos-
ing views has become so
rare and an end to violence
and homelessness and hun-
ger seem so far beyond
reach.
And yet, in the middle
of this dark season, we can
still celebrate the light.
Why? Because long ago
God sent his son to inter-
rupt the world as we’d been
running it . . . a world God
created as good and orderly,
but we defiled with self-
ishness and carelessness.
The infant we celebrate at
Christmas grew up to be the
conqueror of darkness and
THE 2020 MORROW
COUNTY FAIR
AUGUST 19-23, 2020
T hank
you for
your
supporT !
OTPR AUGUST
21 & 22, 2020
MOCO RODEO
AUGUST 23, 2020
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
We are proud to be of service
to you throughout the year
THE STAFF OF WHEATLAND INSURANCE
Heppner & Ione
5 p.m. This will be a brief
candlelight service filled
with singing, joy, Scripture
readings and even live harp
music. There is no better
way to kick-off the holiday
celebration. You don’t want
to miss it. There will also
be regularly scheduled ser-
vices on Sunday, December
22 and 29 beginning at 10
a.m. All are welcome.
DEADLINE:
MONDAYS
AT 5PM
www.communitybanknet.com
541-656-5430
178 W Willow St. Heppner
The friends and family
of the Ione Community
Church invite everyone to
their Christmas Eve cel-
ebration taking place at 7
p.m. on December 24.
Holiday Design by
Addalyn Pointon of
Lewiston, ID.
111 N Court St. Heppner
Merry Christmas
from
WOOD on WOOD
death. The birth of Jesus,
and the ministry, death, and
resurrection that followed
it, cast a light that can never
be extinguished, no matter
how much we continue to
make a mess of things.
How can we find the
light we need in this beau-
tiful but broken world?
How can we find hope? By
dropping to our knees and
recognizing that light and
hope are all wrapped up
in a manger that holds the
king of peace, the light of
the world.
“Whoever follows me,”
Jesus said, “will never walk
in darkness but will have
the light of life.” (John
8:12b)
Rev. Katy Anderson
Hopeful Saints
Ministry
a Lutheran-Episcopal
Partnership
Heppner
Hermiston
127 N Main St
541-676-5745
50 E Theater Ln
541-289-4480
Member FDIC
G T
MERRY
CHRISTMAS!
From all of us
at Sykes Publishing
David, April, Bobbi, Giselle,
Chris & Andrew