December 2007
Download a Copy for your Self December 2007

   Is it really as simple as “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life”?  

    Sometimes this is said in a somewhat flippant way. It has struck a chord with some people and led them to a faith that has fallen short of the faith given to us by Christ Himself. They were told to say a prayer admitting they made some mistakes and be sorry and want to be forgiven. For many it was nothing more than a one-time admission of imperfection and weakness in return for permanent peace with God. In effect it was a no-brainer. But what about those who said the prayer, asked for forgiveness, and went on with their life, with virtually nothing changed?  

   Recent polls done by George Barna and Gallup indicate that about 20% of Americans who call themselves “born-again” still believe in reincarnation, as do 26% in astrology, 45% in good works getting people to heaven, and 25% in communicating with the dead.  

   David Bryant, in his recent book, Christ is All, states, “Looking at the current condition, some have proposed (humorously) that we rename great old hymns of the Church to reflect our trivialization of the Glad Tidings. For example: “I Surrender Some”, “Fill My Spoon, Lord”, “Take My Life and Let Me Be”, “I Love to Talk About Telling the Story”, or (my favorite) “Oh, How I like Jesus”.  

   Bryant poses the question, “Did the message you heard at the beginning of your walk with Jesus captivate you with the righteous reign of Jesus, both for you and for nations? Or was it more about the possibilities of personal fulfillment through the addition of a Savior to your life?”

     He suggests a reconversion for those Christians who at one time took Jesus to be their mascot, rather than truly the supreme Lord of all history. Having Jesus as a convenient mascot is having a me-centered faith, -  a definite recipe for disillusionment. Jesus then becomes a handy genie for us to get what we want, when we want it.

    Taking Jesus as the supreme Lord of history is embracing a faith that brings us along side of God to further advance His purposes and to bring glory to His name through our lives. In America some appear to be dumbing-down the faith to make it more palatable, less demanding, more manageable, less costly, and more pragmatic for meeting daily needs.

    We have the freedom as humans to opt for Jesus as mascot, but the consequences are rather troubling. Recently I met a young lady who was quite angry with God and had “given up” her faith. Upon questioning, I quickly learned that what she had “given up” wasn’t much. Her warm cozy Jesus as a mascot didn’t work too well in the face of the loss of an only grandchild. No wonder she was mad at God! In desperation when the wheels were coming off of life, she rubbed her little genie and nothing happened. Someone had sold her a bill of goods! 

    I agree with David Bryant, many Christians do need a reconversion. Some would argue such were never truly converted in the first place. That may as well be true, but the bottom line is that many appear to have  embraced a faith which doesn’t work, has little depth, and certainly doesn’t offer hope in a broken world.

    Christmas is a time when the Jesus as a mascot type faith becomes obvious. Baby Jesus in the manger is controllable and manageable. Babies give us warm and cuddly feelings. When life makes sense, one can easily embrace Jesus in this way. This truncated faith falls short of seeing Jesus as the supreme Lord of history, ruler of all ages, the Prince of Peace, mighty God. 

     In some ways, Christmas is a test of faith. For the lonely widow whose children are rather estranged, how can Christmas be a happy time? For the grieving parent who had the unfortunate task of standing by their child’s casket, how can Christmas be a time of joy? For the woman who has a husband who is addicted to internet pornography, alcohol, drugs, or selfish pursuits, how can she sit around the tree with joy in her heart?

    The celebration of the coming of Christ as Lord of all history, Lord of the universe, elicits a great sense of gratitude and joy in the heart. The celebration is about Jesus, not about the things that have been disappointing and painful. For some people, this takes great intentional effort to focus on Christ, rather than family. Christmas is about Christ! How many people really get that!

    Yes, I treasure time with family at Christmas. Words can’t describe the joy I have when I am with my children and grandchildren. As great as that is, I dare not miss the real point of this most powerful season.  

   For me, Christ is still the focus of Christmas.

          Pastor Curry            “Merry Christmas”

PULPIT FORECAST

"To regularly avail oneself to the public exposition of the Holy Scriptures is one of the highest and holiest habits one can ever attain in this life."

    Advent is about the coming of Christ. Many churches jump into Christmas songs the first Sunday of Advent and miss the few beautiful advent hymns of the faith. 

    The hope we have in the second coming of Christ is the same hope embraced by the Jewish people in Old Testament times. They lived in that hope. The Old Testament ends with a chapter about that very hope. Our New Testament ends with a three-word prayer, “Come Lord Jesus”.

    In the last chapter of Revelation, for those of you with a red letter Bible (words of Christ in red), you find several sentences in red in this chapter. Three times Jesus says, “I am coming quickly”.

    When I was young, I didn’t want to think of heaven much. I thought of John Deere tractors, professional baseball, and girls, all in that order. Heaven wasn’t very high on my list. I wanted to live this life, not some vague afterlife. After the years begin to slip through your fingers, after you attend a certain number of funerals, after the world has been whipping on you for a while, one begins to think about a future life where things are fair, where people don’t lie and cheat, and where things make much more sense. For me, the Bible offers much clarity as to the next journey. Christmas is about the hope of that next journey. It is about the culmination of history, the inauguration of a Kingdom which has no end and certainly one which far surpasses any kingdom we know here. 

    So …….. what a joy to begin each week of Advent with Bible open singing praises to the Reason for the Season.

DECEMBER MESSAGES

 2^nd     “Come Lord Jesus” is the title of the message taken from Malachi 4:1-3 and Revelation 22:20. We will also share in Holy Communion as the first candle of the Advent season is lit.

9^th  “Finding Favor with God” is the message title using Luke 2:26-30. The second candle of Advent will be lit.

 16^th  The Sunday School children will present their Christmas Special as the third candle of Advent is lit. This is a great service to invite guests.

 23^rd   “Your Reserved Spot in the Heavenly Host” is the message title taken from Luke 2:1-14. The fourth candle of Advent will be lit.

 30^th  Our Elder, Jim Pillars, will be bring the message  expressing his thoughts for concluding 2007 and visioning 2008. 

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SENIORS

     Stephanie Weber, pictured above, is a long time member of our church. Due to health complications in recent years, she has gone to live with her daughter near Richmond. We seek to maintain contact with her by taking her communion and discussing current events in the church.

  We praise God for her vibrant testimony and her sweet spirit. If you get a chance, drop her a card at 9516 N. Clark Rd., Richmond, IL 60071.

DISCOUNT CARDS?

   Buy one large pizza and get a medium free? Not a bad deal for Pizza Hut. That is a good example of the great deals on the back of the discount cards.

   Expiration date is July of 08. Cindy Johnson still has plenty of cards left. If you think you could sell or give as gifts, she has them in packets of 10.

COUNCIL REPORTS from the most recent meeting are always available at the back of the church in the wooden rack at the top of the steps. Don’t hesitate to pick one up if you have interest. Council Meetings are always open to our members. We meet the first Tuesday evening to conduct church business and the third Tuesday evening to pray. Please contact Council President Mike Johnson if you wish to attend or speak at any meeting. 

CHRISTMAS EVE SPECIAL SERVICE

   What a special time to make memories for young children! Families who establish this as a tradition when children are young are giving their children a powerful memory to draw on the rest of their lives, even for the boys and girls who fall asleep in mommy’s lap. 

   It is a service for families, but it is certainly a service for all who truly want to keep Christ in Christmas. Our choir is preparing a touching medley of songs. We will receive a special offering for the victims of the Bangladesh cyclone. Pastor Curry will offer some brief thoughts as we share in Holy Communion.

USE OF CHURCH BUILDING AND CHIMES CALENDAR??  

            The calendar in the Chimes each month only contains the events of our church life. It does not list all the groups using the church facility on different dates. If you wish inquire about using the facility, please call our Facility Coordinator, Jim Pillars. 

COFFEE HOUR

 12/2    Rhonda Curry & Joyce Richter

12/9    Hank & Sue McDonald

12/16  Sunday School

12/23  Mae Backovitch & Linda Martin

 USHER SCHEDULE

12/2   Dawn Brtek & Annette Gathercoal

12/9   Claude Umlauf  & Jim Lyons

12/16 Chris & Donna Kramer

12/23 Rosalie Stickling and Joyce Richter

12/24 Linda Ellinger & Cindy Johnson

PICTORIAL DIRECTORY DECEMBER 18^TH

   Olin Mills will be here one day to take pictures. Everyone will receive a view their different poses on the spot and will receive one free 8X10 and will receive one free church directory. Time slots are filling up quickly so call Teresa Pillars asap to make appointment at 847-245-7260

CURRYS CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE

   Sunday afternoon from 2:00 to 5:00 P.M., the Currys invite all our church family to their home to share in casual conversation and Rhonda’s Christmas goodies.

   They reside at 330 N. Linden, which is behind Murphy School in the Willows subdivision, in Round Lake Park.

   For Pastor Curry and Rhonda, this Christmas is extra special, as it is the last Christmas they will share with the faith family of Community Church.

   In later 2008, they will relocate to India where Pastor Curry will be primarily coordinating the teaching of some 25,000 people training to start new churches, with the Evangelical Church of India.

   Make an effort to visit their home on the 9^th!

SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPT. THOTS

                                                          by Teresa Pillars

   Every Thanksgiving and Christmas brings back wonderful, vivid memories of my childhood.  We spent every holiday joined together with family and friends enjoying each others company and – of course – all the food too. 

    This year was no exception for Jim and me.  As I sat next to my parents at our table enjoying good food with our family and some very dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I am reminded again how truly blessed I am.  I thank God for His abundant grace.

    Please join me in praying for our Sunday School leaders, children and parents.  May God wrap them in His grace and peace this year and always.  My prayer is that every child will have wonderful memories of their childhood. 

   Your gift has already been given to you.  Don’t waste any time accepting it and sharing Him with others!

    God Bless you all!

    P.S. Mark your calendars for December 16.  The children will have a special program for all of you to enjoy during the service.  Pray for us again as we plan a ONE Rehearsal Christmas Play!

BIRTHDAYS

If you know of anyone who is not on our list, contact Randy Margison.    

1: Addie Lewiel

5: Annette Gathercoal

7: Rhonda Curry

21: Sy Trawinski

21: Ellie Konie

30: Matt Kramer

INTERNET CHRISTMAS SHOPPING HELPS OUR CHURCH?

   By linking to Amazon.com through our church’s web page – www.ichooseJesus.net – and purchasing gifts, our church receives a sizeable cut. Amazon.com offers an amazing variety of gifts and specials. Think about it as you ponder your shopping list!