Marion United Methodist Church

PATHWAY

DECEMBER 2011 VOL. 5 NUM. 10

The Perfect Christmas

Dear Members and Friends,

When I was a boy, I thought we al-

ways had the most beautiful Christmas

trees. On Granddad’s farm there was an

abundance of cedar trees, and when I was

little, I thought they were the most beau-

tifully shaped Christmas trees ever! It

was only when I was older that Mom

chuckled and said they’d send Granddad

out for a Christmas tree, and, being a no-

nonsense type, he’d just pretty much cut

down the first one he came to … what-

ever it looked like. Well, I didn’t quite

believe her, because I remembered how

wondrous they all were!

So I went to the boxes of photos we

had, and sifted through to find pictures

with those Christmas trees. Mom was

right! Those trees were lop-sided, mis-

shapen, and one even had two tops! But

they were decorated with love, and they

really were a delight to a small boy’s

heart. Only the more critical eyes of

adulthood revealed the shortcomings of

those trees.

Each Christmas, we fret, we worry, we

plan, we pant, we shop … all with the

goal of creating the perfect Christmas.

Then we go to visit, or company comes,

Aunt Sarah doesn’t like her gift, the tur-

key’s overdone, all the petty resentments

of childhood seem to surface … and it’s

anything BUT perfect! We then settle

down into the new year with fresh

wounds in places we didn’t even know

we could be hurt!

Dear friends, there was only ONE per-

fect Christmas, though it too was filled

with murder and going on the lam to es-

cape a crazed king. But it was perfect

because it was the beginning of God’s

perfect plan to save all humanity, as He

came to US, in Jesus of Nazareth.

Forget creating the perfect Christmas.

Do what you can, with love, and then re-

lax. If you fret much over it, you’re go-

ing to miss the perfection of Christ the

Lord who has come, and is coming

again! Be at ease, and bask in His PER-

FECT love for you!

May His blessed, perfect Christmas be

yours!

See inside ...

2 Advent & Christmas News 3 Prayer List 4 Birthdays and Anniversaries 6 Short Story—God’s Shepherd 8 Christian Symbol—The Rose

ADVENT … our Pathway to

Christmas:

Dec. 4:

6 pm THE CHARACTERS OF CHRISTMAS

— Bethlehem is on display

… but where are all the

characters of Christmas?

Watch as the “little town”

becomes populated in re-

sponse to Scripture, readings, and carols.

Dec. 8:

The PLUSES (age 80 and above) visit

Patty’s for Christmas lunch-

eon. Please meet at the

church at 11:00 am. Eyewit-

ness reports say the food and

décor make it well worth going.

Dec. 10:

10:30 am ~ 12:30 pm. UMW Christmas

Coffee at the home of Ethel Tucker . All

church women are invited and expected!

Dec. 11:

Morning Worship — Cantata—Beautiful

Star of Bethlehem

3 pm — We encourage as many as possi-

ble to go with us to Corona de Vida in

Hopkinsville for the Conse-

cration of the new (to us)

church and activities building.

Bishop Davis will be preach-

ing.

Dec. 12:

6 pm — Centennial Planning Committee

7 pm — Admin. Council

Dec. 13:

2:00 pm — Circle 3 Christmas Meeting

at home of Mary Lou Chipps.

Dec. 17:

Christmas Food Basket Delivery

Dec. 18:

6 pm — Children’s Program and Christ-

mas Dessert. Please bring

your signature dessert to

share after the children

perform … cakes, pies,

cookies, tortes, me-

ringues, bars, etc. Perhaps we can trade

left-overs?

Dec. 21:

6 pm —Church-Wide Christmas Fellow-

ship Dinner. A true potluck, meat dishes

are welcome along with everything else.

Dec. 24:

5~7 pm—Christmas Eve Communion

(open to all, families come at time de-

sired and commune together—you’re

free to reflect and pray in the beauty of

the sanctuary before or

after you are served.)

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PRAYER LIST AS OF NOV. 30, 2011

ASSISTED LIVING: Ruth Hill

THE CHURCH: Bishop Lindsey Davis,

Dr. Jay Smith (our D. S.), the Pastor; our

Financial needs; the Persecuted Church;

Church Staff, and the SPRC search; all

Church groups as they meet.

HOSPITAL: Josh Beals (Rita Watson’s

nephew), Ed Davidson, Anna Maier

(Jerry Beavers’ sister), Jane Miller

(Donna Barnes’ sister), and David Mul-

lins (friend of Carolyn Fralick).

LONG TERM CONCERNS: Darlene Abell,

Paula Arflack, Ryan Beverly (Del

Brantley’s granddaughter), Frank Black-

burn (to M.D. Anderson Dec. 5), Laurel

Brown (reflux, and hiatal hernia, that

surgery will not be necessary until she is

much older), Mary Lou Chipps, Linda &

Virgil Cook, Truman Croft, Ann Day

(significant complications with Alz-

heimer’s), Keith Easley (cancer), Lucky

Easley (cancer), Phil English, Draven

Paul Farmer (Mary Orr’s grandson, born

Nov 2 with serious health issues), Danny

Fowler, Frances Fondaw (Karen Stone’s

aunt), Dennis Gilmore, Margie Hamilton

(friend of the Pyle family), Pippi Hardin,

Nida Heady (Trina Dyer’s mother),

Eugene Hayes (prostate cancer, friend of

Pippi Hardin), Leroy Hodge, Mae

Hodge, Jesse Hughes, Elizabeth Jackson,

Art Kupisch, Dr. Dennis Lacy, Norma

Lehman (Debbie Wicker’s mother), Ste-

fanie Lester, Dathel Lockhart (Dottie

Winn’s uncle), Louise May, Donna Mills

(friend of Dulcie Hardin), Anthony

Minton, Helen Moore, Larry Orr, Larry

Parish, Randy Poindexter, Kathryn

Pritchett, Kathleen & Herman Reed

(Elizabeth Jackson’s brother/sister-in-

law), Donna Starrick, Cindy Stone

(Dottie Winn’s sister), Kristy Strack (Kim

Brown’s friend), Nick Taylor, Ann Tho-

mas (Chad Thomas’ mother) Kirsten

Webb (Roger & Phyllis Dutschke’s

daughter), Lucille Williams (Phil Eng-

lish’s aunt) Mary Wicker, and Dottie

Winn.

MILITARY: All our military personnel

and their families, and specifically —

Preston Blake, Kelsey Brown (Stan

Brown’s cousin now deployed in Ku-

wait), Brent Corley, Zack Guess, Jarred

Harrison, Barkley Hughes, David King,

Dusty McConnell, Sarah Fowler Morton,

Austin Rushing, and Josh Urbanowski.

Pray for PEACE!

MISSION FIELD: Brent & Jeanette

Brantley, Karen & Craig Dials, Steve &

Pam English, Norma Hunt, Chuck &

Betsy Jack, Steve & Martha Jeavons,

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Doug & Diane Markesbery (preparing

for Romania), Jeff & Roseanne

McKenney, Mike & Sherri Morrissey,

David & Lori Persons, — and their fami-

lies. Corona de Vida and Pastor Isabel

Soberal (our Hispanic ministry in Hop-

kinsville.)

NURSING HOME: Sara Brandon, Shelby

Clevenger, Bud Crider, Rose Crider,

Emogene Davidson, Lois Edwards,

Willard Mott, Effie Shaffer, Katharine

Wardlaw, Loretta & Willie West.

OTHER: Tony Belt (back issues), Caro-

lyn Fralick (Praise! Procedure on eye

done in time to prevent serious damage).

REHAB: Beverly Brantley (Lourdes),

Charles Hicklin (Evansville), B.J. May

(progressing at home).

December Birthdays

2. Jim Wheeler

4. Perry Chipps & Taylor Jepsen

7. Shelly Johnson

9. John Wardlaw

14. Emogene Davidson

17. Pam Arnold, Debbie Fowler, Lydia

Roberts, & Lisa Tucker

18. Danny Fowler

19. Debbie Keller & Saundra Winn

23. Brian Kirby & Susan Yarbrough

25. Laverne H. Travis

26. Julie Champion & Helen Moore

27. Rose Hill

28. Logan Stout

30. Shawna Thomas

31. William Robert Frazer

& John Watson

December Anniversaries

25. Don & Denese Keene

31. Chris & Tracy Cook

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Circle 5 still has cook-

books available for sale,

at $15.00 apiece. Just see

any Circle member to

purchase one, or, swing

by Rebecca Johnson’s

Law Office, 217 W.

Bellville St. You may also call Rita Wat-

son (965-5951) or Karen Stone (853-

2290). Great gift idea!

CHRISTMAS BASKETS

2011

As always, you have

responded so gener-

ously to our call for

groceries to fill our Christmas Baskets.

The tables are beginning to “smile” —

they’re sagging in the middle! Barbara

Hunt is heading this ministry again this

year, and would welcome any names you

might have to submit. Delivery will be on

the 17th.

Again, you have been most generous, but

if you’re following the weekly requests,

here is what remains:

Dec. 4 — Paper Goods

Dec. 11 — Cash donations for perishable

items.

Thank You SO MUCH!!

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NEW CHAIRS TO GO WITH

NEW TABLES

Circle 5 is spearheading a

drive to raise money to pur-

chase chairs to match the

new tables in the social hall.

We want to purchase 120

chairs. The chairs cost $20.00 each. Thus

far, donations for 31 chairs have been

received. Checks may be made payable

to Circle 5 or Marion United Methodist

Church and designated for the “chair

fund.” You may give your donations to

any Circle member.

Karen Stone, for Circle 5

From my peep-hole in the

church basement on Nov. 20,

the most enticing smells

came to my quivering nose.

Oh, the working, warming,

carrying and cleaning up those women

(and trash-carrying men) did! A loud

shout-out to the Meal Coordination team

and everybody who helped them. What a

fine meal, from décor to clean-up! (I saw

the same thing Nov. 27 as folks jumped

in to help pastor assemble the soups he

was making. Good on you, ladies!) But

nobody ever leaves me a crumb!

“Buenos Dias!” I need to learn Spanish!

Wanting a change in scenery, I crawled

in the pastor’s coat pocket before he, Ben

Dyer, Tom Crider, Bill Arflack, and Don

Brasher left for Corona de Vida on Tues-

day. Those guys painted through 7 rooms

in preparation for the Bishop’s coming

on Dec. 11. I hope I get to go!

— Church Mouse

Circle 5

Cookbook

God’s Shepherd Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

The frost of forty winters had etched deep lines into the shepherd's face. Having spent his entire life out-doors on Bethlehem's hills, he was old at forty -- and cold. The hillside where he sat this day was cold, too, and he pulled his mantle close about him to block the wind. Every so often he would shift posi-tion, not out of discomfort so much, but from a sense of unease, anxiety, crowdedness. Instead of hundreds of sheep with whom he felt quite at home, this hillside was flocked with people -- thousands of them -- listen-ing attentively to the Teacher. They could hear him fairly well, except when the wind whisked away his words. Tobias ben David (pronounced da-

VEED) was the shepherd's name, though people called him Toby. His flocks were in good hands this week, cared for by his grown sons, but Toby had left them to listen to Jesus of Nazareth. Today the Teacher was talking about salvation, how God came to save his people from their waywardness and sins, to rescue them and gather them close. Now Jesus' illustration turned to sheep. Toby felt better. He knew a lot more about sheep than people. "The good shepherd," Jesus was saying, "lays down his life for the

sheep. The hired hand who doesn't own the flock runs away when he sees the wolf coming, but not the good shepherd...." One night, years ago, the men Toby had hired to watch the flock with him fled when they saw a mountain lion roaming the hills. But Toby had stayed. Shepherd-ing was his livelihood. He knew the sacrifices that good shepherding re-quired. He knew about defending de-fenseless lambs. He knew about put-ting his life on the line for the sheep. That's what good shepherds did. Jesus continued, "Suppose you have 100 sheep and when night comes one is missing. What do you do? You leave the 99 sheep all safe together and then climb the hills, looking, searching until you find the lost sheep. Then you pick him up, put him on your shoulders, bring him down the hill to the camp, and ask your fellow shepherds to rejoice with you." "Your heavenly Father is like that," Jesus said. "When you have lost your way, he will rescue you and save you and never give up on you until he finds you -- and you find him." Toby's heart was racing. He felt a lump in his throat. He understood. Toby had combed the hills for lost sheep, not stopping, not quitting. He knew the joy of discovery, of rescuing the sheep from a thicket, of bringing it back and celebrating with his friends. He had been that kind of shepherd.

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But he also knew how it felt to wan-der off, feeling lost, aimless, trapped. Clueless about where he was and where he was going. Flailing about, struggling to climb out of what seemed like a steep ravine. That's why he came today to hear the Teacher, hoping to regain the faith he had felt as a child, a ten-year-old child. His mind spun back to the evening of his tenth birthday. Like nearly every night, he was out on the hills with his dad or his uncles, caring for the sheep. The stars were brilliant, dancing in the black sky. But sud-denly an overpowering bright light flooded the hillside. A voice boomed out, "Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people. For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!" A savior, a rescuer -- shepherds' work. He had often wondered about the boy-child they discovered that night, lying in a manger, just as the angel had said. Toby had knelt down and worshipped the baby who bore the world's destiny upon his tiny shoulders. What had become of him, this baby? By now he must be thirty-something. Had this savior saved anyone yet? Rescued anyone? Could he rescue me from my aimless exis-tence? Toby wondered. Just then the wind caught Jesus' words and blew them Toby's direc-

tion. "I am the Good Shepherd," Je-sus was saying, "who lays down his life for the sheep. Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me," he said with warmth and joy full on his face, "for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." I wonder? thought Toby as he felt big tears begin to roll down his cheeks and into his beard. I wonder? thought Toby as joy and the certainty of God's love began to fill his heart until it seemed like he would explode. I wonder? thought Toby, if this Jesus is the little baby I saw that night, the Savior of the world? Yes, thought Toby, he must be. His words found me and, frankly, he sounds just like he's ... God's shepherd.

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“I stopped making a list. Nothing is considered naughty anymore!”

A sad. but true. commentary:

Christian Symbol The ROSE, often shown as styl-ized artwork, is a symbol for Ad-vent, the promise of the Mes-siah and Jesus’ nativity.

A white rose represents the Virgin Mary, and a red rose stands for martyrs.

A wreath of roses symbolizes heavenly joy.

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Marion United Methodist Church

112 S. College St.

Marion, Ky. 42064-1602