NICK BRESSAN CASSY GOOD JEAN ANN MILLER BECKY …files.sj-r.com/media/news/12162014LCchurchtab.pdf · 4 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014 THE COURIER / PRAYER & WORSHIP Lincoln, Illinois

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Nativity scene by Cornelius de Vos, Antwerp, Belgium. ISTOCK

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INDEXD. Troy Pruitt, Ph.D ............................................2Ron Otto..............................................................3Dr. Gary Davis ....................................................4Pr. David Ramires ..............................................6Creative Ways to Celebrate Chanuka ..............8

Celebrate with Religios Sights and Sounds ....9Tradition of Three Kings Day ..........................10Holly and Mistletoe are Symbolsof Christmas ......................................................11

While preparing a series oflessons on John's Vision fora Sunday school class at

Jefferson Street Christian Church Iwill teach in early 2015, I began toreflect on chapter 12 in the book ofRevelation. Just after the seventhtrumpet sounded announcing thekingdom of Christ, a woman, thechild, and a fiery red dragon areintroduced. This great sign remindsthe reader about the birth of Jesus,also called Messiah, Wonder,Counselor, Mighty God, EverlastingFather, Prince of Peace, Immanuel(God with us).

John adds some information whichis not available in the birth narrativesfound in the Gospels. In verse 4 Johnrelates that "the dragon stood beforethe woman who was ready to givebirth, to devour her Child as soon asit was born." Satan or Lucifer,depicted as the dragon, feared thebirth of Jesus because he and hisdemon angels knew of their future:

"And the devil that deceived themwas cast into the lake of fire andbrimstone, where are also the beastand the falseprophet; and theyshall be tormentedday and night forever and ever" (Rev.20:10).

Pondering overthis chapter onemay envision agreat war betweenangel armies, thoseof God and Michaelagainst those ofSatan/Lucifer.Finally, Lucifer wascast down to earthonly to pursue, per-secute, and waragainst those "whokeep the command-ments of God andhave the testimony of Jesus Christ."

One may wonder if Lucifer was

actively involved placing doubt inJoseph's mind when he learned thatMary was with child because he "had

in mind to divorceher quietly." (Mt1:19) The journeyfrom Nazareth inGalilee toBethlehem was oversixty miles, whatcould Lucifer haddone to interceptthe travelers orcause a miscarriageto the walking/rid-ing mother?Because of thedecree demanding acensus, the familyhad to return toBethlehem whereno rooms wereavailable. Was thispart of Lucifer's

plan? That the baby was born in amanger? How many other opportu-

nities did Lucifer have to prevent thebirth of Jesus? Even after the birthof Jesus, one may see Lucifer's handin King Herod's plan to kill the child.

Later, at the end of John theBaptist's ministry and the beginningof Christ's public ministry, Matthew,Mark, and Luke record the tempta-tion of Christ in the desert. Lukeends his discourse with: "When thedevil had finished all this tempting,he left him [Jesus] until an oppor-tune time."

Satan probably thought he wonnearly three years later when Jesuswas crucified by the Romans. ButNO! Christ rose on the third day,conquering death, sin, and the greatdeceiver.

We should have all the players atthe nativity scene to remind us whata great victory we celebrate becauseof the birth of Jesus, the Christ.

D. Troy Pruitt, Ph. D.Jefferson Street Christian Church

Is There a Dragon in Your Nativity Scene?

D. Troy Pruitt, PhD.

Lincoln, Illinois THE COURIER / PRAYER & WORSHIP SSAATTUURRDDAAYY,, DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 1133,, 22001144

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Buckle up…this will not be youraverage Christmas preacher article,but stay with me.

One of my all-timefavorite cartoonists isGary Larson of Far Sidecomics. Who doesn'tenjoy the Far Side oflife? WheneverChristmas rolls around, Ialways remember theFar Side cartoon depict-ing Santa Claus sitting ata typewriter poundingout his "Nine Ways toServe Venison." Get it?Santa is close friendswith nine reindeer. Come on! That'sfunny!

Why do I enjoy it so much? First, I

am a deer hunter. (Sorry PETA!) I eatvenison, and I decorate my man cave

with antlers. (I told youthis would be odd forChristmas.) I love seeingdeer. I love hunting deer. Ilove eating venison jerkyand venison summersausage and venisonhunter sticks and venisonchili. When the familyrequests that I bring a dishto pass during the holidaygatherings, I take venison,and I'm always applaudedfor it.

All right! Now back tospiritual things. What does all thisvenison talk have to do withChristmas?

Did you know God also mentions deerin His Bible? It's found in Psalm 42:1, "Asthe deer pants for streams of water, so mysoul pants for You, my God."

Something God knew about us,before we even knew about Him, wasthat deep down in us, we have ahunger, a desire, a thirstif you will, for God.Whether you're willingto admit it or not, just asa deer pants for waterwhen it is extremelythirsty and dry (and Ihave witnessed this), so,too, our inner most beingis thirsting for God.

Maybe you've beentold that isn't the case orthat there really isn't aGod. Hogwash! Rubbish! Malarkey!That's not true! If God said you'rethirsting for Him…then I believe we'rethirsting for Him. Period!

Where did this thirst come from?

God put it there! He placed in eachand every one of us a thirst that onlyHe could quench. He put it there so wewould one day seek Him out. You cango through life ignoring it. You can tryto deny it. You can attempt to fill thethirst by other means. But in the end,

you will still hunger andthirst for God.Christmas is for many atime when they reopentheir heart to God again.How? It begins withembracing who Jesus is."The virgin will conceiveand give birth to a son,and they will call HimImmanuel" whichmeans "God with us"(Matthew 1:23).

Maybe it's time to give in to the innerthirst.

Ron OttoLincoln Christian Church

Christmas Venison

Ron Otto

“As the deerpants forstreams ofwater, so mysoul pants forYou, my God.”

— Psalm 42:1

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Igrew up in the 1950s reading O.Henry's "Gift of the Magi" butsomehow I missed "The Tablecloth."

Fortunately a friend sent me the 1954Reader's Digest story a few days ago. Itis a tale of a young pastor whose churchsuffered severe plaster damage behindthe pulpit. Worse yet, the disasteroccurred only two days beforeChristmas.

Fortunately, when the pastor attendeda charity auction the next day he wasable to buy a beautiful, handmade lacetablecloth that was just a little largerthan the hole in his church's wall. Hecarried the tablecloth back to thechurch and used it to cover the ruinedplaster.

Later the same afternoon, the pastor

came across an older woman shiveringat a bus stop. He invited her into thechurch to stay warm until her bus wasscheduled to arrive. Upon entering thechurch the woman immediately fixedher eyes on the tablecloth. She walkedto it and lifted one of its corners. "Thisis my banquet cloth!" she exclaimed."My husband had it made for me inBrussels, and here are my initialsembroidered in the corner. There can-not be another one like it."

For the next few minutes the pastorlistened to the woman excitedly tell herstory. Upon the Nazi invasion of Viennain 1938, the Jewish woman and herhusband decided to flee to Switzerland.The woman had immediately departedfor Austria while her husband stayed

behind to arrange for their householdgoods to be moved to Geneva. He nevermade it. He was arrested by the S.S. andsent to a concentration camp inGermany. Sadly, they were never reunit-ed. The pastor consoled the woman andoffered to give her the cloth but sherefused. However, she did agree to allowthe pastor to drive her to her homeacross town.

After returning to the church, the pas-tor led the Christmas Eve service. Thetablecloth virtually glowed as candlelight bathed it during worship.Everyone noticed its beauty. Standingby the door as the congregation filed outof the church, the pastor noted astrange expression in the eyes of an eld-erly member of the congregation. "It is

strange," the man said in a soft,Germanic accent. "Many years ago mywife - God rest her - and I owned such acloth. In our home in Vienna, my wifeput it on the table but only when guestscame to dinner."

"Could it be?" wondered the pastor.Then they started for the old woman'shouse. And as Christmas Day was born,the couple that had been separated solong were reunited.

Christmas can be a lonely time whenwe are separated from our loved ones.But the legend of the tablecloth remindsus that remarkable reunions are possi-ble.

Dr. Gary DavisFirst Presbyterian Church, Lincoln

Remarkable Reunions Are Possible

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Christmas revolves around rejoic-ing: joy at the thought and expec-tation of spending time with

loved ones, joy over celebration andgift-giving, and rejoicing with friendsand family in comfortable and relaxedways.

But Christmas can also be hard.Christmas memories, so often expectedto be blissful and sweet, can be very bit-tersweet for many. The thought ofspending time with loved ones bringsforth the pain of knowing that your hus-band is dead, your child is a thousandmiles away, your former best friend andyou have not yet buried the hatchet, andthat elder loved ones are no longer withyou. The Christmas gatherings youremember from the past will not be theones you go to this year.

Celebrations and gifts also often

tempt us to wistfully desire what hasnot been given to us-to long for whatcould be and to become dissatisfiedwith what has been provided for us.Mankind's nature, being what it is, iseasily led away from contentmenttowards greed.

The holidays can thus become veryuncomfortable and the opposite ofrelaxing. They can become a time whenwe fear to feel the sharp reminder ofloss and tragedy or be tempted to longfor gifts that have not been given.

So what is one to do about this?Pretend the holidays aren't happening?Struggle through glumly? Give intodespair or desire?

No, the only thing is to face reality,the reality of the season of Christmas.Hear again, or for the first time, whatgreat gift you have been given. See that

your true desire for comfort and joy andcelebration has indeed been fulfilled.

The Lord, the heavenly Father, hasgiven you His own dearly beloved Son,who is God of God, Light of Light, veryGod of God. The joy of the season ofChristmas is celebrating that GodHimself took on flesh for you. And bytaking on flesh, becoming true man, Hecould live and die for you and be raisedfor your salvation.

Jesus has already won for you thegreatest of all gifts, the gift of the for-giveness of sins and life everlasting.This is a gift that death cannot rob fromyou. It is the only thing that can trulysatisfy the desire of your heart. Andthough this world has heartache andpain, our Lord is the Curer of Souls. Joyin Christ is a joy that pain or sorrow cansteal. So prepare Him room in yourheart. Celebrate, rejoice, and find peacewith the eternal family of God-HisChurch. And do not be too proud orbusy to come on Christmas to sing withall of heaven and nature at the outpour-

ing of God's love in Jesus Christ.Joy to the world, The Lord is come!

Pr. David RamirezZion Lutheran Church

Christmas Can Be Hard

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BY METRO NEWS SERVICE

Many jokes have been shared aboutthe complexity of growing upJewish surrounded by Christian

friends and the overwhelming influence ofChristmas come the month of December.Seemingly everywhere you look buildings,stores and homes are decked out in lightsand decorations. But Christmas celebrantsare not the only ones with reason to be fes-tive this time of year, when Chanukah isalso cause for celebration.

Perhaps due to its proximity toThanksgiving and Christmas, Chanukahtends to be the most widely celebratedJewish holiday in America. Even though itis officially listed as a minor holiday,Chanukah is important to families acrossthe globe. In fact, because the basis of

Chanukah is rededication to the faith, itvery well may be an instrumental celebra-tion for families who may need to findtheir way back to the roots of their beliefs.

Chanukah celebrations maynot feature lavishly decoratedtrees or scores of celebrantsbelting out carols, but it bearssignificance for the thousandsof people who celebrate eachyear. While Chanukah issteeped in tradition, the fol-lowing are a handful of waysyou can add a creative spin toyour family's festivities this year.

■ Light: One of the major tenets ofChanukah is how light can shine and leada person through dark periods. This istypically exemplified by the lighting ofthe menorah, which is prominently

placed in windows or other visible areas ofcelebrants' homes. This Chanukah spendtime with someone who may be dealing

with an illness or the loss of a lovedone. You may be the light that

inspires this person each day.Give candles to friends and

family members to symbolizethe light that will shine in thefuture.

■ Oil: Another componentof Chanukah celebrations isthe focus on how a one-day

supply of oil somehow lastedeight days during the rededica-

tion of the temple's menorah. Manyways to include oil in celebrations exist.

Some people like to get creative in thekitchen, serving fried foods anddesserts. Think about giving gifts of

oil, such as fragrant essential oils that canbe used in potpourri or in the bath orshower. Working alongside their parents,children can see how a wick drenched inoil can serve as an efficient lighting sourceand decorate the home with these home-made oil lamps.

■ Twenty-five: Bring attention to thenumber 25, which is significant when cele-brating Chanukah. The word Chanukahcan be divided into two: Chanu, meaning"they rested," and Kah, which is thenumerical value of 25. On the 25th day ofthe Hebrew month of Kislev, theMaccabees rested from their battle withthe Greeks and triumphantly marched intothe Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Make 25 apart of celebrations by inviting 25 people tocelebrate with you or ask children to makemurals with 25 different adornments.

Creative Ways to Celebrate Chanukah


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In many ways, secular celebrationsgarner more attention than religiousgatherings during the holiday sea-

son. But all it takes is a little digging tofind religious services to fill our calen-dars come the month of December.

LIVING NATIVITYArea houses of worship and commu-

nity centers may produce their ownLiving Nativity performances.Costumed volunteers and actors presentthe story of Christ's birth and the goodnews that followed. This can be an espe-cially exciting experience for childrenand may also be a creative way to rein-force religious beliefs, especially to chil-dren who may have difficulty otherwiserelating to written text.

CHRISTMAS PAGEANTSIn some areas, children play integral

roles in recreating the story ofChristmas. Private Catholic schools mayoffer performances of Christmas pag-eants that explain the Nativity andother events leading up to the birth ofChrist. Parents and extended membersof the family can enjoy a religious expe-rience while also sharing praise for theiryoungest performers.

VOLUNTEER EFFORTSHouses of worship may organize

clothing drives, holiday meals, toy dona-tion collections, and many other com-munity events this time of year.Volunteer to lend a hand at such events,which can help to remind you that theholiday season is one of giving.

COMMUNITY CANDLE LIGHTINGJewish celebrants may participate in a

community-sponsored hanukkiyah(Chanukah menorah) lighting ceremony.Although candles or oil is traditionallyburned for Chanukah, many public placesuse an electric system for safety and con-venience. The lighting has a schedulebased on tradition and ritual. A Chanukahcandle lighting service can bring the reli-gious experience alive for many involved.

CAROLINGChristmas caroling, which likely

evolved from the British tradition ofwassailing, has largely fallen out offavor. However, many close-knit townsand communities still include carolingamong their traditions. Caroling can bea great way to spread holiday sharecheer.

Celebrate with Religious Sights and Sounds

METRO NEWS SERVICE


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Christmas celebrants realize thatthe holiday season does not endon December 26 or even January

2. For many people, Christmas and NewYear's Eve are merely a prelude to thereal celebration to come on Three KingsDay.

Three Kings Day, or Día de los TrèsReyes, is celebrated on January 6 tohonor the wise men who visited andbrought gifts to Jesus Christ. Alsoknown as the Epiphany, the holidaymarks the end of the Christmas seasonfor many practicing Christians.

Very little is known about the kings,or magi. These kings, who are onlymentioned once in the Gospel ofMatthew, are never named. The storysays they hail from the "east" and areguided to the manger by a mysteriouslight in the sky. They begin a journey to

bring gold, frankincense and myrrh tothe newborn king. Unbeknownst tomany, the popular song "The 12 Days ofChristmas" actually marks the 12 daysfollowing Christmas, ending on theFeast of the Epiphany, and not the 12days preceding Christmas Day.

Many traditions are associated withthe Epiphany. Celebrants in Mexicoserve Rosca de Reyes, an oval-shapedcake that symbolizes a crown. The cakehas a small doll inside that representsbaby Jesus and the hiding of Jesus fromKing Herod's troops. Herod ordered hissoldiers to seek out and murder all maleinfants born in Bethlehem in retaliationof the prophecy that a messiah wouldcome and become the new King ofJerusalem.

Roscas can be made with dried andcandied fruits to symbolize the jewelsthat adorn real crowns. Whoever

receives the plastic doll in his or herslice of cake is expected to throw a partyon Diá de la Candelaria (CandlemasDay), which occurs each year onFebruary 2.

Unlike in the United States, wheregifts are typically exchanged onChristmas Day, much of the Latin com-munity exchange gifts on the eve ofJanuary 6. Puerto Rican children havebeen known to gather grass or straw inshoeboxes for the kings' horses orcamels. Some families display carvingsand artwork of the three magi atopcamels.

Many celebrants participate in ThreeKings Day parades and festivals. Familygatherings and parties that would rivalother special holidays are common aswell. A special meal consisting of corntamales and hot chocolate may beserved, while others may enjoy blackbeans, picadillo and yucca.

Traditions of Three Kings Day

METRO NEWS SERVICE

WHO WERE THE KINGS?

While the Bible does not indicatehow many kings visited Jesus on theEpiphany, based on the number ofgifts offered, historians believe therewere three. Historians and theolo-gians believe these kings wereBabylonians, Persians or Jews fromYemen. In the Western Christianchurch, the kings go by the names ofMelchior (a Persian scholar), Caspar(an Indian scholar) and Balthazar (anArabian scholar). The kings also weresaid to have distinct physical charac-teristics. Caspar, who brought the giftof gold, was the oldest and sported along, white beard. Middle-agedMelchior brought the gift of frankin-cense, while Balthazar, who broughtmyrrh, is believed to have been adark-skinned young man around theage of 20.


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"Oh, by gosh, by golly it's time formistletoe and holly. Tastypheasants, Christmas presents,

countrysides covered in snow." As exemplified by this holiday hit by

Henry Sanicola, Frank Sinatra and DokStanford, holly and mistletoe are an inte-gral part of holiday imagery and tradition.Holly is used to adorn a home in green andred finery alongside evergreen boughs andwreaths. In addition, it has become cus-tomary to hang a bouquet of mistletoeunder which people are encouraged toshare a holiday kiss. While these elementsof celebrations are now incorporated intomany of the secular and religious compo-nents of Christmas, they have very differ-ent origins.

HOLLYHolly has been used since the days of

the early Pagans as a decoration for mid-winter festivities, when it was broughtinto homes to keep evil spirits away. Theancient Romans also believed that hollyprickles drove away evil spirits, and itheld a place of honor at December festi-vals dedicated to the god Saturn. Toavoid persecution during the Romanpagan Saturnalia festival, earlyChristians would participate in the tra-dition of hanging evil-repelling holly ontheir homes to appear like the masses.Eventually as the number of Christiansgrew, the tradition became less of apagan one and more associated withChristians and Christmas. Some peoplehave inferred that holly and its pricklyedges is symbolic of the crown of thorns

Jesus wore at his crucifixion, with thered berries representing blood.

MISTLETOEMistletoe was once held sacred by the

Norse, Celtic Druids and NorthAmerican Indians. It is actually a para-sitic plant that grows on a wide range ofhost trees. Heavy infestation can dwarfthe growth and kill these trees. In cul-tures across pre-Christian Europe,mistletoe was seen as a representation ofdivine male essence (and thus romance,fertility and vitality). The plant also wasthought to be a symbol of peace, andanyone standing below it should receivetokens of affection. When enemies metbeneath mistletoe, they had to lay downtheir weapons and observe a truce untilthe next day. This is how the tradition of

kissing under the mistletoe likely began,and why a ball of mistletoe is now hungin homes during Christmas, a season ofpeace and affection.

Homeowners who hang mistletoe andholly around their homes during the hol-iday season should be mindful of petsand youngsters around the plants.Mistletoe and holly are considered to bemoderately to severely toxic, and ingest-ing the leaves could be dangerous.Therefore, keep these plants away fromcurious hands. Mistletoe is commonlyhung up high, which should make it lessproblematic, but holly should be hunghigh as well.

Now largely associated with Christmascelebrations, holly and mistletoe wereonce part of pagan rituals and ancientsuperstitions.

Holly and Mistletoe are Symbols of Christmas

METRO NEWS SERVICE

Documents

NICK BRESSAN CASSY GOOD JEAN ANN MILLER BECKY …files.sj-r.com/media/news/12162014LCchurchtab.pdf · 4 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014 THE COURIER / PRAYER & WORSHIP Lincoln, Illinois