A Worthy New Years Resolution

The following “Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition” is found as number 607 in The United Methodist Hymnal. (I’ve updated the language somewhat, for example, using your for thine, you for thou, will for wilt, etc.)

"I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for you or laid aside for you,
exalted for you or brought low by you.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to you pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are mine, and I am yours. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen."

This prayer had its beginnings in a 1755 Covenant Renewal Service. The early Methodist often held Covenant Renewal Services on New Year’s Eve. If you’re like me, casting around for a New Year’s resolution, this prayer might be a good place to start. It reminds us that we are not our own, we are God’s, all our time, abilities, and wealth ultimately belong to God. Being willing to go where God sends us, to do or to suffer what God asks of us; to be used or left fallow depending upon the needs of God’s kingdom; to be exalted or brought low for the common good; to willingly be full or empty; to have all things or to be content with nothing (except God); to freely and heartily give all that we have over to God;’ these are the marks of greatness in the Kingdom of God. And to be great in the Kingdom of God is a truly worthy New Year’s resolution.

Christmas Eve Offering

Folks gave generously Christmas Eve for a total of 1303.04. This will be split three ways between Genesis, The Salvation Army, and our church's own community emergency assistance fund.

Out of Town, Still Available

Jenny, Elizabeth, and I are out of town visiting family this week. But we're still available. We're keeping in touch with Linda at the office and the church's telephone answering service.

The First Step of the Staircase

'Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

—Martin Luther King Jr. via Sojourners

Cookies for Christmas Eve

We're trying to have cookies after the Christmas Eve service at 7:00 p.m. Any volunteers?

Christmas Baskets

We'll be putting Christmas baskets together today at 5:00 p.m. at the church.

Open House Successful

Thanks to all the folks who came and helped make the parsonage open house a success. We had a great time.

Christmas Baskets

From Pam Jones:

"We have adopted 25 families to share our blessings with this Christmas season. The baskets will contain non-perishable food items and we will give the families a voucher from Save-A-Lot for perishable items.

I'm sure you are asking yourself, what can I do to help? Well, of course, we need food items and if it would be easier for you; donate money instead and we will do the shopping for you.

We also need volunteers to help prepare the baskets Monday evening, December 18, 2006 (starting at 5:00 p.m.) and help when the baskets are picked up from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, December 20, 2006."

We need: cans of chili, crackers, stuffing, broth, mixes, peanut butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin, jiffy mix, noodles, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, tuna helper, tuna, cans of icing, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, cranberry sauce, toilet paper and oats.

Only light can drive out darkness

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."

— Martin Luther King Jr. via Sojourners

Amen and Amen.

"The Nativity Story" Movie

We have tickets to a Saturday afternoon showing of "The Nativity Story" movie. The vision team is buying the tickets, we would like this to be an event for the entire church community. The showing is at 3:00 p.m. this coming Saturday (December 16, 2006) at the Coffeyville Family Theater. After the movie, everyone is invited (but not required to go) back to the church for discussion. I'm told the theater seats 135. Call (620-251-3240) or email (johnandjenny@gmail.com) to make reservations.

Good Conversation

A lot of good conversation occurred last night at youth group as we put the new pool table together. Many thanks to Maci who stayed and worked with Allyson, Jenny, and I for four hours.

Unbelievable

Is it not almost unbelievable that the Creator, on whose freedom and power we all depend, should allow himself to be bound, and to lie in helpless weakness in the straw?

—John Stott via Sojourners

New Chocolates

The Mission Committee's UMCOR Coffee Project has expanded it's selection of Chocolate Bars. The following fairly traded, organic chocolate bars are now offered:
Dark Chocolate with Almonds
Mint Chocolate
Chocolate Espresso Bean
Very Dark Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
Dark Chocolate with Pure Cocoa Nibs

Parsonage Open House

A parsonage open house has been scheduled for Sunday, December 17, 2006 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. This is a come-and-go affair and dress is casual.

No Wednesday Gathering December 27

There will be no Wednesday Gathring on December 27, 2006. We'll try to remember to give reminders later.

United Methodist Global AIDS Fund

Because services were cancelled yesterday, we'll be receiving a special offering for the United Methodist Global Aids Fund this coming Sunday (December 10, 2006).

A Generous Orthodoxy

"Generosity without orthodoxy is nothing, but orthodoxy without generosity is worse than nothing."

—Hans Frei, quoted in A Generous Orthodoxy

I am quite convinced that we need a generous orthodoxy.

Hymns and Sermons for Advent

Advent is upon us. During my years in ministry my thoughts on what hymns should be sung and what sermons should be preached during Advent have shifted. I believed and still believe that Advent is important in helping Christians prepare for the Christmas holiday. We cannot fully appreciate and enjoy Christmas unless we are properly prepared. Because our society starts celebrating Christmas before Halloween, we, as a culture, are so wrung out by the time Christmas day arrives that we can only look forward to it all being over by December 26. We have no energy left to observe the twelve days of Christmas (December 25 through Epiphany (January 6)).

I used to believe that it was important to reinforce the preparatory nature of Advent by singing Advent and not Christmas hymns and preaching on Advent and not Christmas texts. More recently, I've come to recognize that regardless of what the season it is in the church's liturgical year, the season of our society at large is already Christmas. And because Christmas is already being observed by society at large, many members want to inject some aspect of their faith into the ongoing secular celebration. For that reason we're going off the lectionary this Advent season to give in-depth treatment to Luke's Christmas story and to sing as many favorite hymns as we can squeeze in.

We want to make sure that we sing everyone's favorite Christmas hymn at least once during the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany season. For that reason we'll be publishing a hymn schedule next Sunday. There are slots left for any favorite hymns we left out. Please let us know if one of your favorites needs to be added.

No Finance Committee Meeting Tomorrow

No finance committee meeting tomorrow. It's been rescheduled to next monday at 7:00 p.m.

No Services, Sunday School, or Youth Tomorrow

After careful consideration, Dave Larimore, Jenny, and I have decided to cancel worship services, Sunday school and youth tomorrow. Stay home and keep warm!

Office Closed

We closed the church office yesterday at noon. Does it go without saying that the office is also closed today?