The Tower

Each year our church provides a Christmas to one or two local families that would otherwise have none. This year our Christian Service Board will receive names from Sheridan Media with a wish list for each member of the family.

A clothesline will be strung across the back of the sanctuary and paper stockings will hang on the line. Each stocking will list a specific item from the family’s wish list. It will give the person’s age and size.

Anyone wishing to contribute to this cause is invited to take one or more stockings and fill the request. Those items should then be returned to the church no later than December 19. All gift items should be wrapped with the stocking attached to identify its contents so that it is given to the right recipient.

If you can not personally take a stocking from the line you may call the church and Bob will pick one for you.

The Gifts of Christmas

Advent Begins Sunday, December 3

Our Advent theme, The Gifts of Christmas will prepare us for the greatest gift of Christmas – the one wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Each Sunday through Advent, you will be given a small gift when you attend church. Each gift symbolizes one of God’s precious gifts.

An Advent calendar will be given on the first Sunday of Advent. It presents a suggestion for each day of Advent to help you prepare for Christmas. Rev. Miller’s sermon for that morning, Gifts are for Giving, introduces the Advent theme. The Advent calendar offers many ways of giving. We are blessed to be able to give. The gift of Holy Communion will also be part of that morning’s worship service.

The theme for the second Sunday of Advent is The Gift of Silence. Worshipers will receive a small candle which may serve as a focus for silent meditation. It is in silence that the still, small voice of God is heard. It was in the silence of a star-filled night that the birth of Christ was announced.

The Gift of Tenderness will be symbolized by an ornamental angel on the third Sunday of Advent. As God’s messengers, angels reflect the tenderness of God’s grace. Our Sunday school children will make these angels that can be hung on your Christmas tree.

Those who attend church on the fourth Sunday of Advent, which is the morning of Christmas Eve, will receive a gold medal. Like the medal that the Wizard of Oz gave to the timid lion, this medal symbolizes courage. When the shepherds were told not to fear they were given the gift of courage.

No symbols will be given at our Christmas Eve Carols and Candlelight Service. On that special night we receive the real thing – the gift of Jesus Christ. His presence is greater than all the other Christmas presents.

The Worship Board has planned to make this Advent season of worship especially meaningful and the weekly gifts are reminders of the lesson from each week.

The Pastor's Pasture

Where Bob's mind grazes

The Christmas Sprint

November 28,’06: At this time of year it seems I’m always ahead of myself trying to catch up. Advent doesn’t begin till next Sunday but I am already trying to write something Christmassy. Next month’s newsletter will come out on the fifth day of Christmas but, by then, I’ll be trying to write

something New Yearsy. I have to think in the future while trying to live in

the present. I get ahead of myself.

I have a very strict rule that prohibits any attention being given to Christmas until the first Sunday of Advent. No decorations, no Christmas music, no shopping: certainly no parties. That first Sunday of Advent is like a starting gun to set off a full sprint toward Christmas. Hold nothing back. Give it all you’ve got and receive the reward of Christmas’ deep blessings. So it was that on Thanksgiving Day I shamelessly cut the Christmas tree that Diana had picked out months ago. We set it up on Friday and decorated it on Saturday. On Sunday evening, with Christmas music filling the room, we entertained neighbors in the festive comfort of our Christmas décor.

Do remember when you were little, trying to run as fast as you could? The faster you would run the farther forward you would lean. Your feet had to catch up to your body. Full speed ahead. Hold nothing back. But, if you leaned too far forward you fell on your face. Eventually you learned not to get ahead of yourself. Most aspects of maturity require practicing some kind of balancing act.

Maybe I should give up my patient waiting for the Christmas starting gun. Maybe a false start is permissible. After all, wasn’t Jesus way ahead of himself? Not just spiritually precocious but “in the beginning with God.” The Bible suggests that he lived before he was born. He also died before he was finished living. Then, after reaching that finish line he took a victory lap that continues into all of the tomorrows. He is “the same yesterday, today and forever.” He is the “alpha and the omega, who is and who was and who is to come.” He is “the first and the last and the living one.” Jesus is so far ahead of himself that (to stretch the track analogy to the ridiculous) he is about to lap himself because he is also behind himself.

Ebenezer Scrooge witnessed Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas yet to come all in one Christmas Eve. Maybe the real lesson of Christmas is to learn to live to the fullest in the present moment. The present moment is where all of the past is joined to all of the future. With enough practice we can learn to balance the past and the future. At that point we live at full speed and that is a light-speed in which all time merges into now. There we can never get ahead of our self or fall behind. All time is now and it is Christmas.

“In him was life and the life was the light of all people.”

God bless you,

Worship Schedule for December

The Gifts of Christmas

Sunday, December 3 First Sunday in Advent, Holy Communion, the Candle of Hope

Scriptures: Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36

Sermon: Gifts are For Giving Hanging of the Greens after church

Sunday, December 10 Second Sunday in Advent, the Candle of Joy

Scriptures: Malachi 3:1-4; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6

Sermon: The gift of Silence

Sunday, December 17, Third Sunday in Advent, the Candle of Peace

Scriptures: Isaiah 12:2-6: Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18

Sermon: The gift of Tenderness

Sunday, December 24, Fourth Sunday in Advent, the Candle of Love

Scriptures: Micah 5:2-5a; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-55

Sermon: The Gift of courage

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, Carols and Candles, the Christ Candle

Scriptures: Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20

Sermon: The Gift of fulfillment

Sunday, December 31

Scriptures: 1 Samuel 2:18-20,26; Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 2:41-52

Sermon: Dressed for the Dance

Would you like to provide altar flowers for any special occasion or just because…? Tell Bob so he can put it on the schedule.

Activities Schedule for December

Monday, December 4 at 1:00 p.m. Caregivers’ Support Group

Tuesday, December 4 at 1:30 p.m. Ministerial Association meeting at our church

Friday and Saturday, December 15-16 Rev. Miller attends Wyoming Association of Churches board meeting in Thermopolis.

Thursday, December 21 at 7:00 p.m. Church Council Meeting

Every Monday at 6:30 p.m. Choir practice

Every Tuesday at noon – Bible Study

Wednesdays at noon in Bob’s office – Book Study

2^nd and 4^th Thursday at 3:00 p.m. Mental Illness Support Group

Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 7:30 p.m. Alcoholics Anonymous

Every Wednesday 7:00 p.m. Sexual Addicts Support Group

December Birthdays

4 Gene Gligorea 16 Ashley Weisz 23 Dick Henderson

5 Spencer Morris 17 Elmer Moody 28 Kailey Mortenson

Aaron Weisz

No December Anniversaries

Special OCWM, 8^th Day Offering Our congregation contributed $550.00 to Our

Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM) during a special offering on Sunday, November 5. OCWM used to be a line item in our church budget but it was removed this year. To make up that loss, the congregation pledged to make four special OCWM collections during the year. This offering coincided with a special 8^th Day campaign from the Conference Office. An additional $50.00 was contributed to The 8^th Day.

Brock and Jennifer May Baptized

Brock and Jennifer May, son and daughter of Joe May, were baptized in a private ceremony on Friday, November 24. Brock, who attends the University of Wyoming and Jennifer, who works locally at RENEW, requested to be immersed for their baptism. As our church has no facility for immersion and it is way too late in the year for immersion in a lake or stream, the service was held in the baptistery at First Christian Church. Brock and Jennifer each made personal statements regarding their decision for baptism. The service was attended by family and close friends. Jennifer is a member here and Brock has been regularly attending a church in Laramie.

Thanksgiving Feast Well Attended

More than 40 church members and friends enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner after church on Sunday, November 19. Entertainment was provided by Marvin Fritz who played a medley of “old favorites.” The Fellowship Board made all the arrangements and preparations for this great party. Ray Pruett cooked the turkey and everyone brought a contribution for the potluck. Many people remained afterward to help with cleanup. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Christmas Caroling Party

We are going Christmas caroling. Meet at the church at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 9. We will visit and sing to our shut-in friends. We will return to the church at 6:00 for a chili supper and a Christmas treasure hunt with prizes for the children. Your are welcome to the chili supper even if you don’t join us for the caroling. Caroling is a great holiday tradition. Bring your friends.

Greater Gift Sale Raises $1,989

Our Christian Service Board held its third Greater Gift sale of the year. They rented a table at the Heritage Towers Bazaar where the items from SERV International were sold. They made $766.85, which combined with the profits from the two previous sales raised the total to $1,989.00. The church keeps 10% and the remainder is returned to the artisans in third world countries who make the products.

Miller Journal Raises $1,500

Rev. Bob Miller’s journal of his and Diana’s experience at Paint Rock Falls has raised over $1,500 for Search and Rescue. The journal, 68 Hours is still available at the church office or at The Book Shop on Main Street for $10.00 with all profits being donated to Search and Rescue. Bob has sent $500 checks to Big Horn, Sheridan and Washakie County sheriffs to support the work of their Search and Rescue teams.

* Imagine yourself as each of the various characters in the Christmas story: Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth, a shepherd, a wise man, the inn keeper, etc.

Is it disrespectful to X out Christ is the abbreviation for Christmas? In the Greek alphabet of the New Testament, X is the letter Chi. Chi is the first letter in the Greek word Christos meaning Christ. In first century copies of the Gospels X was often used in place of the name Christ. X has also been used as a symbol for the cross. So “X” is at the senter of our celebration of the babe born in Bethlehem who died on a cross for us.

St. Nicholas was a third century bishop of Myra in Asia Minor. He was a real flesh and blood Christmas gentleman who rooted his concept of giving in God’s grace. His style was imitative of Jesus: give without identifying yourself, without seeking repayment, and give to those truly in need.