During dinner on Friday evening, five-year-old Mary Haisten’s halo must have slipped just a tad; and she was having a difficult time with her dinner. In less than an angelic way, she asked her mother to cut up her ham for her. Amy was trying to help her ask more politely; so she suggested that Mary Haisten might say, “Mama, would you cut up my ham for me, please?”

Mary Haisten said: “That’s too many questions,” to which Amy responded, “It is only one question” as she repeated the question. Then Mary Haisten quickly retorted, “Well, it’s too many syllables!” We counted 11 of them.

What she was trying to say, I think, was that that was too much to have to say to have her demand – oops, request – met. She wasn’t in the mood for politeness. She just wanted her ham cut up, and she didn’t want to have to say a whole lot to make it happen. Her patience had long since been depleted, and she felt she wasn’t getting her message across.

Well, whatever the reason, it seems we sometimes get impatient in getting our message across, whether it be with our children, parents, friends or co-workers. We have to use too many syllables. However, in this Christmas season, I want us to be reminded that we have a very important message to get across. Sometimes we’ll need to use a lot of syllables. More than likely we’ll need only a few. Sometimes we won’t even have to speak one syllable. It may all just be in the way we act.

In our traditional worship services this past Sunday, we used fewer syllables than usual in our Affirmation of Faith: “Christ is born! God is incarnate among us and lives and reigns with us forever. Thanks be to God. Amen.” At the conclusion of these services, we sang “Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.” It doesn’t always take a lot of words to share our faith.

I hope and pray that because we have celebrated The Birth that we are more eager than ever to tell about it wherever we are. Sometimes, often times, words are not even necessary. They may even get in the way. And politeness really is important, even when we don’t feel we are getting the message across. I don’t really think Amy was trying to “make” Mary Haisten be polite just for that moment. I believe she was using that as a teachable moment to help Mary Haisten realize the importance of politeness always. Folks are not going to pay much attention to what we say if we don’t let our actions accompany our words.

“God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn” are the concluding words of the hymn we sang. For that we give thanks. May we live those words as well as speak them.

Go. Tell it. Live it!

- Jim

Each family will receive a letter with more specifics about their participation in the worship services and how to send in photographs for a “baby” slideshow. We hope and pray that you will all celebrate these wonderful gifts from God with us on this special Sunday. If you have any questions, contact Jennifer Smiddy at 689-5175.

The participants will have opportunity to share what is working in their churches, seek help for those things that are not working and receive assistance and encouragement for the ministries of their congregations. Worship will begin at 2:00, followed by your choice of two workshops. The event will be held at Middlebrook Pike UMC, 7234 Middlebrook Pike. Registration forms are available in the narthex, outside Wesley Hall and in the office.

Any money that is given toward Salt & Light in January will allow children and youth to participate in Fran’s ministries through summer camp scholarships.

Read more about Fran’s missionary work.

Wednesdays, January 7 and 14, we will be using “Shells”, a Nooma Bible study by Rob Bell, to discuss just this.  Don Hanshew will be facilitating the study.  We will meet in Wesley Hall.  All are welcome.

Also…

Come to our book discussion on The Shack, by William P. Young, facilitated by Don Hanshew, starting February 11, Wednesday nights, at 6:30.  More information to follow, but start reading today!

• Chancel Choir & Wednesday Night Children’s Groups will begin on January 7.
• Genesis and Youth Choir will begin on January 14.
• OffeRing and OffeRing II will begin on Monday, January 12, and Tuesday, January 13.

Up-to-date rehearsal schedules, upcoming anthems, and more can be found on the church website on the music ministry calendar. If you have any questions, please contact Andrew Duncan at ext. 108 or at aduncan@fountaincityumc.org.

Walking down the hallway at church I heard a variety of folks making jokes about how Christmas this year will be different. “It’s going to be a lean Christmas this year,” one said. “The older I get, the less gifts I really want anyway,” said another. “Spending time with those I love is really what I wanted anyway…guess I’ll get plenty of that this Christmas,” laughed yet another.

Really? Perhaps there is a blessing in the way our wallets have constricted and forced a more creative and intentional spirit of gifting. I am not so sure I have heard people talking openly and earnestly about how they want Christmas to be special and not focused on the gift giving or receiving. Wow, that really does turn heads!

In sharp contrast I cannot help but remember what I experienced last year following the 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service. Standing in Walgreen’s somewhere between 12 and 1 a.m. I was waiting on a called-in breathing treatment prescription for our kids. I could not help but overhear and observe some of what was erupting around me.

As I paced around the store I felt like a pinball bouncing between frantic and bleary eyed shoppers, fearless as they were snatching anything red, green and smacking of drugstore thoughtfulness. Nothing says Christmas like a bowed can of cashews and a lighted, singing, battery-operated tie!

One especially frantic procrastinator was shopping for his mother while consulting a relative(?) about the appropriateness of the gifts spilling out from under his arms. “She needs a purse right?..Big, okay…Here, here’s one with leopard print and wow, its big…wait, I think it’s a suitcase…no, well, maybe it is but do you think she will know if we just tell her it’s a big purse?”

Maybe a lean Christmas is good for us from time to time. Possibly we might refocus on why we give gifts in the first place. It is much like the Biblical concept Jubilee, where every 50 years the land is to lay fallow, a compulsory return of all property to original owners or heirs is extended, and slaves are to be set free to return home. Jubilee is a time of setting things right, even-ing the playing field, helping preserve the community and avoiding class systems that would make some servants for generations to come. Jubilee is a “market correction,” if you will, to help restore the focus of the people upon the essential and core beauty of life: relationships between each other and God.

It probably sounds too cheap to call this Christmas a lean Christmas, and it is definitely not fashionable to call it a frugal Christmas, but what about an essential Christmas? What if this Christmas we make it an essential Christmas, noisy with the chatter of answers to questions like “Tell me about the time you…” “What are you hoping for in 2009?” “If you could spend time with anyone in the world right now, who would it be?” Perhaps the answers to the last question, and the others, will help us discover that those things most important to us are people and faith. Time growing into each of these brings a gift that gets back to the real meaning of Christmas. Who needs a silent night anyhow?

- Don

A prelude in music at 4:30 p.m. will begin our worship opportunities for Christmas Eve. The 5:00 service will incorporate our traditional “impromptu Nativity” and Holy Communion. Families with young children will especially enjoy this service. If your child would like to be a part of this service, please come to the narthex by 4:30 so he/she can choose a costume.

Stephanie Wayland, organist, and Leslie Graves, pianist, will offer a prelude at 10:30 p.m., just prior to the 11:00 service, which will include Holy Communion and conclude with the traditional candle-lighting ceremony. With soft candlelight, traditional carols and sharing in the Lord’s Supper, we join together in welcoming the Son of God into our midst.

A special Christmas offering will be received at both services. This offering will go to support the Fountain City Ministry Center, which offers food and clothing to families in need of these items in our community. Our church is one of ten churches that participate in this benevolent ministry.

The Chorale was initially organized in 1996 as an opportunity for choral singing for folks who were either unable to participate in Chancel Choir or for those who wished additional opportunities for ministry in settings other than worship services.  Since its inception the Chorale has sung in nursing homes, hospitals, for the Knoxville Nativity Pageant, the Fantasy of Trees, Annual Conference, senior citizens groups, and for special programs at the church.

Sunday’s program will feature a variety of Christmas music, including some Chorale favorites from previous years.  Come and be with us for another opportunity to enjoy the beautiful music of Christmas.

Personal note from Sonny Melton:  

This will be the final program for the Chorale.  Since August of this year I have been serving as interim director of music for Middlebrook Pike UMC.  In the words of the hymnwriter “God moves in mysterious ways” and beginning January 1, I will go on staff at MPUMC as director of traditional music and worship.

I want to thank the staff here at FCUMC for allowing me the privilege of directing the Chorale for the past year and a half.  Special thanks to Andrew Duncan not only for his enthusiastic support but also for his active participation in the group, and to Leslie Graves, who has given so generously of her time as accompanist.  Thanks to all who have participated as singers.  We have had a good time together and I will miss them.  Please remember us in your prayers as we move to a new challenge and opportunities for service.

Everyone who serves our children and youth must be Safe Sanctuary trained and complete a background check prior to serving. If you would like to serve our children and youth and have not received Safe Sanctuary training, please attend the training on Sunday, January 4, at 5:00 in Room 137. Please bring addresses and phone numbers for three references. The training takes about an hour and childcare is provided. If you have any questions contact Jennifer Smiddy at 689-5175 ext. 115.

Youth Group Christmas Party
Sunday, December 21, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Bring a gift under $5 and a school supply item for General Wood Boys and Girls club of Chicago.

Youth Parents Meeting
Sunday, January 4, 6:00 p.m. in Wesley Hall
$5 discount if you turn in your youth’s Resurrection registration and money at the parent meeting.  There will also be notaries available to notarize 2009 Medical Release forms. New medical forms are located next to the youth bulletin board and here for download.

Resurrection ’09
$60 Registrations due January 4
High School weekend January 16-18
Middle School weekend January 23-25

Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed is a six session, seven-week video study of the life of David. Priscilla Shirer leads the first part, Beth Moore the second and Kay Arthur the last portion.

We will begin on January 26, 2009 at 9:30. Call the church office to register so that the correct number of workbooks may be ordered. If you have questions, call Carol Sewell.

We need volunteers to bake cookies and bring them to the 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service. Cookies can be delivered to the table underneath the bulletin board in the main hallway below the office. Volunteers are also needed to deliver them after the service.

Contact Melissa Smith @ 689-5175 or Donna Daller for more information or to volunteer to deliver cookies.

Honor this special baby by bringing a baby item (diapers, wipes, clothes, toiletries, pacifiers) to be donated to the Hope Resource Center.