Authentic - Christmas Cards
Let’s start by saying THANK YOU and GREAT JOB to the cast & crew of, “As Time Goes By”! I know some of you have seen the program. I know some will see it this weekend. Whatever the case, we’ve got a hit on our hands! Not only are the people of our church enjoying a great night out together and a great show, they are, in 3 Acts hearing 3 times the gospel. So far we’ve had 3 people say they would like to establish a relationship with Christ and at least 20 more say they want to know more about our church. FANTASTIC! Thanks to everyone involved. You’re time, talent and servant’s heart has benefits in eternity!
This Sunday night will be something special. Again we will share the gospel through music. We will entangle our family traditions and songs of the season with stories of faith in a way that will remind people of the real reason for the season. If you haven’t invited someone to come yet, you’re behind! This night will be a great time to share the gospel with friends and family in a way that is entertaining and enjoyable. Saturday’s rehearsal was great! Thanks to everyone who participated and to the Choir Officers; Wendi, Cindy & Lindy for getting all that great food together! You’re time, talent and servant’s heart also has benefits in eternity!
Have you received a thousand Christmas cards yet? ‘Tis the season. Sentimental to sappy, musical to mundane, serious to silly, poetic to pathetic Christmas cards are being sent by the millions all across our country. It seems that during this holiday season people fall into several categories when it comes to Christmas cards.
1. The “I don’t send Christmas cards” group. – this is me and all the other humbugs out there who are either too lazy or too concerned their sentiment will be drowned out by all the snow flakes and shining stars arriving in the mail today.
2. The “I send Christmas cards quickly and early” group. – These are the people who strut around the week after Thanksgiving because their cards are already addressed and in the mail. Never mind the fact that they don’t have any idea what the card looked like or to whom it was sent. The task is complete! That’s one more thing to be done I can check off my Christmas list. Ok…perhaps this group is more sincere than the credit I give them here…they still make us humbugs in Group 1 look bad.
3. The “I wait till the last minute” group. – These people are well intentioned, but highly involved in every Christmas tradition imaginable. They’ll be involved in every Christmas program at church and their kid’s schools. They’ll bake a thousand Christmas cookies. If they ripped open their shirt you would find a capital ‘C’ emblazoned across their chest like the ‘S’ of Superman marking them as harbingers of Christmas Tradition. They make plans for the entire extended family to be at their house on Christmas Eve, do all the shopping, wrap all the gifts and come skidding into Christmas Day after having sent the last of the Christmas Cards the day before Christmas Eve praying they arrive on time.
4. And finally, the, “I can’t just send a Christmas Card I have to write a twelve page 2006 year in review letter about the life my entire family including what’s going on with my dog, Spot, and my fish, Lucky” group. This group can be simultaneously charming and annoying. For them it’s not enough to pick out the perfect holiday sentiment and send it to a friend as a gentle reminder they are thinking of you this Christmas. They must inform you of the goings-on of their family life. Truthfully, this is charming and the cards I like the most. I like them because they’re fun to make fun of! J Ok…that’s not all. I like them because with the card the say, “I’m thinking of you this Christmas.” But with their letter I am reminded of our good times together and ways I can pray for them. I get caught up in the lives of friends I may never see throughout the year, but about whom I care deeply. This group has taken twice the time. They picked the card and then added their own special touch, one that allows old friends to reconnect and new friends to discover more than they likely would otherwise. While I enjoy making fun of these cards they are the cards I remember the most and the ones I look most forward to receiving.
Group 4 – that’s the kind of card God has sent you this Christmas. With a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger He says, “I’m thinking of you.” With 66 books He’s chronicled the happenings in the life of His family. The further you read in His letter to you the more you discover this letter is about you, for He has adopted you into His family. The child in a manger, the elder son, sacrificed for the sake of the adopted sons and daughters. The story He writes this Christmas is your story. With thoughtfulness and loving-kindness He inscribed those words onto the palms of His firstborn Son as a love letter to you this Christmas. I wonder…Will His letter to you be lost amidst all the other cards you receive? Will you make fun of it? Will you even read it? Be careful. The word you ignore, the word you set aside, the word you take for granted – this is the word that became flesh and dwelt among us. This is the elder son, the child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. This is God’s Christmas card to you.
Love y’all, God Bless,
Notes to Notice
TONIGHT’S REHEARSAL
DON’T FORGET! – We’re all hands on deck tonight at 6:30 in the
MY HOW SNOW CHANGES THINGS
A.K.A. UPDATED CHRISTMAS PLANS
“As Time Goes By” - 7:00pm, December 7th, 8th, 9th, 14th, 15th, & 16th - TICKETS are $8 and are on sale NOW in theCompass Bookstore - Reserve a table ASAP!
Sunday Night, December 17th - “Christmas | Past…Present…Eternal” with the Celebration Choir and Praise Band, Instrumental Ensemble, KICK & PreKICK Choirs!
Rehearsal 4:00pm
SERVICE 6:00pm
Wear your ‘Christmasy’ Best!
Christmas Eve Candle Light Service– Sunday Night, December 24th -
Rehearsal 4:00pm
ONLY ONE SERVICE 5:00pm
CHIC-FIL-A CHRISTMAS
Interested in singing for your food? Chic-Fil-A of Owasso has invited members of
LAND OF A THOUSAND SIGN UPS
Sign up to help tear down the stage on Saturday, December 16th
Sign up to let us know you’ll be here for the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, Sunday night, December 24th
Sign up to be a part of a group singing at Chic-Fil-A
Tonight, we need to hear from you! Don’t miss you opportunity to be involved in the all the exciting events taking place this month! For more details contact Brenda Henderson, Brenda@fbcowasso.org or 918.516.6640
For what do you pray? | For whom do you pray? To whom do you pray? | How then shall we pray?
Beginning January 2007 right here in theScore we’ll begin printing in this space that which concerns you enough to bring it before God. I could call this area Prayer and Praise. We could consider this our prayer requests section. And it will be those things—but I hope for it to be more. Let’s come together before God concerning those issues that concern each of us personally and corporately the most. Busy schedules, family & church events, physical needs, finances, family, friendship and business relationships, church matters, heart matters—let’s hear the need and petition with one voice the One capable of meeting that need, then let’s celebrate together the great things God does daily!
God is waiting. God is listening. In 2007 let’s spend deliberate time together in conversation with Him!
Order of Service
12-17-06 – FAITH, UNWRAPPED
Congregational
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
WE Three Kings
BAPTISM
Welcome
Emmanuel
Choir Special
The Thought That Counts Blues
DRAMA
Thankfulness Comes in Rings
Congregational
Go Tell It on the Mountain
Message—Dr. Roger Ferguson
Offering | Announcements
Invitation—I Will Never Be the Same Again
Announcements
Close— Go Tell It on the Mountain
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