DECEMBER 9TH TO DECEMBER 15TH
REMINDERS —
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5TH —
• ADAIR UMW CHRISTMAS PARTY AT NOON
IN ADAIR U.M.C.
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DECEMBER 7, 1941 —
JAPANESE ATTACK PEARL HARBOR.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8TH AND
DECEMBER 15 • CHRISTMAS MALL •
††† ADVENT STUDY ††† IN ADAIR U.M.C.
• WORSHIP AT 6:30
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SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR C
AC HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR WILL SING TODAY
AT BOTH CHURCHES DURING WORSHIP
SCRIPTURE READINGS
MALACHI 3:1-4
† (AMPLIFIED BIBLE)
A century or more after the restoration of the
city and the temple in Jerusalem, the word of
the Lord through the prophet declares the
coming of "my messenger" (Malachi, in Hebrew)
who would radically purify the temple
priesthood.
prepare the way before Me. And the Lord
[the Messiah], Whom you seek, will suddenly
come to His temple; the Messenger or Angel of
the covenant, Whom you desire, behold, He shall
come, says the Lord of hosts.
2 But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears? For He is
like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap;
3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and
He will purify the priests, the sons of Levi, and
refine them like gold and silver, that they may
offer to the Lord offerings in righteousness.
4 Then will the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and
as in ancient years.
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LUKE 1:68-79 (UMH 208)
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Zechariah's song identifies John the Baptist as
the foretold "messenger of the Lord"
(Malachyahu, in Hebrew).
Born: BC 5, in Jerusalem
Died: AD 28, in Machaerus
He was the son of Zachary, a Temple priest
in Jerusalem, and Elizabeth, a kinswoman of
Mary who visited her.
He wore wild-looking clothing, lived in desert
wilderness, ate locusts and wild honey.
broader mission than fixing ritual anomalies and
broken spirituality. He would be the forerunner of
a descendent of David who would re-establish
the whole people and save them from their
enemies so they could worship and serve God in
holiness and righteousness all their days.
As forerunner, he would prepare the savior's way
by announcing and giving forgiveness of sins to
all, even those who were in darkness and the
shadow of death.
68 "Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel!
He has come and set his people free.
69 He has acted with great power and has saved
us.
He did it for those who are from the family
line of his servant David.
70 Long ago holy prophets said he would do it.
71 He has saved us from our enemies.
We are rescued from all who hate us.
72 He has been kind to our people.
He has remembered his holy covenant.
73 He made an oath to our father Abraham.
74 He promised to save us from our enemies,
so that we could serve him without fear.
75 He wants us to be holy and godly as long as
we live.
76 "And you, my child, will be called a prophet
of the Most High God.
way for him.
77 You will tell his people how they can be saved.
You will tell them that their sins can be
forgiven.
78 All of that will happen because our God is
tender and caring.
His kindness will bring the rising sun to us
from heaven.
79 It will shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death.
It will guide our feet on the path of peace."
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PHILLIPIANS 1:3-11
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Paul gives joyous thanks for his partnership with
the church in Philippi. The graciousness and
power he has experienced with them gives him
every confidence that God will finish God's work
in them to present them blameless on the day of
the return of Christ, "having produced the
harvest of righteousness" (verse 11). Paul's
"end-time" hope for them, and by extension for
all Christians, is for all of them to "serve God in
holiness and righteousness all their days."
3 I thank my God every time I remember you.
4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray
with joy.
5 I am happy because you have joined me in
spreading the good news. You have done so
from the first day until now.
6 I am sure that the One who began a good work
in you will carry it on until it is completed. That
will be on the day Christ Jesus returns.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of
you. I love you with all my heart. I may be held
by chains, or I may be standing up for the truth
of the good news. Either way, all of you share in
God's grace together with me.
8 God can give witness that I long for all of you.
I love you with the love that Christ Jesus gives.
9 I pray that your love will grow more and more.
And let it be based on knowledge and
understanding.
10 Then you will be able to know what is best.
You will be pure and without blame until the day
Christ returns.
11 You will be filled with the fruit of right living
produced by Jesus Christ. All of those things
bring glory and praise to God.
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LUKE 3:1-6
† New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Luke locates the ministry of John the Baptist
historically in the trans-Jordan region under
Roman rule and theologically in the prophecy of
Isaiah. The prophet promised the winding and
difficult paths between Babylon and Jerusalem
were about to be turned into a straight and level
highway for returning exiles so that all could
witness God's salvation. John announced this
message, and more besides (which we'll see
and hear next week) in a ministry that had taken
him up and down the Jordan River valley.
Ultimately his work was in a fairly remote
wilderness area inhabited by forgotten people
and "little" people, "those in darkness and the
shadow of death."
JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARES THE WAY
1 Tiberius Caesar had been ruling for 15 years.
Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea.
Herod was the ruler of Galilee.
His brother Philip was the ruler of Iturea and
Traconitis.
Lysanias was ruler of Abilene.
2 Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. At that
time God's word came to John, son of Zechariah,
in the desert.
Jordan River. There he preached that people
should be baptized and turn away from their sins.
Then God would forgive them.
4 Here is what is written in the scroll of the
prophet Isaiah. It says,
"A messenger is calling out in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley will be filled in.
Every mountain and hill will be made level.
The crooked roads will become straight.
The rough ways will become smooth.
6 And everyone will see God's salvation.' "
— (Isaiah 40:3?5)
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 10TH —
Office is closed today.
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14TH —
Office is closed today.
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15TH —
CHRISTMAS MALL
VERY SPECIAL PERSON. HE OR SHE WILL BE
SO - O - O SURPRISED!
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PBS IS RUNNING A SERIES CALLED
• FAITH IN AMERICA • (FRONTLINE-PBS)
WATCH SOME OF IT IF YOU CAN
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TIMELINE
1598 - SPAIN SEEKS TO SPREAD CATHOLICISM
IN AREA THAT IS NOW NEW MEXICO
Catholic Spain sends Franciscan friars to modern
day New Mexico to establish missions along the
Rio Grande. The original inhabitants of this land,
the Pueblos, have their own religious rituals,
beliefs and practices that are deeply embedded
in their culture and way of life. Some Pueblos did
incorporate aspects of the Catholic religion into
their own faith, while others rejected Catholicism
entirely.
1607 ANGLICAN SETTLERS ARRIVE IN VIRGINIA
In reaction to Spain and Spanish Catholicism's
growing influence in the New World, England
seeks to establish the English Crown and the
English church, known as the Anglican Church,
in the New World by sending settlers, who create
the colony of Jamestown, Va. Among missions
laid out in King James' charter: "propagating of
Christian religion to such People, as yet live in
Darkness and miserable Ignorance of the true
Knowledge and Worship of God."
1620 - PILGRIMS ARRIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS
Pilgrims arrive in Massachusetts by way of
Holland in search of religious liberty. Convinced
that the Church of England is hopelessly corrupt,
Protestant reformers known as Pilgrims break
with the church of England and establish a
colony in present-day Plymouth, Mass.
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1624 - CHURCH OF ENGLAND ESTABLISHED IN
VIRGINIA
Church of England is officially "established" in
Virginia; supported with public funds.
In 1624, King James officially charters Virginia
as a royal colony. Its inhabitants are required by
law to be members of the Anglican Church and
to pay taxes to support the church. Any other
religions, termed "dissenting religions," do not
have freedom of worship. By the Revolutionary
War, nine colonies establish state religions.
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1628 - DUTCH REFORM CHURCH ORGANIZES
IN PRESENT DAY NEW YORK CITY
Dutch Reformed Church assembles in New
Netherlands. With a congregation of 50 members,
the Dutch Reformed Church is organized with
communicants from Holland in present-day New
York City. The Dutch Reformed Church remains
the established church in the Dutch colony of
New Netherlands until the British capture the
colony in 1664.
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1630 - PURITANS ARRIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS
SEEKING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: THEY DO NOT
TOLERATE PROTEST, DISPUTE, OR CONFLICT.
Like the Pilgrims, the English Puritans believe
that the Church of England is corrupt. Unlike the
Pilgrims, they do not break with the church, but
remain a part of it. In Boston, they establish the
Massachusetts Bay Colony and strive to create
a model Christian commonwealth. While they
come to the New World seeking freedom to
worship as they choose, the Puritans do not
tolerate any dissent or protest.
1630 —
PROTESTANT DISSIDENTS SETTLE IN
MASSACHUSETTS
Protestant reformers from England arrive in
Massachusetts in two waves. In 1620, the
Pilgrims break their ties with the Church of
England and settle in present-day Plymouth. In
1630, the Puritans establish the Massachusetts
Bay Colony in Boston. Unlike the Pilgrims, they
retain their ties to the Church of England, but try
to reform it by establishing a model Christian
commonwealth under the leadership of
John Winthrop.
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TRAVELS AND EXPLORATIONS OF JESUIT
MISSIONARIES IN NEW FRANCE 1610 - 1791
• VOLUME 1: ACADIA
EDITED BY REUBEN GOLD THWAITES
I had to read this in college for a philosophy
class. It is truly fascinating.
These pioneers traveled many months to get
to their destinations. In one area they converted
only 100 people out of 16,000. Many Jesuits
were tortured, mutilated, enslaved or killed.
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The story of New France is, in part, the story
of much of New England, and of the states
whose shores are washed by the Great Lakes
and the Mississippi River. It may truly be said
that the History of every one of our northern tier
states, from Maine to Minnesota, has its roots in
the French regime.
We know that in this land, as elsewhere, the
trader always preceded the priest. We owe our
intimate knowledge of New France, chiefly to the
wandering missionaries of the Society of Jesus.
Coming early to the shores of Nova Scotia (1611),
nearly a decade before the landing of Plymouth
Pilgrims. They saw North America and the North
Americans practically in a primitive stage. They
saw the American Indian before he had any other
contact with european civilization.
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1636 - ROGER WILLIAMS ESTABLISHES
RHODE ISLAND;
GUARANTEES LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE
Banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony,
Roger Williams establishes a colony he names
"Providence" in present-day Rhode Island.
Williams had quarreled with Puritan authorities
over their theology, their decision to remain
within the Church of England and their failure to
pay Native Americans for their land. Williams'
colony of Providence guarantees freedom of
conscience and becomes a haven for religious
dissidents.
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1638 - ANNE HUTCHINSON BANISHED FROM
PURITAN MASSACHUSETTS
Outspoken, opinionated and well versed in the
Bible, Hutchinson accuses the ministers of the
Massachusetts Bay Colony of teaching false
doctrine and asserts that God has spoken to her
directly -- a claim considered heresy in Puritan
theology. Hutchinson's righteous insistence gets
her in trouble with the religious and political
authorities, including Governor John Winthrop.
Charged with sedition, she is tried, banished and
excommunicated.
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1650 — WAVES OF IMMIGRATION CREATE
RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY
While the Puritans try to maintain control of the
religious life of their colony in Massachusetts,
waves of immigration are creating a rich tapestry
of diversity elsewhere in America.
NEWCOMERS FROM GERMANY -- MENNONITES,
AMISH, ANABAPTISTS, DUNKERS, MORAVIANS
join the QUAKERS arriving in Pennsylvania.
ANGLICANS settle in the Southern colonies, and
BAPTISTS settle first in Pennsylvania before
moving on to the unsettled frontiers of Anglican
colonies.
REFORMED CHURCH and JEWISH IMMIGRANTS
BEGIN to arrive in the Dutch colony of New
Netherlands. The waves of immigration that begin
in the 1650s continue on until the
American Revolution.
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1654 — FIRST JEWISH COLONY FOUNDED IN
NEW AMSTERDAM (New York)
Sephardic European Jews had found safe haven
in the Dutch colony of Brazil after persecution
during the Inquisition. But when the Portuguese
took control of Brazil in 1654, the Jews flee
potential persecution and arrived in the Dutch
settlement of New Amsterdam - (New York).
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1682 —
WILLIAM PENN ESTABLISHES PENNSYLVANIA;
WELCOMES PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS
In Pennsylvania's founding documents, William
Penn, previously jailed in England for his Quaker
faith, includes provisions for religious tolerance,
freedom of the press and statements of equality
for women (though not for slaves). Over the next
50 years, Penn's "holy experiment" attracts
QUAKERS and ANGLICANS FROM ENGLAND;
LUTHERANS, REFORMED, MENNONITES, AMISH
AND DUNKERS FROM GERMANY; and
PRESBYTERIANS FROM SCOTLAND.
CATHOLICS and JEWS also came and were
granted religious toleration, but are not given the
right to vote, a privilege only extended to
Protestants.
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1734 - 1760s - FIRST GREAT AWAKENING
SWEEPS COLONIES; DIVIDES DENOMINATIONS
The first mass movement in American history,
the Great Awakening is kindled in Western
Massachusetts and catches fire when Anglican
priest George Whitefield has crowds numbering
in the thousands at revivals. Ignoring parish
boundaries and upsetting social hierarchies,
Whitefield and his followers preach in fields,
on farms and town commons, asking people to
make a direct and immediate connection to the
Divine. In one 15-month span, it is estimated
that as much as a quarter of the country hears
Whitefield's message. The emotion and broad
tone of the revivals - - which bring followers
together from across the Protestant spectrum - -
stir heated controversy, dividing some
denominations, including Congregationalists and
Presbyterians. Whitefield's defenders include the
minister Jonathan Edwards, known as the
"theologian of the heart."
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1784 - METHODIST CHURCH IN AMERICA
The Methodist Episcopal Church, an outgrowth
of the Anglican Church, arrives in America prior
to the Revolutionary War and soon begins to
attract converts. Founded by Francis Asbury and
Thomas Coke, the Methodist Church in America
offers a more democratic leadership than the
hierarchical Anglican Church and quickly is the
fastest growing denomination in the American
religious landscape.
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THIS IS BY NO MEANS THE ENTIRE STORY.
IT LETS US KNOW THAT SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE
AND CONVICTION OF FAITH IS NOT A QUIET
TRANQUIL SMOOTH POLISHED HIGHWAY ON
A DOWNHILL GRADE. IT CAN BE A VERY
DIFFICULT ROUGH STEEP TRAIL!
MILLIONS WHO CAME BEFORE US KNEW THIS,
AND DECIDED IT WAS WORTH THE EFFORT. ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Melodee
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