THE HEIGHTENER

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you." -James 4:10

Volume XXXI

December 7, 2010

Number 49

VIEWPOINT

In the Midwest, there is a version of the birth story of Jesus with an unexpected conclusion. It is a true story about a nine-year-old named Wallace Purling. He was in the second grade that year, although he should have been in the fourth. He had difficulty keeping up, was a little slow and clumsy but was also very kind. The kids tried to exclude him from their games, but Wally hung around, ever the protector of the children at risk.

Wally so hoped to be a shepherd with a wooden flute in the nativity play that December. Miss Lumbard, however, assigned him a minor speaking part; he was the innkeeper. Wally got caught up in the timeless story unfolding on the stage as he stood, mesmerized, in the wings.

When the time came, Joseph tenderly guided Mary to the door of the inn. Joseph knocked hard on the plywood, and Wally the innkeeper was there waiting. Wally tired to sound brusque when Joseph asked for lodging. “Seek it elsewhere. The inn is filled,” said Wally as he stared straight ahead.

“We have asked everywhere in vain. We have traveled far and are very weary,” Joseph tried again.

Once again, a stern-looking Wally reiterated the fact: there was no room in the inn.

“Please, good innkeeper, this is my wife, Mary. She is heavy with child and needs a place to rest. Surely, you must have some small corner for her. She is so tired.”

Wally relaxed his stiff pose and, for the first time, really looked at Mary. He paused so long that the audience began to get nervous.

The prompter from the wings whispered: ‘Be gone!’

Wally repeated the whisper: ‘Be gone.’

Joseph sadly put his arm around the pregnant Mary; she rested her head on his shoulder as the two slowly moved away. The innkeeper did not move. He stood transfixed in the doorway of the cardboard inn. His mouth opened, his brow furrowed, and his eyes filled with tears. And suddenly this Christmas pageant took an unexpected turn.

“Don’t go, Joseph,” Wally called after them. “Bring Mary back.” Now Wally Purling’s face shone. “You can have my room.”

Was this a ruined Christmas pageant? Or was this the best Christmas pageant ever? (Story first told by Dina Donohue in Trouble at the Inn.)

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I look forward to seeing you Sunday with a Bible, a smile, and a positive word! RA

The Greatest Gift

A clever coffee commercial depicts a young man returning home early in the morning close to Christmas time. His younger sister, overjoyed, puts a bow on him and declares, “YOU are my gift!” This season a wonderful reminder of the gift that God has given to each of us: himself in the person of Jesus. It is the only gift that truly keeps on giving,

It is surprising. Sometimes we know all about a present and we pretend to be surprised. God's gift to us, however, was a complete surprise. It was not expected, and as we examine it more carefully, we realize how great a gift it actually is.

God's gift came to us in the humblest of wrappings. What would you think if you saw a gift under your Christmas tree that was wrapped in newspaper? But God's gift to humanity, the ultimate gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, came in the simplest and humblest of wrappings.

We don't deserve this gift. At Christmas, we give gifts to those whom we care about, who have been kind to us over the past year, or who have given us a gift first. We don't give gifts to the person who has been slandering our name or to the angry neighbor who never has a kind word to say. Yet God gave us His gift when we were His enemies (Romans 5:8). He didn't give this gift to us because we deserved it. In fact, it was just the opposite.

The gift tells us something about the giver. When you want to give someone a gift, you start thinking about it ahead of time. When God decided to give us the gift of eternal life, it wasn't something that He just thought of on the fly. Long before there was a planet called Earth, a decision was made in eternity that God would send forth His Son, born of a woman, made under the law, to redeem those that are under the law. The Bible says that He was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). Make no mistake about it: this gift that God has given to us was the most sacrificial thing He possibly could have offered.

All that will be left after this life is the human soul, and that will live forever. We will put so much stock in what we have, but this is all going to pass away. Life is about what happens beyond the grave. Life is about knowing the God who made you and who gave you the greatest gift you will ever receive.

CHRISTMAS DINNER

Please join us for a holiday meal on Sunday, December 19, following the morning worship service. We hope that each of you will save this date and plan gather together for fellowship an d to celebrate the holiday season!

Posted on the bulletin board you will find a list of needed food items for our meal. Turkey and ham will be provided.

CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS

A surprise for the children is being planned for Sunday, December 19. We have a Christmas dinner planned following our morning assembly. There will be activities the kids along with a special guest visiting us! More information later.

RAINTREE CHILDREN'S HOME

There are three lists posted on the bulletin board for young ladies at the Raintree Children's Home in Valdosta. Please take time to sign up for the gifts that you would like to buy for these girls.

SYMPATHY

The sympathy of the congregation is extended to Craig and Sharon Hodges and Craig's family in the death of his cousin in an automobile accident. Funeral services were on Saturday in Montgomery, Alabama.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Levi Henderson who was named to the All State team for football. He participated in the All Star game last Saturday and was responsible for seven of the 31 points his team scored.

POINSETTIAS

Special thanks go to Betty Smith for providing the beautiful poinsettias; they are a festive addition to our services.

MEMBERSHIP LIST

There is a new one page membership list available on the table in the foyer.

ATLANTA INNER CITY MINISTRY

Remember food and clothing items for AIM

CHANGE FOR CHILDREN

The Mount Dora Children’s Home has invited us to participate in a “Change for Children” campaign.

The goal is simple: Give the children a better life.

Each family is invited to take home as many coin banks as you wish and fill them with spare change for the next three months.

We’ll have a “coin counting day” sometime in January.

Your generosity will give the children at Mount Dora haircuts, allowances, personal items, new clothes, spring trips, and many other daily needs.

Feel free to put the coin banks in business places or offices as well. You may have other creative ideas to use them.

OUR SICK

Sharon Shelton-Minichowski is scheduled for surgery on Thursday, December 9.

Continue to remember Susan Carson, Gloria Ferguson, Everett Hayes, Richard Smith and Geneva White.

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

December 6	Jordan Cannon
December 9	Nancy Northcutt
December 21	Wanda Grogan
December 22	Donna Putman

THOSE TO SERVE -December 12, 2010
Welcome	Ross Anderson
Song Leader	Craig Hodges
Opening Prayer	Doyle White
Lord's Table	* David Hamby
	* Phil Hamby
	Steve Putman
	Bill Moore
Scripture Reading	Joe Minichowski
	Isaiah 55:1-3
Closing Prayer	James Elliott
Welcome -PM	Ross Anderson
Song Leader	Jimmy Pulliam
Opening Prayer	Alan Henderson
Scripture Reading	Jason Ray
	Psalm 51:10-12
Closing Prayer	Jim Warren
Communion Preparation	Jim and Willie Mae Warren
Nursery Attendant	Randi Kelly
	Riley Minichowski

RECORD 12/5/2010

Bible School	67
Worship AM	89
Worship PM	48
Wednesday Bible Study	40
Contribution	$ 3,425.00