Goals.  Without them, we’d be lost.  We go to college with the goal of getting a degree (and a good job from it).  We cut down on eating with the goal of losing weight.  Adventurers climb mountains with the goal of accomplishing what only a few can do, ‘beating’ nature. 
     Mountain climbers have been filmed during the climbs.  What became evident was that when the sky was clear and the peak visible, they talked frequently, worked together, and made great progress.  When the peak was hidden by clouds, climbers walked slower, talked little, and made limited progress.  Take away the goal, and we become sullen, soft and sad
        The same happens in spiritual matters.  What do you think your goals should be for Christmas?  Most people might respond, 'to be happy', 'not to spend too much money', 'not to get stressed out', etc.  But shouldn't our primary goal be 'to see Jesus'?!  That was the goal of the 1st century shepherds.
    God sent angels to shepherds because they took the time and had the faith to listen.  They were quietly watching their sheep.  But when the angels appeared with a light greater than a 767 jumbo jet coming in for a landing, they left their wooly charges to see the object of the angles' news-bulletin.  They saw Jesus and rejoiced!  They climbed the mountain.  They saw the peak of all peaks, the King of all kings.
     Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or animosity toward the Babe of Bethlehem or the big sale at Best Buy.  No, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking.  Some clouds got in the way.  The cumulous nimbuses of everyday life blocked the shinning Son.
     Hide the Master of Mount Ascension who calls us to come to the peak with him and see what happens.  If Jesus falls from sight, we are lost.
     A good example can be found in Peter.  In Matt. 14:29, he asks for and receives permission to walk on the water with Jesus.    When 

Something to Think About…   Battling Class Envy
     (With all the news about the Occupy movement and with the self-centered allurements of the gift-giving season, I thought this was a very appropriate Something to Think About.  How easy it is to focus too much on things and not on the things of God.  How easy it is to think others should take care of us instead of helping each other and learning to live within our means.  World magazine writer Marvin Olasky writes of his growing up poor and later becoming a Christian.)
     My earliest memories are of my mother’s envy.  She had 5 married siblings all living near each other.  They all had new clothes while my Mom got one a year.  I remember her asking them how much they paid—and shaking her head when she knew she couldn’t afford an outfit like that.  Mom married a smart man who was poor.  They married dreamers who luckily struck it rich.  They lived in split-level homes.  We lived in an apartment.  They had wall-to-wall carpeting.  We had peeling linoleum. 
     My aunts didn’t have to work.  Mom worked as a secretary in a tannery.  She smelled really bad when she finally came home.  My cousins had Schwinn bicycles.  I had one Dad put together at work from scrap metal pieces.  I coveted their Schwinns like Mom coveted their homes and leisure lifestyles.
     The 23rd Psalm famously begins, “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.”  In my youth I wanted everything and had no trust God would provide anything.  I coveted a color TV but got black and white.  In college I worked two jobs while my roommate had it all paid.  I had one woolen sweater.  My roommate brought a dresser just to hold all the ones he had.  I was mad at him from day one.
    School had a contest to see who had the best book collection.  I had spent three years collecting paperbacks that, in my view, reflected excellent taste.  The judges just laughed after a ten second examination.  Yes, I know class hatred. 
     Maybe that’s why I joined the Communist Party USA.  Hatred of those who had, led me to look for a place where everyone was suppose to be equal.  Envy even led me to advocate revolution of the kind that had ravaged Russia, China, Cuba and others.  Envy leads to class warfare.  Class warfare kills.  It might just kill this country.
    

 

GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, and MYRRH.  We recall these as the gifts the Wise Men brought to Jesus when they arrived to greet “the One who is born King of the Jews”.  What were these gifts?  People have asked me to run this again.  One of our members did some research of these (and another oil you are familiar with from the Bible), so I thought I would share that information with you.       GOLD is the same metal we have today and was used as currency and jewelry like it is today.  It’s easy processing into jewelry made it valuable then and now.  If Jesus was given a small crown, estimates are that it would be worth $75,000-$90,000 in today’s dollars.      FRANKINCENSE would have been rubbed all over the body of a baby.  Egyptian tradition says that “Frankincense is good for everything from gout to a broken head” or in other words “good from head to toe”.  If in doubt, use Frankincense.  Another name for frankincense is “Oil from Lebanon”.  It had medicinal powers as well as a sweet fragrance.       MYRRH has one of the highest levels of sesquiterpenes, a class of compounds that directly affect the hypothalamus, pituitary and the seat of our emotions.  In simpler terms, sesquiterpenes reach the senses of the brain that control pleasure and emotional feelings of well-being.  Research in Italy demonstrated that myrrh has pain-relieving properties as well, which is probably why it was offered to Jesus prior to his crucifixion.  This ingested Tylenol-of-its-day was quite valuable.    SPIKENARD or NARD was prized in early Egypt and the Middle East during the time of our Savior.  Spikenard is 93% sesquiterpenes which have the ability to oxygenate the brain.  The sinful woman poured it on Jesus feet to show her respect/love for Him.  The amount of Spikenard that was poured on our Savior that day would be worth $2000 in today’s currency. COMING IN DECEMBER: •    Dec. 14th Midweek Advent Worship •    Dec. 24th Christmas Eve Worship at 6:00 & 7:30 •    Dec. 25th Christmas Day Worship at 10:30 (Note: Even though it is a Sunday, there will be no Sunday School/Bible Class and a later service.)

WORLD MISSION UPDATE-  South America    Bolivia Inquiries from a Lutheran church body in Bolivia desiring confessional Lutheran instruction have been answered by our team of Latin America Traveling Theological Educators (LATTE).  Teaching visits have been very well received and are opening up possibilities for future work in this South American country should confessional agreement be established.    Brazil Three missionaries (one of them a retired volunteer) continue to work in South America’s largest country.  Four registered congregations with approximately 285 souls have officially organized a national church body, the Brazilian Lutheran Church, and held their first biennial convention.  There are now three Brazilian pastors with two more seminary students continuing with full-time studies.  The goal is to reach a critical mass of congregations, members, and national workers, which is able to stand on its own as a confessional Lutheran church body.    Colombia Political unrest and instability continue to present challenges, but members of the Latin America Traveling Theological Educators team have returned to the country several times in the last two years to conduct ongoing theological instruction and to maintain contact with national leaders in the Colombian church.  Congregations in Medellin and Bogota will be exploring options for distance learning to facilitate theological instruction. MEN’S RETREAT:  March 9-10 are the days of the Men’s retreat sponsored by Apostle’s.  Hong Kong Missionary Mark Sprengler is the guest speaker.  Having been a principal, missionary and outreach minister, he is well-qualified to speak on how to share the Savior with others, which is his theme.  The cost for food, drinks, lodging, a shirt and materials is only $135.  See Pastor for details.

HOLIDAY WORSHIP
     CHRISTMAS EVE           6:00 and 7:30p.m.
(Candlelight worship)
     CHRISTMAS DAY         10:30 a.m.
  (Song Service;  Note: No Sunday School that day)
     NEW YEAR’S EVE        7:00 p.m.
             (Holy Communion)
     NEW YEAR’S DAY        10:30a.m.
            (Tentative; decision at Church Council Mgt)

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WHERE SHOULD I BEGIN?  A new five-part series of sermons will lead us in our Advent observance.  The theme is ‘Where should I Begin?’.  Through the eyes of St. Paul, St. Mark, St. Matthew, St. Luke and St. John we will see the glory of the Christmas Story in the first chapter of each of their Holy Writings.  A bit of background about each of them will help us view their perspective on the glory of God.  Come join us every Sunday at 9:00 to praise our Lord.