“Where’s Your Focus?”
I saw this little cartoon earlier today and it caught my attention. The cartoon itself isn’t what caught my attention. It was the dumpster fire in the comments section below the image that drew me in. Some commenters were disagreeing with the implication that the things they value aren’t a part of being like Jesus. Others used this as an opportunity to strike out at folks who they deemed to be hypocrites – saying the right things but not acting like Jesus. The reality is that both positions are right, and both positions are wrong.
But what really spoke to me in this cartoon and the melee over its meaning is that Christmas does mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Not just Christmas, but God, faith, Jesus, Christianity…all of it has a different meaning to each and every one of us. Some honor Jesus at Christmas through acts of service in their community. Other do so through acts of financial generosity. Others observe Advent through intentional disciplines of Scripture reading, prayer, or quiet time. Some observe the same traditions they grew up with, while others celebrate the season with new practices each year. Christmas celebrations are as diverse as the world around us.
Honoring Jesus, celebrating the Incarnation, keeping Christ in Christmas—this isn’t supposed to be a one-size-fits-all type of thing. If it were, our world would be very boring. I love that there are people who experience and celebrate God at Christmas through music, poetry, dance, or other artistic expressions. And I love that others do so by baking and sharing cookies, ringing Salvation Army bells, or sharing a meal with a neighbor.
One of the principal messages of Jesus is that there is no one way to follow him or to express our faith. In each of the different communities Jesus visited, he preached different messages. In the congregations established by Paul and the other apostles, they all expressed their faith differently, as was appropriate in their culture. The idea of telling people they are doing Christmas, or faith in general, wrong is just one more exercise in missing the point.
This Christmas, my prayer is that you can experience the magic, joy, and peace of Christmas in whatever way is most meaningful for you, and that you will support others in doing the same.
Blessings, Chris
Mission
To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Vision
Nelson Memorial UMC seeks to be a place where all God’s broken, hurting, and imperfect children discover wholeness and community while experiencing the warm and welcoming love of Jesus Christ. We seek to connect with one another to grow in our knowledge and love of God, to encourage each person to live out their unique calling to serve God, and to make a difference in the Boonville community and throughout the world.
Priorities
Developing and Nurturing Faith in Children and Youth
Fostering Growth and Community in Worship and Small Groups
Provide Opportunities to Serve God in Boonville and Beyond
Worship This Week
This Sunday we observe the third Sunday of Advent. Our focus this year is on the cities and towns that play a role in the Nativity story. Our message series is titled “On the Way to Bethlehem” and this week’s message will focus on Nazareth – A Place of Simplicity. This week our Scripture will focus on the story of the Angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, as found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, verses 26 through 38.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. And now you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “how can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Our 8:00 service will begin with the song Gabriel’s Message, by Matt Maher. The 10:20 service will begin the Praise Band singing “Mary Did You Know?” Our opening hymn at both services will be The First Noel, followed by Star Child. We will conclude our service by singing the first three verses of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.
Virtual Worship Information
In addition to in-person worship, our service will be live-streamed. The service can be viewed on our Facebook Page. The service will start at approximately 10:20 am with our Gathering Song. Additionally, we post a recording of our messages to our website by early Sunday afternoon.
Announcements
Christmas Eve at Nelson Memorial – Join us this Christmas Eve as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. We will have two opportunities for worship on Dec 24, one and 4 and the other at 7 pm. We will have childcare available for the 4:00 service. Our Christmas Eve offering this year will go to support United Methodist ministries throughout the state of Missouri and around the world. These funds will support mission efforts, help launch new churches, assist with disaster relief, and help encourage United Methodist pastors and churches in all their efforts.
Community Christmas Service – The Boonslick Area Ministerial Alliance will hold their annual Community Christmas service this coming Tuesday, December 17 at 6:30 pm at the First Christian Church (301 4th Street). Everyone is welcome to join this ecumenical celebration.
Inside The Manger: A Live Nativity Event – Next Sunday, December 22 will be our annual Living Nativity. This year our children will be our guides through the nativity story. They will present the show twice – once at 5:00 pm and once and 6:00 pm. After each performance there will an opportunity to visit and take pictures with the animals. We will also have hot chocolate and cookies available following each performance. Please help us spread the word about this event throughout our community.
Choir Christmas Cantata – Our Choir has been hard at work the past few months preparing a Christmas Cantata for us. They will share their ministry with us during the 10:20 worship service on December 22. This program, titled: A New and Glorious Morn, is going to be a great celebration of the gift of Christ as we prepare for Christmas. Please join us in person or via live stream.
Christmas Cheer Stockings – We are once again delivering goodies to our homebound friends before Christmas. Each stocking will hold approximately $10.00 worth of goodies. If you would like to contribute, please be sure to mark your gift as Christmas Stockings on the check or giving envelope.
Christmas Cards for NMUMC Elders and Friends – We are asking the congregation to mail out Christmas cards to the following names below. The addresses for the names listed will be located on the refreshment table. We will also have a supply of Christmas cards for you, if you need them. God bless you for participating in this endeavor.
Virginia Brownfield, Ada Gingrich, Sandy Farris, Elise Langkop, Phillis Otis, Gene and Donna Reagan, Bart Riley, Leona Schmidt, Helen Taylor, Hessie Watts, and Dorothy Whitten.
2024 Angel Tree – Another big thank you goes out to everyone who picked angels off the Angel Tree. Please remember we will need the gifts no later than this Sunday, December 8th. The Angel Tree Party will be held at the church on Saturday, December 14th at 11:00 a.m. We are asking for donations of cookies from the congregation. Everyone is invited to join with us in fellowship with our “angels”.
Puzzled About the Perfect Gift? – We still have a few puzzles of our beautiful stained glass window remaining. We have one 500 piece puzzle and four 1,000 piece puzzles remaining. The puzzles are $25 each and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please speak with Jo Parker or Pastor Chris for more information. More puzzles can be ordered as desired.
Giving Through Venmo – We can be found on Venmo at @NelsonMemorialUMC. If you don’t know what Venmo is and would like to learn more, information about giving through Venmo can be found on our webpage at https://nelsonmemorialumc.org/give/venmo/
Events this week:
Saturday, December 14: Salvation Army Bell Ringing – 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, Boonville Walmart
Angel Tree Christmas Party – 11:00 am, Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall
Sunday, December 15: Christmas Program Dress Rehearsal – Following 10:20 service
Monday, December 16: TOPS – 9:30 am, Lounge
Al-Anon Meeting – 6:00 pm, Fellowship Hall
Tuesday, December 17: Ministerial Alliance Community Christmas Service, 6:30 pm, First Christian Church (301 4th Street)
Wednesday, December 18: Women’s Bible Study – 10:00 am, Linda Gordon’s Home
Al-Anon, Noon, Fellowship Hall
Thursday, December 19: Choir Rehearsal – 7:00 pm, Sanctuary
Friday, December 20: Al-Anon Meeting – 6:00 pm, Fellowship Hall
Closing Words of Wisdom:
It came without ribbons, it came with tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags… Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss