by PASTOR DICK RILEY
Rockford United Methodist Church

A pastor from Atlanta once said that it always bothered him in a track meet when the runners were running the hurdles and would knock one or two of the hurdles down. He said that he felt as if they should go back and straighten up the hurdles they had knocked over. He said that if his mother were coaching the team, she would certainly make the runners go back and straighten up the knocked-over hurdles! It was important to her, you see, that the runners leave things “neat and in order” for the next runners.

“But,” said the pastor, “hurdlers who win the gold medals don’t look back. They ignore the fallen hurdles and just keep on running to the finish line.”

I don’t know if the Apostle Paul ever ran the hurdles in a race, but I do know that he understood one of the basic principles of Christian living. He wrote: “I am still not all that I should be, but I am focusing all of my energies on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us,” (Phil. 3:13-14).

As Christians, we are called to continually grow in our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and the only way that that is possible is for us to accept the grace of God’s holy forgiveness which He offers us through our faith in Christ our Lord. This will set us free from all of our failures of the past.

As we begin this new year of 2011, my prayer for all of us is that we will accept the grace that Christ provides so that we can quit worrying about our mistakes and failures, and, instead, focus on our growing and personal relationship with Him. You see, when grace and growth are the driving forces of our lives, we can be sure that we will truly have a happy new year!

by PASTOR SCOTT SWIX
Hope Community Church, Rockford

The year 2012 is here! The world did not end in 2011 as some predicted. Though others are convinced the Mayan calendar, Nostradamus, Biblical prophecy and other signs assure us that this year is the last year. Well, perhaps. But I’d not bet on it. That’d be a silly bet anyway, wouldn’t it? If you’re right, and you win, you can’t collect.

So how do we live in this new year of slowly improving economy, a world of great change? With European crisis, Arab Spring, global warming, Lions winning, China ascending, presidential elections, Washington gridlock (oops, sorry, that’s not new) and on and on, what are we to do?

Be faithful. Live as though Christ shall return tomorrow. And as though he won’t. Live faithfully. A faithful Christ-like life is lived the same way, either way. Love God and others, care, forgive, share the good news of the Gospel, give generously. Change a life for the better—our own, and others’. Live in the joy of the holy present moment while prudently considering the future that may come. But do not worry about it, or ignore it. Remember the past, but do not dwell upon it either. We cannot change it, nor can we recapture it.

Be faithful. That’s mostly an internal thing. Focus on becoming what God is calling us to be, and less on making others into what we think God expects them to be. Concentrate on our blessings, and less on all the things we want or think we need, and we’ll find more joy and contentment and less anxious depression.

Be faithful. Martin Luther said, “Even if I knew that the world would end tomorrow, I would still plant an apple tree today.”

Take care of what we have, and use it wisely, for one day or for many, for we may need it for a very long time.

It is a new year. Live it!

by REV. LAURIE TENHAVE-CHAPMAN
First Congregational Church, Rockford

As I walked my dog around the lake in temperatures nearing 50 degrees, I thought back to the headliner forecasts in November. “Harsh Winter Ahead” the meteorologists warned from the newspaper, broadcast studio and Internet news. I remember thinking, “How do they know?” If the 10-day prediction is a guess and the next-day forecast is seldom right, then how can they offer a broad brushstroke prediction for a whole season? “What do they know indeed?” I snorted as I walked on soft soil in early January. (But I knocked on the wood of a nearby tree to make sure!)

People like to make predictions and are heralded as true seers when they get it right. Particularly as a new year looms before us, prophets of all stripes are apt to cast their verdict for how reality will shape up the next 12 months. Most of us do not hasten to read the predictions of Jean Dixon or those who have taken over for her in recent years. We’ve learned that envisioning the future is of limited value.

What we hopefully have learned is that God alone holds the future. Our best investment of time and energy is in a spiritual life that helps us to know and trust more and more deeply the God who created this Earth in which the snow falls, the storms squall and the sun shines. What we know for sure is that we will have moments of great joy in 2012, surprising beginnings and unexpected endings. There will be losses both great and small, some emotional, some financial, others relational. Through all this we have to know what remains constant. Trust in anyone or anything other than the God who knows and loves us would be misplaced. The Bible describes God as an anchor, a rock, a redeemer, a refuge, a fortress that protects us from enemies. The Bible also says that God is love.

So take that walk around the lake as long as you can. Snap on your cross-country skis when snow blankets the ground. When the storms force you to hibernate and your kids get their long-awaited snow day, reflect on the One who provides for your every need. Whatever each day brings, invite God to walk with you, to direct your paths and you will not be rocked by the ups and downs of life. Trust God and you will know deep contentment in the new year.

by PASTOR JON HUIZENGA
River Rock Church

A quick scan of Facebook shows people are processing their return to life after the holidays. Some are depressed. Some are unmotivated. A few are launching full speed ahead. How are you? Personally, I’m a mixture: part melancholy, part gung-ho.

At times like this, I can use both a pat on the back and a kick in the seat. The following is working for me, maybe it will for you: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight,” the Bible, Proverbs 3:5-6.

This is a popular excerpt from the “wisdom” literature in the Bible. It is about how to live a successful life. I see in it God saying three things:

1.            Trust me.

2.            Acknowledge me.

3.            Get there (Doing the first two will result in the third).

The “Trust me” section is the pat on the back. The hard part of this new year is its uncertainty. You wonder whether you’ll experience all that life has to offer. Christmas and New Year’s Eve, for good or bad, are over. They were what they were. Will the future be enough? Will it be good? I hear God saying, “Stop trying to be me. You don’t have to have all the answers. What you need is to trust me with all your heart.”

The “Acknowledge me” section is the kick in the seat. Since you are not God, get off the throne and acknowledge that He belongs on it! Yes, that takes commitment. If He’s on the throne, He deserves attention. Start reading the Bible; get involved in a local church where you can grow. If you need help, e-mail me at jonh@riverrockcommunity.com. I’ll help you find a way to start. But this isn’t just for beginners. Involved Christians are prone to kicking God off the throne periodically and need to be reminded to get it together. Stop whining and do what you need to do!

The “Get there” section is about the peace that comes from trusting and acknowledging God. We may not even know where “there” is supposed to be. Trusting and acknowledging will put you and me on the straightest path to God’s good future.

God understands you. He loves you. He’s got a pat on the back and a kick in the seat for you, if you need it.

by REV. HELEN H. COLLINS
North Kent Presbyterian Church

It’s the week after Christmas. Soon it will be time to take down the tree, pack away the ornaments and other decorations. My mom always set out all the Christmas cards we received on every flat surface in the dining room and living room and it was a sign that the holidays were done when she took down the display. At this point there will still be some family get-togethers as we ring in the New Year, and we won’t do our “undecorating” party at church until after worship on January 8, but for the most part, by the time you read this, Christmas will be over.

I like to send and receive Christmas cards, although I frequently run out of time before the holidays to get them in the mail. I try to find the card that will carry not only my love and greetings, but something of the true meaning of the holiday. Several years ago I found the one that so far has been the most unforgettable. It opened accordion style with five panels. On the front of the card was a full Christmas tree with lights and ornaments. The second panel showed the tree having lost a few of its needles—the way your “real” tree might look a few days after Christmas, especially if you forgot to water it. The third and fourth panels showed the tree as it progressively lost more and more of its needles and as ornaments, with nothing to hang on to, fell to the floor. And in the last panel, the cross became visible as all the trappings, the needles, lights and ornaments were gone. The message was clear that underneath the biggest and best holiday we celebrate each year, underneath the love, the carols and Christmas specials, underneath the family time, the presents and parties, when all is said and done, when everything else is gone, the cross of the One whose birth we proclaim, the giver of God’s immeasurable love is still there.

We’ve been doing some landscaping around our church in the last year or so. If you drive down Kuttshill before the snow flies, you’ll be able to see some of the improvements to the grounds. Some of the last work was done just before it began to turn colder this fall, and those last plantings included a small evergreen tree near the main entrance. Within the first few days after it was planted, I noticed that the lower branches were all bending downwards, but at the top the small trunk stands tall with branches growing out, and my Christmas card has come to be real as a cross is clearly visible.

My first thought was that as the tree took root and drew nourishment and water from the ground that the other branches would come up, and the little evergreen would soon look like just about every other tree of its kind. Perhaps that will still happen, but day after day, week after week, now a couple of months after planting, that tree still shows a cross at its peak.

Evergreen trees have long been adopted as a symbol of Christmas, reminding us of God’s never-ending love for us.

As you put away the ornaments, the Christmas tree, the cards and presents, my prayer for you in the New Year is that you will always remember God’s gift of love: his Son.

by PASTOR MARK LOVE
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church

I loved the old Calvin and Hobbes cartoons during the Christmas season. During the days leading up to Christmas, Calvin’s thoughts and hopes became more and more haunted by Santa’s rule of gift giving: “If you’re good, you’ll get lots of toys and, if you’re bad, you’ll get nothing.” Trusting in the words, “He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake,” the ever in trouble, ever self-absorbed and self-serving Calvin is worried about Santa’s judgment. Knowing his guilt and mischief, Calvin tried anything that would enable him to be judged as good.

In a Sunday spread of Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin is dreaming, and he sees Santa consulting with his elves about Calvin’s past year. As the panels of the cartoon flow, Calvin’s case grows worse and finally Santa declares, “I’ve made my decision,” and the dream ends. Calvin awakes as if from a nightmare and says with a frightened and horrified look, “I can’t take it.” For Calvin the days before Christmas were a long journey down the corridors of his life toward the day of judgment.

It’s said that humor is born of tragedy and hard times. What made Calvin’s dilemma so humorous to me was all the creative ways he would think of to try and receive a good judgment. First, Calvin wanted his friend Hobbes to be his attorney pleading extenuating circumstances. Second, he would try to do all kinds of good things to prove he was good, but that lasted only as long as the next temptation. Third, he would try to reason away Santa’s ability to know about all the bad things he had done.

As troublesome as Calvin and Hobbes‘ journey to Christmas may be for them, this journey is a joyous one filled with hope for all who believe in Jesus Christ.

The angel proclaims, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger,” (Lk. 2:10-12). And we rejoice because God gave us His Son and with Him—the “goods” of His Son Jesus Christ—not because we were good enough, but because we could never be good enough.

As sinners there are no “naughty or nice” among us, “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith,” (Rm. 3:22-25).

By virtue of our being conceived in sin (Ps. 51:5) we are only naughty. We rejoice in God’s gift of Christmas because it means that God’s love for us is greater than our lack of love for him and one another. God reveals that at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ came and died for the ungodly. In this way God demonstrates his own love for us in this: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Rm. 5:6-8).

In this lies the real joy of this season and the reason that gifts are freely given—giving that does not look at naughty or nice, but giving that only sees the need of others to be loved and know that they are loved.

Calvin looked upon his journey toward Christmas as a journey to judgment. Through faith in Jesus Christ—God’s gift of Christmas—we make this journey with the Gift and it is one of hope and joy.

On behalf of the members of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, we pray that the true God will grant you the richest of joy in the Advent of our God, our Lord, and our Savior—Jesus Christ. Amen.

by MARCIA HUFSTADER
member, Third Church of Christ, Scientist

“Angels we have heard on high,” the words from a well-known traditional French carol, are words we can all claim today and every day when we are hopeful, faithful and listening for God’s messages. In the carol, the angels were telling the shepherds about “Christ the Lord, the newborn King.” This newborn King showed us the way to heal. We can hear that message, too, ultimately the message about the healing power of the Christ that Jesus so clearly taught throughout his ministry.

“Angels: God’s thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality.” This definition Mary Baker Eddy gives in her primary book, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” has been so helpful to me as I listen for guidance in relationships, employment, direction—in everything. Because we are all God’s children we are spiritual, so those “spiritual intuitions” are natural and specific to what our needs are at every moment. We can feel the inspiration of goodness and follow it. The inspiration of purity, as a result of God’s love for us, naturally counteracts any action that could be harmful to anyone, including ourselves.

These angel messages, of the healing power of the Christ, continue to be with us here today. What Jesus taught us is timeless. We can’t be separated from the lessons that he so unselfishly gave the world. It’s the divine Principle that underlies the function of the universe, including man. We can utilize this Principle as surely as we can utilize the principle of mathematics. The laws that Jesus taught, starting with loving God with all our heart and our neighbor as thyself, lead us all in the right direction.

God’s angel messages will speak to all of us and lead to the same healing power that Jesus taught. We just need to be willing and expectant.

by PASTOR ROBERT ECKERT
Courtland-Oakfield United Methodist Church

As translated in the Contemporary English Version of the Bible, the first two verses of Psalm 133 go like this: “It is truly wonderful when relatives live together in peace. It is as beautiful as olive oil poured on Aaron’s head and running down his beard and the collar of his robe.”

That second part of the quote, about olive oil on Aaron’s head, doesn’t necessarily say much to us these days. For the writer of the Psalm, however, it was a beautiful thing. Aaron was a high priest, and pouring aromatic oil on a person dedicated to religious service was a common ritual back in the day. The writer of the Psalm is telling us that just as there is a sweet perfume from the oil that consecrates a priest, family harmony is fragrant and holy.

These verses come to mind during a time of year when relatives living together in peace can be a rare commodity. Movies and sitcoms abound that poke fun at the antics of dysfunctional families during the holidays. For comedic effect they exaggerate our foibles and idiosyncrasies, but the underlying truth of how we pick and jab at those closest to us can be harsh and painful.

Do you dread going to see Aunt Millie? Are you happy that your brother has to work Christmas morning because he’s so cynical that he takes the fun out of everything? Is Grandma likely to be her bitter, critical self? Is this any way to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace?

The words of the ancient prophet Isaiah are frequently quoted during the season of Advent. He’s the one who coined the phrase “Prince of Peace.” He also looked forward to a time when “the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them” (NIV). That’s a picture of relatives living together in peace and then some!

Want to give a gift that will last this Christmas? How about the gift of peace? How about greeting Aunt Millie with a sincere hug, or taking some cookies to your brother at work, or just letting Grandma have her say and when she’s all done say “I love you.”

The fruit of the Spirit of God is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)—give your family a basketful.

by PASTOR MICHAEL CISLER
North Kent Bible Church

Here we are again, sneaking up on Christmas. Maybe you have already started your Christmas shopping or maybe you won’t do so for another three weeks. Either way, take a moment to consider what gifts you give to others and what gifts they give you.

In Isaiah 58, God speaks through the prophet Isaiah concerning what He desires in fasting. Fasting had turned into a practice that was more about other people seeing our fake righteousness, than the desire that God had for it from the beginning. In this chapter, God talks about wanting people that are involved in loosening the chains of injustice, setting the oppressed free, feeding the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless, and meeting the needs of those in need.

In Isaiah 58:10 it says, “…and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” Now what does this have to do with Christmas gifts?

Are there people in your life for whom it is difficult to find just the right gift? Are there people in your life who just love whatever you give them? Have you ever considered replacing some of those gifts with gifts that could help others in need? What if, rather than buying a $30 sweater for a sibling, you donated that $30 in their name instead. It is amazing what $30 can do to bless those in need. North Kent Community Services can turn $30 into an astonishing amount of food to give to our neighbors who may need some assistance. In fact, through some organizations a donation of $20 can buy enough food to feed 100 orphans in Malawi, Africa for an entire week.

I think now is a good time to begin talking to others with whom we exchange gifts for Christmas. Consider encouraging them to give to others in need in your name. Consider giving to them a donation to others in need in their name. “…and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”

by PASTOR RON AULBACH
BridgeWay Community Church

Johnny Carson may have said it best: “Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often.”

Now, I hope that isn’t true for you. Beyond giving thanks for turkey, stuffing, banana cream pie, uncle Eddie’s unique personality, and a competitive Lions team, we need to be thankful for all ways we’ve been blessed.

As easy as it is to say, “Be a thankful person,” there are real enemies that rob us. The first enemy is isolation. We were created for community and God says it is not good for us to be alone. When we isolate ourselves, we lose the connection we were created for and we forget how wonderful the people around us are. So, make time during these holidays to have coffee with an old friend or to call a relative you miss.

Another enemy is busyness. The schedule can be so full, that getting through the day is all we feel like we can do. We’re told, “Busy people get the most done.” So we over commit and instead of being thankful, we resent our busy lives. As tempting as it is, resist the need to fill the calendar. Use the extra time to pray to God, and thank Him for the life you’ve been given.

Finally, guard against the enemy of entitlement. It’s so easy to think that people are here to serve us. “I deserve it!” I order my coffee at Starbucks, where my addictions are most satisfied, and how do I respond? Am I thankful for the person who got up much earlier than I did to make it? I may have paid for it, but does my heart express with words how thankful I am? Followers of Jesus Christ should be the most thankful people anyone ever meets. God gave of His son, so that we might have eternal life. So “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and have a wonderful holiday season.