Page 2 2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024
2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 Page 3 Table of Contents 04 | A childhood memory of Christmas By Rev. Larry Collins, Worship Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Lincoln 06 | The unabridged version By Ryan Edgecombe Family, Broadwell Christian Church 08 | We started this race together; we’ll finish it together By Michael Mallick, Senior Minister JeffStreet Christian Church 10 | Why the infinitely rich would become poor By Pastor Ray Pepples, First Baptist Church 12 | The rarest of barn finds By Ron Otto, Lincoln Christian Church 14 | A “Magnificent” Christmas (Luke 1:46-55) By John Castelein 16 | Holiday Worship Schedule
Page 4 2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 Continued -- By Rev. Larry Collins, Worship Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Lincoln “Mama, It's Christmas Eve, and tomorrow morning we get to open our presents.” I announced excitedly. My brother Jerry and sisters, Mary and Sarah, were so excited for this one morning each year when we receive surprise gifts and toys. Christmas! “And, Mama,” I asked, “can you put the record on the record player, 'Here Comes Santa Claus' to wake us up?” She smiled and said, “Yes, of course.” We went to bed eagerly awaiting the breaking of dawn. Mother was busy through the night as we slept. Boom! Like no time had passed, when our eyes popped open at the sound of Gene Autry singing the song I had requested on our 78 RPM record player. We ran down the steps A childhood memory of Christmas to see a new bicycle, cap guns like the Lone Ranger used, dolls for my sisters, cakes and goodies to eat. It was a wonderful morning in the Collins home, our humble little house on the east side of Palestine, Illinois. Daddy had died a few years before and mother and we four children were left to celebrate the holiday without his laughter and his presence. Mother had taken a job at the Robinson Memorial Hospital in Robinson to provide for us. It was amazing that she could afford to buy these special gifts. There were no credit cards in those days. She put things on layaway and paid on them each month until they were paid in full. She also bought things with her S and H green Stamps from Patterson's supermarket.
2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 Page 5 But wait! What about Jesus? What about the Nativity? Well, that was well covered too. “Whenever the church doors are open, we will be there.” Mother intoned to us, her four children. “We will be there for Sunday worship, Sunday night service, Wednesday night prayer meeting and Christmas Eve too.” And we were. One highlight for us at our little Methodist Church in Palestine was the reading of “Willie and Annie's Prayer” It was recited annually by a faithful Christian woman in our church, Leota Gaddis. I recommend you find it and read it. If you like something to warm your heart and bring a tear to your eye. Of course, the poem ends when the harsh father is led by God to bring the joys of Christ's blessings to his children even when he was unaware God was leading him to do so. Poem: Annie and Willie's Prayer by Sophia P. Snow Which brings me to the end of my reflections on Christmas. God is at work in our world today. We see it with the return of Christian values in the young generation Z population. The people of America have moved decidedly toward family values and renewing a sense of the importance of faith in God. Jesus is still the most popular person in the country this and every Christmas. That's the way it should be. Open your heart and ask Him to forgive you and bring you the joy He alone can give to you this holy season. Because Jesus loves you and so do we who are part of His family. Merry Christmas.
Page 6 2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 By Ryan Edgecombe Family, Broadwell Christian Church Hello Friends: I have an excerpt for you from a famous holiday work of literature. Do you know where it is from??? "He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed that any walk—that anything—could give him so much happiness. In the afternoon he turned his steps towards his nephew’s house." This is from “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. I don't know about you, but I love this story and love the movie adaptions of the story as well. My favorite film versions include the one starring George C. Scott (1984), the musical version with Albert Finney (1970), and the Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)! If you have watched these versions of A Christmas Carol, you probably don't remember seeing Ebenezer Scrooge attending church services on Christmas Morning. There is only one film adaptation to my knowledge that includes this, being faithful to Dicken's original story. The unabridged version In the 1999 version with Patrick Stewart, Scrooge is walking through the streets of London wishing everyone he comes across a "Merry Christmas." He hears a hymn being sung from a local church: "God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen." He is drawn in by the music and decides to go to the service. He is a fish out of water! He doesn't know that he is supposed to remove his top hat upon entering but is kindly encouraged to do so. He finds an empty spot in an otherwise full pew and tries to sing but doesn't know the words. Thankfully the person that is standing next to him shares his hymnbook and Scrooge, with the music in front of him, starts to sing with great joy and gusto! "O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy!" It is a truly beautiful scene! Part of it being made possible by the kindness or welcoming spirit of the church members. Continued --
2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 Page 7 If you haven't been in a church service for a while, I know it might not be the most comfortable place for you. You might wonder if you'll be accepted or welcome. You might be afraid that it will be an awkward experience. It takes some courage sometimes to step within a sanctuary for worship when you're not used to it. I want to tell you that I know many/most of the local ministers and congregations in Logan County. I have worked with them for many years on a variety of projects. No Church is perfect, but I believe with all of my heart that you will find within the church walls of Lincoln and the surrounding area, good people who love God and love you too and want to get to know you. There is no greater Gift than the Gift of Jesus Christ, the Newborn King, at Christmas time, and He is worthy of your devotion and worship! The Edgecombe Family and Broadwell Christian Church wishes you all a very Merry Christmas.
Page 8 2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 By Michael Mallick, Senior Minister JeffStreet Christian Church A couple of years ago I preached a sermon series called, “Finding Your Way Back to God.” In that series I used an illustration (and video clip) of Derek Redmond from the 1992 Olympic games held in Barcelona. Derek Redmond, from Great Britain, was the favorite in the 400 meters and at the start of the race he was in command, on his way to a gold medal. However, at the 200-meter mark (halfway through the race) his hamstring snapped. He stumbled, then fell to the ground and later said it felt like a knife thrust into his leg. His trainer tried to pull him off the track, but he waved him away. And although the pain was unbearable and although all hope of winning was gone Derek Redmond slowly pulled himself up and began to hop on his good leg toward the finish line. With the race now over the attention of the 65,000 people, the stadium turned back to Redmond, and they were stunned. They rose with a loud deafening cheer. It was a magical Olympic moment. And then as he limped down the home stretch, a man with a ball cap that read “Just Do It” jumped out of the crowd and ran toward Redmond being chased by security guards. It was Jim Redmond, Derek's dad. He came up to his son, wrapped his arms around him and whispered, “We started this race together; we'll finish it together.” The father led his son to the finish line. We started this race together; we’ll finish it together It is a powerful and inspiring story and many times when it is told it's an illustration of perseverance, not quitting — and it is certainly that. However, it is the powerful story of Christmas. That God, high up in Heaven saw us — His children stumble and fall under the weight of sin. And because of His great love for us He could not stay where He was. He came down to earth to be with us in our pain — to pick us up and to help us to the finish line. Could you use a little of that kind of help in your life? Read Luke 2:1-7 and be reminded that at Christmas God came down to put His arm around your shoulder and help you to the finish line. Whatever your situation — whether you are hurting from the loss of a loved one, struggling from a broken relationship, or frustrated that life hasn't gone your way — remember God loves you and whispers in your ear, “We started this race together; we'll finish it together.” Merry Christmas — and joy to the world because the Lord has come.
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Page 10 2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 By Pastor Ray Pepples, First Baptist Church You know, Christmas is not about Jesus’ infancy; it is about His deity. The birth of Jesus Christ was never intended to hide the reality that God was being born into this world. It is difficult to fully grasp what it means for the God of the Universe to be born in a manger. And how do you explain the Almighty stooping to become a tiny infant? It was the greatest act of love the world has ever known or ever will know. It is difficult for our human minds to begin to understand what it was in God’s becoming a man. As mere humans we will never be able to understand why He who was infinitely rich would become poor, take on a human form, and enter into a world He knew would reject and kill Him. No one can explain exactly how God could become a baby, but He did. Without giving up His divine nature or diminishing His deity in any way. He was born into our world as a tiny infant. Folks ask me occasionally if I think He cried, or if He needed the normal care and feeding like any other baby. The answer is – of course He did. He was fully human with all the needs and emotions that are common to every human. Why the infinitely rich would become poor Continued --
2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 Page 11 Yet, He was also fully God – all wise and all powerful. So how can both be true? I don’t know. But the Bible clearly teaches that it is so. In some ways, Jesus voluntarily suspended the full use of His divine attributes. He didn’t give up being God, but He did willingly set aside the use of the privileges and powers that were His as God. He chose to subjugate His will to His Father’s will. Through all that He remained fully God. For nearly two thousand years, debate has been raging about who Jesus really is. Cults and skeptics have offered various explanations. They will say He is one of many gods, a created being, a prophet, and so on. The common thread of all such theories is that they make Jesus less than God. Jesus’ works are convincing proof that He is God. He began His miraculous ministry with a simple act – He created wine at a wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11). Only God can create. He healed people who were hopelessly ill. He gave sight to the blind (Matthew 9:27-31). He opened ears that had never heard (Mark 7:3127). He created enough fish and bread to feed thousands (Mark 6:48-52). He raised the dead by simply commanding them to come forth from the grave (John 11:38-44). 217-732-8141 401 Delavan St., Lincoln 217-648-2001 202 NW Vine St., Atlanta
Page 12 2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 By Ron Otto, Lincoln Christian Church To fully appreciate Christmas; you have to believe in miracles. Every year, automotive enthusiasts celebrate a long list of rare barn finds that shock the auction world. Old corvettes, mustangs, muscle cars of all kinds are discovered, restored, and become the talk of car shows. One of my favorite stories was a very rare 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona, discovered in a dusty old barn owned by an unsuspecting Donna O’Hara. It was one of seven cars that competed in the Le Mans, lapped Ferrari, and set several speed records. The car is valued at a staggering $4,000,000. Imagine finding a rare treasure just lying around some old barn? Christmas is about revisiting another rare barn discovery that happened 2000 years ago; the birth of Jesus Christ. Every year, nearly the entire world will stop what’s it’s doing and celebrate Christmas. It is amazing to me that an event that happened nearly 2000 years ago could still cause traffic jams today. For many in this world, they’d love to see Jesus just forgotten. Many experts have said this “Jesus thing” should have gone away years ago…but it didn’t. They just can’t seem to explain it, but this story isn’t going away, it’s actually picking up ground. The birth of Jesus is the centerpiece of our history. Even our calendar is dated from the reference point of Jesus Christ. God split history with the event of Christmas. BTW, Jesus’ birth was not the miracle. He was born just like every other baby. The miracle was his conception; “Born of a virgin” (Isaiah 7:14). A virgin becoming pregnant is pretty miraculous in its own way. Add to that this was foretold 700 years before it happened? Wow! How do you explain that? When Buddy the Elf hears Santa is coming to his store, his excitement explodes, and he starts screaming and celebrating. Then he says most excitedly, “I know him!” I love that scene. It brings us to the most important question for your Christmas…do you know Jesus? To fully appreciate Christmas; you have to believe in miracles. The rarest of barn finds
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Page 14 2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 A “Magnificent” Christmas By John Castelein Preposterous! That’s what both Jewish and Gentile religious people must have thought when told that, sometime in their own lifetime, God had become a baby in some peasant woman’s womb and then proceeded to live a completely human life. The more exalted a person’s concept of God is, the more ridiculous that story sounds! What a contrast with how that young girl herself, Mary, responds to these astonishing events that so intimately involve her own life. You can read and hear her amazing words in Luke 1:46-55. These words are often referred to as “the Magnificat,” based on the first word in the Latin translation (it is the verb “makes great”). I honestly don’t know what to call these verses—a poem, a hymn, a canticle, a psalm, a prayer, or a song. Are you as astonished as I am by her apparent complete willingness to become pregnant though unwed? Jewish culture and society took pregnancy outside of wedlock very seriously. Jewish scriptures even prescribed death by stoning for an unwed mother in Deut 22:22-29. Yet here is Mary, over the moon because she believes God is directly involved in this pregnancy. In all honesty, it is unnatural, to say the least. You would expect that Mary will be obsessed with what her parents will think or dreading what the neighbors will whisper. Will she be shunned at the synagogue and ostracized by the other women of Nazareth? But, instead, she is overwhelmed with the greatness, the goodness, and the love of God! (Luke 1:46-55)
2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 Page 15 She briefly shares how her heart overflows with gratitude to God. She gives God all the glory and celebrates Him as her Savior. But then her heart and mind shift away completely from herself to what God is up to. He is holy, even in orchestrating this irregular pregnancy. Whereas Mary may rightly fear public shaming and painful rejection in Nazareth, God promises that Mary will someday be called blessed and find great respect. What in the world is Mary thinking? She apparently envisions that this infant, soon to be stirring in her womb, will involve political events, even bringing down rulers from their thrones and lifting up society’s most deprived. Why in the world does this young woman think of her baby in terms of the national covenant that Israel has with God? Isn’t it presumptuous for Mary to imagine that her little bitty baby has anything to do with God’s glorious and historic promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? The secret of Mary’s magnificent song is that Mary is walking by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7)! That is how Christmas begins and that is how Christmas endures today! Beyond the Christmas merchandise, the Christmas rush, the Christmas trees, and the Christmas pageantry, I invite you by faith to see the baby, chosen to be your Savior and the Savior of the world! (Luke 1:46-55) And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
Page 16 2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 LINCOLN CHRISTIAN CHURCH 204 N. McLean St. Holiday Events & Services: Dec. 15 | 8:15, 9:30 & 10:15 a.m. - Celebrate Christmas Dec. 24 | 4 & 6 p.m - Christmas Eve Carols & Candlelight Holiday Worship Schedule OPEN ARMS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP 1321 Route 10 - Lincoln Holiday Events & Services: Dec. 8 | 10 a.m. - Kick off Christmas sermon series Dec. 11 | 6:30 p.m. - Young Adults Christmas Party Dec. 15 | 10 a.m. - Open Arms Kids Christmas performance Dec. 22 | 10 a.m. - Christmas Sunday Service Dec. 24 | 3 p.m & 9 p.m. - Candlelight Christmas Eve Service BROADWELL CHRISTIAN CHURCH 111 S. Olive St. Elkhart, IL Holiday Events & Services: Dec. 24 | 6 p.m. - Christmas Eve Service FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 302 Broadway St. Lincoln, IL Holiday Events & Services: Dec. 5 | 5 p.m. - Christmas Parade Dec. 7 | 12 p.m. - Mini VBS & Parents' Day Out Dec. 17 | 6 p.m. - Early Childhood Christmas Celebration Dec. 19 | 6 p.m. - Blue Christmas Service Dec. 24 | 7 p.m. - Christmas Even Candlelight Service Dec. 29 | 10 a.m./11:30 a.m - Last Sunday of the Year...One traditional service & potluck
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Page 18 2024 Worship Guide LINCOLN DAILY NEWS December 2024 Holiday Worship Schedule FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 101 Broadway St., Lincoln, IL 62656 Holiday Events & Services: Dec. 18 | 7 p.m. - Christmas Program Dec. 22 | 10 a.m. - Festive Christmas Service Dec. 24 | 7 p.m. - Candlelight Service Dec. 25 | No Bible Study Dec. 29 | 10 a.m. - Regular Service Jan. 01 | No Bible Study JEFFSTREET CHRISTIAN CHURCH 1700 N. Jefferson St., Lincoln Holiday Events & Services: Dec. 7 | 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. -Red Kettle Bell Ringing at Walmart Dec. 8 | Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest Dec. 20 | 7 p.m. - Service of the Longest Night in the Worship Center Dec. 24 | 4 p.m. - Christmas Eve Service in the Worship Center Dec. 29, 9 p.m. - Family Sunday
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