Just a quick reminder that this is the last Sunday before Christmas. As you know, many folks who would never consider attending church any other time of year, are agreeable to coming out for Christmas services. This would be a great way to introduce them to our church family.
I think this will be especially true this year. As the struggles of a bad economy and the resulting lost jobs and higher expenses plague our city, people are in need of hope. They need to be reminded that there are people that care for them and are willing to help out in whatever way possible. They also need to know that Father God has not forgotten them, that the story of Christmas is one that emphasizes God’s involvement in our lives, if we will let Him.
So let me encourage you, once again, to reach out to those around you, friends and neighbors, who are not connected with a church and who need to hear about God’s love for them. We have a lot of room in that cafeteria. Let’s fill it up.
See you Sunday to celebrate!
Aaron
[ add comment ] | permalink | related link |
( 3.1 / 23 )The Peanuts, created by Charles Shultz, are some of my favorite characters ever to grace newsprint. The topics and issues explored through the lives of these iconic grades -schoolers are valid and relatable years after they have been introduced and have impacted generations of readers through the life lessons that they share, o so innocently. I still cannot keep from flipping immediately to the comics page, whenever I pick up a paper, to see what Charlie Brown and the gang are up to today. Yet it was not the strip that first captured my interest in the Peanuts. It was the specials.
One of the memories I associate clearly with childhood is the spinning, multicolored, “special” that seemed ready to blast through my television. That graphic always announced that cartoons were invading primetime and the TV belonged to the kids for the next half hour. Many times, the music of Vince Guaraldi informed me that Charlie Brown and his friends had come to teach me the true message of whatever holiday happened to be on the horizon. My favorite episode, surprise, is the Christmas special. The interesting part is, that I do not connect with it so much because it is Christmas, but rather because I think the characters of Charlie Brown and Linus define my experience with God so clearly in the story. They encapsulate for me the Christian life.
Think about it: Charlie Brown is one of the strongest characters that has ever been imagined. His life is not one full of ease and contentment. He is forced to battle stubbornly for everything good that he experiences. And he fails. Often. Yet, at no time do we ever sense that he is willing to give up. Oh, he may get depressed. He may be full of doom and gloom for a season. But he always bounces back with renewed optimism that life can be different, that maybe he will kick that football this time, perhaps there will be a card in the mail for him, or possible that the tree he picked isn’t so bad after all. The willingness to endure for the hope of something better to come is a necessary part of the Christian faith. I learned long ago that my relationship with God does not exempt me from the struggles of life. It simply changes the way that I approach them. Just like Good Ol’ Charlie Brown.
Linus represents the opposite side of the same coin. He never seems to get too worked up about life and lets the worries of the world flow on past him. He is stoic and resolute, finding comfort in his spirituality and faith, and in his knowledge that he needs something more than himself to feel secure. How true that is for me! The knowledge that Father God is there for me and I do not have to find all the answers within myself provides comfort and security that gives me peace despite trying circumstances. Some may say that that ideology is flawed and my faith is simply a crutch. I would counter that at times, life makes cripples of us all and how will we stand without a support?
So during this holiday, I would suggest a viewing of the Peanuts. You just might find the encouragement, hope, and faith that you need in the lives of these cartoon characters.
[ add comment ] | permalink | related link |
( 2.6 / 17 )There is nothing like New York City at Christmastime! The crowded streets filled with shoppers out in the wintry cold to find the perfect gift, the billboards and neon signs screaming their messages of holiday consumables to all who possess any ability to sense the world around them, and the store front displays which can entice even the most Scrooge-like of individuals to smile briefly and fondly think of childhood. This weekend is the first time that I have been in NYC for the holidays in five years, yet the memories held true and the experience was as inspiring as ever.
I took a large portion of the Riverside youth group on the trip with me. We where able to take a walking tour of mid and lower Manhattan and see some of the more famous sights. It was one of the most enjoyable trips that I have been on in such a long time. The highlight for me was taking the time to visit both Trinity Church as well as St. Paul’s Cathedral. The sense of history contained in those two places is overwhelming and impacted every member of the group.
It was fun to see the group experience those sights and landmarks that are so easily associated with New York. We went to Time Square, Central Park, and Fifth Avenue. We stood under the colossal tree in Rockefeller Center and watched the folks skate on the rink below. We sailed past the Statue of Liberty, shopped our way through Chinatown and Little Italy, and sampled some great NYC staples such as the Carnegie Deli and New York Pizza. Everyone seemed to appreciate the experience and that made the trip worth while.
So for anyone who has the opportunity to visit the Apple during the holidays, I can’t encourage you enough to take the opportunity. It is an experience that you will not forget.
[ 1 comment ] ( 7 views ) | permalink | related link |
( 0 / 0 )I have been off line for the last few days recovering from pneumonia and our Christmas Celebration, but I wanted to hop back on tonight and give some credit to those folks that made an incredible weekend happen at Riverside Church.
For those of you not in the know, we held our second annual Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 6th and it was a smash hit. We had over 170 people attend this year and the general consensus was that the evening was wonderful. Dinner was incredible, with an amazing buffet filled with great food and the concert inspired people with the heart of Christmas. I couldn’t have hoped for more. We also held a breakfast buffet before church the following morning and continued exploring the Christmas theme throughout service. It was an incredibly successful weekend but one that required a ton of work. With that in mind, I want to thank a few folks who were so instrumental in making this weekend happen:
Thanks to our cooking staff – Keith Martin, Bill Birth, Julie Fraley, and Jessica Chinchar. That was an amazing meal, folks! Way to create your own episode of Dinner: Impossible. There is a high level of cooking talent in our church!
Thanks to our servers – Jessica Chinchar, Frannie Spellman, Kati Irizarry, Jason Fraley, Kristen Fraley, Joshua Moore, and everyone else who pitched in. It seemed like we had a professional catering staff working for us. You guys were awesome! Thanks for the service. Job well done!
Thanks to all our musicians – Chris Shores, Josh Carrell, Josh Moore, Nick Anderson, Julie Fraley, Jeannie Norton, The Davis Family, Jason and Kristen Fraley, Sarah Fraley, Jessica Chinchar, Kati Irizarry, and Masato Omori. What an inspirational performance! You told the story of Christmas through your music and all were blessed.
Thanks to Maggie Irizarry. None of the music would have happened without you! Thanks for you commitment and for your vision. I can’t wait to see how God continues to use you throughout the year.
Thanks to Toby Deemer. You ran the show though most people don’t know it. Thanks for keeping perfect timing. Thanks also for your vision and development of the theme for the service. Everything that was good with the writing started with you. You’re awesome, man.
Thanks to Bruce Neubaurer. You have a voice that should be on the radio. Your narration captured the heart of what I wanted to say and made it come alive. I am so grateful for your participation.
Thanks to Darlene Morris and Jenny Lamoreaux. The decorations and handouts were fantastic. I can’t thank you enough for your hard work in planning this event and adding those special touches that made it a step beyond last year. Your constant support is inspiring and humbling
Thanks to Bill and Linda Birth, Ryan and Jolene Birth, Jill and Barry Vitaz, Maggie Moore, and everyone else who prepared food for our Christmas breakfast. Again, the cooking talent in our church is off the hook!
I’m sure I’m forgetting someone because so many people participated in making this weekend such a wonderful one. If so, let me apologize in advance. I am so grateful for everyone who took the time and energy to be a part of event. Great job, Riverside, great job!
[ add comment ] | permalink | related link |
( 2.7 / 6 )Let’s continue the ultimate Christmas Movie List…
5. A Muppet Christmas Carol – How they got Michael Caine to star in this film is beyond me, but I have to admit, I love it. The entire Muppet cast assumes roles in this twisted version of Dickens’ holiday classic and they seem to fit the parts like a hand in a glove. Narration is given by Mr. Dickens himself, ably played by the Great Gonzo and assisted by Rizzo the Rat. You really don’t need any more information than that to rush right out and pick up this film. Gonzo in a pivotal role? Priceless! The greatest scenes in the film all involve him in some aspect, the pinnacle of which is he and Rizzo ditching Scrooge when the Ghost of Christmas Future arrives. The justification for abandoning their post? This part of the story is just too scary. I’ve been saying that my entire life. Solidarity, my little weirdo friend. Solidarity.
4. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – Clark Griswald is the fictional character that I most relate to. His attempts to create the iconic family moment that inevitably backfires mimic my own struggles to craft that perfect Kodak moment that is not ruined with bunny ears. It should be no surprise than, that Clark’s trials and tribulations should attract me like fat guys to honey ham.
That being said, what really makes this movie is Clark’s cousin-in-law, Eddie. There is an Eddie in every family and the opportunity to see the ridiculousness of the embarrassing relative shown in all its glory is cathartic in the extreme. Clark says to Eddie what we all would like to say if family etiquette would allow:
Eddie: You surprised to see us, Clark?
Clark: Oh, Eddie... If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now.
Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?
Ahhhhhh, it feels so good!
3. Elf – Someone cast Will Farrell as a human raised by elves at the North Pole? Oh, how the planets have aligned! Let me take a moment to say that I think Will Farrell may possibly be the funniest person alive and this movie goes a far way in proving it. There are several parts in this film that are laugh out loud funny! Buddy, the character Farrell portrays, leaves the North Pole to find his real father in New York City. His introduction to the big city is priceless! It has two of the funniest yet cringe inducing moments in any holiday movie. First is Buddy pulling and eating used chewing gum from a public stair rail. The second is his desire to eat cotton balls. Just watching it hurts my teeth. But both of those moments pale in comparison to Buddy’s reaction to the department store Santa. It’s about time someone called those imposters out!
2. A Christmas Story – Every winter I am tempted to stick my tongue to a metal pole thanks to this film. A Christmas Story allows us once more to view the world through the eyes of a child and reminds us of the trials of our elementary years. Ralphie’s quest for the perfect Christmas gift while he traverses the difficulties of family and school are a window into a past that most of us can relate to. And that is what makes this film so special. It feels like real life, because of the absurd events rather than in spite of them. Dealing with bullies? I remember that. Navigating the intricate dance between parent and child? Check! Trying desperately to get what I really want for Christmas and going to Machiavellian lengths in order to secure it? I still do that! For anyone who still remembers what is was like to be a kid (without the blinders of sentimentality), this film is for you.
1. Scrooge (the Musical) – The story of Scrooge is a Christmas one to the very core, because, ultimately, it is a story of redemption. The greatest gift of Christmas is a second chance. So it is no wonder that I am drawn to the story. The problem is that there are tons of bad renditions of A Christmas Carol. This one, however, is a fantastic period piece that is only complimented by the musical score. Songs like “I hate people” give you a greater understanding of the isolation that Scrooge has embraced. By the same token, “Thank you very much” demonstrates just how loathed Scrooge is by the people that he does business with. But the real star of this rendition is the level of acting. Despite people bursting into song and random dancing in the streets, the ensemble captivates you and makes you believe that their world is real. This is the pinnacle of holiday entertainment and is not to be missed. So here is my advice: invite your friends and family over, serve up your favorite Christmas dessert, and be challenged once again by the Spirit of Christmas. You won’t regret it.
[ add comment ] | permalink | related link |
( 3 / 26 )Next
Calendar
