History records an interesting even during the dark winter of 1864 just before Christmas.  At Petersburg, Virginia the Confederate army of Robert E. Lee faced the Union divisions of General Ulysses S. Grant.  The war was now three and half years old and was at a point of virtual stalemate.  Late one evening, one of Lee’s generals, Major General George Pickett, received word that his wife had given birth to a healthy baby boy.  Up and down the line the Southerners began building huge bonfires in celebration of the event.  These fires did not go unnoticed in the Northern camps and soon a nervous Grant sent out a reconnaissance patrol to see what was going on.  The scouts returned with the message that Pickett had had a son and these were celebratory fires.  It so happened that Pickett and Grant had been contemporaries at West Point and knew one another well.  So to honor the occasion, Grant ordered that bonfires should be built on the Northern side too. 

             What a peculiar night it was.  For miles on both sides of the lines fires burned.  No shots were fired.  No yelling back and forth.  No war fought.  Only light, celebrating the birth of a child.  It didn’t last long.  Soon the fires burned down and once again the darkness of war enveloped our nation.  But for a brief moment a baby brought light. 

             I’d never really thought of it as a Christmas song until I heard Tim Hughes' “Here I Am To Worship” on a radio station playing all Christmas music.  But notice the first verse:

             Light of the world

             You stepped down into darkness.

             Opened my eyes, let me see.

             Beauty that made this heart adore You

             Hope of a life spent with You.

             Here I am to worship,

             Here I am to bow down,

             Here I am to say that You’re my God.

Jesus is indeed, the Light of the World (John 1:4-5).  The good news of Christmas is that  for those who will accept the light, darkness can never overtake them.  As Jesus says in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  I trust you experienced that light during this Christmas season. 

             It now becomes our job to share that light with those who are still in darkness.  As we approach this New Year, let’s be diligent to let our light shine as never before. 

                                                                 Have a Great Week!

                                                                 Pastor Barry

 I’ve decided to make my Tuesday on the Run e-mail this week a Christmas letter to my wonderful Parkway Wesleyan Family.  Rosemary and I would like to express our love and appreciation for each of you and wish you a blessed Christmas.  Your continued love and support make our job such a blessing.

   I am especially thankful for Pastor Dale and Pastor Pam and the huge impact they are having on our ministry.  Besides leading us in inspiring worship every week, Dale does a ton of stuff behind the scenes with technology, the website, communication and printing.  I don’t know how we managed without him.  And by the way, I’ve been in a lot of other churches recently and I would rank our worship ahead of anything I’ve seen.  Pastor Pam continues to impress me with her creativity and faithfulness to the children’s ministry.

   Along with Dale and Pam, we’d like to thank our faithful core of youth and children’s workers.  From Sunday School, to Children’s Church, to Nursery, to our Youth Ministry, we have a dedicated staff.  We could use a few more, but we are thankful for the faithful servants we have.

   We all owe a debt of gratitude to Bonnie, our church secretary, for her tireless efforts in the church office.  She doesn’t believe anyone ever reads the bulletin, but I know that you do.  Her ability to decipher my terrible handwriting is itself a spiritual gift.  Thanks, Bonnie for all you do.

   I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that we’ve got a great church full of wonderful servants.  God has been so good to us this past year.  We’ve added a lot of new faces to our congregation which is such a blessing.  It seems like we are on the verge of some amazing growth in the next few months.  I am so excited about what God is going to help us accomplish in 2012.

   Rosemary and I are so looking forward to worshipping together with our church family on Christmas Day.  It’s not often that we get this opportunity.  What a joy to be able to celebrate God’s wonderful gift with those we love.  Of all the gifts we may receive this Christmas none can compare to God’s amazing gift.  As Paul says in II Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!  Join us on Sunday and we’ll unwrap this gift and celebrate together.

                                                                 With love,

                                                                 Pastor Barry and Rosemary

One of America’s greatest poets is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  The year 1860 found Longfellow happy in his life, enjoying a widening recognition, and elated over the election of Abraham Lincoln, which he believed signaled the triumph of freedom and redemption for the nation.

   The following year the Civil War began.  On July 9, ,1861 Longfellow’s wife, Fanny, was near an open window sealing locks of her daughter’s hair,

using hot sealing wax.  Suddenly her dress caught fire and engulfed her with flames.  Her husband, sleeping in the next room, was awakened by her screams.  As he desperately tried to put out the fire and save his wife, he was severely burned on his face and hands.

   Fanny died the next day.  Longfellow’s severe burns would not even allow him to attend Fanny’s funeral.  His white beard, which is so identified with him, was one of the results of the tragedy—the burn scars on his face made shaving almost impossible.  In his diary for Christmas day 1861 he wrote, “How inexpressibly sad are the holidays.”  In 1862 the toll of war dead began to mount and in his diary for that year Longfellow wrote of Christmas.  “A merry Christmas say the children, but that is no more for me.”

   In 1863 his son who had run away to join the Union army was severely wounded and returned home in December.  There is no entry in Longfellow’s diary for that Christmas.  But on Christmas Day 1864—at age 57—Longfellow sat down to try to capture, if possible, the joy of the season.  He began:

                 I heard the bells on Christmas day.  Their old familiar carols play,

                 and wild and sweet the words repeat of peace on earth, good will to men.

   As he came to the third stanza, he was stopped by the thought of the condition of  his beloved country.  The Battle of Gettysburg was not long past.  Days looked dark, and he probably asked himself the question, “How can I write about peace on earth, good will to men in this war-torn country, where brother fights against brother and father against son?”  Longfellow wrote one of the most honest, depressing verses of poetry ever written.

                 “And in despair I bowed my head:  “There is no peace on earth”, I said,

                 for hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.”

   As we look around at our world this morning, we may be tempted to agree with this hopeless assessment.  There doesn’t seem to be much good news.  For many, Christmas is a lonely, depressing season, filled with gloom and despair.  But we have to remember the story is not over.  The last chapter is still to be written.  As believers, we can have hope even in the midst of life’s most troubling circumstance.  In Longfellow’s great poem, which has become the well known Christmas carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”, he turns his thoughts heavenward.  With faith he proclaims:

                 Then peeled the bells more loud and deep; “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep! 

                 The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.”

   I hope you know that peace this morning.  In John 14:27 Jesus makes us this amazing promise: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. May His peace fill your heart and take away your anxiety this Christmas.  [For an inspiring rendition of “I Heard the Bells” check out the You Tube version by Casting Crowns] 

                                                                                     Have a great week!

                                                                                     Pastor Barry

P.S.  Christmas Events

   December 18th, Sunday night 6:30 PM “Arrest Ye Merry Gentlemen” -- our student ministries Christmas program

   December 21st, Wednesday 7:00 PM  Christmas Carol Sing

   December 25th, Sunday 10:45 AM Christmas Day Family Worship

   This past summer, Rosemary and I visited the Wright Brothers’ Museum in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
We read of the brother’s fascination with flight and their many failed attempts (it is a wonder they didn’t kill themselves).  We climbed the sand dune they used in some of their early attempts with gliders.  Finally, on December 17, 1903 first flight with a motorized, fixed wing aircraft  was achieved with Orville at the controls.  The “Flyer I” embarked on a 12 second flight.

   Wilber rushed to the local telegraph office and sent the following message home to Ohio--we have flown for 12 seconds—we will be home for Christmas.   Upon  receiving the telegram, their sister Katherine went to the Dayton Journal and told the editor of her brothers’ historic flight and informed him they would be home for Christmas if he wanted to schedule an interview.  He listened politely and told her he would put something about the boys in the paper.

   On December 19th on page 6 of the paper there was a small headline that said:  “WRIGHT BROTHERS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.”  The most important story of the year, man’s first flight, and the newspaper missed it!  It reminds me of that first Christmas, so long ago in Bethlehem.  The “good news of great joy,” the birth of our Savior was missed by most people.  The only recorded visitors were a few shepherds and some foreigners who followed a star and found the Christ child.  The busy merchants and inn keepers of Bethlehem didn’t know of His coming and could have cared less.  Herod is interested only because he wants to kill him and eliminate any threats to his throne.  Even the religious leaders, who know of the prophecies that predict the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem, don’t take the time to go the short 5 miles to look.  They miss the miracle.

   Let’s make sure that we don’t do the same.  In all of the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping and decorating, and eating, and celebrating let’s not forget the reason for the season.  Take time to focus on Jesus.  Reflect on the miracle of the incarnation and what it means for our lives.  Can I recommend some Christmas family activities?  Gather the family and watch the movie “The Nativity Story”.  If you like to read I’d recommend the following historical fictions:

                          “Two from Galilee” by Marjorie Holmes

                          “The Nativity Story” (same as movie) from Angela Hunt

                          The Little Books of Why? By Brock and Bodie Thoene

                          - “Why a Manger”

                          - “Why the Shepherds”

                          - “Why a Star”

   Or even better, go to the gospels themselves and reread the story of Jesus’ birth.  If you have children or grandchildren there are tons of children’s books about the birth of Jesus.  Max Lucado’s “The Crippled Lamb” is a good choice.

   And don’t forget to worship.  The Lord deserves our praise!  “Joy to the World, The Lord Has Come, Let Earth Receive Her King.  Let every heart prepare him room, and have a nature sing.”  Is there room in your heart for Jesus?

                                                                              Have a great week!

                                                                              Pastor Barry