Shelby County Today

December 19, 2022 - Grace and peace from our brother Jesus, Amen. We at Paxton Methodist hope everyone has a joyful Christmas holiday. Paxton Methodist Church will have Christmas Eve Services on Saturday at 4:00 PM. There will be no services on Christmas Day. Christmas Eve will be the last time we will celebrate as part of the United Methodist Church. The members of Paxton voted to leave the United Methodist denomination and align with the Global Methodist Church. December 24 will also be my last official sermon and service as the pastor at Paxton Methodist Church. I am retiring from the ministry at the end of 2022. I will text the Eastern Conference of the Global Methodist Church to see how their search for a new Paxton pastor is progressing. The last time I texted, I was told there have been two meetings about getting a pastor and that they were aggressively working on it.

Last Thursday we had our annual Paxton Community Christmas program and meal. This was the first time we have held this festive evening since the beginning of the pandemic. We had 30 folks in attendance; the weather was cool but clear and not too cold. Gene replaced the ramp into the church, making it sturdy and slip resistant. It got used as people came and went Thursday night. The program included congregational singing, two reading selections, and special music from Nora Robinson and Wayne and Leona Wimberley. Wayne also led the singing, very helpful in this year of using CDs from the hymnal. Our food was mostly catered, featuring potato soup and chicken salad wraps, plus desserts and drinks from our congregation.

Sunday morning was cold! If the forecasts are right, there is a polar blast heading our way bringing temperatures in the teens. On Friday morning the “feel like” temp is supposed to get to -5 degrees! Oh no! Thank goodness Mrs. Fannie turns the heaters up the night before, and the church is always comfortable. Our Sunday school literature this week was based on the Matthew story of the wise men. The author said the purpose of this lesson was to learn how to proclaim Jesus as our King. I see our faith not as static but as something growing during our journey through life. Of course, the wise men had that bright star to guide them. We too can follow the path to Christ just as the three kings did so long ago.

Our worship began with listening to the Christmas hymn, “Angels We Have Heard on High.” Later we sang “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” Our bulletin quote was a lyric excerpt from “Mary, Did You Know?” that Nora sang so beautifully at the Christmas program: “Mary, did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? This child that you delivered will soon deliver you.” Sue led us in our Gathering Words and the Apostles’ Creed. She also shared some Advent moments and read the Gospel lesson from Luke 2. During our Christmas Eve Service, I will refer to Luke often but will use Matthew’s telling of the birth story as the Gospel lesson. Only Luke and Matthew have birth narratives in their Gospels, strangely enough. The title of my sermon was “An Amazing Story,” which the Christmas account certainly is.

December is the month that Paxton Methodist collects cans or boxes of soup for Community Christian Services. We so appreciate Community Christian Services allowing us, in a small way, to partner with them all year round, including helping with the Children’s Christmas. They do such necessary and generous work, and it’s a privilege to be a part of it.

I went for my final follow-up appointment after my hand surgery in November, and the doctor released me. My hands aren’t perfect but not bad for a 70-year-old dude! I will have one more article in a week or so before retiring. I have so enjoyed writing the articles and also sending out what is supposed to be a weekly newsletter. I have met through emails so many wonderful people, and I appreciate the news outlets letting me have space for my article.

Whoever you are, in whatever faith you were born, whatever creed you profess; if you come to this house to find God you are welcome here. Paxton Methodist Church is an inviting church that takes to heart the idea of “Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds.” Worship begins at 10:00. Our email address is paxtonumc@yahoo.com. If you would like the weekly email newsletter about Paxton Methodist, you can send your email address to the Paxton email address, and I will add you to the list. God’s Speed.

December 13, 2022 - First Baptist Center, 117 Cora, welcomes the community to a candlelight service at 5:00pm on Christmas Eve. We invite your family to join our church family for all the favorite carols, a children’s sermon, and a Christmas message from our pastor. 

December 9, 2022 - Good Morning! It’s Friday, December 9.

Phillips Brooks was a giant of a man - six foot six, 300 pounds. In 1865 he was the 29-year-old pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia and he was considered one of the finest preachers in America. He delivered a sermon at Abraham Lincoln's funeral. But, more than anything else, Phillips Brooks enjoyed being a pastor and was never happier than when he sat cross legged on the floor of a children's Sunday School room at his church, letting the laughing kids crawl all over him! But the stress of taking his church through the years of the Civil War had taken a toll on this young pastor. Being a shepherd during times of crisis can do that to a man.

At the end of 1865 the leaders of Brooks' church urged him to take a break and he decided to journey to the Holy Land. On Christmas Eve of that year, he found himself in Jerusalem and decided, at the spur of the moment, to ride on horseback to Bethlehem. It's only six miles away. At dusk he came over a hill, and there, laid out before him, was the little town - looking much as it did on that first Christmas night. It was a moment that took his breath away, a moment that he would never forget. On returning to Philadelphia he was inspired to write a Christmas poem for the children of his church. He asked his organist to fashion a tune for it and O Little Town of Bethlehem has gone on to become one of our favorite American carols.

Bethlehem today looks nothing like it did in the 1st century. When you drive there from Jerusalem you must pass through military check points and the city is surrounded by a 20-foot wall. It gives the appearance of an armed camp, it looks very much like a prison. The angel's message to the shepherds - peace on earth - can only faintly be heard there now. But when we sing Phillips Brooks carol, the little song that he wrote for the children of his church, it gives us a look at what Bethlehem was 2000 years ago. And it gives us a glimmer of hope for the days to come.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight
O Holy Child of Bethlehem descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel!

Meet you back here on Monday,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org

You can visit Old Bethlehem this Christmas in Center, Texas. First Baptist welcomes you this Saturday and Sunday beginning at 6pm and continuing through 7:45. It's free. It's unique. It's entertaining. It's inspiring. Join us!

“Tis a sad, sad story they relate 
These weak and foolish beings 
Who never get through the day 
But someone hurt their feelings.” 

December 8, 2022 - Injured feelings are given as an excuse for a lot of wrong doing. Alcoholics have used hurt feelings as an excuse for going on another binge and not a few Christians have forsaken the church because some member of the church hurt their feelings. 

Let’s face it, there are tactless, ill-mannered people who are forever saying crude and harsh things that would puncture the feelings of most anyone. Yet, it matters little what people of this disposition say or do. No life has ever been lived without a few knocks. If every sensible adult would stand firm and fight their own battles with life, each little knock would leave them stronger and more knowledgeable than before. Remember, kites rise against the wind, not with the wind. 

Hurt feelings usually spring from a well of self-pity and folks, life is too short to spend one minute in self-pity, or in seeking after the pity and sympathy of others. We must make sure we are not one of those tactless people who needlessly hurt the feelings of others, and we must also make sure we don’t “wear our feelings on our sleeve” just waiting for someone to hurt them. 

It’s something to think about. . . tbp

Join Us for Worship this coming Lord’s Day at Center Church of Christ or online at www.centerchurchofchrist.com.