Christmas Wish List

Every year when Christmas comes around the most heard question is "What do you want for Christmas?"

So... what DO you want for Christmas?

There's lots of answers for this question. Some work for lots of people - others only work for that specific someone. Sometimes people ask for things that you want to get them - but just can't afford. Sometimes people ask for things in which there is NO WAY you would actually buy it for them. {There will probably be a few of those this weekend at "WOW! That is an ugly Christmas sweater Sunday!"} :-)

No matter what it is that you want, does it make you happy? Really happy or just kind of happy... or is it a gift that gets re-gifted at the next White Elephant Christmas party?

There's only so much joy that a Christmas gift can give you. This time next year you may not even use that gift anymore - or you want the next cool thing. The shine runs out, the batteries die or let's face it, sometimes it inadvertently shrinks in the wash...

This Christmas, remember that there's a gift that was given to each and every one of us. A gift to all mankind so that each one of us may have eternal life (John 3:16). God gave us this amazing gift - in the form of a little baby - because He loves us.

And you know one of the most amazing things? He gives us this gift regardless of what we've done and what we will do. All we have to do is accept this gift from Him.

If you have never done that - or are unsure - see here and get some questions answered. If you still have questions, please contact us at Fair Oaks Church. We want to help you in your walk with Christ.

There's other people who need this gift also...

'Tis the season...

Song Set - 12/13

Series: Joe to the World
Today: "Not a Star - Just a Hero"

Angels We Have Heard on High - Family Force Five

Everybody Praise the Lord - Lincoln Brewster
Let Me Sing - Todd Fields
Came to My Rescue - Hillsong

Joseph's Lullaby - MercyMe

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised

There is a song that we sing in our services called “Great Is The Lord”. It’s one of my favorites because it’s so simple yet so profound. The opening line is taken right out of Psalm 145:3

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.”

This verse is a great starting point for us as we gather to worship in our services. It’s easy for us to lose perspective of God when we gather, letting our daily lives affect how we worship corporately. We let all kinds of stuff distract us in worship – bills to pay, a relationship issue, the holidays, a recent lab result, your favorite football team is playing at 1:00 p.m. When we are preoccupied, thinking of everything but God, does He seem big to you? Are you really worshipping Him?

David reminds us here in the Psalms that we serve a God who is bigger than our joys and sufferings. He is bigger than our everyday worries. Although we may be experiencing some difficulties, our God is Great, and greatly to be praised.

This quote by J.I. Packer sums it up perfectly.

“Today vast stress is laid on the thought that God is personal, but this truth is so stated as to leave the impression that God is a person of the same sort we are -- weak, inadequate, ineffective, a little pathetic. But this is not the God of the Bible! Our personal life is a finite thing: it is limited in every direction, in space, in time, in knowledge, in power. But God is not so limited. He is eternal, infinite, and almighty. He has us in his hands; we never have him in ours. Like us, He is personal, but unlike us, He is great.”

So as we gather in worship, let’s not allow our finite lives effect how we worship our infinite God. Though at times, it may seem hard, we need to give God the praise He is worthy of. That’s part of what church is about. To come together once a week and be reminded that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. To sing with one voice and simply worship our Creator.

I love this verse. It’s become one that I cling to often and I think The Message translates it best:

“God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness.”

Where I come from.

I have neither the eloquence nor persistence of Paul the Apostle, but I relate to him in a lot of ways. Like him, I am an idealist & a realist. I see the potential in people and the reality of their choices, I think the entire picture of a person is important. I was reading the letters Paul wrote to the Corinthians recently, and you should too, they are reminders we all need sometimes. In both letters to the Corinthians Paul is basically sorting out how things should be done in the church of Corinth, all while scolding them for the things they have incorrectly done. Reading the admonishments that Paul gave the Corinthians, reminded me of home. Funny, huh?

You see I have the unique experience of being a native of the buckle of the bible belt: Springfield, MO. Not only am I a native, I am a native who did not grow up in a protestant church. It gives me a unique slant on almost everything I think about church and how modern Christianity "does" church. You see my home is also the headquarters for several denominations of Christianity (who disagree on how to "do Church" often) as well as being a college town. I always say, "You only end up in Springfield for 2 reasons: college or church." That's a sweeping statement, and is surely not true in all cases - but it is common to find it true. I love my hometown, and I miss it. I miss a lot about it. It's home, it supplied my first 22 years of life experiences.

Even as I catch myself reminiscing I have to say that while in my hometown recently I tweeted "Springfield: the land of "churches." #thingsidontmissabouthome Be more than a church member, it's worth it." Now, that's a hard pill to swallow in some places. It's hard to have an authentic relationship with Christ in an environment that reeks of insincerity and false smiles, and dress codes, and rules that must be followed. I know it was hard for me. It was hard for me to know that my jeans were getting me judged, in the place I call home with people I've known since birth. That's rough. It's hard to realize that our relationship with Christ has nothing to do with anything we've done and everything to do with what God did for us. It's hard to see that no matter what we wear, say, do, or think we are still a sinner just like everyone else. I am a sinner. I am imperfect. I can't dress that up and make it go away. I can't go to a new church and make it go away. I can't argue with a theologian an make it go away. I think you get the picture.

Anyways, in the immortal words of Dr. Seuss's Horton, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant." I don't miss having a church on every corner. I don't miss the terminally-vanilla churchiness that I grew up with. I don't miss it, even when I miss my home desperately. I don't miss it because I see just how diverse the church can and should be. I see how great it is to be a part of something larger than myself. I see the the perfection of God's plan in letting me remain imperfect. I especially see that there is little fruit in a place where the farmers have mistreated the soil and squandered their seed, and forgotten to harvest their crops.

So my point is this: be authentic. Be who you are, be where you are at. When you see someone new at church (which will happen this time of year, and happens all the time at Fair Oaks Church): Smile. Be friendly. Be present, able to connect with those around you. In short, BE LIKE JESUS. We have something at Fair Oaks that most parts of the country (my homeland included) long for in a church; something special. We are not boring, we are not quiet, we do not compromise the message, and we have a good time telling everyone about JESUS. I hope you join me this season (and further) in remembering my work is never done, and my Jesus wants to meet everyone, especially the lost. My prayer right now is that God would help me (and you) see the opportunities to grow relationships where I can share just how much He's done for the imperfect, broken, sinner me.

Song Set....December 6

Christmas Communion Service
Acoustic Set

Great is the Lord - Elevation Worship
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) - Chris Tomlin
Mighty to Save - Hillsong
Revelation Song - Kim Walker-Smith

All Because of Your Love - Kate Hurley

You're Here - Francesca Battistelli

I Stand Amazed - Chris Tomlin

Free Stuff!

Tis the Season for giving. So from the Fair Oaks Arts team to yours, here are two free drama scripts from our vaults that can be used at your church during the Christmas Season. Enjoy!

All I Want for Christmas

The Most Lonely Time of the Year

From my house to yours

The Muppets Christmas album with John Denver was the soundtrack to tree decorating when I was growing up, and I've carried on the tradition with my husband and daughters. These are two of my favorites from the album. Consider it my Christmas gift to you.

The Peace Carol


And, the only version of The Twelve Days of Christmas that doesn't make my teeth itch...

Same Old, Same Old

This morning I finished a book by an author who has written many bestsellers. Quite a few of them have been made into movies. Most are love stories. And they are all set in North Carolina. You know who I'm talking about.

While I enjoyed the book and it was an easy read, it was a little too familiar. There was a guy and a girl. They fell in love. One of them had a shady and secretive past. When this secret came out, they fought and broke up. But then tragedy struck, and eventually they were brought back together and love conquered all. Cue the sappy music, the flying doves and all that jazz.

While I enjoy his writing, I feel as though I've read this story before. A few times.

The bestseller list has some great stuff on it. True crime, romances, self-help, end of the world stories and more.

Did you know that the best selling book of all time has all of these too? I'm talking about this book.

It has it all.

A beautiful love story

How To

Poetry

Murder

The End of the World

Teenage Pregnancy

Sibling Rivalry

Global Catastrophy

Hope

And so, so much more.

This holiday season if you're looking for a good read, ignore the "must read" list at Barnes & Noble, and stick with this classic. It's better than anything else you will read, it won't disappoint and, it's all a true story. Best of all, the author wants to say something to you personally through it and change you for the better when you read it.

What other book gives you all of that?

Song Set...November 29

The Flip Side
Week 5
Don't Quit. Here's How.

Whitney Houston Combo - Jesus Loves Me & I Will Always Love You

Everlasting God - Lincoln Brewster
Freedom Is Here - Hillsong United
Glorious One - Fee
How He Loves - Kim Walker

The Broken & The Tired - Elevation Worship

Happy Thanksgiving!!

From our families to yours, we on the arts team wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. May your stomachs be filled with lots of Turkey!!!