From: "Grover Branton"
To:
Subject: Field of Dreams Today - Christmas Day 2003
Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2003 08:36:17 -0500



During last evening's Christmas Eve Candlelight/Communion Service we sang "Joy
to the World" for the first time this Christmas Season. And since last evening's
service all the world seems to be singing "Joy to the World," and rightly so.
Christmas is an uplifting celebration of God's grace and peace coming to live
with humankind in His Son Jesus. ~ But as a pastor I am aware that Christmas can
be painful if we're in the grip of grief or depression, there is little joy to
be felt. This joyful season often brings with it painful memories, awareness of
a loved one's death, a deep empty space. ~ James Montgomery knew those feelings.
James's parents left him in a boy's school at the age 12 while they went as
Moravian missionaries to the West Indies. He never saw them again. James
suffered from depression and the pain of abandonment throughout his life. As a
young man and a newspaper editor, he shared his parent's commitment to the poor
and championed the 19th century movement against
slavery. He was jailed twice. ~ In December of 1816, at age 45, he was once
again in the grip of Christmas depression. He read and pondered the Christmas
story in the second chapter of Luke's Gospel. He began deeply yearning for the
good news in Bethlehem to come - to the West Indies, to him in England, to all
the world. He put pen to paper and wrote, Angels, from the realms of Glory, Wing
your flight o'er all the earth. ~ He continued to write. His final verse, not in
most hymnals, is a poignant claiming of God's mercy for himself and all those in
anguish: Sinners moved by true repentance, Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence! Mercy calls you, break your chains. Come and
worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King. ~ Out of James Montgomery's hurting
heart has come one of our most popular Christmas Carols. In the words of another
great hymn, Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal." ~ Dear brothers and
sisters, today we celebrate how God's mercy
came to us powerfully at Bethlehem. It can come to us still. Today I will pray
to that end for us all. ~ May you have the most joyous Christmas ever. ~ Grace
and peace to you and yours forever, Pastor, G. C. Branton, III ~ "Lets Roll" for
the new year rapidly approaches, ~ I look forward to meeting you there!





~ "God Bless America" ~ HAPPY HOLIDAYS ~ That's my Field of Dreams ~ Voice Mail
~ 800-699-2466 Box number Baseball1 (2273225501) ~ Email Fax 775-640-8525 ~
John@... -http://OKLetsRoll.US ~ Chief Officer of Election ~
Commonwealth of Virginia ~ Notary Public ~ "Sic Semper Tyrannis" ~ "Ne Oublie" ~
Let's Roll!! ~





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]