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From the Pastor …

Elsewhere in this issue of the Crier, you will find acrostic poems that were written by youth who participate in our mid-week LOGOS program, ranging in age from elementary to high school. They worked on this poetry project under the direction of Ingrid Strange, as part of a Worship Skills segment that involved some study of the Psalms.

The poems were presented during services on three weekends during the month of December, and were a blessing to all who heard them. Our young people did a wonderful job expressing themselves spiritually through this medium, and I hope you will take time to read what they have written.

You might also decide to do some reading of the Psalms yourself, as part of your devotional time. What often comes through, are the emotions that are being felt by the Psalmist -- whether those have to do with joy and elation, or with sorrow and anxiety. In many of the Psalms we hear people coming before God with great honesty, pouring out to God whatever is on their heart, mind, and soul. Doing so in a spirit of trust that God is there to listen, and to respond.

As in these few verses from Psalm 57:

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful,

for I have taken refuge in you;

in the shadow of your wings will I take refuge,

until this time of trouble has gone by.

I will call upon the Most High God,

the God who is with me to the end.

O God, you will send from heaven and save me,

rebuking those who trample upon me,

you will send forth your love and your faithfulness.

I lie in the midst of lions that devour the people;

their teeth are spears and arrows,

their tongue a sharp sword.

Exalt yourself above the heavens O God,

and your glory over all the earth. (vv 1-5)

There is great encouragement for each of us in the Bible's book of poetry, known as the Psalms, because we experience similar emotions. It is so good to know that we can bring to our Heavenly Father anything and everything we are going through. God cares for us more deeply than we can imagine. And God desires the kind of relationship with us where we don't hold back, but are instead willing to be open with Him.

For our LOGOS youth, and for each one of us, may we continue to grow in our relationship with God, learning to trust more and more that God is indeed there to listen to the concerns of our heart, and to respond.

The Peace of the Lord be with you, Pastor Rich

MESSAGE FROM A COUNCIL MEMBER

Recently, I had a chance to reflect upon the words of St. Paul as he writes to the Philippians in chapter 2, verses 1-4.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Reading this reminded me of a plaque that I’ve seen somewhere that said “The Worship is over, Let the Service begin!”

How have I helped others today? Have I affected someone else’s life positively today?

Recently, Pastor preached about the ‘me’ society. Unfortunately, I think that we are living in a ‘that’ society these days. “What’s in it for me?”, or “I was here first.” As Christians, we should be putting the focus back on the “we” society. Because “we” are all God’s children. It really is not difficult. Holding a door open for someone, grabbing a neighbor’s garbage can and bringing it back from the curb if you know they will not be getting home until late, shoveling more than just your driveway after a particularly nasty winter storm, fixing a meal for someone who is sick or has just been laid off from work, giving an elderly neighbor a ride to a doctor’s appointment, or listening and giving comfort to someone who is going through tough times. All of these are examples of one thing each one of us can do to help others daily.

With the onset of troubling times in our society and the prospect for even more uncertainty within the next several months, it certainly is within God’s plan that all of us use our gifts, talents, and abilities to just do “one thing” every day to positively affect the life of someone else. I would encourage each and every one of us to follow God’s plan for us, and do that “one thing”. Dan Krampetz, Council Member

  A LESSON FROM GEESE

Job 12: 7-9: “Ask the beasts and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and they fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?”

One of my favorite nature wonders is hearing the honking of geese and when looking towards the sky, to see their amazing V formation. I often wondered why they flew this way, and did some research. As with most animal behavior, God had a good reason for including that in their instincts. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird following. In a V formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% more flying range than if each bird flew alone. Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back into formation.

Us humans can learn a lesson from this. Like geese, people who share a common direction and sense of community, can get where they are going quicker and easier than those who try to go it along.

When a goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position. If we humans had as much sense as geese, we would realize that ultimately, our success depends on working as a team, taking turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership.

Geese in the rear of the formation honk to encourage those up front to up their speed. So also, we all need to encourage those in leadership and give them thanks and praise.

When a goose gets sick or wounded, two other geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and provide protection. They stay with the unhealthy member of the flock until it is either able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out again with another passing flock or try to catch up with their own. May we be so sacrificial, that we may be worthy of such friends in our time of need.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to learn from God’s marvelous creation. We only need to stop long enough to observe and let God reveal His wonders to us. Karen Lienhard

PRAYER LIST

The list of people for whom we pray on Sunday mornings, are members, friends, and family members whose names are given to Pastor Horner to be included. When you provide Pastor Horner with such a name, you may mention a certain number of weeks you would like the person to be included -- or you can indicate that you would like the person to remain on the list until further notice. In the latter case, it would be up to you to notify Pastor Horner at whatever point the person's name should come off the list -- and as is appropriate we will give a prayer of thanksgiving for God's healing power in the person's life.

THE GIFT OF SNOWFLAKES

In the church parking lot yesterday, I passed some children carrying ornaments. One of them said a snowflake had landed on his snowflake. When I looked up at the sky, the air around us was sparsely polka-dotted with white, each flake drifting down to land and gather in the cold.

I’d been thinking of snowflakes a lot lately. Someone once told me that no two were exactly alike. That makes each one special, like we are all special to our Lord. We have individual qualities and talents that make us unique. When we gather together, we create miracles. We provide a sanctuary for prayer and worship, and music to ease our souls. We provide food for the hungry and socks for the homeless. We build houses; we plant a seed; and repair homes for those in need. We hold the hands of those who grieve; and rejoice with others in celebration.

Our talents are varied, our experiences diverse. Together we create miracles in times of plenty – and times without. It isn’t just money we give to the church; it is ourselves we give to humanity in the name of God’s Son. Where two or three gather in His name, where each individual can make a difference, I wish you all the gift of Peace, Love, and Compassion in this year of our Lord, 2009. Donna Simmons

  EPIPHANY SERVICE

On Tuesday January 6th, the Day of Epiphany, you are invited to a potluck dinner at the church from 6 to 7 pm, followed by an informal worship service from 7 to 7:30 pm. The evening will include a "burning of the greens" ceremony, for which you may bring along a branch from your Christmas tree if you so wish. Adding your name to the list posted in the Narthex will be helpful in knowing how many to expect. Thank you!

CHRISTMAS COOKIES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

The morning Bible Study group thanks all who donated cookies or postage to this annual project. We sent out 25 boxes of goodies to our college students.

LOGOS POEMS

My Soaring Friend: God

Soaring through my soul like a butterfly,

God’s love uplifts me

A beautiful garden, humming with life,

reminds me of God’s wonderful power

Respects me like my best friend ever

Always is with me wherever I go

Hovering over me like a bird,

God shows me the best path to take

Sarah Strange

God’s Glory

He is like a guardian with armor of silver and gold

A star looking over me on a dark shiny night

Nothing can separate me from His glory and love

Nothing on earth is more powerful than Him,

even the strongest metal is weak compared to Him

Absolute goodness surrounds me when I think of

God in heaven

He looks over me like I’m his sheep and He’s my

shepherd, so nothing bad happens to me

Hannah Thomas

God the Almighty

Justice is up in the air!

Ocean waves crash over the sand

Yell to the Lord and sing Alleluia!

Joy Landolfi

The Power of God

Doors open when I pray

A curse has been removed thanks to God

Vast is His love

I believe in God because He gives me hope

Death is something I’m not afraid of because God’s

power is stronger than the devil’s

David Parker

Stream of Running Thoughts

About God

Petunias are a creation of the Lord, as am I

Amazingly, God created everything in just 7 days

I believe in the Lord with all my heart

God gave us passion to work out the cold and hateful

thoughts that spin through our heads

Energy from God runs through us like a running

stream

Paige Krampetz

Seeing God in Many Ways

Kindness is how I see God

Ready to give forgiveness

I love Him very much

Seek Him and He will respond

Teacher for everyone

Offering to help me in life

Forever lasting love

Excellent person

Ready to love anybody

Kristofer Leslie

Life, Sports and Prayer

Sometimes I pray for the Sacramento Kings to win

People pray for many things

Extreme sports like wrestling require strength, agility

& endurance

Never give up on your dreams, so many athletes say

Courage is needed for sports, but prayer is just as

important

Energy comes from our hearts, so does prayer

Regular prayer gives us strength so that we perform at our best

Spencer Nolette

Untitled

On days when I am sad

When I look down at the floor

Even though I can’t see Him, I know that He is

Never far away

Owen White

My Guide

Be my guide through life, no matter where it

leads me

Awesome are you, oh Lord, you are the bright stars

in every dark night sky

Rejoice in your presence when you come to help

those in need

Ready to serve your holiness whenever you call

my name

Yearning for your love as the hungry yearn for

a meal…Savior, you are that meal.

Barry Nolette

Following God’s Footsteps

Creating me to follow in His path of glory

Loving his God with passion

In His footsteps, which I shall try to follow

Nothing can get in the way of following the Lord

To whom I pray and follow

Clint Maloy

Unity

Kindness and God’s love fills the air

while swelling up the ocean

Animals bow to His mighty power and grace

You alone don’t need to do it all

Love and care will catch our fall

Above all, we are united and we stand together

Kayla Richmond

Amazing

Joy is what my heart sings

Ecstaticism is what the Lord brings

Sorrow is what the Lord destroys

Servants are what the Lord employs

Everywhere his precious teachings ring

Jesse Mills

Characteristics of God

So much love to go around

Alive like the morning sun

Ready to help, when help is needed

Always there to lend a hand

Holy on the highest level

The one I turn to when I have problems

Sarah Thomson

The Letters of the Lord

Like the sun in the sky, God is in my life

Amazing is God’s Power

Under His grace everyone should live

Relax in the wind that is the Lord’s breath

Absolute love comes from your heart

Psalms are sung with loud, strong voices

Laura Perez

God Rules

The world is what God means to me.

Hate is not in His vocabulary. You can find the good book in the library.

Other religions branch off of Him, but Jesus is the

definition of Christianity.

Man, he is cool. He doesn’t like it when we hustle

pool!

All around the world God will see ya. If you want to

get closer, talk to your preacha.

So, to sum up all I am saying, God is awesome! God is gggggreat!

Thomas Cherry

My Description of God

Everlasting throughout all eternity,

He ensures that all are safe.

Relentlessly He destroys evil

and He rescues the people within its deadly grasp.

Inside His soul there is compassion,

but if He is roused, His wrath is massive.

King of all, He still has time for all kids,

both big and small, He loves us all.

Erik Leslie

Zack’s Traits

Zack is who I am and I get strength from God

to believe in myself.

A wonderful way to start my day is to pray.

Courage granted from God keeps me trying

new things.

Healing hands heal my sins.

All the time I worry about tomorrow, but God tells us

that tomorrow will take care of itself,

so I will listen to Him.

Ready to accept my birthday gifts I thank God

for my family that came to celebrate with me.

You are the one I think of every day.

Zachary Peters

The Christian Rap

Belief in God and His glory

Eventually listening to His story

Need from His people come all over

Justice in the Lord, lucky as a 4 leaf clover

Athens may be old, but God is older

Macho as a strong old boulder

Imagine what the world would be without the

giving tree

Nominee for a holy sanctuary

Benjamin Cherry

God

Helping is what God does when people are in need

Extreme power of healing is one of God’s powers

Amazing prayer helps heal

The Lord’s power is complex,

like a storm followed by a rainbow

Happily forgives people

Extra caring is what God is

Rich with power is what we feel like

when God is with us

Heather Landry

Untitled

To know You are there makes me feel safe

You help me through hard times by protecting me

Like a foundation for the world You keep us strong

Everyday You are there through hard and good times

Rejoice in God because He is there for us

Tyler Janiak

PRAYER LIST

The list of people for whom we pray on Sunday mornings, are members, friends, and family members whose names are given to Pastor Horner to be included. When you provide Pastor Horner with such a name, you may mention a certain number of weeks you would like the person to be included -- or you can indicate that you would like the person to remain on the list until further notice. In the latter case, it would be up to you to notify Pastor Horner at whatever point the person's name should come off the list -- and as is appropriate we will give a prayer of thanksgiving for God's healing power in the person's life.

Heat on Demand

Due to the high cost of heating oil, the Trustees have set all the thermostats at Holy Cross to a low base temperature with the goal of using the boilers only when needed. Thus, when heat is needed for meetings in the Luther Hall building, the first member of the group to arrive is asked to use the red arrow button on the thermostat in the meeting room to set the temperature to about 65 degrees. The thermostats return automatically to their original base temperature after 2 hours, so there is no need to reset them. The thermostat in Lord Street House does NOT automatically reset, so please remember to turn it back down after meetings there, along with turning out the lights and locking up. It is hoped that by using "heat on demand," we can be better stewards of our resources and the Earth. If you have any questions, or if you notice any problems with the heating systems, please contact Bob Brady.

Epiphany Concert

Please mark on your calendar for Sunday Jan 4 at 5 p.m. when we will once again host an Epiphany Concert here at Holy Cross. We will be combining with the choir of Ogunquit Baptist Church under the direction of Larry Downing for an afternoon of wonderful holiday music from around the world and throughout the years. Refreshments will be served after the concert. All donations will be used to benefit the music ministries of both churches. Admission is open to all, with a suggested donation of $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children, and a non-perishable food item for the York County Food Bank. Come enjoy an uplifting concert after the frantic Christmas rush. Peace, and I hope to see you on the 4^th. Warren King

SUNDAY ADULT FORUM

On January 4th Betty Kreie will conclude her study of the book: "The Centered Life" by Jack Fortin, Executive Director of The Center for Lifelong Learning at Luther Seminary.

Beginning January 11th, Karen will begin a study based on the Book of Faith, an initiative of the ELCA to increase biblical literacy and fluency. We will begin by looking at practical methods and approaches to studying Scripture.

HOLY COMMUNION CLASS

Karen will be teaching a Holy Communion class in January for children in 4^th grade or older. The class will be meeting on the four Tuesdays in January, beginning on January 6^th, from 4:30-5:30. We will meet in the Sunday School area, downstairs of Luther Hall. If there is a snow day on one of those Tuesdays, you will be notified by noon of that day. Please contact Karen or the church office if your child would like to attend or if you have any questions.

SOCIAL CONCERNS OIL TANK

The Social Concerns Committee has once again placed a mock oil tank on the table in the Narthex. Donations will support those in our congregation who are having a difficult time with heating their homes this winter. We suggest that you consider giving up a cup of coffee or downsize your soda in order to contribute to this effort.

HATS, MITTENS, AND SCARVES

On Saturday, January 10th, the Social Concerns Committee will be sponsoring another work day in which we will be making items to be donated to shelters and homeless people who need to stay warm this winter. We will be working in Luther Hall from 9:00-1:00, lunch provided. No talent is necessary – you will be taught what you need to know and there are plenty of jobs for anyone who attends.

MORNING BIBLE STUDY

Beginning in January, the morning Bible Study will move to Wednesdays from 8:30-9:45. All are welcome.

THE CRIER ELECTRONICALLY

Although we need a certain number of Criers mailed in order to receive the bulk mail rate, The Crier is available by e-mail if you have kids away at school or if you would like to receive it electronically as well as by mail. Please send e-mail addresses to Julie Clapp. Not everything in the paper edition is put in the electronic edition (I.e. the prayer list) due to privacy issues, but most of it is included and is a good source of information. Please see Julie if you have any questions. Thank You!

JOKE OF THE MONTH

Submitted by Jack Bates

A Sunday School teacher asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem. A small child replied, “they couldn’t get a baby-sitter.”

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. ~ Isaiah 9:6