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10 FaithThe Story of ChristmasFrom the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1And it came to pass in those days that a decree wentout from Caesar Augustus that all the world shouldbe registered. This census first took place whileQuirinius was governing Syria. So all went to beregistered, everyone to his own city.Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the cityof Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, whichis called Bethlehem, because he was of the houseand lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, hisbetrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, thatwhile they were there, the days were completed forher to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstbornSon, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes,and laid Him in a manger, because there was noroom for them in the inn.Glory in the Highest: Now there were in the samecountry shepherds living out in the fields, keepingwatch over their flock by night. And behold, an angelof the Lord stood before them, and the glory ofthe Lord shone around them, and they were greatlyafraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not beafraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of greatjoy which will be to all people. For there is born toyou this day in the city of David a Savior, who isChrist the Lord. And this will be the sign to you:Central Valley United Methodist Church12 Smith Clove Road, Central Valley, NY 10917www.centralvalleyunitedmethodistchurch.comPhone/fax: 845-928-6570All are welcome to join us!Worship: Sundays @ 9:30 amChildren’s Sunday School @ 9:45 amFellowship Hour: Sundays @ 10:30 amAdditional fellowship and service opportunities forall ages.Come join us as we do justice, love mercy, and walkhumbly with God!Highland Mills United Methodist Church654 Route 32, PO Box 611, Highland Mills, NY 10930www.highlandmillsumc.orgE-mail: info@highlandmillsumc.orgPhone: (845) 928-6177Pastor: Reverend Darlene ReslingWorship: Sundays @ 9:15 amSunday School @ 9:15 amMen’s Bible Study: Saturdays @ 8:30-9:30 amMonroe Temple of Liberal Judaism314 N. Main St., Monroe, NYTelephone: (845) 783-2626Rabbi Garry Loeb; Cantor Elana SchwartzWorship ScheduleFirst Friday: an eclectic, intergenerational Shabbatexperience for young families, singles, couples, andempty nesters. Held the 1st Friday of each month, itusually begins at 6:30 pm with a picnic or pot luckdinner, and is followed by an hour of interesting activities.An hour-long Kabbalat service then followsat 8:00 pmKabbalat Shabbat Services: Friday evenings at8:00pm. Shachrit Service: 10:00 am Saturdaymorning (unless otherwise specified), includingSaturdays on which there is no Bar or Bat Mitzvah.Tot Shabbat Service: 3rd Saturday of the month at9:00 am.St. Patrick’s Church - Highland Mills448 Route 32, Highland Mills, NY 10930www.stpatrickshm.orgMass ScheduleSaturday Vigil: 5:30 pmSpanish Mass: 7:00 pmSunday: 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 10:30 am & 12:00 pmWeekdays: Monday thru Saturday 9:00 amHoly Days - See BulletinYou will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,lying in a manger.”And suddenly there was with the angel a multitudeof the heavenly host praising God and saying:“ Glory to God in the highest,And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”So it was, when the angels had gone away fromthem into heaven, that the shepherds said to oneanother, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see thisthing that has come to pass, which the Lord has madeknown to us.” And they came with haste and foundMary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.Now when they had seen Him, they made widelyknown the saying which was told them concerningthis Child. And all those who heard it marveled atthose things which were told them by the shepherds.But Mary kept all these things and pondered themin her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifyingand praising God for all the things that they hadheard and seen, as it was told them.Circumcision of Jesus: And when eight days werecompleted for the circumcision of the Child, Hisname was called JESUS, the name given by the angelbefore He was conceived in the womb.Jesus Presented in the Temple: Now when the daysof her purification according to the law of Moseswere completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem topresent Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law ofthe Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall becalled holy to the LORD”), and to offer a sacrificeaccording to what is said in the law of the Lord, “Apair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”Simeon Sees God’s Salvation: And behold, therewas a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon,December 22, 2011By Pastor Steve SnavelyBirth announcements are usually made by the parents ofa new baby. These announcements may be in the form ofphone calls, “birth announcement” cards, pictures postedon social networks or e-mails, or even giant stork signsplanted in the front yard of a house, reading “It’s a girl” or“It’s a boy!” But in the case of Jesus Christ, it was not theparents – that is, Joseph or Mary – who shared the goodnews, but heavenly angels which announced His birth.The Participants of the AnnouncementThe Shepherds - At the time of the birth of Christ, shepherdswere considered to be heathens and thieves. Becauseof their reputation, they were forbidden to be witnesses incourt. The only group of people considered to be lowerthan shepherds by the Jewish community were lepers.Yet, how fitting that this group of people were the primaryrecipients of the heavenly message. Jesus, the Messiah,is “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin ofthe world” (John 1:29). He would be proclaimed as theGood Shepherd in chapter 10 of John’s Gospel.The Multitude of Angels - All of heaven rejoicedgreatly with the pronouncement of Jesus’ birth by the angelof the Lord, so that the sky was filled with the limitlessnumber of angels praising God. These angelic beings hada greater understanding of the miracle which involved thebirth of the Christ-child than anyone on earth.The Proclamation of the AnnouncementA Good Message - “I bring you good tidings” (Luke2:10). This phrase comes from the single Greek word“evengelizo,” which means to evangelize or spread goodnews. Jesus came to earth to do the “good work” of savingmen from their sin.A Glad Message - “Of great joy” (Luke 2:10). Theword in the original language means “laughter.” The angels’enthusiastic singing and the shepherds’ excited responsereflect the great joy of their hearts upon hearing ofWWW.WOODBURYGAZETTE.COMand this man was just and devout, waiting for theConsolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was uponhim. And it had been revealed to him by the HolySpirit that he would not see death before he had seenthe Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into thetemple. And when the parents brought in the ChildJesus, to do for Him according to the custom of thelaw, he took Him up in his arms and blessed Godand said:“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,According to Your word;For my eyes have seen Your salvationWhich You have prepared before the face of all peoples,A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,And the glory of Your people Israel.”And Joseph and His mother marveled at thosethings which were spoken of Him. Then Simeonblessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold,this Child is destined for the fall and rising ofmany in Israel, and for a sign which will be spokenagainst (yes, a sword will pierce through your ownsoul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may berevealed.”Anna Bears Witness to the Redeemer: Now therewas one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel,of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, andhad lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;and this woman was a widow of about eightyfouryears, who did not depart from the temple, butserved God with fastings and prayers night and day.And coming in that instant she gave thanks to theLord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked forredemption in Jerusalem.The Announcement to the Shepherdsthe birth of Christ.A Global Message - “Which shall be to all people”(Luke 2:10). Eight days after Jesus’ birth, a man in thetemple, Simeon, prophesies that Jesus was the “light tolighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel”(Luke 2:32). Jews and Gentiles alike have been eternallyaffected by this birth.The Greatest Message - “For unto you is born … aSavior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). As Savior,He is the One who saves, delivers, or preserves from evilor danger, whether physical or spiritual. As Christ, He isthe Anointed One, the Messiah, whom the Jewish nationhad been looking for to bring deliverance. As Lord, Hisrank is given as supreme and above all others. He is Lordof lords and King of kings.A “Go” Message - “Ye shall find the babe wrapped inswaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). Onlythe shepherds would know where the barns and caveswere that housed animals, where they might find a manger(feeding trough) in Bethlehem. This clearly showsGod’s divine wisdom in choosing this group of peoplewith whom to share the initial birth announcement.A Glorious Message - “Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).Although the angels had undoubtedly sung this song“Glory to God” in heaven many times, now they added anew phrase “peace on earth, good will toward men.” ThePrince of heaven left Glory to dwell on earth, bringingsalvation to mankind.Have you experienced this great message – that Christcame to earth to provide salvation and deliverance from sinfor you? If you have received this message for yourself, areyou sharing the announcement with those around you?Glory to God, Jesus was born on earth to bring salvation!What a wondrous birth announcement!www.gracebaptistny.org
WWW.WOODBURYGAZETTE.COM December 22, 2011Faith11Festival of Lights Commemorates Rededication of the Holy TempleCelebrating Hanukkah this Week in WoodburyWhat is Hanukkah?By Chaim CoffmanBasic Concepts And LawsThe Talmud tells us that beginning with the 25th of Kislev,eight days of Hanukkah are observed, during which noeulogies are delivered, nor is fasting permitted. For whenthe Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they defiled all the oils,and when the Hasmoneans (the Maccabees) defeatedthem, they searched and found only one remaining jar ofoil with the seal of the Kohen Gadol (the High Priest). Althoughit contained only enough oil to burn for one day,a miracle occurred, and the oil burned eight days. A yearlater the Rabbis designated these days as Yomim Tovim(Holidays) on which praise and thanksgiving were to besaid. (Tractate Shabbat 21)The Greek’s Harsh Decrees: During the SecondTemple period, the Greek kings outlawed the Jewish religion,forbade them to engage in the study of Torah andthe practice of mitzvot, and ravaged and defiled all thathad been ritually pure. The Hasmoneans were finally ableto subdue the enemy, whereby they designated a king torule over Israel which lasted for more than 200 years. TheSages of that generation therefore decreed, that the eightdays beginning with the 25th of Kislev should be days ofrejoicing; that Hallel (praise) be recited and that lights belit in the entrance to their homes each of the eight nights,in order to publicize the miracle. These days were calledHanukkah, that is to say Chanu Kaf-Hay (they rested onthe 25th), for on the 25th, they rested from their enemies.The above expression of the Talmud: “They made it aYom Tov for praise and thanksgiving” refers to the literalrecitation of Hallel (praise) and therefore, the completeHallel is said during schararit (morning prayers) all eightdays of Hanukkah. The term “thanksgiving” refers to alhanisim, which is included in each shmoneh esreh (silentmeditation, amidah) during these days as well, as well asin birkat hamazon (grace after meals).What may one use to light the Hanukkahcandles? The preferred way to perform the mitzvahis to light the Hanukkah menorah with pure oliveoil and cotton wicks, since their light is pure andit causes us to remember the light of the Menorahwhich was lit with olive oil. All other oils and wicksare permissible if their light is pure and does notflicker. One may also use candles made of wax. Onemust be careful and make sure the lights stay lit forabout a half an hour or as long as people cominghome from the marketplace would be able to seethem. If one is using wax candles specifically, it isa good idea to put them in the freezer before usesince it lengthens their burning time. The menorahitself should be pretty and can be made of metal orglass. An earthenware holder is permissible but mayonly be used once while it is still new. After one usageit becomes unclean and may not be used for thenext night. A wick which was used one night maybe used on succeeding nights as well. The same istrue of the remaining oil or of the remainder of waxcandles. If one is lighting with oil, one way to saveon the mess and expense of using many cotton wicksis to pull the part of the wick that is black up fromthe holder and continue to use the rest of the wickand continue this for many succeeding nights untilthe wick becomes very small.One must also be careful with the menorah that onechooses. There are many menorah’s on the market that althoughaesthetically beautiful, are not permitted to be used.For example, the eight candles of the menorah must be in astraight line with the shamash a little bit above them. Anymenorah which is fancily shaped in a circle or square...is not permitted to be used since the candles must be in astraight line and none may be higher or lower than the others.There must also be enough space between one candleand another so that the flames of each are not intermingled.How does one light the lights? On the first night ofHanukkah, one light is lit and on each successive nightanother light is added until the eighth night when all thelights are lit. When one lights on the first night, one lightsthe one on the extreme right. The following night he addsthe one immediately to the left and kindles it first. He thenturns to the right and kindles the light of the previous night.He follows the same procedure each night always addingfrom right to left but always lighting from left to right. Thereason for this procedure is that the additional light recallsthe greatness and growth of the miracle.On the first night of Hanukkah, three blessings are recitedbefore the lights are kindled:(1) “Baruch ata Hashem,Elokenu melech ha’olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotavv’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.” (Blessed are You,L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified uswith His commandments and has commanded us to lightthe Hanukkah lights.) (2) “Baruch ata Hashem, Elokenumelech ha’olam, she’asah nisim la’avotenu, bayamimhahem bazeman hazeh.” (Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d,King of the Universe, Who has doen miracles for our fathersin days gone by, at this time.) (3) “Baruch ata Hashem,Elokenu melech ha’olam, shehecheyanu, vekiyemanuvehigi’anu lazeman hazeh.” (Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, Who has given us life, and has sustainedus, and has brought us to this time.) After one makesthese three blessings, he kindles the light. On the remainingnights, one only recites the first two blessings and doesnot say “shecheyanu.” If one was prevented from lightingthe candles on the first night or forgot to say shecheyanu,he may say it the next time he kindles the lights.There is also a custom of using an extra candle, theshamash to light the other candles. The shamash mayonly be used for lighting the other candles and one mayderive benefit from its light. The Hanukkah lights themselves,however, may not be used for any other purposewhile they are burning for the purpose of the mitzvah.One should preferably have other lights on in the house inorder that one does not run into this problem.After the first light is kindled, “hanerot halalu” is saidand the rest of the lights can now be lit. After the lightshave been kindled, Hanukkah songs are sung and foodscontaining oil, such as jelly donuts are eaten. Every customaccording to the place in which one lives!Source: www.chanuka.comBuilt by Solomon, King David’s sonTemple in JerusalemCenter of conflictThe Bible reports that the First Templewas built in 957 BCE by King Solomon(reigned c.970-c.930 BCE). Asthe sole place of Jewish sacrifice, theTemple replaced the portable sanctuaryconstructed in the Sinai Desertunder the auspices of Moses, as wellas local sanctuaries, and altars in thehills. This temple was however sackeda few decades later by Sheshonk I,Pharaoh of Egypt. Although effortswere made at partial reconstruction, itwas only in 835 BCE when Jehoash,King of Judah in the second year ofhis reign invested considerable sumsin reconstruction, only to have itstripped again for Sennacherib, Kingof Assyria in c700 BCE. The FirstTemple was totally destroyed by theBabylonians in 586 BCE when theysacked the city.According to the Book of Ezra,construction of the Second Templewas authorized by Cyrus the Greatand began in 538 BCE, after the fallof the Babylonian Empire the yearbefore. It was completed 23 yearslater, on the third day of Adar, in thesixth year of the reign of Darius theGreat (12 March 515 BCE), dedicatedby the Jewish governor Zerubbabel.Despite the fact that the new templewasn’t as extravagant or imposing asits predecessor, it still dominated theJerusalem skyline and remained animportant structure throughout thetime of Persian suzerainty. The templenarrowly avoided being destroyedagain in 332 BCE when the Jews refusedto acknowledge the deificationof Alexander the Great of Macedonia.Alexander was allegedly “turnedfrom his anger” at the last minute byastute diplomacy and flattery. Afterthe death of Alexander on 13 June323 BCE, and the dismembering ofhis empire, the Ptolemies came to ruleover Judea and the Temple. Under thePtolemies, the Jews were given manycivil liberties and lived content undertheir rule. However, when the Ptolemaicarmy was defeated at Paniumby Antiochus III of the Seleucids in198 BCE, this policy changed. Antiochuswanted to Hellenize the Jews,attempting to introduce the Greekpantheon into the temple. A rebellionensued and was brutally crushed, butno further action by Antiochus wastaken. When Antiochus died in 187BCE at Luristan, his son SeleucusIV Philopator succeeded him. However,his policies never took effect inJudea, since he was assassinated theyear after his ascension.Antiochus IV Epiphanes succeededhis older brother to the Seleucid throneand immediately adopted his father’sprevious policy of universal Hellenisation.The Jews rebelled again and Antiochus,in a rage, retaliated in force.Considering the previous episodes ofdiscontent, the Jews became incensedwhen the religious observance of theSabbath and Circumcision were officiallyoutlawed. When Antiochuserected a statue of Zeus in their templeand began sacrificing pigs their angerbegan to spiral. When a Greek officialasked a Jewish priest to perform a pagansacrifice, the priest (Mattathias),killed him. Predictably, Antiochus resortedto the same bloody reprisals. In167 BCE the Jews rose up en massebehind Mattathias and his five sons tofight and win their freedom from Seleucidtyranny. Mattathias’s son JudasMaccabeus, now called “The Hammer”,re-dedicated the temple in 165BCE and the Jews celebrate this eventto this day as a major part of the festivalof Hanukkah.After the Muslim conquest of Jerusalemin the 7th century, UmayyadCaliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan orderedthe construction of an Islamicshrine, the Dome of the Rock on thesite of the Temple. The shrine hasstood on the mount since 691 CE;the al-Aqsa Mosque, from roughlythe same period, also stands in theTemple courtyard. The mount bearssignificance in Islam as it acted as asanctuary for many Hebrew prophets.Islamic tradition says that a templewas first built on the Temple Mountby Jacob and later renovated by Solomon,son of David.Source: Wikipedia
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