THE ARLINGTONIAN
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December 2022
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
We are still
looking for a keyboardist/organist/choir director. If you know of anyone who could and would fill this position, let
us know.
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NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
The deadline for articles for the next issue of The Arlingtonian is January 22. Please e-mail
articles to the church office or to Brother Lee.
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WINTER WEATHER WORSHIP POLICY
I do not plan on canceling worship for a little bad weather. As a rule of thumb - if the roads
are covered in ice or if there is more than six inches of new snow, I probably will not be here. Warning: The
parking lot may not be cleared or salted. Please use the back lot and glass doors to avoid the front steps. YOU
CAN MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND IF YOU WANT TO RISK TRAVEL TO BE HERE. If you are playing, singing, reading, or serving, do
not feel undue pressure to be here. If I do decide to cancel worship, it will be listed on WKYT, channel 27 (Spectrum
Cable 9).
Brother Lee
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MINISTER'S MESSAGE
MERRY CHRISTMAS
HAPPY NEW YEAR
It’s hard to believe that another year has passed and
Christmas is upon us.
As I write this, the weather guessers are saying it will be close to zero degrees Christmas
Eve and Christmas mornings, not record cold, but cold enough to make it difficult for those who have to be outside.
That makes me wonder what the weather was like the night that Jesus was born. Many Bible scholars will say that
Jesus was probably born in the spring instead of winter - specifically the day we call December 25. I don’t have
any idea when Jesus was born, and the Gospels don’t tell us. This explanation comes from Google:
"The church in Rome began formally celebrating Christmas on December 25 in 336, during the reign of the emperor Constantine.
As Constantine had made Christianity the effective religion of the empire, some have speculated that choosing this date had
the political motive of weakening the established pagan celebrations."
Like so many parts of our religious
heritage and traditions, we have to be able to separate what is Biblical information and what is human determined. And
we have to stop worrying about criticism of our faith beliefs when they don’t match up. The Bible should be our
source.
Is the birth of Jesus any less spectacular if we are celebrating on the wrong day? The Gospels
don’t tell us what day it was because it doesn’t really matter. We have become so detail oriented that we
often let the significance of the event get covered up by the data. The gospel writers didn’t care about the small
details because the meaning behind the story was the important part. Our Christmas celebration is about the love God
had for the people of the world. Love that was strong enough and pure enough to lower Himself to the earth as a human
in order to save us from ourselves, and our sins, and our weaknesses.
Go into the New Year living your lives
in celebration of that love. Let God be the driving force in everything you think, do, and say.
Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year.
Brother Lee
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2022 CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS
Given By
| In Memory Of
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Barbara Sharp
| Charley Sharp
Vickie Hulbert & Cathy Mann
Marion & Margaret Mann
Robert &
Anna Sharp
Frank & Elizabeth Mann
Charles & Betty Hisle
Jennie & Summer Dicks
Grace &
Robert Sharp
Annie & Renious Hellard
| Olivia Turner
| Barbara A.
Breeze
Billie & Strother Breeze
Great Aunt Phyllis Breeze
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| Given By
| In Honor Of
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Steve & Beverly Bowman
| Lori, Kevin, Chris, Emily, Raven, & Weston
Leslie, Scott, Kaitlyn, &
Ethan
| Jean Cox
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Lee Cox
Joann & David Cox and family
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Lee Cox
| Richard Oakley
Leah Oakley
Gabby Oakley
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Margaret Ditchen
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Debbie & Mike Ditchen
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Lonnie & Paula Jackson
| Cindy, Ron, Aliesha,
& Aaron White
Cathy Jackson
Cherie, Hans, Tristan, Jonah, & Ashton Flueck
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Peggy Myers
| The Darnell Bible Class
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