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Happy New Year to everyone at Hurstbourne Christian Church.
Each month I will Give Praise to things I have found enjoyable and I would like to share with you.
Movie: Ticket to Paradise
Book: The Boys From Biloxi-Grisham Good
News: Gas Prices Went Down
Places to Visit: French Lick West Baden
Favorite Scripture: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
Send me any of your favorites too!
Blessings,
Patti
"Silent Night" is about a calm and bright silent night, and the wonder of a tender and mild newborn child, words written in 1816 by a young priest in Austria, Joseph Mohr, not long after the Napoleonic wars had taken their toll. The backstory is that the priest went for a walk before he wrote it, and he looked out over a very quiet, winter-laden town," says composer/conductor John Conahan, who co-organized the Silent Night Sing-In with WRTI in 2018 and 2019, and created a new arrangement of the famous carol. "He was inspired...the town was at peace."
It was Christmas Eve, 1818, when the now-famous carol was first performed as Stille Nacht Heilige Nacht. Joseph Mohr, the young priest who wrote the lyrics, played the guitar and sang along with Franz Xaver Gruber, the choir director who had written the melody. An organ builder and repair man working at the church took a copy of the six-verse song to his home village. There, it was picked up and spread by two families of traveling folk singers, who performed around northern Europe.
In 1834, the Strasser family performed it for the King of Prussia. In 1839, the Rainer family of singers debuted the carol outside Trinity Church in New York City. The composition evolved, and was translated into over 300 languages with many different arrangements for various voices and ensembles. It was sung in churches, in town squares, even on the battlefield during World War I, when, during a temporary truce on Christmas Eve, soldiers sang carols from home. "Silent Night," by 1914, known around the world, was sung simultaneously in French, German and English.
Over the years, the carol's mystique grew with its popularity. After the original manuscript was lost, for decades, some speculated that the music had been written by Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven. In 1994, an original manuscript was found in Mohr's handwriting, with Gruber named as composer.
On Sunday, January 8th, our new regional minister, Rev. Donald Gillett, will visit Hurstbourne Christian Church! It is always exciting for our church to host a regional minister, but hosting our new regional minister Don Gillett will be something even more special. Don has been working hard to build up the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Kentucky. Since being called as our regional minister on August 1, 2021, Don Gillett has helped to secure the regional budget, build up several struggling churches, plan a regional assembly, and a general assembly, and so much more.
Don has deep roots in Kentucky, having served 22 years as the pastor at East Second Street Christian Church in Lexington. Don is known for being a fiery and passionate preacher. As someone who has listened to his sermons, I can tell you that you can feel the spirit moving through him. But Don is more than just a fiery preacher. He is an extremely well educated man, and you feel that in each one of his sermons.
Theologically, he holds a Master’s Degree in Divinity and a Doctorate Degree in Ministry, but he also holds a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics and a Master’s in Business Administration. You will miss out if you don’t come in person to hear Don deliver our message on Jan 8 or at least tune in online if you are unable to come in person. It is an exciting time for our church and a great way to start the new year.
Bright red poinsettias have become traditional in North America during the Christmas season, but why?
The tradition of poinsettias on Christmas Eve in Mexico can be traced to an old legend. A young girl, Pepita, was looking for a gift to give to Jesus on Christmas Eve. However, she was very poor and couldn't afford any gifts. So instead, she picked some weeds from beside the church and placed them on the church altar. From these weeds, a crimson blossom sprouted, and the weeds became a beautiful poinsettia. Beginning in the 17th century, Franciscan Friars in Mexico included poinsettias in their Christmas celebration. They viewed the star-shaped leaf pattern as a symbol of the star of Bethlehem and the bright red color as a representation of the blood of Jesus's sacrifice.
While poinsettias became integral to Mexican Christmas Eve celebrations, they were never seen as part of Christmas celebrations in the United States. That is, until an enterprising family, the Ecke family, decided to change that.
The Ecke family originally ran a vegetarian health spa in Germany in the early 1900s. However, they had trouble running a vegetarian spa in the sausage capital of the world. So, they moved to the United States where they began growing vegetables and flowers. They settled in California and became connected with the movie and television industry. They were looking for a flower to be marketed during the Christmas season. Unfortunately, not many flowers naturally bloom in the middle of winter. They noticed one flower that did blossom right around the Christmas season, the poinsettia. So, they began to market poinsettias as a Christmas tradition.
Their marketing campaign really began to take off in the 1960s. The family used their connections to Hollywood to make sure that poinsettias were featured prominently on all television Christmas specials. The family once claimed that poinsettias had even more screen time than prominent hosts like Johnny Carson. They even convinced popular magazines at the time to run spreads featuring Christmas trees, mistletoes, and poinsettias, saying that a Christmas spread needs more color than the Christmas trees and mistletoes can provide.
They began to advertise on television that they could ship you a poinsettia for free! Their family farm even bred their own kinds of poinsettias that would bloom three to four times more than a normal poinsettia, which would ensure plenty of red flowers for your house at Christmas. Until 1970, over 90% of all poinsettias came from the Ecke family farm.
In general, there is no biblical connection between Christmas and poinsettias. Even the creation of the tradition itself is a bit odd. Even still, Poinsettias do have an undeniable beauty and have become closely connected with Christmas. Whatever the reason, whenever we see those bright red blossoms, we know that Christmas is just around the corner.
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” – 2 Corinthians 9:15
What is God’s Gift to us? The answer to this question is quite simple. God sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to earth to be the final sacrifice for our sins. I don’t know about you, but to me, that is one of the most special gifts I have ever received.
Let’s breakdown 2 Corinthians 9:15 for a moment to really understand what Paul is trying to share with us. “Thanks be to God…”, Here we read that Paul burst out in an exclamation of appreciation to God. “…for His indescribable…” The Greek word for indescribable is not used anywhere else in the New Testament and is translated as “Unutterable.” This means that words cannot describe, and no human can fully appreciate the magnitude of the gift.
Gift giving is something that I love to do, gift giving brings joy to my heart. Seeing the other person open their gift from me, and seeing their reaction warms my heart with Joy. I know gift giving isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and that’s ok. Jesus and His sacrifice is the most indescribable gift we could receive. Christmas time can be stressful, but it can also be a joyous time. While you are gift shopping this season, remember God who gave the most incredible gift to each one of us and maybe this year gift giving will be a little more joyous for you. I can’t begin to imagine how God feels each time someone accepts His gift of Christ.
Blessings Kayla Hass
Dear God,
We thank you for giving the gift of grace. For giving us the opportunity of receiving a relationship with you. As we move into the Christmas season this year, let us remember all you have done for us and continue to do. Let us not get wrapped up in the gifts, but rather focus on you and the gift you have given us. Amen
Kayla Marie Hass
Hurstbourne Christian Church is an open and affirming church where all people are welcome, regardless of your background or experience. Our aim is to provide a safe place for people to find belonging and community, and to grow in their relationship with God.
Physical Address: 601 Notthingham Parkway, Louisville KY 40222
Mailing Address: 657 South Hurstbourne Pkwy #349, Louisville, KY 40222
Worship Service: Sunday @ 10:30 A.M.