A Sign For Christmas
Stories
Object:
StoryShare
Edited by John Sumwalt and Jo Perry-Sumwalt
Advent 4 (Cycle A), December 19, 2004
Based on Revised Common Lectionary Texts:
Isaiah 7:10-16
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25
Contents
What's Up This Week
A Story to Live By: "A Sign for Christmas"
Shining Moments: "Gram" by William Bell
Good Stories: "A Righteous Man" by John Sumwalt
Scrap Pile: Great Prayer of Thanksgiving for Christmas Eve by Thom M. Shuman
What's Up This Week
In the Advent 4 (Cycle B) installment of StoryShare is "Christmas Trouble," one of John's favorite tellable Christmas stories. It's the (alas) all-too-familiar tale of a young girl who discovers she is expecting before she is married. In this week's Good Story John spins another modern-day Christmas yarn about a young Joseph who, like the young Joseph of the Gospels, has to make a big decision about an unexpected baby.
Our thanks to Thom Shuman for sharing another one of his beautiful liturgies for Christmas Eve communion in this week's Scrap Pile.
For more stories and commentary, see the Advent 4 editions for Cycle B and Cycle C in the StoryShare archives.
Those who are preparing Christmas Eve services will find a number of touching Christmas stories in our Cycle B and Cycle C special Christmas editions. Look for the 2004 installment, coming soon.
What is your favorite Christmas story -- "really happened" or fictional? Click on share-a-story@csspub.com and send us a copy. We ask for one-time rights for original works.
A Story to Live By
A Sign for Christmas
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel."
Isaiah 7:14
Many years ago, a scared American prisoner of war in Vietnam was tied in torture ropes by his tormentors and left alone in an empty room to suffer through the night. Later in the evening, a guard he had never spoken to entered the room and silently loosened the ropes to relieve his suffering. Just before morning, that same guard came back and re-tightened the ropes before his less humanitarian comrades returned. He never said a word to the grateful prisoner, but some months later, on a Christmas morning, as the prisoner stood alone in the prison courtyard, the same good Samaritan walked up to him and stood next to him for a few moments. Then with his sandal, the guard drew a cross in the dirt. The prisoner and guard both stood wordlessly there for a minute or two, venerating the cross, until the guard rubbed it out and walked away.
(From a speech delivered by Senator John McCain in Virginia Beach on Feb. 28, 2000, just prior to the Virginia presidential primary. To read the entire speech, click on http://archives.theconnection.org/archive/category/politics/mccainspeech.shtml)
Shining Moments
Gram
by William Bell
...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus...."
Matthew 1:20b-21a
Cecelia, my paternal grandmother, died in the late fall of 1969, shortly after I began my military assignment in what was then known as the Republic of South Vietnam. Because I was in-country for such a short period of time, it was determined that I would not be allowed to attend the funeral services. I was both saddened and disappointed at this decision, for I was particularly close to "Gram," as I called her, not only because our family lived in her home until I was about 7, but also because I greatly admired her. Losing her husband (my grandfather) shortly after my father was born, Gram was forced to go to work, and for much of her working life performed housekeeping services for her local parish and school. When Gram retired after more than 30 years of service, she received 30 silver dollars as her retirement pension. I remember thinking how unfair 30 silver dollars were after a lifetime of hard work, particularly considering the physical toll it took on Gram's hands, back, etc., but Gram was proud of her "reward" nonetheless. And I was proud of her as well.
Besides being hard-working, Gram played piano and loved ragtime music, and of course her beloved Detroit Tigers. The Tigers won the World Series in 1968, and Gram was very optimistic that they would repeat. Gram was very intelligent, and I remember fondly our discussions of current events and politics. Gram was very opinionated. After receiving the news of her death, I remembered most of those discussions (some were very spirited), and I realized just how much I was going to miss her.
I received Gram's last letter after the news of her death. She wrote often while I was in the service, and I was always amazed at how legible her letters were, given her poor eyesight; how insightful and upbeat. In her last letter she wrote that she was very optimistic that our new president Richard Nixon was going to end the war and I would be home soon. As a lifelong Democrat, this letter could not have been easy for Gram to pen, for she was not in favor of the Vietnam conflict. I remember thinking that this letter was the last time I would be hearing from Gram, but little did I know that she wasn't quite finished communicating with me.
A few months after Gram's death, while I was still in Vietnam, I was stricken with what was then diagnosed as malaria. Accompanying this malady was high fever, and I remember having what has been commonly referred to as the "near-death" experience. My experience included hovering over and being able to see what appeared to be my sleeping body. Then, quite to my surprise, I was visited by my recently deceased grandmother. Interestingly enough, Gram appeared to be about 20 years younger, but was dressed in her favorite red and white checkerboard dress. She told me not be frightened, that I was going to recover. She also mentioned that she was wrong and the Vietnam conflict was not going to end soon, but that I would be safe and needed to be careful at all times. I trusted my grandmother, and her reassuring words that I would survive Vietnam went a long way toward alleviating my fears.
Gram has visited me several times since my Vietnam encounter. On these occasions she appeared while I was asleep. On two such occasions that I recall vividly she appeared just prior to the birth of each of our sons, Ian and Matthew. My wife Margaret and I decided to forgo knowing the sex of each child, but Gram informed me in advance. Again I was startled by her predictive revelations, and her ostensible knowledge of the future. She was very pleased with both boys, and told me they were great kids.
Gram has, I think, attempted to visit with me on several other occasions, but I was unable to make contact. I can only hope that Gram keeps trying to visit with me, and that I have an opportunity to tell her that I miss her and hope she is doing well. I must admit I am curious about Gram's after-life experiences, and would love to discuss them with her. Knowing Gram, I am sure it would turn into a "spirited" discussion.
William Bell was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam from 1969-1971. Bill graduated from the University of Michigan, and is employed in the field of facility management and development. He is a member of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church and resides with his family in the Milwaukee area.
Good Stories
A Righteous Man
by John Sumwalt
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."
Matthew 1:18-20
Mary didn't know what to do. How could she break the news to Joe? They had only been dating for six weeks, but she knew that he loved her. She could see it in his eyes. And she knew that she loved him. He was so gentle and understanding. There weren't many men in the world like Joe.
Mary had met Joe in the emergency room on the very night of the assault, and they had been together every day since, as if it was meant to be. Joe was there waiting for a friend who had twisted an ankle in a softball game, She sat next to him in the waiting room before they took her in to be examined. Mary had been too upset to talk, and Joe hadn't tried to make conversation. He didn't even ask what had happened. He simply looked at her with tenderness and said, "It will be okay. They will take care of you." Even those few words had been enough to create a bond between them. And Joe had come back later, after he took his friend home, to see if she was all right. By then Mary was able to talk about the rape; the horror she had felt during the attack and the humiliation and anger that were still growing within her. She was grateful for his presence. Somehow it was easier to talk about it with him than with the counselor who had been assigned to her case. Joe had listened quietly for several hours that night, and had called or come to keep her company every night since, gradually coaxing her out of her small apartment into the world again.
Joe had never once tried to touch her, and Mary loved him for that. He seemed to know without her saying it that she couldn't stand to be touched -- not yet. Soon, maybe. She had found herself longing for that moment and wondering what it would be like during the last couple of weeks. Mary knew that Joe would wait until she gave him a sign, and she had thought that it might be tonight. But when she let him know what the doctor had told her today, would Joe want to touch her? Was this the end of her hope that their love would lead to marriage and a family? What would Joe do when she told him about the baby?
Scrap Pile
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving for Christmas Eve
by Thom M. Shuman
Leader: May God be with you.
People: Even now, God is coming to us.
Leader: People of God, open your hearts.
People: We open our hearts to the approaching God.
Leader: Let us give praise to the God who comes towards us.
People: It is right to sing glory to our God.
Leader: Glory to you, mighty God!
Into the darkness of infinity, you flung the stars, the moon, and the sun.
In those days, our grandparents lived secure in the garden you provided.
But the burden of wanting to be like you led them out into the chaos of sin and rebellion.
The prophets told of One who would come to bring us back to you.
But we chose to listen to the foolish advice of the world and to wander its back streets.
Yet the night came when you became flesh to dwell with us, full of grace and truth.
So we sing the new song,
first caroled to shepherds on Bethlehem's hills and echoed by all creation:
People (sung): "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing" (verse 1)
Leader: Holy are you, Everlasting Father,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our hope, our Lord, our Prince of Peace.
In him, the shadows in the corners of our lives are illuminated
and your hopes for us are revealed.
He breaks all that weighs upon us, and takes the burdens off our shoulders.
He gave of himself, that we might be a blessing to others.
Rejected and despised by many, he welcomes all into your kingdom.
In death, he was wrapped in bands of cloth and laid in a tomb,
completing the journey begun in a manger.
Preparing to celebrate his birth and awaiting the day of his return,
we sing of those mysteries we can only understand by faith:
People (sung): "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing" (verse 3)
Leader: Holy Spirit, Wonderful Counselor,
as we lift the broken bread and drink from the cup of grace,
we are made whole to live lives of holiness and integrity.
Increase our joy,
that our generosity towards others might deepen.
As grace has appeared holding hands with salvation,
may we reach out to those around us and among us
who search for hope, for joy, for kindness in their lives.
Then send us forth to sing of the One who has come,
that all might know the good news which has transformed our lives forever.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Thom M. Shuman is the pastor of Greenhills (Presbyterian) Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
**********************************************
How to Share Stories
You have good stories to share, probably more than you know: personal stories as well as stories from others that you have used over the years. If you have a story you like, whether fictional or "really happened," authored by you or a brief excerpt from a favorite book, send it to StoryShare for review. Simply click here share-a-story@csspub.com and e-mail the story to us.
How do I get a free sample of StoryShare?
Discover for yourself the real value of StoryShare. Click here http://www.csspub.com/storysample1.lasso to see two of our weekly editions.
How do I subscribe to StoryShare?
Subscribing online is convenient using our secure server -- or you can all CSS toll-free at (800) 537-1030 Monday - Friday from 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM (Eastern Time) or send an e-mail to orders@csspub.com, and our customer service team will be happy to assist you. Subscribers receive weekly installments of StoryShare -- plus full access to the StoryShare archives -- for an annual subscription rate of only $19.95. A two-year subscription is available for only $34.95. We think this is the best value in preaching, teaching, and devotional resources available anywhere. If you don't agree we will refund the balance of your subscription payment. To subscribe online, click here http://www.csspub.com/css-secure/storysubscribe.lasso.
We invite you to forward this offer to all of your friends who are looking for good stories.
**************
New Book
The third book in the vision series, Shining Moments: Visions of the Holy in Ordinary Lives (edited by John Sumwalt), is now available from CSS Publishing Company. (Click on the title for information about how to order.) Among the 60 contributing authors of these Chicken Soup for the Soul-like vignettes are Ralph Milton, Sandra Herrmann, Pamela J. Tinnin, Richard H. Gentzler Jr., David Michael Smith, Anne Sunday, Nancy Nichols, William Lee Rand, Gail Ingle, and Rosmarie Trapp, whose family story was told in the classic movie The Sound of Music. The stories follow the lectionary for Cycle A.
Other Books by John & Jo Sumwalt
Sharing Visions: Divine Revelations, Angels, and Holy Coincidences
Vision Stories: True Accounts of Visions, Angels, and Healing Miracles
Life Stories: A Study in Christian Decision Making
Lectionary Stories: Forty Tellable Tales for Cycle A
Lectionary Stories: Forty Tellable Tales for Cycle B
Lectionary Stories: Forty Tellable Tales for Cycle C
Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit: 62 Stories for Cycle B
You can order any of our books on the CSS website; they are also available from www.amazon.com and at many Christian bookstores. Or simply e-mail your order to orders@csspub.com or phone 1-800-241-4056. (If you live outside the U.S., phone 419-227-1818.)
**************
About the Editors
John E. Sumwalt is the pastor of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in Milwaukee, and is the author of eight books for CSS. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS), John received the Herbert Manning Jr. award for Parish Ministry from UDTS in 1997. John is known in the Milwaukee area for his one-minute radio spots which always include a brief story. He concludes each spot by saying, "I'm John Sumwalt with 'A Story to Live By' from Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church."
John has done numerous storytelling events for civic, school, and church groups, as well as on radio and television. He has performed at a number of fundraisers for the homeless, the hungry, Habitat for Humanity, and women's shelters. Since the fall of 1999, when he began working on the Vision Stories series, he has led seminars and retreats around the themes "A Safe Place to Tell Visions," "Vision Stories in the Bible and Today," and coming this spring: "Soul Growth: Discovering Lost Spiritual Dimensions." To schedule a seminar or a retreat, write to jsumwalt@naspa.net or phone 414-257-1228.
Joanne Perry-Sumwalt is director of Christian Education at Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in Milwaukee. Jo is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, with a degree in English and writing. She has co-authored two books with John, Life Stories: A Study In Christian Decision Making and Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit: 62 Stories For Cycle B. Jo writes original curriculum for church classes. She also serves as the secretary of the Wisconsin chapter of the Christian Educators Fellowship (CEF), and is a member of the National CEF.
Jo and John have been married since 1975. They have two grown children, Kathryn and Orrin. They both love reading, movies, long walks with Chloe (their West Highland Terrier), and working on their old farmhouse in southwest Wisconsin.
**********************************************
StoryShare, December 19, 2004, issue.
Copyright 2004 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 4503, Lima, Ohio 45802-4503.
Edited by John Sumwalt and Jo Perry-Sumwalt
Advent 4 (Cycle A), December 19, 2004
Based on Revised Common Lectionary Texts:
Isaiah 7:10-16
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25
Contents
What's Up This Week
A Story to Live By: "A Sign for Christmas"
Shining Moments: "Gram" by William Bell
Good Stories: "A Righteous Man" by John Sumwalt
Scrap Pile: Great Prayer of Thanksgiving for Christmas Eve by Thom M. Shuman
What's Up This Week
In the Advent 4 (Cycle B) installment of StoryShare is "Christmas Trouble," one of John's favorite tellable Christmas stories. It's the (alas) all-too-familiar tale of a young girl who discovers she is expecting before she is married. In this week's Good Story John spins another modern-day Christmas yarn about a young Joseph who, like the young Joseph of the Gospels, has to make a big decision about an unexpected baby.
Our thanks to Thom Shuman for sharing another one of his beautiful liturgies for Christmas Eve communion in this week's Scrap Pile.
For more stories and commentary, see the Advent 4 editions for Cycle B and Cycle C in the StoryShare archives.
Those who are preparing Christmas Eve services will find a number of touching Christmas stories in our Cycle B and Cycle C special Christmas editions. Look for the 2004 installment, coming soon.
What is your favorite Christmas story -- "really happened" or fictional? Click on share-a-story@csspub.com and send us a copy. We ask for one-time rights for original works.
A Story to Live By
A Sign for Christmas
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel."
Isaiah 7:14
Many years ago, a scared American prisoner of war in Vietnam was tied in torture ropes by his tormentors and left alone in an empty room to suffer through the night. Later in the evening, a guard he had never spoken to entered the room and silently loosened the ropes to relieve his suffering. Just before morning, that same guard came back and re-tightened the ropes before his less humanitarian comrades returned. He never said a word to the grateful prisoner, but some months later, on a Christmas morning, as the prisoner stood alone in the prison courtyard, the same good Samaritan walked up to him and stood next to him for a few moments. Then with his sandal, the guard drew a cross in the dirt. The prisoner and guard both stood wordlessly there for a minute or two, venerating the cross, until the guard rubbed it out and walked away.
(From a speech delivered by Senator John McCain in Virginia Beach on Feb. 28, 2000, just prior to the Virginia presidential primary. To read the entire speech, click on http://archives.theconnection.org/archive/category/politics/mccainspeech.shtml)
Shining Moments
Gram
by William Bell
...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus...."
Matthew 1:20b-21a
Cecelia, my paternal grandmother, died in the late fall of 1969, shortly after I began my military assignment in what was then known as the Republic of South Vietnam. Because I was in-country for such a short period of time, it was determined that I would not be allowed to attend the funeral services. I was both saddened and disappointed at this decision, for I was particularly close to "Gram," as I called her, not only because our family lived in her home until I was about 7, but also because I greatly admired her. Losing her husband (my grandfather) shortly after my father was born, Gram was forced to go to work, and for much of her working life performed housekeeping services for her local parish and school. When Gram retired after more than 30 years of service, she received 30 silver dollars as her retirement pension. I remember thinking how unfair 30 silver dollars were after a lifetime of hard work, particularly considering the physical toll it took on Gram's hands, back, etc., but Gram was proud of her "reward" nonetheless. And I was proud of her as well.
Besides being hard-working, Gram played piano and loved ragtime music, and of course her beloved Detroit Tigers. The Tigers won the World Series in 1968, and Gram was very optimistic that they would repeat. Gram was very intelligent, and I remember fondly our discussions of current events and politics. Gram was very opinionated. After receiving the news of her death, I remembered most of those discussions (some were very spirited), and I realized just how much I was going to miss her.
I received Gram's last letter after the news of her death. She wrote often while I was in the service, and I was always amazed at how legible her letters were, given her poor eyesight; how insightful and upbeat. In her last letter she wrote that she was very optimistic that our new president Richard Nixon was going to end the war and I would be home soon. As a lifelong Democrat, this letter could not have been easy for Gram to pen, for she was not in favor of the Vietnam conflict. I remember thinking that this letter was the last time I would be hearing from Gram, but little did I know that she wasn't quite finished communicating with me.
A few months after Gram's death, while I was still in Vietnam, I was stricken with what was then diagnosed as malaria. Accompanying this malady was high fever, and I remember having what has been commonly referred to as the "near-death" experience. My experience included hovering over and being able to see what appeared to be my sleeping body. Then, quite to my surprise, I was visited by my recently deceased grandmother. Interestingly enough, Gram appeared to be about 20 years younger, but was dressed in her favorite red and white checkerboard dress. She told me not be frightened, that I was going to recover. She also mentioned that she was wrong and the Vietnam conflict was not going to end soon, but that I would be safe and needed to be careful at all times. I trusted my grandmother, and her reassuring words that I would survive Vietnam went a long way toward alleviating my fears.
Gram has visited me several times since my Vietnam encounter. On these occasions she appeared while I was asleep. On two such occasions that I recall vividly she appeared just prior to the birth of each of our sons, Ian and Matthew. My wife Margaret and I decided to forgo knowing the sex of each child, but Gram informed me in advance. Again I was startled by her predictive revelations, and her ostensible knowledge of the future. She was very pleased with both boys, and told me they were great kids.
Gram has, I think, attempted to visit with me on several other occasions, but I was unable to make contact. I can only hope that Gram keeps trying to visit with me, and that I have an opportunity to tell her that I miss her and hope she is doing well. I must admit I am curious about Gram's after-life experiences, and would love to discuss them with her. Knowing Gram, I am sure it would turn into a "spirited" discussion.
William Bell was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam from 1969-1971. Bill graduated from the University of Michigan, and is employed in the field of facility management and development. He is a member of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church and resides with his family in the Milwaukee area.
Good Stories
A Righteous Man
by John Sumwalt
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."
Matthew 1:18-20
Mary didn't know what to do. How could she break the news to Joe? They had only been dating for six weeks, but she knew that he loved her. She could see it in his eyes. And she knew that she loved him. He was so gentle and understanding. There weren't many men in the world like Joe.
Mary had met Joe in the emergency room on the very night of the assault, and they had been together every day since, as if it was meant to be. Joe was there waiting for a friend who had twisted an ankle in a softball game, She sat next to him in the waiting room before they took her in to be examined. Mary had been too upset to talk, and Joe hadn't tried to make conversation. He didn't even ask what had happened. He simply looked at her with tenderness and said, "It will be okay. They will take care of you." Even those few words had been enough to create a bond between them. And Joe had come back later, after he took his friend home, to see if she was all right. By then Mary was able to talk about the rape; the horror she had felt during the attack and the humiliation and anger that were still growing within her. She was grateful for his presence. Somehow it was easier to talk about it with him than with the counselor who had been assigned to her case. Joe had listened quietly for several hours that night, and had called or come to keep her company every night since, gradually coaxing her out of her small apartment into the world again.
Joe had never once tried to touch her, and Mary loved him for that. He seemed to know without her saying it that she couldn't stand to be touched -- not yet. Soon, maybe. She had found herself longing for that moment and wondering what it would be like during the last couple of weeks. Mary knew that Joe would wait until she gave him a sign, and she had thought that it might be tonight. But when she let him know what the doctor had told her today, would Joe want to touch her? Was this the end of her hope that their love would lead to marriage and a family? What would Joe do when she told him about the baby?
Scrap Pile
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving for Christmas Eve
by Thom M. Shuman
Leader: May God be with you.
People: Even now, God is coming to us.
Leader: People of God, open your hearts.
People: We open our hearts to the approaching God.
Leader: Let us give praise to the God who comes towards us.
People: It is right to sing glory to our God.
Leader: Glory to you, mighty God!
Into the darkness of infinity, you flung the stars, the moon, and the sun.
In those days, our grandparents lived secure in the garden you provided.
But the burden of wanting to be like you led them out into the chaos of sin and rebellion.
The prophets told of One who would come to bring us back to you.
But we chose to listen to the foolish advice of the world and to wander its back streets.
Yet the night came when you became flesh to dwell with us, full of grace and truth.
So we sing the new song,
first caroled to shepherds on Bethlehem's hills and echoed by all creation:
People (sung): "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing" (verse 1)
Leader: Holy are you, Everlasting Father,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, our hope, our Lord, our Prince of Peace.
In him, the shadows in the corners of our lives are illuminated
and your hopes for us are revealed.
He breaks all that weighs upon us, and takes the burdens off our shoulders.
He gave of himself, that we might be a blessing to others.
Rejected and despised by many, he welcomes all into your kingdom.
In death, he was wrapped in bands of cloth and laid in a tomb,
completing the journey begun in a manger.
Preparing to celebrate his birth and awaiting the day of his return,
we sing of those mysteries we can only understand by faith:
People (sung): "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing" (verse 3)
Leader: Holy Spirit, Wonderful Counselor,
as we lift the broken bread and drink from the cup of grace,
we are made whole to live lives of holiness and integrity.
Increase our joy,
that our generosity towards others might deepen.
As grace has appeared holding hands with salvation,
may we reach out to those around us and among us
who search for hope, for joy, for kindness in their lives.
Then send us forth to sing of the One who has come,
that all might know the good news which has transformed our lives forever.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Thom M. Shuman is the pastor of Greenhills (Presbyterian) Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
**********************************************
How to Share Stories
You have good stories to share, probably more than you know: personal stories as well as stories from others that you have used over the years. If you have a story you like, whether fictional or "really happened," authored by you or a brief excerpt from a favorite book, send it to StoryShare for review. Simply click here share-a-story@csspub.com and e-mail the story to us.
How do I get a free sample of StoryShare?
Discover for yourself the real value of StoryShare. Click here http://www.csspub.com/storysample1.lasso to see two of our weekly editions.
How do I subscribe to StoryShare?
Subscribing online is convenient using our secure server -- or you can all CSS toll-free at (800) 537-1030 Monday - Friday from 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM (Eastern Time) or send an e-mail to orders@csspub.com, and our customer service team will be happy to assist you. Subscribers receive weekly installments of StoryShare -- plus full access to the StoryShare archives -- for an annual subscription rate of only $19.95. A two-year subscription is available for only $34.95. We think this is the best value in preaching, teaching, and devotional resources available anywhere. If you don't agree we will refund the balance of your subscription payment. To subscribe online, click here http://www.csspub.com/css-secure/storysubscribe.lasso.
We invite you to forward this offer to all of your friends who are looking for good stories.
**************
New Book
The third book in the vision series, Shining Moments: Visions of the Holy in Ordinary Lives (edited by John Sumwalt), is now available from CSS Publishing Company. (Click on the title for information about how to order.) Among the 60 contributing authors of these Chicken Soup for the Soul-like vignettes are Ralph Milton, Sandra Herrmann, Pamela J. Tinnin, Richard H. Gentzler Jr., David Michael Smith, Anne Sunday, Nancy Nichols, William Lee Rand, Gail Ingle, and Rosmarie Trapp, whose family story was told in the classic movie The Sound of Music. The stories follow the lectionary for Cycle A.
Other Books by John & Jo Sumwalt
Sharing Visions: Divine Revelations, Angels, and Holy Coincidences
Vision Stories: True Accounts of Visions, Angels, and Healing Miracles
Life Stories: A Study in Christian Decision Making
Lectionary Stories: Forty Tellable Tales for Cycle A
Lectionary Stories: Forty Tellable Tales for Cycle B
Lectionary Stories: Forty Tellable Tales for Cycle C
Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit: 62 Stories for Cycle B
You can order any of our books on the CSS website; they are also available from www.amazon.com and at many Christian bookstores. Or simply e-mail your order to orders@csspub.com or phone 1-800-241-4056. (If you live outside the U.S., phone 419-227-1818.)
**************
About the Editors
John E. Sumwalt is the pastor of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in Milwaukee, and is the author of eight books for CSS. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS), John received the Herbert Manning Jr. award for Parish Ministry from UDTS in 1997. John is known in the Milwaukee area for his one-minute radio spots which always include a brief story. He concludes each spot by saying, "I'm John Sumwalt with 'A Story to Live By' from Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church."
John has done numerous storytelling events for civic, school, and church groups, as well as on radio and television. He has performed at a number of fundraisers for the homeless, the hungry, Habitat for Humanity, and women's shelters. Since the fall of 1999, when he began working on the Vision Stories series, he has led seminars and retreats around the themes "A Safe Place to Tell Visions," "Vision Stories in the Bible and Today," and coming this spring: "Soul Growth: Discovering Lost Spiritual Dimensions." To schedule a seminar or a retreat, write to jsumwalt@naspa.net or phone 414-257-1228.
Joanne Perry-Sumwalt is director of Christian Education at Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in Milwaukee. Jo is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, with a degree in English and writing. She has co-authored two books with John, Life Stories: A Study In Christian Decision Making and Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit: 62 Stories For Cycle B. Jo writes original curriculum for church classes. She also serves as the secretary of the Wisconsin chapter of the Christian Educators Fellowship (CEF), and is a member of the National CEF.
Jo and John have been married since 1975. They have two grown children, Kathryn and Orrin. They both love reading, movies, long walks with Chloe (their West Highland Terrier), and working on their old farmhouse in southwest Wisconsin.
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StoryShare, December 19, 2004, issue.
Copyright 2004 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 4503, Lima, Ohio 45802-4503.
