Mind of the Missionary

Among the avalanche of “holiday” catalogs in our mailbox recently was one proudly declaring “An HDTV is the ultimate holiday centerpiece.” And while I am pleased that the timber industry is blessed by the distribution of catalogs, I was taken aback by this blatantly self-serving, but I fear too often true, declaration of what the holidays have become.

Now hear this. It is Christmas. The true ultimate centerpiece is the Christ child. It is not about our being entertained. It is not about us having bigger and better than our neighbors and kinspersons. It is not about self.

It is about Jesus divesting himself of the pleasures, power and possessions of heaven. It is about the very Son of God becoming a vulnerable little human baby. It is about his love. And since we know the rest of the story, it is about his ministry, his modeling the good life of service; it is about his suffering and dying, it is about his victory over sin, death, and Satan; it is about his resurrection; it is about how we can be saved from eternal damnation by trusting in his death as a perfect sacrifice; it is about his coming again to gather up all those who have put their faith in him, and it is about a life eternal with him in heaven. (Read Philippians 2:5-12 as well as the Christmas stories in Matthew and Luke.)

Boldly keep Jesus at the center of Christmas for you and your family. Boldly proclaim the true meaning of Christmas. Boldly give gifts to the Christ child. Be like the wisemen of old.

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

When Lottie went to China, she was stationed with T.P. & Martha Crawford. Mrs. Crawford grew up in Grant’s Creek Baptist Church in Fosters back when it was in this association. (Mike Griffin is pastor there now.) It was she who mentored Ms. Moon and taught her to be a missionary. Later, Mary Jane Thornton from our association joined this station.

Shortly after Lottie died, Ms. Addie Cox went to China (1918) and served until the Communists drove her out in about 1950. Addie Cox was also from our association. She grew up in Carrollton Baptist Church.

Across the years, more than 20 persons with roots in our association have served under the Foreign, now International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. They have served in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and other parts of the world. Today, there are four from our association currently serving.

In 2008, our churches gave $69,859.37 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. This was up from 2007 gifts about $8,000. Let us give generously and sacrificially this year as we support the more than 5600