Lights, Camera, Action!

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.  - Isaiah 9:2

For Sight week we thought it would be fun to share some videos of Christmas lights with you. This year as you look at all the beautiful displays, think of Jesus, the Light of the World.

Clips like these were the inspiration for our church-wide Christmas lights contest. Remember to post photos of your Christmas lights on Facebook to be part of this contest. The winners will be announced on Sunday morning on both campuses!

See you then!

Cove Worship Ministry 

Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown

by Chris Welch, Chase running whiz

“But since you excel in…the love we have kindled in you- see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” - 2 Corinthians 8:7 

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, especially when you're part of a fun small group. Several years ago, my group had one of those deeply spiritual events we all look forward to -- a Dirty Santa Christmas party. You know, everybody brings a present and hopes to leave with something way cooler (or more expensive).

One of our members had gotten really creative with the exchange gift, making a mini Christmas tree out of wood and adorning it with lights. Wow, I thought, that would look so good on my porch.

When it came to my turn, I either opened the tree or stole it from another member (all part of the game, of course).  I sat admiring that tree just like Charlie Brown used to admire that poor, pitiful tree that he chose in the classic holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. But in my case, this was a cool tree that would look really cool on my porch.

For some reason, I thought if I looked like I really wanted the tree nobody would steal it from me. I mean, this was an awesome Christian group of caring souls and nobody would steal my tree from me, right? Well, it's those sweet Christians that fool you. As I was admiring that pretty little tree and picturing it at my house -- did I mention how cool it would look on my porch? -- one of the “sweet” ladies in my group walked over to my tree, grabbed it, and I think cackled with glee. Can you believe that? MY Tree! I thought, ha, ha, they'll act like they were taking it and give it back. Good Christian souls, right? Nope, she kept it.

Well, I think I walked out of there with a lame box of peppermints or something. I really can't remember, because I was so bummed about that tree.

I went and drowned my sorrows -- with a Route 44 Cherry Limeade at the local Sonic -- and eventually got back home.

When I got out of the car, I couldn't believe it. Sitting on my porch was that awesome little wooden tree, just like I imagined. Its cute little wooden, green self was there just waiting for me to plug it in.

I was really touched. To be honest, it was something I could have lived without, but my friends thought otherwise and showed me something we should always do at Christmas -- make somebody else's Christmas special in thought, word, or, in this case, a little tree.

Chris attends the Chase campus where he volunteers in Kids Cove and is part of

a great small group   After more than 30 years of writing for The Huntsville Times, Chris is now blessed to work at Fleet Feet helping hurting souls with their soles.

What You Don't See at Christmas in Kenya

by the Coghlan family, missionaries to Migori, Kenya

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:18

The sense of Sight immediately brings to mind hundreds of images of the teams of doctors, nurses and other health professionals that take their time and resources to sleep in bunk beds and brush their teeth with bottled water, all to restore sight to the blind.  I think of Christine, the now 8-year-old we found abandoned in August whose eyes were so full of infection, she couldn’t see; and how God had placed an eye team here at that time to give her desperately needed medical treatment.  We can go on endlessly recounting the people whose lives have changed by the restoration of their sight.

But today, as we enter full steam into the holiday season, I want to describe, if I may, what you don’t see in Migori this time of year.  Like out of the end pages of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” in Whoville, you will see no silver or gold, boxes, ribbons or bows.  You won’t see Christmas trees, poinsettias or elaborate window displays of wintery scenes or streets lined with twinkle lights, wreaths and garland. There are no sightings of Santa, elves on shelves or red-nosed reindeer.  You won’t watch an endless steam of commercials of gifts and toys that are deemed a necessity for true happiness and fulfillment.  You certainly won’t see shopping carts filled to the brim with ingredients for casseroles, stuffings and pies nor will you experience people overwhelming their tastebuds or their stomachs.

You won’t even hear Christmas music playing in stores, radios and ringtones.  What you do hear, as in Whoville, is the sound of a cappella voices, praising the birth of our King.  What you’ll see is genuine joy for the gift of our Savior and the hope that He provides to their very difficult lives.  Instead of feasting, many fast, pray and read the Bible to keep their focus on the One that has saved them.  Gifts, if any, are mostly handmade.

As much as I miss the magic that the holidays bring, I don’t miss the stress and anxiety that it also brings to so many.  Unspoken expectations abound to have the right gift and Hallmark setting.  All of these things have become distractions to reflecting on what His birth has meant to the world and, particularly, us.

I’m sure our Christmas in Kenya is not one we will soon forget.  Yet, we fix our eyes on what is unseen and all the joy His indescribable gift has meant to us  - 2 Cor 9:15

The Coghlans live in Migori, Kenya where they are Resident Missionaries at Kenya Relief overseeing the operations of an orphanage, primary school and medical clinic.  They lived in Hampton Cove and attended Cove Church for over a decade, where they were equipped to serve on this mission.

Seeing Christmas

by Steve Phillips, Brandon Heath fan club president

I was thinking about writing this blog on the “sights” of Christmas when a song came into my mind.  It’s called “Give Me Your Eyes” and the chorus includes these lyrics:

Give me Your eyes for just one second

Give me Your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing

Give me Your love for humanity

I knew very clearly that this had to be a prompting from God because I can’t stand this song.  My apologies to all the Brandon Heath fans, but it’s just one of those songs that I find painful to listen to.  Sometimes my opinion of a song is changed when we sing it in worship, but I’m not even sure the Rob Hall version can change my mind on this one.  But regardless of my opinion, what does this song have to do with Christmas? 

In Matthew 13:13 (NLT), Jesus told his disciples: “That is why I use these parables, for they look, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really listen or understand.”

There is so much we love to see at Christmas: lights and decorations, cards on the mantle, and a different Hallmark movie every night.  One of my favorite sights is the chaos of five kids on Christmas morning.  But, how often do we get caught up “looking” at the sights of Christmas and fail to “see” Christmas through God’s eyes?

The sounds, sights, and smells of the first Christmas were quite different than what we associate with Christmas today.  This year, let’s take a moment to look past the lights and decorations and “see” the beautiful simplicity of the first Christmas and appreciate the wonder of God that is Jesus Christ.   

John encouraged us in his sermon a couple of weeks ago to focus on the faces of the kids who will be the recipients of our Big Give this year.  Don’t just “look” at Bags of Blessings as a worthy, charitable cause without “seeing” the kids who have to bury their bags in the yard so their mother won’t come home high on crack and eat everything, leaving the children with no food for the weekend (a true story my wife, Joanne, was told while volunteering).  My prayer for this Christmas is “open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions” (Psalm 119:18; NLT).

Or in other words:

Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity

Steve and his family (Joanne, Jack, Sam, Laura, Nathan, and Eli) joined Cove Church in 2008. Since then, he has been active with the First Impressions team, in couple’s and men’s C groups, and with local and international mission partners.

The “sight” of Christmas at the Phillips’ house

The Christmas Whisper

by Cove Board member Jim Chase

A few years ago, I was up one night admiring our Christmas tree. There was the angel on top, lightly glowing; a number of glitter-speckled balls; an iridescent garland wrapped around the tree; and a handful of specialty ornaments of both the unique and cute variety. With Christmas music playing softly in the background, I watched the colors light up the room. It was a peaceful moment, and as late as it was, it wasn't long before I let my imagination out to play.

I was very close to the tree, looking deep inside its branches, when suddenly I was passing through a galaxy of lights and decorations, speeding fast toward the heart of the tree. All came to a stop, where before me was a simple, nondescript ornament hanging in space. It wasn't flashy or shiny, cute or iridescent. It lay there silently, almost hidden from sight. But once past all the distractions, the worries, and the substitutes, I could see it. A lowly manger, with a Child and his earthly parents. Like a Christmas whisper, the true meaning of Christmas filled my senses, and I had ears to hear.

The noise of the season acts quickly and harshly to drown out the sound of the One Voice we so desperately need to hear. We are deafened and distracted by the deadlines and demands of the year end drive, so much so that the distinguishing spirit of Christmas becomes lost in the assault. But it doesn't have to be that way.

I pray that you will find a quiet moment each day to look deep into the story of Christmas, and with a listening heart rediscover the true meaning and hope of this special time, meant for you and all the world. For unto us a Child is born, and a Son is given.

"The angel reassured them, 'Don't be afraid!' he said. ’I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior -- yes, the Messiah, the Lord -- has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!' Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others -- the armies of heaven -- praising God: 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors'" (Luke 2:10-14, NLT)

Ah, the sound! The heavens erupting in a chorus of praise for this singular, spectacular entrance of the divine into the world! And in the stillness that follows, if you listen with your heart, you can hear the sound of the Father calling us home: calling us up, calling us in, calling us on. It is the sound of the Father’s voice calling us to what’s next on the path the newborn Savior has set before us.

Do you hear what I hear? Listen closely, with all your heart, and you just might. 

Jim Chase and his family have been members of Cove Church @ Chase since the launch of the campus in September, 2011. He serves as a member of the church board and also as a Lay Delegate to the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church. 

It’s Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Christmas

Merry Christmas! (In a few weeks.) My name is Caleb Clark, and I am a high school junior and a music-lover. I played violin in elementary school, and I switched to trombone in the sixth grade. I have a wide range of musicians that I like, ranging from Mumford and Sons to Billy Idol, Falco to the Four Seasons, Danny Elfman, to the Beatles. I especially enjoy classical music, specifically Eastern European.

One man not from Eastern Europe is Arcangelo Corelli, an Italian 17th-century violinist and composer. One of his works is called “Concerto Grosso No. 8 in G Minor, Op. 6,” or “Christmas Concerto.” I would like to say that through my extensive knowledge of the arts and judicious tastes I found this piece, but what really happened is that it was included in a 50-track album on iTunes for $4. Anyway, this song is a delightful tune in the key of G minor and appropriately… mischievous. As with all music, taste is everything. I personally enjoy it because I like artistically dark pieces and the cold. A person who likes sunshine and the Beach Boys may not like it as much as I do.

This song is more of a winter song than a Christmas carol, but it still has a good application for the Christmas season. It is a ravishingly beautiful work of art despite its sinister key. Perhaps it is the delicate sound of violins or the light tempo that make this tune sound jaunty rather than joyless. Christmas takes a similar role in the year. Winter: the bleakest and coldest of the four seasons. The trees and the grass shrivel, and the cute woodland creatures all hide for two- to- five months. All that we can do is hunker down with a pile of blankets and binge-watch Hitchcock films. Christmas is a beacon of hope and cheer. Rather than fighting over who gets the last marshmallow in their hot chocolate, we are to love each other and give gifts. Christmas is bright, warm, cheery, and loving.

Before I continue, I shall be honest and say that I need to do this next part as much as we all do. As Christians, we, too, should be a light to lead others to Christ. This is a chilly world, and it is as biting as the wind. Jesus came to us to save us from our sin and to bring us to the better world that is to come. We can use this season to show those around us what Jesus offers.

Let the world hear God’s Word this Christmas. 

Caleb Clark is a junior at Whitesburg Christian Academy. He and his family have been attending Cove Church since 2004. Caleb is active in student ministry, and he has also served as a volunteer in the preschool program for the last five years. 

Spreading the Good News

by Jayne Russell.  Jayne has been a member of Cove Church @ Chase since it opened in September of 2011. She serves on the First Impressions team and also belongs to a ladies’ c-group. Outside of her involvement with Cove Church, Jayne is committed to serving in her community through ministries such as Manna House.

In Isaiah 61:1, the Bible says, "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners."

We all have many opportunities to spread good news to the poor.  We can feed the poor at Manna House.  We can spread Christ's love and joy through our smile to people who need a smile and prayer. We can share from our abundance with the homeless through giving to Rose of Sharon, who is always accepting gifts of coats, blankets, socks, gloves, hats and more.  We can give a chicken, goat or pig to Compassion for a family in Africa or elsewhere. We can ring a bell for the Salvation Army. We can build wheelchair ramps or collect personal care products for CASA.  We can collect personal care products for CASA. We can help friends who need an ear to listen.

In this Advent and Christmas season, Christ's quiet, still voice may be speaking to you.  Listen. There is a place for you to help someone in need.  Christmas feels better when we help those who really need it.  We can see Jesus in them and be who Jesus wants us to be.  We may be showing the way to Christ while helping to meet someone's physical needs.