Time to celebrate!

Our Picture (started 10.25.03) is done
and hanging on the wall !

Be still and know
I AM

Christmas

the season for dashing

the season to

be still and know
I AM

12.13.03 red

red presents:

a FLASH classic

The Three Trees

Once upon a mountaintop,
three little trees stood and
dreamed of what they wanted
to become when they grew up.

The first little tree looked up at
the stars twinkling like diamonds
above her. 

“I want to hold treasure,” she said,
“I want to be covered with gold
and filled with precious stones. 
I will be the most beautiful
treasure chest in the world!”

The second little tree looked out
at the small stream trickling by
on its way to the ocean. 

“I want to be a strong sailing ship,”
he said. “I want to travel mighty
waters and carry powerful kings,
I will be the
strongest ship in the world!”

The third little tree looked down
into the valley below
where busy men and busy women
worked in a busy town. 

“I don't want to leave this
mountaintop at all,” he said. 
“I want to grow so tall that when
people stop to look at me they
will raise their eyes to heaven and
think of God.  I will be the tallest
tree in the world!”

Years passed. 
The rains came,
the sun shone,
and the little trees grew tall. 

One day three wood cutters
climbed the mountain. 
The first woodcutter looked
at the first tree and said,

“This tree is beautiful. 
It is perfect for me.” 

With a swoop of his shining
axe, the first tree fell.

Now I shall be made into a
beautiful chest,”
thought the first tree. 
“I shall hold wonderful treasure.

The second woodcutter looked
at the second tree and said,

“This tree is strong. 
It is perfect for me.” 

With a swoop of his shining
axe, the second tree fell.

“Now I shall sail mighty waters,”
thought the second tree. 
“I shall be a strong ship fit for kings!”

The third tree felt his heart sink
when the last woodcutter
looked his way. 
He stood straight and
tall and pointed bravely to heaven. 
But the woodcutter never even
looked up. 

“Any kind of tree will do for me,”
he muttered.  With a swoop of his
shining axe, the third tree fell..

The first tree rejoiced when the
woodcutter brought her to a
carpenter's shop, but the busy
carpenter was not thinking about
treasure chests. 

Instead his work-worn hands fashioned
the tree into a feed box for animals.

The once-beautiful tree was not
covered with gold or filled with
treasure.  She was coated with
sawdust and filled with hay for
hungry farm animals.

The second tree smiled when
the woodcutter took him to a
shipyard, but no mighty sailing
ships were being made that day. 

Instead the once-strong tree was
hammered and sawed into a
simple fishing boat.

Too small and too weak to sail an
ocean or even a river,
he was taken to a little lake. 

Every day he brought
in loads of dead, smelly fish.

The third tree was confused when
the woodcutter cut him into strong
beams and left him in a lumberyard. 

“What happened?”  The once-tall
tree wondered.  “All I ever wanted
to do was stay on the mountaintop
and point to God.”

Many, many days and nights passed. 
The three trees nearly
forgot their dreams.

But one night golden starlight
poured over the first tree as a
young woman placed her newborn
baby in the feed box. 

"I wish I could make a cradle for him, "
her husband whispered. 
The mother squeezed his hand
and smiled as the starlight shone
on the smooth and sturdy wood.

  And suddenly the first tree knew
she was holding the greatest
treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler
and his friends crowded into
the old fishing boat. 

The traveler fell
asleep as the second tree quietly
sailed out into the lake.

Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. 

The little tree shuddered. 
He knew he did not
have the strength to carry so many
passengers safely through the
wind and rain. 

The tired man awakened. 
He stood up, stretched out his hand and said:

PEACE

The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. 
And suddenly the second tree knew
he was carrying
the King of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree
was startled when her beams were
yanked from the forgotten woodpile.
 

She flinched as she was carried
through an angry jeering crowd.

 
She shuddered when soldiers
nailed a man's hands to her.

She felt ugly and harsh and cruel.

But on Sunday morning, when the
sun rose and the earth trembled with
joy beneath her, the third tree knew
that God's love had changed everything. 

It made the first tree beautiful.

It had made the second tree strong.

And every time people thought of
the third tree, they would think of God.

 That is better than being the
tallest tree in the world.

the end . . .

. . . the three live trees that we used in the play were dontated with "all the trimmings" to three families
through Inner City Ministries. . .

. . . we also wrapped gifts for ten families
that are experiencing a difficult time

. . . we played reindeer games

and decorated delicious trees!

Merry Christmas

one and all

check out previous red worships--archive

Resource List for 12.13.03

The Holy Bible (Message, NAS, NCV, NIV, NLT)
online

The Three Trees
buy the book