SAYING IT SINCERELY

When winter had finally set in for Nome on the edge of the Bering Sea, in the days of Chairman Jason, behold, the wise men and women of the region gathered together asking, Where is the fuel we ordered last May? We can foresee fuel prices rising and we have come together to do something about it."

When Chairman Jason heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all of Nome with him. Assembling all the chief advisers from Bonanza Fuel, He inquired of them, Where is the fuel and how will we bring it to Nome?"

They said to him, The storm of the century in Nome and throughout the region, prevented delivery earlier this fall. Now that the ice has frozen, there will be no delivery: And you, Nome, on the edge of the Bering Sea, will not be provided with your order; unless you find a way around the ice, to bring fuel oil to your people."

Then Chairman Jason called the wise men and women together again and ascertained how they could all work for the fuel oil's appearance. He then sent the Russian tanker Renda on the high seas and said, Go and search for fuel on the world market. When you have found it, bring it to Nome, that we may last the winter without paying $9.00 a gallon for fuel."
After their initial meeting, there were many, many, many, many more. Senators from Washington DC and officials from Homeland Security, scientists from UAF's Geophysical Institute, The Coast Guard, and Alaska's Department of Environmental Conservation, the Mayor, the City Manager, the Port Manager and many, many, many, many more all spent countless hours navigating through the sea of red tape so that the Renda could navigate through the icy waters of the Bering Sea.

And behold, the US Coast Guard ice breaker Healy preceded the Renda, until it came and stopped over the place where the fuel could be brought into Nome. The town of Nome was overjoyed at seeing the Renda, and on entering as close as they could to the harbor the sailors saw the children and mothers and Nomeites of every kind. They delivered the fuel oil taking every precaution that not even a drop of fuel would be spilled. This treasure was more valued than gold in the mining town of Nome. And having been warned in a dream not to return through more dangerous ice, the sailors of the Renda departed for their country by another way.

Brothers and sisters: You have heard for weeks of the fuel oils coming and how many people have worked together for the common good. More precious than fuel oil or gold is the gift that God the Father has given us in the Christ Child. You are the stewards of God's grace in this generation.
* Share the gift of the Christ Child with others that they may follow the golden rule and always work together for the common good.
* Share the gift of the Christ Child with others so that the light of Christ shines brightly in the darkness and bitter cold of this winter.
* Share the gift of the Christ Child with others so that they may joy in the spiritual fuel that energizes the soul not merely for a winter but for a lifetime and beyond.