On Earth...Peace to Men of Good Will
THE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS
Christmas is a spiritual
which stands by itself as 3 fit
•.
ting climax to the closing aj, the
Old year. Christmas began «with
a new life more man adequate
for the New' Year. Yes. Cttrist
mas is more than a spiritual
event in a year, it ls the spiritual
event of history. For calendars
of the world fashion themselves
by the Birth of Christ. Aii.'-the
events of human history ’-iare
marked off by this one etVit.
It is either before Christ, or.-,af
ter Christ. \
Before Christ there were many
calendars, and after the birth
of Christ the world came to see
more and more the one calendar,
the Christian Calendar.
Christmas is not only the
spiritual event of the’ year, and
the spiritual event of human
hustory, it is also the spiritual
event of God. St. John said.;
“God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son. that
whosoever believeth on Him
should not ,perish, but have ever
lasting life.” God so loved the
world that He gave the world
the Example, the Manifestation
of His love.
Christmas is a spiritual con
dition in which God comes into
the full possession of man’s will.
No longer do we need to argue
about a better way. We have
the example of the best way.
God's w~ay To celebrate Christ
mas is to. become spiritually one
woVi rind To celebrate Christ
ina* - • > vc'*ne Christhke. We
no Irr.gt-r M ve ‘o say before
Christ of after Christ, we can
say in Christ. Before Qhrjst
•fhej'C^'wv? dfti'.Sfmal- Aft'ef'
the Birth of Christ we tend to
celebrate His Birth as an event
in History. But in Christ we
celebrate His Birth within us,
not as an event, but as a condi
tion of H s spirit in us. How art
we going to celebrate the great
est spiritual event of all t mes?
By the depth of our spiritual
experiences we-will show our
understanding of the meaning
of Christmas.
STAR .0*j Tjn> EASiT
. '* Two'fehbusand' yean? ago a Star
rose ip the East and in its rising,
shone upon. a world torn with
strife and dissension, upon a
mankind held in slavery and
subjection and ruled over by a
nation which had reached the
Very depths of human degreda
tion.
The Star was important, not
m itself., but-only ‘as a symbol*,
a brilliant sign that all might
see and understand that Al
mighty God in f the. Heavens,
through* His ' Mercy ' and His
Kindness and Love had fulfilled
His promise to mankind, and
had sent His Only Begotten Son
to instruct and to guide and to
bring man back to a knowledge
and love and service of the God
who had created all.
-
The Star, the sign placed by
Almighty God in the heavens
was disregarded: His Son was
ignored: and men, King and
Priest and peasant, continued to
live, each one according as he
would. And their indifference
finally gave place to anger that
this Son of God should so con
stantly insist upon the rights of
'(Sod and upon man’s dependence
<ih that God. And that anger
fh'ially avenged itself in the
slaughter of the One sent to
guide and to save.
/•The Star has disappeared into
the mists of Eternity. The
Christ paid the terrible debt
o^ycd God by man. and today, as
ih the days of Herod, the Prince
of Peace calls to all men to ac
knowledge their God, to admit
their dependence on God and to
live as their God has taught
■them.
And the cry of the Prince of
Peace is drowned out with ^he
roar of cannon and the bursting
of bombs, and peace has left the
hearts of men, and in its place
there is hatred and revenge.
Men have cried, "Peace, peace"
and there is no peace, nor can
there .be any peace until men
aru again willing to bow their
khec to the innocence and the
purity and the love of the Babe
of Bethlehem. And when that
Babe .shall again reign in the
hearts of men, as He shall in
His own good time, then shall
men taste of the sweetness of
Almighty God.
THERE’S A SONG IN TRF AIR!
“His Name shall be called
Emmanuel—God with us" (Matt.
1:23.) Wonderful—Counselor—
Mighty God—Prince of Peace.
(Isa 9:6).
“There’s a song in the Air!
There’s a star in the sky!
There’s a Mother's deep prayer.
And a baby's low cry!
And the star rains it’s fire.
While the beautiful sing.
F«>r the Manger of Bethlehem
Cradles a King ”
A few years ago a striking
Christmas Card was published
with the title "If Christ had not
Come." It was founded on Je
sus’ words "If I had ne t come".
The card represented a clergy
man falling into a short sleep
in his study on Christmas morn
ing and dreaming of a world
into which Jesus had never
com 6.
In his dream he found himself
looking through his home—but
there were no little stockings on
the fire place, no Christmas bells
or wreaths of holly and no Christ
to comfort, gladden and save.
He walked out on the public
street but there was no Christ-^
ian church with its spire point-j
ing to Heaven. came backs
and sat down in his library butS
every book about Jesus Christ*
has disappeared.
,A ring at the door bell and a*
nessenger asked him to visit a®
dying mother. H e hastened|
with the weeping child and a he|
reached the home he sat down!
and said “I have something herel
to Comfort you." He opened hiss
Bible to look for a familiar!
promise but found the BibleS
ended at Malachi. There was*
no message of Consolation ‘‘Let3
not your heart be troubled, vvej
believe in God. believe also inJ
Me. I go to prepare a place for*
you. that where I am there ye
may be also”—No word of a
glorious resurrection "Because I
live, ye also shall live—If this
earthly tabernacle were dissolv
ed—We have a building of God !
—a house not made with hands”
No open heaven—'but only dust
to dust—ashes to ashes—and one
long eternal farewell. He real
ized at length that '“He had not
Come”.
Suddenly he woke with a start
and a great shout of joy and
praise burst from his lips as he
heard his choir singing in his
church close by
“O Come, all yt faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O tome ye, O come ye to
Bethlehetm
Come and behold Him—
Borm the King of Angles,
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord.”
Let us be glad and rejoice to
day, because “He has come” and
let us remember the annuncia
tions of the angel ‘‘Behold. I
bring you good tidings of greaS
joy which shall be to all people
For unto you is bom this day in
the City of David a Savior which
is Christ the Lord.”
“He comes to make his bless
ing flow
Far as the curse is found.”
The curse of sin, selfishness
and greed is found wherever
mankind has forgotten the real
meaning of the Christmas mes
sage—“God With Us”.
L .
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?; The Terri
torial Guard Greetings
■? of the Season and Wish For You A
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I iHcnp (Christmas anb A
ibappy Nchi Iflear!
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§jjf AND MAY WE WISH FOR YOU AND j| E
|f YOURS THE UTMOST IN PROS- |f |?
gf FERITY DURING THE COMING |g E
§ 1 i
j| NEW YEAR! ^ g
| Polar Curio 1 1
| Shop I 1
3$ George Madsen Keith Hedreen ^ ^