“Keep Alive Spiritual Side of Christmas”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 546, 26 December 1928, Page 11

“Keep Alive Spiritual Side of Christmas”

PRIMATE’S APPEAL BLESSINGS OF THE YEAR The great value of keeping alive the spiritual side of Christmas was stressed by Archbishop Averill in a sermon to a large congregation at St. Matthew’s Church yesterday morning. “For the world’s sake, for the sake of the children, of ine sick, the suffering, the mourners, we must continue to make known the glorious and joyful news that God has spoken clearly in a Son, and that, in spite of all seeming contradictions, the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind,” said Tlis Gx*ace. Christmas wa§ the heart of God unveiled. Two aspects of Christmas were sometimes overlooked in the desire to give expression to the goodwill side of the festival. First, it was not perhaps realised how much God must value every member of the human race in giving His Son. Further, it must not be overlooked that God desired to be known and understood by mankind. While the Archbishop did not consider that too much could be made of the goodwill aspect, for it gave a glimpse of what the world would be if the Christmas spirit could be universally harnessed and retained, it was well to realise the great underlying purpose of the Father in sending His Son to reveal the Father’s love for the world. It was not quite playing the game to take all the blessings God bestowed in giving His Son, and then to find no room in our hearts to say a reverent “thank you” to God. Suggesting the day should be a special one of thanksgiving for blessing during the year. Two he would mention. God had spared the King and the nations had taken a. step toward peace in signing the Kellogg Pact. At the evening service a recital of Christmas music was given.