XMAS MESSAGES

Temuka Leader, Issue 10227, 24 December 1932, Page 5

XMAS MESSAGES

FROM SOME OF THE CHURCHES OF TEMUKA THE ADVENT OF CHRIST AND HIS EFFECT ON THE WORLD Christmas is with vs once more, and to the Churches of the world it is a time of great rejoicing and special services. “On Earth, Peace, Goodwill toward men,” sang the angels of the Lord to the shepherds who were watching their flocks on the hills of Bethlehem. That was when Jesus, the Son of God, was born, 1932 years ago. All through those years, the advent of Christ has been celebrated on December 25 by the Christian races. Below, are published four messages from some of the Protestant Churches of Temuka.

PRESBYTERIAN Christmas is here, and again the thoughts of Christendom are turned toward Bethlehem and to Him who came as God’s message and God s greatest gift to mankind —the Divine embodiment of peace and goodwill. “The word had human breath and wrought With human hands the creed of creeds. In loveliness of perfect deeds ■ More . strong than all . .poetic thought.” ! The call of to-day is to make Jesus King. We need the fullest expression of the Christmas spirit. Mistrust, suspicion and bitterness are still abroad among men and nations. The sword still rattles in the scabbard, and the mailed fist is still in evidence. The world needs the message of peace and goodwill translated into reality; but we can only have that as we make Him supreme in our individual lives. He has demonstrated His power to redeem human lives, to awaken love and unselfishness, to save the most helpless human wrecks, and to transform society and nations. He can do it still; but history proves that men can’t do it without Him. Thomas Carlyle said in his day, “The beginning and the end of what is the matter 'with us 1 is that we have forgotten God.” The clouds of depression hang ominous and black to-day because we have forgotten God; we have ignored His gift; we have refused to make Jesus King. . Merry, Merry Christmas! We say to all at Christmas time. Lift up your hearts. Make Jesus King in your life. Let Him reign in your heart, and a perpetual Christmas will be yours. REV. C. A. KENNEDY. METHODIST The spell of Christmas has fallen again upon our busy world. For some days we have been talking Christmas, getting ready for Christmas, expecting Christmas visitors and gifts. But what does it ail mean? Has it any,meaning for us other than thoughts about a calendar date, a statutory holiday, a family re-union, presents, or roast turkey? It should" do. It commemorates the world’s greatest event —Ahe coming of God into the streets of daily ’life in human flesh. We shall not understand Christmas fully unless we have the true Christmas thought about Jesu.-> which is contained in the words. “And they shall call. His name Immanuel, which . means. God with us.” That is the meaning of the first Christmas, and is commemorated on every Christmas Day—that in Jesus we have “God with us r ” That suggests three very important and heipful truths. First, that Jesus is unique; He is not merely a man, a good man, a great teacher, a lovely character. He is all these. But He is more; He is “God with us.” Then it tells us further that Jesus As the true Revealer of God in human form. He has explained God for us in a human life. As He said Himself, “H 6 that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” God is like Jesus. * And the third thing, suggested in this Christmas ’letter of Jesus , is this: It tells us Ahat God is constantly near to us—living with us. Let us have this, thought uppermost in our minds on Christmas

Day—that it is the commemoration of the birth of Jesus whd is “God with us”! And as we wish each other “A Merry” or “A Happy Christmas,” let them not he just worn and empty words. Christmas is a season of great joy and goodwill, and we have a right to make merry and be glad. But let us remember that it can be truly happy only as we understand what it means and why we have it. We can have a MERRY Christmas and yet ■ not a HAPPY one. It all depends upon how we think about it. •J j 'We .sometimes say that ‘Christmas comes but once a year.” But does it? It can come as often as we let it, for it commemorates not only an event of the past, but an experience of the present. Just as Jesus was born on l;hat first Christmas- into the world, so He may be, born as a Spirit into our lives on this latest Christmas. For Christmas is not a date, but a. spirit. It is not the calendar, but the Christ Spirit in us that makes a true Christmas. May He be. horn in us all this Christmas Day! REV. L. A. BROOKS. SALVATION ARMY “Christians awake! Salute the happy morn.” What a paean of praise rises in our hearts as again we catch the strains of the first Christmas anthem suggested by the beautiful words written by John Byron. In imagination we make our way up the hillside in company with the bewildered shepherds, and, stepping softly within the little stable of Bethlehem, we stand in amazement at the mystery of God’s dealings with the children of men. What a wonderful revelation! I Suggest that the sight of the infant Christ —His Son- —lying in the manger, helps us to understand something of the intensity of God’s love, which was great enough to produce such a gift to be our Redeemer, our Mediator, our Elder Brother. Even as now, at that time the human race was far too busy about its petty affairs to notice the stupendous event that was taking place in its midst. . Not so the Heavenly hosts! Imagine the scene! Within the stable a few startled cattle,- and a woman placing in a manger a little child wrapped in its first garments —while • without the shepherds, abiding in the fields outside the little town, suddenly heard the sweetest music that ear has ever listened to. It was an anthem, lifted high by the dwellers with God, and the words which reached man are the very words the human heart of to-day is looking for: “On- earth, Goodwill toward men.” As we visualise this great scene, which clearly reveals the mind of God and His intention towards man, let each of us remember our individual responsibility one toward the other. “There are lonely hearts to cherish While the days are going by. There are weary souls who perish While the days are going by. If a smile we can renew, As our journey we pursue, Oh! the good we all ,may do While the days are going by.” ENSIGN W. KNIGHT. MISSION “Born unto you a Saviour which is Christ the Lord.” In all the history of this fallen world there’ is not an event known that can compare with God’s carried out coiicep-

tion ofl that which makes a glorious gift to men—“A Saviour born unto .us.” The birth of the Saviour has been styled “God’s greatest gift to mankind.” The story about this wondrous birth is winsomely beautiful, and, told without adornment as a romance to tell the children,,, jit stands without a those pf mature years it glows \sith holy mysticism, and has a power. of attraction exceeding the art of man to imitate, tn reading certain passages one almost feels the urge to “take off the shoes” because the ground is holy. Listen —“And 10, the Angel of the Lord ' cariie upon them' ’ (the shepherds) and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid.” What an experience for the shepherds! first terrifying, but later gloriously edifying. But don’t miss' the magnitude of the experience— “And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace* goodwill toward men.’ ” Now, what can this gieat mani festation really mean? This; “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” On behalf of the Temuka Mission [ give out a Christmas prayer, and wish that the greatest gift and blessing possible—Eternal Life may be received by many before 19 32 passes. DOUGLAS B. MUIR.