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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1964-12-24, Page 4FA"4404;"40' octal41i114t4M:tnik. " *04::MMV " • V* at this joyous time, when hope and good spirits are high, we express appreciation for your continued loyalty, and wish you the best of everything for Christmas as always. Thank you. p Milt and Ella Robbins DAL'S BARBER SHOP Mower and Cycle R( ni ar sh 436 Main St. South Exeter m wi in' 235-2940 GO ISHES FOR C Letter to the editor Reader tells about publicity enjoyment TIME FOR GIVING By Rev. William A. Gatz Peace Lutheran Church, Exeter Zion Lutheran Church. Dashwood While having a cup of coffee the other day in a public restaurant I overheard two men talking. Evidently one of the men owed the other $2.75. The one that owed the money said, "Here are three dollars, keep the rest." The other man asked, "What is the 25¢ for?" The other man replied, "It's the Christmas season, aren't we to give at Christmas?" Yes, I'm sure that this is the general feeling in our nation at this time of year. Whether we are one of the most active members in our church or whether we go to church about once or twice a year we know that Christmas time is a time for giv- ing. We send Christmas cards to people we haven't seen for years. We buy gifts and send them to relatives and friends across the country. We spend hours shopping for a gift for that special "someone" in our life. We give donations to different organiza- tions. We tip the paper boy. We invite friends and neighbors into our homes so that we can celebrate with them. If we haven't gone to church all year generally we will go at Christmas time so that we can make our annual gift to the Lord. And so sgiesitiitroglecomr(q.eroVaiiisolictoitter groi arts t'N'Wgr MY first thought was they're atter me. However, ; managed to control a sctparn ter my wife and looking the puzzled nurse in the eye inquired if Bill Batten was around. She pointed to a door which seemed to say through my Amu eyes "14avatorY". Not wishing to appear dumb I asked rather subtlety, "Is he sick?" I had visions of a rather bedraggled hunk of a man, crouched overa receptacle, wishing he had never been born. So, I thought, it is true what they say about expectant fath- ers; thank goodness I came to cheer him up. When from another door he appeared looking his usual im- peccable self! My illusion of the expectant father was shattered. As we talked I could see he was trying to cheer me up and as I shuffled away I could hear the crying of a baby. I thought this was the end of the epi s ode, but after last week's editorial people would meet me on the street and eye- ing my pant cuffs would say with chortling enthusiasm, "I saw your name in the paper." I pull my overcoat tight and with a smiling reply say, "Yes." But be damned if I'll let them know if I still have my white wooly socks and pyjamas on! THE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE Bill Pollen ar At M. be br al' th, at by t "If only I didn't have to get up, I'd feel I could lick the world." To the editor, A not too funny thing happened to me. don't know whether I'll ever live it down, but I'M ge4ig to try. A week ago Sunday the alarm rang. I jumped out of bed, as I do two or three times a week, and shuffled to the kitchen to prepare a rather hasty break- fast of toast, coffee, and ever precious orange juice. Flipping the radio on, which is the awake signal, I shuffled back to the den and with my pyjamas still on I wiggled into my pants and sweater and white woolly socks; then out to the car to get it warm for a run to the hospital. A thought flashed through my mind—here I am, up in the middle of the night taking my wife to work so we can afford the ever precious orange juice so I can get up and serve this precious orange juice in the middle of the night. I meant to discuss this with her but we didn't have time. As we roared down Sander's Street, slowing down briefly in front of the Chief's, my wife noticed that the Batten's house was lit up. I mumbled something about a fight—I am full of little gems in the middle of the night, and proceeded to the hospital. My wife said something about a baby as she jumped from the car and as I backed down the drive it suddenly dawned, night and all,—Batten's having a baby! I parked, ran to the door, jumped out of my overshoes, and shuffled to the main desk. "Is Bill Batten around?" I mumbled. The nurse eyed me suspiciously and I realized she was probably thinking - what bed should this joker be in and where the does he think he's going? — By this time I was shuffling, in my white wooly socks, down to the main waiting room, try- ing to pull my pyjamas above my pant cuffs. No one was there. I shuffled back past the frowning nurse and was about to depart when a second angel of mercy appeared. ONE MAN'S OPINION by John C. Boyne We :110c9- that the spirit of giving is very .„. strong at this time of year, Why should this whole, spirit. of 111g; 'be sostrong 'at this time. of yearl 'The charitable organizations need help through, out the year, 'and .net only at Olt*tmaP, Our .40040s- and friends are there :all the year around, and not only at Christmas, That .spe, cial "someone" continues to he in our life all the time, and not only at Christmas, The church we 'belong to is there all the year around, and not only on Chri8trna8, Te whole spirit of giving was plant- ed in the world by the God who has created us. When God saw the mess that man . got himself into after he had created hirn, God promised man that He was going to send .a Savior so that man could get back into the good graces of. the Lord. Until the Savior Came Mail was supposed to 'believe and trust in God with all his heart. Finally the time was ready and God sent the SaYior, His only begotten Son, to be born. He was not born in a palace with a cheering crowd, but instead he was born in a barn simply with animals and a few humble folks 'around him. This was God's way of showing that this Savior was to be for all people, rich and poor alike. God gave the promise to man at a time when man was in a terrible predica- ment. The Promised One, Jesus Christ, came at a time when man needed to be saved from his wrong doing. And so today in 1964 the Savior comes to us through God's Holy Word to a world that needs Him. As we look around us we know that the world needs a Savior. We hear men cursing, swear- ing, telling dirty stories and snapping back at friends and dear ones. We know that man's thoughts are evil as 'he desires evil on someone and as he desires things and persons that he should not have. We also notice that the deeds of man are evil as we see him stealing, hurting other people, and ;as he under -handedly d o e s something against his friends and competitors. Because man continues to do evil things rather than 'good God gave the world a Savior. Anyone that would 'believe in the Savior, Christ Jesus, accept Him .and live by His teachings would be back on God's side again. So the man would never; forget this great gift of the Savior and 'the spirit of giv- ing the Christian Church has set December 25th to celebrate the Savior's birthday. As we celebrate our Christmas this year let us not forget why the spirit of giv- ing is at this particular season. When we gather around the Christmas tree on Christ- mas Eve or on Christmas Morn with our relatives and family to open our Christmas gifts let us think of the most important gift to this world, the Savior Christ Jesus. When it comes time for the worship service to be held in the church to which we belong, make 'it a point to attend and praise God for this Gift. When you gather around the table with your family and relatives for the Christmas dinner have the head of the house take the family Bible and read the Christmas story of God's gift to mankind in the Gospel of St. Luke, chapter .2 verses 1 to 20. Let this Christmas season be one of joy for you as you experience the true meaning of this season of giving. Ready for Christmas Christmas is a time for family and friends . . . for exchanging gifts and greetings . . . for a spirit glowing with good will. May we express our thanks, with best wishes for a happy holiday. LINDENFIELD'S LTD. . . . And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had seen and heard; as it was told HARDWARE and HEATING 365 Main St. S. Exeter 235-2361 Wkb.VA:a5-Vio•ci4s.Vi o '45§lioVo4gatiViraisPas9:1i:sN unto them. The Times-Advocate publishers, staff, cor- respondents and contributors trust that you and yours enjoy the full measure of Christ- mas blessings and that this year you may share in the joy and wonderment that befell the shepherds near Bethlehem when they received the news of the birth of the babe in a lowly manger. . , Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 exeferZimesalmorafe SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND Membeti d.t.A.R. and ABC PUBLISHERS; J. M. Southcott, R. M. Soutitcott EbITOR: William Batten Children's cheery voices raised in Christmas song express the good will we feel for all our friends. Thanks and Merry Christmas! BANK OF IVIONTREA14 "MY BRj 9a4te '&04 Published Each Thursday Morning at EXeter, Ont. AtithOritect as Second Class Mail, Post Office Depit, Ottawa, and for Payment of Postage in Cash Paid-in-Advance Circulation, September 30, 1964, 4,063 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $4;00 Per Year; USA SSA A young sea captain was away from home for seven years. When he finally headed home he was a rich man who now owned his own ship. He had become wealthy in the far east. He had found a lovely wife in Malaya— she had become a Christian and was looking forward to her life in a new land. But instead of the heart- warming reception which the captain expected, the attitude of his relations and former friends was cold and forbidding. They raised a wall of race prejudice against his coloured wife. She was frozen out of all the circles of fellowship in the town. Finally she broke under the strain and just prior to taking her own life she wrote, "God of the children, God of the lesser children of the earth, the black, the unclean, the vengeful, you are mine now as when I was a child. lie came too soon this Chtist of peace; men are not ready yet." There is much truth in this complaint. How often do we fail to see concrete practieal evi- dence of His influence. How often do We see that people just aren't ready to try it HIS way yet. So it is that we faithfully teach our children the values Of the Christian faith and then disillusion them when they all too soon learn from the adult World that the most important thing is to get ahead—it't al- right to junk Christian prin- ciples as long as you succeed. It's alright to use people as long as you make it and look out tot number one. The idea that We should give tip self-seeking and so fulfill the best that is in uS doesn't seem to add hp in a world Where Brute forte appears to be the only language the world will listen to or attempt to understand. The gospel that featured go- mg the second Mlle takes areal beating Where our basic rule IS "an eye fOt an eye and tooth for a tooth's So there are those who tell us that it's too soon to teach belligerent nations that murder and 'enslavement is treachery against God, It is too soon to talk of disarmament. Men are not ready to give, to share, to see that our abun- dance is Used to feed those Who are hungry. Because the Drob, rem is so intridately"dompleit many just thkOW up their handt and refute to even A little to help. A irtititired :years ago iii the the Civil War had raged for fOur Yeats. bile young than sat brooding Over this slaughter '40 On Christmas Day and he wrote these words: "I heard the bells on Christmas day, their old familiar carols play And wild and sweet, the words repeat of peace on earth goOd will to men. And in despair, I bowed my head: there is no peace on earth I said. For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth good will to men. Then pealed the bells more loud and deep. God is not dead nor doth He sleep: The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth good will to men". Longfellow was well aware of the power of hatted—he was well aware that men were not ready. But he was led to feel that God was ready. Yes, in spite of all the un- readiness of men, the Scrip- tures say that God felt that the time was ripe. "When the fullnesS of time was come God sent forth HIS Son". AS J. S. Stewart put it, "There is a tide in the affairs of God and it is when the tide reaches the flood, when all the pitpata.. tory work is done, and world eonditiOnS are clamouring for it and human souls are Open, it is then at the flood-tide hour of hiStory that God launches His new adventure". So it WaS thattiratChristmaS and so it is noW. World conditions clamour for a rebirth of sacrificial love. History) if there is to be fur- ther history, demands it. When chrittfirttothe, many Were not ready; As William TeMple put it so well, doit't know Whet CaeSar Augustus was doing that night. No doubt what, ever he was doing, he and everyone abOtit him, thOtight that it was very important". "If one had appeared to him instead of the shepherds and had Said, 4tedit all thiS alone: it doesn't matter; nothing mat- ters tonight except the fact that a poet woman has had a baby in a stable', he and the members of his 'court Walla haVe thought a lunatic Was play, ttg a practical joke on them". Many were not and are not ready. but many during this Chtlat,. fries Week Will experience the Ituthi beauty, and wonder of those Words of Phillips Brooks; "HoW silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given SO God impattS to human hearts the bletsitigt of His heaven to ear may hear this Coining but 'lb thIS 'World of Sin Where meek souls will receive , still the 'dear 'aria enters in," Worfilrrg'`Wttl, Canadicns fn tvitry Wolk 61•1.fie Since 1$y7 Manager and Staff of Exeter Branch 4:*6*t**000.<i*(.t*i.*:toAA,oijooioiok4-*e,ioaii*a000t4.