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It gets me both ways
Christmas seems to emphasize
our basic natures. If we're slightly
skeptical, we become deeply
cynical the closer the day
approaches. If we are inclined to
be optimistic and cheery, we are
apt to begin wallowing in
sentimentality.
It seems to get me both ways.
My natural skepticism hardens
into a surly misanthropy as the
annual parade of gifts and greed,
cards and carols, begins creeping
toward me. Not to mention the
holy old jumpin' putting up of
the tree, my annual struggle to
avoid insanity from frustration,
and hell from blasphemy.
But my natural optimism
sneaks in, and once the dirty
work has been done, I wax
sentimental to the point of tears
over the wassail bowl, the log in
the fire, the smell of singed spruce
needles, and the loved faces
around me.
Neither attitude is right, of
course. Both are base. Christmas
is a celebration. It should be
neither cynical nor sentimental,
but joyous, in the real sense of the
word.
It could, and should be the one
day in the year when we can creep
closest to the warmth of the basic
teachings of the man-god: love
and peace. It should be a day
marked by solemnity and jolity,
prayer and cheer.
It doesn't really have much to
do with turkey and trimmings
and tinsel, though these don't
hurt anybody.
Nor does it have anything to do
with the number of cards you
receive, or the value of the
presents you garner. Indeed, two
or three cards mean more to some
people than two or three hundred
to others. And a home-knit scarf
from someone can mean more
than a mink coat from someone
else. (Hope my family doesn't
read this.)
Easy enough to say what
Christmas is not. It's more
difficult to say what it is, because
it is intangible. You can't reach
out and grasp the spirit of
Christmas. You must feel it. If
you don't, you're dead,
spiritually.
Naturally, children get most
out of it. Perhaps it's because
they don't look for gimmicks.
There is a wonderful
combination of the mystic and.
the materialistic that entrances
them. Little realists that they are,
they are fascinated by the
thought of goodies. They love the
hide-and-seek aspects of gifts.
There's a great thrill in opening
the stockings, and squeezing and
rattling things under the tree.
But they are equally enchanted
by the aura that surrounds these
material jollies. The carols, the
pageants, the never-stale story of
the birth in the manger, the very
smell of Christmas: all these
increase their inner excitement to
the bursting point.
It's also a day when they can
get away with anything short of
murder, and they know it.
This year, after the big family
gatherings of other years, we'll
have a slim crew, but three
generations. Granny won't be
there, but we'll be thinking about
her. There'll be just Grandad
and us and daughter Kim. (At
time of writing. We might wind
up with eighteen.)
There'll be early church. Then
the opening of gifts, and thoughts
of son Hugh 1,000 miles away,
and the smell of turkey, and
50 YEARS AGO
Reeve of Usborne, William
Coates and councillors, J. T.
Morgan, John Hanna, Fred
Stewart and Joshua Johns were
all elected by acclamation.
Miss Curtiss and Miss
McDonald have closed their
millinery establishments in town
and have returned to their homes
in Belton and Woodstock,
respectively.
Mr. E. Christie, the genial post
master, says the Christmas mails
both coming and going are the
heaviest in many years. This is an
evident sign of prosperity.
Mrs. Johns received a letter
from her son, R. A. E. Johns,
M.A. who started for China this
fall, stating he had landed at
Yokohoma, Japan.
Ernest Elliott, Exeter, has
opened up a law office over J. H.
Holtzman's store and will be at
the office every Thursday.
25 YEARS AGO
Pte. Gerald Glenn, Pte. Wilmer
Dalrymple, Pte. William Snow
and Pte. Gerald Campbell of
Hensall and district will arrive
home from overseas on the Queen
Elizabeth which docks in New
York about December 28.
During the thaw the day before
Christmas the basement of the
Exeter Public School was flooded
and a pumping outfit from Grand
Bend had to be used.
Mr. & Mrs. J. Green, Miss Reta
Rowe and Mrs. J. Ferguson were
in Toronto last week attending
the Grand Chapter meeting of the
music, , and perhaps friends
dropping in for a drop. There's
too much talk about drop-outs
these days, and not enough about
drop-ins.
We'll have a big fire and lie on
the rug, groaning, after dinner. I
hope it won't be as big a fire as
last year, when my wife set fire to
the evergreens on the mantel and
nearly burned down the house.
This is all qualified by the word
"hopefully". It could be a
complete schmozzle, like the year
I dropped the turkey on the
kitchen floor as I took it out of
the oven.
But I hope it's peaceful. And
hope with all my heart, whatever
your situation, that your
Christmas will be blessed by
peace and love.
OES at the Royal York Hotel.
Douglas Pryde, who has been
with the RCAF at Comox, B.0
has received his discharge and is
visiting his parents.
15 YEARS AGO
Christmas carols were sung in
the corridor of the South Huron
Hospital, Tuesday evening by the
CGIT of James St. United
Church. Mrs. H. J. Snell, Mrs.
Lloyd Cushman and Miss V.
Ballagh are the leaders.
Delegations from Exeter
Council interviewed various
Ontario government departments
this week to discuss plans for
augmenting the town's water
supply.
The Dashwood Fire Brigade
ripped off a blazing kitchen roof
to save the farm home of Peter
Van Dorselaer, about four miles
west of Exeter early Tuesday
morning. Fire started from an
overheated stove.
The congregation of the
Christian Reformed Church in
Exeter turned out in full force to
celebrate the completion of their
house of worship at the north end
of town at a special service Friday
night.
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Dennis and
son, Jon, arrived by plane from
Hollywood, Calif., to spend
Christmas with Mrs. Dennis'
parents, Mr. & Mrs. C. L. Wilson.
10 YEARS AGO
Residents of the area won't
have to dream about a white
Christmas this year— they'll have
— Please turn to page 5
Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881
Amalgamated 1924
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SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
C.W.N.A., O,W.N.A., CLASS 'A' and ABC
Editor — Bill Batten — Advertising Manager
Phone 235-1331
Published Each Thursday Morning
at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail
Registration Number 0386
Paid itt Advance Civculatioh t
September 30, 1970, 4,675
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By .REV. DOUGLAS S. WARREN
Zion. United Church, Crediton
Have you ever wished you could re-capture the joy and
excitement of a young child as he is fascinated by the lights of
the Christmas tree (and the presents underneath)? Somehow
this is lost as we face the responsibilities of daily life. Would it
not be wonderful if we could experience something of the
wonder of this Season. I believe there is a way.
Isaiah, one of the great prophets of ancient Israel, under
the inspiration of the Spirit of God, wrote these words. "The
people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that
dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them path the
light shined." Is, 9:2.
It was a time in ancient history when the outlook of the
conditions in the world was not so different from our own. The
last verse of the preceding chapter sums up that ancient time.
"They shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and
darkness, gloom of anguish; and they shall be thrust into thick
darkness."
As one listens to newsbroadcasts, watches television or
reads the mass media of communications today — you can
sense something of this "trouble and darkness, gloom of
anguish and thick darkness" that seems to grip so many. At
times, there are those who become almost overwhelmed within
the inner-man and fear grips the soul because of what is
happening to our world of the twentieth century — wars and
rumours of wars, political kidnappings, War Measure Acts and
tactics, murders, riots, famines, destruction of thousands of
lives by earthquakes and tidal waves, with morality sinking,
perhaps, to its lowest ebb in centuries.
In the midst of all this chaos, a "cry" rises from old and
young alike. Where are we going? What is happening? Is there
no hope? Where is God?
Then to our ears at this Christmas season, almost to
mock man's cry comes the mechanical sound of Christmas
carols being sounded over the chaos of what has become known
as the "Christmas Rush".
Is there no message of hope — no light from beyond our
night? Suddenly the words of Isaiah sound forth to our inner
being. "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great
light!" What light! "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is
given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of
his government and peace there shall be no end . . ."( 9:6-7).
To men of faith the meaning of these words comes alive
in 1970, For when the Christian Church reads or sings or when
we as individuals open ourselves to their message, the above
words become a song of thanksgiving, sung not only with our
lips, but from the depths of our being. It is amazing how every
phrase of this song of thanksgiving fits our case and meets our
needs.
The Interpreter's Bible sums it up in this way: "Across
the century it leaps, spoken to the despairing hearts of a
handful of Jews more than 2500 years ago, it gives a voice to
the thanksgiving of all the sons of men for a great deliverance
and a Divine Saviour. Timeless and universal, it is the song of
the Redeemer and His Kingdom. How perfectly it mirrors the
hopes of men. In it are the light and joy of freedom. "Someone
else has said, the message of God's Kingdom will either make
you mad, sad or glad.
On the one hand, we have the message of the prophets of
doom, predictions of darkness which does spread across the
face of the earth as a result of' man's rebellion and refusal to
hear the message of God's love. This leads and develops into a
paralysing fear in men's hearts. On the other hand, men of faith
hear the message of Isaiah, "For unto us a son is given", and
then by commitment of' their lives to Him, they find He is
Wonderfid, A Counsellor, truly He is the Mighty God, The
Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. As they walk in that
light and continue to search for God's truth and righteousness,
they discover that "of the increase of His government and
peace" in the control of their lives, "there shall be no end".
It is a long time from Isaiah's day to ours, but the
prophet has discerned and declared the unchanging secret of
national greatness — justice and righteousness. Give us these in
our personal life, in the social order, and in International
relationships and we will once more hear the song of the Angels
on that first Christmas night. "Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace, good will toward men."
The whole message from ISaiah for us is bound up with
faith in Jesus Christ, as the Son of God — phrase by phrase all
that Isaiah proclaimed about the coming Messiah has been
fulfilled and is being fulfilled in the person and mission of
Jesus. Through faith in Him we can live our lives in the
twentieth century in the midst of "world trouble and
darkness" walking in a "great Light".
An experienced ship's captain was approached one dark
stormy night by an anxious passenger. "How can you possibly
take this ship into that dangerous harbour, past all the hidden
rocks at night safely?" "Don't worry, Sir" he said, "Do you see
those three lights placed on the shore and burning brightly?
When you have those three lights in a straight line, you simply
set your course on that line; then you can safely enter the
harbour. They have been set there for our safety."
At this Christmas Season if we set our course of life by 1.
the light of the ancient prophets, 2. the light of the message of
the angels on the first Christmas night — "Glory to God in the
highest and on earth peace and good will toward men" and 3.
the light of the Son, Jesus, summed up in John 3:16; "For God
so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have
everlasting life", we, too, can travel on a safe path through life's
darkest nights, safely past all the hidden rocks of trouble and
distress and enter into the harbour of His government and
peace and live in the Light of God's Kingdom.
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great
light" — "For unto us a Son is giVen".
Christmas Prayer
O God, open my eyes to the light of Thy Truth,
Open my ears to the message of Thy love.
I commit myself to Thee.
Pour out Thy light and love through me
To my brother in need.
In Jesus Name. Amen
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE.
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