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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1991-12-23, Page 18— — Page 24, Luc w Sentinel Monday, bee mber.33, 1991 TIDINGS OF COIVF Ri AND JOY TO ALL There's no better time of the year to say thanks and wish - you all a joyous holiday. e&E. Sales Serviae (GA. Gibson. Holding inc.) LUCKNOW 528-3426 • Allow us please to give all of you our thanks. Brian, Kathy and Staff Luc LUCKNOW arket 528.3001 q. ttt avour the Christmas mystery "Absurd Win," Henri Nouwen ,says, "is ai way of 'llfe in which vo remain deaf to the voice Which speaks to us in *Ur silence." if you are already asking, 4What VOker% this Christmas ankle is for youbeing newt° the area,I dare some outrageous, unOrthOdoist and totally extravagant ideas about . Christmas.- in the midst of bur Christmas ruSlikwith allot its shopping and singing and'. - baking : and. visiting, I want to sisg- gest,..silence. Recently, I've found myself amazedat how often God's word calls me, a preacher and teacher, to be still.. Certainly there is a time for speaking, but that's not where most of ifs have our big problem. Our big problem is silence. One of my greatest fears Since I've come back into the pastorate Is that; in spite of all my reading and study and prayer, there will come a Sunday when 1 have nothing to Say, Although My congregation may not agree, I am begin - fling to wonder If that would be so tragic. Remember Zechariah? He too was a minister, a priest before God. You can read all abOnt .A1111110.101List.thaptar,onotike"s-goitpeirThe--2- angel Gabriel imposed a nine-month silence on Zechariah -' so that he could learn beyond words into mystery.' , CommolikatIon heti become big 'busbies* these days. Words, even Christmas cards, can easily be used to control and manipulate persons and events. Possibly preachers are the most guilty, although. I can only speak„ and confess, for myself. This Christmas season Imust put aside my wall -to -well words of explanation and allow myself to be vul filtrable before the. God who became viii' nerable for me. More specifically,' must give up the familiar noise of my mind and voice and body for the frightening silence of God's miraCieIt's not a verY COmfOrtable tor0SpeCt, • given the *IkinOSSOfAhlti Bethlehem God.. And II'S only fair to warn all Of you, that , once you shirt- with silence, you • can be haunted for the rest of your life. The silence becomes pregnant with expectation;. like the moment just before a worship Service: begins or that interval between the. conductor's raised hands and the playing of the orchestra. We find ourselves strangely yearning . for more and deeper silence. We begin to recog- n4.niz1044108... ufFiStiothkreasiryCetma..belikr theein-mthe-nousic. At:I-Mau—nos the pause between the words and -sentences that helps us make sense out of the dialogue. And It' the quietness between -activities that Mysteryl, I suspect, IS' what Christmas is an .flaIIy breaks through the illusion that we are about. And It's not an easily solved or quickly what we do. . understood Mystery. -Even, a Hallmark Silence permits us .to simply .be in the • Christmas card can't quite capture the Presence of God and His Christmas mystery meaning of Almighty GO cOminif ..into our There is a holy gentleness here that dissolves. world as a baby. Zechariah had to,be struck the commotion of this season Into receptivity. dumb Mary pondered "all these things" in her Provers 17:28 says that even a fool Is thought heart. The least we can do Is • hold our ton- , wise if he keeps silent. I. have risked these gues. There is a word here which can only be words in, the hope of reminding myself and received slowly and silently. To such a word you to make space this year for the Word of there' can' be no Instant or immediate God to enter deeply Into us and take Beek 'response. It is too. deep and wOnderful and earth -shattering. Somehow it is beyond the ,Pastor Ron 'Luchies realm of speech. Lucknow Christian Reformed Church rVteVXVXVXVXVX.'S:X&XVXVX-VXVXVMVMVX-VXV ' Christmas - Christmas isn't presents or for candy canes. But we celebrate Christmas because Jesus Mist was born. God showed His'birth by putting a• bright star above the stable so that wisemen could see it from afar. That is one reason why • we celebrate Christmas. We also celebrate because if Christ was not bom we would die of sin. Lisa Mulder, Grade 4 Lucknow Christian School time of a year and everyone enjoyed it. '1 Arnie Scott, Grade 5 Lucknow Christian What Christmas Was Like 50 Years Ago Christmas wasn't as nice as it is now. People were poor. You didn't get many presents, and the ones you did get were usually homemade. Oranges were a rare They believed in Santa Claus but he was called Saint Nicholas. They Christmas 50 Years Ago also, believed in Black Peter. He Christmas 50 years ago was a fun would take bad children, put them time. They got a real Christmas tree in his sack and whip them. and they decorated if with, red and Many of the fathers were gone. green braided crepe paper, and The women usually prepared stringed popcorn. They got clothes, Cluistirta.s dinner. There was goose, an orange and maybe a toy. They potatoes, homemade bread, and, for were all handmade. And they dessert i plum pudding. 0 always had a lot to eat. They went Sometimes the family would get visiting people in a sleigh with bells together with their relatives. attached to the team of horses. The family would put up their They also went to church for Christmas tree. It was decorated Christmas. It was a very exciting with popcorn strings, paper chains, and homemade ornaments. If the family had a nativity scene, it would be set up. On Christmas bay, the family would go to church. They worship- ped the same God as we worship now. • They may have been poor, but they had a happy Christmas. • Bethany Ltichies, Grade 6, Lucknow Christian Christmas 50 Years Ago in Holland St. Nichols came on December 5 and gave people little gifts. Some people had trees and some people did not have any trees. They got handmade gifts. Instead, of a turkey they had a rabbit for Christmas dinner and thef sang songs. Some people did not have any presents. They had a Sunday .School party. they got a few candies and an orange but an orange in those days was very special to the people and very expensive. April Nunum Lucknow Christian