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Times -Advocate, December 22, 1987
Times Established 1873
Advocate Established 1881
Amalgamated 1924
Imes
Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S0
Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386.
Phone 519-235.1331
cn
Bill BATTEN
Editor
DON SMITH
Business Manager
PCNA ig
TIM BECKETT
Publisher & Advertising Manager
ROSS HAUGH
Assistant Editor
HARRY DEVRIES DICK JONGKIND
Composition Manager Vice -President
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Mixed Christmas emotions
with Bill Batten and
Rev. Darrell Shaule, Lucan United Church
. "Silent Night, Holy Night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant, so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace."
Recently I read a Times -Advocate column written a year ago by
o Bill Batten. In that end -of -the -year column, Bill compares the jobs
of columnist and clergyman. A columnist meets the deadline for a
weekly paper for his Wednesday audience much like the minister
gets his message refined for the Sunday morning congregation.
Acquainted with Bill, I went to visit him the other day to talk
about combining our talents for a column this year at Christmas-
time. So what follows is written both by a columnist and a clergy-
man, but in Bill's words, "primarily the latter".
The farm where Bill and Barbara Batten live is nestled in off the
road in London Township behind some huge maple and spruce
trees. To the absolute delight of Bill's heart, a whole flock of
sheep have congregated in the -front yard.
Wrapped warmly, Bill sits in his favorite chair in front of the
Franklin fireplace, keeping up in his reading or taking a break and
looking at some of the many sparrows, bluebirds, golden finches
or nuthatches eating from the bird feeders in the front yard. We're
talking about Christmas and the meaning of Christmas, especially
this ycar. Bitl has been suffering from the effects of cancer for
several months.
In our conversation, Bill shares the mixed emotions he has as
Christmas approaches. Like others, this Christmas is special for
Bill. For him it is difficult to be happy and joyful in the midst of
the pain and discomfort that he has had. Because of his own situa-
tion, Bill says, "my situation just helps me to identify with all.
those others in our communities who are having difficulties
whether it be poor health, pain, grief, guilt or fear".
Bill doesn't stop There though. He goes on to share that the
Spirit of Christmas, the joy of this Christmas season, is so strong
that' it "combats these other feelings". And in spite of all that's
happening, Bill expresses his gratitude to his family, friends, co-
workers, neighbours and others who offer their help and who
stand right behind him.
As we look at the birth of Christ in the Scriptures, we see the
Joy on Mary's and Joseph's faces. How happy they must have
been to sec that a Saviour was born. The angels sang their hearts
out in praise to God. It was glorious! When the angel of the Lord
appeared to the shepherds, they were terrified. They didn't know
what was happening. How relieved they must have been to hear
the words,
"...today in the Town of David a
Saviour has been born to you:
He is Christ the Lord."
This is the reason we celebrate at Christmas. Jesus Christ offers
thc very same thing to us as He has done down through the ages.
Jesus who is the Light of the World continues to shine. His Light
shines right through all joy and pain, all sickness and adversity,
even death itself. And the words we hear from the Scriptures are
true:
"...a Saviour has been born to you;
He is Christ the Lord."
Our Saviour wants us to reach out and receive Him into our
lives. And then to tum and share Him with others. This is the
Spirit of Christmas. For my own personal life, I know God's
power and love in even a greater way this Christmas then ever be-
fore.
My wife'Jewcll passed away earlier in the year. With God's
help and with the victory of Jesus on the Cross, and thc support
of family and friends, Christmas is going to be a very special time
in our household too.
We join together, a columnist, Bill Batten and a minister, Dar-
rell ShaulcA,and our families to wish You a most special Christmas
celebration too.
We conclude this article with a verse from the Christmas carol,
Joy to the World:
Joy to the World! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room
and Heaven and nature sing.
•
1
cate
Serving South Huron, North- Middlesex
& North Lambton Since 1873
Published by J.W. Eedy Publications Limited
BLESSINGE3
TC)ALL
At this holy time, we extend the blessings
of the season to you and yours. May the
peace of Christ abide within every heart.
r.'
}
Christmas Spirit alive and well
When I was finally ready to do
my Christmas shopping, I decided
it was time to look for the
Christmas spirit. I had heard
rumours that it was dead. Reliable
sources claimed that the world
was going materialistic. Because
of my doubting nature, I had to
check it out myself.
Q There was mass hysteria at the
shopping plaza. Everybody was
trying frantically to find the right
present for the right person at the
right price.
Was this where the Christmas
spirit was hiding? I found long
lineups at the cash registers, and I
heard Silent Night piped over the
muzak speakers. I saw signs
advertising Christmas bargains,
Christmas sales and Christmas
gift opportunities. But there was
no Christmas spirit. -
Next I searched for it at a pre -
Christmas party, whgre people
showed off their cocktail dresses
and pinstripe suits, their new
hairdos and their Christmas
corsages. I saw men drinking too
much wine and spilling cheese dip
over their silk ties. I heard gossip
about politicians and crude jokes
about minorities and chitchat
about absolutely nothing. There
was no Christmas spirit.
I drove through the city,
slowly, not to miss the
Christmas spirit, should it
suddenly appear on the sidewalk. I
saw gaint Christmas trees on the
roofs of tall buildings, and
coloured globe lights in the
streets. I found store windows
sprayed with white foam, spelling
out "Merry Christmas", and I saw
plastic reindeer in doorways.
In the suburbs some houses had
flashing coloured lights, others
had styrofoam stars in b a y
windows. I saw one speeding
ambulance; two tow trucks, three
articulated buses, four snow
ploughs ... but no Christmas
spirit.
I walked through the streets of
-our small town, hoping to
discover the Christmas spirit
oictoottattommesso-
Let's keep the Christmas spirit 365 days each year
there. I saw cedar boughs draped
over shop doors, decorated Tight
standards, and a "Season's
Greetings" sign over the entrance
of a tavern. I saw a bumper
sticker that read "Drinking and
Driving Don't Mix". But I saw
no Christmas spirit.
I heard an electronic carillon
competing for attention with the
rock 'n roll sounds coming from a
record store, but the hooting of a
train slowly rumbling through.
town drowned them both out.,
Still I tried to find the Christmas
spirit.
I went to church .and enjoyed
PETER'S
POINT
the choir. There were lovely
evergreen branches, white and red
candles, and the December sun
filtered through the stained glass
windows. The minister spoke of
love and peace, and I thought for a
moment that the Christmas Spirit
had entered and filled t h e
sanctuary. But when I looked
around me, I saw that it had been
an illusion. The people were
listening and thinking and praying
and singing and reading and
-standing up and sitting down as
on other church days. And there
was no Christmas spirit.
I walked through the bush,
where the fresh snow made the
trees appear like frosty giants
with their arms extended. I
discovered the tracks of squirrels
and foxes and deer. I listened to
the silence as I stood still, and to
the squeaking of the snow under
my boots as I walked on.
I thought how lucky I was to
have such a walk through nature,
yet unspoiled. I found solitude and
tranquility. But still t h c
Christmas spirit had not =nude
itself known to me.
Were the rumours true after all?
Was the Christmas spirit dead?
Was I born too late? Should I
have been here a century and a
half ago, when the settlers
celebrated their simple Christmas
in their log cabins, when they
visited their neighbours• miles
away in cutters pulled by shaggy,
steaming horses? When they
walked to the little log church,
through snow drifts that reached
up to their knees?
Had the Christmas spirit fled
when the old pine furniture was
traded in for plastic and chrome,
when the logs were covered up
with vinyl siding, when the
homesteads were abandoned, and
bush grew up again where men,
women and children had once
cleared acre after rocky acre?
Was I a fool looking for the
spirit of Christmas in the age of
the VCR and the compact disk,
international terrorism a n d
neutron bombs, fast food' and
yuppies?
That evening I put the children
to bed and got ready to do some
work at my desk. But Stephanie
couldn't fall asleep. "Just one
more good -night kiss, Daddy,
please." "Alright, one more, and
that'll be it. I must get some
work done."
She threw her arms around my
neck and whispered: "Daddy, the
reason I can't sleep is because I'm
so happy it'll soon be
Christmas." '
And as I looked into her brown
eyes, 1 realized that at last I had
found the Christmas spirit. Alive
.and well and living in the hearts
of little children.
I sincerely wish all my readers a
very happy Christmas. May you
find hope and love and peace in
the eyes of children and in the
eyes of those who can be like
clljldren. Myfamily wants to send
you their good wishes, too:
Peter, Elizabeth, Alexander,
Duncan, and Stephanie.
As we write this final column
before Christmas we woutd like
to suggest that all of us extend
the Christmas Spirit not only at
this time of the year, but to every
day during 1988.
For most of us who have all we
need in the material sense
wouldn't it be nice to help the
needy of our community and
county all year-round.
:,i '!•�
Here at the T -A, employees
have helped with the Christmas
Bureau and the Koats for Kids
program along with help for indi-
vidual families.
We know that many other busi-
nesses in the arca have done the
same thing, but how about carry-
ing that same sense of responsi-
bility to the less fortunate through
right 366. It's a leap year.
We should all be like children
by
Ross Haugh
l
s
when it comes to Christmas and
realize thc true meaning of De-
cember 25.
We should take time to realize
the significance and truc meaning
of the humble birth of Baby Je-
sus some 2,000 -years ago and as
we so often sec in children's time
at many arca churches, thc
youngsters do realize why we
celebrate Christmas.
•
For many of the boys and girls
they have been taught Christmas
is a time of sharing and giving.
Unfortunately it's truc that
somt people come to the end of
the year and the way they gauge
their success is in the amount of
money they made:
Wouldn't it•bc better at the end''
of the year to cherish and !mem-
ber thc good things you did dur-
ing 1987 and then the same atti-
tude this coaling year will make 11
the best one you ever had.
Let's take the Christmas Spirit
to thc fullest and we can all say
like Tiny TO ,"God Bless us
everyone."
May each of our readers have a
very happy, Joyous and most
important, a Blessed Christmas
season.
'OW
r.