HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1966-12-22, Page 2PAGE TWO
ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1866
Cdd4I Cern me4
—
Let
1111 Oaf
the Christmas Dream Grow
Bethlehem — a mune often 'heard .at
this season — conjures up for most of us
quiet beauty under a deep -star-studded
sky, In reality, the ancient town is more
like a fortress than the setting for an idyl.
High on a plateau, windswept and austere,.
stands the Church of the Nativity in whose
cave -grotto, tradition says Christ was born.
The church above it is very old; it
dates back to Constantine in 330 A.D. The
present door, starkly simple and very low,
was so built in the time of the Crusades
to keep rampaging horsemen from riding
in to massacre the worshippers. It is a
grim reminder that Saracen and Christian
let blood here.
Though these realities of geography
and history shatter the tranquil image of
the Christmas town, they have a sustaining
quality in these days of violence and sub-
conscious, if not overt, fear of the future.
It is heartening to remember that the
thrilling song, "Peace on earth to men of
good -will", rang out first in an occupied
country at the tension -filled time of a hated
census taking.
The angel strains were not heralds of
Utopia; they were a thrust of light into
darkness, and He whose birth we celebrate,
found the road from Bethlehem to Calvary
both short and bitter, Yet the voices sang
truly. We are not wholly at the mercy
of our circumstances. As Dwight Steven-
son, a contemporary American has pointed
out, "the glory of the Christian faith lies
in its ability to work when forces are
hostile to it".
Time again, wise and privileged men,
who have found in the Babe their purpose
and their peace; and poor and oppressed
men who have found in Him their hope,
have changed history. A Woodrow Wilson
and a Hammerskjold have set our feet,
however falteringly, on the road to world
government.
The tolp.uddle martyrs (Methodist lay -
preachers) who died for the right of work-
ers to organize, have deft us a legacy of
enlightened labor legislation. Martin Luth
King and the murdered Civil Rights cham-
pions are teaching us, however slowly, that
black or white, we are irrevocably bound
together. Arthur O'Shaughnessy reminds
us: "One man with a dream, at pleasure
shall go forth and conquer a crown; and
three, with a new song's measure, can
trample an empire down."
May the Christmas song put courage
in us all. —Board of Evangelism, United
Church of Canada.
The Truth About Christmas
We, at the Citizens News, remain grate-
ful for the interest and support of our
readers and we are always pleased when
someone takes time to send us an item
for publication.
This Christmas, we received an article
written by David Augsburger, and sent to
us by Mrs. V. Ramer, RA 3, Zurich. While
space does not permit us to print the en-
tire item, we would like to share with you
some of the thoughts contained therein.
"Help yourself to the sugar," my
friend said, shoving the sugar bowl
next to my coffe cup . . . but there
was no spoon an the table.
"Tip it over and pour a little in,"
he suggested, noticing my puzzled look.
So I did. The first came off OK.
I shook it a little more ... and splash,
a sugary avalanche emptied a half cup
of granules into my coffee • . .
Now, my sweet tooth is almost a
tusk, but that was more than I could
stand. A bit of sugar takes the bitter
edge off coffee, but too much makes
it even more bitter. Who can stand it?
Yes. a "teaspoonful of sugar makes
the medicine go down," but for most of
us a tablespoon of sugar is worse than
taking the medicine straight.
The candy -sweetness of Christmas
is suspiciously like this.
It seems to me that we've been
over -sugaring Christmas to cover some-
thing. We've poured the sugar on so
heavily that the syrupy taste (with
more than a hint of saccharin) is re-
volting. We've candied the celebration,
sung sweet songs, sent greetings with
'honeyed words—glucose greetings —
until even our sleep is disturbed by
visions of sugar plums.
Who can stand it?
But why all the sugar?
What are we covering up?
Is Christmas so desperately bitter
... that the only way we can take
it is with "a teaspoonful of sugar"?
Before you shout "no" in quick
defense, think a bit more deeply. It
is true, isn't it? Christmas is bitter—
so unbearably bitter that no one can
stand it.
Christmas is the most bitter pill
man has ever needed to swallow. That's
why we've tried to make it a day of
"sweetness and light".
The bitter pill? It's true ... the
coming of God into what we thought
was man's world. That's Christmas!
Rather than face the bitter truth
about Christmas . . . we fight it with
gobs of "swett-but-oh-so phony Christ-
mas spirit."
We can't stand God's invading our
private little world. We'd rather he'd
stay in His heaven.
Can you stand Christmas?
You can ... if you let God into
your life this Christmas . . . if you
will give Him complete control of your-
self . . . now and forever!"
A blessed Christmas 1966 to one
and all.
Kippen East WI
Christmas Meet
The Christmas meeting of
Kippen East Women's' Institute
was held at the home of Mrs.
Ernest Whitehouse, with Mrs,
Robert Bell as co -hostess, on
Wednesday afternoon, Decem-
ber 14. The president, Mrs.
Grant MacLean, chaired the
meeting, which she opened with
a reading. This was followed
by the Opening Ode and the
Mary Stewart Collect.
The roll call was answered
by telling. where to keep Christ-
mas cards. "Deck the hall with
holly" was sung, and Mrs. James
Drummond read the minutes,
which were approved as read.
It was decided that the eighth
group would look after the des-
sert euchre in January and that
a euchre party would also be
held February 17• Mrs. Grant
MacLean reported for the his-
torical research committee, and
gave a reading on the "Day
after Christmas".
Mrs. William Gibson gave the
motto: "It isn't the giver who
makes Christmas, it's the spirit
of others." Songs were sung
by Sandra and Jeffrey McKay
and Eileen Connolly. A reci-
tation was given by Stephen
Sararas.
From My Window
By Shirley Keller
I suppose the theme of this
column should have something
to do with Christmas but for
the life of me, I can't get ex-
cited about the festival of fes-
tivals. Usually, my shopping,
card addressing and baking
wait until then, making the two
or three days prior to Christ-
mas a happy, hectic time.
I always feel a little sorry
for people who are so well or-
ganized that they have their
gifts purchased and wrapped in
the summer; their cakes and
cookies baked and stored in.
November; their cards and
other mail addressed and out
on the appointed date; the
house cleaned and decorated
well in advance of the Christ-
mas season. It must take some
of the excitement out of Christ-
mas.
Around our house there is so
much to be done at the very
last moment that every mem-
ber of the household is commis-
sioned to help. All in the same
day, if not the same hour,
i
father is putiing up the Christ-
mas tree and stringing the
lights; the kids are decorating
the house, wrapping some gifts
and sampling and snitching on
their way through the kitchen
where I am trying to bake,
pop corn for stringing, find
string for the baubles, address
cards, answer the telephone and
this year (heaven help me) keep
our nine month old out of the
garbage.
But it's fun and we would'nt
have it any other way.
There are a few things that
irk me at this time of year,
though. One of them is the
growing usage of "Xmas" for
"Christmas". As far as I'm
concerned, taking "Christ out
of Christmas and replacing it
with the symbol for an un-
known quantity is like taking
the turkey but of Christmas
dinner or the presents off the
tree. There isn't anything left
of Christmas if you remove the
best part!"
And I can't figure out why
people don't demand more
Christmas music be played by
radio stations during Decem-
ber. Used to be that a few
carols and "White Christmas"
was the only seasonal music
available ... but today's Christ-
mas is filled with all kinds of
lovely musicwhieh we hear
only once a year. Whether the
Chipmunks sing "Santa's Super-
sonic Space Suit" or a choir
renders a traditional carol from
another country, Christmas
music gives me a lift and I'd
like to hear more of it.
I'd like to see a few less
cards sent to friends and neigh-
bors we see every day and a
few more donations made to
organizations offering help to
the needy.
I wish there could be some
way to save the food and
goodies of Christmas which will
be wasted in Canada this year
for people in countries less for-
tunate.
Oh yes, and I long for the
glorious day when toy compan-
ies will stop dreaming up new,
expensive automatic toys and
concentrate on producing sim-
ple, .inexpensive ones which will
require the child to use his
imagination once more.
p4a*e174. 8
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It II
Mrs. Pipe, Londesboro, gave
a demonstration on Christmas
deeoraations and corsages. Mrs.
Edna Caldwell demonstrated
the making of variety cookies.
She also showed the ladies her
candy •and cookie hoose which
was illustrated in Week -end
magazine.
Mrs. M. Connolly read the
Christmas story.
Santa arrived to distribute
gifts and . he was assisted by
Mrs. Cecil Pullman.
Wedding
DEWYS--FABER
Amidst a setting of miniature
Christmas trees reflecting their
blue lights an baskets of white
and blue tinted Mums, Shirley
Dianne Faber and Peter Francis
DeWys exchanged rings and
vows in Parkview United
Church, Stratford, Saturday, De-
cember 12, at 2:30 p.m., with
Rev. Howard K. Plant officiat-
ing.
The bride's parents are Mr.
and Mrs. Egbert Faber, of Kip -
pen. The groom is the son of
Mr. and Mrs, George DeWys, of
Stratford.
basic sheath style featured em-
pire waist accented with braid
and rosettes of powder blue
and puff sleeves. To add a
final touch to their 'ensembles
they wore matching petal ros-
ette headpieces of chiffon vel-
vet edged with seed pearls ac•
tented by tiered silk illusion
shoulder -length veils and they
carried cascade bouquets •of
white carnations and tinted
mums to match their dresses.
Given in marriage by her
father, the bride wore a floor -
length gown of white peau de
faille, fashioned with lily -point
sleeves and portrait neckline
accented with alencon lace. The
gently controlled skirt ended in
a double train, The main cen-
tre of attention was focused on
the detachable cathedral train
cascading from a tailored bow
at the back -empire and also
accented with the same alencon
lace appliques. To complete
her bridal outfit, the bride wore
a tiered silk illusion fingertip
veil held in place by a petal
rosette of peau de faille edged
with tiny seed pearls. She car-
ried a shower bouquet of red
roses and trailing white ribbon
dotted with white baby mums.
Miss Sandra Bolton was maid
of honor; senior bridesmaid,
Mrs. Carol Penhale, sister of the
bride; bridesmaids, Miss Eleanor
Wright and Miss Emma Oesch,
and junior bridesmaid, Miss
Patricia Anne Faber.
The bridal attendants pro-
vided a colorful background in
their floor -length gowns of chif-
fon velvet, the maid of honor
in American beauty and the
bridesmaids in royal blue. The
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.May the happiness of the
holidays be with you always,
THE SUPERINTENDENT, RESIDENTS, STAFF,
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MANAGEMENT
ZURICH
Flower girl, Wendy Penhale,
niece of the bride, wore a short,
white chiffon velvet dress with
full skirt and cumberbund of
American beauty velvet. Her
headpiece was similar to that
of the other attendants in
American beauty and carried a
nosegay of roses and white
streamers.
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