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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News Record, 2016-12-21, Page 19Londesborough News Brenda Radford Special to the News Record Are you tired of winter yet? I know, I know, it was a nasty week. But we knew it was com- ing and we have weathered these winters before. And you have to admit, the evergreen trees are beautiful with their snow frosting. Also, it will be a white Christmas which is what everyone likes. The weather had an affect on mail delivery as well. Thurs- day's mail arrived on Fri- day, but I'm not sure the driver did the rural route that day. And Friday's mail came with Monday's mail making it a very busy day. Mondays in the month of December are always busy. Just FYI there will be no mail delivery on Dec. 26 or 27 or Jan. 2. And Radford's will be on even shorter staff and hours the last week of the year. You might want to pick up your mail in the morning just to be sure. All of us are familiar with the fun song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas': The twelve days of Christmas end with Epiphany on Jan. 6, the date celebrated as the time when the wise men visited the Christ Child. Some religious persuasions wait until Epiphany to exchange gifts. John Henry Hopkins Jr., an American author and com- poser, was born to an Episco- palian family in 1820 in Pitts- burgh, Penn. A bachelor in 1857, he enjoyed spending the holidays with his nieces and nephews. That year as they waited for their Jan. 6 gift exchange, the story in Matthew of the visit of the Magi, inspired him to write a new hymn for the children, "We Three Kings of Orient Are". His words recount the story of the three Kings and their journey to pay homage to the Christ Child. The next time you sing this hymn, think about how Hopkins fit his words to a tune that mimics the rhythmic gait of a camel caravan. The author tells of the three special gifts the Wise Men pre- sented the baby. Gold is a gift fit for a descendant of King David. Frankincense is a symbol of prayer and Christ as the Son of God. Christ's sacri- fice on the cross for all of man- kind is symbolized by the gift of myrrh. John Hopkins gave a gift to all Christians when he gifted his family. I found a neat little prayer, obviously written by a child, I'd like to share with you: "Thank you, God, for sending Jesus down to earth so he could tell us all about You and show us how to live. He was the very best Christmas present we ever got." I wish all readers of this weekly space a great holiday season with family and friends and leave this year with this thought: "Your Merry Christ- mas may depend on what oth- ers do for you, but your Happy New Year depends on what you do for others." LONDESBOROUGH UNITED CHURCH For a Christmas Sunday, the congregation at Londesbor- ough United Church on Dec. 18 was small, most likely because of the blustery weather. However the senior choir warmed every heart with their Christmas anthems, "This is Christmas Grace" and "Ring the Christmas Bells". Rev. Fletcher lit the candle of love in the Advent wreath. In his conversation with the children at the front of the sanctuary, Rev. Fletcher revealed that as a small child he had a collection of toy sol- diers with which he spent many hours of play. He expressed a desire to have a fort to use with the toys. One Christmas season, his parents collected some small wooden boxes from the grocers' and used them to make him a fort. They painted it appropriately and he treasured that gift because he knew it had been given with love. Likewise Terry reminded the children that in this season of Advent, we are all waiting to receive God's gift of love, the Christ Child. Rev. Fletcher had included in the morning's order of service this quote by Kahlil Gibran: "You give but lit- tle when you give of your pos- sessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." The message to the adults was titled "The Gift of Love': Supporting scripture passages were the prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 and the visit of the shepherds to the Baby as found in Luke 2:5-18. The responsive psalm was verses from Psalm 89. Rev. Fletcher spoke of how people spend a great deal of time each year searching for the perfect gifts to give. Perfect according to the ads that abound. However we all recognize that many times these gifts are not as well received as we might hope. For all these gifts could be termed 'stuff'. But at Christmas our spirits are ready to receive the greatest gift, the gift of love from God, the gift of a Baby. After the surprise of the announcement to Mary and Joseph came a quiet time of waiting and preparing. And the world had been told a Saviour would come but a quiet time of waiting had been long. But the whole world, like the shep- herds, were amazed at the news. Life is like that; it comes in waves of excitement and quiet. Terry asked congregants to consider the changes that that small Christmas family had undergone. They must have felt vulnerable and fearful but trusted their faith to see them through. Their experience was amazing and full of mystery and wonder. Likewise we should trust in God's love to sustain us when our lives seem precarious. We must remember that the Christ Child is always in our midst, even in the tough times. We have only to let His help in. The Christmas Eve Service will begin at 7:00. Offering received that night will be used for current expenses unless otherwise indicated by the giver. Knox United in Auburn will join the Londesborough congregation on Jan. 1 at 11:00 a.m. for a New Year's Day worship. zili bill& At least 80 percent of all fire deaths occur in home fires. Here are some smart Fire Prevention tips for protecting yourself and your family: ✓ Never leave candles burning unattended, and keep matches out of reach from children. ✓ Keep space heaters away from curtains and other flammable materials. Install smoke alarms on every floor of your home and outside each bedroom, and test batteries monthly. Wednesday, December 21, 2016 • News Record 19 clintonnewsrecord.com °"11111 "3 10, REAL LEPAGE r #n11rMili Heartland Realty, Brokerage L1 Independently owned and operated Helping you is what we doTM Office 519-565-5100 Mk 6B Main St. N. 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